Muscle Fiber Characteristics and Fatty Acid Compositions of the Four Major Muscles in Korean Native Black Goat.

PubMed

Hwang, Young-Hwa; Joo, Sung-Hyun; Bakhsh, Allah; Ismail, Ishamri; Joo, Seon-Tea

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between muscle fiber characteristics and fatty acid composition of four major muscles in Korean native black goat (KNBG). Longissimus lumborum (LL), psoas major (PM), semimembranosus (SM), and gluteus medius (GM) were obtained from five male KNBGs of 36 mon of age and subjected to histochemical analysis and to determine fatty acid composition and meat quality traits. There were significant ( p <0.05) differences in fiber number percentage (FNP) and fiber area percentage (FAP) of fiber types among these four muscles. PM had the highest FNP of type I and the lowest FNP of type IIB, while SM had the highest FNP of type IIB. The highest fat content was observed in LL while SM had the lowest fat content. The proportions of SFA and MUFA were significantly ( p <0.05) different among four muscles due to differences in the majority of fatty acids such as oleic (C18:1) and palmitic (C16:0) acids. The PUFA/SFA ratio was significantly ( p <0.05) different among four muscles, and the highest PUFA/SFA ratio was observed in PM. Results suggested that LL and PM might be healthful because of higher desirable fatty acid value and PUFA/SFA ratio, respectively. Also, data showed that correlations between muscle fiber types and fatty acids proportion of goat muscles were reversed with those of cattle muscles.

Relating polarization phase difference of SAR signals to scene properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulaby, Fawwaz T.; Dobson, Myron C.; Mcdonald, Kyle C.; Senior, Thomas B. A.; Held, Daniel

1987-01-01

This paper examines the statistical behavior of the phase difference Delta-phi between the HH-polarized and VV-polarized backscattered signals recorded by an L-band SAR over an agricultural test site in Illinois. Polarization-phase difference distributions were generated for about 200 agricultural fields for which ground information had been acquired in conjunction with the SAR mission. For the overwhelming majority of cases, the Delta-phi distribution is symmetric and has a single major lobe centered at the mean value of the distribution Delta-phi. Whereas the mean Delta-phi was found to be close to zero degrees for bare soil, cut vegetation, alfalfa, soybeans, and clover, a different pattern was observed for the corn fields; the mean Delta-phi increased with increasing incidence angle Theta = 35 deg. The explanation proposed for this variation is that the corn canopy, most of whose mass is contained in its vertical stalks, acts like a uniaxial crystal characterized by different velocities of propagation for waves with horizontal and vertical polarization. Thus, it is hypothesized that the observed backscatter is contributed by a combination of propagation delay, forward scatter by the soil surface, and specular bistatic reflection by the stalks. Model calculations based on this assumption were found to be in general agreement with the phase observations.

Flare Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benz, Arnold O.

2017-12-01

Solar flares are observed at all wavelengths from decameter radio waves to gamma-rays beyond 1 GeV. This review focuses on recent observations in EUV, soft and hard X-rays, white light, and radio waves. Space missions such as RHESSI, Yohkoh, TRACE, SOHO, and more recently Hinode and SDO have enlarged widely the observational base. They have revealed a number of surprises: Coronal sources appear before the hard X-ray emission in chromospheric footpoints, major flare acceleration sites appear to be independent of coronal mass ejections, electrons, and ions may be accelerated at different sites, there are at least 3 different magnetic topologies, and basic characteristics vary from small to large flares. Recent progress also includes improved insights into the flare energy partition, on the location(s) of energy release, tests of energy release scenarios and particle acceleration. The interplay of observations with theory is important to deduce the geometry and to disentangle the various processes involved. There is increasing evidence supporting magnetic reconnection as the basic cause. While this process has become generally accepted as the trigger, it is still controversial how it converts a considerable fraction of the energy into non-thermal particles. Flare-like processes may be responsible for large-scale restructuring of the magnetic field in the corona as well as for its heating. Large flares influence interplanetary space and substantially affect the Earth's ionosphere. Flare scenarios have slowly converged over the past decades, but every new observation still reveals major unexpected results, demonstrating that solar flares, after 150 years since their discovery, remain a complex problem of astrophysics including major unsolved questions.

Culture, morality and individual differences: comparability and incomparability across species.

PubMed

Saucier, Gerard

2018-04-19

Major routes to identifying individual differences (in diverse species) include studies of behaviour patterns as represented in language and neurophysiology. But results from these approaches appear not to converge on some major dimensions. Identifying dimensions of human variation least applicable to non-human species may help to partition human-specific individual differences of recent evolutionary origin from those shared across species. Human culture includes learned, enforced social-norm systems that are symbolically reinforced and referenced in displays signalling adherence. At a key juncture in human evolution bullying aggression and deception-based cheating apparently became censured in the language of a moral community, enabling mutual observation coordinated in gossip, associated with external sanctions. That still-conserved cultural paradigm moralistically regulates selfish advantage-taking, with shared semantics and explicit rules. Ethics and moral codes remain critical and universal components of human culture and have a stronger imprint in language than most aspects of the currently popular Big-Five taxonomy, a model that sets out five major lines of individual-differences variation in human personality. In other species (e.g. chimpanzees), human observers might see apparent individual differences in morality-relevant traits, but not because the animals have human-analogue sanctioning systems. Removing the moral dimension of personality and other human-specific manifestations (e.g. religion) may aid in identifying those other bases of individual differences more ubiquitous across species.This article is part of the theme issue 'Diverse perspectives on diversity: multi-disciplinary approaches to taxonomies of individual differences'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Econometric analysis of the factors influencing forest acreage trends in the southeast.

Treesearch

Ralph J. Alig

1986-01-01

Econometric models of changes in land use acreages in the Southeast by physiographic region have been developed by pooling cross-section and time series data. Separate acreage equations have been estimated for the three major private forestland owner classes and the three major classes of nonforest land use. Observations were drawn at three or four different points in...

Differences in social functioning among patients with major psychiatric disorders: Interpersonal communication is impaired in patients with schizophrenia and correlates with an increase in schizotypal traits.

PubMed

Yasuyama, Toshiki; Ohi, Kazutaka; Shimada, Takamitsu; Uehara, Takashi; Kawasaki, Yasuhiro

2017-03-01

Impaired social functioning is a hallmark of major psychiatric disorders. The purpose of this study was to detect a disorder-specific factor of social dysfunction among patients with major psychiatric disorders (PSY), including schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BIP) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Social functioning was assessed in patients with SCZ (n=80), BIP (n=27) or MDD (n=29) and healthy controls (HC, n=68) using the Social Functioning Scale (SFS). Compared to HC, the SCZ, BIP and MDD patient groups showed lower total SFS scores. No differences in the total scores for social functioning were observed between patient groups. We next investigated seven subscales of the SFS among PSY and observed significant diagnostic effects on all subscales of the SFS. Notably, patients with SCZ have poorer interpersonal communication than patients with MDD. Furthermore, the poorer interpersonal communication score was significantly correlated with an increase in schizotypal personality traits, as assessed by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) in HC. Although there were no differences in overall social functioning among PSY, disorder-specific factors, such as interpersonal communication, were evident in SCZ. The correlation between poor interpersonal communication and the increase in schizotypal traits suggests that poor interpersonal communication may be an intermediate phenotype of SCZ. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trace and major element levels in rats after oral administration of diesel and biodiesel derived from opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) seeds.

PubMed

Aksoy, Laçine; Sözbilir, Nalan Bayşu

2015-10-01

The study investigated the toxic effects of diesel and biodiesel derived from opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) oil seeds on the trace and major elements in kidney, lung, liver, and serum of rats. By the end of 21 days, trace and major element concentrations in kidney, lung, and liver tissues and the serum were measured using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. We observed that trace and major element levels in kidney, lung, and liver tissues and the serum changed. Especially, important differences were detected in trace and major element concentrations in kidney and lung tissues. In kidney tissue, the concentration differences of calcium, sodium, and zinc (Zn) were found between diesel and biodiesel groups. In lung tissue, the concentration differences of cadmium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, and Zn were found between diesel and biodiesel groups. Among the significant findings, Zn concentration in serum and liver tissue of diesel and biodiesel were different from control (p < 0.05). However, the metal levels of biodiesel group were similar to control group. Due to lesser toxicity of biodiesel, it could be considered as an alternate fuel. © The Author(s) 2013.

Characteristics of electron distributions observed during large amplitude whistler wave events in the magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, L. B., III; Cattell, C. A.; Kellogg, P. J.; Goetz, K.; Wygant, J.; Breneman, A. W.; Kersten, K.

2010-12-01

We present a statistical study of the characteristics of electron distributions associated with large amplitude whistler waves inside the terrestrial magnetosphere using waveform capture data as an addition of the study by Kellogg et al., [2010b]. We identified three types of electron distributions observed simultaneously with the whistler waves including beam-like, beam/flattop, and anisotropic distributions. The whistlers exhibited different characteristics dependent upon the observed electron distributions. The majority of the waveforms observed in our study have f/fce ≤ 0.5 and are observed primarily in the radiation belts outside the plasmapause simultaneously with anisotropic electron distributions. We also present an example waveform capture of the largest magnetic field amplitude (≥ 8 nT pk-pk) whistler wave measured in the radiation belts. The majority of the largest amplitude whistlers occur during magnetically active periods (AE > 200 nT).

Characteristics of Electron Distributions Observed During Large Amplitude Whistler Wave Events in the Magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Lynn B., III

2010-01-01

We present a statistical study of the characteristics of electron distributions associated with large amplitude whistler waves inside the terrestrial magnetosphere using waveform capture data as an addition of the study by Kellogg et al., [2010b]. We identified three types of electron distributions observed simultaneously with the whistler waves including beam-like, beam/flattop, and anisotropic distributions. The whistlers exhibited different characteristics dependent upon the observed electron distributions. The majority of the waveforms observed in our study have f/fce < or = 0.5 and are observed primarily in the radiation belts outside the plasmapause simultaneously with anisotropic electron distributions. We also present an example waveform capture of the largest magnetic field amplitude (> or = 8 nT pk-pk) whistler wave measured in the radiation belts. The majority of the largest amplitude whistlers occur during magnetically active periods (AE > 200 nT).

Catalog of infrared observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gezari, D. Y.; Schmitz, M.; Mead, J. M.

1982-01-01

The infrared astronomical data base and its principal data product, the catalog of Infrared Observations (CIO), comprise a machine readable library of infrared (1 microns to 1000 microns astronomical observations. To date, over 1300 journal articles and 10 major survey catalogs are included in this data base, which contains about 55,000 individual observations of about 10,000 different infrared sources. Of these, some 8,000 sources are identifiable with visible objects, and about 2,000 do not have known visible counterparts.

Investigating elementary education and physical therapy majors' perceptions of an inquiry-based physics content course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilton, John Martin

This study investigates why physical therapy assistant majors engage and perform better than elementary education majors in an inquiry-based conceptual physics course at Mid-Atlantic Community College. The students from each major are demographically similar, both courses are similar in depth and structure, and each course supports the students' program. However, there is an observed difference in the levels of engagement with the curriculum and performance on writing-based assessments between the two groups. To explore possible explanations for the difference, I examine students' affinity for science, their beliefs about the nature of science and scientific knowledge in the classroom, and their perception of the usefulness of science to their program. During semi-structured interviews, students from both majors displayed nearly identical weak affinities for science, epistemological beliefs, and uncertainty about the usefulness of the class. However, the physical therapy majors' ability to see the relevance of the physics course experience to their program enhanced their interest and motivation. In contrast, the elementary education students do not see connections between the course and their program, and do not see a purpose for their learning of physics content. To improve the program, I propose a two-pronged approach - designing a faded-scaffolded-inquiry approach for both classes, and developing a field-based/seminar class for the elementary education majors. The scaffolded inquiry will help both groups develop better orientations toward lab activities, and the structured observations and reflection will help the elementary group connect the material to their program.

Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Observations of Dynamics and Transport During the Record-Breaking 2009 Arctic Stratospheric Major Warming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manney, Gloria L.; Schwartz, Michael J.; Krueger, Kirstin; Santee, Michelle L.; Pawson, Steven; Lee, Jae N.; Daffer, William H.; Fuller, Ryan A.; Livesey, Nathaniel J.

2009-01-01

A major stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) in January 2009 was the strongest and most prolonged on record. Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) observations are used to provide an overview of dynamics and transport during the 2009 SSW, and to compare with the intense, long-lasting SSW in January 2006. The Arctic polar vortex split during the 2009 SSW, whereas the 2006 SSW was a vortex displacement event. Winds reversed to easterly more rapidly and reverted to westerly more slowly in 2009 than in 2006. More mixing of trace gases out of the vortex during the decay of the vortex fragments, and less before the fulfillment of major SSW criteria, was seen in 2009 than in 2006; persistent well-defined fragments of vortex and anticyclone air were more prevalent in 2009. The 2009 SSW had a more profound impact on the lower stratosphere than any previously observed SSW, with no significant recovery of the vortex in that region. The stratopause breakdown and subsequent reformation at very high altitude, accompanied by enhanced descent into a rapidly strengthening upper stratospheric vortex, were similar in 2009 and 2006. Many differences between 2006 and 2009 appear to be related to the different character of the SSWs in the two years.

Pediatric emergency department census during major sporting events.

PubMed

Kim, Tommy Y; Barcega, Besh B; Denmark, T Kent

2012-11-01

Our study attempted to evaluate the effects of major sporting events on the census of a pediatric emergency department (ED) in the United States specifically related to the National Football League Super Bowl, National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals, and Major League Baseball World Series. We performed a retrospective data analysis of our pediatric ED census on the number of visits during major sporting events over a 5-year period. Data during the same period 1 week after the major sporting event were collected for comparison as the control. We evaluated the medians of 2-hour increments around the event start time. Subgroup analysis was performed for games involving the local sporting teams. Our results showed no significant difference in ED census during the sporting events, except in the post 6 to 8 hours of the NBA finals. Subgroup analysis of the Los Angeles Lakers showed the same significant findings in the post 6 to 8 hours of the NBA finals. No major difference in pediatric ED census is observed during the most major sporting events in the United States.

Comparative proteome analysis of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 grown with maltose or glucose shows minor differences for acarbose biosynthesis proteins but major differences for saccharide transporters.

PubMed

Wendler, Sergej; Otto, Andreas; Ortseifen, Vera; Bonn, Florian; Neshat, Armin; Schneiker-Bekel, Susanne; Wolf, Timo; Zemke, Till; Wehmeier, Udo F; Hecker, Michael; Kalinowski, Jörn; Becher, Dörte; Pühler, Alfred

2016-01-10

Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 is known for the production of the α-glucosidase inhibitor and anti-diabetic drug acarbose. Acarbose (acarviosyl-maltose) is produced as the major product when the bacterium is grown in medium with maltose, while acarviosyl-glucose is the major product when glucose is the sole carbon source in the medium. In this study, a state-of-the-art proteomics approach was applied combining subcellular fractionation, in vivo metabolic labeling and shotgun mass spectrometry to analyze differences in the proteome of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 cultures grown in minimal medium containing either maltose or glucose as the sole carbon source. To study proteins in distinct subcellular locations, a cytosolic, an enriched membrane, a membrane shaving and an extracellular fraction were included in the analysis. Altogether, quantitative proteome data was obtained for 2497 proteins representing about 30% of the ca. 8270 predicted proteins of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110. When comparing protein quantities of maltose- to glucose-grown cultures, differences were observed for saccharide transport and metabolism proteins, whereas differences for acarbose biosynthesis gene cluster proteins were almost absent. The maltose-inducible α-glucosidase/maltase MalL as well as the ABC-type saccharide transporters AglEFG, MalEFG and MstEAF had significantly higher quantities in the maltose growth condition. The only highly abundant saccharide transporter in the glucose condition was the monosaccharide transporter MstEAF, which may indicate that MstEAF is the major glucose importer. Taken all findings together, the previously observed formation of acarviosyl-maltose and acarviosyl-glucose is more closely connected to the transport of saccharides than to a differential expression of the acarbose gene cluster. Diabetes is a global pandemic accounting for about 11% of the worldwide healthcare expenditures (>600 billion US dollars) and is projected to affect 592 million people by 2035 (www.idf.org). Whether Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 produces type 2 diabetes drug acarbose (acarviosyl-maltose) or another acarviose metabolite such as acarviosyl-glucose as the major product depends on the offered carbon source. The differences observed in this proteome in this study suggest that the differences in the formation of acarviosyl-maltose and acarviosyl-glucose are more closely connected to the transport of saccharides than to a differential expression of the acarbose gene cluster. In addition, the present study provides a comprehensive overview of the proteome of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of observer bias in the North American Breeding Bird Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faanes, C.A.; Bystrak, D.

1981-01-01

Ornithologists sampling breeding bird populations are subject to a number of biases in bird recognition and identification. Using Breeding Bird Survey data, these biases are examined qualitatively and quantitatively, and their effects on counts are evaluated. Differences in hearing ability and degree of expertise are the major observer biases considered. Other, more subtle influences are also discussed, including unfamiliar species, resolution, imagination, similar songs and attitude and condition of observers. In most cases, welltrained observers are comparable in ability and their differences contribute little beyond sampling error. However, just as hearing loss can affect results, so can an unprepared observer. These biases are important because they can reduce the credibility of any bird population sampling effort. Care is advised in choosing observers and in interpreting and using results when observers of variable competence are involved.

Influence of painful physical symptoms in the treatment of Japanese patients with melancholic major depressive disorder: A prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Sekine, Atsushi; Hozumi, Satoshi; Shimizu, Tetsuo

2016-08-30

The aim of this study was to clarify how painful physical symptoms affect treatment outcomes in patients with melancholic major depressive disorder. The subjects comprised 100 consecutive Japanese outpatients with melancholic major depressive disorder who visited our clinic from October 2011 to October 2014. All subjects were interviewed for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Axis 2, 3, and 4 and family history of major depressive disorder, and then grouped according to the presence of painful physical symptoms. We evaluated painful physical symptoms at baseline and after 12, 24, and 36 weeks of treatment and scores on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, compared major depressive disorder remission between groups, and assessed responsiveness to antidepressants. The group with painful physical symptoms had a significantly more positive family history of major depressive disorder. The major depressive disorder remission rate was high in both groups, and no significant differences were observed. However, a significant relationship between major depressive disorder and painful physical symptoms remission was observed in the group with painful physical symptoms. A significantly higher number of remitted patients with painful physical symptoms (N=61) were administered serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, with significantly more receiving duloxetine than milnacipran. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

College major, gender and heterosexism reconsidered under more controlled conditions.

PubMed

Fisher, Leslie E; Banik, Swagata

2007-01-01

To test the hypothesis that under controlled conditions respondent's gender and college major are related to heterosexism, four groups (n = 40 each)-male psychology majors, female psychology majors, male non-psychology majors, and female non-psychology majors-were formed from an initial sample of convenience (N = 1,947) of urban university students. Respondents were matched for age, race, college level, closeness of relationships to lesbian and gay men, religious affiliation, and religious attendance. Each student was requested to complete the Herek Attitude Scale towards Lesbians and Gay Men and these scores were subjected to a three factor (2x2x2) mixed analysis of variance. The three factors were respondent's gender, respondent's college major, and target's gender with repeated measures on target's gender. A significant respondent's gender by target's gender F(1/156) = 50.59, p < .001 interaction was observed. Male respondent's attitude toward gay males was significantly more negative than that of the other groups which did not differ significantly from one another. Significant main effects due to respondent's gender F(1/156) = 11.9, p < .001 and target's gender F(1/156) = 43.1, p < .001 were also observed. No significant college major effect F(1/156) = 1.60, p >.05 or interaction was found.

Anxiety in Chinese EFL Students at Different Proficiency Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Meihua

2006-01-01

This paper reports a study on anxiety in Chinese undergraduate non-English majors at three different proficiency levels. By way of survey, observations, reflective journals and interviews, the study revealed that (1) a considerable number of students at each level felt anxious when speaking English in class, (2) the more proficient students tended…

Plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and interleukin-6 in patients with dysthymic disorder: comparison with age- and sex-matched major depressed patients and healthy controls.

PubMed

Yoshimura, Reiji; Umene-Nakano, Wakako; Hoshuyama, Tsutomu; Ikenouchi-Sugita, Atsuko; Hori, Hikaru; Katsuki, Asuka; Hayashi, Kenji; Atake, Kiyokazu; Nakamura, Jun

2010-11-01

In the present study, we investigated the serum BDNF levels and plasma IL-6 levels in patients with dysthymic disorder, major depressive disorder and control subjects. Eighteen patients who met the DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) for dysthymic disorder (male/female: 5/13; age: 36 ± 9 year) and 20 patients (male/female: 7/13; age: 38 ± 10 year) who met the criteria for major depressive disorder were enrolled. The serum BDNF levels in patients with dysthymic and major depressive disorder were significantly lower than those in the control subjects. However, no difference was found between the dysthymic group and major depression group. The plasma IL-6 levels in the dysthymic group and major depression group were significantly higher than those in the control group. No difference was observed in the plasma IL-6 levels between the dysthymic group and major depression group. These results suggest that the pathophysiology of dysthymic disorder and major depression might be similar in terms of the blood levels of BDNF and IL-6. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of Observation Impacts in Two Forecast Systems using Adjoint Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gelaro, Ronald; Langland, Rolf; Todling, Ricardo

2009-01-01

An experiment is being conducted to compare directly the impact of all assimilated observations on short-range forecast errors in different operational forecast systems. We use the adjoint-based method developed by Langland and Baker (2004), which allows these impacts to be efficiently calculated. This presentation describes preliminary results for a "baseline" set of observations, including both satellite radiances and conventional observations, used by the Navy/NOGAPS and NASA/GEOS-5 forecast systems for the month of January 2007. In each system, about 65% of the total reduction in 24-h forecast error is provided by satellite observations, although the impact of rawinsonde, aircraft, land, and ship-based observations remains significant. Only a small majority (50- 55%) of all observations assimilated improves the forecast, while the rest degrade it. It is found that most of the total forecast error reduction comes from observations with moderate-size innovations providing small to moderate impacts, not from outliers with very large positive or negative innovations. In a global context, the relative impacts of the major observation types are fairly similar in each system, although regional differences in observation impact can be significant. Of particular interest is the fact that while satellite radiances have a large positive impact overall, they degrade the forecast in certain locations common to both systems, especially over land and ice surfaces. Ongoing comparisons of this type, with results expected from other operational centers, should lead to more robust conclusions about the impacts of the various components of the observing system as well as about the strengths and weaknesses of the methodologies used to assimilate them.

Genetics of Host Response to Leishmania tropica in Mice – Different Control of Skin Pathology, Chemokine Reaction, and Invasion into Spleen and Liver

PubMed Central

Grekov, Igor; Volkova, Valeriya; Vojtíšková, Jarmila; Slapničková, Martina; Kurey, Iryna; Sohrabi, Yahya; Svobodová, Milena; Demant, Peter; Lipoldová, Marie

2012-01-01

Background Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of genus Leishmania. The frequent involvement of Leishmania tropica in human leishmaniasis has been recognized only recently. Similarly as L. major, L. tropica causes cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans, but can also visceralize and cause systemic illness. The relationship between the host genotype and disease manifestations is poorly understood because there were no suitable animal models. Methods We studied susceptibility to L. tropica, using BALB/c-c-STS/A (CcS/Dem) recombinant congenic (RC) strains, which differ greatly in susceptibility to L. major. Mice were infected with L. tropica and skin lesions, cytokine and chemokine levels in serum, and parasite numbers in organs were measured. Principal Findings Females of BALB/c and several RC strains developed skin lesions. In some strains parasites visceralized and were detected in spleen and liver. Importantly, the strain distribution pattern of symptoms caused by L. tropica was different from that observed after L. major infection. Moreover, sex differently influenced infection with L. tropica and L. major. L. major-infected males exhibited either higher or similar skin pathology as females, whereas L. tropica-infected females were more susceptible than males. The majority of L. tropica-infected strains exhibited increased levels of chemokines CCL2, CCL3 and CCL5. CcS-16 females, which developed the largest lesions, exhibited a unique systemic chemokine reaction, characterized by additional transient early peaks of CCL3 and CCL5, which were not present in CcS-16 males nor in any other strain. Conclusion Comparison of L. tropica and L. major infections indicates that the strain patterns of response are species-specific, with different sex effects and largely different host susceptibility genes. PMID:22679519

Mergers in ΛCDM: Uncertainties in Theoretical Predictions and Interpretations of the Merger Rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, Philip F.; Croton, Darren; Bundy, Kevin; Khochfar, Sadegh; van den Bosch, Frank; Somerville, Rachel S.; Wetzel, Andrew; Keres, Dusan; Hernquist, Lars; Stewart, Kyle; Younger, Joshua D.; Genel, Shy; Ma, Chung-Pei

2010-12-01

Different theoretical methodologies lead to order-of-magnitude variations in predicted galaxy-galaxy merger rates. We examine how this arises and quantify the dominant uncertainties. Modeling of dark matter and galaxy inspiral/merger times contribute factor of ~2 uncertainties. Different estimates of the halo-halo merger rate, the subhalo "destruction" rate, and the halo merger rate with some dynamical friction time delay for galaxy-galaxy mergers, agree to within this factor of ~2, provided proper care is taken to define mergers consistently. There are some caveats: if halo/subhalo masses are not appropriately defined the major-merger rate can be dramatically suppressed, and in models with "orphan" galaxies and under-resolved subhalos the merger timescale can be severely over-estimated. The dominant differences in galaxy-galaxy merger rates between models owe to the treatment of the baryonic physics. Cosmological hydrodynamic simulations without strong feedback and some older semi-analytic models (SAMs), with known discrepancies in mass functions, can be biased by large factors (~5) in predicted merger rates. However, provided that models yield a reasonable match to the total galaxy mass function, the differences in properties of central galaxies are sufficiently small to alone contribute small (factor of ~1.5) additional systematics to merger rate predictions. But variations in the baryonic physics of satellite galaxies in models can also have a dramatic effect on merger rates. The well-known problem of satellite "over-quenching" in most current SAMs—whereby SAM satellite populations are too efficiently stripped of their gas—could lead to order-of-magnitude under-estimates of merger rates for low-mass, gas-rich galaxies. Models in which the masses of satellites are fixed by observations (or SAMs adjusted to resolve this "over-quenching") tend to predict higher merger rates, but with factor of ~2 uncertainties stemming from the uncertainty in those observations. The choice of mass used to define "major" and "minor" mergers also matters: stellar-stellar major mergers can be more or less abundant than halo-halo major mergers by an order of magnitude. At low masses, most true major mergers (mass ratio defined in terms of their baryonic or dynamical mass) will appear to be minor mergers in their stellar mass ratio—observations and models using just stellar criteria could underestimate major-merger rates by factors of ~3-5. We discuss the uncertainties in relating any merger rate to spheroid formation (in observations or theory): in order to achieve better than factor of ~3 accuracy, it is necessary to account for the distribution of merger orbital parameters, gas fractions, and the full efficiency of merger-induced effects as a function of mass ratio.

DNA methylation in a Scottish family multiply affected by bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Walker, Rosie May; Christoforou, Andrea Nikie; McCartney, Daniel L; Morris, Stewart W; Kennedy, Nicholas A; Morten, Peter; Anderson, Susan Maguire; Torrance, Helen Scott; Macdonald, Alix; Sussmann, Jessika Elizabeth; Whalley, Heather Clare; Blackwood, Douglas H R; McIntosh, Andrew Mark; Porteous, David John; Evans, Kathryn Louise

2016-01-01

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe, familial psychiatric condition. Progress in understanding the aetiology of BD has been hampered by substantial phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. We sought to mitigate these confounders by studying a multi-generational family multiply affected by BD and major depressive disorder (MDD), who carry an illness-linked haplotype on chromosome 4p. Within a family, aetiological heterogeneity is likely to be reduced, thus conferring greater power to detect illness-related changes. As accumulating evidence suggests that altered DNA methylation confers risk for BD and MDD, we compared genome-wide methylation between (i) affected carriers of the linked haplotype (ALH) and married-in controls (MIs), (ii) well unaffected haplotype carriers (ULH) and MI, (iii) ALH and ULH and (iv) all haplotype carriers (LH) and MI. Nominally significant differences in DNA methylation were observed in all comparisons, with differences withstanding correction for multiple testing when the ALH or LH group was compared to the MIs. In both comparisons, we observed increased methylation at a locus in FANCI, which was accompanied by increased FANCI expression in the ALH group. FANCI is part of the Fanconi anaemia complementation (FANC) gene family, which are mutated in Fanconi anaemia and participate in DNA repair. Interestingly, several FANC genes have been implicated in psychiatric disorders. Regional analyses of methylation differences identified loci implicated in psychiatric illness by genome-wide association studies, including CACNB2 and the major histocompatibility complex. Gene ontology analysis revealed enrichment for methylation differences in neurologically relevant genes. Our results highlight altered DNA methylation as a potential mechanism by which the linked haplotype might confer risk for mood disorders. Differences in the phenotypic outcome of haplotype carriers might, in part, arise from additional changes in DNA methylation that converge on neurologically important pathways. Further work is required to investigate the underlying mechanisms and functional consequences of the observed differences in methylation.

How Non-Linearity and Grade-Level Differences Complicate the Validation of Observation Protocols

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazarev, Valeriy; Newman, Denis

2013-01-01

Teacher evaluation is currently a major policy issue at all levels of the K-12 system driven in large part by current US Department of Education requirements. The main objective of this study is to explore the patterns of relationship between observational scores and value-added measures of teacher performance in math classrooms and the variation…

Rework of the ERA software system: ERA-8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlov, D.; Skripnichenko, V.

2015-08-01

The software system that has been powering many products of the IAA during decades has undergone a major rework. ERA has capabilities for: processing tables of observations of different kinds, fitting parameters to observations, integrating equations of motion of the Solar system bodies. ERA comprises a domain-specific language called SLON, tailored for astronomical tasks. SLON provides a convenient syntax for reductions of observations, choosing of IAU standards to use, applying rules for filtering observations or selecting parameters for fitting. Also, ERA includes a table editor and a graph plotter. ERA-8 has a number of improvements over previous versions such as: integration of the Solar system and TT xA1 TDB with arbitrary number of asteroids; option to use different ephemeris (including DE and INPOP); integrator with 80-bit floating point. The code of ERA-8 has been completely rewritten from Pascal to C (for numerical computations) and Racket (for running SLON programs and managing data). ERA-8 is portable across major operating systems. The format of tables in ERA-8 is based on SQLite. The SPICE format has been chosen as the main format for ephemeris in ERA-8.

Validation of individual and aggregate global flood hazard models for two major floods in Africa.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trigg, M.; Bernhofen, M.; Whyman, C.

2017-12-01

A recent intercomparison of global flood hazard models undertaken by the Global Flood Partnership shows that there is an urgent requirement to undertake more validation of the models against flood observations. As part of the intercomparison, the aggregated model dataset resulting from the project was provided as open access data. We compare the individual and aggregated flood extent output from the six global models and test these against two major floods in the African Continent within the last decade, namely severe flooding on the Niger River in Nigeria in 2012, and on the Zambezi River in Mozambique in 2007. We test if aggregating different number and combination of models increases model fit to the observations compared with the individual model outputs. We present results that illustrate some of the challenges of comparing imperfect models with imperfect observations and also that of defining the probability of a real event in order to test standard model output probabilities. Finally, we propose a collective set of open access validation flood events, with associated observational data and descriptions that provide a standard set of tests across different climates and hydraulic conditions.

The ASMEx snow slab experiment: snow microwave radiative transfer (SMRT) model evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandells, Melody; Löwe, Henning; Picard, Ghislain; Dumont, Marie; Essery, Richard; Floury, Nicolas; Kontu, Anna; Lemmetyinen, Juha; Maslanka, William; Mätzler, Christian; Morin, Samuel; Wiesmann, Andreas

2017-04-01

A major uncertainty in snow microwave modelling to date has been the treatment of the snow microstructure. Although observations of microstructural parameters such as the optical grain diameter, specific surface area and correlation length have improved drastically over the last few years, scale factors have been used to derive the parameters needed in microwave emission models from these observations. Previous work has shown that a major difference between electromagnetic models of scattering coefficients is due to the specific snow microstructure models used. The snow microwave radiative transfer model (SMRT) is a new model developed to advance understanding of the role of microstructure and isolate different assumptions in existing microwave models that collectively hinder interpretation of model intercomparison studies. SMRT is implemented in Python and is modular, thus allows switching between different representations in its various components. Here, the role of microstructure is examined with the Improved Born Approximation electromagnetic model. The model is evaluated against scattering and absorption coefficients derived from radiometer measurements of snow slabs taken as part of the Arctic Snow Microstructure Experiment (ASMEx), which took place in Sodankylä, Finland over two seasons. Microtomography observations of slab samples were used to determine parameters for five microstructure models: spherical, exponential, sticky hard sphere, Teubner-Strey and Gaussian random field. SMRT brightness temperature simulations are also compared with radiometric observations of the snow slabs over a reflector plate and an absorber substrate. Agreement between simulations and observations is generally good except for slabs that are highly anisotropic.

A metric space for Type Ia supernova spectra: a new method to assess explosion scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasdelli, Michele; Hillebrandt, W.; Kromer, M.; Ishida, E. E. O.; Röpke, F. K.; Sim, S. A.; Pakmor, R.; Seitenzahl, I. R.; Fink, M.

2017-04-01

Over the past years, Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) have become a major tool to determine the expansion history of the Universe, and considerable attention has been given to, both, observations and models of these events. However, until now, their progenitors are not known. The observed diversity of light curves and spectra seems to point at different progenitor channels and explosion mechanisms. Here, we present a new way to compare model predictions with observations in a systematic way. Our method is based on the construction of a metric space for SN Ia spectra by means of linear principal component analysis, taking care of missing and/or noisy data, and making use of partial least-squares regression to find correlations between spectral properties and photometric data. We investigate realizations of the three major classes of explosion models that are presently discussed: delayed-detonation Chandrasekhar-mass explosions, sub-Chandrasekhar-mass detonations and double-degenerate mergers, and compare them with data. We show that in the principal component space, all scenarios have observed counterparts, supporting the idea that different progenitors are likely. However, all classes of models face problems in reproducing the observed correlations between spectral properties and light curves and colours. Possible reasons are briefly discussed.

Collaborative Brain-Computer Interface for Aiding Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Poli, Riccardo; Valeriani, Davide; Cinel, Caterina

2014-01-01

We look at the possibility of integrating the percepts from multiple non-communicating observers as a means of achieving better joint perception and better group decisions. Our approach involves the combination of a brain-computer interface with human behavioural responses. To test ideas in controlled conditions, we asked observers to perform a simple matching task involving the rapid sequential presentation of pairs of visual patterns and the subsequent decision as whether the two patterns in a pair were the same or different. We recorded the response times of observers as well as a neural feature which predicts incorrect decisions and, thus, indirectly indicates the confidence of the decisions made by the observers. We then built a composite neuro-behavioural feature which optimally combines the two measures. For group decisions, we uses a majority rule and three rules which weigh the decisions of each observer based on response times and our neural and neuro-behavioural features. Results indicate that the integration of behavioural responses and neural features can significantly improve accuracy when compared with the majority rule. An analysis of event-related potentials indicates that substantial differences are present in the proximity of the response for correct and incorrect trials, further corroborating the idea of using hybrids of brain-computer interfaces and traditional strategies for improving decision making. PMID:25072739

Interpretation of deep levels in Si-GaAs crystals observed by photo-induced current transient spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hlinomaz, P.; Šmíd, V.; Krištofik, J.

1993-05-01

Deep levels measured by Photo-Induced Current Transient Spectroscopy (PICTS) are interpreted taking into account different bulk and surface properties of semi-insulating crystals, results of directly measured isothermal transients and types of observed deep levels determined from the measurements with different voltage polarity. The principal interest is focused on the temperature interval 250-450 K where peaks related to the deep levels causing semiinsulating properties are observed in the PICTS spectra. Majority of deep levels observed in various samples may be ascribed to the EL2, EL3, EL4, HL1 and HL9 levels. Maxima exhibiting inverse polarity in PICTS spectra are not related to EL2 or HL1.

Individual Differences in Second Language Sentence Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Leah

2012-01-01

As is the case in traditional second language (L2) acquisition research, a major question in the field of L2 real-time sentence processing is the extent to which L2 learners process the input like native speakers. Where differences are observed, the underlying causes could be the influence of the learner's first language and/or differences…

A Comparative Analysis of the Wages of Hispanic, Black, and Anglo Men.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reimers, Cordelia

This paper details the factors contributing to the wage structure of Hispanic men and compares the wages of Black and Anglo men. The major finding is that controlling for differences in observable personal characteristics--such as education and work experience--substantially reduces the wage differences between Hispanics and Anglos. For example,…

Prevalence of cardiovascular disease and major risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a multinational cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Pappas, Dimitrios A; Nyberg, Fredrik; Kremer, Joel M; Lampl, Kathy; Reed, George W; Horne, Laura; Ho, Meilien; Onofrei, Alina; Malaviya, Anand N; Rillo, Oscar L; Radominski, Sebastiao C; Gal, Janos; Gibofsky, Allan; Popkova, Tatiana V; Laurindo, Leda; Kerzberg, Eduardo M; Zahora, Roman; Pons-Estel, Bernado A; Curtis, Jeffrey R; Furst, Daniel E; Greenberg, Jeffrey D

2018-04-25

To compare the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and major CVD risk factors among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients enrolled in a large US and multinational registry. We compared CVD and CVD risk factor prevalence from 11 countries enrolled in the CORRONA US and CORRONA International registries; patients from the 10 ex-US participating countries were grouped by region (Eastern Europe, Latin America, and India). Unadjusted summary data were presented for demographics and disease characteristics; comparisons for prevalence of CVD risk factors and CVD were age/gender standardized to the age/gender distribution of the US enrolled patients. Overall, 25,987 patients were included in this analysis. Compared to patients from the ex-US regions, US participants had longer disease duration and lower disease activity, yet were more likely to receive a biologic agent. Additionally, CORRONA US participants had the highest body mass index (BMI). Enrolled patients in India had the lowest BMI, were more rarely smokers, and had a low prevalence of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and prior CVD compared to the US and other ex-US regions. Participants from Eastern Europe had a higher prevalence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia and highest prevalence of all manifestations of CVD. Differences in the prevalence of both CVD and major CVD risk factors were observed across the four regions investigated. Observed differences may be influenced by variations in both non-modifiable/modifiable characteristics of patient populations, and may contribute to heterogeneity on the observed safety of investigational and approved therapies in studies involving RA patients from different origins.

Raman and IR Spectroscopic Study of Hydrous Pyroxenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kung, J.; Li, C.; Stalder, R.; Inoue, T.; Chuang, S.; Balfan-Casanova, N.; Skogby, H.

2017-12-01

Pyroxene group is one of major composed minerals at upper mantle and is nominally anhydrous mineral (NAM), in terms of its crystal chemistry. The analysis of field specimens showed the mantle-derived pyroxene phase containing some amount of hydrogen within crystal structure, the major incorporation mechanism to be as hydroxyl, OH¯, which chemical component treats as `water', H2O. Compared with the other mantle-derived olivine and garnet, the crystal chemistry of pyroxene phases (opx and cpx) is more complex that can result in different OH¯ bonding environments that would greatly affect the geophysics-interested physical properties, for example, elasticity and transport properties. In order to understand how the hydroxyl bonding condition with different composition of opx and cpx in this study, IR and Raman spectroscopies were employed to investigate the lattice modes and hydroxyl-bonding environments with different composition and crystal structures. The studied pyroxene specimens included natural hydrous pyroxenes and synthesized hydrous orthoenstatite (OEN) at high pressure and temperature (4-7 GPa, 1300-1400°C). The measured IR band range was carried out from 2800 to 3600 cm-1 and the Raman range from 50 to 3600 cm-1. The analysis showed that the band of 3600 cm-1 is the major feature in natural opx specimens but its intensity would be varied in different crystal orientation. For synthesized OEN, the number of observed IR band is higher than that reported in previous studies. The common major bands observed in natural cpx are around 3500 cm-1. The Raman measurement of studied specimen is to characterize the variation of Raman mode as function of composition and possible Raman active hydroxyl-related modes. In this meeting the results will be presented and discussed.

Unusual clustering of coefficients of variation in published articles from a medical biochemistry department in India.

PubMed

Hudes, Mark L; McCann, Joyce C; Ames, Bruce N

2009-03-01

A simple statistical method is described to test whether data are consistent with minimum statistical variability expected in a biological experiment. The method is applied to data presented in data tables in a subset of 84 articles among more than 200 published by 3 investigators in a small medical biochemistry department at a major university in India and to 29 "control" articles selected by key word PubMed searches. Major conclusions include: 1) unusual clustering of coefficients of variation (CVs) was observed for data from the majority of articles analyzed that were published by the 3 investigators from 2000-2007; unusual clustering was not observed for data from any of their articles examined that were published between 1992 and 1999; and 2) among a group of 29 control articles retrieved by PubMed key word, title, or title/abstract searches, unusually clustered CVs were observed in 3 articles. Two of these articles were coauthored by 1 of the 3 investigators, and 1 was from the same university but a different department. We are unable to offer a statistical or biological explanation for the unusual clustering observed.

Using clickers in nonmajors- and majors-level biology courses: student opinion, learning, and long-term retention of course material.

PubMed

Crossgrove, Kirsten; Curran, Kristen L

2008-01-01

Student response systems (clickers) are viewed positively by students and instructors in numerous studies. Evidence that clickers enhance student learning is more variable. After becoming comfortable with the technology during fall 2005-spring 2006, we compared student opinion and student achievement in two different courses taught with clickers in fall 2006. One course was an introductory biology class for nonmajors, and the other course was a 200 level genetics class for biology majors. Students in both courses had positive opinions of the clickers, although we observed some interesting differences between the two groups of students. Student performance was significantly higher on exam questions covering material taught with clickers, although the differences were more dramatic for the nonmajors biology course than the genetics course. We also compared retention of information 4 mo after the course ended, and we saw increased retention of material taught with clickers for the nonmajors course, but not for the genetics course. We discuss the implications of our results in light of differences in how the two courses were taught and differences between science majors and nonmajors.

Global View of Aerosol Vertical Distributions from CALIPSO Lidar Measurements and GOCART Simulations: Regional and Seasonal Variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Hongbin; Chin, Mian; Winker, David M.; Omar, Ali H.; Liu, Zhaoyan; Kittaka, Chieko; Diehl, Thomas

2010-01-01

This study examines seasonal variations of the vertical distribution of aerosols through a statistical analysis of the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) lidar observations from June 2006 to November 2007. A data-screening scheme is developed to attain good quality data in cloud-free conditions, and the polarization measurement is used to separate dust from non-dust aerosol. The CALIPSO aerosol observations are compared with aerosol simulations from the Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation Transport (GOCART) model and aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The CALIPSO observations of geographical patterns and seasonal variations of AOD are generally consistent with GOCART simulations and MODIS retrievals especially near source regions, while the magnitude of AOD shows large discrepancies in most regions. Both the CALIPSO observation and GOCART model show that the aerosol extinction scale heights in major dust and smoke source regions are generally higher than that in industrial pollution source regions. The CALIPSO aerosol lidar ratio also generally agrees with GOCART model within 30% on regional scales. Major differences between satellite observations and GOCART model are identified, including (1) an underestimate of aerosol extinction by GOCART over the Indian sub-continent, (2) much larger aerosol extinction calculated by GOCART than observed by CALIPSO in dust source regions, (3) much weaker in magnitude and more concentrated aerosol in the lower atmosphere in CALIPSO observation than GOCART model over transported areas in midlatitudes, and (4) consistently lower aerosol scale height by CALIPSO observation than GOCART model. Possible factors contributing to these differences are discussed.

Jellies under ice: ROV observations from the Arctic 2005 hidden ocean expedition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raskoff, K. A.; Hopcroft, R. R.; Kosobokova, K. N.; Purcell, J. E.; Youngbluth, M.

2010-01-01

In order to provide a baseline understanding of gelatinous zooplankton biodiversity and distribution in the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean, 12 stations were sampled across the Canada Basin, Northwind Ridge, and Chukchi Plateau with detailed deep-water ROV observations and multinet tows down to 3000 m. The complex, multi-origin water layers of the Arctic Ocean provided the backdrop for examining the vertical and horizontal distributions of the poorly understood meso and bathypelagic gelatinous taxa. Over 50 different gelatinous taxa were observed across the stations, with cnidarians being the most common group. Medusae accounted for 60% of all observations, siphonophores for 24%, larvaceans for 10%, ctenophores for 5%, and numerous interesting and rarer taxa constituted the remaining 1% of observations. Several new species were found and many major range extensions were observed. Both the vertical and horizontal distribution of species appear to be linked to water mass characteristics, as well as bottom topography and geographic location within the study area. Shallow slope and ridge areas around the Canada Basin and Chukchi Plateau appear to harbor substantially lower gelatinous zooplankton biomass and diversity than the deeper locations. Shallow stations not only show reduced abundance, but also different relative abundance of the major taxa, where the shallow water stations are dominated by large numbers of siphonophores and ctenophores, the deep stations are dominated by medusae. Taxonomic issues and ecological observations of several important species are discussed, aided by the live collection of many undamaged and fragile species.

Blood alcohol concentration in drivers of Liege area (Belgium): a 5-year analysis.

PubMed

Deville, M; Charlier, C

2015-10-01

The objective of the study was to describe 'the results of the blood alcohol determinations made on drivers from the Liege area between 2007 and 2012. The results were interpreted according to the sex, to the age, to the circumstances and temporal variation of the test. Statistical analysis was performed using R® software. 2725 determinations were done, mainly after crashes. The mean blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 1.69 g/L, and 2132 drivers were above the legal threshold. A majority of offenders were men, but the mean BAC did not differ significantly between men and women. A correlation between age and mean BAC can be observed on the positive cases. Lowest and highest mean BACs are observed during the daytime and during the night, respectively, but no significant difference can be observed between the week and the weekend. Finally, no significant difference in BAC was observed over years.

The Observing Time Distribution in Major Groundbased Observatories - a Complex Task

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breysacher, J.

The aim of the present paper is to give, first, a brief description of the different steps related to the general procedure of telescope time allocation at the European Southern Observatory, and then, a detailed review of the various constraints one has to take into account when preparing the final observing schedule on the various telescopes installed at La Silla. A succinct discussion will be given of how, in the future, remote control observing may facilitate the coordination of multiwavelength investigations.

From Galileo's telescope to the Galileo spacecraft: our changing views of the Jupiter system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, R. M.

2008-12-01

In four centuries, we have gone from the discovery of the four large moons of Jupiter - Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto - to important discoveries about these four very different worlds. Galileo's telescopic discovery was a major turning point in the understanding of science. His observations of the moons' motion around Jupiter challenged the notion of an Earth-centric Universe. A few months later, Galileo discovered the phases of Venus, which had been predicted by the heliocentric model of the Solar System. Galileo also observed the rings of Saturn (which he mistook for planets) and sunspots, and was the first person to report mountains and craters on the Moon, whose existence he deduced from the patterns of light and shadow on the Moon's surface, concluding that the surface was topographically rough. Centuries later, the Galileo spacecraft's discoveries challenged our understanding of outer planet satellites. Results included the discovery of an icy ocean underneath Europa's surface, the possibility of life on Europa, the widespread volcanism on Io, and the detection of a magnetic field around Ganymede. All four of these satellites revealed how the major geologic processes - volcanism, tectonism, impact cratering and erosion - operate in these different bodies, from the total lack of impact craters on Io to the heavily cratered, ancient surface of Callisto. The Galileo spacecraft's journey also took it to Venus and the Moon, making important scientific observations about these bodies. The spacecraft discovered the first moon orbiting around an asteroid which, had Galileo the man observed, would have been another major blow for the geocentric model of our Solar System.

Balancing the Evidence: How to Reconcile the Results of Observational Studies vs. Randomized Clinical Trials in Dialysis.

PubMed

Shen, Jenny I; Lum, Erik L; Chang, Tara I

2016-09-01

Because large randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in dialysis have been relatively scarce, evidence-based dialysis care has depended heavily on the results of observational studies. However, when results from RCTs appear to contradict the findings of observational studies, nephrologists are left to wonder which type of study they should believe. In this editorial, we explore the key differences between observational studies and RCTs in the context of such seemingly conflicting studies in dialysis. Confounding is the major limitation of observational studies, whereas low statistical power and problems with external validity are more likely to limit the findings of RCTs. Differences in the specification of the population, exposure, and outcomes can also contribute to different results among RCTs and observational studies. Rigorous methods are required regardless of what type of study is conducted, and readers should not automatically assume that one type of study design is superior to the other. Ultimately, dialysis care requires both well-designed, well-conducted observational studies and RCTs to move the field forward. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Balancing the Evidence: How to Reconcile the Results of Observational Studies vs. Randomized Clinical Trials in Dialysis

PubMed Central

Shen, Jenny I.; Lum, Erik L.; Chang, Tara I.

2016-01-01

Because large randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in dialysis have been relatively scarce, evidence-based dialysis care has depended heavily on the results of observational studies. However, when results from RCTs appear to contradict the findings of observational studies, nephrologists are left to wonder which type of study they should believe. In this editorial we explore the key differences between observational studies and RCTs in the context of such seemingly conflicting studies in dialysis. Confounding is the major limitation of observational studies, while low statistical power and problems with external validity are more likely to limit the findings of RCTs. Differences in the specification of the population, exposure, and outcomes can also contribute to different results among RCTs and observational studies. Rigorous methods are required regardless of what type of study is conducted, and readers should not automatically assume that one type of study design is superior to the other. Ultimately, dialysis care requires both well-designed, well-conducted observational studies and RCTs to move the field forward. PMID:27207819

Dietary intakes of European, Māori, Pacific and Asian adults living in Auckland: the Diabetes, Heart and Health Study.

PubMed

Metcalf, Patricia A; Scragg, Robert R K; Schaaf, David; Dyall, Lorna; Black, Peter N; Jackson, Rod

2008-10-01

To compare dietary intakes of European, Māori, Pacific, and Asian men and women living in Auckland. Daily nutrient intakes were calculated from a self-administered food frequency questionnaire from participants in a cross-sectional health screening study carried out between 2002 and 2003. Participants were 4,007 Māori, Pacific, Asian and European people (1,915 men, 2,092 women) aged 35 to 74 years. Compared with Europeans, Māori and Pacific men had higher total energy intakes per day, while Asians had lower intakes. A similar pattern was observed for carbohydrate and fat consumption. While protein and cholesterol consumption tended to be lower in Europeans than the other three ethnic groups, alcohol consumption and calcium intakes were highest among Europeans. Many of the differences between ethnic groups were attenuated when nutrient consumption was expressed as their percentage contribution to total energy intake suggesting that total food consumption was the major determinant of ethnic differences in nutrient intakes. There were substantial differences in dietary habits, food selections and cooking practices between European, Māori, Pacific and Asian participants. However, the observed differences were in the area of serving sizes and frequency of consumption of certain foods than to major differences in the range of foods and nutrients consumed or the percentage contribution of carbohydrate, fat or protein to total energy intake. The development of strategies to reduce serving sizes and the frequency of consumption of certain foods will be required to help address the major nutrition-related health problems in New Zealand.

The petrogenesis of L-6 chondrites - Insights from the chemistry of minerals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curtis, D. B.; Schmitt, R. A.

1979-01-01

Measurements of the major, minor and trace element abundances of the major minerals of the L-6 chondrites Alfianello, Colby (WI) and Leedey are used to investigate the formation mechanisms of L-6 chondrites. Electron microprobe analysis was performed on individual grains of each mineral, and separated minerals were analyzed by instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analysis. The compositions of the three meteorites are observed to be generally uniform, however different abundances and distributions of rare earth elements and Co and Ni indicate that the meteorites have different petrogenetic histories. Alkali element distributions are found to be incompatible with internal equilibration of a closed system.

Natural infection in Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) by Lagochilascaris major Leiper, 1910 (Nematoda: Ascarididae) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

PubMed

Scioscia, Nathalia Paula; Olmos, Leandro; Gorosábel, Antonella; Bernad, Lucía; Pedrana, Julieta; Denegri, Guillermo María

2018-06-25

Lagochilascariosis is an emerging parasitic disease limited to the American continent, caused by nematodes of the genus Lagochilascaris. Its life cycle is heteroxenous, involving natural definitive hosts (wild carnivores), accidental hosts (domestic carnivores and humans), and intermediate hosts (rodents). Here we report, for the first time, the occurrence of Lagochilascaris major in female of a Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) which was found in the Mar Chiquita basin, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. At necropsy, multiple Lagochilascaris larvae and several adults (1 female and 5 male) were observed inserted in the mucosa of the trachea and a male was also collected in the stomach. The diagnosis was made by observing the different stages with optical microscopy, by scanning electron microscopy of adult males and coproparasitological analysis. Although cases of lagochilascariosis have been reported in wildlife in different countries of the American continent, in Argentina, cases are really rare and were only found in domestic cats. Graphical abstract ᅟLagochilascariosis is an emerging parasitic disease limited to the American continent. In Argentina, sporadic cases of Lagochilascariosis were reported in domestic cats but this work represents the first record in a wild carnivore (L. gymnocercus) naturally infected with L. major.

The investigation of flow instabilities on a rotating disk with curvature in the radial direction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Intemann, P. A.; Clarkson, M. H.

1982-01-01

The major objective is to explore any visible differences of the flow field with wall curvature of the test body, including possible interaction between Taylor-Gortler instabilities present along concave walls and the inflexional instabilities investigated here. An experimental study was conducted with emphasis placed on making visual observations and recording photographically the flow instabilities present under three different rotating bodies: a flat disk, a concave paraboloid, and a convex paraboloid. The data collected for the three test bodies lead to the conclusion that the wall curvature of the concave and convex paraboloids did not alter the observed flow field significantly from that observed on the flat disk.

The Epidemiology of Observed Temperament: Factor Structure and Demographic Group Differences

PubMed Central

Willoughby, Michael T.; Stifter, Cynthia A.; Gottfredson, Nisha C.

2015-01-01

This study investigated the factor structure of observational indicators of children’s temperament that were collected across the first three years of life in the Family Life Project (N = 1205) sample. A four-factor model (activity level, fear, anger, regulation), which corresponded broadly to Rothbart’s distinction between reactivity and regulation, provided an acceptable fit the observed data. Tests of measurement invariance demonstrated that a majority of the observational indicators exhibited comparable measurement properties for male vs. female, black vs. white, and poor vs. not-poor children, which improved the generalizability of these results. Unadjusted demographic group comparisons revealed small to moderate sized differences (Cohen ds = |.23 – .42|) in temperamental reactivity and moderate to large sized differences (Cohen ds = −.64 – −.97) in regulation. Collectively, demographic variables explained more of the variation in regulation (R2 = .25) than in reactivity (R2 = .02 – .06). Follow-up analyses demonstrated that race differences were substantially diminished in magnitude and better accounted for by poverty. These results help to validate the distinction between temperamental reactivity and regulation using observational indicators. PMID:25733489

Rapid Classification and Identification of Microcystis aeruginosa Strains Using MALDI-TOF MS and Polygenetic Analysis.

PubMed

Sun, Li-Wei; Jiang, Wen-Jing; Sato, Hiroaki; Kawachi, Masanobu; Lu, Xi-Wu

2016-01-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was used to establish a rapid, simple, and accurate method to differentiate among strains of Microcystis aeruginosa, one of the most prevalent types of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. M. aeruginosa NIES-843, for which a complete genome has been sequenced, was used to characterize ribosomal proteins as biomarkers and to optimize conditions for observing ribosomal proteins as major peaks in a given mass spectrum. Thirty-one of 52 ribosomal subunit proteins were detected and identified along the mass spectrum. Fifty-five strains of M. aeruginosa from different habitats were analyzed using MALDI-TOF MS; among these samples, different ribosomal protein types were observed. A polygenetic analysis was performed using an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means and different ribosomal protein types to classify the strains into five major clades. Two clades primarily contained toxic strains, and the other three clades contained exclusively non-toxic strains. This is the first study to differentiate cyanobacterial strains using MALDI-TOF MS.

Sex differences in the expression of lung inflammatory mediators in response to ozone

PubMed Central

Cabello, Noe; Mishra, Vikas; Sinha, Utkarshna; DiAngelo, Susan L.; Chroneos, Zissis C.; Ekpa, Ndifreke A.; Cooper, Timothy K.; Caruso, Carla R.

2015-01-01

Sex differences in the incidence of respiratory diseases have been reported. Women are more susceptible to inflammatory lung disease induced by air pollution and show worse adverse pulmonary health outcomes than men. However, the mechanisms underlying these differences remain unknown. In the present study, we hypothesized that sex differences in the expression of lung inflammatory mediators affect sex-specific immune responses to environmental toxicants. We focused on the effects of ground-level ozone, a major air pollutant, in the expression and regulation of lung immunity genes. We exposed adult male and female mice to 2 ppm of ozone or filtered air (control) for 3 h. We compared mRNA levels of 84 inflammatory genes in lungs harvested 4 h postexposure using a PCR array. We also evaluated changes in lung histology and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cell counts and protein content at 24 and 72 h postexposure. Our results revealed sex differences in lung inflammation triggered by ozone exposure and in the expression of genes involved in acute phase and inflammatory responses. Major sex differences were found in the expression of neutrophil-attracting chemokines (Ccl20, Cxcl5, and Cxcl2), the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6, and oxidative stress-related enzymes (Ptgs2, Nos2). In addition, the phosphorylation of STAT3, known to mediate IL-6-related immune responses, was significantly higher in ozone-exposed mice. Together, our observations suggest that a differential regulation of the lung immune response could be implicated in the observed increased susceptibility to adverse health effects from ozone observed in women vs. men. PMID:26342085

Evaluation of General Classes of Reliability Estimators Often Used in Statistical Analyses of Quasi-Experimental Designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, K. K.; Sehgal, R. K.; Sethi, B. L.

2008-10-01

In this paper major reliability estimators are analyzed and there comparatively result are discussed. There strengths and weaknesses are evaluated in this case study. Each of the reliability estimators has certain advantages and disadvantages. Inter-rater reliability is one of the best ways to estimate reliability when your measure is an observation. However, it requires multiple raters or observers. As an alternative, you could look at the correlation of ratings of the same single observer repeated on two different occasions. Each of the reliability estimators will give a different value for reliability. In general, the test-retest and inter-rater reliability estimates will be lower in value than the parallel forms and internal consistency ones because they involve measuring at different times or with different raters. Since reliability estimates are often used in statistical analyses of quasi-experimental designs.

Direct comparative effectiveness and safety between non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

PubMed

Li, Guowei; Lip, Gregory Y H; Holbrook, Anne; Chang, Yaping; Larsen, Torben B; Sun, Xin; Tang, Jie; Mbuagbaw, Lawrence; Witt, Daniel M; Crowther, Mark; Thabane, Lehana; Levine, Mitchell A H

2018-06-08

The non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been increasingly prescribed in clinical practice for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). Direct comparisons between NOACs in trials are lacking, leaving an important clinical decision-making gap. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the evidence of observational studies for direct comparative effectiveness and safety amongst NOACs in patients with AF. Conference proceedings and electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and PUBMED were systematically searched. We included observational studies directly comparing individual NOACs in patients with nonvalvular AF who were aged ≥ 18 years for stroke prevention. Primary outcome included effectiveness outcome (stroke or systemic embolism) and safety outcome (major bleeding). Data were extracted in duplicated by two reviewers independently. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the data from included observational studies. We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) to rate the overall quality of evidence for each outcome. Fifteen studies were included for qualitative synthesis, twelve studies for meta-analyses. It was found that rivaroxaban and dabigatran were similar with regard to risk of stroke or systemic embolism (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.00, 95% CI 0.91-1.10; evidence quality: low), but rivaroxaban was associated with higher risk of major bleeding (HR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.28-1.50; evidence quality: moderate). Compared with apixaban, a significantly higher risk of major bleeding was observed with rivaroxaban (HR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.51-1.94; evidence quality: low). Apixaban was associated with lower risk of major bleeding, in comparison with dabigatran (HR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.68-0.95; evidence quality: low). No differences in risk of stroke or systemic embolism was observed between rivaroxaban versus apixaban, and apixaban versus dabigatran. In this study, apixaban was found to have the most favorable safety profile amongst the three NOACs. No significant difference was observed in risk of stroke or systemic embolism between the NOACs. Such findings may provide some decision-making support for physicians regarding their choices amongst NOACs in patients with AF.Registration PROSPERO (identifier: CRD42016052908).

Evolution of the Cannabinoid and Terpene Content during the Growth of Cannabis sativa Plants from Different Chemotypes.

PubMed

Aizpurua-Olaizola, Oier; Soydaner, Umut; Öztürk, Ekin; Schibano, Daniele; Simsir, Yilmaz; Navarro, Patricia; Etxebarria, Nestor; Usobiaga, Aresatz

2016-02-26

The evolution of major cannabinoids and terpenes during the growth of Cannabis sativa plants was studied. In this work, seven different plants were selected: three each from chemotypes I and III and one from chemotype II. Fifty clones of each mother plant were grown indoors under controlled conditions. Every week, three plants from each variety were cut and dried, and the leaves and flowers were analyzed separately. Eight major cannabinoids were analyzed via HPLC-DAD, and 28 terpenes were quantified using GC-FID and verified via GC-MS. The chemotypes of the plants, as defined by the tetrahydrocannabinolic acid/cannabidiolic acid (THCA/CBDA) ratio, were clear from the beginning and stable during growth. The concentrations of the major cannabinoids and terpenes were determined, and different patterns were found among the chemotypes. In particular, the plants from chemotypes II and III needed more time to reach peak production of THCA, CBDA, and monoterpenes. Differences in the cannabigerolic acid development among the different chemotypes and between monoterpene and sesquiterpene evolution patterns were also observed. Plants of different chemotypes were clearly differentiated by their terpene content, and characteristic terpenes of each chemotype were identified.

[Difference analysis among majors in medical parasitology exam papers by test item bank proposition].

PubMed

Jia, Lin-Zhi; Ya-Jun, Ma; Cao, Yi; Qian, Fen; Li, Xiang-Yu

2012-04-30

The quality index among "Medical Parasitology" exam papers and measured data for students in three majors from the university in 2010 were compared and analyzed. The exam papers were formed from the test item bank. The alpha reliability coefficients of the three exam papers were above 0.70. The knowledge structure and capacity structure of the exam papers were basically balanced. But the alpha reliability coefficients of the second major was the lowest, mainly due to quality of test items in the exam paper and the failure of revising the index of test item bank in time. This observation demonstrated that revising the test items and their index in the item bank according to the measured data can improve the quality of test item bank proposition and reduce the difference among exam papers.

Inter-Hemispheric Comparisons of the Ground Magnetic Response to an Interplanetary Shock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartinger, M.; Xu, Z.; Clauer, C. R.; Yu, Y.; Weimer, D. R.; Kim, H.; Pilipenko, V.; Welling, D. T.; Behlke, R.; Willer, A. N.

2016-12-01

Models predict that hemispheric differences in ionospheric conductivity affect the high-latitude ground magnetic response during interplanetary shock events. Using ground magnetometer observations from dense north-south chains in both the Northern (Greenland) and Southern (East Antarctic Plateau) hemispheres, we show an event study where that is not the case: nearly the same magnetic response is observed in both hemispheres, despite near-solstice conditions when hemispheric conductivity differences should be large. We compare observations to virtual ground magnetometer output from global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations with the same driving conditions but different ionospheric conductivity profiles: (1) uniform conductivity, (2) variable conductivity appropriate for solar illumination during solstice, (3) the same as 2 but with additional conductivity contributions from auroral precipitation. There are major quantitative differences between simulations, with simulation 3 exhibiting the best agreement with data. Our results demonstrate the importance of constraining ionospheric conductivity - especially contributions from auroral precipitation - before interpreting hemispheric differences in ground magnetic perturbation amplitude. We discuss the application of these results to techniques that relate high-latitude ground magnetometer observations to current or voltage generators.

TRACE METAL CONTENT (Cu, Zn, Mn AND Fe) IN URTICA DIOICA L. AND PLANTAGO MAJOR L.

PubMed

Krolak, Elzbieta; Raczuk, Jolanta; Borkowska, Lidia

2016-11-01

The aim of the study was to compare the contents of Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe in the washed and unwashed leaves and roots of two plant species: Urica dioica L. and Plantago major L., used in herbal medicine. These two herb species occur in the same environmental habitats, yet their morphological structure is different. The soil and plant samples for analyses were collected from an uncontaminated area in Eastern Poland. In each habitat location, the samples were taken from sandy soils with slightly acidic and neutral pH values. The obtained results showed that U. dioica and P. major accumulated similar amounts of trace metals, such as: Cu, Zn and Fe, in leaves, despite the differences in the morphological structure of their overground parts. The content of Mn in leaves U. dioica was about twice as much as in P. major. Also, no differences in the metal content were observed between washed and unwashed leaves of both species. However, in the same habitat conditions, a significantly higher content of Cu, Zn and Mn was found in the roots of P. major than U. dioica. The content of Fe in the roots was similar in both species. P. major and U. dioica may be a valuable source of microelements, if they are obtained from unpolluted habitats.

Diterpene composition of defense secretion of four west AfricanTrinervitermes soldiers.

PubMed

Braekman, J C; Daloze, D; Dupont, A; Pasteels, J M; Josens, G

1984-09-01

The diterpene composition of the defensive secretions of minor and major soldiers is described for four sympatricTrinervitermes from the Ivory Coast. The degree of intra- and interspecific similarity between the secretions is assessed and related to available information on soldier behavior. A significant chemical dimorphism is observed between minor and major soldiers ofT. geminatus andT. togoensis. Both species build extensive foraging trails in the open air. During these excursions, the workers are protected by numerous minor soldiers, but only a few major ones. Internest comparison inT. geminatus suggests that the differences between minor and major soldiers is as large within a nest as between different nests. By, contrast, inT. trinervius andT. oeconomus both types of soldiers produce very similar secretions. The foraging habits of those species are far more cryptic. The first species builds earthen tunnels, and the second one forages in close proximity to its nest under cover of vegetation.

The neuro-muscular system in cercaria with different patterns of locomotion.

PubMed

Tolstenkov, Oleg O; Prokofiev, Vladimir V; Terenina, Nadezhda B; Gustafsson, Margaretha K S

2011-05-01

The neuro-muscular system (NMS) of cercariae with different swimming patterns was studied with immunocytochemical methods and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Specimens of the continuously swimming Cercaria parvicaudata, Maritrema subdolum and Himasthla elongata were compared with specimens of the intermittently swimming Cryptocotyle lingua and the attached Podocotyle atomon. The patterns of F-actin in the musculature, 5-HT immunoreactive (-IR), FMRFamide-IR neuronal elements, α-tubulin-IR elements in the nervous and sensory systems and DAPI-stained nuclei were investigated. The general plan of the NMS was similar in all cercariae studied. No major structural differences in the patterns of muscle fibres were observed. However, in the tail of C. lingua, transverse muscle fibres connecting the bands of longitudinal muscles were found. No major structural differences in the 5-HT- or FMRFamide-IR nervous systems were observed. The number of 5-HT-IR neurones in the cercarial bodies varied between 12 and 14. The number and distribution of the α-tubulin-IR processes on the cercarial bodies and tails differed from each other. The relation between the number and structure of the α-tubulin-IR processes and the host finding strategy of the cercariae is discussed. A detailed schematic picture of the NMS in the tails of C. lingua and M. subdolum is presented.

Approach to prevention of obesity of Roma population in the Region of South Bohemia with focus on selected eating behaviors.

PubMed

Dolák, František; Šedová, Lenka; Nováková, Dita; Olišarová, Věra

2016-12-01

To survey obesity prevention methods for use in the Roma population with a focus on eating behaviors. A semi-structured interview was used to identify potentially useful obesity prevention methods. Basic anthropometric measurements were also gathered at the same time. This study was part of the "Obesity and overweight in the Roma minority in the Region of South Bohemia" research project (grant project 280-COST-LD14114). Participants consisted of members of the Roma minority (302 respondents) as well as the majority (Czech) population for comparisons. Differences in eating behaviors like irregular eating schedules and excessive consumption of fast food were observed. Statistically significant differences between the Roma minority and the majority (Czech/non-Roma) population were found in this area with the help of statistical significance tests. The Chi-square characteristic of independence (χ2) was, in case of this distribution, valued at 30.815 with 5 degrees of freedom, P < 0.001. The analyses, based on the second degree of classification, identified statistically significant differences between the Roma minority and the majority population. Members of the Roma minority attended preventive health check-ups statistically less often than members of the majority population. Differences between the majority and the Roma population were also found in the degree of patient cooperation with general practitioners. The results show that the Roma population is more likely to engage in eating behaviors that can contribute to overweight and obesity than the majority population. Based on the results of a semi-structured interview and on the results of anthropometric measurements, we can say that the Roma population is at a greater health risk, relative to overweight and obesity, than the majority population.

Iconic Meaning in Music: An Event-Related Potential Study.

PubMed

Cai, Liman; Huang, Ping; Luo, Qiuling; Huang, Hong; Mo, Lei

2015-01-01

Although there has been extensive research on the processing of the emotional meaning of music, little is known about other aspects of listeners' experience of music. The present study investigated the neural correlates of the iconic meaning of music. Event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded while a group of 20 music majors and a group of 20 non-music majors performed a lexical decision task in the context of implicit musical iconic meaning priming. ERP analysis revealed a significant N400 effect of congruency in time window 260-510 ms following the onset of the target word only in the group of music majors. Time-course analysis using 50 ms windows indicated significant N400 effects both within the time window 410-460 ms and 460-510 ms for music majors, whereas only a partial N400 effect during time window 410-460 ms was observed for non-music majors. There was also a trend for the N400 effects in the music major group to be stronger than those in the non-major group in the sub-windows of 310-360 ms and 410-460 ms. Especially in the sub-window of 410-460 ms, the topographical map of the difference waveforms between congruent and incongruent conditions revealed different N400 distribution between groups; the effect was concentrated in bilateral frontal areas for music majors, but in central-parietal areas for non-music majors. These results imply probable neural mechanism differences underlying automatic iconic meaning priming of music. Our findings suggest that processing of the iconic meaning of music can be accomplished automatically and that musical training may facilitate the understanding of the iconic meaning of music.

Iconic Meaning in Music: An Event-Related Potential Study

PubMed Central

Luo, Qiuling; Huang, Hong; Mo, Lei

2015-01-01

Although there has been extensive research on the processing of the emotional meaning of music, little is known about other aspects of listeners’ experience of music. The present study investigated the neural correlates of the iconic meaning of music. Event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded while a group of 20 music majors and a group of 20 non-music majors performed a lexical decision task in the context of implicit musical iconic meaning priming. ERP analysis revealed a significant N400 effect of congruency in time window 260-510 ms following the onset of the target word only in the group of music majors. Time-course analysis using 50 ms windows indicated significant N400 effects both within the time window 410-460 ms and 460-510 ms for music majors, whereas only a partial N400 effect during time window 410-460 ms was observed for non-music majors. There was also a trend for the N400 effects in the music major group to be stronger than those in the non-major group in the sub-windows of 310-360ms and 410-460ms. Especially in the sub-window of 410-460 ms, the topographical map of the difference waveforms between congruent and incongruent conditions revealed different N400 distribution between groups; the effect was concentrated in bilateral frontal areas for music majors, but in central-parietal areas for non-music majors. These results imply probable neural mechanism differences underlying automatic iconic meaning priming of music. Our findings suggest that processing of the iconic meaning of music can be accomplished automatically and that musical training may facilitate the understanding of the iconic meaning of music. PMID:26161561

Using Clickers in Nonmajors- and Majors-Level Biology Courses: Student Opinion, Learning, and Long-Term Retention of Course Material

PubMed Central

Crossgrove, Kirsten

2008-01-01

Student response systems (clickers) are viewed positively by students and instructors in numerous studies. Evidence that clickers enhance student learning is more variable. After becoming comfortable with the technology during fall 2005–spring 2006, we compared student opinion and student achievement in two different courses taught with clickers in fall 2006. One course was an introductory biology class for nonmajors, and the other course was a 200 level genetics class for biology majors. Students in both courses had positive opinions of the clickers, although we observed some interesting differences between the two groups of students. Student performance was significantly higher on exam questions covering material taught with clickers, although the differences were more dramatic for the nonmajors biology course than the genetics course. We also compared retention of information 4 mo after the course ended, and we saw increased retention of material taught with clickers for the nonmajors course, but not for the genetics course. We discuss the implications of our results in light of differences in how the two courses were taught and differences between science majors and nonmajors. PMID:18316817

Health inequalities--gender perspective.

PubMed

Ostrowska, Antonina

2012-01-01

Health inequalities have become recently one of the major concerns of European health policy. Observed differences in health status of men and women are also frequently discussed within this framework, and are becoming a subject of growing interest of researchers. Clinical and epidemiological researches document male-female health differences, trying to explain them within bio-medical model. However, apart of biological (sex) divergence, health inequalities reflect differences in social roles, social status and culturally established patterns and stereotypes of femininity and masculinity (gender differences). The article, using sociological perspective, attempts to show that observed differences in man's and women's health may be attributable to the differing sociocultural and structural arrangements, social support and lifestyle factors of both genders. As a result, many of these differences are of inequality character. Another dimension of inequality discussed in this article is the way man and women are treated by the institution of medicine.

Multivariate and Multiscale Data Assimilation in Terrestrial Systems: A Review

PubMed Central

Montzka, Carsten; Pauwels, Valentijn R. N.; Franssen, Harrie-Jan Hendricks; Han, Xujun; Vereecken, Harry

2012-01-01

More and more terrestrial observational networks are being established to monitor climatic, hydrological and land-use changes in different regions of the World. In these networks, time series of states and fluxes are recorded in an automated manner, often with a high temporal resolution. These data are important for the understanding of water, energy, and/or matter fluxes, as well as their biological and physical drivers and interactions with and within the terrestrial system. Similarly, the number and accuracy of variables, which can be observed by spaceborne sensors, are increasing. Data assimilation (DA) methods utilize these observations in terrestrial models in order to increase process knowledge as well as to improve forecasts for the system being studied. The widely implemented automation in observing environmental states and fluxes makes an operational computation more and more feasible, and it opens the perspective of short-time forecasts of the state of terrestrial systems. In this paper, we review the state of the art with respect to DA focusing on the joint assimilation of observational data precedents from different spatial scales and different data types. An introduction is given to different DA methods, such as the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF), Particle Filter (PF) and variational methods (3/4D-VAR). In this review, we distinguish between four major DA approaches: (1) univariate single-scale DA (UVSS), which is the approach used in the majority of published DA applications, (2) univariate multiscale DA (UVMS) referring to a methodology which acknowledges that at least some of the assimilated data are measured at a different scale than the computational grid scale, (3) multivariate single-scale DA (MVSS) dealing with the assimilation of at least two different data types, and (4) combined multivariate multiscale DA (MVMS). Finally, we conclude with a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of the assimilation of multiple data types in a simulation model. Existing approaches can be used to simultaneously update several model states and model parameters if applicable. In other words, the basic principles for multivariate data assimilation are already available. We argue that a better understanding of the measurement errors for different observation types, improved estimates of observation bias and improved multiscale assimilation methods for data which scale nonlinearly is important to properly weight them in multiscale multivariate data assimilation. In this context, improved cross-validation of different data types, and increased ground truth verification of remote sensing products are required. PMID:23443380

Multivariate and multiscale data assimilation in terrestrial systems: a review.

PubMed

Montzka, Carsten; Pauwels, Valentijn R N; Franssen, Harrie-Jan Hendricks; Han, Xujun; Vereecken, Harry

2012-11-26

More and more terrestrial observational networks are being established to monitor climatic, hydrological and land-use changes in different regions of the World. In these networks, time series of states and fluxes are recorded in an automated manner, often with a high temporal resolution. These data are important for the understanding of water, energy, and/or matter fluxes, as well as their biological and physical drivers and interactions with and within the terrestrial system. Similarly, the number and accuracy of variables, which can be observed by spaceborne sensors, are increasing. Data assimilation (DA) methods utilize these observations in terrestrial models in order to increase process knowledge as well as to improve forecasts for the system being studied. The widely implemented automation in observing environmental states and fluxes makes an operational computation more and more feasible, and it opens the perspective of short-time forecasts of the state of terrestrial systems. In this paper, we review the state of the art with respect to DA focusing on the joint assimilation of observational data precedents from different spatial scales and different data types. An introduction is given to different DA methods, such as the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF), Particle Filter (PF) and variational methods (3/4D-VAR). In this review, we distinguish between four major DA approaches: (1) univariate single-scale DA (UVSS), which is the approach used in the majority of published DA applications, (2) univariate multiscale DA (UVMS) referring to a methodology which acknowledges that at least some of the assimilated data are measured at a different scale than the computational grid scale, (3) multivariate single-scale DA (MVSS) dealing with the assimilation of at least two different data types, and (4) combined multivariate multiscale DA (MVMS). Finally, we conclude with a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of the assimilation of multiple data types in a simulation model. Existing approaches can be used to simultaneously update several model states and model parameters if applicable. In other words, the basic principles for multivariate data assimilation are already available. We argue that a better understanding of the measurement errors for different observation types, improved estimates of observation bias and improved multiscale assimilation methods for data which scale nonlinearly is important to properly weight them in multiscale multivariate data assimilation. In this context, improved cross-validation of different data types, and increased ground truth verification of remote sensing products are required.

A global trait-based approach to estimate leaf nitrogen functional allocation from observations

DOE PAGES

Ghimire, Bardan; Riley, William J.; Koven, Charles D.; ...

2017-03-28

Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for plant growth and a major constituent of proteins that regulate photosynthetic and respiratory processes. However, a comprehensive global analysis of nitrogen allocation in leaves for major processes with respect to different plant functional types is currently lacking. This study integrated observations from global databases with photosynthesis and respiration models to determine plant-functional-type-specific allocation patterns of leaf nitrogen for photosynthesis (Rubisco, electron transport, light absorption) and respiration (growth and maintenance), and by difference from observed total leaf nitrogen, an unexplained “residual” nitrogen pool. Based on our analysis, crops partition the largest fractionmore » of nitrogen to photosynthesis (57%) and respiration (5%) followed by herbaceous plants (44% and 4%). Tropical broadleaf evergreen trees partition the least to photosynthesis (25%) and respiration (2%) followed by needle-leaved evergreen trees (28% and 3%). In trees (especially needle-leaved evergreen and tropical broadleaf evergreen trees) a large fraction (70% and 73% respectively) of nitrogen was not explained by photosynthetic or respiratory functions. Compared to crops and herbaceous plants, this large residual pool is hypothesized to emerge from larger investments in cell wall proteins, lipids, amino acids, nucleic acid, CO2 fixation proteins (other than Rubisco), secondary compounds, and other proteins. Our estimates are different from previous studies due to differences in methodology and assumptions used in deriving nitrogen allocation estimates. Unlike previous studies, we integrate and infer nitrogen allocation estimates across multiple plant functional types, and report substantial differences in nitrogen allocation across different plant functional types. Furthermore, the resulting pattern of nitrogen allocation provides insights on mechanisms that operate at a cellular scale within leaves, and can be integrated with ecosystem models to derive emergent properties of ecosystem productivity at local, regional, and global scales.« less

A global trait-based approach to estimate leaf nitrogen functional allocation from observations

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

Ghimire, Bardan; Riley, William J.; Koven, Charles D.

Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for plant growth and a major constituent of proteins that regulate photosynthetic and respiratory processes. However, a comprehensive global analysis of nitrogen allocation in leaves for major processes with respect to different plant functional types is currently lacking. This study integrated observations from global databases with photosynthesis and respiration models to determine plant-functional-type-specific allocation patterns of leaf nitrogen for photosynthesis (Rubisco, electron transport, light absorption) and respiration (growth and maintenance), and by difference from observed total leaf nitrogen, an unexplained “residual” nitrogen pool. Based on our analysis, crops partition the largest fractionmore » of nitrogen to photosynthesis (57%) and respiration (5%) followed by herbaceous plants (44% and 4%). Tropical broadleaf evergreen trees partition the least to photosynthesis (25%) and respiration (2%) followed by needle-leaved evergreen trees (28% and 3%). In trees (especially needle-leaved evergreen and tropical broadleaf evergreen trees) a large fraction (70% and 73% respectively) of nitrogen was not explained by photosynthetic or respiratory functions. Compared to crops and herbaceous plants, this large residual pool is hypothesized to emerge from larger investments in cell wall proteins, lipids, amino acids, nucleic acid, CO2 fixation proteins (other than Rubisco), secondary compounds, and other proteins. Our estimates are different from previous studies due to differences in methodology and assumptions used in deriving nitrogen allocation estimates. Unlike previous studies, we integrate and infer nitrogen allocation estimates across multiple plant functional types, and report substantial differences in nitrogen allocation across different plant functional types. Furthermore, the resulting pattern of nitrogen allocation provides insights on mechanisms that operate at a cellular scale within leaves, and can be integrated with ecosystem models to derive emergent properties of ecosystem productivity at local, regional, and global scales.« less

Whole Slide Imaging Versus Microscopy for Primary Diagnosis in Surgical Pathology

PubMed Central

Mukhopadhyay, Sanjay; Feldman, Michael D.; Abels, Esther; Ashfaq, Raheela; Beltaifa, Senda; Cacciabeve, Nicolas G.; Cathro, Helen P.; Cheng, Liang; Cooper, Kumarasen; Dickey, Glenn E.; Gill, Ryan M.; Heaton, Robert P.; Kerstens, René; Lindberg, Guy M.; Malhotra, Reenu K.; Mandell, James W.; Manlucu, Ellen D.; Mills, Anne M.; Mills, Stacey E.; Moskaluk, Christopher A.; Nelis, Mischa; Patil, Deepa T.; Przybycin, Christopher G.; Reynolds, Jordan P.; Rubin, Brian P.; Saboorian, Mohammad H.; Salicru, Mauricio; Samols, Mark A.; Sturgis, Charles D.; Turner, Kevin O.; Wick, Mark R.; Yoon, Ji Y.; Zhao, Po

2018-01-01

Most prior studies of primary diagnosis in surgical pathology using whole slide imaging (WSI) versus microscopy have focused on specific organ systems or included relatively few cases. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that WSI is noninferior to microscopy for primary diagnosis in surgical pathology. A blinded randomized noninferiority study was conducted across the entire range of surgical pathology cases (biopsies and resections, including hematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemistry, and special stains) from 4 institutions using the original sign-out diagnosis (baseline diagnosis) as the reference standard. Cases were scanned, converted to WSI and randomized. Sixteen pathologists interpreted cases by microscopy or WSI, followed by a wash-out period of ≥4 weeks, after which cases were read by the same observers using the other modality. Major discordances were identified by an adjudication panel, and the differences between major discordance rates for both microscopy (against the reference standard) and WSI (against the reference standard) were calculated. A total of 1992 cases were included, resulting in 15,925 reads. The major discordance rate with the reference standard diagnosis was 4.9% for WSI and 4.6% for microscopy. The difference between major discordance rates for microscopy and WSI was 0.4% (95% confidence interval, −0.30% to 1.01%). The difference in major discordance rates for WSI and microscopy was highest in endocrine pathology (1.8%), neoplastic kidney pathology (1.5%), urinary bladder pathology (1.3%), and gynecologic pathology (1.2%). Detailed analysis of these cases revealed no instances where interpretation by WSI was consistently inaccurate compared with microscopy for multiple observers. We conclude that WSI is noninferior to microscopy for primary diagnosis in surgical pathology, including biopsies and resections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemistry and special stains. This conclusion is valid across a wide variety of organ systems and specimen types. PMID:28961557

Whole Slide Imaging Versus Microscopy for Primary Diagnosis in Surgical Pathology: A Multicenter Blinded Randomized Noninferiority Study of 1992 Cases (Pivotal Study).

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, Sanjay; Feldman, Michael D; Abels, Esther; Ashfaq, Raheela; Beltaifa, Senda; Cacciabeve, Nicolas G; Cathro, Helen P; Cheng, Liang; Cooper, Kumarasen; Dickey, Glenn E; Gill, Ryan M; Heaton, Robert P; Kerstens, René; Lindberg, Guy M; Malhotra, Reenu K; Mandell, James W; Manlucu, Ellen D; Mills, Anne M; Mills, Stacey E; Moskaluk, Christopher A; Nelis, Mischa; Patil, Deepa T; Przybycin, Christopher G; Reynolds, Jordan P; Rubin, Brian P; Saboorian, Mohammad H; Salicru, Mauricio; Samols, Mark A; Sturgis, Charles D; Turner, Kevin O; Wick, Mark R; Yoon, Ji Y; Zhao, Po; Taylor, Clive R

2018-01-01

Most prior studies of primary diagnosis in surgical pathology using whole slide imaging (WSI) versus microscopy have focused on specific organ systems or included relatively few cases. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that WSI is noninferior to microscopy for primary diagnosis in surgical pathology. A blinded randomized noninferiority study was conducted across the entire range of surgical pathology cases (biopsies and resections, including hematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemistry, and special stains) from 4 institutions using the original sign-out diagnosis (baseline diagnosis) as the reference standard. Cases were scanned, converted to WSI and randomized. Sixteen pathologists interpreted cases by microscopy or WSI, followed by a wash-out period of ≥4 weeks, after which cases were read by the same observers using the other modality. Major discordances were identified by an adjudication panel, and the differences between major discordance rates for both microscopy (against the reference standard) and WSI (against the reference standard) were calculated. A total of 1992 cases were included, resulting in 15,925 reads. The major discordance rate with the reference standard diagnosis was 4.9% for WSI and 4.6% for microscopy. The difference between major discordance rates for microscopy and WSI was 0.4% (95% confidence interval, -0.30% to 1.01%). The difference in major discordance rates for WSI and microscopy was highest in endocrine pathology (1.8%), neoplastic kidney pathology (1.5%), urinary bladder pathology (1.3%), and gynecologic pathology (1.2%). Detailed analysis of these cases revealed no instances where interpretation by WSI was consistently inaccurate compared with microscopy for multiple observers. We conclude that WSI is noninferior to microscopy for primary diagnosis in surgical pathology, including biopsies and resections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemistry and special stains. This conclusion is valid across a wide variety of organ systems and specimen types.

Virus and Host Factors Affecting the Clinical Outcome of Bluetongue Virus Infection

PubMed Central

Caporale, Marco; Di Gialleonorado, Luigina; Janowicz, Anna; Wilkie, Gavin; Shaw, Andrew; Savini, Giovanni; Van Rijn, Piet A.; Mertens, Peter; Di Ventura, Mauro

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Bluetongue is a major infectious disease of ruminants caused by bluetongue virus (BTV), an arbovirus transmitted by Culicoides. Here, we assessed virus and host factors influencing the clinical outcome of BTV infection using a single experimental framework. We investigated how mammalian host species, breed, age, BTV serotypes, and strains within a serotype affect the clinical course of bluetongue. Results obtained indicate that in small ruminants, there is a marked difference in the susceptibility to clinical disease induced by BTV at the host species level but less so at the breed level. No major differences in virulence were found between divergent serotypes (BTV-8 and BTV-2). However, we observed striking differences in virulence between closely related strains of the same serotype collected toward the beginning and the end of the European BTV-8 outbreak. As observed previously, differences in disease severity were also observed when animals were infected with either blood from a BTV-infected animal or from the same virus isolated in cell culture. Interestingly, with the exception of two silent mutations, full viral genome sequencing showed identical consensus sequences of the virus before and after cell culture isolation. However, deep sequencing analysis revealed a marked decrease in the genetic diversity of the viral population after passaging in mammalian cells. In contrast, passaging in Culicoides cells increased the overall number of low-frequency variants compared to virus never passaged in cell culture. Thus, Culicoides might be a source of new viral variants, and viral population diversity can be another factor influencing BTV virulence. IMPORTANCE Bluetongue is one of the major infectious diseases of ruminants. It is caused by an arbovirus known as bluetongue virus (BTV). The clinical outcome of BTV infection is extremely variable. We show that there are clear links between the severity of bluetongue and the mammalian host species infected, while at the breed level differences were less evident. No differences were observed in the virulence of two different BTV serotypes (BTV-8 and BTV-2). In contrast, we show that the European BTV-8 strain isolated at the beginning of the bluetongue outbreak in 2006 was more virulent than a strain isolated toward the end of the outbreak. In addition, we show that there is a link between the variability of the BTV population as a whole and virulence, and our data also suggest that Culicoides cells might function as an “incubator” of viral variants. PMID:24991012

No need to fake it: reproduction of the Asch experiment without confederates.

PubMed

Mori, Kazuo; Arai, Miho

2010-10-01

In the present experiment, we replicated Asch's seminal study on social conformity without using confederates. We adapted a presentation trick in order to present two different stimuli secretly to groups of participants to create minorities and majorities without utilizing confederates. One hundred and four Japanese undergraduates (40 men and 64 women) carried out Asch-equivalent tasks in same-sex groups of four. In each group, we adapted the fMORI Technique to present the tasks such that one person (minority participant) observed different stimuli than the other three people (majority participants). The same nine stimulus sets that Asch had used were carefully reproduced as PowerPoint slides and projected onto a half-transparent screen. As for the critical tasks, the top part of the standard lines appeared in either green or magenta so that two groups of participants would see them differently when they wore two types of polarizing sunglasses that filtered either green or magenta to make the lines appear longer or shorter. A post-experimental questionnaire confirmed that no participant among either the minority or majority viewers noticed the presentation trick. The results showed that, in line with Asch's basic findings, the minority women participants conformed to the majority. However, our study produced two different results: While minority women conformed, minority men did not. Contrary to Asch's findings, the frequency of conformity of minority participants was almost the same regardless of whether the majority answered unanimously or not.

OBSERVED ASTEROID SURFACE AREA IN THE THERMAL INFRARED

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

Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.

The rapid accumulation of thermal infrared observations and shape models of asteroids has led to increased interest in thermophysical modeling. Most of these infrared observations are unresolved. We consider what fraction of an asteroid’s surface area contributes the bulk of the emitted thermal flux for two model asteroids of different shapes over a range of thermal parameters. The resulting observed surface in the infrared is generally more fragmented than the area observed in visible wavelengths, indicating high sensitivity to shape. For objects with low values of the thermal parameter, small fractions of the surface contribute the majority of thermally emittedmore » flux. Calculating observed areas could enable the production of spatially resolved thermal inertia maps from non-resolved observations of asteroids.« less

Panoptic power and mental health nursing-space and surveillance in relation to staff, patients, and neutral places.

PubMed

Salzmann-Erikson, Martin; Eriksson, Henrik

2012-08-01

Mental health nurses use manifest and latent approaches for surveillance and observation of patients in the context of mental health care. Patient spaces in mental health organizations are subtly linked to these different means of surveillance. This article investigates these approaches, focusing in particular on the variety of spaces patients occupy and differences in the intensity of observation that can be carried out in them. The aim is to elaborate on space and surveillance in relation to the patients' and nurses' environment in psychiatric nursing care. Places where patients were observed were operationalized and categorized, yielding three spaces: those for patients, those for staff, and neutral areas. We demonstrate that different spaces produce different practices in relation to the exercise of panoptic power and that there is room for maneuvering and engaging in alternatives to "keeping an eye on patients" for nurses in mental health nursing. Some spaces offer asylum from panoptic observations and the viewing eyes of psychiatric nurses, but the majority of spaces in mental health nursing serve as a field of visibility within which the patient is constantly watched.

Patient Mortality During Unannounced Accreditation Surveys at US Hospitals.

PubMed

Barnett, Michael L; Olenski, Andrew R; Jena, Anupam B

2017-05-01

In the United States, hospitals receive accreditation through unannounced on-site inspections (ie, surveys) by The Joint Commission (TJC), which are high-pressure periods to demonstrate compliance with best practices. No research has addressed whether the potential changes in behavior and heightened vigilance during a TJC survey are associated with changes in patient outcomes. To assess whether heightened vigilance during survey weeks is associated with improved patient outcomes compared with nonsurvey weeks, particularly in major teaching hospitals. Quasi-randomized analysis of Medicare admissions at 1984 surveyed hospitals from calendar year 2008 through 2012 in the period from 3 weeks before to 3 weeks after surveys. Outcomes between surveys and surrounding weeks were compared, adjusting for beneficiaries' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, with subanalyses for major teaching hospitals. Data analysis was conducted from January 1 to September 1, 2016. Hospitalization during a TJC survey week vs nonsurvey weeks. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were rates of Clostridium difficile infections, in-hospital cardiac arrest mortality, and Patient Safety Indicators (PSI) 90 and PSI 4 measure events. The study sample included 244 787 and 1 462 339 admissions during survey and nonsurvey weeks with similar patient characteristics, reason for admission, and in-hospital procedures across both groups. There were 811 598 (55.5%) women in the nonsurvey weeks (mean [SD] age, 72.84 [14.5] years) and 135 857 (55.5%) in the survey weeks (age, 72.76 [14.5] years). Overall, there was a significant reversible decrease in 30-day mortality for admissions during survey (7.03%) vs nonsurvey weeks (7.21%) (adjusted difference, -0.12%; 95% CI, -0.22% to -0.01%). This observed decrease was larger than 99.5% of mortality changes among 1000 random permutations of hospital survey date combinations, suggesting that observed mortality changes were not attributable to chance alone. Observed mortality reductions were largest in major teaching hospitals, where mortality fell from 6.41% to 5.93% during survey weeks (adjusted difference, -0.38%; 95% CI, -0.74% to -0.03%), a 5.9% relative decrease. We observed no significant differences in admission volume, length of stay, or secondary outcomes. Patients admitted to hospitals during TJC survey weeks have significantly lower mortality than during nonsurvey weeks, particularly in major teaching hospitals. These results suggest that changes in practice occurring during periods of surveyor observation may meaningfully affect patient mortality.

Models for the action of barley alpha-amylase isozymes on linear substrates.

PubMed

MacGregor, E A; MacGregor, A W; Macri, L J; Morgan, J E

1994-05-05

The formation of maltodextrins, G1 to G12, during the hydrolysis of amylose by alpha-amylases 1 and 2 from barley malt was followed by HPLC. Similar, but not identical, distributions of products were obtained with the two alpha-amylase components. Maltose, G6, and G7 were major products, but G7 was degraded as hydrolysis proceeded. alpha-Amylase 1 produced more G1 and G3 than did alpha-amylase 2 at all stages of hydrolysis. Products formed during the hydrolysis of G9, G10, G11, and G12 by the two alpha-amylases were also determined. A different spectrum of products was observed with each substrate and small differences were observed in the action pattern of the two alpha-amylases, e.g., G3 and G7 were the major products formed during the hydrolysis of G10 by alpha-amylase 1, whereas G2 and G8 were the major products formed by alpha-amylase 2 on the same substrate. These results were used to develop a model of the active site of barley malt alpha-amylases. This site contains ten contiguous subsites with the catalytic site situated between subsites 7 and 8. The model can be used to predict hydrolysis patterns of amylose and maltodextrins by cereal alpha-amylases.

Structure-function relationship of avian eggshell matrix proteins: a comparative study of two major eggshell matrix proteins, ansocalcin and OC-17.

PubMed

Lakshminarayanan, Rajamani; Joseph, Jeremiah S; Kini, R Manjunatha; Valiyaveettil, Suresh

2005-01-01

The role of individual matrix proteins in avian eggshell calcification is poorly understood despite numerous attempts to characterize and localize their presence in the eggshell matrix. Ansocalcin, the major matrix protein from goose eggshell, was found to induce the formation of calcite crystal aggregates under in vitro. Owing to its high similarity with the chicken eggshell matrix protein ovocleidin 17 (OC-17), a comparative investigation has been carried out to understand the structure-function relationship. RP-HPLC shows that ansocalcin is the major component in extracts of goose eggshells before and after bleach treatment. However, OC-17 was observed in minute quantities in the extract of bleach-treated chicken eggshells. In vitro crystal growth experiments showed that OC-17 and ansocalcin interact differently with the calcite crystals formed. Circular dichroism, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, and dynamic light scattering studies showed that, under the conditions used in our experiments, OC-17 does not aggregate in solution or induce the nucleation of calcite aggregates in the concentration range used. These observations indicate that OC-17 and ansocalcin play different roles in the eggshell calcification. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the comparison of properties of homologous eggshell proteins that belong to the same phylogeny.

Scientific reasoning abilities of nonscience majors in physics-based courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, J. Christopher; Rubbo, Louis J.

2012-06-01

We have found that non-STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors taking either a conceptual physics or astronomy course at two regional comprehensive institutions score significantly lower preinstruction on the Lawson’s Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR) in comparison to national average STEM majors. Based on LCTSR score, the majority of non-STEM students can be classified as either concrete operational or transitional reasoners in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, whereas in the STEM population formal operational reasoners are far more prevalent. In particular, non-STEM students demonstrate significant difficulty with proportional and hypothetico-deductive reasoning. Prescores on the LCTSR are correlated with normalized learning gains on various concept inventories. The correlation is strongest for content that can be categorized as mostly theoretical, meaning a lack of directly observable exemplars, and weakest for content categorized as mostly descriptive, where directly observable exemplars are abundant. Although the implementation of research-verified, interactive engagement pedagogy can lead to gains in content knowledge, significant gains in theoretical content (such as force and energy) are more difficult with non-STEM students. We also observe no significant gains on the LCTSR without explicit instruction in scientific reasoning patterns. These results further demonstrate that differences in student populations are important when comparing normalized gains on concept inventories, and the achievement of significant gains in scientific reasoning requires a reevaluation of the traditional approach to physics for non-STEM students.

Optimal assessment of parenting, or how I learned to stop worrying and love reporter disagreement.

PubMed

Schofield, Thomas J; Parke, Ross D; Coltrane, Scott; Weaver, Jennifer M

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine differences and similarities across ratings of parenting by preadolescents, parents, and observers. Two hundred forty-one preadolescents rated their parents on warmth and harshness. Both mothers and fathers self-reported on these same dimensions, and observers rated each parents' warmth and harshness during a 10 min interaction task with the preadolescent. For the majority of outcomes assessed, the differences between preadolescent, parent, and observer ratings accounted for significant amounts of variance, beyond the levels accounted for by the average of their reports. A replication sample of 929 mother-child dyads provided a similar pattern of results. This methodology can help standardize the study of reporter differences, supports modeling of rater-specific variance as true score, and illustrates the benefits of collecting parenting data from multiple reporters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Proteomic Analysis of Aphid-Resistant and -Sensitive Rose (Rosa Hybrida) Cultivars at Two Developmental Stages.

PubMed

Muneer, Sowbiya; Jeong, Hai Kyoung; Park, Yoo Gyeong; Jeong, Byoung Ryong

2018-05-25

The rose is one the most commercially grown and costly ornamental plants because of its aesthetic beauty and aroma. A large number of pests attack its buds, flowers, leaves, and stem at every growing stage due to its high sugar content. The most common pest on roses are aphids which are considered to be the major cause for product loss. Aphid infestations lead to major changes in rose plants, such as large and irregular holes in petals, intact leaves and devouring tissues. It is hypothesized that different cut rose cultivars would have different levels of sensitivity or resistance to aphids, since different levels of infestation are observed in commercially cut rose production greenhouses. The present work compared four cut rose cultivars which were bred in Korea and were either resistant or sensitive to aphid infestation at different flower developmental stages. An integrative study was conducted using comprehensive proteome analyses. Proteins related to ubiquitin metabolism and the stress response were differentially expressed due to aphid infestation. The regulations and possible functions of identified proteins are presented in detail. The differential expressions of the identified proteins were validated by immunoblotting and blue native page. In addition, total sugar and carbohydrate content were also observed.

Stress sensitivity of fault seismicity: A comparison between limited-offset oblique and major strike-slip faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, T.; Stein, R.S.; Simpson, R.W.; Reasenberg, P.A.

1999-01-01

We present a new three-dimensional inventory of the southern San Francisco Bay area faults and use it to calculate stress applied principally by the 1989 M = 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake and to compare fault seismicity rates before and after 1989. The major high-angle right-lateral faults exhibit a different response to the stress change than do minor oblique (right-lateral/thrust) faults. Seismicity on oblique-slip faults in the southern Santa Clara Valley thrust belt increased where the faults were unclamped. The strong dependence of seismicity change on normal stress change implies a high coefficient of static friction. In contrast, we observe that faults with significant offset (>50-100 km) behave differently; microseismicity on the Hayward fault diminished where right-lateral shear stress was reduced and where it was unclamped by the Loma Prieta earthquake. We observe a similar response on the San Andreas fault zone in southern California after the Landers earthquake sequence. Additionally, the offshore San Gregorio fault shows a seismicity rate increase where right-lateral/oblique shear stress was increased by the Loma Prieta earthquake despite also being clamped by it. These responses are consistent with either a low coefficient of static friction or high pore fluid pressures within the fault zones. We can explain the different behavior of the two styles of faults if those with large cumulative offset become impermeable through gouge buildup; coseismically pressurized pore fluids could be trapped and negate imposed normal stress changes, whereas in more limited offset faults, fluids could rapidly escape. The difference in behavior between minor and major faults may explain why frictional failure criteria that apply intermediate coefficients of static friction can be effective in describing the broad distributions of aftershocks that follow large earthquakes, since many of these events occur both inside and outside major fault zones.

Dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins in healthy adults in relation to current recommended intake.

PubMed

Jabłonowska-Lietz, Beata; Jarosz, Agnieszka; Nowicka, Graiyna

2013-01-01

The health benefits arising from antioxidant vitamins A, C and E are well recognised and their recommended dietary intake for the general population have been established. However, there is still a need for assessing antioxidant vitamin intake in different population groups. To assess intake of antioxidant vitamins: A, C, E and beta-carotene, and to identify their major sources in the diets of healthy subjects. The study group consisted of 182 adults; both men and women from polish population. Antioxidant vitamin dietary intake was assessed by individual 3-day records. Data were analysed using updated "Polish Food Composition Tables" and 'Dieta 5' Software. The average daily intake of antioxidant vitamins was: 1076 mg for vitamin A (including 46% of retinol and 55% of beta-carotene), 107 mg for vitamin C and 9 mg for vitamin E. Higher dietary intake of these vitamins was observed in men compared to women. The average intake ofantioxidant vitamins was found to be in recommended range, however, significant differences were observed between the lowest and the highest intake. They were related to differences in the consumption of food products recognized as major sources of vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene in study population.

Diurnal Solar Energy Conversion and Photoprotection in Rice Canopies1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Quick, W. Paul; von Caemmerer, Susanne; Furbank, Robert

2017-01-01

Genetic improvement of photosynthetic performance of cereal crops and increasing the efficiency with which solar radiation is converted into biomass has recently become a major focus for crop physiologists and breeders. The pulse amplitude modulated chlorophyll fluorescence technique (PAM) allows quantitative leaf level monitoring of the utilization of energy for photochemical light conversion and photoprotection in natural environments, potentially over the entire crop lifecycle. Here, the diurnal relationship between electron transport rate (ETR) and irradiance was measured in five cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa) in canopy conditions with PAM fluorescence under natural solar radiation. This relationship differed substantially from that observed for conventional short term light response curves measured under controlled actinic light with the same leaves. This difference was characterized by a reduced curvature factor when curve fitting was used to model this diurnal response. The engagement of photoprotective processes in chloroplast electron transport in leaves under canopy solar radiation was shown to be a major contributor to this difference. Genotypic variation in the irradiance at which energy flux into photoprotective dissipation became greater than ETR was observed. Cultivars capable of higher ETR at midrange light intensities were shown to produce greater leaf area over time, estimated by noninvasive imaging. PMID:27895208

Telescopes and space exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandt, J. C.; Maran, S. P.

1976-01-01

The necessity for different types of telescopes for astronomical investigations is discussed. Major findings in modern astronomy by ground-based and spaceborne telescopes are presented. Observations of the Crab Nebula, solar flares, interstellar gas, and the Black Hole are described. The theory of the oscillating universe is explored. Operating and planned telescopes are described.

[Clinical forms of major depressive states observed in the Ivory Coast. Classification trial].

PubMed

Megglé, D; Série, E; Veillon, F; Delafosse, J; Hazera, M

1989-12-01

After a previous analysis of African depressions in studies based on the use of D.S.M. III as a preliminary tool, the authors are now seeking to understand more directly the different ways for depressed Ivorians to express the lowering of self-esteem, as well as the various meanings of agitation observed among them. An attempt of nosographic classification, closely linked with local reality, has been extracted from this material by the authors.

Predictors of drusen reduction after subthreshold infrared (810 nm) diode laser macular grid photocoagulation for nonexudative age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Rodanant, Nuttawut; Friberg, Thomas R; Cheng, Lingyun; Aurora, Ajay; Bartsch, Dirk; Toyoguchi, Mitsuko; Corbin, Patricia S; El-Bradey, Mohamed H; Freeman, William R

2002-10-01

To determine the predictors of drusen reduction in eyes with nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) treated with subthreshold infrared (810 nm) diode laser macular grid photocoagulation. Additionally, to determine the relationship of laser-induced drusen reduction and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 18 months after laser treatment. Randomized controlled clinical trial. Fifty patients (100 eyes) with bilateral nonexudative ARMD were enrolled at two centers. One eye of each patient was randomized to the observation; the other eye was treated with 48 subthreshold (invisible end point) applications of infrared (810 nm) diode laser in a macular grid pattern. The eyes that received subthreshold laser treatment were compared with the eyes that received no treatment. The baseline fundus characteristics (number, size, and distribution of drusen, as well as focal hyperpigmentation) from two macula areas (central 1500 micro diameter, pericentral 1500 micro ring area) on stereo color photographs, the number of laser-induced lesions, and the area of laser induced retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) lesions on fluorescein angiography 3 months after treatment were studied as predictors of major drusen reduction (> or = 50% drusen reduction from baseline) 18 months after laser treatment. BCVA at baseline and 18 months later was compared in observation eyes and in laser-treated eyes. Eighteen months after randomization, 24 (48%) of 50 eyes treated with subthreshold laser had major drusen reduction compared with three (6%) of 50 observation eyes (P =.00001). At 3 months post-treatment in laser-treated eyes with major drusen reduction, the mean number of laser-induced lesions on fluorescein angiography was 30.7 and the mean area of RPE change was 0.81 mm(2) compared with 14.8 laser-induced lesions and 0.35 mm(2) area of RPE change in eyes without major drusen reduction (P =.0001 and P =.0003, respectively). At baseline, fundus characteristics were not significantly different between observation eyes and laser-treated eyes or between the major drusen reduction group and the nonmajor drusen reduction group. At 18 months after treatment, BCVA was not significantly different in laser-treated eyes and in observation eyes. Subthreshold infrared (810 nm) diode laser macular grid photocoagulation in eyes with nonexudative ARMD significantly reduced drusen 18 months after laser treatment. Both the number of subthreshold laser lesions and the area of RPE changes visible on fluorescein angiography 3 months after treatment appeared to be predictors for major drusen reduction 18 months after treatment. However, it remains to be determined whether laser-induced drusen reduction is beneficial for visual acuity or reduces the incidence of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in eyes with nonexudative ARMD.

Plate fixation or intramedullary fixation for midshaft clavicle fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and observational studies.

PubMed

Houwert, Roderick M; Smeeing, Diederik P J; Ahmed Ali, Usama; Hietbrink, Falco; Kruyt, Moyo C; van der Meijden, Olivier A

2016-07-01

The last decade has shown a shift toward operative treatment of a subset of midshaft clavicle fractures. However, it is unclear whether there are differences between plate fixation and intramedullary fixation regarding complications and functional outcome. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare plate fixation and intramedullary fixation for midshaft clavicle fractures. The Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for both randomized controlled trials and observational studies. The methodologic quality of all included studies was assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies. Twenty studies were included. Ten of the 20 included studies used a fracture classification. Seven of these studies reported exclusion of patients with comminuted fractures. No difference in the total re-intervention rate was found (odds ratio [OR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71 to 2.04). Major re-interventions occurred more often after plate fixation (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.02 to 3.46). The mean implant removal rates were 38% after plate fixation and 73% after intramedullary fixation. Re-fracture after implant removal occurred more often after plate fixation (OR, 3.42; 95% CI, 1.12 to 10.42). The Constant-Murley scores showed no differences at both short term (mean difference, -1.18; 95% CI, -13.41 to 11.05) and long term (mean difference, 0.15; 95% CI, -1.57 to 1.87). No differences were observed regarding nonunion (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.82 to 2.75). The rate of infections showed no differences when outlier studies were excluded (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.88 to 2.69). Major re-intervention and re-fracture after implant removal occurred more frequently after plate fixation of non-comminuted, displaced midshaft clavicle fractures. No differences in terms of function and nonunion between plate fixation and intramedullary fixation were observed. Copyright © 2016 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in cytokine and chemokine expression distinguish dysthymic disorder from major depression and healthy controls.

PubMed

Ho, Pei-Shen; Yen, Che-Hung; Chen, Chun-Yen; Huang, San-Yuan; Liang, Chih-Sung

2017-02-01

An important area of uncertainty is the inflammatory degree to which depression occurring as part of dysthymic disorder may differ from major depression. Using a 27-plex cytokine assay, we analyzed the serum of 12 patients with dysthymic disorder, 12 with major depression, and an age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched control group of 20 healthy volunteers. We observed that patients with dysthymic disorder exhibited aberrant cytokine and chemokine expression compared with healthy controls and patients with major depression. The levels of interferon-γ-induced protein 10 highly predicted dysthymic disorder. Network analyses revealed that in patients with dysthymic disorder, the vertices were more sparsely connected and adopted a more hub-like architecture, and the connections from neighboring vertices of interleukin 2 and eotaxin-1 increased. After treatment with the same antidepressant, there was no difference between dysthymic disorder and major depression regarding any of the cytokines or chemokines analyzed. For dysthymic disorder, changes in the levels of interferon-γ-induced protein 10 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α correlated with depression improvement. The findings suggest that the cytokine milieu in dysthymic disorder differs either at the level of individual expression or in network patterns. Moreover, chemokines play an important role in driving the pathophysiology of dysthymic disorder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multifilament Cable Wire versus Conventional Wire for Sternal Closure in Patients Undergoing Major Cardiac Surgery.

PubMed

Oh, You Na; Ha, Keong Jun; Kim, Joon Bum; Jung, Sung-Ho; Choo, Suk Jung; Chung, Cheol Hyun; Lee, Jae Won

2015-08-01

Stainless steel wiring remains the most popular technique for primary sternal closure. Recently, a multifilament cable wiring system (Pioneer Surgical Technology Inc., Marquette, MI, USA) was introduced for sternal closure and has gained wide acceptance due to its superior resistance to tension. We aimed to compare conventional steel wiring to multifilament cable fixation for sternal closure in patients undergoing major cardiac surgery. Data were collected retrospectively on 1,354 patients who underwent sternal closure after major cardiac surgery, using either the multifilament cable wiring system or conventional steel wires between January 2009 and October 2010. The surgical outcomes of these two groups of patients were compared using propensity score matching based on 18 baseline patient characteristics. Propensity score matching yielded 392 pairs of patients in the two groups whose baseline profiles showed no significant differences. No significant differences between the two groups were observed in the rates of early mortality (2.0% vs. 1.3%, p=0.578), major wound complications requiring reconstruction (1.3% vs. 1.3%, p>0.99), minor wound complications (3.6% vs. 2.0%, p=0.279), or mediastinitis (0.8% vs. 1.0%, p=1.00). Patients in the multifilament cable group had fewer sternal bleeding events than those in the conventional wire group, but this tendency was not statistically significant (4.3% vs. 7.4%, p=0.068). The surgical outcomes of sternal closure using multifilament cable wires were comparable to those observed when conventional steel wires were used. Therefore, the multifilament cable wiring system may be considered a viable option for sternal closure in patients undergoing major cardiac surgery.

Synthetic observations of protostellar multiple systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lomax, O.; Whitworth, A. P.

2018-04-01

Observations of protostars are often compared with synthetic observations of models in order to infer the underlying physical properties of the protostars. The majority of these models have a single protostar, attended by a disc and an envelope. However, observational and numerical evidence suggests that a large fraction of protostars form as multiple systems. This means that fitting models of single protostars to observations may be inappropriate. We produce synthetic observations of protostellar multiple systems undergoing realistic, non-continuous accretion. These systems consist of multiple protostars with episodic luminosities, embedded self-consistently in discs and envelopes. We model the gas dynamics of these systems using smoothed particle hydrodynamics and we generate synthetic observations by post-processing the snapshots using the SPAMCART Monte Carlo radiative transfer code. We present simulation results of three model protostellar multiple systems. For each of these, we generate 4 × 104 synthetic spectra at different points in time and from different viewing angles. We propose a Bayesian method, using similar calculations to those presented here, but in greater numbers, to infer the physical properties of protostellar multiple systems from observations.

Volatile compound in cut and un-cut flowers of tetraploid Freesia hybrida.

PubMed

Ao, Man; Liu, Baofeng; Wang, Li

2013-01-01

The flower volatile compounds (FVCs) of two tetraploid Freesia hybrida (pink-yellow and yellow) cultivars and their cut flowers were analysed by headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Twelve FVCs were identified in the pink-yellow cultivar, with linalool as the major compound; 30 FVCs were identified in the yellow cultivar, with linalool and terpineol as the two major compounds. The FVCs (>1%) of the two cut flower cultivars were very similar to that of the un-cut flowers, and no significant difference was observed.

Essential oil variation among natural populations of Lavandula multifida L. (Lamiaceae).

PubMed

Chograni, Hnia; Zaouali, Yosr; Rajeb, Chayma; Boussaid, Mohamed

2010-04-01

Volatiles from twelve wild Tunisian populations of Lavandula multifida L. growing in different bioclimatic zones were assessed by GC (RI) and GC/MS. Thirty-six constituents, representing 83.48% of the total oil were identified. The major components at the species level were carvacrol (31.81%), beta-bisabolene (14.89%), and acrylic acid dodecyl ester (11.43%). These volatiles, together with alpha-pinene, were also the main compounds discriminating the populations. According to these dominant compounds, one chemotype was revealed, a carvacrol/beta-bisabolene/acrylic acid dodecyl ester chemotype. However, a significant variation among the populations was observed for the majority of the constituents. A high chemical-population structure, estimated both by principal component analysis (PCA) and unweighted pair group method with averaging (UPGMA) cluster analysis based on Euclidean distances, was observed. Both methods allowed separation of the populations in three groups defined rather by minor than by major compounds. The population groups were not strictly concordant with their bioclimatic or geographic location. Conservation strategies should concern all populations, because of their low size and their high level of destruction. Populations exhibiting particular compounds other than the major ones should be protected first.

Application of distance correction to ChemCam laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy measurements

DOE PAGES

Mezzacappa, A.; Melikechi, N.; Cousin, A.; ...

2016-04-04

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) provides chemical information from atomic, ionic, and molecular emissions from which geochemical composition can be deciphered. Analysis of LIBS spectra in cases where targets are observed at different distances, as is the case for the ChemCam instrument on the Mars rover Curiosity, which performs analyses at distances between 2 and 7.4 m is not a simple task. Previously, we showed that spectral distance correction based on a proxy spectroscopic standard created from first-shot dust observations on Mars targets ameliorates the distance bias in multivariate-based elemental-composition predictions of laboratory data. In this work, we correct an expandedmore » set of neutral and ionic spectral emissions for distance bias in the ChemCam data set. By using and testing different selection criteria to generate multiple proxy standards, we find a correction that minimizes the difference in spectral intensity measured at two different distances and increases spectral reproducibility. When the quantitative performance of distance correction is assessed, there is improvement for SiO 2, Al 2O 3, CaO, FeOT, Na 2O, K 2O, that is, for most of the major rock forming elements, and for the total major-element weight percent predicted. But, for MgO the method does not provide improvements while for TiO 2, it yields inconsistent results. Additionally, we observed that many emission lines do not behave consistently with distance, evidenced from laboratory analogue measurements and ChemCam data. This limits the effectiveness of the method.« less

Making predictions in the multiverse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freivogel, Ben

2011-10-01

I describe reasons to think we are living in an eternally inflating multiverse where the observable 'constants' of nature vary from place to place. The major obstacle to making predictions in this context is that we must regulate the infinities of eternal inflation. I review a number of proposed regulators, or measures. Recent work has ruled out a number of measures by showing that they conflict with observation, and focused attention on a few proposals. Further, several different measures have been shown to be equivalent. I describe some of the many nontrivial tests these measures will face as we learn more from theory, experiment and observation.

Significant genotype difference in the CYP2E1 PstI polymorphism of indigenous groups in Sabah, Malaysia with Asian and non-Asian populations.

PubMed

Goh, Lucky Poh Wah; Chong, Eric Tzyy Jiann; Chua, Kek Heng; Chuah, Jitt Aun; Lee, Ping-Chin

2014-01-01

CYP2E1 PstI polymorphism G-1259C (rs3813867) genotype distributions vary significantly among different populations and are associated with both diseases, like cancer, and adverse drug effects. To date, there have been limited genotype distributions and allele frequencies of this polymorphism reported in the three major indigenous ethnic groups (KadazanDusun, Bajau, and Rungus) in Sabah, also known as North Borneo. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the CYP2E1 PstI polymorphism G-1259C in these three major indigenous peoples in Sabah. A total of 640 healthy individuals from the three dominant indigenous groups were recruited for this study. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) at G-1259C polymorphic site of CYP2E1 gene was performed using the Pst I restriction enzyme. Fragments were analyzed using agarose gel electrophoresis and confirmed by direct sequencing. Overall, the allele frequencies were 90.3% for c1 allele and 9.7% for c2 allele. The genotype frequencies for c1/c1, c1/c2 and c2/c2 were observed as 80.9%, 18.8%, and 0.3%, respectively. A highly statistical significant difference (p<0.001) was observed in the genotype distributions between indigenous groups in Sabah with all Asian and non-Asian populations. However, among these three indigenous groups, there was no statistical significant difference (p>0.001) in their genotype distributions. The three major indigenous ethnic groups in Sabah show unique genotype distributions when compared with other populations. This finding indicates the importance of establishing the genotype distributions of CYP2E1 PstI polymorphism in the indigenous populations.

Prospective Comparison of Collagen Plug (Angio-Seal™) and Suture-Mediated (the Closer S™) Closure Devices at Femoral Access Sites

PubMed Central

Park, Yulri; Choo, Sung Wook; Lee, Sung Hoon; Shin, Sung Wook; Do, Young Soo; Byun, Hong Sik; Park, Kwang Bo; Jeon, Pyoung

2005-01-01

Objective Rapid and effective hemostasis at femoral puncture sites minimizes both the hospital stay and patient discomfort. Therefore, a variety of arterial closure devices have been developed to facilitate the closure of femoral arteriotomy. The objective of this prospective study was to compare the efficacy of two different closure devices; a collagen plug device (Angio-Seal) and a suture-mediated closure device (the Closer S). Materials and Methods From March 28, 2003 to August 31, 2004, we conducted a prospective study in which 1,676 cases of 1,180 patients were treated with two different types of closure device. Angio-Seal was used in 961 cases and the Closer S in 715 cases. The efficacy of the closure devices was assessed, as well as complications occurring at the puncture sites. Results Successful immediate hemostasis was achieved in 95.2% of the cases treated with Angio-Seal, and in 89.5% of the cases treated with the Closer S (p < 0.05). The rates of minor and major complications occurring between the two groups were not significantly different. In the Closer S group, we observed four major complications (0.6%), that consisted of one massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage (surgically explored) and three pseudoaneurysms. In the Angio-Seal group, we observed three major complications (0.3%) that consisted of one femoral artery occlusion, one case of infection treated with intravenous antibiotics and one pseudoaneurysm. Conclusion The use of Angio-Seal was found to be more effective than that of the Closer S with regard to the immediate hemostasis of the femoral puncture sites. However, we detected no significant differences in the rate at which complications occurred. PMID:16374083

Enzymatic production and emission of floral scent volatiles in Jasminum sambac.

PubMed

Bera, Paramita; Mukherjee, Chiranjit; Mitra, Adinpunya

2017-03-01

Floral scent composed of low molecular weight volatile organic compounds. The sweet fragrance of any evening blooming flower is dominated by benzenoid and terpenoid volatile compounds. Floral scent of Jasminum sambac (Oleaceae) includes three major benzenoid esters - benzylacetate, methylbenzoate, and methylsalicylate and three major terpene compounds viz. (E)-β-ocimene, linalool and α-farnesene. We analyzed concentrations and emission rates of benzenoids and terpenoids during the developmental stages of J. sambac flower. In addition to spatial emission from different floral parts, we studied the time-course mRNA accumulations of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and the two representative genes of terpenoid pathway, namely 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) and terpene synthase (TPS). Further, in vitro activities of several enzymes of phenylpropanoid/benzenoid pathway viz., PAL and acetyl-coenzyme A: benzylalcohol acetyltransferase (BEAT), S-adenosyl-l-methionine: benzoic acid carboxyl methyl transferase (BAMT) and S-adenosyl-l-methionine: salicylic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (SAMT) were studied. All the above enzyme activities along with the in vitro activities of DXR and TPS were found to follow a certain rhythm as observed in the emission of different benzenoid and terpenoid compounds. Linalool emission peaked after petal opening and coincided with maximal expression of JsTPS gene as evidenced from RT-PCR analyses (semi-quantitative). The maximum transcript accumulation of this gene was observed in flower petals, indicating that the petals of J. sambac flower play an important role as a major contributor of volatile precursors. The transcripts accumulation of JsDXR and JsTPS in different developmental stages and in different floral part showed that emissions of terpenoid volatiles in J. sambac flower are partially regulated at transcription levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative metabolism of honokiol in mouse, rat, dog, monkey, and human hepatocytes.

PubMed

Jeong, Hyeon-Uk; Kim, Ju-Hyun; Kong, Tae Yeon; Choi, Won Gu; Lee, Hye Suk

2016-04-01

Honokiol has antitumor, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antithrombotic effects. Here we aimed to identify the metabolic profile of honokiol in mouse, rat, dog, monkey, and human hepatocytes and to characterize the enzymes responsible for the glucuronidation and sulfation of honokiol. Honokiol had a high hepatic extraction ratio in all five species, indicating that it was extensively metabolized. A total of 32 metabolites, including 17 common and 15 different metabolites, produced via glucuronidation, sulfation, and oxidation of honokiol allyl groups were tentatively identified using liquid chromatography-high resolution quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Glucuronidation of honokiol to M8 (honokiol-4-glucuronide) and M9 (honokiol-2'-glucuronide) was the predominant metabolic pathway in hepatocytes of all five species; however, interspecies differences between 4- and 2'-glucuronidation of honokiol were observed. UGT1A1, 1A8, 1A9, 2B15, and 2B17 played major roles in M8 formation, whereas UGT1A7 and 1A9 played major roles in M9 formation. Human cDNA-expressed SULT1C4 played a major role in M10 formation (honokiol-2'-sulfate), whereas SULT1A1*1, 1A1*2, and 1A2 played major roles in M11 formation (honokiol-4-sulfate). In conclusion, honokiol metabolism showed interspecies differences.

The Effects of Sex Typing and Sex Appropriateness of Modeled Behavior on Children's Imitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barkley, Russell A.; And Others

1977-01-01

Analysis of the modeled behaviors of 64 children from 4 to 11 years of age indicated that a major factor in sex differences in children's imitation is the sex appropriateness of the modeled behavior relative to the observer when a sex-typed behavior is modeled. (Author/JMB)

Ex-Nihilo II: Examination Syllabi and the Sequencing of Cosmology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pimbblet, Kevin A.; Newman, John C.

2003-01-01

Cosmology education has become an integral part of modern physics courses. Directed by National Curricula, major UK examination boards have developed syllabi that contain explicit statements about the model of the Big Bang and the strong observational evidence that supports it. This work examines the similarities and differences in these…

The Role of Sex and Gender Socialization in Stress Reactivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dedovic, Katarina; Wadiwalla, Mehereen; Engert, Veronika; Pruessner, Jens C.

2009-01-01

Individual health is determined by a myriad of factors. Interestingly, simply being male or female is one such factor that carries profound implications for one's well-being. Intriguing differences between men and women have been observed with respect to vulnerability to and prevalence of particular illnesses. The activity of the major stress…

Modeling the influence of LASIK surgery on optical properties of the human eye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szul-Pietrzak, Elżbieta; Hachoł, Andrzej; Cieślak, Krzysztof; Drożdż, Ryszard; Podbielska, Halina

2011-11-01

The aim was to model the influence of LASIK surgery on the optical parameters of the human eye and to ascertain which factors besides the central corneal radius of curvature and central thickness play the major role in postsurgical refractive change. Ten patients were included in the study. Pre- and postsurgical measurements included standard refraction, anterior corneal curvature and pachymetry. The optical model used in the analysis was based on the Le Grand and El Hage schematic eye, modified by the measured individual parameters of corneal geometry. A substantial difference between eye refractive error measured after LASIK and estimated from the eye model was observed. In three patients, full correction of the refractive error was achieved. However, analysis of the visual quality in terms of spot diagrams and optical transfer functions of the eye optical system revealed some differences in these measurements. This suggests that other factors besides corneal geometry may play a major role in postsurgical refraction. In this paper we investigated whether the biomechanical properties of the eyeball and changes in intraocular pressure could account for the observed discrepancies.

X-ray diffraction study of nanocrystalline and amorphous structure within major and minor ampullate dragline spider silks

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

Sampath, Sujatha; Isdebski, Thomas; Jenkins, Janelle E.

Synchrotron X-ray micro-diffraction experiments were carried out on Nephila clavipes (NC) and Argiope aurantia (AA) major (MA) and minor ampullate (MiA) fibers that make up dragline spider silk. The diffraction patterns show a semi-crystalline structure with {beta}-poly(L-alanine) nanocrystallites embedded in a partially oriented amorphous matrix. A superlattice reflection 'S' diffraction ring is observed, which corresponds to a crystalline component larger in size and is poorly oriented, when compared to the {beta}-poly(L-alanine) nanocrystallites that are commonly observed in dragline spider silks. Crystallite size, crystallinity and orientation about the fiber axis have been determined from the wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) patterns. Inmore » both NC and AA, the MiA silks are found to be more highly crystalline, when compared with the corresponding MA silks. Detailed analysis on the amorphous matrix shows considerable differences in the degree of order of the oriented amorphous component between the different silks studied and may play a crucial role in determining the mechanical properties of the silks.« less

Effects of long-term voluntary exercise on learning and memory processes: dependency of the task and level of exercise.

PubMed

García-Capdevila, Sílvia; Portell-Cortés, Isabel; Torras-Garcia, Meritxell; Coll-Andreu, Margalida; Costa-Miserachs, David

2009-09-14

The effect of long-term voluntary exercise (running wheel) on anxiety-like behaviour (plus maze and open field) and learning and memory processes (object recognition and two-way active avoidance) was examined on Wistar rats. Because major individual differences in running wheel behaviour were observed, the data were analysed considering the exercising animals both as a whole and grouped according to the time spent in the running wheel (low, high, and very-high running). Although some variables related to anxiety-like behaviour seem to reflect an anxiogenic compatible effect, the view of the complete set of variables could be interpreted as an enhancement of defensive and risk assessment behaviours in exercised animals, without major differences depending on the exercise level. Effects on learning and memory processes were dependent on task and level of exercise. Two-way avoidance was not affected either in the acquisition or in the retention session, while the retention of object recognition task was affected. In this latter task, an enhancement in low running subjects and impairment in high and very-high running animals were observed.

Motor resonance may originate from sensorimotor experience.

PubMed

Petroni, Agustín; Baguear, Federico; Della-Maggiore, Valeria

2010-10-01

In humans, the motor system can be activated by passive observation of actions or static pictures with implied action. The origin of this facilitation is of major interest to the field of motor control. Recently it has been shown that sensorimotor learning can reconfigure the motor system during action observation. Here we tested directly the hypothesis that motor resonance arises from sensorimotor contingencies by measuring corticospinal excitability in response to abstract non-action cues previously associated with an action. Motor evoked potentials were measured from the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) while human subjects observed colored stimuli that had been visually or motorically associated with a finger movement (index or little finger abduction). Corticospinal excitability was higher during the observation of a colored cue that preceded a movement involving the recorded muscle than during the observation of a different colored cue that preceded a movement involving a different muscle. Crucially this facilitation was only observed when the cue was associated with an executed movement but not when it was associated with an observed movement. Our findings provide solid evidence in support of the sensorimotor hypothesis of action observation and further suggest that the physical nature of the observed stimulus mediating this phenomenon may in fact be irrelevant.

The Ursa Major cluster of galaxies - III. Optical observations of dwarf galaxies and the luminosity function down to MR=-11

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trentham, Neil; Tully, R. Brent; Verheijen, Marc A. W.

2001-07-01

Results are presented of a deep optical survey of the Ursa Major cluster, a spiral-rich cluster of galaxies at a distance of 18.6Mpc which contains about 30 per cent of the light but only 5 per cent of the mass of the nearby Virgo cluster. Fields around known cluster members and a pattern of blind fields along the major and minor axes of the cluster were studied with mosaic CCD cameras on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The dynamical crossing time for the Ursa Major cluster is only slightly less than a Hubble time. Most galaxies in the local Universe exist in similar moderate-density environments. The Ursa Major cluster is therefore a good place to study the statistical properties of dwarf galaxies, since this structure is at an evolutionary stage representative of typical environments, yet has enough galaxies that reasonable counting statistics can be accumulated. The main observational results of our survey are as follows. (i) The galaxy luminosity function is flat, with a logarithmic slope α=-1.1 for -17

Gastric cancer target detection using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging with chemometrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Weisong; Zhang, Jian; Jiang, Houmin; Zhang, Niya

2014-09-01

Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the world due to its high morbidity and mortality. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is an emerging, non-destructive, cutting edge analytical technology that combines conventional imaging and spectroscopy in one single system. The manuscript has investigated the application of near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (900-1700 nm) (NIR-HSI) for gastric cancer detection with algorithms. Major spectral differences were observed in three regions (950-1050, 1150-1250, and 1400-1500 nm). By inspecting cancerous mean spectrum three major absorption bands were observed around 975, 1215 and 1450 nm. Furthermore, the cancer target detection results are consistent and conformed with histopathological examination results. These results suggest that NIR-HSI is a simple, feasible and sensitive optical diagnostic technology for gastric cancer target detection with chemometrics.

Dietary DHA supplementation causes selective changes in phospholipids from different brain regions in both wild type mice and the Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

Bascoul-Colombo, Cécile; Guschina, Irina A.; Maskrey, Benjamin H.; Good, Mark; O'Donnell, Valerie B.; Harwood, John L.

2016-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of major concern in ageing populations and we have used the Tg2576 mouse model to understand connections between brain lipids and amyloid pathology. Because dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been identified as beneficial, we compared mice fed with a DHA-supplemented diet to those on a nutritionally-sufficient diet. Major phospholipids from cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum were separated and analysed. Each phosphoglyceride had a characteristic fatty acid composition which was similar in cortex and hippocampus but different in the cerebellum. The biggest changes on DHA-supplementation were within ethanolamine phospholipids which, together with phosphatidylserine, had the highest proportions of DHA. Reciprocal alterations in DHA and arachidonate were found. The main diet-induced alterations were found in ethanolamine phospholipids, (and included their ether derivatives), as were the changes observed due to genotype. Tg mice appeared more sensitive to diet with generally lower DHA percentages when on the standard diet and higher relative proportions of DHA when the diet was supplemented. All four major phosphoglycerides analysed showed age-dependent decreases in polyunsaturated fatty acid contents. These data provide, for the first time, a detailed evaluation of phospholipids in different brain areas previously shown to be relevant to behaviour in the Tg2576 mouse model for AD. The lipid changes observed with genotype are consistent with the subtle alterations found in AD patients, especially for the ethanolamine phospholipid molecular species. They also emphasise the contrasting changes in fatty acid content induced by DHA supplementation within individual phospholipid classes. PMID:26968097

Research-Based Assessment of Students' Beliefs about Experimental Physics: When is Gender a Factor?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Bethany R.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2016-12-01

The existence of gender differences in student performance on conceptual assessments and their responses to attitudinal assessments has been repeatedly demonstrated. This difference is often present in students' preinstruction responses and persists in their postinstruction responses. However, one area in which the presence of gender differences has not been extensively explored is undergraduate laboratory courses. For example, one of the few laboratory focused research-based assessments, the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS), has not been tested for the existence of gender differences in students' responses. Here, we utilize a national data set of responses to the E-CLASS to determine if they demonstrate significant gender differences. We also investigate how these differences vary along multiple student and course demographic slices, including course level (first-year vs beyond-first-year) and major (physics vs nonphysics). We observe a gender gap in pre- and postinstruction E-CLASS scores in the aggregate data both for the overall score and for most items individually. However, for some subpopulations (e.g., beyond-first-year students) the size or even existence of the gender gap depends on another dimension (e.g., student major). We also find that for all groups the gap in postinstruction scores vanishes or is greatly reduced when controlling for preinstruction scores, course level, and student major.

Interdisciplinary Science in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, L. M.; Lopresti, V. C.; Papali, P.

1993-05-01

The practice of science is by its very nature interdisciplinary. Most school curricula, however, present science as a "layer cake" with one year each of biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics. Students are too often left with a fragmented, disjointed view of the sciences as separate and distinct bodies of information. The continuity of scientific thought and the importance of major ideas such as energy, rates of change, and the nature of matter are not seen. We describe two efforts to integrate the sciences in a middle school curriculum and in an introductory science course for prospective elementary teachers. Introductory physical science for eighth graders at the Park School has three major units: "Observing the Sky", "The Nature of Matter", and "The Nature of Light". The course moves from simple naked-eye observations of the Sun and Moon to an understanding of the apparent motions of the Sun and of the Earth's seasons. In "The Nature of Matter", students construct operational definitions of characteristic properties of matter such as density, boiling point, solubility, and flame color. They design and perform many experiments and conclude by separating a mixture of liquids and solids by techniques such as distillation and fractional crystallization. In studying flame tests, students learn that different materials have different color "signatures" and that the differences can be quantified with a spectroscope. They then observe solar absorption lines with their spectroscopes and discover which elements are present in the Sun. Teachers of young children are potentially some of the most powerful allies in increasing our country's scientific literacy, yet most remain at best uneasy about science. At Wheelock College we are designing a course to be called "Introduction to Natural Science" for elementary education majors. We will address special needs of many in this population, including science anxiety and poor preparation in mathematics. A broad conceptual understanding of a few key concepts will take precedence over rote memorization of facts.

Quantitative trait loci from the host genetic background modulate the durability of a resistance gene: a rational basis for sustainable resistance breeding in plants.

PubMed

Quenouille, J; Paulhiac, E; Moury, B; Palloix, A

2014-06-01

The combination of major resistance genes with quantitative resistance factors is hypothesized as a promising breeding strategy to preserve the durability of resistant cultivar, as recently observed in different pathosystems. Using the pepper (Capsicum annuum)/Potato virus Y (PVY, genus Potyvirus) pathosystem, we aimed at identifying plant genetic factors directly affecting the frequency of virus adaptation to the major resistance gene pvr2(3) and at comparing them with genetic factors affecting quantitative resistance. The resistance breakdown frequency was a highly heritable trait (h(2)=0.87). Four loci including additive quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and epistatic interactions explained together 70% of the variance of pvr2(3) breakdown frequency. Three of the four QTLs controlling pvr2(3) breakdown frequency were also involved in quantitative resistance, strongly suggesting that QTLs controlling quantitative resistance have a pleiotropic effect on the durability of the major resistance gene. With the first mapping of QTLs directly affecting resistance durability, this study provides a rationale for sustainable resistance breeding. Surprisingly, a genetic trade-off was observed between the durability of PVY resistance controlled by pvr2(3) and the spectrum of the resistance against different potyviruses. This trade-off seemed to have been resolved by the combination of minor-effect durability QTLs under long-term farmer selection.

Comparative analysis of operational forecasts versus actual weather conditions in airline flight planning, volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keitz, J. F.

1982-01-01

The impact of more timely and accurate weather data on airline flight planning with the emphasis on fuel savings is studied. This volume of the report discusses the results of Task 3 of the four major tasks included in the study. Task 3 compares flight plans developed on the Suitland forecast with actual data observed by the aircraft (and averaged over 10 degree segments). The results show that the average difference between the forecast and observed wind speed is 9 kts. without considering direction, and the average difference in the component of the forecast wind parallel to the direction of the observed wind is 13 kts. - both indicating that the Suitland forecast underestimates the wind speeds. The Root Mean Square (RMS) vector error is 30.1 kts. The average absolute difference in direction between the forecast and observed wind is 26 degrees and the temperature difference is 3 degree Centigrade. These results indicate that the forecast model as well as the verifying analysis used to develop comparison flight plans in Tasks 1 and 2 is a limiting factor and that the average potential fuel savings or penalty are up to 3.6 percent depending on the direction of flight.

Duplex and triplex formation of mixed pyrimidine oligonucleotides with stacking of phenyl-triazole moieties in the major groove.

PubMed

Andersen, Nicolai Krog; Døssing, Holger; Jensen, Frank; Vester, Birte; Nielsen, Poul

2011-08-05

5-(1-Phenyl-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-2'-deoxycytidine was synthesized from a modified CuAAC protocol and incorporated into mixed pyrimidine oligonucleotide sequences together with the corresponding 5-(1-phenyl-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-2'-deoxyuridine. With consecutive incorporations of the two modified nucleosides, improved duplex formation with a complementary RNA and improved triplex formation with a complementary DNA duplex were observed. The improvement is due to π-π stacking of the phenyl-triazole moieties in the major groove. The strongest stacking and most pronounced positive influence on thermal stability was found in between the uridine analogues or with the cytidine analogue placed in the 3' direction to the uridine analogue. Modeling indicated a different orientation of the phenyl-triazole moieties in the major groove to account for the difference between the two nucleotides. The modified oligonucleotides were all found to be significantly stabilized toward nucleolytic degration.

Drainage basin control of acid loadings to two Adirondack lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booty, W. G.; Depinto, J. V.; Scheffe, R. D.

1988-07-01

Two adjacent Adirondack Park (New York) calibrated watersheds (Woods Lake and Cranberry Pond), which receive identical atmospheric inputs, generate significantly different unit area of watershed loading rates of acidity to their respective lakes. A watershed acidification model is used to evaluate the watershed parameters which are responsible for the observed differences in acid loadings to the lakes. The greater overall mean depth of overburden on Woods Lake watershed, which supplies a greater buffer capacity as well as a longer retention time of groundwater, appears to be the major factor responsible for the differences.

Age-Related Gene Expression Differences in Monocytes from Human Neonates, Young Adults, and Older Adults

PubMed Central

Tong, Ann-Jay; Kollmann, Tobias R.; Smale, Stephen T.

2015-01-01

A variety of age-related differences in the innate and adaptive immune systems have been proposed to contribute to the increased susceptibility to infection of human neonates and older adults. The emergence of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) provides an opportunity to obtain an unbiased, comprehensive, and quantitative view of gene expression differences in defined cell types from different age groups. An examination of ex vivo human monocyte responses to lipopolysaccharide stimulation or Listeria monocytogenes infection by RNA-seq revealed extensive similarities between neonates, young adults, and older adults, with an unexpectedly small number of genes exhibiting statistically significant age-dependent differences. By examining the differentially induced genes in the context of transcription factor binding motifs and RNA-seq data sets from mutant mouse strains, a previously described deficiency in interferon response factor-3 activity could be implicated in most of the differences between newborns and young adults. Contrary to these observations, older adults exhibited elevated expression of inflammatory genes at baseline, yet the responses following stimulation correlated more closely with those observed in younger adults. Notably, major differences in the expression of constitutively expressed genes were not observed, suggesting that the age-related differences are driven by environmental influences rather than cell-autonomous differences in monocyte development. PMID:26147648

Major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and response to treatment in hepatitis C patients in Egypt.

PubMed

MM, Bassiony; A, Yousef; U, Youssef; GM, Salah El-Deen; M, Abdelghani; H, Al-Gohari; E, Fouad; MM, El-Shafaey

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and associated correlates of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder in hepatitis C virus patients before and after treatment and to investigate the relationship between major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and treatment response. A total of 116 consecutive hepatitis C virus patients from hepatitis C virus treatment center in Zagazig city, Egypt, were included in the study and divided into treated group (N = 58) and untreated group (N = 58). All hepatitis C virus patients were screened for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder using hospital anxiety and depression scale, and those who screened positive were interviewed to confirm the diagnosis of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder using DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria. These measures were done at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment or observation. At baseline, 3.5% and 12.1% of hepatitis C virus patients (treated group) had major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, respectively. After 12 weeks of treatment 37.9% of hepatitis C virus patients (treated group) had major depressive disorder and 46.6% had generalized anxiety disorder. There was a significant statistical difference between hospital anxiety and depression scale scores for depression (3.3 ± 2.3 vs. 6.4 ± 3.2, t = 9.6, p = 0.001) and for anxiety (4.6 ± 2.4 vs. 7.3 ± 3.0, t = 10.2, p = 0.001) before and after treatment. There was also significant statistical difference between treated group and untreated group regarding hospital anxiety and depression scale scores after treatment and observation (depression, treated group 6.4 ± 3.2 vs. untreated group 4.0 ± 2.4, t = 3.7, p = 0.001; anxiety, treated group 7.3 ± 3.0 vs. untreated group 4.5 ± 2.3, t = 4.4, p = 0.001). There was no association between major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and treatment response. Major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder are common in hepatitis C virus patients after treatment with interferon and ribavirin and were not related to treatment response. © The Author(s) 2015.

Concurrent OCT imaging of stimulus evoked retinal neural activation and hemodynamic responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Taeyoon; Wang, Benquan; Lu, Yiming; Chen, Yanjun; Cao, Dingcai; Yao, Xincheng

2017-02-01

It is well established that major retinal diseases involve distortions of the retinal neural physiology and blood vascular structures. However, the details of distortions in retinal neurovascular coupling associated with major eye diseases are not well understood. In this study, a multi-modal optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system was developed to enable concurrent imaging of retinal neural activity and vascular hemodynamics. Flicker light stimulation was applied to mouse retinas to evoke retinal neural responses and hemodynamic changes. The OCT images were acquired continuously during the pre-stimulation, light-stimulation, and post-stimulation phases. Stimulus-evoked intrinsic optical signals (IOSs) and hemodynamic changes were observed over time in blood-free and blood regions, respectively. Rapid IOSs change occurred almost immediately after stimulation. Both positive and negative signals were observed in adjacent retinal areas. The hemodynamic changes showed time delays after stimulation. The signal magnitudes induced by light stimulation were observed in blood regions and did not show significant changes in blood-free regions. These differences may arise from different mechanisms in blood vessels and neural tissues in response to light stimulation. These characteristics agreed well with our previous observations in mouse retinas. Further development of the multimodal OCT may provide a new imaging method for studying how retinal structures and metabolic and neural functions are affected by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR), and other diseases, which promises novel noninvasive biomarkers for early disease detection and reliable treatment evaluations of eye diseases.

EPM Ephemerides of Planets and the Moon of IAA RAS: their model, accuracy, availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitjeva, E. V.; Bratseva, O. A.; Panfilov, V. E.

2011-10-01

The current state of the last version of the planet part of EPM's ephemerides of IAA RAS (EPM2010) integrated in the PPN metric over the 1800 - 2200 time interval is presented. The updated dynamical model includes perturbations from all Trans-Neptunian Objects at the mean distance of 43 AU in addition to the perturbations from the major planets, the Moon, the Sun, and asteroids of the main belt. EPM2010 ephemerides have resulted from a least square adjustment to observation data totaling about 620000 position observations of different types. EPM2010 have been oriented onto the ICRF by the inclusion of all VLBI spacecraft observations into the fitting. The uncertainty of EPM ephemerides is controlled by comparison with a prior accuracy of observations and the independent DE421 ephemeris. The differences between the times TT and TDB have been constructed for EPM2004 (that is the basis for the Russian Astronomical Yearbook) and EPM2008 ephemerides. The access to these ephemerides with their TT-TDB are available via ftp://quasar.ipa.nw.ru/incoming/EPM/. This package allows a competent user to obtain the rectangular coordinates of the Sun, Moon, and nine major planets by means of a subroutine written in standard languages Fortran, C, Pascal, Java. Moreover this package gives a possibility to obtain access to ephemerides of Ceres, Pallas, Vesta, Eris, Haumea, Makemake, Sedna constructed simultaneously with the main EPM ephemerides.

Coordination and management of multicenter clinical studies in trauma: Experience from the PRospective Observational Multicenter Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) Study.

PubMed

Rahbar, Mohammad H; Fox, Erin E; del Junco, Deborah J; Cotton, Bryan A; Podbielski, Jeanette M; Matijevic, Nena; Cohen, Mitchell J; Schreiber, Martin A; Zhang, Jiajie; Mirhaji, Parsa; Duran, Sarah J; Reynolds, Robert J; Benjamin-Garner, Ruby; Holcomb, John B

2012-04-01

Early death due to hemorrhage is a major consequence of traumatic injury. Transfusion practices differ among hospitals and it is unknown which transfusion practices improve survival. This report describes the experience of the PRospective Observational Multicenter Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) Study Data Coordination Center in designing and coordinating a study to examine transfusion practices at ten Level 1 trauma centers in the US. PROMMTT was a multisite prospective observational study of severely injured transfused trauma patients. The clinical sites collected real-time information on the timing and amounts of blood product infusions as well as colloids and crystalloids, vital signs, initial diagnostic and clinical laboratory tests, life saving interventions and other clinical care data. Between July 2009 and October 2010, PROMMTT screened 12,561 trauma admissions and enrolled 1245 patients who received one or more blood transfusions within 6h of Emergency Department (ED) admission. A total of 297 massive transfusions were observed over the course of the study at a combined rate of 5.0 massive transfusion patients/week. PROMMTT is the first multisite study to collect real-time prospective data on trauma patients requiring transfusion. Support from the Department of Defense and collaborative expertise from the ten participating centers helped to demonstrate the feasibility of prospective trauma transfusion studies. The observational data collected from this study will be an invaluable resource for research in trauma surgery and it will guide the design and conduct of future randomized trials. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sources of tropospheric ozone along the Asian Pacific Rim: An analysis of ozonesonde observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hongyu; Jacob, Daniel J.; Chan, Lo Yin; Oltmans, Samuel J.; Bey, Isabelle; Yantosca, Robert M.; Harris, Joyce M.; Duncan, Bryan N.; Martin, Randall V.

2002-11-01

The sources contributing to tropospheric ozone over the Asian Pacific Rim in different seasons are quantified by analysis of Hong Kong and Japanese ozonesonde observations with a global three-dimensional (3-D) chemical transport model (GEOS-CHEM) driven by assimilated meteorological observations. Particular focus is placed on the extensive observations available from Hong Kong in 1996. In the middle-upper troposphere (MT-UT), maximum Asian pollution influence along the Pacific Rim occurs in summer, reflecting rapid convective transport of surface pollution. In the lower troposphere (LT) the season of maximum Asian pollution influence shifts to summer at midlatitudes from fall at low latitudes due to monsoonal influence. The UT ozone minimum and high variability observed over Hong Kong in winter reflects frequent tropical intrusions alternating with stratospheric intrusions. Asian biomass burning makes a major contribution to ozone at <32°N in spring. Maximum European pollution influence (<5 ppbv) occurs in spring in the LT. North American pollution influence exceeds European influence in the UT-MT, reflecting the uplift from convection and the warm conveyor belts over the eastern seaboard of North America. African outflow makes a major contribution to ozone in the low-latitude MT-UT over the Pacific Rim during November-April. Lightning influence over the Pacific Rim is minimum in summer due to westward UT transport at low latitudes associated with the Tibetan anticyclone. The Asian outflow flux of ozone to the Pacific is maximum in spring and fall and includes a major contribution from Asian anthropogenic sources year-round.

Sources of Tropospheric Ozone along the Asian Pacific Rim: An Analysis of Ozonesonde Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Hong-Yu; Jacob, Daniel J.; Chan, Lo Yin; Oltmans, Samuel J.; Bey, Isabelle; Yantosca, Robert M.; Harris, Joyce M.; Duncan, Bryan N.; Martin, Randall V.

2002-01-01

The sources contributing to tropospheric ozone over the Asian Pacific Rim in different seasons are quantified by analysis of Hong Kong and Japanese ozonesonde observations with a global three-dimensional (3-D) chemical transport model (GEOS-CHEM) driven by assimilated meteorological observations. Particular focus is placed on the extensive observations available from Hong Kong in 1996. In the middle-upper troposphere (MT- UT), maximum Asian pollution influence along the Pacific Rim occurs in summer, reflecting rapid convective transport of surface pollution. In the lower troposphere (LT) the season of maximum Asian pollution influence shifts to summer at midlatitudes from fall at low latitudes due to monsoonal influence. The UT ozone minimum and high variability observed over Hong Kong in winter reflects frequent tropical intrusions alternating with stratospheric intrusions. Asian biomass burning makes a major contribution to ozone at less than 32 deg.N in spring. Maximum European pollution influence (less than 5 ppbv) occurs in spring in the LT. North American pollution influence exceeds European influence in the UT-MT, reflecting the uplift from convection and the warm conveyor belts over the eastern seaboard of North America. African outflow makes a major contribution to ozone in the low-latitude MT-UT over the Pacific Rim during November- April. Lightning influence over the Pacific Rim is minimum in summer due to westward UT transport at low latitudes associated with the Tibetan anticyclone. The Asian outflow flux of ozone to the Pacific is maximum in spring and fall and includes a major contribution from Asian anthropogenic sources year-round.

Coordination and management of multicenter clinical studies in trauma: Experience from the PRospective Observational Multicenter Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) Study

PubMed Central

Rahbar, Mohammad H.; Fox, Erin E.; del Junco, Deborah J.; Cotton, Bryan A.; Podbielski, Jeanette M.; Matijevic, Nena; Cohen, Mitchell J.; Schreiber, Martin A.; Zhang, Jiajie; Mirhaji, Parsa; Duran, Sarah; Reynolds, Robert J.; Benjamin-Garner, Ruby; Holcomb, John B.

2011-01-01

Aim Early death due to hemorrhage is a major consequence of traumatic injury. Transfusion practices differ among hospitals and it is unknown which transfusion practices improve survival. This report describes the experience of the PRospective Observational Multicenter Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) Study Data Coordination Center in designing and coordinating a study to examine transfusion practices at ten Level 1 trauma centers in the U.S. Methods PROMMTT was a multisite prospective observational study of severely injured transfused trauma patients. The clinical sites collected real-time information on the timing and amounts of blood product infusions as well as colloids and crystalloids, vital signs, initial diagnostic and clinical laboratory tests, life saving interventions and other clinical care data. Results Between July 2009 and October 2010, PROMMTT screened 12,561 trauma admissions and enrolled 1,245 patients who received one or more blood transfusions within 6 hours of ED admission. A total of 297 massive transfusions were observed over the course of the study at a combined rate of 5.0 massive transfusion patients/week. Conclusion PROMMTT is the first multisite study to collect real-time prospective data on trauma patients requiring transfusion. Support from the Department of Defense and collaborative expertise from the ten participating centers helped to demonstrate the feasibility of prospective trauma transfusion studies. The observational data collected from this study will be an invaluable resource for research in trauma surgery and it will guide the design and conduct of future randomized trials. PMID:22001613

Differential melatonin alterations in cerebrospinal fluid and serum of patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Bumb, J M; Enning, F; Mueller, J K; van der List, Till; Rohleder, C; Findeisen, P; Noelte, I; Schwarz, E; Leweke, F M

2016-07-01

Melatonin, which plays an important role for regulation of circadian rhythms and the sleep/wake cycle has been linked to the pathophysiology of major depressive and bipolar disorder. Here we investigated melatonin levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of depression and bipolar patients to elucidate potential differences and commonalities in melatonin alterations across the two disorders. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, CSF and serum melatonin levels were measured in 108 subjects (27 healthy volunteers, 44 depressed and 37 bipolar patients). Covariate adjusted multiple regression analysis was used to investigate group differences in melatonin levels. In CSF, melatonin levels were significantly decreased in bipolar (P<0.001), but not major depressive disorder. In serum, we observed a significant melatonin decrease in major depressive (P=0.003), but not bipolar disorder. No associations were found between serum and CSF melatonin levels or between melatonin and measures of symptom severity or sleep disruptions in either condition. This study suggests the presence of differential, body fluid specific alterations of melatonin levels in bipolar and major depressive disorder. Further, longitudinal studies are required to explore the disease phase dependency of melatonin alterations and to mechanistically explore the causes and consequences of site-specific alterations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Limit sets for natural extensions of Schelling’s segregation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Abhinav; Vainchtein, Dmitri; Weiss, Howard

2011-07-01

Thomas Schelling developed an influential demographic model that illustrated how, even with relatively mild assumptions on each individual's nearest neighbor preferences, an integrated city would likely unravel to a segregated city, even if all individuals prefer integration. Individuals in Schelling's model cities are divided into two groups of equal number and each individual is "happy" or "unhappy" when the number of similar neighbors cross a simple threshold. In this manuscript we consider natural extensions of Schelling's original model to allow the two groups have different sizes and to allow different notions of happiness of an individual. We observe that differences in aggregation patterns of majority and minority groups are highly sensitive to the happiness threshold; for low threshold, the differences are small, and when the threshold is raised, striking new patterns emerge. We also observe that when individuals strongly prefer to live in integrated neighborhoods, the final states exhibit a new tessellated-like structure.

A mathematical model for the interactive behavior of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens during anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Ahammad, S Ziauddin; Gomes, James; Sreekrishnan, T R

2011-09-01

Anaerobic degradation of waste involves different classes of microorganisms, and there are different types of interactions among them for substrates, terminal electron acceptors, and so on. A mathematical model is developed based on the mass balance of different substrates, products, and microbes present in the system to study the interaction between methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). The performance of major microbial consortia present in the system, such as propionate-utilizing acetogens, butyrate-utilizing acetogens, acetoclastic methanogens, hydrogen-utilizing methanogens, and SRB were considered and analyzed in the model. Different substrates consumed and products formed during the process also were considered in the model. The experimental observations and model predictions showed very good prediction capabilities of the model. Model prediction was validated statistically. It was observed that the model-predicted values matched the experimental data very closely, with an average error of 3.9%.

Interactions between the vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphism and life events in susceptibility to major depressive disorder in a Chinese population.

PubMed

Han, Dong; Qiao, Zhengxue; Chen, Lu; Qiu, Xiaohui; Fang, Deyu; Yang, Xiuxian; Ma, Jingsong; Chen, Mingqi; Yang, Jiarun; Wang, Lin; Zhu, Xiongzhao; Zhang, Congpei; Yang, Yanjie; Pan, Hui

2017-08-01

Recent studies suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in the development of major depressive disorder. The aim of this study is to investigate the interaction between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphism (+405G/C, rs2010963) and negative life events in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). DNA genotyping was performed on peripheral blood leukocytes in 274 patients with MDD and 273 age-and sex-matched controls. The frequency and severity of negative life events were assessed by the Life Events Scale (LES). A logistics method was employed to assess the gene-environment interaction (G×E). Differences in rs2010963 genotype distributions were observed between MDD patients and controls. Significant G×E interactions between allelic variation of rs2010963 and negative life events were observed. Individuals carrying the C alleles were susceptible to MDD only when exposed to high-negative life events. These results indicate that interactions between the VEGF rs2010963 polymorphism and environment increases the risk of developing MDD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Kinetic energy budgets in areas of convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuelberg, H. E.

1979-01-01

Synoptic scale budgets of kinetic energy are computed using 3 and 6 h data from three of NASA's Atmospheric Variability Experiments (AVE's). Numerous areas of intense convection occurred during the three experiments. Large kinetic energy variability, with periods as short as 6 h, is observed in budgets computed over each entire experiment area and over limited volumes that barely enclose the convection and move with it. Kinetic energy generation and transport processes in the smaller volumes are often a maximum when the enclosed storms are near peak intensity, but the nature of the various energy processes differs between storm cases and seems closely related to the synoptic conditions. A commonly observed energy budget for peak storm intensity indicates that generation of kinetic energy by cross-contour flow is the major energy source while dissipation to subgrid scales is the major sink. Synoptic scale vertical motion transports kinetic energy from lower to upper levels of the atmosphere while low-level horizontal flux convergence and upper-level horizontal divergence also occur. Spatial fields of the energy budget terms show that the storm environment is a major center of energy activity for the entire area.

Diurnal Solar Energy Conversion and Photoprotection in Rice Canopies.

PubMed

Meacham, Katherine; Sirault, Xavier; Quick, W Paul; von Caemmerer, Susanne; Furbank, Robert

2017-01-01

Genetic improvement of photosynthetic performance of cereal crops and increasing the efficiency with which solar radiation is converted into biomass has recently become a major focus for crop physiologists and breeders. The pulse amplitude modulated chlorophyll fluorescence technique (PAM) allows quantitative leaf level monitoring of the utilization of energy for photochemical light conversion and photoprotection in natural environments, potentially over the entire crop lifecycle. Here, the diurnal relationship between electron transport rate (ETR) and irradiance was measured in five cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa) in canopy conditions with PAM fluorescence under natural solar radiation. This relationship differed substantially from that observed for conventional short term light response curves measured under controlled actinic light with the same leaves. This difference was characterized by a reduced curvature factor when curve fitting was used to model this diurnal response. The engagement of photoprotective processes in chloroplast electron transport in leaves under canopy solar radiation was shown to be a major contributor to this difference. Genotypic variation in the irradiance at which energy flux into photoprotective dissipation became greater than ETR was observed. Cultivars capable of higher ETR at midrange light intensities were shown to produce greater leaf area over time, estimated by noninvasive imaging. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Leaf mass per area, not total leaf area, drives differences in above-ground biomass distribution among woody plant functional types.

PubMed

Duursma, Remko A; Falster, Daniel S

2016-10-01

Here, we aim to understand differences in biomass distribution between major woody plant functional types (PFTs) (deciduous vs evergreen and gymnosperm vs angiosperm) in terms of underlying traits, in particular the leaf mass per area (LMA) and leaf area per unit stem basal area. We used a large compilation of plant biomass and size observations, including observations of 21 084 individuals on 656 species. We used a combination of semiparametric methods and variance partitioning to test the influence of PFT, plant height, LMA, total leaf area, stem basal area and climate on above-ground biomass distribution. The ratio of leaf mass to above-ground woody mass (MF /MS ) varied strongly among PFTs. We found that MF /MS at a given plant height was proportional to LMA across PFTs. As a result, the PFTs did not differ in the amount of leaf area supported per unit above-ground biomass or per unit stem basal area. Climate consistently explained very little additional variation in biomass distribution at a given plant size. Combined, these results demonstrate consistent patterns in above-ground biomass distribution and leaf area relationships among major woody PFTs, which can be used to further constrain global vegetation models. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Transcription Factor TBX1 Overexpression Induces Downregulation of Proteins Involved in Retinoic Acid Metabolism: A Comparative Proteomic Analysis

PubMed Central

Caterino, Marianna; Ruoppolo, Margherita; Fulcoli, Gabriella; Huynth, Tuong; Orrù, Stefania; Baldini, Antonio; Salvatore, Francesco

2009-01-01

TBX1 haploinsufficiency is considered a major contributor to the del22q11.2/DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) phenotype. We have used proteomic tools to look at all the major proteins involved in the TBX1-mediated pathways in an attempt to better understand the molecular interactions instrumental to its cellular functions. We found more than 90 proteins that could be targeted by TBX1 through different mechanisms. The most interesting observation is that overexpression of TBX1 results in down-regulation of two proteins involved in retinoic acid metabolism. PMID:19178302

An evaluation of cold chain system for vaccines in Bangalore.

PubMed

Sudarshan, M K; Sundar, M; Girish, N; Narendra, S; Patel, N G

1994-01-01

The cold chain plays a major role in the universal immunization programme which helps in preventing against six major killer diseases in children. We collected 144 study samples randomly from different parts of Bangalore to know the training status of personnel, refrigeration facilities, storage, monitoring and potency of vaccines. It was observed that 6.6% of general practitioners were trained under Universal Immunization Programme, monitoring was not satisfactory, and two of the OPV samples from medical practitioners had an unsatisfactory titre dose. Comprehensive orientation/training on cold chain is essential for medical practitioners and other professionals.

Evaluation of spatial, radiometric and spectral Thematic Mapper performance for coastal studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klemas, V. (Principal Investigator)

1984-01-01

The effect different wetland plant canopies have upon observed reflectance in Thematic Mapper bands is studied. The three major vegetation canopy types (broadleaf, gramineous and leafless) produce unique spectral responses for a similar quantity of live biomass. The spectral biomass estimate of a broadleaf canopy is most similar to the harvest biomass estimate when a broadleaf canopy radiance model is used. All major wetland vegetation species can be identified through TM imagery. Simple regression models are developed equating the vegetation index and the infrared index with biomass. The spectral radiance index largely agreed with harvest biomass estimates.

Major Breeding Plumage Color Differences of Male Ruffs (Philomachus pugnax) Are Not Associated With Coding Sequence Variation in the MC1R Gene

PubMed Central

Küpper, Clemens; Burke, Terry; Lank, David B.

2015-01-01

Sequence variation in the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene explains color morph variation in several species of birds and mammals. Ruffs (Philomachus pugnax) exhibit major dark/light color differences in melanin-based male breeding plumage which is closely associated with alternative reproductive behavior. A previous study identified a microsatellite marker (Ppu020) near the MC1R locus associated with the presence/absence of ornamental plumage. We investigated whether coding sequence variation in the MC1R gene explains major dark/light plumage color variation and/or the presence/absence of ornamental plumage in ruffs. Among 821bp of the MC1R coding region from 44 male ruffs we found 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms, representing 1 nonsynonymous and 2 synonymous amino acid substitutions. None were associated with major dark/light color differences or the presence/absence of ornamental plumage. At all amino acid sites known to be functionally important in other avian species with dark/light plumage color variation, ruffs were either monomorphic or the shared polymorphism did not coincide with color morph. Neither ornamental plumage color differences nor the presence/absence of ornamental plumage in ruffs are likely to be caused entirely by amino acid variation within the coding regions of the MC1R locus. Regulatory elements and structural variation at other loci may be involved in melanin expression and contribute to the extreme plumage polymorphism observed in this species. PMID:25534935

A multicenter study to quantify systematic variations and associated uncertainties in source positioning with commonly used HDR afterloaders and ring applicators for the treatment of cervical carcinomas

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

Awunor, O., E-mail: onuora.awunor@stees.nhs.uk; Berger, D.; Kirisits, C.

Purpose: The reconstruction of radiation source position in the treatment planning system is a key part of the applicator reconstruction process in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment of cervical carcinomas. The steep dose gradients, of as much as 12%/mm, associated with typical cervix treatments emphasize the importance of accurate and precise determination of source positions. However, a variety of methodologies with a range in associated measurement uncertainties, of up to ±2.5 mm, are currently employed by various centers to do this. In addition, a recent pilot study by Awunor et al. [“Direct reconstruction and associated uncertainties of {sup 192}Irmore » source dwell positions in ring applicators using gafchromic film in the treatment planning of HDR brachytherapy cervix patients,” Phys. Med. Biol. 58, 3207–3225 (2013)] reported source positional differences of up to 2.6 mm between ring sets of the same type and geometry. This suggests a need for a comprehensive study to assess and quantify systematic source position variations between commonly used ring applicators and HDR afterloaders across multiple centers. Methods: Eighty-six rings from 20 European brachytherapy centers were audited in the form of a postal audit with each center collecting the data independently. The data were collected by setting up the rings using a bespoke jig and irradiating gafchromic films at predetermined dwell positions using four afterloader types, MicroSelectron, Flexitron, GammaMed, and MultiSource, from three manufacturers, Nucletron, Varian, and Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG. Five different ring types in six sizes (Ø25–Ø35 mm) and two angles (45° and 60°) were used. Coordinates of irradiated positions relative to the ring center were determined and collated, and source position differences quantified by ring type, size, and angle. Results: The mean expanded measurement uncertainty (k = 2) along the direction of source travel was ±1.4 mm. The standard deviation associated with the source position reproducibility was within ±1.0 mm for all afterloaders. Maximum source positional variations of 2.1 and 3.9, 1.8 and 5.4, and 2.3 and 3.4 mm were observed at standard treatment positions for the Ø26, Ø30, and Ø32 mm sized 45° and 60° rings, respectively. Mean positional differences between a majority of the rings were within ±1.0 mm. Mean positional differences between a majority of the intracenter ring sets were within the expanded measurement uncertainty. When comparing the 45°–60° source paths, mean differences of 1.6, 0.9, and 0.9 mm were observed across the Ø26, Ø30 (MicroSelectron), and Ø32 mm (GammaMed) rings, respectively. When comparing to manufacturer source path models, maximum offsets of 1.9 and 2.1, 2.6 and 2.3, and 0.8 and 1.6 mm were observed for the Ø26, Ø30 (MicroSelectron), and Ø30 mm (Flexitron) sized 45° and 60° rings, respectively. When comparing the audit to ring commissioning data of participating centers, mean differences of up to 2.4 mm were observed. Conclusions: A majority of the audited rings showed a good degree of manufacturer consistency; however, substantial positional variation observed between some rings emphasizes the importance of commissioning each ring before clinical use. Differences observed between audit and commissioning data also indicate some variation in source treatment positions across centers.« less

Sulfate transport kinetics and toxicity are modulated by sodium in aquatic insects.

PubMed

Scheibener, Shane; Conley, Justin M; Buchwalter, David

2017-09-01

The salinization of freshwater ecosystems is emerging as a major ecological issue. Several anthropogenic causes of salinization (e.g. surface coal mining, hydro-fracking, road de-icing, irrigation of arid lands, etc.) are associated with biodiversity losses in freshwater ecosystems. Because insects tend to dominate freshwater ecology, it is important that we develop a better understanding of how and why different species respond to salinity matrices dominated by different major ions. This study builds upon previous work demonstrating that major ion toxicity to the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer was apparently due to the ionic composition of water rather than specific conductance. Synthetic waters with low Ca:Mg ratios and high SO 4 :Na ratios produced toxicity, whereas waters with higher Ca:Mg ratios and lower SO 4 :Na ratios were not toxic to mayflies at comparable conductivities. Here we used a radiotracer approach to show that Mg did not competitively exclude Ca uptake at environmentally realistic ratios in 4 aquatic insect species. We characterized SO 4 uptake kinetics in 5 mayflies and assessed the influence of different ions on SO 4 uptake. Dual label experiments show an inverse relationship between SO 4 and Na transport rates as SO 4 was held constant and Na was increased, suggesting that Na (and not Cl or HCO 3 ) is antagonistic to SO 4 transport. Based on this observation, we tested the hypothesis that increasing Na would protect against SO 4 induced toxicity in a Na-dependent manner. Increasing Na from 0.7 to 10.9mM improved 96-h survivorship associated with 20.8mM SO 4 from 44% to 73% in a concentration dependent manner. However, when Na reached 21.8mM, survivorship decreased to 16%, suggesting that other interactive effects of major ions caused toxicity under those conditions. Thus, the combination of elevated sulfate and low sodium commonly observed in streams affected by mountaintop coal mining has the potential to cause toxicity in sensitive aquatic insects. Overall, it is important that we develop a better understanding of major ion toxicity to effectively mitigate and protect freshwater biodiversity from salinization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Particulate matter in Southwestern Africa cities of Cotonou (Benin) and Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leon, J. F.; Djossou, J.; Liousse, C.; Akpo, A.; Veronique, Y.; Gardrat, E.; Bedou, M.; Bodjrenou, M.

2017-12-01

Air quality observations in the major cities of South-Western Africa still remains few with regards to economic growth and the large increase in the urban population. The main cities lying on the Gulf of Guinea experiences low air quality because of the contribution of local emissions and advection of pollutants from the African continent. We present in this paper new observations acquired from February 2015 to March 2017 in the major cities of Cotonou (Bénin) and Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). The PM2.5 mass concentration and carbon composition (elemental and organic carbon) were recorded on a weekly basis at 4 different locations representative of major emission sources, i.e. traffic emission, domestic fire and waste burning. Additionally, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) was also recorded daily inside and outside the cities. We observe large similarly between both cities. The mean PM2.5 concentration of around 30 µg.m-3 is coherent with previous studies for sub-Saharan western Africa and is 3 times higher than the concentrations recommended by the World Health Organization. The sampled collected at the domestic fire site shows a large pollution by smoking activity with an average concentration of 145 µg.m-3, nearly 5 times the traffic background. The seasonality of PM2.5 is affected by the contribution of desert dust and biomass burning emissions that is clearly observed from the AOD time series. We observe that dust events contribute sporadically to large amount of PM2.5, above 100 µg.m-3, during the dry seasons. Moreover, the biomass burning activity is also maximum before and during the dry season and contributes to increase the PM2.5 concentration. Low PM2.5 observed during the minor dry season can be explain by an enhancement of the atmospheric dispersion due to the increase in the wind intensity and the absence of biomass burning activity. We observe a significant difference in the carbonaceous aerosols between the traffic site in Abidjan and Cotonou. The mean OC/EC ratio is on average 4.0 for Cotonou and 2.0 for Abidjan, clearly indicating the larger contribution emission by the 2-wheel motorcycles in Cotonou compared to Abidjan

A global multicenter study on reference values: 2. Exploration of sources of variation across the countries.

PubMed

Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Ozarda, Yesim; Barth, Julian H; Klee, George; Shimizu, Yoshihisa; Xia, Liangyu; Hoffmann, Mariza; Shah, Swarup; Matsha, Tandi; Wassung, Janette; Smit, Francois; Ruzhanskaya, Anna; Straseski, Joely; Bustos, Daniel N; Kimura, Shogo; Takahashi, Aki

2017-04-01

The intent of this study, based on a global multicenter study of reference values (RVs) for serum analytes was to explore biological sources of variation (SVs) of the RVs among 12 countries around the world. As described in the first part of this paper, RVs of 50 major serum analytes from 13,396 healthy individuals living in 12 countries were obtained. Analyzed in this study were 23 clinical chemistry analytes and 8 analytes measured by immunoturbidimetry. Multiple regression analysis was performed for each gender, country by country, analyte by analyte, by setting four major SVs (age, BMI, and levels of drinking and smoking) as a fixed set of explanatory variables. For analytes with skewed distributions, log-transformation was applied. The association of each source of variation with RVs was expressed as the partial correlation coefficient (r p ). Obvious gender and age-related changes in the RVs were observed in many analytes, almost consistently between countries. Compilation of age-related variations of RVs after adjusting for between-country differences revealed peculiar patterns specific to each analyte. Judged fromthe r p , BMI related changes were observed for many nutritional and inflammatory markers in almost all countries. However, the slope of linear regression of BMI vs. RV differed greatly among countries for some analytes. Alcohol and smoking-related changes were observed less conspicuously in a limited number of analytes. The features of sex, age, alcohol, and smoking-related changes in RVs of the analytes were largely comparable worldwide. The finding of differences in BMI-related changes among countries in some analytes is quite relevant to understanding ethnic differences in susceptibility to nutritionally related diseases. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Co-infection and disease severity of Ohio Maize dwarf mosaic virus and Maize chlorotic dwarf virus strains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two major maize viruses have been reported in the United States: Maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) and Maize chlorotic dwarf virus (MCDV). These viruses co-occur in regions where maize is grown such that co-infections are likely. Co-infection of different strains of MCDV is also observed frequently...

A Comparative Cross-Cultural Examination of Community Art Education Programs in South Korea and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Ryan; Kim, Junghee

2014-01-01

The authors conducted comparative cross-cultural research to examine a select group of the available and more noteworthy art education organizations and their programs after observing significant differences in the community art education programs offered in Tucson, Arizona, and Anyang, South Korea. The study reports several major differences…

A Causal Inference Analysis of the Effect of Wildland Fire Smoke on Ambient Air Pollution Levels and Health Burden

EPA Science Inventory

Wildfire smoke is a major contributor to ambient air pollution levels. In this talk, we develop a spatio-temporal model to estimate the contribution of fire smoke to overall air pollution in different regions of the country. We combine numerical model output with observational da...

Where Were Those Rabbits? A New Paradigm to Determine Cerebral Lateralisation of Visuospatial Memory Function in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groen, Margriet A.; Whitehouse, Andrew J. O.; Badcock, Nicholas A.; Bishop, Dorothy V. M.

2011-01-01

In the majority of people, functional differences are observed between the two cerebral hemispheres: language production is typically subserved by the left hemisphere and visuospatial skills by the right hemisphere. The development of this division of labour is not well understood and lateralisation of visuospatial function has received little…

Mid- and Late-Career Teachers Struggle with Paltry Incomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boser, Ulrich; Straus, Chelsea

2014-01-01

Low teacher pay is not news. Over the years, all sorts of observers have argued that skimpy teacher salaries keep highly qualified individuals out of the profession. One recent study found that a major difference between the education system in the United States and those in other nations with high-performing students is that the United States…

Multi-Sensor Observations of Earthquake Related Atmospheric Signals over Major Geohazard Validation Sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ouzounov, D.; Pulinets, S.; Davindenko, D.; Hattori, K.; Kafatos, M.; Taylor, P.

2012-01-01

We are conducting a scientific validation study involving multi-sensor observations in our investigation of phenomena preceding major earthquakes. Our approach is based on a systematic analysis of several atmospheric and environmental parameters, which we found, are associated with the earthquakes, namely: thermal infrared radiation, outgoing long-wavelength radiation, ionospheric electron density, and atmospheric temperature and humidity. For first time we applied this approach to selected GEOSS sites prone to earthquakes or volcanoes. This provides a new opportunity to cross validate our results with the dense networks of in-situ and space measurements. We investigated two different seismic aspects, first the sites with recent large earthquakes, viz.- Tohoku-oki (M9, 2011, Japan) and Emilia region (M5.9, 2012,N. Italy). Our retrospective analysis of satellite data has shown the presence of anomalies in the atmosphere. Second, we did a retrospective analysis to check the re-occurrence of similar anomalous behavior in atmosphere/ionosphere over three regions with distinct geological settings and high seismicity: Taiwan, Japan and Kamchatka, which include 40 major earthquakes (M>5.9) for the period of 2005-2009. We found anomalous behavior before all of these events with no false negatives; false positives were less then 10%. Our initial results suggest that multi-instrument space-borne and ground observations show a systematic appearance of atmospheric anomalies near the epicentral area that could be explained by a coupling between the observed physical parameters and earthquake preparation processes.

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV, Potyvirus): Vertical transmission, seed infection and cryptic infections

PubMed Central

Simmons, H.E.; Dunham, J.P.; Zinn, K. E.; Munkvold, G.P.; Holmes, E.C.; Stephenson, A.G.

2013-01-01

The role played by seed transmission in the evolution and epidemiology of viral crop pathogens remains unclear. We determined the seed infection and vertical transmission rates of zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), in addition to undertaking Illumina sequencing of nine vertically transmitted ZYMV populations. We previously determined the seed-to-seedling transmission rate of ZYMV in Cucurbita pepo ssp. texana (a wild gourd) to be 1.6%, and herein observed a similar rate (1.8%) in the subsequent generation. We also observed that the seed infection rate is substantially higher (21.9%) than the seed-to-seedling transmission rate, suggesting that a major population bottleneck occurs during seed germination and seedling growth. In contrast, that two thirds of the variants present in the horizontally transmitted inoculant population were also present in the vertically transmitted populations implies that the bottleneck at vertical transmission may not be particularly severe. Strikingly, all of the vertically infected plants were symptomless in contrast to those infected horizontally, suggesting that vertical infection may be cryptic. Although no known virulence determining mutations were observed in the vertically infected samples, the 5’ untranslated region was highly variable, with at least 26 different major haplotypes in this region compared to the two major haplotypes observed in the horizontally transmitted population. That the regions necessary for vector transmission are retained in the vertically infected populations, combined with the cryptic nature of vertical infection, suggests that seed transmission may be a significant contributor to the spread of ZYMV. PMID:23845301

Estimating non-circular motions in barred galaxies using numerical N-body simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randriamampandry, T. H.; Combes, F.; Carignan, C.; Deg, N.

2015-12-01

The observed velocities of the gas in barred galaxies are a combination of the azimuthally averaged circular velocity and non-circular motions, primarily caused by gas streaming along the bar. These non-circular flows must be accounted for before the observed velocities can be used in mass modelling. In this work, we examine the performance of the tilted-ring method and the DISKFIT algorithm for transforming velocity maps of barred spiral galaxies into rotation curves (RCs) using simulated data. We find that the tilted-ring method, which does not account for streaming motions, under-/overestimates the circular motions when the bar is parallel/perpendicular to the projected major axis. DISKFIT, which does include streaming motions, is limited to orientations where the bar is not aligned with either the major or minor axis of the image. Therefore, we propose a method of correcting RCs based on numerical simulations of galaxies. We correct the RC derived from the tilted-ring method based on a numerical simulation of a galaxy with similar properties and projections as the observed galaxy. Using observations of NGC 3319, which has a bar aligned with the major axis, as a test case, we show that the inferred mass models from the uncorrected and corrected RCs are significantly different. These results show the importance of correcting for the non-circular motions and demonstrate that new methods of accounting for these motions are necessary as current methods fail for specific bar alignments.

Distribution of Votes and a Model of Political Opinion Formation for Majority Elections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prenga, Dode; Ifti, Margarita

We study the behavior of the number of votes cast for different electoral subjects in majority elections, and in particular, the Albanian elections of the last 10 years, as well as the British, Russian, and Canadian elections. We report the frequency of obtaining a certain percentage (fraction) of votes versus this fraction for the parliamentary elections. In the distribution of votes cast in majority elections we identify two regimes. In the low percentiles we see a power law distribution, with exponent about -1.7. In the power law regime we find over 80% of the data points, while they relate to 20% of the votes cast. Votes of the small electoral subjects are found in this regime. The other regime includes percentiles above 20%, and has Gaussian distribution. It corresponds to large electoral subjects. A similar pattern is observed in other first past the post (FPP) elections, such as British and Canadian, but here the Gaussian is reduced to an exponential. Finally we show that this distribution can not be reproduced by a modified "word of mouth" model of opinion formation. This behavior can be reproduced by a model that comprises different number of zealots, as well as different campaign strengths for different electoral subjects, in presence of preferential attachment of voters to candidates.

Associations between immune function and air pollution among postmenopausal women living in the Puget Sound airshed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Lori A.

Air pollution is associated with adverse health outcomes, and changes in the immune system may be intermediate steps between exposure and a clinically relevant adverse health outcome. We analyzed the associations between three different types of measures of air pollution exposure and five biomarkers of immune function among 115 overweight and obese postmenopausal women whose immunity was assessed as part of a year-long moderate exercise intervention trial. For air pollution metrics, we assessed: (1) residential proximity to major roads (freeways, major arterials and truck routes), (2) fine particulate matter(PM2.5) at the nearest monitor to the residence averaged over three time windows (3-days, 30-days and 60-days), and (3) nitrogen dioxide (NO2) modeled based on land use characteristics. Our immune biomarkers included three measures of inflammation---C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A and interleukin-6---and two measures of cellular immunity---natural killer cell cytotoxicity and T lymphocyte proliferation. We hypothesized that living near a major road, increased exposure to PM2.5 and increased exposure to NO2 would each be independently associated with increased inflammation and decreased immune function. We observed a 21% lower average natural killer cell cytotoxicity among women living within 150 meters of a major arterial road compared to other women. For PM2.5 , we observed changes in 3 of 4 indicators of lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by anti-CD3---an antibody to the T cell receptor associated with increases in 3-day averaged PM2.5. For 30-day averaged PM 2.5 and 60-day averaged PM2.5 we did not observe any statistically significant associations. We observed an increase in lymphocyte proliferation index stimulated by the plant protein phytohemagglutinin (PHA) at 1 of 2 PHA concentrations in association with modeled NO2. For the three inflammatory markers, we observed no notable associations with any of our measures of air pollution. If confirmed, our results provide preliminary evidence to support the biologic plausibility of previously observed associations between traffic and colds and infections, suggest immune function should be considered as part of the assessment of regulatory standards for PM2.5 and indicate that living in close proximity to major roads may have adverse health impacts.

Improved statistical analysis of moclobemide dose effects on panic disorder treatment.

PubMed

Ross, Donald C; Klein, Donald F; Uhlenhuth, E H

2010-04-01

Clinical trials with several measurement occasions are frequently analyzed using only the last available observation as the dependent variable [last observation carried forward (LOCF)]. This ignores intermediate observations. We reanalyze, with complete data methods, a clinical trial previously reported using LOCF, comparing placebo and five dosage levels of moclobemide in the treatment of outpatients with panic disorder to illustrate the superiority of methods using repeated observations. We initially analyzed unprovoked and situational, major and minor attacks as the four dependent variables, by repeated measures maximum likelihood methods. The model included parameters for linear and curvilinear time trends and regression of measures during treatment on baseline measures. Significance tests using this method take into account the structure of the error covariance matrix. This makes the sphericity assumption irrelevant. Missingness is assumed to be unrelated to eventual outcome and the residuals are assumed to have a multivariate normal distribution. No differential treatment effects for limited attacks were found. Since similar results were obtained for both types of major attack, data for the two types of major attack were combined. Overall downward linear and negatively accelerated downward curvilinear time trends were found. There were highly significant treatment differences in the regression slopes of scores during treatment on baseline observations. For major attacks, all treatment groups improved over time. The flatter regression slopes, obtained with higher doses, indicated that higher doses result in uniformly lower attack rates regardless of initial severity. Lower doses do not lower the attack rate of severely ill patients to those achieved in the less severely ill. The clinical implication is that more severe patients require higher doses to attain best benefit. Further, the significance levels obtained by LOCF analyses were only in the 0.05-0.01 range, while significance levels of <0.00001 were obtained by these repeated measures analyses indicating increased power. The greater sensitivity to treatment effect of this complete data method is illustrated. To increase power, it is often recommended to increase sample size. However, this is often impractical since a major proportion of the cost per subject is due to the initial evaluation. Increasing the number of repeated observations increases power economically and also allows detailed longitudinal trajectory analyses.

Evolution of groundwater chemistry along fault structures in sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dausse, A.; Guiheneuf, N.; Pierce, A. A.; Cherry, J. A.; Parker, B. L.

2016-12-01

Fluid-rock interaction across geological structures plays a major role on evolution of groundwater chemistry and physical properties of reservoirs. In particular, groundwater chemistry evolve on different facies according to residence times which can be linked to hydraulic properties of the geological unit. In this study, we analyze groundwater samples collected at an 11 km² site located in southern California (USA) to evaluate the evolution of groundwater chemistry according to different geological structures. Major and minor elements were sampled at the same period of time from 40 wells located along the main structures in the northeast of the site, where major NE-SW trending faults and other oriented ESE-WNW are present in sandstone Chatsworth formation. By analyzing the spatial distribution of ions concentration at the site scale, several hydrochemical compartments (main- and sub-compartments) can be distinguished and are in agreement with structural and hydrological information. In particular, as previously observed from piezometric informations, the shear zone fault serves as a barrier for groundwater flow and separates the site on two mains compartments. In addition, the analysis along major faults oriented orthogonal to this shear zone (ESE-WNW) in the eastern part of the site, shows an increase in mineralization following the hydraulic gradient. This salinization has been confirmed by ionic ratio and Gibbs plots and is attributed to fluid-rock interaction processes. In particular, groundwater chemistry seems to evolve from bicarbonate to sodium facies. Moreover, the gradient of concentrations vary depending on fault locations and can be related to their hydraulic properties and hence to different characteristic times from point to point. To conclude, major faults across the site display different degrees of groundwater chemistry evolution, linked to their physical properties, which may in turn have a large impact on contaminant transport and attenuation.

The Astrophysics Major at the University of California, Berkeley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arons, J.; Heiles, C.

2001-12-01

The Astrophysics major offered by the Berkeley Astronomy Department has been redesigned to reflect broad educational goals. Students preparing for graduate school study mostly Physics and Mathematics, leavened with four semesters of astrophysics at the sophomore and senior level. These courses make heavy use of their concurrent Physics and Math. Astrophysics and Physics majors differ in the astrophysics courses replacing other electives which a Physics major might choose. The major's redesign also opened the door to students who wish to pursue a major which gives them broad technical training without having graduate school as a goal. Many such students follow the same track as those pursuing the graduate school option; others take courses specifically designed for people with alternate careers in mind. The major change has been a laboratory requirement for all Astrophysics majors, in either track. We now have advanced undergraduate laboratories: optical, radio, and near infrared; details are on our web page. These share the common thread of development of deep capabilities in data gathering, analysis, and presentation. Students achieve expertise in these areas because the labs include the complete range of activities normally encountered in observational or experimental research. Students use laboratory equipment to measure the fundamental parameters of devices and systems, make astronomical observations with those systems, write software in UNIX and IDL to control equipment and analyze the results, and write formal lab reports in LATEX. We avoid ``black box'' or ``cookbook'' procedures . The students leave the course having gained experience and knowledge, and a ``feel'' for how to proceed when faced with sometimes recalcitrant equipment and imperfect data. A by product of the training has been an increase in student involvement in undergraduate research projects. These innovations have led to a major that has doubled in size and, in a quite unanticipated development, has become gender balanced. We will present a number of aspects, both statistically and anecdotally, from this decade long experience with reform of an astronomy major.

Prospective clinical observational study evaluating gender-associated differences of preoperative pain intensity.

PubMed

Tafelski, Sascha; Kerper, Léonie F; Salz, Anna-Lena; Spies, Claudia; Reuter, Eva; Nachtigall, Irit; Schäfer, Michael; Krannich, Alexander; Krampe, Henning

2016-07-01

Previous studies reported conflicting results concerning different pain perceptions of men and women. Recent research found higher pain levels in men after major surgery, contrasted by women after minor procedures. This trial investigates differences in self-reported preoperative pain intensity between genders before surgery.Patients were enrolled in 2011 and 2012 presenting for preoperative evaluation at the anesthesiological assessment clinic at Charité University hospital. Out of 5102 patients completing a computer-assisted self-assessment, 3042 surgical patients with any preoperative pain were included into this prospective observational clinical study. Preoperative pain intensity (0-100 VAS, visual analog scale) was evaluated integrating psychological cofactors into analysis.Women reported higher preoperative pain intensity than men with median VAS scores of 30 (25th-75th percentiles: 10-52) versus 21 (10-46) (P < 0.001). Adjusted multiple regression analysis showed that female gender remained statistically significantly associated with higher pain intensity (P < 0.001). Gender differences were consistent across several subgroups especially with varying patterns in elderly. Women scheduled for minor and moderate surgical procedures showed largest differences in overall pain compared to men.This large clinical study observed significantly higher preoperative pain intensity in female surgical patients. This gender difference was larger in the elderly potentially contradicting the current hypothesis of a primary sex-hormone derived effect. The observed variability in specific patient subgroups may help to explain heterogeneous findings of previous studies.

Few differences in diet and health behaviors and perceptions were observed in adult urban Native American Indians by tribal association, gender, and age grouping.

PubMed

Carter, Tina L; Morse, Kristin L; Giraud, David W; Driskell, Judy A

2008-12-01

Diet and health behaviors and perceptions of adult urban Native American Indians in a large Midwestern city were evaluated for differences by tribal association, gender, and age grouping. The hypothesis was that human behavior is influenced by tribal association, gender, and age grouping in the subject population. The subjects included 33 men and 32 women, with 26 being Sioux; 22 Omaha; and 17 a combination of other tribes. The descriptive survey included two interviewer-administered 24-hour recalls. The majority of subjects were overweight or obese. Significant differences (P< .05) were observed in vitamin A and calcium intakes by tribal association. Men reported consuming significantly more (P< .05) kilocalories, vitamin C, and sodium. Over half the subjects consumed more than the recommended 20% to 35% kcal from fat, >or=10% kcal from saturated fat, and >or=300 mg cholesterol/d. Less than Estimated Average Requirements for vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron were consumed by 31%, 59%, and 6%, respectively; 79% consumed less than Adequate Intakes for calcium. Ninety-two percent consumed more than the Tolerable Upper Intake Level for sodium. Few differences were observed in the kilocalorie, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and sodium intakes of these Native American Indians by tribal association, gender, or age grouping. Significant differences in percentages consuming alcohol were observed by gender (P< .05) and by age grouping (P< .01). A significant difference (P< .01) was observed by gender regarding the subjects' perceptions of their being alcoholics. Overall, few differences were observed in diet and health behaviors and perceptions of adult urban Native American Indians by tribal association, gender, and age grouping.

Streamflow gain and loss and water quality in the upper Nueces River Basin, south-central Texas, 2008-10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banta, J. Ryan; Lambert, Rebecca B.; Slattery, Richard N.; Ockerman, Darwin J.

2012-01-01

During the three surveys, reaches of gaining, losing, or no verifiable change in streamflow were observed in the watersheds in the study area. Reaches of generally consistent gaining or losing streamflow were identified in the Nueces, Frio, and Sabinal River watersheds. The water-quality data indicate that the streamflow, springflow, and groundwater have similar major ion chemical characteristics and generally can be categorized as a calcium-carbonate water type. Those data also indicate that the major ion chemistry was similar during the 2009 and 2010 surveys. Graphical comparisons among ratios of major ions, trace elements, and isotopes (for example, magnesium/calcium ratios to strontium isotopic ratios) indicate that samples collected from each watershed generally clustered together. Determining the source areas and other possible contributors on the basis of these data is not possible because of the small sample size of the water-quality dataset (both in number of samples and spatial distribution of samples). The different relations among the water-quality data indicate that the surface water in the different watersheds is likely influenced by differences in source areas, geochemical evolution, groundwater flow paths and residence time, local stratigraphy, or some combination thereof.

Comparative study on histological structures of the vitelline membrane of hen and duck egg observed by cryo-scanning electron microscopy.

PubMed

Chung, Wen-Hsin; Lai, Kung-Ming; Hsu, Kuo-chiang

2010-02-10

The histological structures of the vitelline membranes (VM) of hen and duck eggs were observed by cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM), and the chemical characteristics were also compared. The outer layer surface (OLS) of duck egg VM showed networks constructed by fibrils and sheets (0.1-5.2 microm in width), and that of hen egg presented networks formed only by sheets (2-6 microm in width). Thicker fibrils (0.5-1.5 microm in width) with different arrangement were observed on the inner layer surface (ILS) of duck egg VM as compared to those (0.3-0.7 microm in width) of hen egg VM. Upon separation, the outer surface of the outer layer (OSOL) and the inner surface of the inner layer (ISIL) of hen and duck egg VMs were quite similar to fresh VM except that the OSOL of duck egg VM showed networks constructed only by sheets. Thin fibrils interlaced above a bumpy or flat structure were observed at the exposed surface of the outer layer (ESOL) of hen and duck egg VMs. The exposed surfaces of inner layers (ESIL) of hen and duck egg VMs showed similar structures of fibrils, which joined, branched, and ran in straight lines for long distances up to 30 microm; however, the widths of the fibrils shown in ESOL and ESIL of duck egg VM were 0.1 and 0.7-1.4 microm, respectively, and were greater than those (<0.1 and 0.5-0.8 microm) of hen egg VM. The continuous membranes of both hen and duck egg VMs were still attached to the outer layers when separated. The content of protein, the major component of VM, was higher in duck egg VM (88.6%) than in hen egg VM (81.6%). Four and six major SDS-soluble protein patterns with distinct localization were observed in hen and duck egg VMs, respectively. Overall, the different histological structures of hen and duck egg VMs were suggested to be majorly attributable to the diverse protein components.

Prospective EUV observations of hot DA white dwarfs with the EUV Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finley, David S.; Malina, Roger F.; Bowyer, Stuart

1987-01-01

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) will perform a high sensitivity EUV all-sky survey. A major category of sources which will be detected with the EUVE instruments consists of hot white dwarfs. Detailed preliminary studies of synthetic EUV observations of white dwarfs have been carried out using the predicted EUVE instrumental response functions. Using available information regarding space densities of white dwarfs and the distribution of neutral hydrogen in the interstellar medium, the numbers of DA white dwarfs which will be detectable in the different EUV bandpasses have been estimated.

The neutral coma of comets: A review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delsemme, A. H.

1976-01-01

The hypothesis that water snow controls the vaporization of the nucleus of some comets seems verified from the general order of magnitude of the size of their nucleus and of their nuclear albedo; the largest observed production rates are H and OH which both seem to originate from the photodissociation of H2O, as also confirmed by the scale length of the invisible parent molecule producing OH. However, comet Encke is not uniformly covered by water snow, as it produces only one tenth of the expected vaporization. Early results on comet Kohoutek suggest that the conclusions could be slightly different for some of the new comets in Oort's sense. If the far ultraviolet observations confirm the early assessments of the production rates of C, O and H, then at least another major constituent competing with water has not yet been detected. Such a major constituent is suggested by the ratios C/O = 0.24 and H/O = 2.5.

Clinical impact of major bleeding in patients with venous thromboembolism treated with factor Xa inhibitors or vitamin K antagonists. An individual patient data meta-analysis.

PubMed

Bleker, Suzanne M; Brekelmans, Marjolein P A; Eerenberg, Elise S; Cohen, Alexander T; Middeldorp, Saskia; Raskob, Gary; Büller, Harry R

2017-10-05

Factor Xa (fXa)-inhibitors are as effective and safer than vitamin-K-antagonists (VKA) in the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). We previously classified the severity of clinical presentation and course of all major bleeding events from the EINSTEIN, AMPLIFY and HOKUSAI-VTE trials separately. The current aim was to combine these findings in order to increase precision, assess a class effect and analyse presentation and course for different types of bleeding, i. e. intracranial, gastro-intestinal, and other. We classified the clinical presentation and course of all major bleeding events using pre-defined criteria. Both classifications comprised four categories; one being the mildest, and four the most severe. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated for all events classified as category three or four between fXa-inhibitors and VKA recipients. Also, ORs were computed for different types of bleeding. Major bleeding occurred in 111 fXa-inhibitor recipients and in 187 LMWH/VKA recipients. The clinical presentation was classified as category three or four in 35 % and 48 % of the major bleeds in fXa inhibitor and VKA recipients, respectively (OR 0.59, 95 % CI 0.36-0.97). For intracranial, gastro-intestinal and other bleeding a trend towards a less severe presentation was observed for patients treated with fXa inhibitors. Clinical course was classified as severe in 22 % of the fXa inhibitor and 25 % of the VKA associated bleeds (OR 0.83, 95 % CI 0.47-1.46). In conclusion, FXa inhibitor associated major bleeding events had a significantly less severe presentation and a similar course compared to VKA. This finding was consistent for different types of bleeding.

Socioeconomic differences in purchases of more vs. less healthy foods and beverages: Analysis of over 25,000 British households in 2010☆

PubMed Central

Pechey, Rachel; Jebb, Susan A.; Kelly, Michael P.; Almiron-Roig, Eva; Conde, Susana; Nakamura, Ryota; Shemilt, Ian; Suhrcke, Marc; Marteau, Theresa M.

2013-01-01

Socioeconomic inequalities in diet-related health outcomes are well-recognised, but are not fully explained by observational studies of consumption. We provide a novel analysis to identify purchasing patterns more precisely, based on data for take-home food and beverage purchases from 25,674 British households in 2010. To examine socioeconomic differences (measured by occupation), we conducted regression analyses on the proportion of energy purchased from (a) each of 43 food or beverage categories and (b) major nutrients. Results showed numerous small category-level socioeconomic differences. Aggregation of the categories showed lower SES groups generally purchased a greater proportion of energy from less healthy foods and beverages than those in higher SES groups (65% and 60%, respectively), while higher SES groups purchased a greater proportion of energy from healthier food and beverages (28% vs. 24%). At the nutrient-level, socioeconomic differences were less marked, although higher SES was associated with purchasing greater proportions of fibre, protein and total sugars, and smaller proportions of sodium. The observed pattern of purchasing across SES groups contributes to the explanation of observed health differences between groups and highlights targets for interventions to reduce health inequalities. PMID:23849275

Theory of mind ability predicts prognosis of outpatients with major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Yamada, Kazuo; Inoue, Yumiko; Kanba, Shigenobu

2015-12-15

A theory of mind (ToM) deficit in patients with major depressive episodes is associated with difficulty in social adjustment, and thus may indicate a poorer prognosis. We investigated the association between ToM deficits and the outcome in patients who had recovered from major depressive episodes. We evaluated ToM abilities of 100 patients with major depressive disorder during a period of remission. The patients were followed up for one year and their outcomes observed. After one year, patients who had a ToM deficit according to a second-order false belief question relapsed significantly more frequently than did patients who did not have a deficit (Fisher's exact test P<0.0001; relative risk (RR)=8.286; CI 2.608, 26.324). Significant differences between these two groups were shown in scores of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (P<0.0001). Our results suggest that a ToM deficit after symptom remission in patients with major depressive disorder predicts a higher relapse rate and lower social function one year after recovering from a major depressive episode. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the value of diagnostic imaging: the role of perception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potchen, E. J.; Cooper, Thomas G.

2000-04-01

The value of diagnostic radiology rests in its ability to provide information. Information is defined as a reduction in randomness. Quality improvement in any system requires diminution in the variation in its performance. The major variation in performance of the system of diagnostic radiology occurs in observer performance and in the communication of information from the observer to someone who will apply that information to the benefit of the patient. The ability to provide information can be determined by observer performance studies using a receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The amount of information provided by each observer can be measured in terms of the uncertainty they reduce. Using a set of standardized radiographs, some normal and some abnormal, sorting them randomly, and then asking an observer to redistribute them according to their probability of normality can measure the difference in the value added by different observers. By applying this observer performance measure, we have been able to characterize individual radiologists, groups of radiologists, and regions of the United States in their ability to add value in chest radiology. The use of these technologies in health care may improve upon the contribution of diagnostic imaging.

Comparison of human observer and algorithmic target detection in nonurban forward-looking infrared imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Bruce A.

2005-07-01

We have performed an experiment that compares the performance of human observers with that of a robust algorithm for the detection of targets in difficult, nonurban forward-looking infrared imagery. Our purpose was to benchmark the comparison and document performance differences for future algorithm improvement. The scale-insensitive detection algorithm, used as a benchmark by the Night Vision Electronic Sensors Directorate for algorithm evaluation, employed a combination of contrastlike features to locate targets. Detection receiver operating characteristic curves and observer-confidence analyses were used to compare human and algorithmic responses and to gain insight into differences. The test database contained ground targets, in natural clutter, whose detectability, as judged by human observers, ranged from easy to very difficult. In general, as compared with human observers, the algorithm detected most of the same targets, but correlated confidence with correct detections poorly and produced many more false alarms at any useful level of performance. Though characterizing human performance was not the intent of this study, results suggest that previous observational experience was not a strong predictor of human performance, and that combining individual human observations by majority vote significantly reduced false-alarm rates.

Effect of Ezetimibe on Major Atherosclerotic Disease Events and All-Cause Mortality

PubMed Central

Hayek, Sami; Escaro, Fabrizio Canepa; Sattar, Assad; Gamalski, Steven; Wells, Karen E.; Divine, George; Ahmedani, Brian K.; Lanfear, David E.; Pladevall, Manel; Williams, L. Keoki

2012-01-01

Despite ezetimibe’s ability to reduce serum cholesterol levels, there are concerns over its vascular effects and whether it prevents or ameliorates atherosclerotic disease (AD). Our objective was to estimate the effect of ezetimibe use on major AD events and all-cause mortality and to compare these associations to those observed for hydroxy-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor (i.e., statin) use. We identified 367 new ezetimibe users between November 1, 2002 and December 31, 2009. These individuals were ≥18 years of age and had no prior statin use. One to four statin user matches were identified for each ezetimibe user resulting in a total of 1,238 closely matched statin users. Pharmacy data and drug dosage information were used to estimate a moving window of ezetimibe and statin exposure for each day of study follow-up. The primary outcome was a composite of major AD events (coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease events) and all-cause death. Both ezetimibe use (odds ratio [OR] 0.33, 95% CI 0.13–0.86) and statin use (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.36–1.04) were associated with reductions in the likelihood of the composite outcome. These protective associations were most significant for cerebrovascular disease events and all-cause death. Subgroup analyses by sex, race-ethnicity, prior history of AD, diabetes status, and estimated renal function showed consistent estimates across strata with no significant differences between ezetimibe and statin use. In conclusion, ezetimibe appeared to have a protective effect on major AD events and all-cause death which was not significantly different from that observed for statin use. PMID:23219178

Comparative Analysis of Transposable Elements Highlights Mobilome Diversity and Evolution in Vertebrates

PubMed Central

Chalopin, Domitille; Naville, Magali; Plard, Floriane; Galiana, Delphine; Volff, Jean-Nicolas

2015-01-01

Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of vertebrate genomes, with major roles in genome architecture and evolution. In order to characterize both common patterns and lineage-specific differences in TE content and TE evolution, we have compared the mobilomes of 23 vertebrate genomes, including 10 actinopterygian fish, 11 sarcopterygians, and 2 nonbony vertebrates. We found important variations in TE content (from 6% in the pufferfish tetraodon to 55% in zebrafish), with a more important relative contribution of TEs to genome size in fish than in mammals. Some TE superfamilies were found to be widespread in vertebrates, but most elements showed a more patchy distribution, indicative of multiple events of loss or gain. Interestingly, loss of major TE families was observed during the evolution of the sarcopterygian lineage, with a particularly strong reduction in TE diversity in birds and mammals. Phylogenetic trends in TE composition and activity were detected: Teleost fish genomes are dominated by DNA transposons and contain few ancient TE copies, while mammalian genomes have been predominantly shaped by nonlong terminal repeat retrotransposons, along with the persistence of older sequences. Differences were also found within lineages: The medaka fish genome underwent more recent TE amplification than the related platyfish, as observed for LINE retrotransposons in the mouse compared with the human genome. This study allows the identification of putative cases of horizontal transfer of TEs, and to tentatively infer the composition of the ancestral vertebrate mobilome. Taken together, the results obtained highlight the importance of TEs in the structure and evolution of vertebrate genomes, and demonstrate their major impact on genome diversity both between and within lineages. PMID:25577199

Comparative analysis of transposable elements highlights mobilome diversity and evolution in vertebrates.

PubMed

Chalopin, Domitille; Naville, Magali; Plard, Floriane; Galiana, Delphine; Volff, Jean-Nicolas

2015-01-09

Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of vertebrate genomes, with major roles in genome architecture and evolution. In order to characterize both common patterns and lineage-specific differences in TE content and TE evolution, we have compared the mobilomes of 23 vertebrate genomes, including 10 actinopterygian fish, 11 sarcopterygians, and 2 nonbony vertebrates. We found important variations in TE content (from 6% in the pufferfish tetraodon to 55% in zebrafish), with a more important relative contribution of TEs to genome size in fish than in mammals. Some TE superfamilies were found to be widespread in vertebrates, but most elements showed a more patchy distribution, indicative of multiple events of loss or gain. Interestingly, loss of major TE families was observed during the evolution of the sarcopterygian lineage, with a particularly strong reduction in TE diversity in birds and mammals. Phylogenetic trends in TE composition and activity were detected: Teleost fish genomes are dominated by DNA transposons and contain few ancient TE copies, while mammalian genomes have been predominantly shaped by nonlong terminal repeat retrotransposons, along with the persistence of older sequences. Differences were also found within lineages: The medaka fish genome underwent more recent TE amplification than the related platyfish, as observed for LINE retrotransposons in the mouse compared with the human genome. This study allows the identification of putative cases of horizontal transfer of TEs, and to tentatively infer the composition of the ancestral vertebrate mobilome. Taken together, the results obtained highlight the importance of TEs in the structure and evolution of vertebrate genomes, and demonstrate their major impact on genome diversity both between and within lineages. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Comparison of the principal proteins in bovine, caprine, buffalo, equine and camel milk.

PubMed

Hinz, Katharina; O'Connor, Paula M; Huppertz, Thom; Ross, R Paul; Kelly, Alan L

2012-05-01

Proteomic analysis of bovine, caprine, buffalo, equine and camel milk highlighted significant interspecies differences. Camel milk was found to be devoid of β-lactoglobulin, whereas β-lactoglobulin was the major whey protein in bovine, buffalo, caprine, and equine milk. Five different isoforms of κ-casein were found in camel milk, analogous to the micro-heterogeneity observed for bovine κ-casein. Several spots observed in 2D-electrophoretograms of milk of all species could tentatively be identified as polypeptides arising from the enzymatic hydrolysis of caseins. The understanding gained from the proteomic comparison of these milks may be of relevance both in terms of identifying sources of hypoallergenic alternatives to bovine milk and detection of adulteration of milk samples and products.

Auditory integration training for children with autism: no behavioral benefits detected.

PubMed

Mudford, O C; Cross, B A; Breen, S; Cullen, C; Reeves, D; Gould, J; Douglas, J

2000-03-01

Auditory integration training and a control treatment were provided for 16 children with autism in a crossover experimental design. Measures, blind to treatment order, included parent and teacher ratings of behavior, direct observational recordings, IQ, language, and social/adaptive tests. Significant differences tended to show that the control condition was superior on parent-rated measures of hyperactivity and on direct observational measures of ear-occlusion. No differences were detected on teacher-rated measures. Children's IQs and language comprehension did not increase, but adaptive/social behavior scores and expressive language quotients decreased. The majority of parents (56%) were unable to report in retrospect when their child had received auditory integration training. No individual child was identified as benefiting clinically or educationally from the treatment.

Environmental Impact of Megacities - Results from CityZen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauss, M.

2012-04-01

Megacities have increasingly important impacts on air quality and climate change on different spatial scales, owing to their high population densities and concentrated emission sources. The EU FP7 project CityZen (Megacity - Zoom for the Environment) ended in 2011 and was, together with its sister project MEGAPOLI, part of a major research effort within FP7 on megacities in Europe and worldwide. The project mainly focused on air pollution trends in large cities and emission hotspots, climate-chemistry couplings, future projections, and emission mitigation options. Both observational and modeling tools have been extensively used. This paper reviews some of the main results from CityZen regarding present air pollution in and around megacities, future scenarios and mitigation options to reduce air pollution and/or climate change, and the main policy messages from the project. The different observed trends over European and Asian hotspots during the last 10 to 15 years are shown. Results of source attribution of pollutants, which have been measured and calculated in and around the different selected hot spots in CityZen will be discussed. Another important question to be addressed is the extent to which climate change will affect air quality and the effectiveness of air quality legislation. Although projected emission reductions are a major determinate influencing the predictions of future air pollution, model results suggest that climate change has to be taken into account when devising future air quality legislation. This paper will also summarize some important policy messages in terms of ozone, particles and the observational needs that have been put forward as conclusions from the project.

On the importance of considering heterogeneity in witnesses' competence levels when reconstructing crimes from multiple witness testimonies.

PubMed

Waubert de Puiseau, Berenike; Greving, Sven; Aßfalg, André; Musch, Jochen

2017-09-01

Aggregating information across multiple testimonies may improve crime reconstructions. However, different aggregation methods are available, and research on which method is best suited for aggregating multiple observations is lacking. Furthermore, little is known about how variance in the accuracy of individual testimonies impacts the performance of competing aggregation procedures. We investigated the superiority of aggregation-based crime reconstructions involving multiple individual testimonies and whether this superiority varied as a function of the number of witnesses and the degree of heterogeneity in witnesses' ability to accurately report their observations. Moreover, we examined whether heterogeneity in competence levels differentially affected the relative accuracy of two aggregation procedures: a simple majority rule, which ignores individual differences, and the more complex general Condorcet model (Romney et al., Am Anthropol 88(2):313-338, 1986; Batchelder and Romney, Psychometrika 53(1):71-92, 1988), which takes into account differences in competence between individuals. 121 participants viewed a simulated crime and subsequently answered 128 true/false questions about the crime. We experimentally generated groups of witnesses with homogeneous or heterogeneous competences. Both the majority rule and the general Condorcet model provided more accurate reconstructions of the observed crime than individual testimonies. The superiority of aggregated crime reconstructions involving multiple individual testimonies increased with an increasing number of witnesses. Crime reconstructions were most accurate when competences were heterogeneous and aggregation was based on the general Condorcet model. We argue that a formal aggregation should be considered more often when eyewitness testimonies have to be assessed and that the general Condorcet model provides a good framework for such aggregations.

Spatial and temporal trends in water quality in a Mediterranean temporary river impacted by sewage effluents.

PubMed

David, Arthur; Tournoud, Marie-George; Perrin, Jean-Louis; Rosain, David; Rodier, Claire; Salles, Christian; Bancon-Montigny, Chrystelle; Picot, Bernadette

2013-03-01

This paper analyzes how changes in hydrological conditions can affect the water quality of a temporary river that receives direct inputs of sewage effluents. Data from 12 spatial surveys of the Vène river were examined. Physico-chemical parameters, major ion, and nutrient concentrations were measured. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analyses were performed. ANOVA revealed significant spatial differences for conductivity and major ion but no significant spatial differences for nutrient concentrations even if higher average concentrations were observed at stations located downstream from sewage effluent discharge points. Significant temporal differences were observed among all the parameters. Karstic springs had a marked dilution effect on the direct disposal of sewage effluents. During high-flow periods, nutrient concentrations were high to moderate whereas nutrient concentrations ranged from moderate to bad at stations located downstream from the direct inputs of sewage effluents during low-flow periods. Principal component analysis showed that water quality parameters that explained the water quality of the Vène river were highly dependent on hydrological conditions. Cluster analysis showed that when the karstic springs were flowing, water quality was homogeneous all along the river, whereas when karstic springs were dry, water quality at the monitoring stations was more fragmented. These results underline the importance of considering hydrological conditions when monitoring the water quality of temporary rivers. In view of the pollution observed in the Vène river, "good water chemical status" can probably only be achieved by improving the management of sewage effluents during low-flow periods.

Anaerobic culture to detect periodontal and caries pathogens

PubMed Central

Tanner, Anne C. R.

2014-01-01

Background Anaerobic culture has been critical in our understanding of the oral microbiotas. Highlight Studies in advanced periodontitis in the 1970’s revealed microbial complexes that associated with different clinical presentations. Taxonomy studies identified species newly-observed in periodontitis as Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans, Campylobacter (Wolinella) rectus and other Campylobacter species, and Tannerella (Bacteroides) forsythia. Anaerobic culture of initial periodontitis showed overlap in the microbiota with gingivitis, and added Selenomonas noxia and Filifactor alocis as putative periodontal pathogens. Porphyromonas gingivalis and T. forsythia were found to be associated with initial periodontitis in adults. The dominant microbiota of dental caries differs from that of periodontitis. The major cariogenic species are acidogenic and acid tolerant species particularly Streptococcus mutans, and Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. Anaerobic culture of severe early childhood caries revealed a widely diverse microbiota, comparable to that observed using cloning and sequencing. The PCR-based cloning approach, however, underestimated Actinobacteria compared with culture. Only a subset of the caries-associated microbiota was acid tolerant, with different segments of the microbiota cultured on blood agar compared to a low pH acid agar. While the major caries-associated species was S. mutans, a new species, Scardovia wiggsiae, was significantly associated with early childhood caries. Higher counts of S. wiggsiae were also observed in initial white spot carious lesions in adolescents. Conclusion In periodontitis and dental caries, anaerobic culture studies of advanced disease provided a comprehensive analysis of the microbiota of these infections. Anaerobic culture highlighted the limitation of PCR with standard primers that underestimate detection of Actinobacteria. PMID:25678835

Signatures of Value Comparison in Ventral Striatum Neurons

PubMed Central

Strait, Caleb E.; Sleezer, Brianna J.; Hayden, Benjamin Y.

2015-01-01

The ventral striatum (VS), like its cortical afferents, is closely associated with processing of rewards, but the relative contributions of striatal and cortical reward systems remains unclear. Most theories posit distinct roles for these structures, despite their similarities. We compared responses of VS neurons to those of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) Area 14 neurons, recorded in a risky choice task. Five major response patterns observed in vmPFC were also observed in VS: (1) offer value encoding, (2) value difference encoding, (3) preferential encoding of chosen relative to unchosen value, (4) a correlation between residual variance in responses and choices, and (5) prominent encoding of outcomes. We did observe some differences as well; in particular, preferential encoding of the chosen option was stronger and started earlier in VS than in vmPFC. Nonetheless, the close match between vmPFC and VS suggests that cortex and its striatal targets make overlapping contributions to economic choice. PMID:26086735

Fundamentalist physics: why Dark Energy is bad for astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Simon D. M.

2007-06-01

Astronomers carry out observations to explore the diverse processes and objects which populate our Universe. High-energy physicists carry out experiments to approach the Fundamental Theory underlying space, time and matter. Dark Energy is a unique link between them, reflecting deep aspects of the Fundamental Theory, yet apparently accessible only through astronomical observation. Large sections of the two communities have therefore converged in support of astronomical projects to constrain Dark Energy. In this essay I argue that this convergence can be damaging for astronomy. The two communities have different methodologies and different scientific cultures. By uncritically adopting the values of an alien system, astronomers risk undermining the foundations of their own current success and endangering the future vitality of their field. Dark Energy is undeniably an interesting problem to tackle through astronomical observation, but it is one of many and not necessarily the one where significant progress is most likely to follow a major investment of resources.

Microwave properties of Ni-based ferromagnetic inverse opals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostylev, M.; Stashkevich, A. A.; Roussigné, Y.; Grigoryeva, N. A.; Mistonov, A. A.; Menzel, D.; Sapoletova, N. A.; Napolskii, K. S.; Eliseev, A. A.; Lukashin, A. V.; Grigoriev, S. V.; Samarin, S. N.

2012-11-01

Investigations of microwave properties of Ni-based inverse ferromagnetic opal-like film with the [111] axis of the fcc structure along the normal direction to the film have been carried out in the 2-18 GHz frequency band. We observed multiple spin wave resonances for the magnetic field applied perpendicular to the film, i.e., along the [111] axis of this artificial crystal. For the field applied in the film plane, a broad band of microwave absorption is observed, which does not contain a fine structure. The field ranges of the responses observed are quite different for these two magnetization directions. This suggests a collective magnetic ground state or shape anisotropy and collective microwave dynamics for this foam-like material. This result is in agreement with SQUID measurements of hysteresis loops for the material. Two different models for this collective behavior are suggested that satisfactorily explain the major experimental results.

Properties of Cerium Hydroxides from Matrix Infrared Spectra and Electronic Structure Calculations.

PubMed

Fang, Zongtang; Thanthiriwatte, K Sahan; Dixon, David A; Andrews, Lester; Wang, Xuefeng

2016-02-15

Reactions of laser ablated cerium atoms with hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen and oxygen mixtures diluted in argon and condensed at 4 K produced the Ce(OH)3 and Ce(OH)2 molecules and Ce(OH)2(+) cation as major products. Additional minor products were identified as the Ce(OH)4, HCeO, and OCeOH molecules. These new species were identified from their matrix infrared spectra with D2O2, D2, and (18)O2 isotopic substitution and correlating observed frequencies with values calculated by density functional theory. We find that the amounts of Ce(OH)3 and of the Ce(OH)2(+) cation increase on UV (λ > 220 nm) photolysis, while Ce(OH)2, Ce(OH)4, and HCeO are photosensitive. The observed major species for Ce are in the +III or +II oxidation state, and the minor product, Ce(OH)4, is in the +IV oxidation state. The calculations for the vibrational frequencies with the B3LYP functional agree well with the experiment. The NBO analysis shows significant backbonding to the metal 4f and 5d orbitals for the closed shell species. Most open shell species have the excess spin in the 4f with paired spin in the 5d due to backbonding. The heats of formation of the observed species were derived from the available data from experiment and the calculated reaction energies. The major products in this study are different from similar reactions for Th where the tetrahydroxide was the major species.

How well do we know the global water cycle? - Intercomparison and Performance Analysis of the Hydrological Cycle in Three State-of-the-Art Reanalyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunstmann, H.; Lorenz, C.

2012-12-01

The three state-of-the-art global atmospheric reanalysis models—namely, ECMWF Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim), Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA; NASA), and Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR; NCEP)—are analyzed and compared with independent observations (GPCC; GPCP; CRU; CPC; DEL; HOAPS) in the period between 1989 and 2006. Comparison of precipitation and temperature estimates from the three models with gridded observations reveals large differences between the reanalyses and also of the observation datasets. A major source of uncertainty in the observations is the spatial distribution and change of the number of gauges over time. In South America for example, active measuring stations were reduced from 4267 to 390. The quality of precipitation estimates from the reanalyses strongly depends on the geographic location, as there are significant differences especially in tropical regions. The closure of the water cycle in the three reanalyses is analyzed by estimating long-term mean values for precipitation, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and moisture flux divergence. Major shortcomings in the moisture budgets of the datasets are mainly due to inconsistencies of the net precipitation minus evaporation and evapotranspiration, respectively, (P-E) estimates over the oceans and landmasses. This imbalance largely originates from the assimilation of radiance sounding data from the NOAA-15 satellite, which results in an unrealistic increase of oceanic P-E in the MERRA and CFSR budgets. Overall, ERA-Interim shows both a comparatively reasonable closure of the terrestrial and atmospheric water balance and a reasonable agreement with the observation datasets. The limited performance of the three state-of-the-art reanalyses in reproducing the hydrological cycle, however, puts the use of these models for climate trend analyses and long-term water budget studies into question.

Sociocultural Influences On Undergraduate Women's Entry into a Computer Science Major

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyon, Louise Ann

Computer science not only displays the pattern of underrepresentation of many other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, but has actually experienced a decline in the number of women choosing the field over the past two decades. Broken out by gender and race, the picture becomes more nuanced, with the ratio of females to males receiving bachelor's degrees in computer science higher for non-White ethnic groups than for Whites. This dissertation explores the experiences of university women differing along the axis of race, class, and culture who are considering majoring in computer science in order to highlight how well-prepared women are persuaded that they belong (or not) in the field and how the confluence of social categories plays out in their decision. This study focuses on a university seminar entitled "Women in Computer Science and Engineering" open to women concurrently enrolled in introductory programming and uses an ethnographic approach including classroom participant observation, interviews with seminar students and instructors, observations of students in other classes, and interviews with parents of students. Three stand-alone but related articles explore various aspects of the experiences of women who participated in the study using Rom Harre's positioning theory as a theoretical framework. The first article uses data from twenty-two interviews to uncover how interactions with others and patterns in society position women in relation to a computer science major, and how these women have arrived at the point of considering the major despite messages that they do not belong. The second article more deeply explores the cases of three women who vary greatly along the axes of race, class, and culture in order to uncover pattern and interaction differences for women based on their ethnic background. The final article focuses on the attitudes and expectations of the mothers of three students of contrasting ethnicities and how reported interactions between mothers and daughters either constrain or afford opportunities for the daughters to choose a computer science major.

Lignin characteristics in soil profiles of different plant communities in a subtropical mixed forest in Central China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, F.; Wang, X.

2016-12-01

Lignin is widely considered as a major source of stable soil carbon, its content and degradation states are important indicators of soil carbon quality and stability. Few studies have explored the effects of plant communities on lignin characteristics in soils, and studies on lignin characteristics across soil depths resulted in contradictory findings. In this study, we investigated the lignin contents, their degradation states in the soil aggregates across three soil depths for four major plant communities in a subtropical mixed forest in central China. We found that lignin content in the litter of two deciduous species (Carpinus fargesii CF and Fagus Lucida FL) are higher than that in the two evergreen species ( Cyclobalanopsis multinervis CM and Schima parviflora SP). These differences maintained in the soil with a diminished scale. Lignin content showed a decreased trend in soil profiles of all plant communities, but no significant differences of degradation states were observed. The distribution of aggregation fractions was significantly different among plant communities, the SP community have higher percent of >2000 μm fraction (50.46%) and lower percent of <0.25 μm fraction (12.87%) than the CF community (40.05%, 21.90% respectively). The lignin content increased with decreasing aggregations size, however, no significant differences of lignin degradation states was observed among the four size aggregations. These results collectively reveal the influence of plant communities on lignin characteristics in soil, probably through litter input. Similar degradation states of lignin across soil profile and different size aggregates emphasized the importance of lignin movements association with soil water. This knowledge of lignin characteristics across soil profile can improve our understanding of soil carbon stability at different depths and how it may respond to changes in soil conditions.

Indirect dark matter searches in the dwarf satellite galaxy Ursa Major II with the MAGIC telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahnen, M. L.; Ansoldi, S.; Antonelli, L. A.; Arcaro, C.; Baack, D.; Babić, A.; Banerjee, B.; Bangale, P.; Barres de Almeida, U.; Barrio, J. A.; Becerra González, J.; Bednarek, W.; Bernardini, E.; Berse, R. Ch.; Berti, A.; Bhattacharyya, W.; Biland, A.; Blanch, O.; Bonnoli, G.; Carosi, R.; Carosi, A.; Ceribella, G.; Chatterjee, A.; Colak, S. M.; Colin, P.; Colombo, E.; Contreras, J. L.; Cortina, J.; Covino, S.; Cumani, P.; Da Vela, P.; Dazzi, F.; De Angelis, A.; De Lotto, B.; Delfino, M.; Delgado, J.; Di Pierro, F.; Domínguez, A.; Dominis Prester, D.; Dorner, D.; Doro, M.; Einecke, S.; Elsaesser, D.; Fallah Ramazani, V.; Fernández-Barral, A.; Fidalgo, D.; Fonseca, M. V.; Font, L.; Fruck, C.; Galindo, D.; García López, R. J.; Garczarczyk, M.; Gaug, M.; Giammaria, P.; Godinović, N.; Gora, D.; Guberman, D.; Hadasch, D.; Hahn, A.; Hassan, T.; Hayashida, M.; Herrera, J.; Hose, J.; Hrupec, D.; Ishio, K.; Konno, Y.; Kubo, H.; Kushida, J.; Kuveždić, D.; Lelas, D.; Lindfors, E.; Lombardi, S.; Longo, F.; López, M.; Maggio, C.; Majumdar, P.; Makariev, M.; Maneva, G.; Manganaro, M.; Mannheim, K.; Maraschi, L.; Mariotti, M.; Martínez, M.; Masuda, S.; Mazin, D.; Mielke, K.; Minev, M.; Miranda, J. M.; Mirzoyan, R.; Moralejo, A.; Moreno, V.; Moretti, E.; Nagayoshi, T.; Neustroev, V.; Niedzwiecki, A.; Nievas Rosillo, M.; Nigro, C.; Nilsson, K.; Ninci, D.; Nishijima, K.; Noda, K.; Nogués, L.; Paiano, S.; Palacio, J.; Paneque, D.; Paoletti, R.; Paredes, J. M.; Pedaletti, G.; Peresano, M.; Persic, M.; Prada Moroni, P. G.; Prandini, E.; Puljak, I.; Garcia, J. R.; Reichardt, I.; Rhode, W.; Ribó, M.; Rico, J.; Righi, C.; Rugliancich, A.; Saito, T.; Satalecka, K.; Schweizer, T.; Sitarek, J.; Šnidarić, I.; Sobczynska, D.; Stamerra, A.; Strzys, M.; Surić, T.; Takahashi, M.; Takalo, L.; Tavecchio, F.; Temnikov, P.; Terzić, T.; Teshima, M.; Torres-Albà, N.; Treves, A.; Tsujimoto, S.; Vanzo, G.; Vazquez Acosta, M.; Vovk, I.; Ward, J. E.; Will, M.; Zarić, D.

2018-03-01

The dwarf spheroidal galaxy Ursa Major II (UMaII) is believed to be one of the most dark-matter dominated systems among the Milky Way satellites and represents a suitable target for indirect dark matter (DM) searches. The MAGIC telescopes carried out a deep observation campaign on UMaII between 2014 and 2016, collecting almost one hundred hours of good-quality data. This campaign enlarges the pool of DM targets observed at very high energy (E gtrsim 50 GeV) in search for signatures of DM annihilation in the wide mass range between ~100 GeV and ~100 TeV. To this end, the data are analyzed with the full likelihood analysis, a method based on the exploitation of the spectral information of the recorded events for an optimal sensitivity to the explored DM models. We obtain constraints on the annihilation cross-section for different channels that are among the most robust and stringent achieved so far at the TeV mass scale from observations of dwarf satellite galaxies.

Results and evaluation of a pilot primary monitoring network, San Francisco Bay, California, 1978

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradford, W.L.; Iwatsubo, R.T.

1980-01-01

A primary monitoring network of 12 stations, with measurements at 1-meter depth intervals every 2 weeks during periods of high inflow from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta, and every 4-6 weeks during seasonal low delta inflows, appears adequate to observe major changes in ambient water quality in San Francisco Bay. A 1-year study tested the network operation and determined that analysis of the data could demonstrate the major changes in salinity, temperature, and light-attenuation distributions known to occur, based on earlier research, in response to variations of delta inflow and to other physical processes. Observations of eddies at two stations, of the influence of water from a river flooding in the extreme south bay, and of difference in salinity and temperature laterally across the entrance to the south bay are all new but are consistent with existing models. The pH, dissolved oxygen, and light-attenuation measurements, while adequate to observe small-scale vertical variations, are not sufficiently sensitive to detect the effects of phytoplankton blooms. (USGS)

Impact of estrus expression and conceptus presence on plasma and uterine glucose concentrations up until maternal recognition of pregnancy in beef cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Glucose is an essential component of uterine luminal fluid (ULF), it is a major energy source utilized by the conceptus for growth and development. Previously we reported increased concentrations of glucose in the ULF of cows that exhibited estrus, and observed differences in glucose transporter tr...

Polyamines and their biosynthetic enzymes during somatic embryo development in red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.)

Treesearch

Rakesh Minocha; Subhash C. Minocha; Stephanie Long

2004-01-01

The major objective of this study was to determine if the observed changes in polyamines and their biosynthetic enzymes during somatic embryo development were specifically related to either the stage of the embryo development or to the duration of time spent on the maturation medium. Somatic embryos of red spruce (Picea rubens) at different...

Therapeutic Hypothermia Following Traumatic Spinal Injury: Morphological and Functional Correlates.

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-01-01

oxide synthase inhibitor ( agmatine ) following traumatic spinal cord injury. The major findings of these studies have shown that significant...Similarly, significant differences were observed following systemic administration of agmatine for 14 days post-injury. Unfortunately, no synergistic or...additive effects were achieved when agmatine and hypothermia were combined. Overall, the results support the original hypothesis of this proposal that

Learning from the experience: preliminary results of integration experiments within PRE-EARTHQUAKES EU-FP7 Project.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tramutoli, V.; Inan, S.; Jakowski, N.; Pulinets, S.; Romanov, A.; Filizzola, C.; Shagimuratov, I.; Pergola, N.; Genzano, N.; Lisi, M.; Alparslan, E.; Wilken, V.; Tsybulia, K.; Romanov, A.; Paciello, R.; Balasco, M.; Zakharenkova, I.; Ouzounov, D.; Papadopoulos, G. A.; Parrot, M.

2012-04-01

PRE-EARTHQUAKES (Processing Russian and European EARTH observations for earthQUAKE precursors Studies) EU-FP7 project is devoted to demonstrate - integrating different observational data, comparing and improving different data analysis methods - how it is possible to progressively increase reliability of short term seismic risk assessment. Three main testing area were selected (Italy, Turkey and Sakhalin ) in order to concentrate observations and integration efforts starting with a learning phase on selected event in the past devoted to identify the most suitable parameters, observations technologies, data analysis algorithms. To this aim events offering major possibilities (variety) of integration were particularly considered - Abruzzo EQ (April 6th 2009 Mw 6.3) for Italy, Elazig EQ (March 8th 2010 Mw 6.1) for Turkey and Nevelsk EQ (August 2nd 2007 Mw 6.2) for Sakhalin - without excluding other significant events occurred during 2011 like the ones of Tōhoku in Japan and Van in Turkey. For these events, different ground (80 radon and 29 spring water stations in Turkey region, 2 magneto-telluric in Italy) and satellite (18 different systems) based observations, 11 data analysis methods, for 7 measured parameters, have been compared and integrated. Results achieved by applying a validation/confutation approach devoted to evaluate the presence/absence of anomalous space-time transients in single and/or integrated observation time-series will be discussed also in comparison with results independently achieved by other authors.

Microsatellite Analysis of Museum Specimens Reveals Historical Differences in Genetic Diversity between Declining and More Stable Bombus Species.

PubMed

Maebe, Kevin; Meeus, Ivan; Ganne, Maarten; De Meulemeester, Thibaut; Biesmeijer, Koos; Smagghe, Guy

2015-01-01

Worldwide most pollinators, e.g. bumblebees, are undergoing global declines. Loss of genetic diversity can play an essential role in these observed declines. In this paper, we investigated the level of genetic diversity of seven declining Bombus species and four more stable species with the use of microsatellite loci. Hereto we genotyped a unique collection of museum specimens. Specimens were collected between 1918 and 1926, in 6 provinces of the Netherlands which allowed us to make interspecific comparisons of genetic diversity. For the stable species B. pascuorum, we also selected populations from two additional time periods: 1949-1955 and 1975-1990. The genetic diversity and population structure in B. pascuorum remained constant over the three time periods. However, populations of declining bumblebee species showed a significantly lower genetic diversity than co-occurring stable species before their major declines. This historical difference indicates that the repeatedly observed reduced genetic diversity in recent populations of declining bumblebee species is not caused solely by the decline itself. The historically low genetic diversity in the declined species may be due to the fact that these species were already rare, making them more vulnerable to the major drivers of bumblebee decline.

Cumulative meta-analysis of interleukins 6 and 1β, tumour necrosis factor α and C-reactive protein in patients with major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Haapakoski, Rita; Mathieu, Julia; Ebmeier, Klaus P; Alenius, Harri; Kivimäki, Mika

2015-10-01

Cumulative meta-analyses are used to evaluate the extent to which further studies are needed to confirm or refute a hypothesis. We used this approach to assess observational evidence on systemic inflammation in individuals with major depressive disorder. We identified 58 studies of four common inflammatory markers in a literature search of PubMed, Embase and PsychInfo databases in May 2014. Pooled data from the earliest eight studies already showed an association between interleukin-6 concentrations and major depression; 23 more recent studies confirmed this finding (d=0.54, p<0.0001). A significant association between C-reactive protein levels and major depression was noted after 14 studies and this did not change after addition of six more studies (d=0.47, p<0.0001). For these two inflammatory markers, there was moderate heterogeneity in study-specific estimates, subgroup differences were small, and publication bias appeared to be an unlikely explanation for the findings. Sensitivity analyses including only high-quality studies and subjects free of antidepressant medication further verified the associations. While there was a link between tumour necrosis factor-α levels and major depression (d=0.40, p=0.002), the cumulative effect remained uncertain due to the extensive heterogeneity in study-specific estimates and inconsistencies between subgroups. No evidence was found for the association between interleukin-1β levels and major depression (d=-0.05, p=0.86). In conclusion, this cumulative meta-analysis confirmed higher mean levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in patients with major depression compared to non-depressed controls. No consistent association between tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and major depression was observed. Future studies should clarify the specific immune mechanisms involved as well as continue testing anti-inflammatory therapies in patients suffering from major depression. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cumulative meta-analysis of interleukins 6 and 1β, tumour necrosis factor α and C-reactive protein in patients with major depressive disorder

PubMed Central

Haapakoski, Rita; Mathieu, Julia; Ebmeier, Klaus P.; Alenius, Harri; Kivimäki, Mika

2015-01-01

Cumulative meta-analyses are used to evaluate the extent to which further studies are needed to confirm or refute a hypothesis. We used this approach to assess observational evidence on systemic inflammation in individuals with major depressive disorder. We identified 58 studies of four common inflammatory markers in a literature search of PubMed, Embase and PsychInfo databases in May 2014. Pooled data from the earliest eight studies already showed an association between interleukin-6 concentrations and major depression; 23 more recent studies confirmed this finding (d = 0.54, p < 0.0001). A significant association between C-reactive protein levels and major depression was noted after 14 studies and this did not change after addition of six more studies (d = 0.47, p < 0.0001). For these two inflammatory markers, there was moderate heterogeneity in study-specific estimates, subgroup differences were small, and publication bias appeared to be an unlikely explanation for the findings. Sensitivity analyses including only high-quality studies and subjects free of antidepressant medication further verified the associations. While there was a link between tumour necrosis factor-α levels and major depression (d = 0.40, p = 0.002), the cumulative effect remained uncertain due to the extensive heterogeneity in study-specific estimates and inconsistencies between subgroups. No evidence was found for the association between interleukin-1β levels and major depression (d = −0.05, p = 0.86). In conclusion, this cumulative meta-analysis confirmed higher mean levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in patients with major depression compared to non-depressed controls. No consistent association between tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and major depression was observed. Future studies should clarify the specific immune mechanisms involved as well as continue testing anti-inflammatory therapies in patients suffering from major depression. PMID:26065825

Phytoremediation of azoxystrobin and its degradation products in soil by P. major L. under cold and salinity stress.

PubMed

Romeh, Ahmed Ali Ali

2017-10-01

Azoxystrobin is a broad-spectrum, systemic and soil-applied fungicide used for crop protection against the four major classes of pathogenic fungi. The use of azoxystrobin use has induced water pollution and ecotoxicological effects upon aquatic organisms, long half-life in soils, as well as heath issues. Such issues may be solved by phytoremediation. Here, we tested the uptake and translocation of azoxystrobin and its degradation products by Plantago major, under cold stress and salt stress. The result demonstrated that azoxystrobin significantly accumulated in P. major roots under salinity conditions more than that in the P. major roots under cold conditions and natural condition within two days of experimental period. In P. major roots and leaves, the chromatograms of HPLC for azoxystrobin and metabolites under natural condition (control) and stressed samples (cold stress and salt stress) show different patterns of metabolism pathways reflecting changes in the degradation products. Azoxystrobin carboxylic acid (AZ-acid) formed by methyl ester hydrolysis was an important route in the roots and the leaves. AZ-pyOH and AZ-benzoic were detected in P. major roots under cold and salt stress, while did not detected in P. major roots under natural condition. In the leaves, AZ-pyOH and AZ-benzoic were detected in all treatments between 4 and 12days of exposure. Shoots of the stressed plants had greater H 2 O 2 and proline contents than was observed in the control plants. The level of 100mM NaCl treatment induced significantly higher peroxidase (POD) activity than the non-treated control group. Leaf Chlorophyll contents in the plants at 80 and 100mM NaCl were significantly reduced than was observed in the control plants. I concluded that P. major had a high potential to contribute to remediation of saline-soil contaminated with azoxystrobin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infliximab reduces hospitalizations and surgery interventions in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Costa, João; Magro, Fernando; Caldeira, Daniel; Alarcão, Joana; Sousa, Rita; Vaz-Carneiro, António

2013-09-01

We systematically reviewed infliximab benefit in reducing hospitalizations and/or major surgery rates in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A literature search to May 2012 was performed to identify all studies (experimental and observational) evaluating patients with IBD treated with infliximab and providing data on hospitalizations and/or major surgery rates. Three reviewers independently performed studies' selection, quality assessment, and data extraction. Analyses were carried according to study design (randomized clinical trials [RCTs] and observational studies) and IBD type (Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]). Random-effects meta-analysis was used to derive pooled and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) estimates of odds ratios (OR). Heterogeneity was assessed with I test. Twenty-seven eligible studies were included (9 RCTs and 18 observational studies). Infliximab reduced hospitalization risk, both in pooled RCTs (OR, 0.51; 95% CI 0.40-0.65; I = 0%) and results of observational studies (OR, 0.29, 95% CI, 0.19-0.43; I = 87%), without differences between CD and UC. Infliximab reduced surgery risk in pooled RCTs results, both in CD (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.15-0.64; I = 0%) and UC (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.37-0.88; I = 0%). Pooled estimate from observational studies favored infliximab for patients with CD (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.21-0.49; I = 77%), but not for patients with UC. The best evidence available points toward a reduction of the risk of hospitalization and major surgery requirement in patients with IBD treated with infliximab. This impact is clinically and economically relevant because hospitalization and surgery are considered to be markers of disease severity and significantly contribute to the total direct costs associated with IBD.

Endocrine disrupting potential of PAHs and their alkylated analogues associated with oil spills.

PubMed

Lee, Sangwoo; Hong, Seongjin; Liu, Xiaoshan; Kim, Cheolmin; Jung, Dawoon; Yim, Un Hyuk; Shim, Won Joon; Khim, Jong Seong; Giesy, John P; Choi, Kyungho

2017-09-20

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs are known to be major toxic contaminants in spills of petroleum hydrocarbons (oil). Spilled oil undergoes weathering and over time, PAHs go through a series of compositional changes. PAHs can disrupt endocrine functions, and the type of functions affected and associated potencies vary with the type and alkylation status of PAH. In this study, the potential of five major PAHs of crude oil, i.e., naphthalene, fluorene, dibenzothiophene, phenanthrene, and chrysene, and their alkylated analogues (n = 25), to disrupt endocrine functions was evaluated by use of MVLN-luc and H295R cell lines. In the MVLN-luc bioassay, seven estrogen receptor (ER) agonists were detected among 30 tested PAHs. The greatest ER-mediated potency was observed for 1-methylchrysene (101.4%), followed by phenanthrene and its alkylated analogues (range of %-E2max from 1.6% to 47.3%). In the H295R bioassay, significantly greater syntheses of steroid hormones were observed for 20 PAHs. For major PAHs and their alkylated analogues, disruption of steroidogenesis appeared to be more significant than ER-mediated effects. The number and locations of alkyl-moieties alone could not explain differences in the types or the potencies of toxicities. This observation shows that disruption of endocrine functions by some constituents of oil spills could be underestimated if only parent compounds are considered in assessments of hazard and risk.

The Distribution of Interplanetary Dust between 0.96 and 1.04 au as Inferred from Impacts on the STEREO Spacecraft Observed by the Heliospheric Imagers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, C. J.; Davis, J. A.; Meyer-Vernet, Nicole; Crothers, S.; Lintott, C.; Smith, A.; Bamford, S.; Baeten, E. M. L.; SaintCyr, O. C.; Campbell-Brown, M.;

Copy number variation of human AMY1 is a minor contributor to variation in salivary amylase expression and activity.

PubMed

Carpenter, Danielle; Mitchell, Laura M; Armour, John A L

2017-02-20

Salivary amylase in humans is encoded by the copy variable gene AMY1 in the amylase gene cluster on chromosome 1. Although the role of salivary amylase is well established, the consequences of the copy number variation (CNV) at AMY1 on salivary amylase protein production are less well understood. The amylase gene cluster is highly structured with a fundamental difference between odd and even AMY1 copy number haplotypes. In this study, we aimed to explore, in samples from 119 unrelated individuals, not only the effects of AMY1 CNV on salivary amylase protein expression and amylase enzyme activity but also whether there is any evidence for underlying difference between the common haplotypes containing odd numbers of AMY1 and even copy number haplotypes. AMY1 copy number was significantly correlated with the variation observed in salivary amylase production (11.7% of variance, P < 0.0005) and enzyme activity (13.6% of variance, P < 0.0005) but did not explain the majority of observed variation between individuals. AMY1-odd and AMY1-even haplotypes showed a different relationship between copy number and expression levels, but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.052). Production of salivary amylase is correlated with AMY1 CNV, but the majority of interindividual variation comes from other sources. Long-range haplotype structure may affect expression, but this was not significant in our data.

Diversity of Coral Fish At Saebus Island, East Java, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatimah, Siti; Putra, Tri Widya Laksana; Kondang, Putranto; Suratman; Gamelia, Larossa; Syahputra, Hendry; Rahmadayanti; Rizmaaadi, Mada; Ambariyanto, Ambariyanto

2018-02-01

Coral reef ecosystem is known as an important place to live various types of fish, where coral conditions will affect the diversity and abundance of the fish. In healthy coral reef ecosystems generally can be found many types of fish with high density. This research aims to investigate the diversity and abundance of coral fishes at Saebus Island, East Java. The observation conducted at 4 stations, according to cardinal point by UVS (underwater visual census) methods with belt transect with the visibility of 2,5 m horizontally, and 5 m vertically. The length of transect was 100 m parallel with coastline, with the area of observation is 500 m2. The censuses were conducted at 2 different depths (3 and 10 m). This study found 70 kinds of coral fish originated form 20 family at all stations. These fishes were from 3 different fish categories i.e. 7 target fishes, 13 indicator fishes, and 50 major fishes. Three different fishes that dominated target fish, indicator fish and major fish were Epinephelus fasciatus, Chaetodon baronessa and Aulostomus chinensis, respectively. There was similar value of fish diversity index at two different depths which were 3.635 and 3,623. While uniformity index at the depth of 3m was 0.153 and at 10m was 0.217, and domination index at the depth of 3m was 0.11 and at 10m was 0.167. These values suggest that diversity of coral fish at Saebus island can be categorized as high diversity.

Regional stratigraphy of the south polar layered deposits (Promethei Lingula, Mars): "Discontinuity-bounded" units in images and radargrams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guallini, Luca; Rossi, Angelo Pio; Forget, François; Marinangeli, Lucia; Lauro, Sebastian Emanuel; Pettinelli, Elena; Seu, Roberto; Thomas, Nicolas

2018-07-01

The Mars South Polar Layered Deposits (SPLD) are the result of depositional and erosional events, which are marked by different stratigraphic sequences and erosional surfaces. To unambiguously define the stratigraphic units at regional scale, we mapped the SPLD on the basis of observed discontinuities (i.e., unconformities, correlative discontinuities and conformities), as commonly done in terrestrial modern stratigraphy. This methodology is defined as "Discontinuity-Bounded Units" or allostratigraphy, and is complemented by geomorphological mapping. Our study focuses on Promethei Lingula (PL) and uses both high-resolution images (CTX, HiRISE) and radargrams (SHARAD) to combine surface and sub-surface observations and obtain a 3D geological reconstruction of the SPLD. One regional discontinuity (named AUR1) was defined within the studied stratigraphic succession and is exposed in several non-contiguous outcrops around PL as well as observed at depth within the ice sheet. This is the primary contact between two major depositional sequences, showing a different texture at CTX resolution. The lower sequence is characterized mainly by a "ridge and trough" morphology (Ridge and Trough Sequence; RTS) and the upper sequence shows mainly by a "stair-stepped" morphology (Stair-Stepped Sequence; SSS). On the basis of the observations, we defined two regional "discontinuity-bounded" units in PL, respectively coinciding with RTS and SSS sequences. Our stratigraphic reconstruction provides new hints on the major scale events that shaped this region. Oscillations in Martian axial obliquity could have controlled local climate conditions in the past, affecting the PL geological record.

Sales of veterinary antibacterial agents in nine European countries during 2005-09: trends and patterns.

PubMed

Grave, Kari; Greko, Christina; Kvaale, Mari K; Torren-Edo, Jordi; Mackay, David; Muller, Arno; Moulin, Gerard

2012-12-01

To identify trends and patterns of sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents in nine European countries during 2005-09 in order to document the situation. Existing sales data, in tonnes of active ingredients, of veterinary antimicrobial agents by class were collected from nine European countries in a standardized manner for the years 2005-09 (one country for 2006-09). A population correction unit (PCU) is introduced as a proxy for the animal population potentially treated with antimicrobial agents. The sales data are expressed as mg of active substance/PCU. Data coverage was reported to be 98%-100% for the nine countries. Overall, sales of veterinary antimicrobials agents, in mg/PCU, declined during the reporting period in the nine countries. Substantial differences in the sales patterns and in the magnitude of sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents, expressed as mg/PCU, between the nine countries are observed. The major classes sold were penicillins, sulphonamides and tetracyclines. The sales accounted for by the various veterinary antimicrobial agents have changed substantially for most countries. An increase in the sales of third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones were observed for the majority of the countries. Through re-analysis of existing data by application of a harmonized approach, an overall picture of the trends in the sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents in the nine countries was obtained. Notable differences in trends in sales between the countries were observed. Further studies, preferably including data by animal species, are needed to understand the factors that explain these observations.

Tomographic reconstruction of atmospheric gravity wave parameters from airglow observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Rui; Kaufmann, Martin; Ungermann, Jörn; Ern, Manfred; Liu, Guang; Riese, Martin

2017-11-01

Gravity waves (GWs) play an important role in the dynamics of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). Therefore, global observations of GWs in the MLT region are of particular interest. The small scales of GWs, however, pose a major problem for the observation of GWs from space. We propose a new observation strategy for GWs in the mesopause region by combining limb and sub-limb satellite-borne remote sensing measurements for improving the spatial resolution of temperatures that are retrieved from atmospheric soundings. In our study, we simulate satellite observations of the rotational structure of the O2 A-band nightglow. A key element of the new method is the ability of the instrument or the satellite to operate in so-called target mode, i.e. to point at a particular point in the atmosphere and collect radiances at different viewing angles. These multi-angle measurements of a selected region allow for tomographic 2-D reconstruction of the atmospheric state, in particular of GW structures. The feasibility of this tomographic retrieval approach is assessed using simulated measurements. It shows that one major advantage of this observation strategy is that GWs can be observed on a much smaller scale than conventional observations. We derive a GW sensitivity function, and it is shown that target mode observations are able to capture GWs with horizontal wavelengths as short as ˜ 50 km for a large range of vertical wavelengths. This is far better than the horizontal wavelength limit of 100-200 km obtained from conventional limb sounding.

Determinants of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in Europe: implications for real-time modelling.

PubMed

Merler, Stefano; Ajelli, Marco; Pugliese, Andrea; Ferguson, Neil M

2011-09-01

Influenza pandemics in the last century were characterized by successive waves and differences in impact and timing between different regions, for reasons not clearly understood. The 2009 H1N1 pandemic showed rapid global spread, but with substantial heterogeneity in timing within each hemisphere. Even within Europe substantial variation was observed, with the UK being unique in experiencing a major first wave of transmission in early summer and all other countries having a single major epidemic in the autumn/winter, with a West to East pattern of spread. Here we show that a microsimulation model, parameterised using data about H1N1pdm collected by the beginning of June 2009, explains the occurrence of two waves in UK and a single wave in the rest of Europe as a consequence of timing of H1N1pdm spread, fluxes of travels from US and Mexico, and timing of school vacations. The model provides a description of pandemic spread through Europe, depending on intra-European mobility patterns and socio-demographic structure of the European populations, which is in broad agreement with observed timing of the pandemic in different countries. Attack rates are predicted to depend on the socio-demographic structure, with age dependent attack rates broadly agreeing with available serological data. Results suggest that the observed heterogeneity can be partly explained by the between country differences in Europe: marked differences in school calendars, mobility patterns and sociodemographic structures. Moreover, higher susceptibility of children to infection played a key role in determining the epidemiology of the 2009 pandemic. Our work shows that it would have been possible to obtain a broad-brush prediction of timing of the European pandemic well before the autumn of 2009, much more difficult to achieve with simpler models or pre-pandemic parameterisation. This supports the use of models accounting for the structure of complex modern societies for giving insight to policy makers.

Chemical composition of fine particles in fresh smoke plumes from boreal wild-land fires in Europe.

PubMed

Saarnio, Karri; Aurela, Minna; Timonen, Hilkka; Saarikoski, Sanna; Teinilä, Kimmo; Mäkelä, Timo; Sofiev, Mikhail; Koskinen, Jarkko; Aalto, Pasi P; Kulmala, Markku; Kukkonen, Jaakko; Hillamo, Risto

2010-05-15

A series of smoke plumes was detected in Helsinki, Finland, during a one-month-lasting period in August 2006. The smoke plumes originated from wildfires close to Finland, and they were short-term and had a high particulate matter (PM) concentration. Physical and chemical properties of fine particles in those smokes were characterised by a wide range of real-time measurements that enabled the examination of individual plume events. Concurrently PM(1) filter samples were collected and analysed off-line. Satellite observations employing MODIS sensor on board of NASA EOS Terra satellite with the dispersion model SILAM and the Fire Assimilation System were used for evaluation of the emission fluxes from wildfires. The model predicted well the timing of the plumes but the predicted PM concentrations differed from the observed. The measurements showed that the major growth in PM concentration was caused by submicrometer particles consisting mainly of particulate organic matter (POM). POM had not totally oxidised during the transport based on the low WSOC-to-OC ratio. The fresh plumes were compared to another major smoke episode that was observed in Helsinki during April-May 2006. The duration and the source areas of the two episode periods differed. The episode in April-May was a period of nearly constantly upraised level of long-range transported PM and it was composed of aged particles when arriving in Helsinki. The two episodes had differences also in the chemical composition of PM. The mass concentrations of biomass burning tracers (levoglucosan, potassium, and oxalate) increased during both the episodes but different concentration levels of elemental carbon and potassium indicated that the episodes differed in the form of burning as well as in the burning material. In spring dry crop residue and hay from the previous season were burnt whereas in August smokes from smouldering and incomplete burning of fresh vegetation were detected. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physical health indicators in major mental illness: data from the Quality and Outcome Framework in the UK.

PubMed

Martin, Julie Langan; Lowrie, Richard; McConnachie, Alex; McLean, Gary; Mair, Frances; Mercer, Stewart; Smith, Daniel

2015-02-26

In the UK, the Quality and Outcome Framework (QOF) has specific targets for general practictioners to record body-mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) in major mental illness, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Although incentives are given for aspects of major mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and related psychoses), barriers to care can occur. Our aim was to compare recording of specific targets for BP and BMI in individuals with major mental illness relative to diabetes and chronic kidney disease across the UK. Using 2012 and 2013 QOF data from 9731 general practices across all four countries in the UK, we calculated median payment, population achievement, and exception rates for BP indicators in major mental illness and chronic kidney disease and BMI indicators in major mental illness and diabetes. Differences in unweighted rates between practices in the same UK country were tested with a sign test. Differences in population achievement rate between practices in different countries were compared with those in England by use of a quantile regression analysis. UK payment and population achievement rates for BMI recording in major mental illness were significantly lower than were those in diabetes (payment 92·7% vs 95·5% and population achievement 84·0% vs 92·5%, p<0·0001) and exception rates were higher (8·1% vs 2·0%, p<0·0001). For BP recording, UK payment and population achievement rates were significantly lower for major mental illness than for chronic kidney disease (94·1% vs 97·8% and 87·0% vs 97·1%, p<0·0001), whereas exception rate was higher (6·5% vs 0·0%, p<0·0001). This difference was observed for all UK countries. Median population achievement rates for BMI and BP recording in major mental illness were significantly lower in Scotland than in England (for BMI -1·5%, 99% CI -2·7 to -0·3, and for BP -1·8%, -2·7 to -0·9; p<0·0001 for both). There were no cross-jurisdiction differences for chronic kidney disease and diabetes. We found lower payment rates, higher exception rates, and lower population achievement rates for BMI and BP recording in major mental illness than in diabetes and chronic kidney disease throughout the UK. We also found variation in these rates between countries. This finding is probably multifactorial, reflecting a combination of patient, clinician, and wider organisational factors; however, it might also suggest inequality in access to certain aspects of health care for people with major mental illness. None. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A cluster design controlled trial of arts-based observational skills training in primary care.

PubMed

Kirklin, Deborah; Duncan, Jane; McBride, Sandy; Hunt, Sam; Griffin, Mark

2007-04-01

To investigate whether the observational skills of doctors and nurses can be improved by arts-based observational skills training. We carried out a cluster design, controlled trial involving 42 general practitioners and 26 primary care nurses in 12 primary care practices in London. Six practices were allocated to the intervention arm and 6 to the control arm. The intervention group received 90 minutes of arts-based observational skills training. The control group received practical training in the management of psoriasis. Before and after this, control and intervention participants were asked to describe 3 dermatological photographs. Descriptions were scored blindly against a predetermined marking key. Participants completed a questionnaire about the intervention, and about their own confidence in diagnosing and referring suspicious pigmented skin lesions. Post-intervention scores were significantly higher in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The majority of participants judged the intervention relevant, enjoyable and valuable. A majority lacked confidence in their dermatological knowledge and skills. This study provides statistically significant evidence that arts-based observational skills training can improve the observational skills of doctors and nurses. It is important not to overstate the clinical significance of these findings, and to recognise that observational skills are just one of many complex and subtle factors affecting the quality of the clinical process. Further research is needed to assess the existence, nature and clinical significance of longer-term benefits, and to identify differences between professional groups.

Bacterial communities associated with an occurrence of colored water in an urban drinking water distribution system.

PubMed

Wu, Hui Ting; Mi, Zi Long; Zhang, Jing Xu; Chen, Chao; Xie, Shu Guang

2014-08-01

This study aimed to investigate bacterial community in an urban drinking water distribution system (DWDS) during an occurrence of colored water. Variation in the bacterial community diversity and structure was observed among the different waters, with the predominance of Proteobacteria. While Verrucomicrobia was also a major phylum group in colored water. Limnobacter was the major genus group in colored water, but Undibacterium predominated in normal tap water. The coexistence of Limnobacter as well as Sediminibacterium and Aquabacterium might contribute to the formation of colored water. Copyright © 2014 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

Students' Perspectives on Worldwide ``Greening'' of Tertiary Education Curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aighewi, Isoken T.; Osaigbovo, Ulamen A.

2010-11-01

Several scholars have suggested the introduction of an environmental literacy requirement into the curricula of Non-Environmental Science disciplines in tertiary institutions of the world as a “greening” strategy for fostering global environmental stewardship necessary for enhancing understanding and collaboration in tackling the major environmental risks facing our global village today. However, there is no study on students’ opinion on this issue. This study was therefore initiated to 1) evaluate the opinion of undergraduate students on the introduction of a worldwide environmental literacy into the curricula of Non-Environmental science majors as a graduation requirement; and 2) identify any possible demographic differences in opinions among the student subjects polled. We sought the opinion of 800 undergraduates from African, North American and European universities on the subject and 99% responded. The result showed that a majority (67%) of them supported the worldwide environmental literacy requirement and those already trained were significantly ( P < 0.0001) more likely to support it than those untrained. Students from developing countries were significantly ( P < 0.0001) more likely to support it than those from developed countries; similarly students in the Arts’ disciplines were more likely to support it than Non-Arts’ students as a group. However, no significant differences were observed between students from Francophone versus Anglophone countries; Social Sciences versus Non-Social Sciences majors and between Education versus Non-Education majors. Some similarities were observed between the opinion of university-age students in this study and 15-year old secondary school students from two major international surveys (Research on Science Education-ROSE, and Program for International Student Assessment-PISA) on science education; further studies comparing these two categories of students is suggested. The need for all professionals to be literate about the science of their surroundings was the most identified reason for supporting the literacy requirement by the students polled. The results of this study thus provide evidence of support by students in the on-going paradigm shift towards “greening” the curricula of tertiary institutions and thus reinforces its implementation by leaders of academe and policy makers worldwide.

Impact of divergent selection for ultimate pH of pectoralis major muscle on biochemical, histological, and sensorial attributes of broiler meat.

PubMed

Alnahhas, N; Le Bihan-Duval, E; Baéza, E; Chabault, M; Chartrin, P; Bordeau, T; Cailleau-Audouin, E; Meteau, K; Berri, C

2015-09-01

The impact of divergent selection based on the ultimate pH (pHu) of pectoralis major (P. major) muscle on the chemical, biochemical, and histological profiles of the muscle and sensorial quality of meat was investigated in broiler chickens. The protein, lipid, DM, glycogen and lactate content, glycolytic potential, proteolysis, lipid and protein oxidation index, muscle fiber cross-sectional area, capillary density, and collagen surface were determined on the breast P. major muscle of 6-wk-old broilers issued from the high-pHu (pHu+) and low-pHu (pHu-) lines. Sensory attributes were also evaluated on the breast (roasted or grilled) and thigh (roasted) meat of the 2 lines. Protein, lipid, and DM content of P. major muscle were not affected by selection ( > 0.05). However, the P. major muscle of the pHu+ line was characterized by lower residual glycogen (-16%; ≤ 0.001) and lactate (-14%; ≤ 0.001) content and lower glycolytic potential (-14%; ≤ 0.001) compared with the pHu- line. Although the average cross-sectional area of muscle fibers and surface occupied by collagen were similar ( > 0.05) in both lines, fewer capillaries per fiber (-15%; ≤ 0.05) were observed in the pHu+ line. The pHu+ line was also characterized by lower lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance index: -23%; ≤ 0.05) but protein oxidation and proteolysis index were not different ( > 0.05) between the 2 lines. At the sensory level, selection on breast muscle pHu mainly affected the texture of grilled and roast breast meat, which was judged significantly more tender ( ≤ 0.001) in the pHu+ line, and the acid taste, which was less pronounced in the roasted breast meat of the pHu+ line ( ≤ 0.002). This study highlighted that selection based on pHu does not affect the chemical composition and structure of breast meat. However, by modifying muscle blood supply and glycogen turnover, it affects meat acidity and oxidant status, both of which are likely to contribute to the large differences in texture observed between the 2 lines.

Association study between the dopamine D4 receptor gene and schizophrenia

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

Petronis, A.; Macciardi, F.; Athanassiades, A.

The dopamine D4 receptor is of major interest in schizophrenia research due to its high affinity for the atypical neuroleptic clozapine and a high degree of variability in the receptor gene (DRD4). Although several genetic linkage analyses performed on schizophrenia multiplex families from different regions of the world have either excluded or failed to prove that DRD4 is a major genetic factor for the development of schizophrenia, analyses for moderate predisposing effects are still of significant interest. We performed a study examining differences in allele frequencies of 4 different DRD4 polymorphisms in schizophrenia patients and age, sex, and ethnic originmore » matched controls. None of these 4 polymorphisms showed evidence for genetic association with schizophrenia, although a trend towards excess of the allele with 7 repeats in the (48){sub n} bp exon III polymorphism was observed. Complexities in the DRD4 genetic investigation and further analytic approaches are discussed. 18 refs., 2 tabs.« less

Ultrasound assisted extraction of polyphenols and their distribution in whole mung bean, hull and cotyledon.

PubMed

Singh, Barinderjit; Singh, Narpinder; Thakur, Sheetal; Kaur, Amritpal

2017-03-01

In this study, extraction of polyphenols using different solvents (acetone, ethanol, methanol and water) with ultrasound and conventional method from whole mung bean (WMB), hull and cotyledon was conducted. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), total antioxidant activities (TAA), ferric reducing power (FRP) and DPPH radical scavenging activity were determined. Ultrasound treated extracts exhibited higher TPC, TFC, TAA, FRP and DPPH in different mung bean fractions than CSE. Among the solvents, acetone showed better TPC, TFC, TAA, FRP and DPPH. Hull had significantly higher TPC, TFC, TAA, FRP and DPPH than WMB and cotyledon. Sinapic acid (SA) was the major polyphenol in different fractions. Acetone extract of hull showed high polyphenol content. SA, ferulic acid, catechin, p-coumaric acid, resveratrol, quercetin and luteolin were the major contributors to antioxidant activity of acetone extract. Mung bean hull contained the maximum polyphenols and acetone was observed to be the best extraction medium for polyphenols in combination with ultrasound.

Inequalities and impact of socioeconomic-cultural factors in suicide rates across Italy.

PubMed

Pompili, Maurizio; Innamorati, Marco; Vichi, Monica; Masocco, Maria; Vanacore, Nicola; Lester, David; Serafini, Gianluca; Tatarelli, Roberto; De Leo, Diego; Girardi, Paolo

2011-01-01

Suicide is a major cause of premature death in Italy and occurs at different rates in the various regions. The aim of the present study was to provide a comprehensive overview of suicide in the Italian population aged 15 years and older for the years 1980-2006. Mortality data were extracted from the Italian Mortality Database. Mortality rates for suicide in Italy reached a peak in 1985 and declined thereafter. The different patterns observed by age and sex indicated that the decrease in the suicide rate in Italy was initially the result of declining rates in those aged 45+ while, from 1997 on, the decrease was attributable principally to a reduction in suicide rates among the younger age groups. It was found that socioeconomic factors underlined major differences in the suicide rate across regions. The present study confirmed that suicide is a multifaceted phenomenon that may be determined by an array of factors. Suicide prevention should, therefore, be targeted to identifiable high-risk sociocultural groups in each country.

Seismic Moment, Seismic Energy, and Source Duration of Slow Earthquakes: Application of Brownian slow earthquake model to three major subduction zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ide, Satoshi; Maury, Julie

2018-04-01

Tectonic tremors, low-frequency earthquakes, very low-frequency earthquakes, and slow slip events are all regarded as components of broadband slow earthquakes, which can be modeled as a stochastic process using Brownian motion. Here we show that the Brownian slow earthquake model provides theoretical relationships among the seismic moment, seismic energy, and source duration of slow earthquakes and that this model explains various estimates of these quantities in three major subduction zones: Japan, Cascadia, and Mexico. While the estimates for these three regions are similar at the seismological frequencies, the seismic moment rates are significantly different in the geodetic observation. This difference is ascribed to the difference in the characteristic times of the Brownian slow earthquake model, which is controlled by the width of the source area. We also show that the model can include non-Gaussian fluctuations, which better explains recent findings of a near-constant source duration for low-frequency earthquake families.

Geospatial assessment of ecological functions and flood-related risks on floodplains along major rivers in the Puget Sound Basin, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Konrad, Christopher P.

2015-01-01

Ecological functions and flood-related risks were assessed for floodplains along the 17 major rivers flowing into Puget Sound Basin, Washington. The assessment addresses five ecological functions, five components of flood-related risks at two spatial resolutions—fine and coarse. The fine-resolution assessment compiled spatial attributes of floodplains from existing, publically available sources and integrated the attributes into 10-meter rasters for each function, hazard, or exposure. The raster values generally represent different types of floodplains with regard to each function, hazard, or exposure rather than the degree of function, hazard, or exposure. The coarse-resolution assessment tabulates attributes from the fine-resolution assessment for larger floodplain units, which are floodplains associated with 0.1 to 21-kilometer long segments of major rivers. The coarse-resolution assessment also derives indices that can be used to compare function or risk among different floodplain units and to develop normative (based on observed distributions) standards. The products of the assessment are available online as geospatial datasets (Konrad, 2015; http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7DR2SJC).

Fault detection and multiclassifier fusion for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Weizhong

2001-03-01

UAVs demand more accurate fault accommodation for their mission manager and vehicle control system in order to achieve a reliability level that is comparable to that of a pilot aircraft. This paper attempts to apply multi-classifier fusion techniques to achieve the necessary performance of the fault detection function for the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works (LMSW) UAV Mission Manager. Three different classifiers that meet the design requirements of the fault detection of the UAAV are employed. The binary decision outputs from the classifiers are then aggregated using three different classifier fusion schemes, namely, majority vote, weighted majority vote, and Naieve Bayes combination. All of the three schemes are simple and need no retraining. The three fusion schemes (except the majority vote that gives an average performance of the three classifiers) show the classification performance that is better than or equal to that of the best individual. The unavoidable correlation between the classifiers with binary outputs is observed in this study. We conclude that it is the correlation between the classifiers that limits the fusion schemes to achieve an even better performance.

Comparative ultrastructure of the cuticle of trichostrongyle nematodes.

PubMed

Beveridge, I; Durette-Desset, M C

1994-09-01

The ultrastructure of the cuticle was examined in Austrostrongylus victoriensis, Patricialina birdi and Woolleya monodelphis (Herpetostrongylidae) from marsupials, Paraustrostrongylus ratti (Herpetostrongylidae) from rodents, Nippostrongylus magnus and Odilia bainae (Heligmonellidae) from rodents, Cooperia oncophora and Camelostrongylus mentulatus (Trichostrongylidae) from ruminants, and Nematodirus spathiger (Molineidae) from ruminants. The principal cuticular layers described previously were present in all species investigated. Major differences in the shape and composition of cuticular struts were observed as well as differences in components of the median zone of the cuticle, including the fluid-filled regions present in several species. Several different types of strut were observed. Although strut structure within the Heligmonellidae appeared to be constant, there were variations within both the Herpetostrongylidae and Trichostrongylidae. In Nem. spathiger the cuticular ridges lacked struts. The diversity of structures found in the species examined suggests that more extensive comparative studies of the trichostrongyle cuticle are warranted.

Dayside ionosphere of Titan: Impact on calculated plasma densities due to variations in the model parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukundan, Vrinda; Bhardwaj, Anil

2018-01-01

A one dimensional photochemical model for the dayside ionosphere of Titan has been developed for calculating the density profiles of ions and electrons under steady state photochemical equilibrium condition. We concentrated on the T40 flyby of Cassini orbiter and used the in-situ measurements from instruments onboard Cassini as input to the model. An energy deposition model is employed for calculating the attenuated photon flux and photoelectron flux at different altitudes in Titan's ionosphere. We used the Analytical Yield Spectrum approach for calculating the photoelectron fluxes. Volume production rates of major primary ions, like, N2+, N+ , CH4+, CH3+, etc due to photon and photoelectron impact are calculated and used as input to the model. The modeled profiles are compared with the Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) and Langmuir Probe (LP) measurements. The calculated electron density is higher than the observation by a factor of 2 to 3 around the peak. We studied the impact of different model parameters, viz. photoelectron flux, ion production rates, electron temperature, dissociative recombination rate coefficients, neutral densities of minor species, and solar flux on the calculated electron density to understand the possible reasons for this discrepancy. Recent studies have shown that there is an overestimation in the modeled photoelectron flux and N2+ ion production rates which may contribute towards this disagreement. But decreasing the photoelectron flux (by a factor of 3) and N2+ ion production rate (by a factor of 2) decreases the electron density only by 10 to 20%. Reduction in the measured electron temperature by a factor of 5 provides a good agreement between the modeled and observed electron density. The change in HCN and NH3 densities affects the calculated densities of the major ions (HCNH+ , C2H5+, and CH5+); however the overall impact on electron density is not appreciable ( < 20%). Even though increasing the dissociative recombination rate coefficients of the ions C2H5+ and CH5+ by a factor of 10 reduces the difference between modeled and observed densities of the major ions, the modeled electron density is still higher than the observation by ∼ 60% at the peak. We suggest that there might be some unidentified chemical reactions that may account for the additional loss of plasma in Titan's ionosphere.

What Makes Children Defy Majorities? The Role of Dissenters in Chinese and Spanish Preschoolers' Social Judgments.

PubMed

Enesco, Ileana; Sebastián-Enesco, Carla; Guerrero, Silvia; Quan, Siyu; Garijo, Sonia

2016-01-01

When many people say the same thing, the individual is more likely to endorse this information than when just a single person says the same. Yet, the influence of consensus information may be modulated by many personal, contextual and cultural variables. Here, we study the sensitivity of Chinese ( N = 68) and Spanish ( N = 82) preschoolers to consensus in social decision making contexts. Children faced two different types of peer-interaction events, which involved (1) uncertain or ambiguous scenarios open to interpretation (social interpretation context), and (2) explicit scenarios depicting the exclusion of a peer (moral judgment context). Children first observed a video in which a group of teachers offered their opinion about the events, and then they were asked to evaluate the information provided. Participants were assigned to two conditions that differed in the type of consensus: Unanimous majority ( non-dissenter condition) and non-unanimous majority ( dissenter condition). In the dissenter condition, we presented the conflicting opinions of three teachers vs. one teacher. In the non-dissenter condition, we presented the unanimous opinion of three teachers. The general results indicated that children's sensitivity to consensus varies depending both on the degree of ambiguity of the social events and the presence or not of a dissenter: (1) Children were much more likely to endorse the majority view when they were uncertain (social interpretation context), than when they already had a clear interpretation of the situation (moral judgment context); (2) The presence of a dissenter resulted in a significant decrease in children's confidence in majority. Interestingly, in the moral judgment context, Chinese and Spanish children differed in their willingness to defy a majority whose opinion run against their own. While Spanish children maintained their own criteria regardless of the type of condition, Chinese children did so when an "allied" dissenter was present (dissenter condition) but not when confronting a unanimous majority (non-dissenter condition). Tentatively, we suggest that this difference might be related to culture-specific patterns regarding children's deference toward adults.

Refertilization process in the Patagonian subcontinental lithospheric mantle of Estancia Sol de Mayo (Argentina)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melchiorre, Massimiliano; Coltorti, Massimo; Gregoire, Michel; Benoit, Mathieu

2015-05-01

Anhydrous mantle xenoliths equilibrated at 1003-1040 °C from Estancia Sol de Mayo (ESM, Central Patagonia, Argentina) and entrained in post-plateau alkaline lavas belonging to Meseta Lago Buenos Aires have been investigated aiming at reconstructing the depletion and enrichment processes that affected this portion of the Patagonia lithospheric mantle. Xenoliths are characterized by a coarse-grained protogranular texture and are devoid of evident modal metasomatism. They show two texturally different clinopyroxenes: protogranular (cpx1) and texturally related to spinel (cpx2). Three different types of orthopyroxenes are also recognized: large protogranular crystals with exsolution lamellae (opx1); small clean and undeformed grains without exsolution lamellae (opx2) and small grains arranged in a vein (opx3). Major element composition of clinopyroxenes and orthopyroxenes highlights two different trends characterized by i) a high Al2O3 content at almost constant mg# and ii) a slight increase in Al2O3 content with decreasing mg#. Clinopyroxenes are enriched in LREE and are characterized by prominent to slightly negative Nb, Zr and Ti anomalies. No geochemical differences are observed between cpx1 and cpx2, while a discrimination can be observed between opx1 and opx2 (LREE-depleted; prominent to slightly negative Ti and Zr anomalies) and opx3 (prominent positive Zr anomaly). Partial melting modeling using both major and trace elements indicates a melting degree between ~ 5% and ~ 13% (up to ~ 23% according to major element modeling) for lherzolites and between ~ 20% and ~ 30% for harzburgites (down to ~ 5% according to trace element modeling). La/Yb and Al2O3, as well as Sr and Al2O3 negative correlations in clinopyroxenes point to a refertilization event affecting this lithospheric mantle. The agent was most probably a transitional alkaline/subalkaline melt, as indicated by the presence of orthopyroxene in the vein and the similar geochemical features of ESM clinopyroxenes and those from Northern Patagonia pyroxenites which are derived from transitional alkaline/subalkaline lavas.

The role of Atlantic overturning circulation in the recent decline of Atlantic major hurricane frequency.

PubMed

Yan, Xiaoqin; Zhang, Rong; Knutson, Thomas R

2017-11-22

Observed Atlantic major hurricane frequency has exhibited pronounced multidecadal variability since the 1940s. However, the cause of this variability is debated. Using observations and a coupled earth system model (GFDL-ESM2G), here we show that the decline of the Atlantic major hurricane frequency during 2005-2015 is associated with a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) inferred from ocean observations. Directly observed North Atlantic sulfate aerosol optical depth has not increased (but shows a modest decline) over this period, suggesting the decline of the Atlantic major hurricane frequency during 2005-2015 is not likely due to recent changes in anthropogenic sulfate aerosols. Instead, we find coherent multidecadal variations involving the inferred AMOC and Atlantic major hurricane frequency, along with indices of Atlantic Multidecadal Variability and inverted vertical wind shear. Our results provide evidence for an important role of the AMOC in the recent decline of Atlantic major hurricane frequency.

Preliminary differences in resting state MEG functional connectivity pre- and post-ketamine in major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Nugent, Allison C; Robinson, Stephen E; Coppola, Richard; Zarate, Carlos A

2016-08-30

Functional neuroimaging techniques including magnetoencephalography (MEG) have demonstrated that the brain is organized into networks displaying correlated activity. Group connectivity differences between healthy controls and participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) can be detected using temporal independent components analysis (ICA) on beta-bandpass filtered Hilbert envelope MEG data. However, the response of these networks to treatment is unknown. Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, exerts rapid antidepressant effects. We obtained MEG recordings before and after open-label infusion of 0.5mg/kg ketamine in MDD subjects (N=13) and examined networks previously shown to differ between healthy individuals and those with MDD. Connectivity between the amygdala and an insulo-temporal component decreased post-ketamine in MDD subjects towards that observed in control subjects at baseline. Decreased baseline connectivity of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) with a bilateral precentral network had previously been observed in MDD compared to healthy controls, and the change in connectivity post-ketamine was proportional to the change in sgACC glucose metabolism in a subset (N=8) of subjects receiving [11F]FDG-PET imaging. Ketamine appeared to reduce connectivity, regardless of whether connectivity was abnormally high or low compared to controls at baseline. These preliminary findings suggest that sgACC connectivity may be directly related to glutamate levels. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Long-term variability of dust optical depths on Mars during MY24-MY32 and their impact on subtropical lower ionosphere: Climatology, modeling, and observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheel, Varun; Haider, S. A.

2016-08-01

Dust optical depths (τ) for nine Martian years (MY24-MY32) in the subtropical region (25-35°S) have been used to classify distinct dust scenarios. These data are based on observations at 9.3 µm from the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey missions and encompass the regional dust storms which occur every year around solar longitude (Ls) ~ 220° and the two major dust storms of MY25 and MY28. Constrained by these observations and the Mars Climate Sounder observations of detached dust layers, we estimate altitude profiles of dust concentrations. We discuss the characteristics of dust aerosol particles of different size between 0.2 and 3.0 µm by assuming a modified gamma distribution. We then use a comprehensive ion-dust model to calculate ion densities and conductivities in the lower ionosphere of Mars in the absence of dust storm at τ = 0.1 and Ls = 150° and for three dust storm periods viz., (1) major dust storm at τ = 1.7 and Ls = 210°, (2) major dust storm at τ = 1.2 and Ls = 280°, and (3) regional dust storm at τ = 0.5 and Ls = 220°. The model with 12 neutral species considers galactic cosmic rays as a source of ionization. Results show that the density of the dominant hydrated cluster ions and the electrical conductivity are reduced by an order of magnitude near the surface for a few months until the dust storm settles down to its normal condition.

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV, Potyvirus): vertical transmission, seed infection and cryptic infections.

PubMed

Simmons, H E; Dunham, J P; Zinn, K E; Munkvold, G P; Holmes, E C; Stephenson, A G

2013-09-01

The role played by seed transmission in the evolution and epidemiology of viral crop pathogens remains unclear. We determined the seed infection and vertical transmission rates of zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), in addition to undertaking Illumina sequencing of nine vertically transmitted ZYMV populations. We previously determined the seed-to-seedling transmission rate of ZYMV in Cucurbita pepo ssp. texana (a wild gourd) to be 1.6%, and herein observed a similar rate (1.8%) in the subsequent generation. We also observed that the seed infection rate is substantially higher (21.9%) than the seed-to-seedling transmission rate, suggesting that a major population bottleneck occurs during seed germination and seedling growth. In contrast, that two thirds of the variants present in the horizontally transmitted inoculant population were also present in the vertically transmitted populations implies that the bottleneck at vertical transmission may not be particularly severe. Strikingly, all of the vertically infected plants were symptomless in contrast to those infected horizontally, suggesting that vertical infection may be cryptic. Although no known virulence determining mutations were observed in the vertically infected samples, the 5' untranslated region was highly variable, with at least 26 different major haplotypes in this region compared to the two major haplotypes observed in the horizontally transmitted population. That the regions necessary for vector transmission are retained in the vertically infected populations, combined with the cryptic nature of vertical infection, suggests that seed transmission may be a significant contributor to the spread of ZYMV. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heat waves over Central Europe in regional climate model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lhotka, Ondřej; Kyselý, Jan

2014-05-01

Regional climate models (RCMs) have become a powerful tool for exploring impacts of global climate change on a regional scale. The aim of the study is to evaluate the capability of RCMs to reproduce characteristics of major heat waves over Central Europe in their simulations of the recent climate (1961-2000), with a focus on the most severe and longest Central European heat wave that occurred in 1994. We analyzed 7 RCM simulations with a high resolution (0.22°) from the ENSEMBLES project, driven by the ERA-40 reanalysis. In observed data (the E-OBS 9.0 dataset), heat waves were defined on the basis of deviations of daily maximum temperature (Tmax) from the 95% quantile of summer Tmax distribution in grid points over Central Europe. The same methodology was applied in the RCM simulations; we used corresponding 95% quantiles (calculated for each RCM and grid point) in order to remove the bias of modelled Tmax. While climatological characteristics of heat waves are reproduced reasonably well in the RCM ensemble, we found major deficiencies in simulating heat waves in individual years. For example, METNOHIRHAM simulated very severe heat waves in 1996, when no heat wave was observed. Focusing on the major 1994 heat wave, considerable differences in simulated temperature patterns were found among the RCMs. The differences in the temperature patterns were clearly linked to the simulated amount of precipitation during this event. The 1994 heat wave was almost absent in all RCMs that did not capture the observed precipitation deficit, while it was by far most pronounced in KNMI-RACMO that simulated virtually no precipitation over Central Europe during the 15-day period of the heat wave. By contrast to precipitation, values of evaporative fraction in the RCMs were not linked to severity of the simulated 1994 heat wave. This suggests a possible major contribution of other factors such as cloud cover and associated downward shortwave radiation. Therefore, a more detailed analysis of individual components of the energy budget over Central Europe during and before the 1994 heat wave was performed.

The role of sex and gender socialization in stress reactivity.

PubMed

Dedovic, Katarina; Wadiwalla, Mehereen; Engert, Veronika; Pruessner, Jens C

2009-01-01

Individual health is determined by a myriad of factors. Interestingly, simply being male or female is one such factor that carries profound implications for one's well-being. Intriguing differences between men and women have been observed with respect to vulnerability to and prevalence of particular illnesses. The activity of the major stress hormone axis in humans, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, is directly and indirectly associated with the onset and propagation of these conditions. Previous studies have shown differences between men and women at the level of stress hormone regulation, suggesting that the metabolic effects of stress may be related to susceptibility for stress-related disease. While the majority of studies have suggested that biological differences are responsible, few have also considered the role of gender socialization. In this selective review, the authors summarize evidence on sex differences and highlight some recent results from endocrinological, developmental, and neuroimaging studies that suggest an important role of gender socialization on the metabolic effects of stress. Finally, a model is proposed that integrates these specific findings, highlighting gender socialization and stress responsivity.

Flammability as an ecological and evolutionary driver

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pausas, Juli G.; Keeley, Jon E.; Schwilk, Dylan W.

2017-01-01

We live on a flammable planet yet there is little consensus on the origin and evolution of flammability in our flora.We argue that part of the problem lies in the concept of flammability, which should not be viewed as a single quantitative trait or metric. Rather, we propose that flammability has three major dimensions that are not necessarily correlated: ignitability, heat release and fire spread rate. These major axes of variation are controlled by different plant traits and have differing ecological impacts during fire.At the individual plant scale, these traits define three flammability strategies observed in fire-prone ecosystems: the non-flammable, the fast-flammable and the hot-flammable strategy (with low ignitability, high flame spread rate and high heat release, respectively). These strategies increase the survival or reproduction under recurrent fires, and thus, plants in fire-prone ecosystems benefit from acquiring one of them; they represent different (alternative) ways to live under recurrent fires.Synthesis. This novel framework based on different flammability strategies helps us to understand variability in flammability across scales, and provides a basis for further research.

Is arsenobetaine the major arsenic compound in the liver of birds marine mammals, and sea turtles?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubota, R.; Kunito, T.; Tanabe, S.

2003-05-01

Concentrations of total arsenic and individual arsenic compounds were determined in the livers of birds, marine mammals, and sea turtles by using hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) and high performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS). Marine mammals feeding on cephalopods and crustaceans accumulated higher arsenic concentrations than the species feeding on fishes. No significant age and gender differences in arsenic concentrations were observed for most of the species of marine mammals. Elevated total arsenic concentrations were found in livers of black-footed albatross and loggerhead turtles and these values were comparable to those of lower trophic marine animals. Arsenobetaine was the major arsenical in the livers of most of the species examined. Particularly, in seabirds, mean proportions of arsenobetaine was more than90% of total extractable arsenic In contast, arsenobetaine was a minor constituent in dugong. The compositions of arsenic compounds were different among the species examined. These results might be due to the differences in the metabolic capacity among species and/or the different compositions of arsenic compounds in their preys.

In-utero exposure to metformin for type 2 diabetes or polycystic ovary syndrome: A prospective comparative observational study.

PubMed

Diav-Citrin, Orna; Steinmetz-Shoob, Salit; Shechtman, Svetlana; Ornoy, Asher

2018-05-29

To evaluate the rate of major anomalies after first trimester (T1)-metformin exposure. Comparative, observational cohort study done at the Israeli Teratology Information Service between 2000 and 2013. 170 T1-metformin-exposed pregnancies [119 for diabetes and 51 for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)] were prospectively followed-up and compared with 93 pregnancies of T1-insulin treated women and 530 non-teratogenic exposed (NTE) pregnancies. The differences in the rate of major anomalies excluding genetic/cytogenetic, and spontaneously resolved cardiovascular anomalies were not significant [4.4% (2/45) - metformin-PCOS, 1.1% (1/90) - metformin-diabetes, 2.5% (2/80) - insulin, and 1.7% (9/519) - NTE; OR adj metformin / NTE 1.77; 95% CI 0.45-7.01; OR adj insulin / NTE 1.69; 95% CI 0.35-8.11]. The rate of Cesarean section was higher in both the metformin-diabetes 51/90 (56.7%) and insulin 45/79 (57.0%) groups compared with the NTE group [138/503 (27.4%)]. Metformin-T1-exposure per se is not associated with an increased risk of major anomalies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Searching the Sinus Amoris: Using profiles of geological units, impact and volcanic features to characterize a major terrane interface on the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, P.; Joerg, S.; Dehon, R.

1994-01-01

Geochemical profiles of surface units, impact, and volcanic features are studied in detail to determine the underlying structure in an area of extensive mare/highland interface, Sinus Amoris. This study region includes and surrounds the northeastern embayment of Mare Tranquillitatis. The concentrations of two major rock-forming elements (Mg and Al), which were derived from the Apollo 15 orbital geochemical measurements, were used in this study. Mapped units and deposits associated with craters in the northwestern part of the region tend to have correlated low Mg and Al concentrations, indicating the presence of Potassium (K)-Rare Earth Elements (REE)-Phosphorus (P) (KREEP)-enriched basalt. Found along the northeastern rim of Tranquillitatis were areas with correlated high Mg and Al concentration, indicating the presence of troctolite. Distinctive west/east and north/south trends were observed in the concentrations of Mg and Al, and, by implication, in the distribution of major rock components on the surface. Evidence for a systematic geochemical transition in highland or basin-forming units may be observed here in the form of distinctive differences in chemistry in otherwise similar units in the western and eastern portions of the study region.

Phenobarbital and propiconazole toxicogenomic profiles in mice show major similarities consistent with the key role that constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) activation plays in their mode of action

PubMed Central

Currie, Richard A.; Peffer, Richard C.; Goetz, Amber K.; Omiecinski, Curtis J.; Goodman, Jay I.

2014-01-01

Toxicogenomics (TGx) is employed frequently to investigate underlying molecular mechanisms of the compound of interest and, thus, has become an aid to mode of action determination. However, the results and interpretation of a TGx dataset are influenced by the experimental design and methods of analysis employed. This article describes an evaluation and reanalysis, by two independent laboratories, of previously published TGx mouse liver microarray data for a triazole fungicide, propiconazole (PPZ), and the anticonvulsant drug phenobarbital (PB). Propiconazole produced an increase incidence of liver tumors in male CD-1 mice only at a dose that exceeded the maximum tolerated dose (2500 ppm). Firstly, we illustrate how experimental design differences between two in vivo studies with PPZ and PB may impact the comparisons of TGx results. Secondly, we demonstrate that different researchers using different pathway analysis tools can come to different conclusions on specific mechanistic pathways, even when using the same datasets. Finally, despite these differences the results across three different analyses also show a striking degree of similarity observed for PPZ and PB treated livers when the expression data are viewed as major signaling pathways and cell processes affected. Additional studies described here show that the postulated key event of hepatocellular proliferation was observed in CD-1 mice for both PPZ and PB, and that PPZ is also a potent activator of the mouse CAR nuclear receptor. Thus, with regard to the events which are hallmarks of CAR-induced effects that are key events in the mode of action (MOA) of mouse liver carcinogenesis with PB, PPZ-induced tumors can be viewed as being promoted by a similar PB-like CAR-dependent MOA. PMID:24675475

Deep history impacts present-day ecology and biodiversity

PubMed Central

Vitt, Laurie J.; Pianka, Eric R.

2005-01-01

Lizards and snakes putatively arose between the early Jurassic and late Triassic; they diversified worldwide and now occupy many different ecological niches, making them ideal for testing theories on the origin of ecological traits. We propose and test the “deep history hypothesis,” which claims that differences in ecological traits among species arose early in evolutionary history of major clades, and that present-day assemblages are structured largely because of ancient, preexisting differences. We combine phylogenetic data with ecological data collected over nearly 40 years to reconstruct the evolution of dietary shifts in squamate reptiles. Data on diets of 184 lizard species in 12 families from 4 continents reveal significant dietary shifts at 6 major divergence points, reducing variation by 79.8%. The most striking dietary divergence (27.6%) occurred in the late Triassic, when Iguania and Scleroglossa split. These two clades occupy different regions of dietary niche space. Acquisition of chemical prey discrimination, jaw prehension, and wide foraging provided scleroglossans access to sedentary and hidden prey that are unavailable to iguanians. This cladogenic event may have profoundly influenced subsequent evolutionary history and diversification. We suggest the hypothesis that ancient events in squamate cladogenesis, rather than present-day competition, caused dietary shifts in major clades such that some lizard clades gained access to new resources, which in turn led to much of the biodiversity observed today. PMID:15867150

Association Between Teaching Status and Mortality in US Hospitals

PubMed Central

Burke, Laura G.; Frakt, Austin B.; Khullar, Dhruv; Orav, E. John

2017-01-01

Importance Few studies have analyzed contemporary data on outcomes at US teaching hospitals vs nonteaching hospitals. Objective To examine risk-adjusted outcomes for patients admitted to teaching vs nonteaching hospitals across a broad range of medical and surgical conditions. Design, Setting, and Participants Use of national Medicare data to compare mortality rates in US teaching and nonteaching hospitals for all hospitalizations and for common medical and surgical conditions among Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older. Exposures Hospital teaching status: major teaching hospitals (members of the Council of Teaching Hospitals), minor teaching hospitals (other hospitals with medical school affiliation), and nonteaching hospitals (remaining hospitals). Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcome was 30-day mortality rate for all hospitalizations and for 15 common medical and 6 surgical conditions. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality stratified by hospital size and 7-day mortality and 90-day mortality for all hospitalizations as well as for individual medical and surgical conditions. Results The sample consisted of 21 451 824 total hospitalizations at 4483 hospitals, of which 250 (5.6%) were major teaching, 894 (19.9%) were minor teaching, and 3339 (74.3%) were nonteaching hospitals. Unadjusted 30-day mortality was 8.1% at major teaching hospitals, 9.2% at minor teaching hospitals, and 9.6% at nonteaching hospitals, with a 1.5% (95% CI, 1.3%-1.7%; P < .001) mortality difference between major teaching hospitals and nonteaching hospitals. After adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics, the same pattern persisted (8.3% mortality at major teaching vs 9.2% at minor teaching and 9.5% at nonteaching), but the difference in mortality between major and nonteaching hospitals was smaller (1.2% [95% CI, 1.0%-1.4%]; P < .001). After stratifying by hospital size, 187 large (≥400 beds) major teaching hospitals had lower adjusted overall 30-day mortality relative to 76 large nonteaching hospitals (8.1% vs 9.4%; 1.2% difference [95% CI, 0.9%-1.5%]; P < .001). This same pattern of lower overall 30-day mortality at teaching hospitals was observed for medium-sized (100-399 beds) hospitals (8.6% vs 9.3% and 9.4%; 0.8% difference between 61 major and 1207 nonteaching hospitals [95% CI, 0.4%-1.3%]; P = .003). Among small (≤99 beds) hospitals, 187 minor teaching hospitals had lower overall 30-day mortality relative to 2056 nonteaching hospitals (9.5% vs 9.9%; 0.4% difference [95% CI, 0.1%-0.7%]; P = .01). Conclusions and Relevance Among hospitalizations for US Medicare beneficiaries, major teaching hospital status was associated with lower mortality rates for common conditions compared with nonteaching hospitals. Further study is needed to understand the reasons for these differences. PMID:28535236

Sorption Isotherm of Southern Yellow Pine-High Density Polyethylene Composites.

PubMed

Liu, Feihong; Han, Guangping; Cheng, Wanli; Wu, Qinglin

2015-01-20

Temperature and relative humidity (RH) are two major external factors, which affect equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of wood-plastic composites (WPCs). In this study, the effect of different durability treatments on sorption and desorption isotherms of southern yellow pine (SYP)-high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites was investigated. All samples were equilibriumed at 20 °C and various RHs including 16%, 33%, 45%, 66%, 75%, 85%, 93%, and100%. EMCs obtained from desorption and absorption for different WPC samples were compared with Nelson's sorption isotherm model predictions using the same temperature and humidity conditions. The results indicated that the amount of moisture absorbed increased with the increases in RH at 20 °C. All samples showed sorption hysteresis at a fixed RH. Small difference between EMC data of WPC samples containing different amount of ultraviolet (UV) stabilizers were observed. Similar results were observed among the samples containing different amount of zinc borate (ZB). The experimental data of EMCs at various RHs fit to the Nelson's sorption isotherm model well. The Nelson's model can be used to predicate EMCs of WPCs under different RH environmental conditions.

Sorption Isotherm of Southern Yellow Pine—High Density Polyethylene Composites

PubMed Central

Liu, Feihong; Han, Guangping; Cheng, Wanli; Wu, Qinglin

2015-01-01

Temperature and relative humidity (RH) are two major external factors, which affect equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of wood-plastic composites (WPCs). In this study, the effect of different durability treatments on sorption and desorption isotherms of southern yellow pine (SYP)-high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites was investigated. All samples were equilibriumed at 20 °C and various RHs including 16%, 33%, 45%, 66%, 75%, 85%, 93%, and100%. EMCs obtained from desorption and absorption for different WPC samples were compared with Nelson’s sorption isotherm model predictions using the same temperature and humidity conditions. The results indicated that the amount of moisture absorbed increased with the increases in RH at 20 °C. All samples showed sorption hysteresis at a fixed RH. Small difference between EMC data of WPC samples containing different amount of ultraviolet (UV) stabilizers were observed. Similar results were observed among the samples containing different amount of zinc borate (ZB). The experimental data of EMCs at various RHs fit to the Nelson’s sorption isotherm model well. The Nelson’s model can be used to predicate EMCs of WPCs under different RH environmental conditions. PMID:28787943

Synchronous behaviour of two interacting oscillatory systems undergoing quasiperiodic route to chaos.

PubMed

Mondal, S; Pawar, S A; Sujith, R I

2017-10-01

Thermoacoustic instability, caused by a positive feedback between the unsteady heat release and the acoustic field in a combustor, is a major challenge faced in most practical combustors such as those used in rockets and gas turbines. We employ the synchronization theory for understanding the coupling between the unsteady heat release and the acoustic field of a thermoacoustic system. Interactions between coupled subsystems exhibiting different collective dynamics such as periodic, quasiperiodic, and chaotic oscillations are addressed. Even though synchronization studies have focused on different dynamical states separately, synchronous behaviour of two coupled systems exhibiting a quasiperiodic route to chaos has not been studied. In this study, we report the first experimental observation of different synchronous behaviours between two subsystems of a thermoacoustic system exhibiting such a transition as reported in Kabiraj et al. [Chaos 22, 023129 (2012)]. A rich variety of synchronous behaviours such as phase locking, intermittent phase locking, and phase drifting are observed as the dynamics of such subsystem change. The observed synchronization behaviour is further characterized using phase locking value, correlation coefficient, and relative mean frequency. These measures clearly reveal the boundaries between different states of synchronization.

Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in Malaysia--observations in a multiracial Asian population.

PubMed

Goh, K L

2009-09-01

Observations of racial differences in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in Malaysia have been intriguing. The Indians and Chinese consistently have a higher prevalence compared to the Malays. The racial cohort theory has been proposed to explain these differences where transmission and perpetuation of infection takes place within a racial group rather than between races, races being separate owing to the low rate of interracial marriages. Studies have demonstrated distinctive bacterial strains between races. Phylogenetic studies have shown that H. pylori isolates amongst Chinese and Indians are distinctive while Malays have Indian and other strains suggesting a more recent acquisition of the bacterium from Indians. H. pylori is recognized as the major causative factor in peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Despite the high prevalence of H. pylori, Indians have a relatively low prevalence of peptic ulcer disease and a low incidence of gastric cancer. This paradox with regards to gastric cancer has been termed the "Indian enigma". Bacterial strain differences between races may be putative but this observation may also indicate gastroprotective environmental factors or a lower genetic susceptibility to develop cancer in the Indians.

A Comparison Study of Two Numerical Tsunami Forecasting Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenslade, Diana J. M.; Titov, Vasily V.

2008-12-01

This paper presents a comparison of two tsunami forecasting systems: the NOAA/PMEL system (SIFT) and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology system (T1). Both of these systems are based on a tsunami scenario database and both use the same numerical model. However, there are some major differences in the way in which the scenarios are constructed and in the implementation of the systems. Two tsunami events are considered here: Tonga 2006 and Sumatra 2007. The results show that there are some differences in the distribution of maximum wave amplitude, particularly for the Tonga event, however both systems compare well to the available tsunameter observations. To assess differences in the forecasts for coastal amplitude predictions, the offshore forecast results from both systems were used as boundary conditions for a high-resolution model for Hilo, Hawaii. The minor differences seen between the two systems in deep water become considerably smaller at the tide gauge and both systems compare very well with the observations.

Head-on collision of normal shock waves with rigid porous materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, A.; Ben-Dor, G.; Skews, B. W.; Sorek, S.

1993-08-01

The head-on collision of a planar shock wave with a rigid porous material has been investigated experimentally in a 75 mm × 75 mm shock tube. The experimental study indicated that unlike the reflection from a flexible porous material (e.g., polyurethane foam) where the transmitted compression waves do not converge to a sharp shock wave, in the case of a rigid porous material (e.g., alumina) the transmitted compression waves do converge to a sharp shock wave, which decays as it propagates along the porous material. In addition to this major difference, many other differences were observed. They are outlined in the following sections. Based on these observations a suggestion modifying the phenomenology of the reflection/interaction process in the case a porous material with large permeability is proposed.

F-CHROMA.Flare Chromospheres: Observations, Models and Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cauzzi, Gianna; Fletcher, Lyndsay; Mathioudakis, Mihalis; Carlsson, Mats; Heinzel, Petr; Berlicki, Arek; Zuccarello, Francesca

2014-06-01

F-CHROMA is a collaborative project newly funded under the EU-Framework Programme 7 "FP7-SPACE-2013-1", involving seven different European research Institutes and Universities. The goal of F-CHROMA is to substantially advance our understanding of the physics of energy dissipation and radiation in the flaring solar atmosphere, with a particular focus on the flares' chromosphere. A major outcome of the F-CHROMA project will be the creation of an archive of chromospheric flare observations and models to be made available to the community for further research.In this poster we describe the structure and milestones of the project, the different activities planned, as well as early results. Emphasis will be given to the dissemination efforts of the project to make results of these activities available to and usable by the community.

Studying the Formation and Development of Molecular Clouds: With the CCAT Heterodyne Array Instrument (CHAI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldsmith, Paul F.

2012-01-01

Surveys of all different types provide basic data using different tracers. Molecular clouds have structure over a very wide range of scales. Thus, "high resolution" surveys and studies of selected nearby clouds add critical information. The combination of large-area and high resolution allows Increased spatial dynamic range, which in turn enables detection of new and perhaps critical morphology (e.g. filaments). Theoretical modeling has made major progress, and suggests that multiple forces are at work. Galactic-scale modeling also progressing - indicates that stellar feedback is required. Models must strive to reproduce observed cloud structure at all scales. Astrochemical observations are not unrelated to questions of cloud evolution and star formation but we are still learning how to use this capability.

Multimodal Imaging of Human Brain Activity: Rational, Biophysical Aspects and Modes of Integration

PubMed Central

Blinowska, Katarzyna; Müller-Putz, Gernot; Kaiser, Vera; Astolfi, Laura; Vanderperren, Katrien; Van Huffel, Sabine; Lemieux, Louis

2009-01-01

Until relatively recently the vast majority of imaging and electrophysiological studies of human brain activity have relied on single-modality measurements usually correlated with readily observable or experimentally modified behavioural or brain state patterns. Multi-modal imaging is the concept of bringing together observations or measurements from different instruments. We discuss the aims of multi-modal imaging and the ways in which it can be accomplished using representative applications. Given the importance of haemodynamic and electrophysiological signals in current multi-modal imaging applications, we also review some of the basic physiology relevant to understanding their relationship. PMID:19547657

Preferences for "Gender-Typed" Toys in Boys and Girls Aged 9 to 32 Months

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todd, Brenda K.; Barry, John A.; Thommessen, Sara A. O.

2017-01-01

Many studies have found that a majority of boys and girls prefer to play with toys that are typed to their own gender but there is still uncertainty about the age at which such sex differences first appear, and under what conditions. Applying a standardized research protocol and using a selection of gender-typed toys, we observed the toy…

Diel habitat partitioning by bull charr and cutthroat trout during fall and winter in Rocky Mountain streams

Treesearch

Michael J. Jakober; Thomas E. McMahon; Russell F. Thurow

2000-01-01

We used underwater observation to determine diel habitat partitioning between bull charr, Salvelinus confluentus, and cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki, during fall and winter (0.1-8.3°C) in two Rocky Mountain streams that differed in habitat availability. The majority (>70%) of both species emerged from concealment cover at night, though bull charr exhibited a...

Behavior of sulfur during coal pyrolysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shao, D.; Hutchinson, E.J.; Heidbrink, J.; Pan, W.-P.; Chou, C.-L.

1994-01-01

The behavior of sulfur in Illinois coals during pyrolysis was evaluated by thermogravimetry/ Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (TG/FT-IR) techniques. SO2, COS, and H2S were major gaseous sulfur-containing products observed during coal pyrolysis. The release rates of the gaseous sulfur species showed several peaks within the temperature ranges, which were due to the emission of different forms of sulfur in coal. ?? 1994.

Gender Differences in Expressed Interests in Engineering-Related Fields ACT 30-Year Data Analysis Identified Trends and Suggested Avenues to Reverse Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iskander, E. Tiffany; Gore, Paul A., Jr.; Furse, Cynthia; Bergerson, Amy

2013-01-01

Historically, women have been underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields both as college majors and in the professional community. This disturbing trend, observed in many countries, is more serious and evident in American universities and is reflected in the U.S. workforce statistics. In this article, we…

A Simple Model for Complex Dynamical Transitions in Epidemics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Earn, David J. D.; Rohani, Pejman; Bolker, Benjamin M.; Grenfell, Bryan T.

2000-01-01

Dramatic changes in patterns of epidemics have been observed throughout this century. For childhood infectious diseases such as measles, the major transitions are between regular cycles and irregular, possibly chaotic epidemics, and from regionally synchronized oscillations to complex, spatially incoherent epidemics. A simple model can explain both kinds of transitions as the consequences of changes in birth and vaccination rates. Measles is a natural ecological system that exhibits different dynamical transitions at different times and places, yet all of these transitions can be predicted as bifurcations of a single nonlinear model.

Exploring students' interactions, arguments, and reflections in general chemistry laboratories with different levels of inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Haozhi

Students' learning in inquiry-based investigations has drawn considerable attention of the science education community. Inquiry activities can be viewed as knowledge construction processes in which students are expected to develop conceptual understanding and critical thinking abilities. Our study aimed to explore the effect of experiments with different levels of inquiry on students' interactions in the laboratory setting, as well as on students' written arguments and reflections. Our results are based on direct observations of group work in college general chemistry laboratories and analysis of associated written lab reports. The analysis of students' interactions in the laboratory was approached from three major analytic dimensions: Functional analysis, cognitive processing, and social processing. According to our results, higher levels of inquiry were associated with an increase in the relative frequency of episodes where students were engaged in proposing ideas versus asking and answering each others' questions. Higher levels of inquiry also favored episodes in which experimental work was approached in a more exploratory (versus procedural) manner. However, no major changes were observed in the extent to which students were engaged in either interpretive discussions of central scientific concepts and ideas. As part of our study we were also interested in characterizing the effects of experiments involving different levels of inquiry on the structure and adequacy of university general chemistry students' written arguments, as well as on the nature of their reflections about laboratory work. Our findings indicate that the level of inquiry of the observed experiments had no significant impact on the structure or adequacy of arguments generated by students. However, the level of inquiry of the experiments seemed to have a major impact on several areas of students' written reflections about laboratory work. In general, our results elicit trends and highlight issues that can help instructors and curriculum developers identify strategies to better support and scaffold productive engagement in the laboratory. Our results suggest that careful design and implementation of instructional interventions may be needed to maximize the learning effects of the more open-ended inquiry activities at the college level.

Observation and modeling of ambient nitrous acid (HONO) at a rural site (Wangdu) in the North China Plain in summer 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Lu, K.; Li, X.; Dong, H.; Tan, Z.; Wu, Y.; Zeng, L.; Bohn, B.; Broch, S.; Zou, Q.; Fuchs, H.; Hofzumahaus, A.; Holland, F.; Rohrer, F.; Min, K. E.; Brown, S. S.; Wahner, A.; Zhang, Y.

2017-12-01

The photolysis of HONO, was frequently determined to be the major OH primary production channels in the city clusters of China. However, the source of ambient HONO is still a mystery needs to be elucidated. In the framework of an integrated field experiment performed at a rural site in the North China Plain (NCP), HONO was measured by two LOPAP instruments and one CEAS instrument in order to obtain the best quality of the observations and comprehensive parameters that support the exploration of the HONO budget were completely available. In general, the observed HONO concentrations by these three different instruments showed reasonable good agreement as indicated by the high correlation efficiencies while the difference of the regression slopes showed the HONO measured uncertainty is about 15% which is twice about the known uncertainties from each instrument. The diurnal variation of the observed HONO concentrations showed high value (1 -5 ppb) at night and small values (100 - 500 ppt) around noon time which is similar to other reported campaigns. With the assumption of photo stationary state, the missing HONO source is determined experimentally constrained to the observed HONO, jHONO, OH, and NO. Possible HONO formation rates from the chemical reactions as proposed from literatures were calculated in the framework of an observational based box model. It is found that heteorogeneous uptake of NO2 on the ground and the photolysis of nitrate were the major HONO sources for this site when constrained with the recommended kinetc parameters. Uncertainty analysis showed that the uptake coefficient of NO2 and the photolysis frequency of nitrate are the important kinetc factors to be determined in the future studies. In addition, the direct emission of HONO from soil is found to be very important for a few days after fertilization.

Prevalence of common mental disorders in general practice attendees across Europe.

PubMed

King, Michael; Nazareth, Irwin; Levy, Gus; Walker, Carl; Morris, Richard; Weich, Scott; Bellón-Saameño, Juan Angel; Moreno, Berta; Svab, Igor; Rotar, Danica; Rifel, J; Maaroos, Heidi-Ingrid; Aluoja, Anu; Kalda, Ruth; Neeleman, Jan; Geerlings, Mirjam I; Xavier, Miguel; de Almeida, Manuel Caldas; Correa, Bernardo; Torres-Gonzalez, Francisco

2008-05-01

There is evidence that the prevalence of common mental disorders varies across Europe. To compare prevalence of common mental disorders in general practice attendees in six European countries. Unselected attendees to general practices in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Estonia and The Netherlands were assessed for major depression, panic syndrome and other anxiety syndrome. Prevalence of DSM-IV major depression, other anxiety syndrome and panic syndrome was compared between the UK and other countries after taking account of differences in demographic factors and practice consultation rates. Prevalence was estimated in 2,344 men and 4,865 women. The highest prevalence for all disorders occurred in the UK and Spain, and lowest in Slovenia and The Netherlands. Men aged 30-50 and women aged 18-30 had the highest prevalence of major depression; men aged 40-60 had the highest prevalence of anxiety, and men and women aged 40-50 had the highest prevalence of panic syndrome. Demographic factors accounted for the variance between the UK and Spain but otherwise had little impact on the significance of observed country differences. These results add to the evidence for real differences between European countries in prevalence of psychological disorders and show that the burden of care on general practitioners varies markedly between countries.

Separation of a chemically modified DNA oligomer bound by the carcinogen 2-Amino-1-methy-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-{beta}]pyridine using capillary gel electrophoresis

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

Nguyen, T.N.

1994-05-06

We have optimized the reaction conditions under which unactivated metabolite of the food borne carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-{beta}]pyridine (PhIP) is covalently bound to the oligodeoxynucleotide d(CCTACGCATCC). Capillary electrophoresis (CE) was used to separate and characterize this DNA oligomer bound by PhIP. We observed 2 major and several minor PhIP adduct species. The 2 major adducts had different absorbance maxima; the major adduct eluates with faster and slower mobilities had absorbance maxima of 360 and 340 nm, respectively. One of the two major PhIP adduct species was resolvable but the peak was broad. Using detection at 260 nm, the other major PhIPmore » adduct with fastest electrophoretic mobility was not resolvable, but coelute with the huge broad unmodified DNA oligomer peak. However, at higher wavelengths (>320 nm) where DNA does not absorb, electropherograms generated by detection at these higher wavelengths showed very heterogeneous binding by PhIP to the DNA oligomer with no interfering absorbance by the DNA.« less

Biochemical Effects of six Ti02 and four Ce02 Nanomaterials ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Abstract The potential mammalian hepatotoxicity of nanomaterials were explored in dose-response and structure-activity studies with human hepatic HepG2 cells exposed to between 10 and 1000 ug/ml of six different TiO2 and four CeO2 nanomaterials for 3 days. Various biochemical parameters were then evaluated to study cytotoxicity, cell growth, hepatic function and oxidative stress. Few indications of cytotoxicity were observed between 10 and 100 ug/ml. In the 300 to 1000 ug/ml exposure range a moderate to substantial degree of cytotoxicity was observed. The percent of lactic dehydrogenase released from cells was the most sensitive cytotoxicity parameter. There were four major biochemical effects observed. By far decreased activities of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase was the major finding of this enzymatic study with some significant decreases observed at 10 ug/ml. In the range of 100 to 1000 ug/ml, the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase were decreased by many nanomaterials. There are six factors that contribute to substantial oxidative stress in cultured hepatocytes (decreased GSH content, and reduced G6PDH, GRD, GPX, SOD and altered catalase activities). Cytotoxicity per se did not seem to fully explain the patterns of biological responses observed. With respect to structure-activity, nanomaterials of CeO2 were more effective than TiO2 in reducing glutathione reductase and SOD activ

Studying the Processes Contributed to the Hairpin Turn of Hurricane Joaquin with WRF numerical simulations and TCI-2015 observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pu, Z.; Yu, Y.

2016-12-01

The prediction of Hurricane Joaquin's hairpin clockwise during 1 and 2 October 2015 presents a forecasting challenge during real-time numerical weather prediction, as tracks of several major numerical weather prediction models differ from each other. To investigate the large-scale environment and hurricane inner-core structures related to the hairpin turn of Joaquin, a series of high-resolution mesoscale numerical simulations of Hurricane Joaquin had been performed with an advanced research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The outcomes were compared with the observations obtained from the US Office of Naval Research's Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) Experiment during 2015 hurricane season. Specifically, five groups of sensitivity experiments with different cumulus, boundary layer, and microphysical schemes as well as different initial and boundary conditions and initial times in WRF simulations had been performed. It is found that the choice of the cumulus parameterization scheme plays a significant role in reproducing reasonable track forecast during Joaquin's hairpin turn. The mid-level environmental steering flows can be the reason that leads to different tracks in the simulations with different cumulus schemes. In addition, differences in the distribution and amounts of the latent heating over the inner-core region are associated with discrepancies in the simulated intensity among different experiments. Detailed simulation results, comparison with TCI-2015 observations, and comprehensive diagnoses will be presented.

Prognosis of venous thromboembolism in orthopaedic surgery or trauma patients and use of thromboprophylaxis.

PubMed

Gutiérrez Guisado, J; Trujillo-Santos, J; Arcelus, J I; Bertoletti, L; Fernandez-Capitán, C; Valle, R; Hernandez-Hermoso, J A; Erice Calvo-Sotelo, A; Nieto, J A; Monreal, M

2018-06-18

There is scarce evidence about the prognosis of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery and in patients suffering non-surgical trauma. We used the RIETE database (Registro Informatizado de pacientes con Enfermedad Trombo Embólica) to compare the prognosis of venous thromboembolism and the use of thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing different orthopedic procedures and in trauma patients not requiring surgery. From March 2001 to March 2015, a total of 61,789 patients were enrolled in RIETE database. Of these, 943 (1.52%) developed venous thromboembolism after elective arthroplasty, 445 (0.72%) after hip fracture, 1,045 (1.69%) after non-major orthopedic surgery and 2,136 (3.46%) after non-surgical trauma. Overall, 2,283 patients (50%) initially presented with pulmonary embolism. Within the first 90 days of therapy, 30 patients (0.66%; 95% CI 0.45-0.93) died from pulmonary embolism. The rate of fatal pulmonary embolism was significantly higher after hip fracture surgery (n = 9 [2.02%]) than after elective arthroplasty (n = 5 [0.53%]), non-major orthopedic surgery (n = 5 [0.48%]) or non surgical trauma (n = 11 [0.48%]). Thromboprophylaxis was more commonly used for hip fracture (93%) or elective arthroplasty (94%) than for non-major orthopedic surgery (71%) or non-surgical trauma (32%). Major bleeding was significantly higher after hip fracture surgery (4%) than that observed after elective arthroplasty (1.6%), non-major orthopedic surgery (1.5%) or non-surgical trauma (1.4%). Thromboprophylaxis was less frequently used in lower risk procedures despite the absolute number of fatal pulmonary embolism after non-major orthopedic surgery or non-surgical trauma, exceeded that observed after high risk procedures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.

Following iron speciation in the early stages of magnetite magnetosome biomineralization

DOE PAGES

Firlar, Emre; Perez-Gonzalez, Teresa; Olszewska, Agata; ...

2016-02-26

Understanding magnetosome magnetite biomineralization is of fundamental interest to devising the strategies for bioinspired synthesis of magnetic materials at the nanoscale. Thus, we investigated the early stages of magnetosome formation in this work and correlated the size and emergent crystallinity of magnetosome nanoparticles with the changes in chemical environment of iron and oxygen by utilizing advanced analytical electron microscopy techniques. We observed that magnetosomes in the early stages of biomineralization with the sizes of 5–10 nm were amorphous, with a majority of iron present as Fe 3+, indicative of ferric hydroxide. The magnetosomes with intermediate sizes showed partially crystalline structuremore » with a majority of iron present as Fe 3+ and trace amounts of Fe 2+. The fully maturated magnetosomes were indexed to magnetite. Furthermore, our approach provides spatially resolved structural and chemical information of individual magnetosomes with different particle sizes, attributed to magnetosomes at different stages of biomineralization.« less

Use of canonical variate analysis biplot in examination of choline content data of some foods.

PubMed

Alkan, Baris; Atakan, Cemal

2011-03-01

Adequate intake (AI) of choline as part of the daily diet can help prevent major diseases. Low choline intake is a major risk factor for liver and several neurological disorders. Extreme choline consumption may cause diseases such as hypotension, sweating, diarrhea, and fishy body odor. The AI of choline is 425 mg/day for adult women; higher for pregnant and lactating women. The AI for adult men is 550 mg/day. The total choline content of foods is calculated as the sum of free choline, glycerophosphocholine, phosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin. These are called the choline variables. Observed values of choline variables may be different in amounts of nutrients. So different food groups in terms of choline variables are useful to compare. The present paper shows the advantages of using canonical variate analysis biplot to optimally separate groups and explore the differentiality of choline variables amounts in foods.

Lassa fever in post-conflict sierra leone.

PubMed

Shaffer, Jeffrey G; Grant, Donald S; Schieffelin, John S; Boisen, Matt L; Goba, Augustine; Hartnett, Jessica N; Levy, Danielle C; Yenni, Rachael E; Moses, Lina M; Fullah, Mohammed; Momoh, Mambo; Fonnie, Mbalu; Fonnie, Richard; Kanneh, Lansana; Koroma, Veronica J; Kargbo, Kandeh; Ottomassathien, Darin; Muncy, Ivana J; Jones, Abigail B; Illick, Megan M; Kulakosky, Peter C; Haislip, Allyson M; Bishop, Christopher M; Elliot, Deborah H; Brown, Bethany L; Zhu, Hu; Hastie, Kathryn M; Andersen, Kristian G; Gire, Stephen K; Tabrizi, Shervin; Tariyal, Ridhi; Stremlau, Mathew; Matschiner, Alex; Sampey, Darryl B; Spence, Jennifer S; Cross, Robert W; Geisbert, Joan B; Folarin, Onikepe A; Happi, Christian T; Pitts, Kelly R; Geske, F Jon; Geisbert, Thomas W; Saphire, Erica Ollmann; Robinson, James E; Wilson, Russell B; Sabeti, Pardis C; Henderson, Lee A; Khan, S Humarr; Bausch, Daniel G; Branco, Luis M; Garry, Robert F

2014-03-01

Lassa fever (LF), an often-fatal hemorrhagic disease caused by Lassa virus (LASV), is a major public health threat in West Africa. When the violent civil conflict in Sierra Leone (1991 to 2002) ended, an international consortium assisted in restoration of the LF program at Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) in an area with the world's highest incidence of the disease. Clinical and laboratory records of patients presenting to the KGH Lassa Ward in the post-conflict period were organized electronically. Recombinant antigen-based LF immunoassays were used to assess LASV antigenemia and LASV-specific antibodies in patients who met criteria for suspected LF. KGH has been reestablished as a center for LF treatment and research, with over 500 suspected cases now presenting yearly. Higher case fatality rates (CFRs) in LF patients were observed compared to studies conducted prior to the civil conflict. Different criteria for defining LF stages and differences in sensitivity of assays likely account for these differences. The highest incidence of LF in Sierra Leone was observed during the dry season. LF cases were observed in ten of Sierra Leone's thirteen districts, with numerous cases from outside the traditional endemic zone. Deaths in patients presenting with LASV antigenemia were skewed towards individuals less than 29 years of age. Women self-reporting as pregnant were significantly overrepresented among LASV antigenemic patients. The CFR of ribavirin-treated patients presenting early in acute infection was lower than in untreated subjects. Lassa fever remains a major public health threat in Sierra Leone. Outreach activities should expand because LF may be more widespread in Sierra Leone than previously recognized. Enhanced case finding to ensure rapid diagnosis and treatment is imperative to reduce mortality. Even with ribavirin treatment, there was a high rate of fatalities underscoring the need to develop more effective and/or supplemental treatments for LF.

Changing trend? Sex ratios of children born to Indian immigrants in Norway revisited.

PubMed

Tønnessen, Marianne; Aalandslid, Vebjørn; Skjerpen, Terje

2013-09-05

In some Western countries, a disturbingly low share of girls has been observed among new-borns from Indian immigrants. Also in Norway, a previous study based on figures from 1969-2005 showed a high percentage of boys among children of Indian origin living in Norway, when the birth was of higher order (third birth or later). This was suggested to reflect a practice of sex-selective abortions in the Indian immigrant population. In this article we have seen whether extended time series for the period 2006-2012 give further support to this claim. Based on data from the Norwegian Central Population Register we used observations for the sex of all live births in Norway for the period 1969-2012 where the mother was born in India. The percentage of boys was calculated for each birth order, during four sub periods. Utilising a binomial probability model we tested whether the observed sex differences among Indian-born women were significantly different from sex differences among all births. Contrary to findings from earlier periods and other Western countries, we found that Indian-born women in Norway gave birth to more girls than boys of higher order in the period 2006-2012. This is somewhat surprising, since sex selection is usually expected to be stronger if the mother already has two or more children. The extended time series do not suggest a prevalence of sex selective abortions among Indian-born women in Norway. We discuss whether the change from a majority of boys to a majority of girls in higher order could be explained by new waves of immigrant women, by new preferences among long-residing immigrant women in Norway - or by mere coincidence.

A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of High-Dose Baclofen in Alcohol-Dependent Patients-The ALPADIR Study.

PubMed

Reynaud, Michel; Aubin, Henri-Jean; Trinquet, Francoise; Zakine, Benjamin; Dano, Corinne; Dematteis, Maurice; Trojak, Benoit; Paille, Francois; Detilleux, Michel

2017-07-01

Alcohol dependence is a major public health issue with a need for new pharmacological treatments. The ALPADIR study assessed the efficacy and safety of baclofen at the target dose of 180 mg/day for the maintenance of abstinence and the reduction in alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent patients. Three hundred and twenty adult patients (158 baclofen and 162 placebo) were randomized after alcohol detoxification. After a 7-week titration, the maintenance dose was provided for 17 weeks, then progressively decreased over 2 weeks before stopping. The percentage of abstinent patients during 20 consecutive weeks (primary endpoint) was low (baclofen: 11.9%; placebo: 10.5%) and not significantly different between groups (OR 1.20; 95%CI: 0.58 to 2.50; P = 0.618). A reduction in alcohol consumption was observed from month 1 in both groups, but the difference of 10.9 g/day at month 6 between groups, in favour of baclofen, was not statistically significant (P = 0.095). In a subgroup of patients with high drinking risk level at baseline, the reduction was greater with a difference at month 6 of 15.6 g/day between groups in favour of baclofen (P = 0.089). The craving assessed with Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale significantly decreased in the baclofen group (P = 0.017). No major safety concern was observed. This study did not demonstrate the superiority of baclofen in the maintenance of abstinence at the target dose of 180 mg/day. A tendency towards a reduction in alcohol consumption and a significantly decreased craving were observed in favour of baclofen. Baclofen was assessed versus placebo for maintenance of abstinence and reduction in alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent patients. This study did not demonstrate the superiority of baclofen in the maintenance of abstinence. A tendency towards a reduction in alcohol consumption and a significantly decreased craving were observed in favour of baclofen. © The Author 2017. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Can accretion disk properties observationally distinguish black holes from naked singularities?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovács, Z.; Harko, T.

2010-12-01

Naked singularities are hypothetical astrophysical objects, characterized by a gravitational singularity without an event horizon. Penrose has proposed a conjecture, according to which there exists a cosmic censor who forbids the occurrence of naked singularities. Distinguishing between astrophysical black holes and naked singularities is a major challenge for present day observational astronomy. In the context of stationary and axially symmetrical geometries, a possibility of differentiating naked singularities from black holes is through the comparative study of thin accretion disks properties around rotating naked singularities and Kerr-type black holes, respectively. In the present paper, we consider accretion disks around axially-symmetric rotating naked singularities, obtained as solutions of the field equations in the Einstein-massless scalar field theory. A first major difference between rotating naked singularities and Kerr black holes is in the frame dragging effect, the angular velocity of a rotating naked singularity being inversely proportional to its spin parameter. Because of the differences in the exterior geometry, the thermodynamic and electromagnetic properties of the disks (energy flux, temperature distribution and equilibrium radiation spectrum) are different for these two classes of compact objects, consequently giving clear observational signatures that could discriminate between black holes and naked singularities. For specific values of the spin parameter and of the scalar charge, the energy flux from the disk around a rotating naked singularity can exceed by several orders of magnitude the flux from the disk of a Kerr black hole. In addition to this, it is also shown that the conversion efficiency of the accreting mass into radiation by rotating naked singularities is always higher than the conversion efficiency for black holes, i.e., naked singularities provide a much more efficient mechanism for converting mass into radiation than black holes. Thus, these observational signatures may provide the necessary tools from clearly distinguishing rotating naked singularities from Kerr-type black holes.

Lightning Sensors for Observing, Tracking and Nowcasting Severe Weather

PubMed Central

Price, Colin

2008-01-01

Severe and extreme weather is a major natural hazard all over the world, often resulting in major natural disasters such as hail storms, tornados, wind storms, flash floods, forest fires and lightning damages. While precipitation, wind, hail, tornados, turbulence, etc. can only be observed at close distances, lightning activity in these damaging storms can be monitored at all spatial scales, from local (using very high frequency [VHF] sensors), to regional (using very low frequency [VLF] sensors), and even global scales (using extremely low frequency [ELF] sensors). Using sensors that detect the radio waves emitted by each lightning discharge, it is now possible to observe and track continuously distant thunderstorms using ground networks of sensors. In addition to the number of lightning discharges, these sensors can also provide information on lightning characteristics such as the ratio between intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning, the polarity of the lightning discharge, peak currents, charge removal, etc. It has been shown that changes in some of these lightning characteristics during thunderstorms are often related to changes in the severity of the storms. In this paper different lightning observing systems are described, and a few examples are provided showing how lightning may be used to monitor storm hazards around the globe, while also providing the possibility of supplying short term forecasts, called nowcasting. PMID:27879700

Surveillance of HIV antiretroviral drug resistance in treated individuals in England: 1998-2000.

PubMed

Scott, Paul; Arnold, Eve; Evans, Barry; Pozniak, Anton; Moyle, Graeme; Shahmenesh, Mohsen; White, David; Shirley, Jane; Cane, Patricia; Pillay, Deenan

2004-03-01

To establish a surveillance programme for HIV drug resistance within the UK covering the years from 1998 to 2000, following the introduction of triple combination antiretroviral therapy. Sentinel sites included large, medium sized and small clinical centres. Data were analysed until December 2000. Of nearly 300 samples tested, results from 91, 92 and 92 patients, respectively in 1998, 1999 and 2000, who were receiving HIV therapy with a viral load >2000 copies/mL, the majority had viruses with some degree of drug resistance. Overall, the presence of any resistance increased between 1998 and 1999, and fell again in 2000 (69% versus 88% versus 55%). However, major differences were observed between drug classes, such that non-nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance rose dramatically over the period studied. We show that this correlated with increased NNRTI prescribing. Furthermore, an overall increase in prevalence of viruses with resistance to one or more drugs within all three available classes was observed. A higher prevalence of drug resistance was observed in patients from smaller clinical centres. This is the first such sentinel surveillance dataset from the UK, and is unique in correlating these data with national antiretroviral prescribing patterns. Our findings are relevant to the increased transmission of HIV drug resistance observed over this period.

Biological effects of short-term, high-concentration exposure to methyl isocyanate. V. Morphologic evaluation of rat and guinea pig lungs

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

Fowler, E.H.; Dodd, D.E.; Troup, C.M.

1987-06-01

The morphologic changes induced in the lungs of rats and guinea pigs exposed to high concentrations of MIC vapor (100, 600, and 1000 ppm in the rat and 25, 125, 225, and 675 ppm in the guinea pig) for a short time (15 min) in a static exposure chamber were evaluated at varying postexposure periods (0, 1, 2, and 4, and 16 hr). The 675 ppm-exposed guinea pigs were evaluated only immediately following removal from the chamber. Attention was primarily focused on the intrapulmonary conducting airways and the parenchyma (gas exchange region) of the lungs. The severity of morphologic changesmore » observed by light microscopy was directly correlated with exposure concentration and time postexposure in both species. Specifically, degenerative changes were observed in the bronchial, bronchiolar, and alveolar epithelium in both species. Quantitative differences were observed; 100 ppm of MIC in the rat resulted in much less damage than did 125 ppm of MIC in the guinea pig. Morphologic evidence of sloughing of large sheets of conducting airway epithelium with fibrin buildup and increased mucus production resulted in plugging of major airways and atelectasis. These observations support the hypothesis that tissue hypoxia was a major contributing factor resulting in death.« less

Experimental investigation of variations in morphology, composition and mixing-state of boundary layer aerosol: A balloon based study over urban environment (New Delhi)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, S. K.; Ahlawat, A.; Khosla, D.; Sharma, C.; Prasad, M. V. S. N.; Singh, Sukhvir; Gupta, B.; Tulsi; Sethi, D.; Sinha, P. R.; Ojha, D. K.; Wiedensohler, A.; Kotnala, R. K.

2018-07-01

The morphology, composition, and complex mixing states of aerosol are extremely important physico-chemical properties which are the major inputs to the optical/radiative models. Though, ground based observations of the said properties are abundant but the vertical profiles of the same are very much limited throughout the globe. The information on the vertical heterogeneity of the aforementioned properties over a polluted environment like Delhi will be very helpful to develop a better understanding of the thermodynamics of the lower atmosphere. In present study, we carried out a tethered balloon based field campaign in National Physical Laboratory (28° 38‧ 10″ N, 77° 10‧ 17″ E) from 21 to 27 February 2014 to explore the vertical distribution of the said properties. Based on the microscopic observations, the bubbly shaped sulfate particles number percentage is less (5%) on the ground, abundant (49%) on altitude <350 m and nearly absent on altitude >350 m. At 500 m altitude, particles were majorly of spiked shape with elongated dimension ∼ 3-4 μm. The number percentage of the aged fractals has been found to increase by 4% in the 100-350 m range against the ground observations. Based on the bulk composition of non-carbonaceous species, at 200 m altitude, we observed significant amount (74%) of the oxides of sulfur compared to that of ground observations (30%) that could be due to temperature inversion and air parcel movement from IGP (Indo Gangetic Plain). Various core-shell type particle configurations have been observed at different altitudes. At 200 m altitude, particles were majorly aged with anionic species (like S, Cl and HSO4) and cationic species (like C2H5). The bulk and individual particle level data generated over Delhi environment in this experiment may improve our understanding of boundary layer aerosol and could provide the scientific insights of their probable effects on low level cloud formation.

Regional Climate Simulation and Data Assimilation with Variable-Resolution GCMs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox-Rabinovitz, Michael S.

2002-01-01

Variable resolution GCMs using a global stretched grid (SG) with enhanced regional resolution over one or multiple areas of interest represents a viable new approach to regional climateklimate change and data assimilation studies and applications. The multiple areas of interest, at least one within each global quadrant, include the major global mountains and major global monsoonal circulations over North America, South America, India-China, and Australia. They also can include the polar domains, and the European and African regions. The SG-approach provides an efficient regional downscaling to mesoscales, and it is an ideal tool for representing consistent interactions of globaYlarge- and regionallmeso- scales while preserving the high quality of global circulation. Basically, the SG-GCM simulations are no different from those of the traditional uniform-grid GCM simulations besides using a variable-resolution grid. Several existing SG-GCMs developed by major centers and groups are briefly described. The major discussion is based on the GEOS (Goddard Earth Observing System) SG-GCM regional climate simulations.

Effects of Antiadhesion preparation on free fibrinogen and fibrin degrading products in abdominal exudates of rabbits postoperatively

PubMed Central

Wang, You-Li; Pan, Cheng-En; Yang, Ping-Lin; Tian, Yuan; Pei, Shu-Wen; Dong, Ming

2004-01-01

AIM: To observe effects of ACOL on fibrinogen (FIB), fibrin degrading products (FDP) and changes of FIB and FDP concentration in rabbits with intro-abdominal exudates during 7 d after major abdominal surgery. METHODS: Sixty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups: ACOL group, the control group, DCT group and the normal group. After being modeled, except the normal group, the other 3 groups were treated with different ways for a week; the intro-abdominal exudates of rabbits in the 4 groups were drawn for FIB and FDP measurement once daily during 7 d after major abdominal surgery. RESULTS: FIB and FDP in the intro-abdominal exudates altered in a regular way and ACOL could change the concentration of FIB and FDP in the intra-abdominal exudates after major abdominal surgery. CONCLUSION: ACOL can prevent intestinal adhesion by reducing the concentration of FIB and raising that of FDP in the intro-abdominal exudates after major abdominal surgery. PMID:15309738

A randomised controlled trial of clinics in secondary schools for adolescents with asthma.

PubMed Central

Salisbury, Chris; Francis, Caia; Rogers, Chris; Parry, Kate; Thomas, Huw; Chadwick, Stephanie; Turton, Pat

2002-01-01

AIM: To compare a nurse-led clinic in schools versus care in general practice for adolescents with asthma. DESIGN OF STUDY: Randomised controlled trial in four schools; parallel observational study in two schools. SETTING: Six comprehensive schools. METHOD: In the randomised trial, pupils were invited to attend asthma review at a nurse-led clinic either in school, or in general practice. The parallel observational study compared pupils invited to practice care within and outside the randomised trial. Primary outcome measures were attendance for asthma review, symptom control, and quality of life. Secondary outcomes were knowledge, attitudes, inhaler technique, use of steroids, school absence, peak flow rate, preference for future care, health service utilisation, and costs. RESULTS: School clinic pupils were more likely to attend an asthma review than those randomised to practice care (90.8% versus 51.0% overall [P < 0.001, not consistent across schools]). No differences were observed in symptom control (P = 0.42) or quality of life (P = 0.63). Pupils attending school clinics had greater knowledge of asthma (difference = +0.38, 95% CI = 0.19 to 0.56), more positive attitudes (difference = +0.21, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.36), and better inhaler technique (P < 0.001, not consistent across all schools). No differences were observed in school absence or peak flow rate. A majority (63%) of those who had received care at school preferred this model in future. Median costs of providing care at school and at the practice were 32.10 Pounds and 19.80 Pounds, respectively. No differences were observed between the groups in the observational comparison on any outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The schools asthma clinic increased uptake of asthma reviews. There were improvements in various process measures, but not in clinical outcomes. PMID:12528584

LROC Stereo Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyer, Ross A.; Archinal, B.; Li, R.; Mattson, S.; Moratto, Z.; McEwen, A.; Oberst, J.; Robinson, M.

2009-09-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) will obtain two types of multiple overlapping coverage to derive terrain models of the lunar surface. LROC has two Narrow Angle Cameras (NACs), working jointly to provide a wider (in the cross-track direction) field of view, as well as a Wide Angle Camera (WAC). LRO's orbit precesses, and the same target can be viewed at different solar azimuth and incidence angles providing the opportunity to acquire `photometric stereo' in addition to traditional `geometric stereo' data. Geometric stereo refers to images acquired by LROC with two observations at different times. They must have different emission angles to provide a stereo convergence angle such that the resultant images have enough parallax for a reasonable stereo solution. The lighting at the target must not be radically different. If shadows move substantially between observations, it is very difficult to correlate the images. The majority of NAC geometric stereo will be acquired with one nadir and one off-pointed image (20 degree roll). Alternatively, pairs can be obtained with two spacecraft rolls (one to the left and one to the right) providing a stereo convergence angle up to 40 degrees. Overlapping WAC images from adjacent orbits can be used to generate topography of near-global coverage at kilometer-scale effective spatial resolution. Photometric stereo refers to multiple-look observations of the same target under different lighting conditions. LROC will acquire at least three (ideally five) observations of a target. These observations should have near identical emission angles, but with varying solar azimuth and incidence angles. These types of images can be processed via various methods to derive single pixel resolution topography and surface albedo. The LROC team will produce some topographic models, but stereo data collection is focused on acquiring the highest quality data so that such models can be generated later.

Social communication in siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus): use of gestures and facial expressions.

PubMed

Liebal, Katja; Pika, Simone; Tomasello, Michael

2004-01-01

The current study represents the first systematic investigation of the social communication of captive siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus). The focus was on intentional signals, including tactile and visual gestures, as well as facial expressions and actions. Fourteen individuals from different groups were observed and the signals used by individuals were recorded. Thirty-one different signals, consisting of 12 tactile gestures, 8 visual gestures, 7 actions, and 4 facial expressions, were observed, with tactile gestures and facial expressions appearing most frequently. The range of the signal repertoire increased steadily until the age of six, but declined afterwards in adults. The proportions of the different signal categories used within communicative interactions, in particular actions and facial expressions, also varied depending on age. Group differences could be traced back mainly to social factors or housing conditions. Differences in the repertoire of males and females were most obvious in the sexual context. Overall, most signals were used flexibly, with the majority performed in three or more social contexts and almost one-third of signals used in combination with other signals. Siamangs also adjusted their signals appropriately for the recipient, for example, using visual signals most often when the recipient was already attending (audience effects). These observations are discussed in the context of siamang ecology, social structure, and cognition.

Nutrition knowledge, and use and understanding of nutrition information on food labels among consumers in the UK.

PubMed

Grunert, Klaus G; Wills, Josephine M; Fernández-Celemín, Laura

2010-10-01

Based on in-store observations in three major UK retailers, in-store interviews (2019) and questionnaires filled out at home and returned (921), use of nutrition information on food labels and its understanding were investigated. Respondents' nutrition knowledge was also measured, using a comprehensive instrument covering knowledge of expert recommendations, nutrient content in different food products, and calorie content in different food products. Across six product categories, 27% of shoppers were found to have looked at nutrition information on the label, with guideline daily amount (GDA) labels and the nutrition grid/table as the main sources consulted. Respondents' understanding of major front-of-pack nutrition labels was measured using a variety of tasks dealing with conceptual understanding, substantial understanding and health inferences. Understanding was high, with up to 87.5% of respondents being able to identify the healthiest product in a set of three. Differences between level of understanding and level of usage are explained by different causal mechanisms. Regression analysis showed that usage is mainly related to interest in healthy eating, whereas understanding of nutrition information on food labels is mainly related to nutrition knowledge. Both are in turn affected by demographic variables, but in different ways.

Reliability and validity of the symptoms of major depressive illness.

PubMed

Mazure, C; Nelson, J C; Price, L H

1986-05-01

In two consecutive studies, we examined the interrater reliability and then the concurrent validity of interview ratings for individual symptoms of major depressive illness. The concurrent validity of symptoms was determined by assessing the degree to which symptoms observed or reported during an interview were observed in daily behavior. Results indicated that most signs and symptoms of major depression and melancholia can be reliably rated by clinicians during a semistructured interview. Ratings of observable symptoms (signs) assessed during the interview were valid indicators of dysfunction observed in daily behavior. Several but not all ratings based on patient report of symptoms were at variance with observation. These discordant patient-reported symptoms may have value as subjective reports but were not accurate descriptions of observed dysfunction.

Evaluation of major heat waves' mechanisms in EURO-CORDEX RCMs over Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lhotka, Ondřej; Kyselý, Jan; Plavcová, Eva

2018-06-01

The main aim of the study is to evaluate the capability of EURO-CORDEX regional climate models (RCMs) to simulate major heat waves in Central Europe and their associated meteorological factors. Three reference major heat waves (1994, 2006, and 2015) were identified in the E-OBS gridded data set, based on their temperature characteristics, length and spatial extent. Atmospheric circulation, precipitation, net shortwave radiation, and evaporative fraction anomalies during these events were assessed using the ERA-Interim reanalysis. The analogous major heat waves and their links to the aforementioned factors were analysed in an ensemble of EURO-CORDEX RCMs driven by various global climate models in the 1970-2016 period. All three reference major heat waves were associated with favourable circulation conditions, precipitation deficit, reduced evaporative fraction and increased net shortwave radiation. This joint contribution of large-scale circulation and land-atmosphere interactions is simulated with difficulties in majority of the RCMs, which affects the magnitude of modelled major heat waves. In some cases, the seemingly good reproduction of major heat waves' magnitude is erroneously achieved through extremely favourable circulation conditions compensated by a substantial surplus of soil moisture or vice versa. These findings point to different driving mechanisms of major heat waves in some RCMs compared to observations, which should be taken into account when analysing and interpreting future projections of these events.

Impact of arterial access site on outcomes after primary percutaneous coronary intervention: prespecified subgroup analysis from the EUROMAX trial.

PubMed

Hamon, Martial; Coste, Pierre; Van't Hof, Arnoud; Ten Berg, Jurrien; Clemmensen, Peter; Tabone, Xavier; Benamer, Hakim; Kristensen, Steen D; Cavallini, Claudio; Marzocchi, Antonio; Hamm, Christian; Kanic, Vojko; Bernstein, Debra; Anthopoulos, Prodromos; Deliargyris, Efthymios N; Steg, Philippe Gabriel

2015-06-01

In European Ambulance Acute Coronary Syndrome Angiography (EUROMAX), bivalirudin improved 30-day clinical outcomes with reduced major bleeding compared with heparins plus optional glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. We assessed whether choice of access site (radial or femoral) had an impact on 30-day outcomes and whether it interacted with the benefit of bivalirudin. In EUROMAX, choice of arterial access was left to operator discretion. Overall, 47% of patients underwent radial and 53% femoral access. Baseline risk was higher in the femoral access group. Unadjusted proportions for the primary outcome (death or noncoronary artery bypass graft protocol major bleeding at 30 days) were lower with radial access, however, without differences in major or major plus minor bleeding proportions. After multivariable adjustment, ischemic outcomes were no longer different between access site groups, except for a lower risk of stroke in radial patients. Bivalirudin was associated with lower proportions of the primary outcome in both the radial (odds ratio, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.33-1.03; P=0.058) and the femoral groups (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37-0.93; P=0.022; interaction P=0.97). Bleeding was significantly lower in the bivalirudin group both in the radial- and femoral-treated patients but no significant difference was observed in ischemic outcomes. In multivariable analysis, bivalirudin emerged as the only independent predictor of reduced major bleeding (odds ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.27-0.74; P=0.002). In this prespecified analysis from EUROMAX, radial access was preferred in lower risk patients and did not improve clinical outcomes. Bivalirudin was associated with less bleeding irrespective of access site. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01087723. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Fracture prediction and calibration of a Canadian FRAX® tool: a population-based report from CaMos

PubMed Central

Fraser, L.-A.; Langsetmo, L.; Berger, C.; Ioannidis, G.; Goltzman, D.; Adachi, J. D.; Papaioannou, A.; Josse, R.; Kovacs, C. S.; Olszynski, W. P.; Towheed, T.; Hanley, D. A.; Kaiser, S. M.; Prior, J.; Jamal, S.; Kreiger, N.; Brown, J. P.; Johansson, H.; Oden, A.; McCloskey, E.; Kanis, J. A.

2016-01-01

Summary A new Canadian WHO fracture risk assessment (FRAX®) tool to predict 10-year fracture probability was compared with observed 10-year fracture outcomes in a large Canadian population-based study (CaMos). The Canadian FRAX tool showed good calibration and discrimination for both hip and major osteoporotic fractures. Introduction The purpose of this study was to validate a new Canadian WHO fracture risk assessment (FRAX®) tool in a prospective, population-based cohort, the Canadian Multi-centre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos). Methods A FRAX tool calibrated to the Canadian population was developed by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases using national hip fracture and mortality data. Ten-year FRAX probabilities with and without bone mineral density (BMD) were derived for CaMos women (N=4,778) and men (N=1,919) and compared with observed fracture outcomes to 10 years (Kaplan–Meier method). Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate the contribution of individual FRAX variables. Results Mean overall 10-year FRAX probability with BMD for major osteoporotic fractures was not significantly different from the observed value in men [predicted 5.4% vs. observed 6.4% (95%CI 5.2–7.5%)] and only slightly lower in women [predicted 10.8% vs. observed 12.0% (95%CI 11.0–12.9%)]. FRAX was well calibrated for hip fracture assessment in women [predicted 2.7% vs. observed 2.7% (95%CI 2.2–3.2%)] but underestimated risk in men [predicted 1.3% vs. observed 2.4% (95%CI 1.7–3.1%)]. FRAX with BMD showed better fracture discrimination than FRAX without BMD or BMD alone. Age, body mass index, prior fragility fracture and femoral neck BMD were significant independent predictors of major osteoporotic fractures; sex, age, prior fragility fracture and femoral neck BMD were significant independent predictors of hip fractures. Conclusion The Canadian FRAX tool provides predictions consistent with observed fracture rates in Canadian women and men, thereby providing a valuable tool for Canadian clinicians assessing patients at risk of fracture. PMID:21161508

A journey through horse cloning.

PubMed

Gambini, Andrés; Maserati, Marc

2017-01-01

Interest in equine somatic cell nuclear transfer technology has increased significantly since the first equid clones were produced in 2003. This is demonstrated by the multiple commercial equine cloning companies having produced numerous cloned equids to date; worldwide, more than 370 cloned horses have been produced in at least six different countries. Equine cloning can be performed using several different approaches, each with different rates of success. In this review we cover the history and applications of equine cloning and summarise the major scientific advances in the development of this technology in horses. We explain the advantages and disadvantages of different procedures to produce cloned equine embryos and describe the current status of equine clone commercialisation, along with observations of differences in regional breed association registration regulations.

Physical activity and depression symptom profiles in young men and women with major depression.

PubMed

McKercher, Charlotte; Patton, George C; Schmidt, Michael D; Venn, Alison J; Dwyer, Terence; Sanderson, Kristy

2013-05-01

This study explored whether young adults with major depression who are physically active differ in their depression symptom profile from those physically inactive. Analyses included data from 950 (47.6%) men and 1045 women (mean [standard deviation] age = 31.5 [2.6] years) participating in a national study. Participants reported leisure physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and ambulatory activity (pedometer steps per day). Diagnosis and symptoms of major depression were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Prevalence of major depression was 5.5% (n = 52) for men and 11.6% (n = 121) for women. Interactions between physical activity and sex were observed for depressed mood, appetite changes, vacillating thoughts, and suicidality (all, p < .050). Among those with major depression, physically active men were significantly less likely to endorse the presence of insomnia (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63-0.96), fatigue (PR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.69-0.99), and suicidality (PR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.49-0.96) compared with inactive men. Physically active women were significantly less likely to endorse hypersomnia (PR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.27-0.95), excessive/irrational guilt (PR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.59-0.97), vacillating thoughts (PR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.58-0.95), and suicidality (PR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.20-0.89) compared with inactive women. Associations were adjusted for age, physical health, educational attainment, depression severity, and other depressive symptoms. Among adults with major depression, those physically active seem to differ in their depression symptom profile from those physically inactive.

Biological assessments of Appalachian streams based on predictive models for fish, macroinvertebrate, and diatom assemblages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlisle, D.M.; Hawkins, C.P.; Meador, M.R.; Potapova, M.; Falcone, J.

2008-01-01

We developed empirical models for fish, macroinvertebrate, and diatom assemblages to assess the biological condition of 268 streams sampled from 1993 to 2002 in 7 major river basins in the Appalachian region of the USA. These models estimate the expected taxonomic composition at each site based on observed variation in taxonomic composition at reference sites. The index, O/E, is the ratio of the number of predicted taxa that were observed (O) to that expected (E) to occur at a site and is a measure of taxonomic completeness. We compared how O/E for each assemblage varied among major landuse settings and whether impaired assemblages were associated with particular physicochemical conditions. We also examined concordance among assemblages in their response to stress. Biological, chemical, and physical data were collected following consistent protocols. We used land-cover criteria, published data, and topographic maps to classify sites by major landuse setting. Fish, macroinvertebrate, and diatom assemblages had been sampled at 73, 108, and 52, respectively, of the least disturbed sites used to establish reference conditions. The models accounted for a substantial portion of the natural variation in taxonomic composition across sites that was associated with biogeographic, climatic, and basin-scale factors and generally were unbiased across the range of environmental gradients observed in the region. Assessments at nonreference sites showed that impairment of fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages was most strongly associated with agriculture and urban land uses, whereas impairment of diatom assemblages was most strongly associated with mining in the basin. Concordance in assessments among assemblages was not strong. Assessments based on 2 assemblages differed in 28 to 57% of cases, and assessments were never concordant for cases where all 3 assemblages were sampled. Furthermore, only 1/2 of these cases would have been assessed as ecologically impaired had only 1 assemblage been sampled. Differences between observed and predicted frequencies of occurrence for individual taxa were generally consistent with known tolerances to environmental stressors and might aid in identifying causes of biological impairment. ?? 2008 by The North American Benthological Society.

Construction of the model for the Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 simulated data: genotype-phenotype relationships, gene interaction, linkage, association, disequilibrium, and ascertainment effects for a complex phenotype.

PubMed

Greenberg, David A; Zhang, Junying; Shmulewitz, Dvora; Strug, Lisa J; Zimmerman, Regina; Singh, Veena; Marathe, Sudhir

2005-12-30

The Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 simulated dataset was designed 1) To test the ability to find genes related to a complex disease (such as alcoholism). Such a disease may be given a variety of definitions by different investigators, have associated endophenotypes that are common in the general population, and is likely to be not one disease but a heterogeneous collection of clinically similar, but genetically distinct, entities. 2) To observe the effect on genetic analysis and gene discovery of a complex set of gene x gene interactions. 3) To allow comparison of microsatellite vs. large-scale single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. 4) To allow testing of association to identify the disease gene and the effect of moderate marker x marker linkage disequilibrium. 5) To observe the effect of different ascertainment/disease definition schemes on the analysis. Data was distributed in two forms. Data distributed to participants contained about 1,000 SNPs and 400 microsatellite markers. Internet-obtainable data consisted of a finer 10,000 SNP map, which also contained data on controls. While disease characteristics and parameters were constant, four "studies" used varying ascertainment schemes based on differing beliefs about disease characteristics. One of the studies contained multiplex two- and three-generation pedigrees with at least four affected members. The simulated disease was a psychiatric condition with many associated behaviors (endophenotypes), almost all of which were genetic in origin. The underlying disease model contained four major genes and two modifier genes. The four major genes interacted with each other to produce three different phenotypes, which were themselves heterogeneous. The population parameters were calibrated so that the major genes could be discovered by linkage analysis in most datasets. The association evidence was more difficult to calibrate but was designed to find statistically significant association in 50% of datasets. We also simulated some marker x marker linkage disequilibrium around some of the genes and also in areas without disease genes. We tried two different methods to simulate the linkage disequilibrium.

Comparing models of star formation simulating observed interacting galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quiroga, L. F.; Muñoz-Cuartas, J. C.; Rodrigues, I.

2017-07-01

In this work, we make a comparison between different models of star formation to reproduce observed interacting galaxies. We use observational data to model the evolution of a pair of galaxies undergoing a minor merger. Minor mergers represent situations weakly deviated from the equilibrium configuration but significant changes in star fomation (SF) efficiency can take place, then, minor mergers provide an unique scene to study SF in galaxies in a realistic but yet simple way. Reproducing observed systems also give us the opportunity to compare the results of the simulations with observations, which at the end can be used as probes to characterize the models of SF implemented in the comparison. In this work we compare two different star formation recipes implemented in Gadget3 and GIZMO codes. Both codes share the same numerical background, and differences arise mainly in the star formation recipe they use. We use observations from Pico dos Días and GEMINI telescopes and show how we use observational data of the interacting pair in AM2229-735 to characterize the interacting pair. Later we use this information to simulate the evolution of the system to finally reproduce the observations: Mass distribution, morphology and main features of the merger-induced star formation burst. We show that both methods manage to reproduce roughly the star formation activity. We show, through a careful study, that resolution plays a major role in the reproducibility of the system. In that sense, star formation recipe implemented in GIZMO code has shown a more robust performance. Acknowledgements: This work is supported by Colciencias, Doctorado Nacional - 617 program.

Validation of Modelled Ice Dynamics of the Greenland Ice Sheet using Historical Forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, M. J.; Price, S. F.; Howat, I. M.; Bonin, J. A.; Chambers, D. P.; Tezaur, I.; Kennedy, J. H.; Lenaerts, J.; Lipscomb, W. H.; Neumann, T.; Nowicki, S.; Perego, M.; Saba, J. L.; Salinger, A.; Guerber, J. R.

2015-12-01

Although ice sheet models are used for sea level rise projections, the degree to which these models have been validated by observations is fairly limited, due in part to the limited duration of the satellite observation era and the long adjustment time scales of ice sheets. Here we describe a validation framework for the Greenland Ice Sheet applied to the Community Ice Sheet Model by forcing the model annually with flux anomalies at the major outlet glaciers (Enderlin et al., 2014, observed from Landsat/ASTER/Operation IceBridge) and surface mass balance (van Angelen et al., 2013, calculated from RACMO2) for the period 1991-2012. The ice sheet model output is compared to ice surface elevation observations from ICESat and ice sheet mass change observations from GRACE. Early results show promise for assessing the performance of different model configurations. Additionally, we explore the effect of ice sheet model resolution on validation skill.

Sea Surface Wakes Observed by Spaceborne SAR in the Offshore Wind Farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaoming; Lehner, Susanne; Jacobsen, Sven

2014-11-01

In the paper, we present some X-band spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) TerraSAR-X (TS-X) images acquired at the offshore wind farms in the North Sea and the East China Sea. The high spatial resolution SAR images show different sea surface wake patterns downstream of the offshore wind turbines. The analysis suggests that there are major two types of wakes among the observed cases. The wind turbine wakes generated by movement of wind around wind turbines are the most often observed cases. In contrast, due to the strong local tidal currents in the near shore wind farm sites, the tidal current wakes induced by tidal current impinging on the wind turbine piles are also observed in the high spatial resolution TS-X images. The discrimination of the two types of wakes observed in the offshore wind farms is also described in the paper.

Dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation in patients taking chronic oral anticoagulation.

PubMed

Rogacka, Renata; Chieffo, Alaide; Michev, Iassen; Airoldi, Flavio; Latib, Azeem; Cosgrave, John; Montorfano, Matteo; Carlino, Mauro; Sangiorgi, Giuseppe M; Castelli, Alfredo; Godino, Cosmo; Magni, Valeria; Aranzulla, Tiziana C; Romagnoli, Enrico; Colombo, Antonio

2008-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients in whom long-term anticoagulation (AC) with warfarin is recommended. The optimal antithrombotic strategy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients receiving AC is unclear. Consecutive patients who underwent stent implantation and were discharged on triple therapy (defined as the combination of aspirin and thienopyridines and AC) were analyzed. Of the 127 patients with 224 lesions, 86.6% were men, with a mean age of 69.9 +/- 8.8 years. Drug-eluting stents (DES) were positioned in 71 (55.9%), and bare-metal stents (BMS) were positioned in 56 (44.1%) patients. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was the main indication (59.1%) for AC treatment. The mean triple therapy duration was 5.6 +/- 4.6 months, and clinical follow-up was 21.0 +/- 19.8 months. During the triple therapy period, 6 patients (4.7%) developed major bleeding complications; 67% occurred within the first month. No significant differences between DES and BMS were observed in the incidence of major (5.6% vs. 3.6%, respectively, p = 1.0) and minor (1.4% vs. 3.6%, respectively, p = 0.57) bleeding and mortality (5.6% vs. 1.8%, respectively, p = 0.39). A significant difference was observed in favor of DES in target vessel revascularization (14.1% vs. 26.8%, p = 0.041). While receiving triple therapy, major bleeding occurred in 4.7% of patients; one-half of the events were lethal, and most occurred within the first month.

Understanding London's Water Supply Tradeoffs When Scheduling Interventions Under Deep Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huskova, I.; Matrosov, E. S.; Harou, J. J.; Kasprzyk, J. R.; Reed, P. M.

2015-12-01

Water supply planning in many major world cities faces several challenges associated with but not limited to climate change, population growth and insufficient land availability for infrastructure development. Long-term plans to maintain supply-demand balance and ecosystem services require careful consideration of uncertainties associated with future conditions. The current approach for London's water supply planning utilizes least cost optimization of future intervention schedules with limited uncertainty consideration. Recently, the focus of the long-term plans has shifted from solely least cost performance to robustness and resilience of the system. Identifying robust scheduling of interventions requires optimizing over a statistically representative sample of stochastic inputs which may be computationally difficult to achieve. In this study we optimize schedules using an ensemble of plausible scenarios and assess how manipulating that ensemble influences the different Pareto-approximate intervention schedules. We investigate how a major stress event's location in time as well as the optimization problem formulation influence the Pareto-approximate schedules. A bootstrapping method that respects the non-stationary trend of climate change scenarios and ensures the even distribution of the major stress event in the scenario ensemble is proposed. Different bootstrapped hydrological scenario ensembles are assessed using many-objective scenario optimization of London's future water supply and demand intervention scheduling. However, such a "fixed" scheduling of interventions approach does not aim to embed flexibility or adapt effectively as the future unfolds. Alternatively, making decisions based on the observations of occurred conditions could help planners who prefer adaptive planning. We will show how rules to guide the implementation of interventions based on observations may result in more flexible strategies.

Inpatient satisfaction at different public sector hospitals of a metropolitan city in Pakistan: a comparative cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Hussain, Mehwish; Rehman, Rehana; Ikramuddin, Zia; Asad, Nava; Farooq, Ayesha

2018-04-01

To observe inpatient satisfaction at different public sector hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. A cross sectional study was carried out during 2010-2012 in four major public sector hospitals of Karachi. A total of 710 patients completed the study. Responses were gathered in a self-structured questionnaire that comprised of four dimensions of satisfaction with doctor, staff, administration and treatment. Average Score of each dimension was taken and compared using one way analysis of variance. Satisfaction with doctors, staff and administration of provincial and federal hospitals were comparatively similar (P > 0.05). However, satisfaction with treatment significantly differed in all four hospitals (P < 0.0001). Highest satisfaction with treatment was observed among inpatients of hospital running by medical institute (P < 0.0001). Comparison with respect to different departments revealed significant difference for treatment satisfaction of medicine and surgery units. Patients who were admitted from emergency mode acquired lowest satisfaction in all aspects. Response of inpatients from public sector hospitals showed satisfaction with healthcare personnel and related administration. However, treatment dimension needs to be improved to get more satisfaction.

Rapid small-scale column testing of granular activated carbon for organic micro-pollutant removal in treated domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Zietzschmann, F; Müller, J; Sperlich, A; Ruhl, A S; Meinel, F; Altmann, J; Jekel, M

2014-01-01

This study investigates the applicability of the rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) concept for testing of granular activated carbon (GAC) for organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) removal from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The chosen experimental setup was checked using pure water, WWTP effluent, different GAC products, and variable hydrodynamic conditions with different flow velocities and differently sized GAC, as well as different empty bed contact times (EBCTs). The setup results in satisfying reproducibility and robustness. RSSCTs in combination with WWTP effluent are effective when comparing the OMP removal potentials of different GAC products and are a useful tool for the estimation of larger filters. Due to the potentially high competition between OMPs and bulk organics, breakthrough curves are likely to have unfavorable shapes when treating WWTP effluent. This effect can be counteracted by extending the EBCT. With respect to the strong competition observed in GAC treatment of WWTP effluent, the small organic acid and neutral substances are retained longer in the RSSCT filters and are likely to cause the majority of the observed adsorption competition with OMPs.

Where Are the Baryons? III. Nonequilibrium Effects and Observables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cen, Renyue; Fang, Taotao

2006-10-01

A significant fraction (40%-50%) of baryons at the present epoch are predicted to be shock-heated to the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) by our previous numerical simulations. Here we recompute the evolution of the WHIM with several major improvements: (1) galactic superwind feedback processes from galaxy and star formation are explicitly included; (2) major metal species (O V to O IX) are computed explicitly in a nonequilibrium way; and (3) mass and spatial dynamic ranges are larger by factors of 8 and 2, respectively, than in our previous simulations. We find the following: (1) Nonequilibrium calculations produce significantly different results than do ionization equilibrium calculations. (2) The abundance of O VI absorption lines based on nonequilibrium simulations with galactic superwinds is in remarkably good agreement with the latest observations, strongly validating our model, while the predicted abundances for O VII and O VIII absorption lines appear to be lower than the still very uncertain observations. The expected abundances for O VI (as well as Lyα), O VII, and O VIII absorption systems are in the range 50-100 per unit redshift at equivalent width EW=1 km s-1, decreasing to 10-20 per unit redshift at EW=10 km s-1, to one to three lines for O VII and O VIII and negligible for O VI at EW>100 km s-1. (3) Emission lines, primarily O VI and Lyα in the UV and O VII and O VIII in soft X-rays, are potentially observable by future missions, and different lines provide complementary probes of the WHIM in the temperature-density-metallicity phase space. The number of emission lines per unit redshift that may be detectable by planned UV and soft X-ray missions are of order 0.1-1.

Baseline evaluation of hand hygiene compliance in three major hospitals, Isfahan, Iran.

PubMed

Ataei, B; Zahraei, S M; Pezeshki, Z; Babak, A; Nokhodian, Z; Mobasherizadeh, S; Hoseini, S G

2013-09-01

Hand hygiene is the mainstay of nosocomial infection prevention. This study was a baseline survey to assess hand hygiene compliance of healthcare workers by direct observation in three major hospitals of Isfahan, Iran. The use of different hand hygiene products was also evaluated. In 3078 potential opportunities hand hygiene products were available on 2653 occasions (86.2%). Overall compliance was 6.4% (teaching hospital: 7.4%; public hospital: 6.2%; private hospital: 1.4%). Nurses (8.4%) had the highest rates of compliance. Poor hand hygiene compliance in Isfahan hospitals necessitates urgent interventions to improve both hospital infrastructure and staff knowledge. © 2013 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bivariate drought frequency analysis using the copula method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirabbasi, Rasoul; Fakheri-Fard, Ahmad; Dinpashoh, Yagob

2012-04-01

Droughts are major natural hazards with significant environmental and economic impacts. In this study, two-dimensional copulas were applied to the analysis of the meteorological drought characteristics of the Sharafkhaneh gauge station, located in the northwest of Iran. Two major drought characteristics, duration and severity, as defined by the standardized precipitation index, were abstracted from observed drought events. Since drought duration and severity exhibited a significant correlation and since they were modeled using different distributions, copulas were used to construct the joint distribution function of the drought characteristics. The parameter of copulas was estimated using the method of the Inference Function for Margins. Several copulas were tested in order to determine the best data fit. According to the error analysis and the tail dependence coefficient, the Galambos copula provided the best fit for the observed drought data. Some bivariate probabilistic properties of droughts, based on the derived copula-based joint distribution, were also investigated. These probabilistic properties can provide useful information for water resource planning and management.

[Transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation and the related esophageal motor activities].

PubMed

Han, Seung Hyo; Hong, Su Jin

2012-03-01

Transient lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation (TLESR) is defined as LES relaxation without a swallow. TLESRs are observed in both of the normal individuals and the patients with gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD). However, TLESR is widely considered as the major mechanism of the GERD. The new equipments such as high resolution manometry and impedance pH study is helped to understand of TLESR and the related esophageal motor activities. The strong longitudinal muscle contraction was observed during development of TLESR. Most of TLESRs are terminated by TLESR related motor events such as primary peristalsis and secondary contractions. The majority of TLESRs are associated with gastroesophageal reflux. Upper esophageal sphincter (UES) contraction is mainly associated with liquid reflux during recumbent position and UES relaxation predominantly related with air reflux during upright position. The frequency of TLESR in GERD patients seems to be not different compared to normal individuals, but the refluxate of GERD patients tend to be more acidic during TLESR.

Patulin and secondary metabolite production by marine-derived Penicillium strains.

PubMed

Vansteelandt, Marieke; Kerzaon, Isabelle; Blanchet, Elodie; Fossi Tankoua, Olivia; Robiou Du Pont, Thibaut; Joubert, Yolaine; Monteau, Fabrice; Le Bizec, Bruno; Frisvad, Jens C; Pouchus, Yves François; Grovel, Olivier

2012-09-01

Genus Penicillium represents an important fungal group regarding to its mycotoxin production. Secondary metabolomes of eight marine-derived strains belonging to subgenera Furcatum and Penicillium were investigated using dereplication by liquid chromatography (LC)-Diode Array Detector (DAD)-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS. Each strain was grown on six different culture media to enhance the number of observable metabolites. Thirty-two secondary metabolites were detected in crude extracts with twenty first observations for studied species. Patulin, a major mycotoxin, was classically detected in extracts of Penicillium expansum, and was also isolated from Penicillium antarcticum cultures, whose secondary metabolome is still to be done. These detections constituted the first descriptions of patulin in marine strains of Penicillium, highlighting the risk for shellfish and their consumers due to the presence of these fungi in shellfish farming areas. Patulin induced acute neurotoxicity on Diptera larvae, indicating the interest of this bioassay as an additional tool for detection of this major mycotoxin in crude extracts. Copyright © 2012 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Widespread Pyrethroid and DDT Resistance in the Major Malaria Vector Anopheles funestus in East Africa Is Driven by Metabolic Resistance Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Mulamba, Charles; Riveron, Jacob M.; Ibrahim, Sulaiman S.; Irving, Helen; Barnes, Kayla G.; Mukwaya, Louis G.; Birungi, Josephine; Wondji, Charles S.

2014-01-01

Background Establishing the extent, geographical distribution and mechanisms of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors is a prerequisite for resistance management. Here, we report a widespread distribution of insecticide resistance in the major malaria vector An. funestus across Uganda and western Kenya under the control of metabolic resistance mechanisms. Methodology/Principal Findings Female An. funestus collected throughout Uganda and western Kenya exhibited a Plasmodium infection rate between 4.2 to 10.4%. Widespread resistance against both type I (permethrin) and II (deltamethrin) pyrethroids and DDT was observed across Uganda and western Kenya. All populations remain highly susceptible to carbamate, organophosphate and dieldrin insecticides. Knockdown resistance plays no role in the pyrethroid and DDT resistance as no kdr mutation associated with resistance was detected despite the presence of a F1021C replacement. Additionally, no signature of selection was observed on the sodium channel gene. Synergist assays and qRT-PCR indicated that metabolic resistance plays a major role notably through elevated expression of cytochrome P450s. DDT resistance mechanisms differ from West Africa as the L119F-GSTe2 mutation only explains a small proportion of the genetic variance to DDT resistance. Conclusion The extensive distribution of pyrethroid and DDT resistance in East African An. funestus populations represents a challenge to the control of this vector. However, the observed carbamate and organophosphate susceptibility offers alternative solutions for resistance management. PMID:25333491

In vitro studies of the antirhinovirus activity of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1.

PubMed Central

Arruda, E; Crump, C E; Marlin, S D; Merluzzi, V J; Hayden, F G

1992-01-01

We studied the in vitro antirhinovirus activity of a soluble form of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1). sICAM-1 inhibited the cytopathic effect of 10 representative human rhinovirus (HRV) serotypes of the major receptor group with, 50% effective concentrations (EC50s) of 0.1 to 7.9 micrograms/ml. Cell type-dependent variation in the inhibitory activity of sICAM-1 was observed for two major receptor group serotypes in HeLa cells (EC50, greater than 32 micrograms/ml), and no inhibitory effect was observed for two serotypes which use different cell receptors. Yield reduction assays showed that sICAM-1 inhibited the replication of HRV serotype 39 (HRV-39) in human adenoid explants in a concentration-dependent manner. No direct inactivation of infectivity of HRV-39 (EC50, 0.5 microgram/ml) was observed after incubation with sICAM-1 (32 micrograms/ml) for up to 24 h. Single-cycle-of-replication experiments with the addition of sICAM-1 at 10 micrograms/ml at different times showed that the inhibitory effect occurs only when sICAM-1 is added within 30 min after infection. In experiments in which absorption was carried out at 4 degrees C and then a single cycle of replication incubation was carried out at 33 degrees C, it was found that sICAM-1 at 10 micrograms/ml was inhibitory only when it was present during the absorption period. Our data show that sICAM-1 is inhibitory for representative major receptor group serotypes of HRV in two cell lines and human respiratory epithelium, that the interaction of sICAM-1 with HRV is readily reversible by dilution, and that the inhibitory effect of sICAM-1 on virus replication is present early in the infection cycle. PMID:1358025

Development and feasibility testing of the Pediatric Emergency Discharge Interaction Coding Scheme.

PubMed

Curran, Janet A; Taylor, Alexandra; Chorney, Jill; Porter, Stephen; Murphy, Andrea; MacPhee, Shannon; Bishop, Andrea; Haworth, Rebecca

2017-08-01

Discharge communication is an important aspect of high-quality emergency care. This study addresses the gap in knowledge on how to describe discharge communication in a paediatric emergency department (ED). The objective of this feasibility study was to develop and test a coding scheme to characterize discharge communication between health-care providers (HCPs) and caregivers who visit the ED with their children. The Pediatric Emergency Discharge Interaction Coding Scheme (PEDICS) and coding manual were developed following a review of the literature and an iterative refinement process involving HCP observations, inter-rater assessments and team consensus. The coding scheme was pilot-tested through observations of HCPs across a range of shifts in one urban paediatric ED. Overall, 329 patient observations were carried out across 50 observational shifts. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated in 16% of the observations. The final version of the PEDICS contained 41 communication elements. Kappa scores were greater than .60 for the majority of communication elements. The most frequently observed communication elements were under the Introduction node and the least frequently observed were under the Social Concerns node. HCPs initiated the majority of the communication. Pediatric Emergency Discharge Interaction Coding Scheme addresses an important gap in the discharge communication literature. The tool is useful for mapping patterns of discharge communication between HCPs and caregivers. Results from our pilot test identified deficits in specific areas of discharge communication that could impact adherence to discharge instructions. The PEDICS would benefit from further testing with a different sample of HCPs. © 2017 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Review of Regulatory Emphasis on Transportation Safety in the United States, 2002-2009: Public versus Private Modes.

PubMed

Waycaster, Garrett C; Matsumura, Taiki; Bilotkach, Volodymyr; Haftka, Raphael T; Kim, Nam H

2018-05-01

The U.S. Department of Transportation is responsible for implementing new safety improvements and regulations with the goal of ensuring limited funds are distributed to where they can have the greatest impact on safety. In this work, we conduct a study of new regulations and other reactions (such as recalls) to fatal accidents in several different modes of transportation implemented from 2002 to 2009. We find that in the safest modes of commercial aviation and bus transport, the amount of spending on new regulations is high in relation to the number of fatalities compared to the regulatory attention received by less safe modes of general aviation and private automobiles. Additionally, we study two major fatal accident investigations from commercial aviation and two major automotive recalls associated with fatal accidents. We find differences in the cost per expected fatality prevented for these reactions, with the airline accident investigations being more cost effective. Overall, we observe trends in both the automotive and aviation sectors that suggest that public transportation receives more regulatory attention than private transport. We also observe that the types of safety remedies utilized, regulation versus investigation, have varying levels of effectiveness in different transport modes. We suggest that these differences are indicative of increased public demand for safety in modes where a third party may be held responsible, even for those not participating in the transportation. These findings have important implications for the transportation industry, policymakers, and for estimating the public demand for safety in new transport modes. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Hemispheric Differences in the Annual Cycle of Tropical Lower Stratosphere Transport and Tracers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tweedy, O. V.; Waugh, D. W.; Stolarski, R. S.; Oman, Luke D.; Randel, W. J.; Abalos, M.

2017-01-01

Transport in the tropical lower stratosphere plays a major role in determining the composition of the entire stratosphere. Previous studies that quantified the relative role of transport processes have generally assumed well-mixed tropics and focused on tropical-�wide average characteristics. However, it has recently been shown that there is a hemispheric difference in the annual cycle of tropical lower stratosphere ozone and other tracers, with a larger amplitude in the northern tropics (NT) than in the southern tropics (ST). In this study, we examined the ability of chemistry climate models (CCMs) to reproduce the hemispheric differences in ozone (O3) and other tracers (i.e., hydrochloric acid, or HCl and nitrous oxide, or N2O), and then use the CCMs to examine the cause of these differences. Examination of CCM simulations from the CCMVal-2 project shows that the majority of the CCMs produce the observed feature of a larger annual cycle in the NT than ST O3 and other tracers. However, only around a third of the models produce an ozone annual cycle similar to that observed. Transformed Eulerian Mean analysis of two of the CCMs shows that seasonality in vertical advection drives the seasonality in ST O3 and N2O while seasonality of horizontal mixing drives the seasonality in NT O3 and N2O, with a large increase in horizontal mixing during northern summer (associated with the Asian monsoon). Thus, latitudinal and longitudinal variations within the tropics have to be considered to fully understand the balance between transport processes in tropical lower stratosphere.

Enhancement of immune response induced by DNA vaccine cocktail expressing complete LACK and TSA genes against Leishmania major.

PubMed

Ghaffarifar, Fatemeh; Jorjani, Ogholniaz; Sharifi, Zohreh; Dalimi, Abdolhossein; Hassan, Zuhair M; Tabatabaie, Fatemeh; Khoshzaban, Fariba; Hezarjaribi, Hajar Ziaei

2013-04-01

Leishmaniasis is an important disease in humans. Leishmania homologue of receptor for Activated C Kinase (LACK) and thiol specific antioxidant (TSA) as immuno-dominant antigens of Leishmania major are considered the most promising molecules for a DNA vaccine. We constructed a DNA cocktail, containing plasmids encoding LACK and TSA genes of Leishmania major and evaluated the immune response and survival rate in BALB/c mice. IgG and Interferon gamma values were noticeably increased in the immunized group with DNA cocktail vaccine, which were significantly higher than those in the single-gene vaccinated and control groups (p < 0.05) following the immunization and after challenging with Leishmania major. Interleukin 4 values were decreased in all immunized groups, but only in DNA vaccine cocktail and single-gene vaccination with pc-LACK there were statistical differences with control groups (p > 0.05). The immunized mice with the cocktail DNA vaccine presented a considerable reduction in diameter of lesion compared to other groups and a significant difference was observed (p < 0.05) in this regard. The survival time of the immunized mice with the cocktail DNA vaccine was significantly higher than that in the other groups (p < 0.05) after their being challenged with Leishmania major. The findings of this study indicated that the cocktail DNA vaccine increased the cellular response and survival rate and induced protection against infection with Leishmania in the mice. © 2012 The Authors © 2012 APMIS.

Leukocyte Populations in Human Preterm and Term Breast Milk Identified by Multicolour Flow Cytometry

PubMed Central

Trend, Stephanie; de Jong, Emma; Lloyd, Megan L.; Kok, Chooi Heen; Richmond, Peter; Doherty, Dorota A.; Simmer, Karen; Kakulas, Foteini; Strunk, Tobias; Currie, Andrew

2015-01-01

Background Extremely preterm infants are highly susceptible to bacterial infections but breast milk provides some protection. It is unknown if leukocyte numbers and subsets in milk differ between term and preterm breast milk. This study serially characterised leukocyte populations in breast milk of mothers of preterm and term infants using multicolour flow cytometry methods for extended differential leukocyte counts in blood. Methods Sixty mothers of extremely preterm (<28 weeks gestational age), very preterm (28–31 wk), and moderately preterm (32–36 wk), as well as term (37–41 wk) infants were recruited. Colostrum (d2–5), transitional (d8–12) and mature milk (d26–30) samples were collected, cells isolated, and leukocyte subsets analysed using flow cytometry. Results The major CD45+ leukocyte populations circulating in blood were also detectable in breast milk but at different frequencies. Progression of lactation was associated with decreasing CD45+ leukocyte concentration, as well as increases in the relative frequencies of neutrophils and immature granulocytes, and decreases in the relative frequencies of eosinophils, myeloid and B cell precursors, and CD16- monocytes. No differences were observed between preterm and term breast milk in leukocyte concentration, though minor differences between preterm groups in some leukocyte frequencies were observed. Conclusions Flow cytometry is a useful tool to identify and quantify leukocyte subsets in breast milk. The stage of lactation is associated with major changes in milk leukocyte composition in this population. Fresh preterm breast milk is not deficient in leukocytes, but shorter gestation may be associated with minor differences in leukocyte subset frequencies in preterm compared to term breast milk. PMID:26288195

Sex differences of gray matter morphology in cortico-limbic-striatal neural system in major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Kong, Lingtao; Chen, Kaiyuan; Womer, Fay; Jiang, Wenyan; Luo, Xingguang; Driesen, Naomi; Liu, Jie; Blumberg, Hilary; Tang, Yanqing; Xu, Ke; Wang, Fei

2013-06-01

Sex differences are observed in both epidemiological and clinical aspects of major depressive disorder (MDD). The cortico-limbic-striatal neural system, including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and striatum, have shown sexually dimorphic morphological features and have been implicated in the dysfunctional regulation of mood and emotion in MDD. In this study, we utilized a whole-brain, voxel-based approach to examine sex differences in the regional distribution of gray matter (GM) morphological abnormalities in medication-naïve participants with MDD. Participants included 29 medication-naïve individuals with MDD (16 females and 13 males) and 33 healthy controls (HC) (17 females and 16 males). Gray matter morphology of the cortico-limbic-striatal neural system was examined using voxel-based morphometry analyzes of high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. The main effect of diagnosis and interaction effect of diagnosis by sex on GM morphology were statistically significant (p < 0.05, corrected) in the left ventral prefrontal cortex, right amygdala, right hippocampus and bilateral caudate when comparing the MDD and HC groups. Posthoc analyzes showed that females with MDD had significant GM decreases in limbic regions (p < 0.05, corrected), compared to female HC; while males with MDD demonstrated significant GM reduction in striatal regions, (p < 0.05, corrected), compared to HC males. The observed sex-related patterns of abnormalities within the cortico-limbic-strial neural system, such as predominant prefrontal-limbic abnormalities in MDD females vs. predominant prefrontal-striatal abnormalities in MDD males, suggest differences in neural circuitry that may mediate sex differences in the clinical presentation of MDD and potential targets for sex-differentiated treatment of the disorder. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of river discharge on abundance and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria along the East Coast of India.

PubMed

Prasad, V R; Srinivas, T N R; Sarma, V V S S

2015-06-15

In order to examine the influence of discharge from different rivers from peninsular India and urban sewage on intensity and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria, a study was carried out during peak discharge period along coastal Bay of Bengal. The coastal Bay received freshwater inputs from the river Ganges while Godavari and Krishna contributed to the south. Contrasting difference in salinity, temperature, nutrients and organic matter was observed between north and south east coast of India. The highest heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacterial abundance was observed in the central coastal Bay that received urban sewage from the major city. Intensity and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria displayed linear relation with magnitude of discharge. The coliform load was observed up to 100km from the coast suggesting that marine waters were polluted during the monsoon season and its impact on the ecosystem needs further studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence for strong lateral seismic velocity variation in the lower crust and upper mantle beneath the California margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lai, Voon; Graves, Robert; Wei, Shengji; Helmberger, Don

2017-01-01

Regional seismograms from earthquakes in Northern California show a systematic difference in arrival times across Southern California where long period (30–50 seconds) SH waves arrive up to 15 seconds earlier at stations near the coast compared with sites towards the east at similar epicentral distances. We attribute this time difference to heterogeneity of the velocity structure at the crust-mantle interface beneath the California margin. To model these observations, we propose a fast seismic layer, with thickness growing westward from the San Andreas along with a thicker and slower continental crust to the east. Synthetics generated from such a model are able to match the observed timing of SH waveforms better than existing 3D models. The presence of a strong upper mantle buttressed against a weaker crust has a major influence in how the boundary between the Pacific plate and North American plate deforms and may explain the observed asymmetric strain rate across the boundary.

Role of UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 in the Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics of Silymarin Flavonolignans in Patients with HCV and NAFLD.

PubMed

Xie, Ying; Miranda, Sonia R; Hoskins, Janelle M; Hawke, Roy L

2017-01-15

Silymarin is the most commonly used herbal medicine by patients with chronic liver disease. Silymarin flavonolignans undergo rapid first-pass metabolism primarily by glucuronidation. The aims of this investigation were: (1) to determine the association of UGT1A1*28 polymorphism with the area under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUCs) for silybin A (SA) and silybin B (SB); (2) to evaluate the effect of UGT1A1*28 polymorphism on the profile of flavonolignan glucuronide conjugates found in the plasma; and (3) to investigate the role of UGT1A1 enzyme kinetics on the pharmacokinetics of SA and SB. AUCs and metabolic ratios for thirty-three patients with chronic liver disease administered oral doses of silymarin were compared between different UGT1A1*28 genotypes. The AUCs, metabolic ratios, and the profiles of major SA and SB glucuronides did not differ significantly among the three UGT1A1 genotypes. In contrast, an increase in the proportion of sulfated flavonolignan conjugates in plasma was observed in subjects with UGT1A1*28/*28 genotype compared to subjects carrying wild type alleles. Differences in SA and SB in vitro intrinsic clearance estimates for UGTIA1 correlated inversely with SA and SB exposures observed in vivo indicating a major role for UGT1A1 in silymarin metabolism. In addition, a significant difference in the metabolic ratio observed between patients with NAFLD and HCV suggests that any effect of UGT1A1 polymorphism may be obscured by a greater effect of liver disease on the pharmacokinetics of silymarin. Taken together, these results suggest the presence of the UGT1A1*28 allele does not contribute significantly to a large inter-subject variability in the pharmacokinetics of silybin A and silybin B which may obscure the ability to detect beneficial effects of silymarin in patients with liver disease.

Insights on chaotic dynamics: mixing experiments between natural silicate melts from Vulcano island (Aeolian Islands, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossi, Stefano; Morgavi, Daniele; Vetere, Francesco; Petrelli, Maurizio; Perugini, Diego

2017-04-01

keywords: Magma mixing, chaotic dynamics, time series experiments Magma mixing is a petrologic phenomenon which is recognized as potential trigger of highly explosive eruptions and its evidence is commonly observable in natural rocks. Here we tried to replicate the dynamic conditions of mixing performing a set of chaotic mixing experiments between shoshonitic and rhyolitic magmas from Vulcano island. Vulcano is the southernmost island of the Aeolian Archipelago (Aeolian Islands, Italy); it is completely built by volcanic rocks with variable degree of evolution ranging from basalt to rhyolite (e.g. Keller 1980; Ellam et al. 1988; De Astis 1995; De Astis et al. 2013) and its magmatic activity dates back to about 120 ky. Last eruption occurred in 1888-1890. The chaotic mixing experiments were performed by using the new ChaOtic Magma Mixing Apparatus (COMMA), held at the Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia. This new experimental device allows to track the evolution of the mixing process and the associated modulation of chemical composition between different magmas. Experiments were performed at 1200°C and atmospheric pressure with a viscosity ratio higher than three orders of magnitude. The experimental protocol was chosen to ensure the occurrence of chaotic dynamics in the system and the run duration was progressively increased (e.g. 10.5 h, 21 h, 42 h). The products of each experiment are crystal-free glasses in which the variation of major elements was investigated along different profiles using electron microprobe (EMPA) at Institute für Mineralogie, Leibniz Universität of Hannover (Germany). The efficiency of the mixing process is estimated by calculating the decrease of concentration variance in time and it is shown that the variance of major elements exponentially decays. Our results confirm and quantify how different chemical elements homogenize in the melt at differing rates. It is also observable that the mixing structures generated during the mixing experiments are topologically identical to those observed in natural mixed volcanic rocks.

Finding consistency between different views of the absorption enhancement of black carbon: An observationally constrained hybrid model to support a transition in optical properties with mass fraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coe, H.; Allan, J. D.; Whitehead, J.; Alfarra, M. R. R.; Villegas, E.; Kong, S.; Williams, P. I.; Ting, Y. C.; Haslett, S.; Taylor, J.; Morgan, W.; McFiggans, G.; Spracklen, D. V.; Reddington, C.

2015-12-01

The mixing state of black carbon is uncertain yet has a significant influence on the efficiency with which a particle absorbs light. In turn, this may make a significant contribution to the uncertainty in global model predictions of the black carbon radiative budget. Previous modelling studies that have represented this mixing state using a core-shell approach have shown that aged black carbon particles may be considerably enhanced compared to freshly emitted black carbon due to the addition of co-emitted, weakly absorbing species. However, recent field results have demonstrated that any enhancement of absorption is minor in the ambient atmosphere. Resolving these differences in absorption efficiency is important as they will have a major impact on the extent to which black carbon heats the atmospheric column. We have made morphology-independent measurements of refractory black carbon mass and associated weakly absorbing material in single particles from laboratory-generated diesel soot and black carbon particles in ambient air influenced by traffic and wood burning sources and related these to the optical properties of the particles. We compared our calculated optical properties with optical models that use varying mixing state assumptions and by characterising the behaviour in terms of the relative amounts of weakly absorbing material and black carbon in a particle we show a sharp transition in mixing occurs. We show that the majority of black carbon particles from traffic-dominated sources can be treated as externally mixed and show no absorption enhancement, whereas models assuming internal mixing tend to give the best estimate of the absorption enhancement of thickly coated black carbon particles from biofuel or biomass burning. This approach reconciles the differences in absorption enhancement previously observed and offers a systematic way of treating the differences in behaviour observed.

The impact of oxygen on the transcriptome of recombinant S. cerevisiae and P. pastoris - a comparative analysis.

PubMed

Baumann, Kristin; Dato, Laura; Graf, Alexandra B; Frascotti, Gianni; Dragosits, Martin; Porro, Danilo; Mattanovich, Diethard; Ferrer, Pau; Branduardi, Paola

2011-05-09

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris are two of the most relevant microbial eukaryotic platforms for the production of recombinant proteins. Their known genome sequences enabled several transcriptomic profiling studies under many different environmental conditions, thus mimicking not only perturbations and adaptations which occur in their natural surroundings, but also in industrial processes. Notably, the majority of such transcriptome analyses were performed using non-engineered strains.In this comparative study, the gene expression profiles of S. cerevisiae and P. pastoris, a Crabtree positive and Crabtree negative yeast, respectively, were analyzed for three different oxygenation conditions (normoxic, oxygen-limited and hypoxic) under recombinant protein producing conditions in chemostat cultivations. The major differences in the transcriptomes of S. cerevisiae and P. pastoris were observed between hypoxic and normoxic conditions, where the availability of oxygen strongly affected ergosterol biosynthesis, central carbon metabolism and stress responses, particularly the unfolded protein response. Steady state conditions under low oxygen set-points seemed to perturb the transcriptome of S. cerevisiae to a much lesser extent than the one of P. pastoris, reflecting the major tolerance of the baker's yeast towards oxygen limitation, and a higher fermentative capacity. Further important differences were related to Fab production, which was not significantly affected by oxygen availability in S. cerevisiae, while a clear productivity increase had been previously reported for hypoxically grown P. pastoris. The effect of three different levels of oxygen availability on the physiology of P. pastoris and S. cerevisiae revealed a very distinct remodelling of the transcriptional program, leading to novel insights into the different adaptive responses of Crabtree negative and positive yeasts to oxygen availability. Moreover, the application of such comparative genomic studies to recombinant hosts grown in different environments might lead to the identification of key factors for efficient protein production.

Deconstructing the differences: a comparison of GBD 2010 and CHERG's approach to estimating the mortality burden of diarrhea, pneumonia, and their etiologies.

PubMed

Kovacs, Stephanie D; Mullholland, Kim; Bosch, Julia; Campbell, Harry; Forouzanfar, Mohammad H; Khalil, Ibrahim; Lim, Stephen; Liu, Li; Maley, Stephen N; Mathers, Colin D; Matheson, Alastair; Mokdad, Ali H; O'Brien, Kate; Parashar, Umesh; Schaafsma, Torin T; Steele, Duncan; Hawes, Stephen E; Grove, John T

2015-01-16

Pneumonia and diarrhea are leading causes of death for children under five (U5). It is challenging to estimate the total number of deaths and cause-specific mortality fractions. Two major efforts, one led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and the other led by the World Health Organization (WHO)/Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) created estimates for the burden of disease due to these two syndromes, yet their estimates differed greatly for 2010. This paper discusses three main drivers of the differences: data sources, data processing, and covariates used for modelling. The paper discusses differences in the model assumptions for etiology-specific estimates and presents recommendations for improving future models. IHME's Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2010 study estimated 6.8 million U5 deaths compared to 7.6 million U5 deaths from CHERG. The proportional differences between the pneumonia and diarrhea burden estimates from the two groups are much larger; GBD 2010 estimated 0.847 million and CHERG estimated 1.396 million due to pneumonia. Compared to CHERG, GBD 2010 used broader inclusion criteria for verbal autopsy and vital registration data. GBD 2010 and CHERG used different data processing procedures and therefore attributed the causes of neonatal death differently. The major difference in pneumonia etiologies modeling approach was the inclusion of observational study data; GBD 2010 included observational studies. CHERG relied on vaccine efficacy studies. Greater transparency in modeling methods and more timely access to data sources are needed. In October 2013, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) hosted an expert meeting to examine possible approaches for better estimation. The group recommended examining the impact of data by systematically excluding sources in their models. GBD 2.0 will use a counterfactual approach for estimating mortality from pathogens due to specific etiologies to overcome bias of the methods used in GBD 2010 going forward.

Extending Linear Models to Non-Linear Contexts: An In-Depth Study about Two University Students' Mathematical Productions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esteley, Cristina; Villarreal, Monica; Alagia, Humberto

2004-01-01

This research report presents a study of the work of agronomy majors in which an extension of linear models to non-linear contexts can be observed. By linear models we mean the model y=a.x+b, some particular representations of direct proportionality and the diagram for the rule of three. Its presence and persistence in different types of problems…

Geostationary satellite observations of the april 1979 soufriere eruptions.

PubMed

Krueger, A F

1982-06-04

Infrared images from the geostationary satellite SMS-1 were used to study the growth of the eight major eruptions of Soufriere, St. Vincent, during April 1979. These eruptions differed considerably in growth and intensity, the most intense being that of 17 April which formed an ash cloud of 96,000 square kilometers in 4 hours. The weakest eruption formed a cloud of only 16,000 square kilometers.

Anomalous proximity effect in an inhomogeneous disordered superconductor.

PubMed

Escoffier, W; Chapelier, C; Hadacek, N; Villégier, J-C

2004-11-19

By combining very low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy on a TiN film we have observed a nonuniform state comprising of superconducting (S) and normal (N) areas. The local density of states displays a spatial dependence between S and N different from the usual proximity effect. We conclude that mesoscopic fluctuations might play a major role in accordance with recent theories describing superconductor-normal-metal quantum transition.

Microsatellite Analysis of Museum Specimens Reveals Historical Differences in Genetic Diversity between Declining and More Stable Bombus Species

PubMed Central

Maebe, Kevin; Meeus, Ivan; Ganne, Maarten; De Meulemeester, Thibaut; Biesmeijer, Koos; Smagghe, Guy

2015-01-01

Worldwide most pollinators, e.g. bumblebees, are undergoing global declines. Loss of genetic diversity can play an essential role in these observed declines. In this paper, we investigated the level of genetic diversity of seven declining Bombus species and four more stable species with the use of microsatellite loci. Hereto we genotyped a unique collection of museum specimens. Specimens were collected between 1918 and 1926, in 6 provinces of the Netherlands which allowed us to make interspecific comparisons of genetic diversity. For the stable species B. pascuorum, we also selected populations from two additional time periods: 1949–1955 and 1975–1990. The genetic diversity and population structure in B. pascuorum remained constant over the three time periods. However, populations of declining bumblebee species showed a significantly lower genetic diversity than co-occurring stable species before their major declines. This historical difference indicates that the repeatedly observed reduced genetic diversity in recent populations of declining bumblebee species is not caused solely by the decline itself. The historically low genetic diversity in the declined species may be due to the fact that these species were already rare, making them more vulnerable to the major drivers of bumblebee decline. PMID:26061732

Rapid spectral and flux time variations in a solar burst observed at various dm-mm wavelengths and at hard X-rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zodivaz, A. M.; Kaufmann, P.; Correia, E.; Costa, J. E. R.; Takakura, T.; Cliver, E. W.; Tapping, K. F.

1986-01-01

A solar burst was observed with high sensitivity and time resolution at cm-mm wavelengths by two different radio observatories (Itapetinga and Algonquin), with high spectral time resolution at dm-mm wavelengths by patrol instruments (Sagamore Hill), and at hard X-rays (HXM Hinotori). At the onset of the major burst time structure there was a rapid rise in the spectral turnover frequency (from 5 to 15 GHz), in about 10s, coincident to a reduction of the spectral index in the optically thin part of the spectrum. The burst maxima were not time coincident at the optically thin radio frequencies and at the different hard X-ray energy ranges. The profiles at higher radio frequencies exhibited better time coincidence to the high energy X-rays. The hardest X-ray spectrum (-3) coincided with peak radio emission at the higher frequency (44 GHz). The event appeared to be built up by a first major injection of softer particles followed by other injections of harder particles. Ultrafast time structures were identified as superimposed on the burst emission at the cm-mm high sensitivity data at X-rays, with predominant repetition rates ranging from 2.0 to 3.5 Hz.

Observational constraints on the global atmospheric CO2 budget

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tans, Pieter P.; Fung, Inez Y.; Takahashi, Taro

1990-01-01

Observed atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and data on the partial pressures of CO2 in surface ocean waters are combined to identify globally significant sources and sinks of CO2. The atmospheric data are compared with boundary layer concentrations calculated with the transport fields generated by a general circulation model (GCM) for specified source-sink distributions. In the model the observed north-south atmospheric concentration gradient can be maintained only if sinks for CO2 are greater in the Northern than in the Southern Hemisphere. The observed differences between the partial pressure of CO2 in the surface waters of the Northern Hemisphere and the atmosphere are too small for the oceans to be the major sink of fossil fuel CO2. Therefore, a large amount of the CO2 is apparently absorbed on the continents by terrestrial ecosystems.

Analysis of Large Seeds from Three Different Medicago truncatula Ecotypes Reveals a Potential Role of Hormonal Balance in Final Size Determination of Legume Grains

PubMed Central

Bandyopadhyay, Kaustav; Uluçay, Orhan; Şakiroğlu, Muhammet; Udvardi, Michael K.; Verdier, Jerome

2016-01-01

Legume seeds are important as protein and oil source for human diet. Understanding how their final seed size is determined is crucial to improve crop yield. In this study, we analyzed seed development of three accessions of the model legume, Medicago truncatula, displaying contrasted seed size. By comparing two large seed accessions to the reference accession A17, we described mechanisms associated with large seed size determination and potential factors modulating the final seed size. We observed that early events during embryogenesis had a major impact on final seed size and a delayed heart stage embryo development resulted to large seeds. We also observed that the difference in seed growth rate was mainly due to a difference in embryo cell number, implicating a role of cell division rate. Large seed accessions could be explained by an extended period of cell division due to a longer embryogenesis phase. According to our observations and recent reports, we observed that auxin (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) ratio could be a key determinant of cell division regulation at the end of embryogenesis. Overall, our study highlights that timing of events occurring during early seed development play decisive role for final seed size determination. PMID:27618017

Calibration Improvements in the Detector-to-Detector Differences for the MODIS Ocean Color Bands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Yonghong; Angal, Amit; Wu, Aisheng; Geng, Xu; Link, Daniel; Xiong, Xiaoxiong

2016-01-01

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a major instrument within NASAs Earth Observation System missions, has operated for over 16 and 14 years onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites, respectively. Its reflective solar bands (RSB) covering a spectral range from 0.4 to 2.1 micrometers are primarily calibrated using the on-board solar diffuser(SD), with its on-orbit degradation monitored using the Solar Diffuser Stability Monitor. RSB calibrations are supplemented by near-monthly lunar measurements acquired from the instruments space-view port. Nine bands (bands 8-16) in the visible to near infrared spectral range from 0.412 to 0.866 micrometers are primarily used for ocean color observations.During a recent reprocessing of ocean color products, performed by the NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group, detector-to-detector differences of up to 1.5% were observed in bands 13-16 of Terra MODIS. This paper provides an overview of the current approach to characterize the MODIS detector-to-detector differences. An alternative methodology was developed to mitigate the observed impacts for bands 13-16. The results indicated an improvement in the detector residuals and in turn are expected to improve the MODIS ocean color products. This paper also discusses the limitations,subsequent enhancements, and the improvements planned for future MODIS calibration collections.

Reducing uncertainty in risk assessment by using specific knowledge to replace default options.

PubMed

McClellan, R O

1996-01-01

This paper has advocated the development of specific scientific information, especially information on the mechanisms of action of chemicals, to use in place of default options in assessing human cancer risks. Four examples have been discussed that build largely on information from the CIIT research program. These four examples are worthy of consideration as a group, with a view to developing insights for increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of obtaining such data in the future and, most of all, to increase their acceptance for use instead of default options. In my view, key features of all four examples are that the data are framed within an exposure-dose-response paradigm and that there is a clear linkage to the end point of concern-cancer. As the number of techniques available for making observations at the cellular and molecular levels continues to increase at a rapid pace, linking these observations to the health end points of concern such as cancer is going to be increasingly important, especially in enhancing the value of the observations for risk assessment purposes. Equally as important, the mechanistic observations must be linked to realistic exposures and associated tissue dose that can be related to realistic human exposure scenarios. In my opinion, the likelihood of obtaining information of value for risk assessment purposes using the most sophisticated of molecular and cellular techniques will be of limited value if the exposures or doses are not realistically linked to those likely to be encountered by humans. The mechanism of alpha 2u-globulin nephropathy and its association with kidney tumors in male rats and the conclusion that the male rat kidney tumor findings are not applicable to assessing human cancer risk is an example of a qualitative decision. I suspect this may be a somewhat unusual case. As one looks across the various mammalian species used for experimentation and makes comparisons with humans, a unifying theme is the relative abundance of similarities. Indeed, this is a major argument for the use of laboratory animals to obtain information relevant to humans. Nonetheless, vigilance to differences among species is important. When differences are observed, we must capitalize on them to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms that mediate the differences. If, as I have suggested, laboratory animal species are more like than different from humans in their basic biological characteristics, there is a rationale for continuing to use laboratory animals as sources of data to help assess human risks of exposure to chemicals. It follows from this that quantitative differences among species such as observed with both formaldehyde and 1,3-butadiene assume major importance for assessing human risks. In my opinion, quantitation of the likely human carcinogenic potency of chemicals is of major importance. It is not sufficient to simply classify chemicals with regard to the likelihood of their being human carcinogens, as done by IARC (1994) and U.S. EPA (1986). IARC has placed more than 60 chemicals or processes (such as coke production) in group 1, carcinogenic to humans; more than 50 in group 2a, probably carcinogenic to humans; and 250 in group 2b, possibly carcinogenic to humans. This rank order implies differing levels of concern for three categories. However, even this rough three-bin system does not convey a very clear picture as to the degree of concern that should be accorded a given chemical for producing cancer. For example, the chemicals categorized as group 1, human carcinogens, using potency estimates developed by the U.S. EPA differ in potency by roughly 4 orders of magnitude. For example, a lifetime cancer risk is 6.2 x 10(-2) per micrograms/m3 for bischloromethyl ether and 8.3 x 10(-6) for benzene (NRC, 1994). Differences such as this offer strong arguments for complementing simplistic hazard identification schemes such as the IARC and EPA carcinogen classification systems w

Visible absorbance spectra: A basis for in situ and passive remote sensing of phytoplankton concentration and community composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farmer, F. H.; Jarrett, O., Jr.; Brown, C. A., Jr.

1983-01-01

The concentration and composition of phytoplankton populations are measured by an optical method which can be used either in situ or remotely. This method is based upon the in vivo light absorption characteristics of phytoplankton. To provide a data base for testing assumptions relative to the proposed method, visible absorbance spectra of pure cultures of 20 marine phytoplankton were obtained under laboratory conditions. Descriptive and analytical statistics were computed for the absorbance spectra and were used to make comparisons between members of major taxonomic groups and between groups. Spectral variation between the members of the major taxonomic groups was observed to be considerably less than the spectral variation between these groups. In several cases the differences between the mean absorbance spectra of major taxonomic groups are significant enough to be detected with passive remote sensing techniques.

Identifying mediating factors of moral reasoning in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeidler, Dana L.; Schafer, Larry E.

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

A dynamic melting model for the origin of Apollo 15 olivine-normative and quartz-normative mare basalts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vetter, Scott K.; Shervais, John W.

1993-01-01

Early studies of mare basalts from the Apollo 15 site established that two distinct groups are represented: the olivine-normative basalts (ONB) and the quartz-normative basalts (QNB). The ONB and QNB suites are distinguished petrographically by their phenocryst assemblages (the ONB's are olivine-phyric, the QNB's are generally pyroxene-phyric) and chemically by their major element compositions: the QNB's are higher in SiO2 and MgO/FeO, and lower in FeO and TiO2 than ONB's with similar MgO contents. Experimental data show that the QNB suite is derived from a more magnesian, olivine-normative parent magma, a conclusion which is supported by the recent discovery of high-SiO2 olivine-normative basalt clasts in breccia 15498. The high-SiO2 ONB's fall on olivine control lines with primitive QNB's, and least-squares mixing calculations are consistent with the high-SiO2 ONB's being parental to the more evolved QNB suite. These high-SiO2 ONB's are included as part of the 'QNB suite'. Our major element modeling results also are consistent with the conclusions of earlier studies which showed that the ONB and QNB suites cannot be related to one another by low pressure crystal fractionation. The combination of high Mg#, high SiO2, and low TiO2 in the QNB suite precludes a relationship to the ONB suite by simple removal of liquidus minerals (olivine and pigeonite). Despite these significant differences in petrography and major element composition, both groups have nearly identical trace element concentrations and chondrite-normalized abundance patterns. The major question to be addressed by any petrogenetic model for Apollo 15 mare basalts is how to form mare basalt suites with distinctly different major element characteristics but nearly identical trace element compositions. The similarity in trace element concentrations imply compositionally similar source regions and similar percent melting, but these conclusions are not easily reconciled with the observed differences in major element compositions, which require sources with distinct mineralogies or large differences in percent melt.

Ti-doped ZnO Thin Films Prepared at Different Ambient Conditions: Electronic Structures and Magnetic Properties

PubMed Central

Yong, Zhihua; Liu, Tao; Uruga, Tomoya; Tanida, Hajime; Qi, Dongchen; Rusydi, Andrivo; Wee, Andrew T. S.

2010-01-01

We present a comprehensive study on Ti-doped ZnO thin films using X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Ti K edge XAFS spectra were measured to study the electronic and chemical properties of Ti ions in the thin films grown under different ambient atmospheres. A strong dependence of Ti speciation, composition, and local structures upon the ambient conditions was observed. The XAFS results suggest a major tetrahedral coordination and a 4+ valence state. The sample grown in a mixture of 80% Ar and 20% O2 shows a portion of precipitates with higher coordination. A large distortion was observed by the Ti substitution in the ZnO lattice. Interestingly, the film prepared in 80% Ar, 20% O2 shows the largest saturation magnetic moment of 0.827 ± 0.013 µB/Ti.

Research designs and making causal inferences from health care studies.

PubMed

Flannelly, Kevin J; Jankowski, Katherine R B

2014-01-01

This article summarizes the major types of research designs used in healthcare research, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational studies. Observational studies are divided into survey studies (descriptive and correlational studies), case-studies and analytic studies, the last of which are commonly used in epidemiology: case-control, retrospective cohort, and prospective cohort studies. Similarities and differences among the research designs are described and the relative strength of evidence they provide is discussed. Emphasis is placed on five criteria for drawing causal inferences that are derived from the writings of the philosopher John Stuart Mill, especially his methods or canons. The application of the criteria to experimentation is explained. Particular attention is given to the degree to which different designs meet the five criteria for making causal inferences. Examples of specific studies that have used various designs in chaplaincy research are provided.

HIV-Related Knowledge and Perceptions by Academic Major: Implications for University Interventions.

PubMed

Smith, Matthew Lee; La Place, Lisa L; Menn, Mindy; Wilson, Kelly L

2014-01-01

Most universities offer human sexuality courses, although they are not required for graduation. While students in health-related majors may receive sexuality education in formal settings, majority of college students never receive formal sexual health or HIV/AIDS-related education, which may lead to elevated engagement in high-risk sexual behaviors. This study examines perceived knowledge about HIV/AIDS, perceived risk, and perceived consequences among college students by two distinct classifications of academic majors. Data were collected from 510 college students. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions were performed to compare HIV-related covariates by academic major category. Limited differences were observed by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics categorization. Relative to health and kinesiology majors, those who self-reported being "completely knowledgeable" about HIV were less likely to be physical sciences, mathematics, engineering, and business (PMEB) (OR = 0.41, P = 0.047) or education, humanities, and social sciences majors (OR = 0.25, P = 0.004). PMEB majors were less likely to report behavioral factors as a risk for contracting HIV (OR = 0.86, P = 0.004) and perceived acquiring HIV would be more detrimental to their quality of life (OR = 2.14, P = 0.012), but less detrimental to their mental well-being (OR = 0.58, P = 0.042). Findings can inform college-wide campaigns and interventions to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and improve college health.

The plumbotectonic model for Pb isotopic systematics among major terrestrial reservoirs - A case for bi-directional transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zartman, Robert E.; Haines, Sara M.

1988-06-01

Version IV of plumbotectonics expands and refines the original model of DOE and ZARTMAN (1979) and ZARTMAN and DOE (1981) for explaining Pb (Sr, and Nd) isotopic systematics among major terrestrial reservoirs. A case for bi-directional transport among reservoirs is based on the observed isotopic compositions for different tectonic settings, and finds a rationale in the kinetics of plate tectonics. Chemical fractionation and radioactive decay create isotopic differences during periods of isolation of one reservoir from another, whereas dynamic processes allowing mixing between reservoirs tend to reduce these differences. Observed isotopic characteristics reflect a balance between these opposing tendencies and provide constraints on the extent and timing of fractionation and mixing processes. Plumbotectonics does not require interaction with a lower mantle or core reservoir over most of the Earth's lifetime, and, in fact, achieves a material balance consistent with no such exchange of material. Important evidence of the amount and timing of crustal recycling, and of the residence times of mantle heterogeneities lies in the coupled 207Pb /204Pb- 206 Pb 204Pb systematics. We believe that examination of the published data base fully supports our contention of significant bi-directional transport of material among terrestrial reservoirs. Plumbotectonics allows us to explore many aspects of reservoir interaction, and to identify parameters that provide meaningful constraints on mantle-crust differentiation. We put forth a compromise fit to many of the model variables in version IV, which can serve as a reference for future work.

Formation Of Nitrous Acid In Various Environments And Its Contribution To Hydroxyl Radical Budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Lu, K.; Liu, Y.; Rohrer, F.; Häseler, R.; Bohn, B.; Fuchs, H.; Hofzumahaus, A.; Wahner, A.; Kiendler-Scharr, A.; Zeng, L.; Zhang, Y.

2017-12-01

Nitrous acid (HONO) is an important trace gas in the atmosphere due to its contribution to the cycles of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrogen oxides (HOx). Yet the formation mechanism of HONO during daytime remains large uncertainty. In the past ten years, we performed ground HONO measurements using the LOPAP technique in different seasons in two major mega-city areas, i.e., North China Plain and Pearl River Delta. Spatial distribution of HONO over different regions in Europe was also observed by the same technique on-board the Zeppelin NT airship in 2012 and 2013. For all field observations, parameters (OH, HO2, NOx, photolysis frequencies, aerosols, etc.) influencing the HONO budget were measured simultaneous, which allows us to investigate the source of HONO and its contribution to the hydroxyl radical budget. In this presentation, we summarize the general features of HONO in the planetary boundary layer in terms of its daytime concentration, spatial distribution, and source strength, and contribution to the primary OH production. Various proposed HONO formation mechanisms have been tested in order to explain the widely exited missing daytime HONO production of 100 - 200 ppt h-1 . We will show that there is not a stand alone mechanism can be used for explaining the HONO formation in various environments. Design of field experiments which effectively separate different physical and chemical processes would be helpful to pin down the major daytime HONO source and to understand its influence on the hydroxyl radical budget.

Leishmanicidal activity of the Agaricus blazei Murill in different Leishmania species.

PubMed

Valadares, Diogo G; Duarte, Mariana C; Oliveira, Jamil S; Chávez-Fumagalli, Miguel A; Martins, Vivian T; Costa, Lourena E; Leite, João Paulo V; Santoro, Marcelo M; Régis, Wiliam C B; Tavares, Carlos A P; Coelho, Eduardo A F

2011-12-01

Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem, and the alarming spread of parasite resistance underlines the importance of discovering new therapeutic products. The present study aims to investigate the in vitro leishmanicidal activity of an Agaricus blazei Murill mushroom extract as compared to different Leishmania species and stages. The water extract proved to be effective against promastigote and amastigote-like stages of Leishmania amazonensis, L. chagasi, and L. major, with IC(50) (50% inhibitory concentration) values of 67.5, 65.8, and 56.8 μg/mL for promastigotes, and 115.4, 112.3, and 108.4 μg/mL for amastigotes-like respectively. The infectivity of the three Leishmania species before and after treatment with the water extract was analyzed, and it could be observed that 82%, 57%, and 73% of the macrophages were infected with L. amazonensis, L. major, and L. chagasi, respectively. However, when parasites were pre-incubated with the water extract, and later used to infect macrophages, they were able to infect only 12.7%, 24.5%, and 19.7% of the phagocytic cells for L. amazonensis, L. chagasi, and L. major, respectively. In other experiments, macrophages were infected with L. amazonensis, L. chagasi, or L. major, and later treated with the aforementioned extract, presented reductions of 84.4%, 79.6%, and 85.3% in the parasite burden after treatment. A confocal microscopy revealed the loss of the viability of the parasites within the infected macrophages after treatment with the water extract. The applied extract presented a low cytotoxicity in murine macrophages and a null hemolytic activity in type O(+) human red blood cells. No nitric oxide (NO) production, nor inducible nitric oxide syntase expression, could be observed in macrophages after stimulation with the water extract, suggesting that biological activity may be due to direct mechanisms other than macrophage activation by means of NO production. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that the A. blazei Murill water extract can potentially be used as a therapeutic alternative on its own, or in association with other drugs, to treat Visceral and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plasma fluoxetine concentrations and clinical improvement in an adolescent sample diagnosed with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Blázquez, Ana; Mas, Sergi; Plana, Maria Teresa; Gassó, Patricia; Méndez, Iria; Torra, Mercè; Arnaiz, Joan Albert; Lafuente, Amàlia; Lázaro, Luisa

2014-06-01

Fluoxetine (FLX) has been one of the most widely studied selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in adolescents. Despite its efficacy, however, 30% to 40% of patients do not respond to treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether clinical improvement or adverse events are related to the corrected dose of FLX at 8 and 12 weeks after starting treatment in a sample of adolescents diagnosed with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder. Seventy-four subjects aged between 10 and 17 years participated in the study. Clinical improvement was measured with the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale, whereas the UKU (Udvalg for Klinske Undersogelser) scale was administered to assess adverse effects of treatment. Fluoxetine per kilograms of body weight was related to serum concentration of FLX, NORFLX (norfluoxetine), FLX + NORFLX, and FLX/NORFLX. No relationship was found between dose-corrected FLX levels and therapeutic or adverse effects. No differences in serum concentrations were found between responders and nonresponders to treatment. Sex differences were observed in relation to dose and FLX serum concentration. The analysis by diagnosis revealed differences in FLX dose between obsessive-compulsive disorder patients and both generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder patients. Fluoxetine response seems to be influenced by factors such as sex, diagnosis, or certain genes that might be involved in the drug's pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Clinical and pharmacogenetic studies are needed to elucidate further the differences between treatment responders and nonresponders.

Modelling the Cost Effectiveness of Disease-Modifying Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Thompson, Joel P.; Abdolahi, Amir; Noyes, Katia

2013-01-01

Several cost-effectiveness models of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) have been developed for different populations and different countries. Vast differences in the approaches and discrepancies in the results give rise to heated discussions and limit the use of these models. Our main objective is to discuss the methodological challenges in modelling the cost effectiveness of treatments for MS. We conducted a review of published models to describe the approaches taken to date, to identify the key parameters that influence the cost effectiveness of DMTs, and to point out major areas of weakness and uncertainty. Thirty-six published models and analyses were identified. The greatest source of uncertainty is the absence of head-to-head randomized clinical trials. Modellers have used various techniques to compensate, including utilizing extension trials. The use of large observational cohorts in recent studies aids in identifying population-based, ‘real-world’ treatment effects. Major drivers of results include the time horizon modelled and DMT acquisition costs. Model endpoints must target either policy makers (using cost-utility analysis) or clinicians (conducting cost-effectiveness analyses). Lastly, the cost effectiveness of DMTs outside North America and Europe is currently unknown, with the lack of country-specific data as the major limiting factor. We suggest that limited data should not preclude analyses, as models may be built and updated in the future as data become available. Disclosure of modelling methods and assumptions could improve the transferability and applicability of models designed to reflect different healthcare systems. PMID:23640103

Major Variations in HIV-1 Capsid Assembly Morphologies Involve Minor Variations in Molecular Structures of Structurally Ordered Protein Segments*

PubMed Central

Lu, Jun-Xia; Bayro, Marvin J.; Tycko, Robert

2016-01-01

We present the results of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments on HIV-1 capsid protein (CA) assemblies with three different morphologies, namely wild-type CA (WT-CA) tubes with 35–60 nm diameters, planar sheets formed by the Arg18-Leu mutant (R18L-CA), and R18L-CA spheres with 20–100 nm diameters. The experiments are intended to elucidate molecular structural variations that underlie these variations in CA assembly morphology. We find that multidimensional solid state NMR spectra of 15N,13C-labeled CA assemblies are remarkably similar for the three morphologies, with only small differences in 15N and 13C chemical shifts, no significant differences in NMR line widths, and few differences in the number of detectable NMR cross-peaks. Thus, the pronounced differences in morphology do not involve major differences in the conformations and identities of structurally ordered protein segments. Instead, morphological variations are attributable to variations in conformational distributions within disordered segments, which do not contribute to the solid state NMR spectra. Variations in solid state NMR signals from certain amino acid side chains are also observed, suggesting differences in the intermolecular dimerization interface between curved and planar CA lattices, as well as possible differences in intramolecular helix-helix packing. PMID:27129282

Carbon monoxide levels measured in major commuting corridors covering different landuse and roadway microenvironments in Hong Kong

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, L. Y.; Liu, Y. M.; Lee, S. C.; Chan, C. Y.

Vehicle exhaust is the major source of pollutant in modern cities. About half of Hong Kong residents are living in suburban or rural areas. They need to traverse through tunnels, highways, urban street canyons and other road conditions in different landuse areas when they traverse to work in urban centres or new towns. Also, there is increasing traffic, especially trucks across the border between Hong Kong and mainland China via several border highways. This study helps us in assessing the exposure level of suburban and cross border commuters. Carbon monoxide (CO) is used as a tracer for traffic emission. An experimental vehicle traversing major commuting corridors were used to measure CO levels in different landuse and roadway microenvironments including tunnels and highways. The air samples were taken simultaneously at the outside and inside of a travelling vehicle. Result indicates that the pattern of fluctuation of the out-vehicle and in-vehicle CO level vary with different landuse areas. The variation pattern of in-vehicle CO level is closely related to that of out-vehicle level. The effects of the out-vehicle CO concentration on the in-vehicle CO concentration under different roadway conditions in various landuse categories are examined. There is an indication that external air pollutants penetrated into the in-vehicle compartment through car body cracks, ventilation system. From our observation, the exhaust of a nearby petrol vehicle contributed significantly to the in-vehicle CO level. The use of low standard of diesel fuel from Shenzhen in mainland China leads to higher CO level near border area.

Thalassemia major and consanguinity in Shiraz city, Iran.

PubMed

Asadi-Pooya, Ali Akbar; Doroudchi, Mehrnoosh

2004-09-05

Beta-thalassemia is among the most common genetic disorders in the world and in Iran, with widespread occurrence. A cross-sectional study on 648 beta-thalassemia patients in Shiraz, Iran was carried out to determine the demography of beta-thalassemia major in Shiraz city, Fars province, Iran and also the rate of consanguinity and the significance of pre-marriage counseling in decreasing familial marriages and consequently preventing this autosomal recessive genetic disease. All interviewed patients had thalassemia major and their age, sex, and the consanguinity between parents were recorded. 40.6% of beta-thalassemia patients were outcomes of first-cousin marriages. Comparison of the percentages of familial marriages (consanguinity) between parents of beta-thalassemia patients and a sample of normal population, revealed a statistically significant difference (p< 0.00001). A nonstatistically significant difference was observed between male (53.5%) and female (46.5%) thalassemia patients. Comparison of data with the situation in 22 years ago revealed a 16.4% decrease in familial marriages among thalassemic families, however, more education and awareness of young women and men about the increased risk of beta-thalassemia after familial marriage through pre-marriage counseling is still necessary.

Improvement of horizontal macular contraction after surgical removal of epiretinal membranes.

PubMed

Yang, H K; Kim, S J; Jung, Y S; Kim, K G; Kim, J H; Yu, H G

2011-06-01

To determine whether horizontal macular contraction caused by epiretinal membranes (ERMs) improves after surgical removal. In this prospective, single-center, observational study, 63 consecutive patients with unilateral idiopathic ERM in one eye and no retinal disease in the fellow eye underwent pars plana vitrectomy. Fundus photography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed preoperatively and at 3 months postoperatively. The area enclosed by superior and inferior major vessels from the optic disc to the fovea (area under major vessel (AUV)) and the macroscopic diverging angle (MDA) between superior and inferior major vessels were calculated using digital image analysis of fundus photographs and compared pre- and postoperatively. AUV was significantly smaller in the eyes with ERM compared with the normal fellow eyes (P<0.001). Significant postoperative change in AUV and MDA was demonstrated after ERM removal (P<0.001). However, postoperative AUV of grade 2 and 3 ERM eyes was still significantly smaller than that of normal fellow eyes. Macular thickness differences measured with stratus OCT were positively correlated with AUV differences. Retinal topographic changes caused by ERM improved in part after ERM removal. The improvement of topographic changes were correlated with tomographic changes detected with OCT.

Effects of proline cis-trans isomerization on TB domain secondary structure.

PubMed Central

Yuan, X.; Werner, J. M.; Knott, V.; Handford, P. A.; Campbell, I. D.; Downing, K.

1998-01-01

The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) binding protein-like (TB) domain is found principally in proteins localized to extracellular matrix fibrils, including human fibrillin-1, the defective protein in the Marfan syndrome. Analysis of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data for the sixth TB module from human fibrillin-1 has revealed the existence of two stable conformers that differ in the isomerization states of two proline residues. Unusually, the two isoforms do not readily interconvert and are stable on the time scale of milliseconds. We have computed independent structures of the major and minor conformers of TB6 to assess how the domain fold adjusts to incorporate alternatively cis- or trans-prolines. Based on previous observations, it has been suggested that multiple conformers can only be accommodated in flexible regions of protein structure. In contrast, P22, which exists in trans in the major form and cis in the minor form of TB6, is in a rigid region of the domain, which is confirmed by backbone dynamics measurements. Overall, the structures of the major and minor conformers are similar. However, the secondary structure topologies of the two forms differ as a direct consequence of the changes in proline conformation. PMID:9792099

Text vectorization based on character recognition and character stroke modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Zhigang; Zhou, Bingfeng; Tse, Francis; Mu, Yadong; He, Tao

2014-03-01

In this paper, a text vectorization method is proposed using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and character stroke modeling. This is based on the observation that for a particular character, its font glyphs may have different shapes, but often share same stroke structures. Like many other methods, the proposed algorithm contains two procedures, dominant point determination and data fitting. The first one partitions the outlines into segments and second one fits a curve to each segment. In the proposed method, the dominant points are classified as "major" (specifying stroke structures) and "minor" (specifying serif shapes). A set of rules (parameters) are determined offline specifying for each character the number of major and minor dominant points and for each dominant point the detection and fitting parameters (projection directions, boundary conditions and smoothness). For minor points, multiple sets of parameters could be used for different fonts. During operation, OCR is performed and the parameters associated with the recognized character are selected. Both major and minor dominant points are detected as a maximization process as specified by the parameter set. For minor points, an additional step could be performed to test the competing hypothesis and detect degenerated cases.

The effects of rotation on the surface composition and yields of low mass AGB stars.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristallo, S.; Piersanti, L.; Straniero, O.

Over the past 20 years, stellar evolutionary models have been strongly improved in order to reproduce with reasonable accuracy both photometric and spectroscopic observations. Notwithstanding, the majority of these models do not take into account macroscopic phenomena, like rotation and/or magnetic fields. Their explicit treatment could modify stellar physical and chemical properties. One of the most interesting problems related to stellar nucleosynthesis is the behavior of the s-process spectroscopic indexes ([hs/ls] and [Pb/hs]) in Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. In this contribution we show that, for a fixed metallicity, rotation can lead to a spread in the [hs/ls] and [Pb/hs] in low-mass AGB stars. In particular, we demonstrate that the Eddington-Sweet and the Goldreich-Schubert-Fricke instabilities may have enough time to smear the 13C-pocket (the major neutron source) and the 14N-pocket (the major neutron poison). In fact, a different overlap between these pockets leads to a different neutrons-to-seeds ratio, with important consequences on the corresponding s-process distributions. Possible consequences on the chemical evolution of Galactic globular clusters are discussed.

[What's a framework without its frame?].

PubMed

Delorme, André; Gilbert, Michel

2014-01-01

In 2005, the Québec Ministry of Health launched a major reform of its Mental Health services. This reform aimed both the type of services (collaborative care; community care) and the structure (shift to primary care venues) in which these services where offered. Any major reform must be supported by different means. This article will review which means are best suited to do this and up to what point these where used to support the implementation of the reform. It will also help in preparing for the upcoming launch of the next Mental Health Plan of Action by the Québec Ministry of Health. The authors exchanged on several occasions on their observations and thoughts on the subject. Any major health reform must be supported by different means. Some are related to legislation or government policies, but these alone are insufficient. Others means include academic and continuing development actions, service accreditation or certification and user participation in policy and implementation stages of service delivery. If some means of support are easily invested, some are neglected. An effort should be made to use all available means to support the upcoming Plan of Action. User involvement seems particularly promising.

H-11-linked gene has a parallel effect on Leishmania major and L. donovani infections in mice

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

Blackwell, J.M.; Hale, C.; Roberts, M.B.

1985-01-01

The courses of visceral infection following intravenous injection of Leishmania donovani amastigotes, or lesion growth following subcutaneous injection of L. major promastigotes, were examined in B10.129(10M) (H-2b, H-11b) mice and compared with disease profiles observed in congenic C57BL/10ScSn(= B10) (H-2b, H-11a) and B10.D2/n (H-2d, H-11a) mice, and in BALB/mice. Possession of alternative alleles at H-11 and closely linked loci transformed the normal curing/healing phenotype of B10 mice into a characteristically different noncuring/nonhealing phenotype affecting both visceral and subcutaneous infections in B10.129(10M) mice. In reciprocal radiation bone marrow chimeras made between the congenic B10 and B10.129(10M) strains, both cure and noncuremore » phenotypes were transferable with the donor hematopoietic system. Although it was possible to demonstrate transfer of suppression with T-enriched spleen cells from day 61 L. donovani-infected B10.129(10M) donor mice into 550 rad syngeneic recipients, the pretreatment of mice with sublethal irradiation did not, as in the earlier studies of Scl-controlled L. major nonhealing or H-2-controlled L. donovani noncure phenotypes, have a clear or consistent prophylactic effect. Together with the progressive disease profile observed even for L. donovani at low parasite doses this suggests that, despite their ability to develop initial delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions to parasite antigen early in L. major infection, B10.129(10M) mice possess some inherent defect in ability to mount a cell-mediated response effective at the level of macrophage neishmanial activity in vivo even when suppressor T cells are not generated. Elucidation of this characteristically different noncuring/nonhealing phenotye may provide important insight into common events involved in the development of the cell-mediated immune response to both visceral and subcutaneous forms of leishmaniasis.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey: B supergiants (McEvoy+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEvoy, C. M.; Dufton, P. L.; Evans, C. J.; Kalari, V. M.; Markova, N.; Simon-Diaz, S.; Vink, J. S.; Walborn, N. R.; Crowther, P. A.; de Koter, A.; de Mink, S. E.; Dunstall, P. R.; Henault-Brunet, V.; Herrero, A.; Langer, N.; Lennon, D. J.; Maiz Apellaniz, J.; Najarro, F.; Puls, J.; Sana, H.; Schneider, F. R. N.; Taylor, W. D.

2015-06-01

The majority of the VFTS data were obtained using the Medusa mode of FLAMES, which uses fibres to feed the light from up to 130 targets simultaneously to the Giraffe spectrograph. Nine Medusa configurations (Fields A to I) were observed in the 30 Dor region, with the targets sampling its different clusters and the local field population. The analysis presented here employs the FLAMES-Medusa observations obtained with two of the standard Giraffe settings (LR02 and LR03), giving coverage of the λλ3960-5050Å region at a resolving power of ~7000. (5 data files).

Motion of the Jovian commensurability resonances and the character of the celestial mechanics in the asteroid zone - Implication for kinematics and structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torbett, M.; Smoluchowski, R.

1982-01-01

The motion of the Jovian commensurability resonances during the early evolution of the solar system induced by the dissipation of the accretion disk results in fundamental differences in the celestial mechanics of objects over which a resonance passes from that observed for a stationary resonance. Objects experiencing resonance passage acquire irreversible increases of average eccentricity to large values accounting for the present-day random velocities of the asteroids. Semi-major axes are similarly irreversibly decreased by amounts capable of clearing the Kirkwood gaps. The gap widths are in agreement with observation.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: 2mm molecular line survey of IRC+10 216 (Cernicharo+, 2000)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cernicharo, J.; Guelin, M.; Kahane, C.

2000-01-01

The mm-wave spectrum of the C-star envelope IRC+10 216 has been continuously surveyed between 129.0 and 172.5GHz with the IRAM 30-m telescope. 380 lines are detected, of which 317 have been identified. The identified lines arise from 30 different molecules and radicals which, in their vast majority, are not observed in hot and dense interstellar clouds such as Orion A or W3(OH). Actually, half of the molecular species identified in the mm-wave spectrum of IRC+10216 were first observed in the course of this spectral survey. (9 data files).

Meta-Analysis of Aspirin Versus Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

PubMed

Agarwal, Nayan; Mahmoud, Ahmed N; Patel, Nimesh Kirit; Jain, Ankur; Garg, Jalaj; Mojadidi, Mohammad Khalid; Agrawal, Sahil; Qamar, Arman; Golwala, Harsh; Gupta, Tanush; Bhatia, Nirmanmoh; Anderson, R David; Bhatt, Deepak L

2018-01-01

Although aspirin monotherapy is considered the standard of care after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), more recent evidence has suggested a benefit with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after CABG. We performed a meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials comparing outcomes of aspirin monotherapy with DAPT in patients after CABG. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to surgical technique (i.e., on vs off pump) and clinical presentation (acute coronary syndrome vs no acute coronary syndrome). Random effects overall risk ratios (RR) were calculated using the DerSimonian and Laird model. Eight randomized control trials and 9 observational studies with a total of 11,135 patients were included. At a mean follow-up of 23 months, major adverse cardiac events (10.3% vs 12.1%, RR 0.84, confidence interval [CI] 0.71 to 0.99), all-cause mortality (5.7% vs 7.0%, RR 0.67, CI 0.48 to 0.94), and graft occlusion (11.3% vs 14.2%, RR 0.79, CI 0.63 to 0.98) were less with DAPT than with aspirin monotherapy. There was no difference in myocardial infarction, stroke, or major bleeding between the 2 groups. In conclusion, DAPT appears to be associated with a reduction in graft occlusion, major adverse cardiac events, and all-cause mortality, without significantly increasing major bleeding compared with aspirin monotherapy in patients undergoing CABG. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Do minor sudden stratospheric warmings in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) impact coupling between stratosphere and mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) like major warmings?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eswaraiah, S.; Kim, Yong Ha; Liu, Huixin; Ratnam, M. Venkat; Lee, Jaewook

2017-08-01

We have investigated the coupling between the stratosphere and mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) during 2010 minor sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Three episodic SSWs were noticed in 2010. Mesospheric zonal winds between 82 and 92 km obtained from King Sejong Station (62.22°S, 58.78°W) meteor radar showed the significant difference from usual trend. The zonal wind reversal in the mesosphere is noticed a week before the associated SSW similar to 2002 major SSW. The mesosphere wind reversal is also noticed in "Specified Dynamics" version of Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (SD-WACCM) and Ground-to-topside model of Atmosphere and Ionosphere for Aeronomy (GAIA) simulations. The similar zonal wind weakening/reversal in the lower thermosphere between 100 and 140 km is simulated by GAIA. Further, we observed the mesospheric cooling in consistency with SSWs using Microwave Limb Sounder data. However, the GAIA simulations showed warming between 130 and 140 km after few days of SSW. Thus, the observation and model simulation indicate for the first time that the 2010 minor SSW also affects dynamics of the MLT region over SH in a manner similar to 2002 major SSW.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Comparative analysis between scientific and the media communication following facial transplantation.

PubMed

Belanger, M; Harris, P G; Nikolis, A; Danino, A M

2009-03-01

Our aim was to analyze the communications about three outstanding medical reports. Was there any difference in the reports of the three allografts? Was there a correlation between the media and the scientific world? The Internet sites of three major newspapers were used for the media database. Those results were compared with PubMed between 2005 and 2007 using these key words: "facial graft," "facial allograft," "composite tissue allograft," and names of surgeons of the graft. We did a comparative analysis using a word processor and a quality analysis software. We analyzed 51 articles from the media and six from the PubMed database. In PubMed, 100% of the articles were on the first graft and respected the privacy of the patient compared to 67% of the media who unveiled the identity. The communication following a medical premiere depends on the team, which performes the act. We observed a major difference between the three cases. Ethical considerations are different for the media and for scientists. The communication management of a medical premiere takes preparation and evaluation.

Metabolic Profile of Zearalenone in Liver Microsomes from Different Species and Its in Vivo Metabolism in Rats and Chickens Using Ultra High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole/Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Yang, Shupeng; Zhang, Huiyan; Sun, Feifei; De Ruyck, Karl; Zhang, Jinzhen; Jin, Yue; Li, Yanshen; Wang, Zhanhui; Zhang, Suxia; De Saeger, Sarah; Zhou, Jinhui; Li, Yi; De Boevre, Marthe

2017-12-27

To explore differences of zearalenone (ZEN) metabolism between various species, phase I and II metabolism by liver microsomes of animals and human were investigated using ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/TOF MS). A total of 24 metabolites were identified, among which 12 were reported for the first time. Reduction, hydroxylation, and glucuronidation were the major metabolic pathways of ZEN, and significant differences in various species were also observed. Reduction was the main reaction in swine and human, whereas hydroxylation was predominant in rats, chickens, goats, and cows in in vitro systems. Furthemore, in vivo metabolism of ZEN in rats and chickens was investigated, and 23 and 6 metabolites were identified in each species, respectively. Reduction, hydroxylation, and glucuronidation were the major metabolic pathways in rats, while reduction and sulfation predominated in chickens. These results further enrich the biotransformation profile of ZEN, providing a helpful reference for assessing the risks to animals and humans.

Crutch art painting in the middle age as orthopaedic heritage (part I: the lepers, the poliomyelitis, the cripples).

PubMed

Hernigou, Philippe

2014-06-01

Throughout time from antiquity, the major objective of crutches was to restore, as close as possible, the functional capacity formerly held by a limb deficient person. The crutch is probably the oldest tool of the orthopaedist. It is probably also the most neglected in terms of progress from antiquity until the 20th century. The aim of this paper is to give a view of the different crutches used in this period by different people and to observe the influence of this period on the progress of the design of crutches.

Major Evolutionary Trends in Hydrogen Isotope Fractionation of Vascular Plant Leaf Waxes

PubMed Central

Gao, Li; Edwards, Erika J.; Zeng, Yongbo; Huang, Yongsong

2014-01-01

Hydrogen isotopic ratios of terrestrial plant leaf waxes (δD) have been widely used for paleoclimate reconstructions. However, underlying controls for the observed large variations in leaf wax δD values in different terrestrial vascular plants are still poorly understood, hampering quantitative paleoclimate interpretation. Here we report plant leaf wax and source water δD values from 102 plant species grown in a common environment (New York Botanic Garden), chosen to represent all the major lineages of terrestrial vascular plants and multiple origins of common plant growth forms. We found that leaf wax hydrogen isotope fractionation relative to plant source water is best explained by membership in particular lineages, rather than by growth forms as previously suggested. Monocots, and in particular one clade of grasses, display consistently greater hydrogen isotopic fractionation than all other vascular plants, whereas lycopods, representing the earlier-diverging vascular plant lineage, display the smallest fractionation. Data from greenhouse experiments and field samples suggest that the changing leaf wax hydrogen isotopic fractionation in different terrestrial vascular plants may be related to different strategies in allocating photosynthetic substrates for metabolic and biosynthetic functions, and potential leaf water isotopic differences. PMID:25402476

In Vitro Assessment of Extracts of the Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Higher Basidiomycetes) Against Different Plant Pathogenic Fungi.

PubMed

Baig, Mirza Nabeel; Shahid, Ahmad Ali; Ali, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Five isolates of the lingzhi or reishi medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (GL-1, GL-2, GL-3, GL-4, GL-5) were collected from different locations within and surrounding Lahore, Pakistan, to study the antifungal potential of their bioactive compounds. After studying morphology, different concentrations of the extracts were prepared in methanol and water using a Soxhlet extractor. Different cultures of fungal pathogens were acquired from the First Fungal Culture Bank of Pakistan, University of the Punjab, Lahore. The antimicrobial potential of 5 G. lucidum samples against 5 fungal pathogens (Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Penicillium sp., and Alternaria alternata) was observed. The lowest biomass reduction (7%) was observed in 1% and 2% concentrations of a methanolic extract and 6% in the case of a water extract. Major inhibition was observed using higher concentrations of the methanolic extract (3% and 4%). These extracts significantly suppressed fungal biomass up to 38% and 56% in A. niger, 47% in A. flavus, 58% in ,i>Penicillium sp., 46% in A. alternaria, and 45% in F. oxysporum compared with the control. It was concluded from these studies that methanolic extracts of G. lucidum showed better activity against all plant fungal pathogens when compared with the water extracts.

Phenolic composition and mouthfeel characteristics resulting from blending Chilean red wines.

PubMed

Cáceres-Mella, Alejandro; Peña-Neira, Alvaro; Avilés-Gálvez, Pamela; Medel-Marabolí, Marcela; Del Barrio-Galán, Rubén; López-Solís, Remigio; Canals, Joan Miquel

2014-03-15

The blending of wine is a common practice in winemaking to improve certain characteristics that are appreciated by consumers. The use of some cultivars may contribute phenolic compounds that modify certain characteristics in blended wines, particularly those related to mouthfeel. The aim of this work was to study the effect of Carménère, Merlot and Cabernet Franc on the phenolic composition, proanthocyanidin profile and mouthfeel characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon blends. Significant differences in chemical composition were observed among the monovarietal wines. Separation using Sep-Pak C₁₈ cartridges revealed differences in the concentration but not in the proportion of various proanthocyanidins. Blending reduced polyphenol concentration differences among the various monovarietal wines. Although no major overall differences were observed after blending the monovarietal wines, this oenological practice produced clear differences in mouthfeel characteristics in such a way that the quality of the perceived astringency was different. This study showed that the use of a particular wine variety (Cabernet Sauvignon) in a higher proportion in wine blending produced blends that were less differentiable from the monovarietal wine, owing to a suppression effect, producing an apparent standardization of the wines regarding chemical composition. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Inverse Modeling of Hydrologic Parameters Using Surface Flux and Runoff Observations in the Community Land Model

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

Sun, Yu; Hou, Zhangshuan; Huang, Maoyi

2013-12-10

This study demonstrates the possibility of inverting hydrologic parameters using surface flux and runoff observations in version 4 of the Community Land Model (CLM4). Previous studies showed that surface flux and runoff calculations are sensitive to major hydrologic parameters in CLM4 over different watersheds, and illustrated the necessity and possibility of parameter calibration. Two inversion strategies, the deterministic least-square fitting and stochastic Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo (MCMC) - Bayesian inversion approaches, are evaluated by applying them to CLM4 at selected sites. The unknowns to be estimated include surface and subsurface runoff generation parameters and vadose zone soil water parameters. We find thatmore » using model parameters calibrated by the least-square fitting provides little improvements in the model simulations but the sampling-based stochastic inversion approaches are consistent - as more information comes in, the predictive intervals of the calibrated parameters become narrower and the misfits between the calculated and observed responses decrease. In general, parameters that are identified to be significant through sensitivity analyses and statistical tests are better calibrated than those with weak or nonlinear impacts on flux or runoff observations. Temporal resolution of observations has larger impacts on the results of inverse modeling using heat flux data than runoff data. Soil and vegetation cover have important impacts on parameter sensitivities, leading to the different patterns of posterior distributions of parameters at different sites. Overall, the MCMC-Bayesian inversion approach effectively and reliably improves the simulation of CLM under different climates and environmental conditions. Bayesian model averaging of the posterior estimates with different reference acceptance probabilities can smooth the posterior distribution and provide more reliable parameter estimates, but at the expense of wider uncertainty bounds.« less

Imprint of Rupture Directivity From Ground Motions of the 24 August 2016 Mw6.2 Central Italy Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Yefei; Wang, Hongwei; Wen, Ruizhi

2017-12-01

An Mw6.2 earthquake occurred in Central Italy on 24 August 2016. The objective of this study was to reveal the imprint of rupture directivity using the strong motion recordings. The strong motion stations were separated into two groups: southeast (SE) and northwest (NW). The effects of rupture directivity on the peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV), and pseudo spectral acceleration (PSA) were investigated. The observed values of these parameters were compared with predicted values derived from ground motion prediction equations. The results showed that the residuals between the observed and predicted PGAs, PGVs, and PSAs at periods of T < 1 s were correlated significantly with azimuth angle and generally larger in the NW sector, reflecting that the observed PGAs, PGVs, and short-period PSAs in the NW sector were generally larger than observed in the SE sector. These phenomena are accordant with the theoretical law that the rupture directivity causes higher amplitudes in the forward direction compared with the backward direction. Finally, selected source rupture parameters were inverted using PGAs and PGVs. This revealed that the rupture was predominantly unilateral rupture, the major rupture was likely at an azimuth of 360°, and the length of the major rupture was proportional to 70%-100% of the total ruptured fault, confirming that rupture directivity caused the differences in the ground motions observed in the SE and NW sectors.

Morphological and morphometric analysis of scutella of six species and two subspecies of Triatoma (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Mexico.

PubMed

Rivas, Nancy; Sánchez-Cordero, Víctor; Camacho, Alejandro D; Córdoba-Aguilar, Alejandro; Alejandre-Aguilar, Ricardo

2017-12-01

Morphological characters can be used to distinguish the vast majority of triatomine species, but the existence of high levels of phenotypic plasticity and recently diverged species can lead to erroneous determinations. To approach this problem, we analyzed the male and female morphologies of the scutella of Triatoma barberi, T. dimidiata, T. lecticularia, T. mexicana, T. recurva, T. rubida, and two sub-species, T. protracta protracta and T. protracta nahuatlae. Scutellum samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy and subjected to morphological analysis and morphometric investigation using a canonical discriminant analysis. The results revealed differences primarily in central depression shape, posterior process, and vestiture. We observed clear dimension-based differences in scutellum morphometry in all the taxa under study, providing sound evidence for species and subspecies differentiation. On the other hand, there is no difference between sexes in T. lecticularia, T. protracta protracta, and T. protracta nahuatlae. Our methodology can be implemented to differentiate species of the genus Triatoma. © 2017 The Society for Vector Ecology.

Comparative study of the chemical composition of essential oils of five Tagetes species collected in Venezuela.

PubMed

Armas, Kaylin; Rojas, Janne; Rojas, Luis; Morales, Antonio

2012-09-01

The leaves and inflorescences of five species of Tagetes, family Asteraceae, were collected from different locations in Mérida state, Venezuela, and their essential oils analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Several differences were observed in the composition of these oils, mainly regarding the major components, which for T. caracasana were trans-ocimenone (64.3%) and cis-tagetone (13.7%), and for T. erecta, piperitone (35.9%) and terpinolene (22.2%). High amounts of trans-anethole (87.5%) and estragole (10.7%) were observed in T. filifolia, while T. subulata essential oil contained terpinolene (26.0%), piperitenone (13.1%) and limonene (10.8%). For T. patula, two different oil samples were analyzed, leaves (TPL) and inflorescences (TPI). The TPL oil showed terpinolene (20.9%) and piperitenone (14.0%) as main components, while the TPI sample was composed mainly of beta-caryophyllene (23.7%), terpinolene (15.6%) and cis-beta-ocimene (15.5%).

The moderating effects of coping strategies on major depression in the general population.

PubMed

Wang, JianLi; Patten, Scott B

2002-03-01

To evaluate the moderating effects of various coping strategies on the association between stressors and the prevalence of major depression in the general population. Subjects from the Alberta buy-in component of the 1994-1995 National Population Health Survey (NPHS) were included in the analysis (n = 1039). Each subject was asked 8 questions about coping strategies that dealt with unexpected stress from family problems and personal crises. Major depression was measured using the World Health Organization's (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (CIDI-SF) for major depression. The impacts of coping strategies in relation to psychological stressors on the prevalence of major depression were determined by examining interactions between coping and life stress on major depression using logistic regression modelling. No robust impact of coping strategies in relation to various categories of stress evaluated in the NPHS was observed. There was evidence that the use of "pray and seek religious help" and "talks to others about the situations" as coping strategies by women moderated the risk of major depression in the presence of financial stress and relationship stress (with a partner). Using emotional expression as a coping strategy by women might decrease the risk of major depression in the presence of 1 or more recent life events, personal stress, relationship stress (with a partner), and environmental stress. Different coping strategies may have a differential impact on the prevalence of major depression in specific circumstances. These findings may be important both to prevent and to treat depressive disorders.

Did glacial advances during the Pleistocene influence differently the demographic histories of benthic and pelagic Antarctic shelf fishes? – Inferences from intraspecific mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence diversity

PubMed Central

Janko, Karel; Lecointre, Guillaume; DeVries, Arthur; Couloux, Arnaud; Cruaud, Corinne; Marshall, Craig

2007-01-01

Background Circum-Antarctic waters harbour a rare example of a marine species flock – the Notothenioid fish, most species of which are restricted to the continental shelf. It remains an open question as to how they survived Pleistocene climatic fluctuations characterised by repeated advances of continental glaciers as far as the shelf break that probably resulted in a loss of habitat for benthic organisms. Pelagic ecosystems, on the other hand, might have flourished during glacial maxima due to the northward expansion of Antarctic polar waters. In order to better understand the role of ecological traits in Quaternary climatic fluctuations, we performed demographic analyses of populations of four fish species from the tribe Trematominae, including both fully benthic and pelagic species using the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and an intron from the nuclear S7 gene. Results Nuclear and cytoplasmic markers showed differences in the rate and time of population expansions as well as the likely population structure. Neutrality tests suggest that such discordance comes from different coalescence dynamics of each marker, rather than from selective pressure. Demographic analyses based on intraspecific DNA diversity suggest a recent population expansion in both benthic species, dated by the cyt b locus to the last glacial cycle, whereas the population structure of pelagic feeders either did not deviate from a constant-size model or indicated that the onset of the major population expansion of these species by far predated those of the benthic species. Similar patterns were apparent even when comparing previously published data on other Southern Ocean organisms, but we observed considerable heterogeneity within both groups with regard to the onset of major demographic events and rates. Conclusion Our data suggest benthic and pelagic species reacted differently to the Pleistocene ice-sheet expansions that probably significantly reduced the suitable habitat for benthic species. However, the asynchronous timing of major demographic events observed in different species within both "ecological guilds", imply that the species examined here may have different population and evolutionary histories, and that more species should be analysed in order to more precisely assess the role of life history in the response of organisms to climatic changes. PMID:17997847

Testing new methodologies for short -term earthquake forecasting: Multi-parameters precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouzounov, Dimitar; Pulinets, Sergey; Tramutoli, Valerio; Lee, Lou; Liu, Tiger; Hattori, Katsumi; Kafatos, Menas

2014-05-01

We are conducting real-time tests involving multi-parameter observations over different seismo-tectonics regions in our investigation of phenomena preceding major earthquakes. Our approach is based on a systematic analysis of several selected parameters, namely: gas discharge; thermal infrared radiation; ionospheric electron density; and atmospheric temperature and humidity, which we believe are all associated with the earthquake preparation phase. We are testing a methodology capable to produce alerts in advance of major earthquakes (M > 5.5) in different regions of active earthquakes and volcanoes. During 2012-2013 we established a collaborative framework with PRE-EARTHQUAKE (EU) and iSTEP3 (Taiwan) projects for coordinated measurements and prospective validation over seven testing regions: Southern California (USA), Eastern Honshu (Japan), Italy, Greece, Turkey, Taiwan (ROC), Kamchatka and Sakhalin (Russia). The current experiment provided a "stress test" opportunity to validate the physical based earthquake precursor approach over regions of high seismicity. Our initial results are: (1) Real-time tests have shown the presence of anomalies in the atmosphere and ionosphere before most of the significant (M>5.5) earthquakes; (2) False positives exist and ratios are different for each region, varying between 50% for (Southern Italy), 35% (California) down to 25% (Taiwan, Kamchatka and Japan) with a significant reduction of false positives as soon as at least two geophysical parameters are contemporarily used; (3) Main problems remain related to the systematic collection and real-time integration of pre-earthquake observations. Our findings suggest that real-time testing of physically based pre-earthquake signals provides a short-term predictive power (in all three important parameters, namely location, time and magnitude) for the occurrence of major earthquakes in the tested regions and this result encourages testing to continue with a more detailed analysis of false alarm ratios and understanding of the overall physics of earthquake preparation.

Comparison of Warfarin use in terms of efficacy and safety in two different polyclinics

PubMed Central

Kılıç, Salih; Kemal, Hatice Soner; Yüce, Elif İlkay; Şimşek, Evrim; Yağmur, Burcu; Akgül, Nuray Memişoğlu; Çınar, Cahide Soydaş; Zoghi, Mehdi; Gürgün, Cemil

2017-01-01

Objective: This study compared the efficacy and safety of warfarin in specialized international normalized ratio (INR) outpatient clinic (INR-C) and in general cardiology outpatient clinic (General-C). Methods: Herein, 381 consecutive patients with a regular follow-up at INR-C (n=233) or General-C (n=148) for at least 1 year were retrospectively included. While INR-C patients were followed by a single experienced trained nurse, General-C patients were followed by a different cardiologist who worked in a rotational principle every month. During controls, demographic characteristics, INR levels, bleeding events, ischemic stroke, and transient ischemic attacks in the last 1 year were recorded. Primary endpoint was defined as the evaluation of the combined major bleeding and ischemic event, and secondary endpoint was defined as the evaluation of them separately. Results: The mean age of the patients was 62±12.86 and 43.8% were male. Mean time in therapeutic range (TTR) level was statistically higher in INR-C than that in General-C (68.8%±15.88 and 51.6%±23.04, respectively; p<0.001). Primary outcomes were significantly higher in General-C than that in INR-C [13.5% (20) and 6.4% (15); respectively, p=0.020]. Overall, major bleeding was observed in 25 patients (6.5%) and (2.6%) ischemic event was observed in 10 patients. In General-C patients, both major bleeding (8.8% vs. 5.2%; p=0.163) and the ischemic event (4.7% vs. 1.3%; p=0.051) were more, and no statistically significant differences were detected between the two clinics. Conclusion: The findings of our study demonstrate that patients followed in INR-C had higher TTR levels and lower bleeding and ischemic events rates that those followed in General-C. PMID:29145216

Clinicopathological Analysis of Glomerular Disease of Adult Onset Nephrotic Syndrome in an Indian Cohort- A Retrospective Study

PubMed Central

Suryawanshi, Mayur; Karnik, Swapnil

2017-01-01

Introduction Primary glomerular disease presenting with adult onset nephrotic syndrome are a major cause of chronic renal failure worldwide. The spectrum of renal disease presenting with nephrotic syndrome has undergone a gradual change globally over the course of time. However, there still exist regional differences in the incidence of primary glomerular diseases causing adult onset nephrotic syndrome. Aim To observe the spectrum of renal diseases presenting with adult onset nephrotic syndrome with comparative analysis of changing trends over the last five decades with regards to Western and Indian literature. Materials and Methods Subjects included patients with age of 18-80 years presenting with nephrotic syndrome. Renal biopsies with immunofluoroscence studies were performed in all patients. Baseline clinical parameters of serum urea, creatinine, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, 24 hour urine protein and urine microscopy were recorded. Descriptive statistics was used and results were expressed as frequencies, percentages, and mean±standard deviation. Results A total of 227 patients (72% males) were included for the study. Primary glomerular diseases formed 74.01% of total cases and majority of patients included males in the 4th decade. Minimal Change Disease (MCD) (15.8%) including its variants was the most common primary glomerular disease for adult onset of nephrotic syndrome followed by Mesangial proliferative Glomerulonephritis (MSGN) (13.2%). Membranous nephropathy and Type I Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis (MPGN) individually accounted for 12.3% of patients. Focal and Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) accounted for only 11% of patients. Although, increased incidence of FSGS has been observed worldwide, there exist important regional differences in primary glomerular diseases in Indian population. MCD remains a major glomerular disease for adult onset nephrotic syndrome in different parts of India. Conclusion Our study over three years represents important data of regional variations of primary glomerular diseases presenting with adult onset nephrotic syndrome. PMID:28658768

Foreshock occurrence before large earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reasenberg, P.A.

1999-01-01

Rates of foreshock occurrence involving shallow M ??? 6 and M ??? 7 mainshocks and M ??? 5 foreshocks were measured in two worldwide catalogs over ???20-year intervals. The overall rates observed are similar to ones measured in previous worldwide and regional studies when they are normalized for the ranges of magnitude difference they each span. The observed worldwide rates were compared to a generic model of earthquake clustering based on patterns of small and moderate aftershocks in California. The aftershock model was extended to the case of moderate foreshocks preceding large mainshocks. Overall, the observed worldwide foreshock rates exceed the extended California generic model by a factor of ???2. Significant differences in foreshock rate were found among subsets of earthquakes defined by their focal mechanism and tectonic region, with the rate before thrust events higher and the rate before strike-slip events lower than the worldwide average. Among the thrust events, a large majority, composed of events located in shallow subduction zones, had a high foreshock rate, while a minority, located in continental thrust belts, had a low rate. These differences may explain why previous surveys have found low foreshock rates among thrust events in California (especially southern California), while the worldwide observations suggests the opposite: California, lacking an active subduction zone in most of its territory, and including a region of mountain-building thrusts in the south, reflects the low rate apparently typical for continental thrusts, while the worldwide observations, dominated by shallow subduction zone events, are foreshock-rich. If this is so, then the California generic model may significantly underestimate the conditional probability for a very large (M ??? 8) earthquake following a potential (M ??? 7) foreshock in Cascadia. The magnitude differences among the identified foreshock-mainshock pairs in the Harvard catalog are consistent with a uniform distribution over the range of observation.

Where the Wild Things Are: Observational Constraints on Black Holes' Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merloni, Andrea

2009-12-01

The physical and evolutionary relation between growing supermassive black holes (AGN) and host galaxies is currently the subject of intense research activity. Nevertheless, a deep theoretical understanding of such a relation is hampered by the unique multi-scale nature of the combined AGN-galaxy system, which defies any purely numerical, or semi-analytic approach. Various physical process active on different physical scales have signatures in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum; thus, observations at different wavelengths and theoretical ideas all can contribute towards a ``large dynamic range'' view of the AGN phenomenon, capable of conceptually ``resolving'' the many scales involved. As an example, I will focus in this review on two major recent observational results on the cosmic evolution of supermassive black holes, focusing on the novel contribution given to the field by the COSMOS survey. First of all, I will discuss the evidence for the so-called ``downsizing'' in the AGN population as derived from large X-ray surveys. I will then present new constraints on the evolution of the black hole-galaxy scaling relation at 1

Identifying and Evaluating the Relationships that Control a Land Surface Model's Hydrological Behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koster, Randal D.; Mahanama, Sarith P.

2012-01-01

The inherent soil moisture-evaporation relationships used in today 's land surface models (LSMs) arguably reflect a lot of guesswork given the lack of contemporaneous evaporation and soil moisture observations at the spatial scales represented by regional and global models. The inherent soil moisture-runoff relationships used in the LSMs are also of uncertain accuracy. Evaluating these relationships is difficult but crucial given that they have a major impact on how the land component contributes to hydrological and meteorological variability within the climate system. The relationships, it turns out, can be examined efficiently and effectively with a simple water balance model framework. The simple water balance model, driven with multi-decadal observations covering the conterminous United States, shows how different prescribed relationships lead to different manifestations of hydrological variability, some of which can be compared directly to observations. Through the testing of a wide suite of relationships, the simple model provides estimates for the underlying relationships that operate in nature and that should be operating in LSMs. We examine the relationships currently used in a number of different LSMs in the context of the simple water balance model results and make recommendations for potential first-order improvements to these LSMs.

Organic Chemical Concentrations in Eggs and Nestlings of Cavity Nesting Birds at and around Los Alamos National Laboratory

DOE PAGES

Gaukler, Shannon M.; Hathcock, Charles D.; Fair, Jeanne M.

2018-02-13

In 1943, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was established as part of the Manhattan project to design atomic weapons. LANL now operates as a multidisciplinary research institution. As part of an ongoing assessment of siterelated ecological risk, organochlorine pesticides, their metabolites, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQs) were evaluated in western bluebird (Sialia mexicana) and ash-throated flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) eggs relative to a developed but non-industrial reference area; PCBs and TEQs were also evaluated in nestlings. Chemicals were below detection limits in the majority of samples. Western bluebird eggs collected from the study area hadmore » significantly lower concentrations of dieldrin, oxychlordane, and trans-nonachlor when compared with eggs from the reference area. No differences were observed in concentrations of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and heptachlor epoxide. Ash-throated flycatcher eggs contained higher total TEQ concentrations when compared with western bluebird eggs; however, no differences in concentrations of DDE, DDT, dieldrin, or total PCBs were observed. No differences were observed in total PCBs or TEQs in nestlings between the two species. Western bluebird eggs contained higher levels of total PCBs and TEQs when compared with nestlings; no differences were observed in total PCBs or TEQs between ash-throated flycatcher eggs and nestlings. Chemical concentrations detected in eggs of both species were below levels that are associated with adverse effects reported in the scientific literature, suggesting that concentrations of organic chemicals observed here appear to be at levels causing negligible risks to local bird populations.« less

Organic Chemical Concentrations in Eggs and Nestlings of Cavity Nesting Birds at and around Los Alamos National Laboratory

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

Gaukler, Shannon M.; Hathcock, Charles D.; Fair, Jeanne M.

In 1943, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was established as part of the Manhattan project to design atomic weapons. LANL now operates as a multidisciplinary research institution. As part of an ongoing assessment of siterelated ecological risk, organochlorine pesticides, their metabolites, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQs) were evaluated in western bluebird (Sialia mexicana) and ash-throated flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) eggs relative to a developed but non-industrial reference area; PCBs and TEQs were also evaluated in nestlings. Chemicals were below detection limits in the majority of samples. Western bluebird eggs collected from the study area hadmore » significantly lower concentrations of dieldrin, oxychlordane, and trans-nonachlor when compared with eggs from the reference area. No differences were observed in concentrations of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and heptachlor epoxide. Ash-throated flycatcher eggs contained higher total TEQ concentrations when compared with western bluebird eggs; however, no differences in concentrations of DDE, DDT, dieldrin, or total PCBs were observed. No differences were observed in total PCBs or TEQs in nestlings between the two species. Western bluebird eggs contained higher levels of total PCBs and TEQs when compared with nestlings; no differences were observed in total PCBs or TEQs between ash-throated flycatcher eggs and nestlings. Chemical concentrations detected in eggs of both species were below levels that are associated with adverse effects reported in the scientific literature, suggesting that concentrations of organic chemicals observed here appear to be at levels causing negligible risks to local bird populations.« less

Rapid formation of cholesterol crystals in gallbladder bile is associated with stone recurrence after laparoscopic cholecystotomy.

PubMed

Jüngst, D; del Pozo, R; Dolu, M H; Schneeweiss, S G; Frimberger, E

1997-03-01

Laparoscopic cholecystotomy (LCT) with subsequent extraction of gallstones and primary closure of the gallbladder has been introduced as an alternative therapy for patients with cholecystolithiasis and preserved gallbladder function. However, stone recurrence has to be considered as a major drawback that might be related to lithogenic factors of gallbladder bile or the composition of gallbladder stones. Therefore, these were studied in relation to stone recurrence within an observation period of 1 to 5 years (median, 3.6 years) in 50 patients after LCT. The concentrations of total and individual bile acids, phospholipids, cholesterol, total lipids, mucin, protein, and the cholesterol saturation indices in gallbladder bile were not significantly different between 10 patients with and 40 patients without stone recurrence. However, the crystal observation time was significantly (P < .02) shorter (range, 1-2 days; median, 1.5) in the bile of patients with stone recurrence compared to those without (range, 1-21 days, median 3.5). Moreover, all 10 stone recurrences were observed in the 28 patients with a crystal observation time in the bile of less than or equal to 2 days (approximate annual risk: 12%-15%), and no recurrences were observed in the 22 patients with a crystal observation time greater than 2 days (P < .0001) or in patients with pigment stones. The rapid formation of cholesterol monohydrate crystals in bile seems to be the major risk factor for recurrent stones after LCT. These are most likely cholesterol stones and, therefore, are amenable to oral bile-acid prevention or treatment.

A Review of the Role of Social Cognition in Major Depressive Disorder

PubMed Central

Weightman, Michael James; Air, Tracy Michele; Baune, Bernhard Theodor

2014-01-01

Background: Social cognition – the ability to identify, perceive, and interpret socially relevant information – is an important skill that plays a significant role in successful interpersonal functioning. Social cognitive performance is recognized to be impaired in several psychiatric conditions, but the relationship with major depressive disorder is less well understood. The aim of this review is to characterize the current understanding of: (i) the different domains of social cognition and a possible relationship with major depressive disorder, (ii) the clinical presentation of social cognition in acute and remitted depressive states, and (iii) the effect of severity of depression on social cognitive performance. Methods: Electronic databases were searched to identify clinical studies investigating social cognition in a major depressive disorder population, yielding 31 studies for this review. Results: Patients with major depressive disorder appear to interpret social cognitive stimuli differently to healthy controls: depressed individuals may interpret emotion through a mood-congruent bias and have difficulty with cognitive theory of mind tasks requiring interpretation of complex mental states. Social cognitive performance appears to be inversely associated with severity of depression, whilst the bias toward negative emotions persists even in remission. Some deficits may normalize following effective pharmacotherapy. Conclusions: The difficulties with social interaction observed in major depressive disorder may, at least in part, be due to an altered ability to correctly interpret emotional stimuli and mental states. These features seem to persist even in remission, although some may respond to intervention. Further research is required in this area to better understand the functional impact of these findings and the way in which targeted therapy could aid depressed individuals with social interactions. PMID:25566100

Association study of NDST3 gene for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder in the Han Chinese population.

PubMed

Wang, Lin; Chen, Jianhua; Li, Zhiqiang; Sun, Weiming; Chen, Boyu; Li, Sining; Li, Weidong; Lu, Dajiang; Wang, Yonggang; Shi, Yongyong

2018-01-01

The NDST3 gene at 4q26 was a functional candidate gene for mental disorders. Recently, a novel genome-wide significant risk locus at chromosome 4q26 was identified and the top single nucleotide polymorphism rs11098403 in the vicinity of NDST3 gene was reported to confer risk of schizophrenia in Caucasian. Nevertheless, association between NDST3 gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorders has not been well studied in the Han Chinese population. To further investigate whether NDST3 is a risk gene for these mental disorders, we genotyped and analyzed eight tag SNPs (rs11098403, rs10857057, rs2389521, rs4833564, rs6837896, rs7689157, rs3817274, rs609512) covering NDST3 gene in 1,248 schizophrenia cases, 1,056 major depression cases, 1,344 bipolar disorder cases, and 1,248 controls of Chinese origin. However, there was no significant difference in allelic or genotypic frequency observed between each case group and healthy controls. Accordingly, our study does not support that the NDST3 gene plays a major role in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder in the Han Chinese population. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A review of the epidemiological methods used to investigate the health impacts of air pollution around major industrial areas.

PubMed

Pascal, Mathilde; Pascal, Laurence; Bidondo, Marie-Laure; Cochet, Amandine; Sarter, Hélène; Stempfelet, Morgane; Wagner, Vérène

2013-01-01

We performed a literature review to investigate how epidemiological studies have been used to assess the health consequences of living in the vicinity of industries. 77 papers on the chronic effects of air pollution around major industrial areas were reviewed. Major health themes were cancers (27 studies), morbidity (25 studies), mortality (7 studies), and birth outcome (7 studies). Only 3 studies investigated mental health. While studies were available from many different countries, a majority of papers came from the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. Several studies were motivated by concerns from the population or by previous observations of an overincidence of cases. Geographical ecological designs were largely used for studying cancer and mortality, including statistical designs to quantify a relationship between health indicators and exposure. Morbidity was frequently investigated through cross-sectional surveys on the respiratory health of children. Few multicenter studies were performed. In a majority of papers, exposed areas were defined based on the distance to the industry and were located from <2 km to >20 km from the plants. Improving the exposure assessment would be an asset to future studies. Criteria to include industries in multicenter studies should be defined.

6-Gingerdiols as the Major Metabolites of 6-Gingerol in Cancer Cells and in Mice and Their Cytotoxic Effects on Human Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Lv, Lishuang; Chen, Huadong; Soroka, Dominique; Chen, Xiaoxin; Leung, TinChung; Sang, Shengmin

2012-01-01

6-Gingerol, a major pungent component of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae), has been reported to have anti-tumor activities. However, the metabolic fate of 6-gingerol and the contribution of its metabolites to the observed activities are still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the biotransformation of 6-gingerol in different cancer cells and in mice, purified and identified the major metabolites from human lung cancer cells, and determined the effects of the major metabolites on the proliferation of human cancer cells. Our results show that 6-gingerol is extensively metabolized in H-1299 human lung cancer cells, CL-13 mouse lung cancer cells, HCT-116 and HT-29 human colon cancer cells, and in mice. The two major metabolites in H-1299 cells were purified and identified as (3R,5S)-6-gingerdiol (M1) and (3S,5S)-6-gingerdiol (M2) based on the analysis of their 1D and 2D NMR data. Both metabolites induced cytotoxicity in cancer cells after 24 hours, with M1 having a comparable effect to 6-gingerol in H-1299 cells. PMID:23066935

6-gingerdiols as the major metabolites of 6-gingerol in cancer cells and in mice and their cytotoxic effects on human cancer cells.

PubMed

Lv, Lishuang; Chen, Huadong; Soroka, Dominique; Chen, Xiaoxin; Leung, TinChung; Sang, Shengmin

2012-11-14

6-Gingerol, a major pungent component of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae), has been reported to have antitumor activities. However, the metabolic fate of 6-gingerol and the contribution of its metabolites to the observed activities are still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the biotransformation of 6-gingerol in different cancer cells and in mice, purified and identified the major metabolites from human lung cancer cells, and determined the effects of the major metabolites on the proliferation of human cancer cells. Our results show that 6-gingerol is extensively metabolized in H-1299 human lung cancer cells, CL-13 mouse lung cancer cells, HCT-116 and HT-29 human colon cancer cells, and in mice. The two major metabolites in H-1299 cells were purified and identified as (3R,5S)-6-gingerdiol (M1) and (3S,5S)-6-gingerdiol (M2) based on the analysis of their 1D and 2D NMR data. Both metabolites induced cytotoxicity in cancer cells after 24 h, with M1 having a comparable effect to 6-gingerol in H-1299 cells.

Two Components in Major Solar Particle Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor); Cane, H. V.; vonRosenvinge, T. T.; Cohen, C. M. S.; Mewaldt, R. A.

2003-01-01

A study has been made of 29 intense, solar particle events observed in the energy range 25-100 MeV/nuc near Earth in the years 1997 through 2001. It is found that the majority of the events (19/29) had Fe to O ratios which were reasonably constant with time and energy, and with values above coronal. These all originated on the Sun s western hemisphere and most had intensities that rose rapidly at the time of an associated flare, and coronal mass ejection (CME), and then decayed more gradually. Few interplanetary shocks were observed during these increases. The spectra were mainly power laws. The remaining 10 events had different intensity-time profiles and Fe to O ratios that varied with time and energy with values at or below coronal. Most of these originated near central meridian and 6 had strong interplanetary shocks that were observed near Earth. In general the spectra were not power laws but steepened at high energies, particularly for Fe. There were four events with two peaks in the intensity-time profiles, the first near the time of the associated flare and the other at shock passage. The results, considered in the light of other recent work, suggest that the high energy particles that occur shortly after flares are indeed flare particles. At the highest rigidities considered here shock-accelerated particles are uncommon and are observed only in association with unusually fast shocks.

Climate forcing due to the 8200 cal yr BP event observed at Early Neolithic sites in the eastern Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weninger, Bernhard; Alram-Stern, Eva; Bauer, Eva; Clare, Lee; Danzeglocke, Uwe; Jöris, Olaf; Kubatzki, Claudia; Rollefson, Gary; Todorova, Henrieta; van Andel, Tjeerd

2006-11-01

We explore the hypothesis that the abrupt drainage of Laurentide lakes and associated rapid switch of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation 8200 yr ago had a catastrophic influence on Neolithic civilisation in large parts of southeastern Europe, Anatolia, Cyprus, and the Near East. The event at 8200 cal yr BP is observed in a large number of high-resolution climate proxies in the Northern Hemisphere, and in many cases corresponds to markedly cold and arid conditions. We identify the relevant archaeological levels of major Neolithic settlements in Central Anatolia, Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria, and examine published stratigraphic, architectural, cultural and geoarchaeological studies for these sites. The specific archaeological events and processes we observe at a number of these sites during the study interval 8400-8000 cal yr BP lead us to refine some previously established Neolithisation models. The introduction of farming to South-East Europe occurs in all study regions (Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Bulgaria) near 8200 cal yr BP. We observe major disruptions of Neolithic cultures in the Levant, North Syria, South-East Anatolia, Central Anatolia and Cyprus, at the same time. We conclude that the 8200 cal yr BP aridity event triggered the spread of early farmers, by different routes, out of West Asia and the Near East into Greece and Bulgaria.

Crustal origin of trench-parallel shear-wave fast polarizations in the Central Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wölbern, I.; Löbl, U.; Rümpker, G.

2014-04-01

In this study, SKS and local S phases are analyzed to investigate variations of shear-wave splitting parameters along two dense seismic profiles across the central Andean Altiplano and Puna plateaus. In contrast to previous observations, the vast majority of the measurements reveal fast polarizations sub-parallel to the subduction direction of the Nazca plate with delay times between 0.3 and 1.2 s. Local phases show larger variations of fast polarizations and exhibit delay times ranging between 0.1 and 1.1 s. Two 70 km and 100 km wide sections along the Altiplano profile exhibit larger delay times and are characterized by fast polarizations oriented sub-parallel to major fault zones. Based on finite-difference wavefield calculations for anisotropic subduction zone models we demonstrate that the observations are best explained by fossil slab anisotropy with fast symmetry axes oriented sub-parallel to the slab movement in combination with a significant component of crustal anisotropy of nearly trench-parallel fast-axis orientation. From the modeling we exclude a sub-lithospheric origin of the observed strong anomalies due to the short-scale variations of the fast polarizations. Instead, our results indicate that anisotropy in the Central Andes generally reflects the direction of plate motion while the observed trench-parallel fast polarizations likely originate in the continental crust above the subducting slab.

Boron and strontium isotope ratios and major/trace elements concentrations in tea leaves at four major tea growing gardens in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chang, Cheng-Ta; You, Chen-Feng; Aggarwal, Suresh Kumar; Chung, Chuan-Hsiung; Chao, Hung-Chun; Liu, Hou-Chun

2016-06-01

Isotopic compositions of B and Sr in rocks and sediments can be used as tracers for plant provincial sources. This study aims to test whether tea leaf origin can be discriminated using (10)B/(11)B and Sr isotopic composition data, along with concentrations of major/trace elements, in tea specimens collected from major plantation gardens in Taiwan. The tea leaves were digested by microwave and analyzed by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS). The data showed significant variations in (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios (from 0.70482 to 0.71462), which reflect changes in soil, groundwater or irrigation conditions. The most radiogenic tea leaves were found at the Taitung garden and the least radiogenic ones were from the Hualien garden. The δ (11)B was found to change appreciably (δ (11)B = 0.38-23.73 ‰) which could be due to fertilizers. The maximum δ (11)B was also observed in tea samples from the Hualien garden. Principal component analysis combining (87)Sr/(86)Sr, δ (11)B and major/trace elements results successfully discriminated different sources of major tea gardens in Taiwan, except the Hualien gardens, and this may be due to rather complicated local geological settings.

Cardiac structural changes and electrical remodeling in a thiamine-deficiency model in rats.

PubMed

Roman-Campos, D; Campos, A C; Gioda, C R; Campos, P P; Medeiros, M A A; Cruz, J S

2009-06-05

Thiamine is an important cofactor present in many biochemical reactions, and its deprivation can lead to heart dysfunction. Little is known about the influence of thiamine deprivation on the electrophysiological behavior of the isolated heart cells and information about thiamine deficiency in heart morphology is controversial. Thus, we decided to investigate the major repolarizing conductances and their influence in the action potential (AP) waveform as well as the changes in the heart structure in a set of thiamine deficiency in rats. Using the patch-clamp technique, we investigated inward (I(K1)) and outward K(+) currents (I(to)), T-type and L-type Ca(2+) currents and APs. To evaluate heart morphology we used hematoxylin and eosin in transversal heart sections. Thiamine deficiency caused a marked decrease in left ventricle thickness, cardiomyocyte number, cell length and width, and membrane capacitance. When evaluating I(to) we did not find difference in current amplitude; however an acceleration of I(to) inactivation was observed. I(K1) showed a reduction in the amplitude and slope conductance, which implicated a less negative resting membrane potential in cardiac myocytes isolated from thiamine-deficient rats. We did not find any difference in L-type Ca(2+) current density. T-type Ca(2+) current was not observed. In addition, we did not observe significant changes in AP repolarization. Based on our study we can conclude that thiamine deficiency causes heart hypotrophy and not heart hypertrophy. Moreover, we provided evidence that there is no major electrical remodeling during thiamine deficiency, a feature of heart failure models.

Retinal phenotypic characterization of patients with ABCA4 retinopathydue to the homozygous p.Ala1773Val mutation

PubMed Central

López-Rubio, Salvador; Chacon-Camacho, Oscar F.; Matsui, Rodrigo; Guadarrama-Vallejo, Dalia; Astiazarán, Mirena C.

2018-01-01

Purpose To describe the retinal clinical features of a group of Mexican patients with Stargardt disease carrying the uncommon p.Ala1773Val founder mutation in ABCA4. Methods Ten patients carrying the p.Ala1773Val mutation, nine of them homozygously, were included. Visual function studies included best-corrected visual acuity, electroretinography, Goldmann kinetic visual fields, and full-field electroretinography (ERG). In addition, imaging studies, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), short-wave autofluorescence imaging, and quantitative analyses of hypofluorescence, were performed in each patient. Results Best-corrected visual acuities ranged from 20/200 to 4/200. The median age of the patients at diagnosis was 23.3 years. The majority of the patients had photophobia and nyctalopia, and were classified as Fishman stage 4 (widespread choriocapillaris atrophy, resorption of flecks, and greatly reduced ERG amplitudes). An atypical retinal pigmentation pattern was observed in the patients, and the majority showed cone-rod dystrophy on full-field ERG. In vivo retinal microstructure assessment with OCT demonstrated central retinal thinning, variable loss of photoreceptors, and three different patterns of structural retinal degeneration. Two dissimilar patterns of abnormal autofluorescence were observed. No apparent age-related differences in the pattern of retinal degeneration were observed. Conclusions The results indicate that this particular mutation in ABCA4 is associated with a severe retinal phenotype and thus, could be classified as null. Careful phenotyping of patients carrying specific mutations in ABCA4 is essential to enhance our understanding of disease expression linked to particular mutations and the resulting genotype–phenotype correlations. PMID:29422768

Content of selected elements in Boletus badius fruiting bodies growing in extremely polluted wastes.

PubMed

Mleczek, Mirosław; Siwulski, Marek; Mikołajczak, Patrycja; Gąsecka, Monika; Sobieralski, Krzysztof; Szymańczyk, Mateusz; Goliński, Piotr

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to analyse levels of 17 trace elements and 5 major minerals in 11 Boletus badius fruiting bodies able to grow in extremely polluted waste (flotation tailings) and polluted soil in southern Poland. The presented data widen the limited literature data about the abilities of wild-growing mushroom species to grow on heavily contaminated substrates. Content of elements in waste, soil and mushrooms was analysed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS - Hg). The industrial areas differed greatly as regards the content of elements in flotation tailings and soil; therefore differences in Ag, Ba, Cd, Co, Fe, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ca, K, Mg, Na and P accumulation in mushrooms were observed. The highest contents of elements in mushrooms were observed for: As, Al, Cu and Zn (86 ± 28, 549 ± 116, 341 ± 59 and 506 ± 40 mg kg(-1) dry matter, respectively). Calculated bioconcentration factor (BCF) values were higher than 1 for Al (15.1-16.9), Fe (10.6-24.4) and Hg (10.2-16.4) only. The main value of the presented results is the fact that one of the common wild-growing mushroom species was able to grow on flotation tailings containing over 22 g kg(-1) of As and, additionally, effective accumulation of other elements was observed. In view of the high content of the majority of analysed elements in fruiting bodies, edible mushrooms from such polluted areas are nonconsumable.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of historical droughts over Canada: role of observational uncertainties and teleconnections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asong, Z. E.; Wheater, H. S.; Bonsal, B. R.; Razavi, S.; Kurkute, S.

2017-12-01

Drought is a naturally occurring environmental phenomenon, and a major costly natural hazard that can have devastating impacts on regional water resources, agriculture, energy and other social-ecological systems. Of particular interest here is drought occurrence over Canada, where drought is both a frequent and damaging phenomenon, particularly in the interior Prairie region. However, nation-wide drought assessments are currently lacking and hampered partly by observational uncertainties. Therefore, this study aims to fill these gaps by providing a comprehensive analysis of historical droughts over the whole of Canada, including the role of observational uncertainties and teleconnectivity. This is carried out by analysing different monthly precipitation and temperature products for the period 1950 - 2013. Drought events are characterized by the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) over various temporal scales (1, 3, 6, and 12 consecutive months and 6 months from April to September and 12 months from October to September). First, trends in the SPEI are investigated by means of the Modified Mann Kendall test, while the Pettitt test was used to detect change points/transition years during the period of record. Major spatial patterns of long-term change, inter/intra-annual variability and periodicity of drought events are then characterized using the Rotated Empirical Orthogonal Function, and Continuous Wavelet Transform techniques. In addition, potential key drivers of drought are investigated using Wavelet Coherence Analysis, with a special emphasis on the role played by large-scale modes of climate variability. This provides important insight into the physical and dynamical mechanisms associated with the variability of drought events over different Canadian sub-regions.

[Some Features of Sound Signal Envelope by the Frog's Cochlear Nucleus Neurons].

PubMed

Bibikov, N G

2015-01-01

The responses of single neurons in the medullar auditory center of the grass frog were recorded extracellularly under the action of long tonal signals of the characteristic frequency modulated by repeating fragments of low-frequency (0-15 Hz, 0-50 Hz or 0-150 Hz) noise. Correlation method was used for evaluating the efficacy of different envelope fragments to ensure generation of a neuron pulse discharge. Carrying out these evaluations at different time intervals between a signal and a response the maximum delays were assessed. Two important envelope fragments were revealed. In majority of units the most effective was the time interval of the amplitude rise from mean value to maximum, and the fragment where the amplitude fall from maximum to mean value was the second by the efficacy. This type of response was observed in the vast majority of cells in the range of the envelope frequency bands 0-150 and 0-50 Hz. These cells performed half-wave rectification of such type of the envelope. However, in some neurons we observed more strong preference toward a time interval with growing amplitude, including even those where the amplitude value was smaller than the mean one. These properties were observed mainly for low-frequency (0-15 Hz) modulated signals at high modulation depth. The data show that even in medulla oblongata specialization of neural elements of the auditory pathway occurs with respect to time interval features of sound stimulus. This diversity is most evident for signals with a relatively slowly varying amplitude.

Longitude-dependent lunar tidal modulation of the equatorial electrojet during stratospheric sudden warmings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddiqui, Tarique A.; Stolle, Claudia; Lühr, Hermann

2017-03-01

The effects of coupling between different layers of the atmosphere during Stratospheric Sudden Warming (SSW) events have been studied quite extensively in the past few years, and in this context large lunitidal enhancements in the equatorial ionosphere have also been widely discussed. In this study we report about the longitudinal variabilities in lunitidal enhancement in the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) during SSWs through ground and space observations in the Peruvian and Indian sectors. We observe that the amplification of lunitidal oscillations in EEJ is significantly larger over the Peruvian sector in comparison to the Indian sector. We further compare the lunitidal oscillations in both the sectors during the 2005-2006 and 2008-2009 major SSW events and during a non-SSW winter of 2006-2007. It is found that the lunitidal amplitude in EEJ over the Peruvian sector showed similar enhancements during both the major SSWs, but the enhancements were notably different in the Indian sector. Independent from SSW events, we have also performed a climatological analysis of the lunar modulation of the EEJ during December solstice over both the sectors by using 10 years of CHAMP magnetic measurements and found larger lunitidal amplitudes over the Peruvian sector confirming the results from ground magnetometer observations. We have also analyzed the semidiurnal lunar tidal amplitude in neutral temperature measurements from Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) at 110 km and found lesser longitudinal variability than the lunitidal amplitude in EEJ. Our results suggest that the longitudinal variabilities in lunitidal modulation of the EEJ during SSWs could be related to electrodynamics in the E region dynamo.

Rhodnius prolixus lipophorin: lipid composition and effect of high temperature on physiological role.

PubMed

Majerowicz, David; Cezimbra, Milton P; Alves-Bezerra, Michele; Entringer, Petter F; Atella, Georgia C; Sola-Penna, Mauro; Meyer-Fernandes, José R; Gondim, Katia C

2013-03-01

Lipophorin is a major lipoprotein that transports lipids in insects. In Rhodnius prolixus, it transports lipids from midgut and fat body to the oocytes. Analysis by thin-layer chromatography and densitometry identified the major lipid classes present in the lipoprotein as diacylglycerol, hydrocarbons, cholesterol, and phospholipids (PLs), mainly phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. The effect of preincubation at elevated temperatures on lipophorin capacity to deliver or receive lipids was studied. Transfer of PLs to the ovaries was only inhibited after preincubation of lipophorin at temperatures higher than 55 °C. When it was pretreated at 75 °C, maximal inhibition of phospholipid transfer was observed after 3-min heating and no difference was observed after longer times, up to 60 min. The same activity was also obtained when lipophorin was heated for 20 min at 75 °C at protein concentrations from 0.2 to 10 mg/ml. After preincubation at 55 °C, the same rate of lipophorin loading with PLs at the fat body was still present, and 30% of the activity was observed at 75 °C. The effect of temperature on lipophorin was also analyzed by turbidity and intrinsic fluorescence determinations. Turbidity of a lipophorin solution started to increase after preincubations at temperatures higher than 65 °C. Emission fluorescence spectra were obtained for lipophorin, and the spectral area decreased after preincubations at 85 °C or above. These data indicated no difference in the spectral center of mass at any tested temperature. Altogether, these results demonstrate that lipophorin from R. prolixus is very resistant to high temperatures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Rapid identification of causative species in patients with Old World leishmaniasis.

PubMed Central

Minodier, P; Piarroux, R; Gambarelli, F; Joblet, C; Dumon, H

1997-01-01

Conventional methods for the identification of species of Leishmania parasite causing infections have limitations. By using a DNA-based alternative, the present study tries to develop a new tool for this purpose. Thirty-three patients living in Marseilles (in the south of France) were suffering from visceral or cutaneous leishmaniasis. DNA of the parasite in clinical samples (bone marrow, peripheral blood, or skin) from these patients were amplified by PCR and were directly sequenced. The sequences observed were compared to these of 30 strains of the genus causing Old World leishmaniasis collected in Europe, Africa, or Asia. In the analysis of the sequences of the strains, two different sequence patterns for Leishmania infantum, one sequence for Leishmania donovani, one sequence for Leishmania major, two sequences for Leishmania tropica, and one sequence for Leishmania aethiopica were obtained. Four sequences were observed among the strains from the patients: one was similar to the sequence for the L. major strains, two were identical to the sequences for the L. infantum strains, and the last sequence was not observed within the strains but had a high degree of homology with the sequences of the L. infantum and L. donovani strains. The L. infantum strains from all immunocompetent patients had the same sequence. The L. infantum strains from immunodeficient patients suffering from visceral leishmaniasis had three different sequences. This fact might signify that some variants of L. infantum acquire pathogenicity exclusively in immunocompromised patients. To dispense with the sequencing step, a restriction assay with HaeIII was used. Some restriction patterns might support genetic exchanges in members of the genus Leishmania. PMID:9316906

Longwave Band-by-band Cloud Radiative Effect and its Application in GCM Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Xianglei; Cole, Jason N. S.; He, Fei; Potter, Gerald L.; Oreopoulos, Lazaros; Lee, Dongmin; Suarez, Max; Loeb, Norman G.

2012-01-01

The cloud radiative effect (CRE) of each longwave (LW) absorption band of a GCM fs radiation code is uniquely valuable for GCM evaluation because (1) comparing band-by-band CRE avoids the compensating biases in the broadband CRE comparison and (2) the fractional contribution of each band to the LW broadband CRE (f(sub CRE)) is sensitive to cloud top height but largely insensitive to cloud fraction, presenting thus a diagnostic metric to separate the two macroscopic properties of clouds. Recent studies led by the first author have established methods to derive such band ]by ]band quantities from collocated AIRS and CERES observations. We present here a study that compares the observed band-by-band CRE over the tropical oceans with those simulated by three different atmospheric GCMs (GFDL AM2, NASA GEOS-5, and CCCma CanAM4) forced by observed SST. The models agree with observation on the annual ]mean LW broadband CRE over the tropical oceans within +/-1W/sq m. However, the differences among these three GCMs in some bands can be as large as or even larger than +/-1W/sq m. Observed seasonal cycles of f(sub CRE) in major bands are shown to be consistent with the seasonal cycle of cloud top pressure for both the amplitude and the phase. However, while the three simulated seasonal cycles of f(sub CRE) agree with observations on the phase, the amplitudes are underestimated. Simulated interannual anomalies from GFDL AM2 and CCCma CanAM4 are in phase with observed anomalies. The spatial distribution of f(sub CRE) highlights the discrepancies between models and observation over the low-cloud regions and the compensating biases from different bands.

Significance of Intermediate Values of Fractional Flow Reserve in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease.

PubMed

Adjedj, Julien; De Bruyne, Bernard; Floré, Vincent; Di Gioia, Giuseppe; Ferrara, Angela; Pellicano, Mariano; Toth, Gabor G; Bartunek, Jozef; Vanderheyden, Marc; Heyndrickx, Guy R; Wijns, William; Barbato, Emanuele

2016-02-02

The fractional flow reserve (FFR) value of 0.75 has been validated against ischemic testing, whereas the FFR value of 0.80 has been widely accepted to guide clinical decision making. However, revascularization when FFR is 0.76 to 0.80, within the so-called gray zone, is still debatable. From February 1997 to June 2013, all patients with single-segment disease and an FFR value within the gray zone or within the 2 neighboring FFR strata (0.70-0.75 and 0.81-0.85) were included. Study end points consisted of major adverse cardiovascular events (death, myocardial infarction, and any revascularization) up to 5 years. Of 17 380 FFR measurements, 1459 patients were included. Of them, 449 patients were treated with revascularization and 1010 patients were treated with medical therapy. In the gray zone, the major adverse cardiovascular events rate was similar (37 [13.9%] versus 21 [11.2%], respectively; P=0.3) between medical therapy and revascularization, whereas a strong trend toward a higher rate of death or myocardial infarction (25 [9.4] versus 9 [4.8], P=0.06) and overall death (20 [7.5] versus 6 [3.2], P=0.059) was observed in the medical therapy group. Among medical therapy patients, a significant step-up increase in major adverse cardiovascular events rate was observed across the 3 FFR strata, especially with proximal lesion location. In revascularization patients, the major adverse cardiovascular events rate was not different across the 3 FFR strata. FFR in and around the gray zone bears a major prognostic value, especially in proximal lesions. These data confirm that FFR≤0.80 is valid to guide clinical decision making. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Perioperative Outcomes of Major Procedures: Results From the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

PubMed

Ravi, Praful; Sood, Akshay; Schmid, Marianne; Abdollah, Firas; Sammon, Jesse D; Sun, Maxine; Klett, Dane E; Varda, Briony; Peabody, James O; Menon, Mani; Kibel, Adam S; Nguyen, Paul L; Trinh, Quoc-Dien

2015-12-01

To determine the association between race/ethnicity and perioperative outcomes in individuals undergoing major oncologic and nononcologic surgical procedures in the United States. Prior work has shown that there are significant racial/ethnic disparities in perioperative outcomes after several types of major cardiac, general, vascular, orthopedic, and cancer surgical procedures. However, recent evidence suggests attenuation of these racial/ethnic differences, particularly at academic institutions. We utilized the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to identify 142,344 patients undergoing one of the 16 major cancer and noncancer surgical procedures between 2005 and 2011. Eighty-five percent of the cohort was white, with black and Hispanic individuals comprising 8% and 4%, respectively. In multivariable analyses, black patients had greater odds of experiencing prolonged length of stay after 10 of the 16 procedures studied (all P < 0.05), though there was no disparity in odds of 30-day mortality after any surgery. Hispanics were more likely to experience prolonged length of stay after 5 surgical procedures (all P < 0.04), and were at greater odds of dying within 30 days after colectomy, heart valve repair/replacement, or abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (all P < 0.03). Fewer disparities were observed for Hispanics, than for black patients, and also for cancer, than for noncancer surgical procedures. Important racial/ethnic disparities in perioperative outcomes were observed among patients undergoing major cancer and noncancer surgical procedures at American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program institutions. There were fewer disparities among individuals undergoing cancer surgery, though black patients, in particular, were more likely to experience prolonged length of stay.

Wilson's disease-cause of mortality in 164 patients during 1992-2003 observation period.

PubMed

Członkowska, A; Tarnacka, B; Litwin, T; Gajda, J; Rodo, M

2005-06-01

We studied the cause of death in a consecutive series of 164 patients with Wilson's disease (WD) diagnosed over an 11 year period. A total of 20 [12% (95% CI 10.3-16.0)] died during the observation period. The relative survival rate of all patients in our group was statistically smaller than in Polish population. The main cause of death was the diagnosis in advanced stage of disease, but in six patients presenting with mild signs, we observed the progression of the disease despite treatment. There was no difference in mortality rate in patients treated with d-penicillamine or zinc sulphate as initial therapy. The prognosis for survival in the majority of WD patients is favourable, provided that therapy is introduced early.

Anticipated Observation of Waves and Tides by the GOLD Mission Using a GCM and GLOW model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greer, K.; Solomon, S. C.; Rusch, D. W.

2017-12-01

One of the major scientific objectives of the GOLD mission is to address the significance of atmospheric waves and tides propagating from below on the thermospheric temperature structure. Here we examine the modes of tides and spectrum of waves that will be observed by GOLD in geostationary orbit. The GOLD instrument is an imaging spectrograph that will measure the Earth's emissions from 132 to 162 nm. These measurements will be used to image thermospheric temperature and composition near 160 km on the dayside disk at half-hour time scales. TIE-GCM is used to produce a realistic model atmosphere, where different wave and tidal components can be easily extracted, and GLobal AirglOW (GLOW) model produces the emissions in the spectral bands observed by GOLD.

Significant difference in active metabolite levels of ginseng in humans consuming Asian or Western diet: The link with enteric microbiota.

PubMed

Wan, Jin-Yi; Wang, Chong-Zhi; Zhang, Qi-Hui; Liu, Zhi; Musch, Mark W; Bissonnette, Marc; Chang, Eugene B; Li, Ping; Qi, Lian-Wen; Yuan, Chun-Su

2017-04-01

After ingestion of ginseng, the bioavailability of its parent compounds is low and enteric microbiota plays an important role in parent compound biotransformation to their metabolites. Diet type can influence the enteric microbiota profile. When human subjects on different diets ingest ginseng, their different gut microbiota profiles may influence the metabolism of ginseng parent compounds. In this study, the effects of different diet type on gut microbiota metabolism of American ginseng saponins were investigated. We recruited six healthy adults who regularly consumed different diet types. These subjects received 7 days' oral American ginseng, and their biological samples were collected for LC-Q-TOF-MS analysis. We observed significant ginsenoside Rb 1 (a major parent compound) and compound K (a major active metabolite) level differences in the samples from the subjects consuming different diets. Subjects on an Asian diet had much higher Rb 1 levels but much lower compound K levels compared with those on a Western diet. Since compound K possesses much better cancer chemoprevention potential, our data suggested that consumers on a Western diet should obtain better cancer prevention effects with American ginseng intake compared with those on an Asian diet. Ginseng compound levels could be enhanced or reduced via gut microbiota manipulation for clinical utility. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gender differences in brain activity and the relationship between brain activity and differences in prevalence rates between male and female major depressive disorder patients: a resting-state fMRI study.

PubMed

Yao, Zhijian; Yan, Rui; Wei, Maobin; Tang, Hao; Qin, Jiaolong; Lu, Qing

2014-11-01

We examined the gender-difference effect on abnormal spontaneous neuronal activity of male and female major depressive disorder (MDD) patients using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and the further clarified the relationship between the abnormal ALFF and differences in MDD prevalence rates between male and female patients. Fourteen male MDD patients, 13 female MDD patients and 15 male and 15 female well matched healthy controls (HCs) completed this study. The ALFF approach was used, and Pearson correlation was conducted to observe a possible clinical relevance. There were widespread differences in ALFF values between female and male MDD patients, including some important parts of the frontoparietal network, auditory network, attention network and cerebellum network. In female MDD patients, there was a positive correlation between average ALFF values of the left postcentral gyrus and the severity of weight loss symptom. The gender-difference effect leading to abnormal brain activity is an important underlying pathomechanism for different somatic symptoms in MDD patients of different genders and is likely suggestive of higher MDD prevalence rates in females. The abnormal ALFF resulting from the gender-difference effect might improve our understanding of the differences in prevalence rates between male and female MDD patients from another perspective. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating the molecular basis of local adaptation to thermal stress: population differences in gene expression across the transcriptome of the copepod Tigriopus californicus

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Geographic variation in the thermal environment impacts a broad range of biochemical and physiological processes and can be a major selective force leading to local population adaptation. In the intertidal copepod Tigriopus californicus, populations along the coast of California show differences in thermal tolerance that are consistent with adaptation, i.e., southern populations withstand thermal stresses that are lethal to northern populations. To understand the genetic basis of these physiological differences, we use an RNA-seq approach to compare genome-wide patterns of gene expression in two populations known to differ in thermal tolerance. Results Observed differences in gene expression between the southern (San Diego) and the northern (Santa Cruz) populations included both the number of affected loci as well as the identity of these loci. However, the most pronounced differences concerned the amplitude of up-regulation of genes producing heat shock proteins (Hsps) and genes involved in ubiquitination and proteolysis. Among the hsp genes, orthologous pairs show markedly different thermal responses as the amplitude of hsp response was greatly elevated in the San Diego population, most notably in members of the hsp70 gene family. There was no evidence of accelerated evolution at the sequence level for hsp genes. Among other sets of genes, cuticle genes were up-regulated in SD but down-regulated in SC, and mitochondrial genes were down-regulated in both populations. Conclusions Marked changes in gene expression were observed in response to acute sub-lethal thermal stress in the copepod T. californicus. Although some qualitative differences were observed between populations, the most pronounced differences involved the magnitude of induction of numerous hsp and ubiquitin genes. These differences in gene expression suggest that evolutionary divergence in the regulatory pathway(s) involved in acute temperature stress may offer at least a partial explanation of population differences in thermal tolerance observed in Tigriopus. PMID:22950661

Detection of Yarkovsky acceleration in the context of precovery observations and the future Gaia catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desmars, J.

2015-03-01

Context. The Yarkovsky effect is a weak non-gravitational force leading to a small variation of the semi-major axis of an asteroid. Using radar measurements and astrometric observations, it is possible to measure a drift in semi-major axis through orbit determination. Aims: This paper aims to detect a reliable drift in semi-major axis of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) from ground-based observations and to investigate the impact of precovery observations and the future Gaia catalogue in the detection of a secular drift in semi-major axis. Methods: We have developed a precise dynamical model of an asteroid's motion taking the Yarkovsky acceleration into account and allowing the fitting of the drift in semi-major axis. Using statistical methods, we investigate the quality and the robustness of the detection. Results: By filtering spurious detections with an estimated maximum drift depending on the asteroid's size, we found 46 NEAs with a reliable drift in semi-major axis in good agreement with the previous studies. The measure of the drift leads to a better orbit determination and constrains some physical parameters of these objects. Our results are in good agreement with the 1 /D dependence of the drift and with the expected ratio of prograde and retrograde NEAs. We show that the uncertainty of the drift mainly depends on the length of orbital arc and in this way we highlight the importance of the precovery observations and data mining in the detection of consistent drift. Finally, we discuss the impact of Gaia catalogue in the determination of drift in semi-major axis.

Balancing the Role of Priors in Multi-Observer Segmentation Evaluation

PubMed Central

Huang, Xiaolei; Wang, Wei; Lopresti, Daniel; Long, Rodney; Antani, Sameer; Xue, Zhiyun; Thoma, George

2009-01-01

Comparison of a group of multiple observer segmentations is known to be a challenging problem. A good segmentation evaluation method would allow different segmentations not only to be compared, but to be combined to generate a “true” segmentation with higher consensus. Numerous multi-observer segmentation evaluation approaches have been proposed in the literature, and STAPLE in particular probabilistically estimates the true segmentation by optimal combination of observed segmentations and a prior model of the truth. An Expectation–Maximization (EM) algorithm, STAPLE’S convergence to the desired local minima depends on good initializations for the truth prior and the observer-performance prior. However, accurate modeling of the initial truth prior is nontrivial. Moreover, among the two priors, the truth prior always dominates so that in certain scenarios when meaningful observer-performance priors are available, STAPLE can not take advantage of that information. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian decision formulation of the problem that permits the two types of prior knowledge to be integrated in a complementary manner in four cases with differing application purposes: (1) with known truth prior; (2) with observer prior; (3) with neither truth prior nor observer prior; and (4) with both truth prior and observer prior. The third and fourth cases are not discussed (or effectively ignored) by STAPLE, and in our research we propose a new method to combine multiple-observer segmentations based on the maximum a posterior (MAP) principle, which respects the observer prior regardless of the availability of the truth prior. Based on the four scenarios, we have developed a web-based software application that implements the flexible segmentation evaluation framework for digitized uterine cervix images. Experiment results show that our framework has flexibility in effectively integrating different priors for multi-observer segmentation evaluation and it also generates results comparing favorably to those by the STAPLE algorithm and the Majority Vote Rule. PMID:20523759

SU-E-T-580: On the Significance of Model Based Dosimetry for Breast and Head and Neck 192Ir HDR Brachytherapy

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

Peppa, V; Pappas, E; Pantelis, E

2015-06-15

Purpose: To assess the dosimetric and radiobiological differences between TG43-based and model-based dosimetry in the treatment planning of {sup 192}Ir HDR brachytherapy for breast and head and neck cancer. Methods: Two cohorts of 57 Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) and 22 head and neck (H&N) patients with oral cavity carcinoma were studied. Dosimetry for the treatment plans was performed using the TG43 algorithm of the Oncentra Brachy v4.4 treatment planning system (TPS). Corresponding Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were performed using MCNP6 with input files automatically prepared by the BrachyGuide software tool from DICOM RT plan data. TG43 and MC datamore » were compared in terms of % dose differences, Dose Volume Histograms (DVHs) and related indices of clinical interest for the Planning Target Volume (PTV) and the Organs-At-Risk (OARs). A radiobiological analysis was also performed using the Equivalent Uniform Dose (EUD), mean survival fraction (S) and Tumor Control Probability (TCP) for the PTV, and the Normal Tissue Control Probability (N TCP) and the generalized EUD (gEUD) for the OARs. Significance testing of the observed differences performed using the Wilcoxon paired sample test. Results: Differences between TG43 and MC DVH indices, associated with the increased corresponding local % dose differences observed, were statistically significant. This is mainly attributed to their consistency however, since TG43 agrees closely with MC for the majority of DVH and radiobiological parameters in both patient cohorts. Differences varied considerably among patients only for the ipsilateral lung and ribs in the APBI cohort, with a strong correlation to target location. Conclusion: While the consistency and magnitude of differences in the majority of clinically relevant DVH indices imply that no change is needed in the treatment planning practice, individualized dosimetry improves accuracy and addresses instances of inter-patient variability observed. Research co-financed by the ESF and Greek funds through the Operational Program Education and Lifelong Learning Investing in Knowledge Society of the NSRF. Research Funding Program Aristeia. Nucletron, an Elekta company (Veenendaal, The Netherlands) is gratefully acknowledged for providing Oncentra Brachy v4.4 for research purposes.« less

Earth impedance model for through-the-earth communication applications with electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bataller, Vanessa; MuñOz, Antonio; Gaudó, Pilar Molina; Mediano, Arturo; Cuchí, José A.; Villarroel, José L.

2010-12-01

Through-the-earth (TTE) communications are relevant in applications such as caving, tunnel and cave rescue, mining, and subsurface radiolocation. The majority of the TTE communication systems use ground electrodes as load antenna. Wires, electrode contact, and earth impedances are the major contributors to the impedance observed by the transmitter. In this paper, state-of-art models found in the literature are reviewed, and an improved method to measure the earth impedance is presented. The paper also proposes an optimal circuit model for earth impedance between electrodes as a function of frequency, as a consequence of the particular conditions of the application. The model is validated with measurements for different soil conditions, showing a good agreement between empirical data and the simulation results.

Quality of wet deposition in the Grand Calumet River watershed, northwestern Indiana, April 29, 1997-April 28, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Willoughby, Timothy C.

2000-01-01

The Grand Calumet River, in northwestern Indiana, drains a heavily industrialized area along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Steel production and petroleum refining are two of the area?s predominant industries. High-temperature processes, such as fossilfuel combustion and steel production, release contaminants to the atmosphere that may result in wet deposition being a major contributor to major-ion and trace-metal loadings in northwestern Indiana and Lake Michigan. A wet-deposition collection site was established at the Gary (Indiana) Regional Airport to monitor the quantity and chemical quality of wet deposition. During a first phase of sampling, 48 wet-deposition samples were collected weekly between June 30, 1992, and August 31, 1993. During a second phase of sampling, 40 wet-deposition samples were collected between October 17, 1995, and November 12, 1996. Forty-two wet-deposition samples were collected during a third phase of sampling, which began April 29, 1997, and was completed April 28, 1998. Wetdeposition samples were analyzed for pH, specific conductance, and selected major ions and trace metals. This report describes the quantity and quality of wet-deposition samples collected during the third sampling phase and compares these findings to the results of the first and second sampling phases. All of the samples collected during the third phase of sampling were of sufficient volumes for at least some of the analyses to be performed. Constituent concentrations from the third sampling phase were not significantly different (at the 5-percent significance level) from those for the second sampling phase. Significant increases, however, were observed in the concentrations of potassium, iron, lead, and zinc when compared to the concentrations observed in the first sampling phase. Weekly loadings were estimated for each constituent measured during the third sampling phase. If constituent concentrations were reported less than the method reporting limit, a range for the weekly loading was computed. The estimated annual loadings of chloride, silica, bromide, copper, and zinc during the third sampling phase were greater than those estimated for the first two sampling phases. The only estimated annual loading in the third sampling phase that was less than the estimated annual loadings observed during the first two sampling phases was sulfate. The estimated annual loadings of calcium, magnesium, nitrate, potassium, barium, lead, iron, and manganese observed during the third sampling phase were greater than the loadings observed during the first sampling phase but less than those observed during the second sampling phase. No significant differences were observed between the quantity of wet deposition collected during the three sampling phases.

ALMA Observations of Dust Polarization and Molecular Line Emission from the Class 0 Protostellar Source Serpens SMM1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, Charles L. H.; Girart, Josep M.; Tychoniec, Łukasz; Rao, Ramprasad; Cortés, Paulo C.; Pokhrel, Riwaj; Zhang, Qizhou; Houde, Martin; Dunham, Michael M.; Kristensen, Lars E.; Lai, Shih-Ping; Li, Zhi-Yun; Plambeck, Richard L.

2017-10-01

We present high angular resolution dust polarization and molecular line observations carried out with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) toward the Class 0 protostar Serpens SMM1. By complementing these observations with new polarization observations from the Submillimeter Array (SMA) and archival data from the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescopes (JCMT), we can compare the magnetic field orientations at different spatial scales. We find major changes in the magnetic field orientation between large (˜0.1 pc) scales—where the magnetic field is oriented E-W, perpendicular to the major axis of the dusty filament where SMM1 is embedded—and the intermediate and small scales probed by CARMA (˜1000 au resolution), the SMA (˜350 au resolution), and ALMA (˜140 au resolution). The ALMA maps reveal that the redshifted lobe of the bipolar outflow is shaping the magnetic field in SMM1 on the southeast side of the source; however, on the northwestern side and elsewhere in the source, low-velocity shocks may be causing the observed chaotic magnetic field pattern. High-spatial-resolution continuum and spectral-line observations also reveal a tight (˜130 au) protobinary system in SMM1-b, the eastern component of which is launching an extremely high-velocity, one-sided jet visible in both {CO}(J=2\\to 1) and {SiO}(J=5\\to 4); however, that jet does not appear to be shaping the magnetic field. These observations show that with the sensitivity and resolution of ALMA, we can now begin to understand the role that feedback (e.g., from protostellar outflows) plays in shaping the magnetic field in very young, star-forming sources like SMM1.

Use of High-Resolution Satellite Observations to Evaluate Cloud and Precipitation Statistics from Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Y.; Tao, W.; Hou, A. Y.; Zeng, X.; Shie, C.

2007-12-01

The cloud and precipitation statistics simulated by 3D Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model for different environmental conditions, i.e., the South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX), CRYSTAL-FACE, and KAWJEX are compared with Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) TMI and PR rainfall measurements and as well as cloud observations from the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments. It is found that GCE is capable of simulating major convective system development and reproducing total surface rainfall amount as compared with rainfall estimated from the soundings. The model presents large discrepancies in rain spectrum and vertical hydrometer profiles. The discrepancy in the precipitation field is also consistent with the cloud and radiation observations. The study will focus on the effects of large scale forcing and microphysics to the simulated model- observation discrepancies.

The great billion-year war between ribosome- and capsid-encoding organisms (cells and viruses) as the major source of evolutionary novelties.

PubMed

Forterre, Patrick; Prangishvili, David

2009-10-01

Our conceptions on the origin, nature, and role of viruses have been shaken recently by several independent lines of research. There are many reasons to believe now that viruses are more ancient than modern cells and have always been more abundant and diverse than their cellular targets. Viruses can be defined as capsid-encoding organisms that transform their "host" cell into a viral factory. If capsid-encoding organisms (viruses) and ribosome-encoding organisms (cells) are the major types of living entities on our planet, it seems logical to conclude that their conflict has been a major engine of biological evolution (in the framework of natural selection). In particular, many novelties first selected in the viral world might have been transferred to cells as a consequence of the continuous flow of viral genes into cellular genomes. We discuss recent observations and hypotheses suggesting that viruses have played a major role at different stages of biological evolution, such as the RNA to DNA transition, the origin of the eukaryotic nucleus, or, alternatively, the origin of unique features in multicellular macrobes.

Melanoma cells present high levels of HLA-A2-tyrosinase in association with instability and aberrant intracellular processing of tyrosinase.

PubMed

Michaeli, Yael; Sinik, Keren; Haus-Cohen, Maya; Reiter, Yoram

2012-04-01

Short-lived protein translation products are proposed to be a major source of substrates for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen processing and presentation; however, a direct link between protein stability and the presentation level of MHC class I-peptide complexes has not been made. We have recently discovered that the peptide Tyr((369-377)) , derived from the tyrosinase protein is highly presented by HLA-A2 on the surface of melanoma cells. To examine the molecular mechanisms responsible for this presentation, we compared characteristics of tyrosinase in melanoma cells lines that present high or low levels of HLA-A2-Tyr((369-377)) complexes. We found no correlation between mRNA levels and the levels of HLA-A2-Tyr((369-377)) presentation. Co-localization experiments revealed that, in cell lines presenting low levels of HLA-A2-Tyr((369-377)) complexes, tyrosinase co-localizes with LAMP-1, a melanosome marker, whereas in cell lines presenting high HLA-A2-Tyr((369-377)) levels, tyrosinase localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum. We also observed differences in tyrosinase molecular weight and glycosylation composition as well as major differences in protein stability (t(1/2) ). By stabilizing the tyrosinase protein, we observed a dramatic decrease in HLA-A2-tyrosinase presentation. Our findings suggest that aberrant processing and instability of tyrosinase are responsible for the high presentation of HLA-A2-Tyr((369-377)) complexes and thus shed new light on the relationship between intracellular processing, stability of proteins, and MHC-restricted peptide presentation. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Strain characteristics of Marburg double crown-retained implant overdentures compared with bar and ball-retained implant overdentures, with and without a rigid major connector.

PubMed

Kazokoğlu, F Şehnaz; Akaltan, Funda

2014-12-01

It is hard to identify the most favorable retainer type and the denture design when considering strain levels around implants and in edentulous ridges for implant overdentures (IOVD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the strain transmitted to the implants and edentulous ridges by Marburg double crown (MDC)-retained IOVD as opposed to bar and ball-retained IOVD and the efficiency of a rigid major connector in the maxilla. An in vitro maxillary model was prepared with 4 implants, with strain gauges placed distally to each implant and also in the anterior and posterior edentulous ridges. Five overdentures were fabricated for each MDC and each ball and bar attachment retainers. Vertical loads of 280 N were applied bilaterally on the first molar region. Then the palatal bars of each IOVD were disconnected, and loading procedures were repeated for the prostheses. No significant difference was observed among the MDC and the bar and ball-retained IOVD, with and without a rigid bar according to the data taken from both the implants and edentulous ridges. However, when the strain values attained from each strain gauge separately were considered, a slight difference was observed around the implants of ball-retained overdentures and in the edentulous ridges of MDC-retained overdentures. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, MDC-retained maxillary overdentures with 4 parallel and symmetrically placed implants can be used safely without a rigid major connector as with bar and ball-retained IOVD with regard to the strains generated in the edentulous ridge and around implants. Copyright © 2014 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of a delta spot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Zhang, H. Q.

2002-05-01

delta -groups generally develop in three different ways: eruption of a single complex active region, eruption of large satellite spots near a large older spot, or collision of spots of opposite polarity from different dipoles. In this paper, we present a rare observational result in which a delta -spot forms from rapid coalescence of two opposite magnetic features in a pre-existing delta -configuration. The white-light (WL) observations of this delta -spot in active region NOAA 9077 were performed by TRACE. The time-lapse movie of the co-aligned WL images shows that the whole active region was undergoing rapid disintegration and reconstruction on 11-17 July 2000. The preceding ({p}) and following ({f}) components of the delta -spot continue to grow in size, while the active region is in the decaying phase. Their proper motions are determined as a function of time using SOHO/MDI full-disk magnetograms. A major flare (3B/X5.7) erupted in the active region on 14 July. Initially, a relative shearing motion is visible between the {p} and {f} spots on this day. About two hours before the major flare, the shearing motion suddenly stops and the velocities change significantly. The ribbons of the flare are located just outside of the delta -configuration. An interesting finding is the sign reversal of the helicity of the {f} spot also just 2 hours before the flare. The delta -spot obviously separates after the flare. Our results clearly demonstrate that helicity reversal in magnetic features of a delta -configuration is likely to destabilize the compact structure, as well as to re-organize the magnetic field configuration, and, hence, is important for the rapid disintegration of a delta -spot during major flares. A model is presented to explain why a spot can change its chirality.

Simulated gamma-ray pulse profile of the Crab pulsar with the Cherenkov Telescope Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burtovoi, A.; Zampieri, L.

2016-07-01

We present simulations of the very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray light curve of the Crab pulsar as observed by the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The CTA pulse profile of the Crab pulsar is simulated with the specific goal of determining the accuracy of the position of the interpulse. We fit the pulse shape obtained by the Major Atmospheric Gamma-Ray Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescope with a three-Gaussian template and rescale it to account for the different CTA instrumental and observational configurations. Simulations are performed for different configurations of CTA and for the ASTRI (Astrofisica con Specchi a Tecnologia Replicante Italiana) mini-array. The northern CTA configuration will provide an improvement of a factor of ˜3 in accuracy with an observing time comparable to that of MAGIC (73 h). Unless the VHE spectrum above 1 TeV behaves differently from what we presently know, unreasonably long observing times are required for a significant detection of the pulsations of the Crab pulsar with the high-energy-range sub-arrays. We also found that an independent VHE timing analysis is feasible with Large Size Telescopes. CTA will provide a significant improvement in determining the VHE pulse shape parameters necessary to constrain theoretical models of the gamma-ray emission of the Crab pulsar. One of such parameters is the shift in phase between peaks in the pulse profile at VHE and in other energy bands that, if detected, may point to different locations of the emission regions.

Interlamellar adsorption of carbon dioxide by smectites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fripiat, J.J.; Cruz, M.I.; Bohor, B.F.; Thomas, J.

1974-01-01

The adsorption of CO2 at low temperature (∼ −70°C) on thin films of homoionic smectites was studied by X-ray diffraction and by i.r. absorption. An increase in the d001 spacings of these clay films upon adsorption of CO2 was observed. In addition, a dichroic effect was readily discernible by comparing the i.r. spectra at two different orientations of the smectite films; i.e. with the film normal and tilted 35° with respect to the i.r. beam. The CO2 stretching vibration at 2350 cm−1 was used for the i.r. study. These observations conclusively show that CO2 intercalates the smectite structure rather than being adsorbed only in pores between clay tactoids—the limiting process proposed by other investigators.Adsorption isotherm data from earlier surface area studies are re-examined here through application of the Dubinin equation. Again, intercalation is demonstrated by convergence of the plotted experimental data for smectites containing large monovalent interlayer cations toward a pore volume that is near the calculated theoretical value for a monolayer of intercalated CO2.Scanning electron photomicrographs of Li- and Cs- smectites provide additional evidence that aggregation differences are not responsible for the large observed difference in BET surface areas obtained for these smectites with CO2 as the adsorbate. At low magnification, visual differences in macro-aggregates are apparent, but at high magnification no significant differences are observed in the micro-structure of individual aggregates where the major amount of gas adsorption really occurs.

Public perceptions and attitudes toward thalassaemia: Influencing factors in a multi-racial population.

PubMed

Wong, Li Ping; George, Elizabeth; Tan, Jin-Ai Mary Anne

2011-03-30

Thalassaemia is a common public health problem in Malaysia and about 4.5 to 6% of the Malays and Chinese are carriers of this genetic disorder. The major forms of thalassaemia result in death in utero of affected foetuses (α-thalassaemia) or life-long blood transfusions for survival in β-thalassaemia. This study, the first nationwide population based survey of thalassaemia in Malaysia, aimed to determine differences in public awareness, perceptions and attitudes toward thalassaemia in the multi-racial population in Malaysia. A cross-sectional computer-assisted telephone interview survey of a representative sample of multi-racial Malaysians aged 18 years and above was conducted between July and December 2009. Of a total of 3723 responding households, 2846 (76.4%) have heard of thalassaemia. Mean knowledge score was 11.85 (SD ± 4.03), out of a maximum of 21, with higher scores indicating better knowledge. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in total knowledge score by age groups, education attainment, employment status, and average household income were observed. Although the majority expressed very positive attitudes toward screening for thalassaemia, only 13.6% of married participants interviewed have been screened for thalassaemia. The majority (63.4%) were unsupportive of selective termination of foetuses diagnosed with thalassaemia major. Study shows that carrier and premarital screening programs for thalassaemia may be more effective and culturally acceptable in the reduction of pregnancies with thalassaemia major. The findings provide insights into culturally congruent educational interventions to reach out diverse socio-demographic and ethnic communities to increase knowledge and cultivate positive attitudes toward prevention of thalassaemia.

The Functional Impact of Subsyndromal Depressive Symptoms in Bipolar Disorder: Data from STEP-BD

PubMed Central

Marangell, Lauren B.; Dennehy, Ellen B.; Miyahara, Sachiko; Wisniewski, Stephen R.; Bauer, Mark S.; Rapaport, Mark Hyman; Allen, Michael H.

2009-01-01

Background This report describes baseline characteristics and functional outcomes of subjects who have prospectively observed subsyndromal symptoms after a major depressive episode (MDE). Methods All subjects were participants in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD). We identified subjects with at least 2 years of observation whose prior or current episode was a MDE, and who were in a stable clinical state of either recovered (no more than 2 moderate symptoms for at least 8 weeks), a MDE by DSM IV criteria, or with continued subsyndromal symptoms. The subsyndromal group was defined a priori as 3 or more moderate affective symptoms but without meeting diagnostic criteria for major depression. Results The final cohort included 1094 recovered, 112 subsyndromal, and 310 individuals in a MDE. The average time spent in each clinical status ranged from 120 to 132 days. The subsyndromal group was most similar to those in a MDE, differing only on the intensity of depressive symptoms and the number of work days missed due to ongoing symptoms. Reported sadness, inability to feel and lassitude were each associated with multiple measures of impairment. Limitations This study is limited by the cross sectional approach to defining outcomes. Conclusions These findings are consistent with studies in unipolar major depression that indicate that functional impairment observed in the context of subsyndromal depressive symptoms is comparable to that of a full episode. This work underscores the need to include subsyndromal symptoms in study outcomes and to target full remission in clinical practice. PMID:18708263

Adaptive human immunity drives remyelination in a mouse model of demyelination

PubMed Central

El Behi, Mohamed; Sanson, Charles; Bachelin, Corinne; Guillot-Noël, Léna; Fransson, Jennifer; Stankoff, Bruno; Maillart, Elisabeth; Sarrazin, Nadège; Guillemot, Vincent; Abdi, Hervé; Cournu-Rebeix, Isabelle; Fontaine, Bertrand

2017-01-01

Abstract One major challenge in multiple sclerosis is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to disease severity progression. The recently demonstrated correlation between disease severity and remyelination emphasizes the importance of identifying factors leading to a favourable outcome. Why remyelination fails or succeeds in multiple sclerosis patients remains largely unknown, mainly because remyelination has never been studied within a humanized pathological context that would recapitulate major events in plaque formation such as infiltration of inflammatory cells. Therefore, we developed a new paradigm by grafting healthy donor or multiple sclerosis patient lymphocytes in the demyelinated lesion of nude mice spinal cord. We show that lymphocytes play a major role in remyelination whose efficacy is significantly decreased in mice grafted with multiple sclerosis lymphocytes compared to those grafted with healthy donors lymphocytes. Mechanistically, we demonstrated in vitro that lymphocyte-derived mediators influenced differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells through a crosstalk with microglial cells. Among mice grafted with lymphocytes from different patients, we observed diverse remyelination patterns reproducing for the first time the heterogeneity observed in multiple sclerosis patients. Comparing lymphocyte secretory profile from patients exhibiting high and low remyelination ability, we identified novel molecules involved in oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation and validated CCL19 as a target to improve remyelination. Specifically, exogenous CCL19 abolished oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation observed in patients with high remyelination pattern. Multiple sclerosis lymphocytes exhibit intrinsic capacities to coordinate myelin repair and further investigation on patients with high remyelination capacities will provide new pro-regenerative strategies. PMID:28334918

Adaptive human immunity drives remyelination in a mouse model of demyelination.

PubMed

El Behi, Mohamed; Sanson, Charles; Bachelin, Corinne; Guillot-Noël, Léna; Fransson, Jennifer; Stankoff, Bruno; Maillart, Elisabeth; Sarrazin, Nadège; Guillemot, Vincent; Abdi, Hervé; Cournu-Rebeix, Isabelle; Fontaine, Bertrand; Zujovic, Violetta

2017-04-01

One major challenge in multiple sclerosis is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to disease severity progression. The recently demonstrated correlation between disease severity and remyelination emphasizes the importance of identifying factors leading to a favourable outcome. Why remyelination fails or succeeds in multiple sclerosis patients remains largely unknown, mainly because remyelination has never been studied within a humanized pathological context that would recapitulate major events in plaque formation such as infiltration of inflammatory cells. Therefore, we developed a new paradigm by grafting healthy donor or multiple sclerosis patient lymphocytes in the demyelinated lesion of nude mice spinal cord. We show that lymphocytes play a major role in remyelination whose efficacy is significantly decreased in mice grafted with multiple sclerosis lymphocytes compared to those grafted with healthy donors lymphocytes. Mechanistically, we demonstrated in vitro that lymphocyte-derived mediators influenced differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells through a crosstalk with microglial cells. Among mice grafted with lymphocytes from different patients, we observed diverse remyelination patterns reproducing for the first time the heterogeneity observed in multiple sclerosis patients. Comparing lymphocyte secretory profile from patients exhibiting high and low remyelination ability, we identified novel molecules involved in oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation and validated CCL19 as a target to improve remyelination. Specifically, exogenous CCL19 abolished oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation observed in patients with high remyelination pattern. Multiple sclerosis lymphocytes exhibit intrinsic capacities to coordinate myelin repair and further investigation on patients with high remyelination capacities will provide new pro-regenerative strategies. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

Amygdala and whole-brain activity to emotional faces distinguishes major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Fournier, Jay C; Keener, Matthew T; Almeida, Jorge; Kronhaus, Dina M; Phillips, Mary L

2013-11-01

It can be clinically difficult to distinguish depressed individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). To examine potential biomarkers of difference between the two disorders, the current study examined differences in the functioning of emotion-processing neural regions during a dynamic emotional faces task. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, healthy control adults (HC) (n = 29) and depressed adults with MDD (n = 30) and BD (n = 22) performed an implicit emotional-faces task in which they identified a color label superimposed on neutral faces that dynamically morphed into one of four emotional faces (angry, fearful, sad, happy). We compared neural activation between the groups in an amygdala region-of-interest and at the whole-brain level. Adults with MDD showed significantly greater activity than adults with BD in the left amygdala to the anger condition (p = 0.01). Results of whole-brain analyses (at p < 0.005, k ≥ 20) revealed that adults with BD showed greater activity to sad faces in temporoparietal regions, primarily in the left hemisphere, whereas individuals with MDD demonstrated greater activity than those with BD to displays of anger, fear, and happiness. Many of the observed BD-MDD differences represented abnormalities in functioning compared to HC. We observed a dissociation between depressed adults with BD and MDD in the processing of emerging emotional faces. Those with BD showed greater activity during mood-congruent (i.e., sad) faces, whereas those with MDD showed greater activity for mood-incongruent (i.e., fear, anger, and happy) faces. Such findings may reflect markers of differences between BD and MDD depression in underlying pathophysiological processes. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Development of poliovirus infection in laboratory animals of different species].

PubMed

Koroleva, G A; Lashkevich, V A; Voroshilova, M K

1975-01-01

The capacity of vaccine and virulent strains of poliomyelitis virus to multiply in laboratory animals of different species was studied. Virus reproduction was judged by formation of photoresistant virus progeny in response to inoculation of the animals with photosensitized virus. Multiplication of virulent poliomyelitis virus strains observed in the majority of animal species examined (monkeys, newborn and adult cotton rats, newborn and adult white mice, chickens, chick embryos) resulted in active formation of photoresistant virus population and in some cases was accompanied by clinical symptoms of the disease. Multiplication of vaccine strains was observed in a smaller number of animal species and was limited, as a rule. Among non-primate animals, newborn cotton rats were most susceptible to poliovirus infection. Newborn guinea pigs were the only species of laboratory animals in which no multiplication of any of the six strains under study could be detected.

Going the whole orang: Darwin, Wallace and the natural history of orangutans.

PubMed

van Wyhe, John; Kjærgaard, Peter C

2015-06-01

This article surveys the European discovery and early ideas about orangutans followed by the contrasting experiences with these animals of the co-founders of evolution by natural selection, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. The first non-human great ape that both of them interacted with was the orangutan. They were both profoundly influenced by what they saw, but the contexts of their observations could hardly be more different. Darwin met orangutans in the Zoological Gardens in London while Wallace saw them in the wild in Borneo. In different ways these observations helped shape their views of human evolution and humanity's place in nature. Their findings played a major role in shaping some of the key questions that were pursued in human evolutionary studies during the rest of the nineteenth century. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Chemical, Bioactive, and Antioxidant Potential of Twenty Wild Culinary Mushroom Species.

PubMed

Sharma, S K; Gautam, N

2015-01-01

The chemical, bioactive, and antioxidant potential of twenty wild culinary mushroom species being consumed by the people of northern Himalayan regions has been evaluated for the first time in the present study. Nutrients analyzed include protein, crude fat, fibres, carbohydrates, and monosaccharides. Besides, preliminary study on the detection of toxic compounds was done on these species. Bioactive compounds evaluated are fatty acids, amino acids, tocopherol content, carotenoids (β-carotene, lycopene), flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanidins. Fruitbodies extract of all the species was tested for different types of antioxidant assays. Although differences were observed in the net values of individual species all the species were found to be rich in protein, and carbohydrates and low in fat. Glucose was found to be the major monosaccharide. Predominance of UFA (65-70%) over SFA (30-35%) was observed in all the species with considerable amounts of other bioactive compounds. All the species showed higher effectiveness for antioxidant capacities.

[The effects of Omega-3 fatty acids in clinical medicine].

PubMed

Reiner, Martin F; Stivala, Simona; Camici, Giovanni G; Beer, Jürg H

2014-03-12

Effects of Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) in particular on the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are of major interest. Many experimental studies reported their anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and anti-atherosclerotic properties and suggested favourable effects on the prevention of CVD. While the majority of former studies showed a benefit of n-3 FA acid intake, recent clinical trials using n-3 supplements on top of established medication and prudent nutrition did not confirm these findings. The conflicting data may be due to several factors such as the selection of study population with different sizes or characteristics as well as choosing different doses or types of n-3 FA. The most recent meta-analyses observed clear benefits of fish consumption, but not of n-3 capsules intake. Furthermore, a nutrition rich in plant-derived n-3 FA alpha-linolenic acid has been found to have beneficial effects on the development of cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases.

A patient with Cotard syndrome who showed an improvement in single photon emission computed tomography findings after successful treatment with antidepressants.

PubMed

Hashioka, Sadayuki; Monji, Akira; Sasaki, Masayuki; Yoshida, Ichiro; Baba, Kanji; Tashiro, Nobutada

2002-01-01

We report the case of a presenile woman with Cotard syndrome, in the context of major depression, who showed an improvement in bilateral frontal hypoperfusion in a SPECT study using 99mTc-HMPAO after undergoing successful treatment with antidepressant therapy. We also retrospectively evaluated her clinical course based on the clinical stages. The symptoms of Cotard syndrome have been reported to change dramatically according to the stages. This peculiarity made it difficult for us to rapidly diagnose Cotard syndrome in the context of major depression, and not dementia, and thereby adequately treat the patient in our case. Differences in the reduced blood flow regions and a time lag from psychiatric remission were observed before the improvement in the SPECT findings when comparing our case with a previously reported case of Cotard syndrome. These differences suggest that the mechanism of Cotard syndrome is still not well understood at the present time.

ISOZYMES OF ACID PHOSPHATASE IN NORMAL AND CALMETTE-GUÉRIN BACILLUS-INDUCED RABBIT ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES

PubMed Central

Axline, S. G.

1968-01-01

The acid phosphatase activity of normal alveolar and BCG-induced alveolar macrophages has been examined. Five electrophoretically distinct forms of acid phosphatase have been identified in both normal and BCG-induced macrophages. The acid phosphatases can be divided into two major categories. One category, containing four distinct forms, is readily solubilized after repeated freezing and thawing or mechanical disruption The second category, containing one form, is firmly bound to the lysosomal membrane and can be solubilized by treatment of the lysosomal fraction with Triton X-100. The Triton-extractable acid phosphatase and the predominant aqueous soluble acid phosphatase have been shown to differ in the degree of membrane binding, in solubility, in net charge, and in molecular weight. The two pre-dominant phosphatases possess identical pH optimum and do not differ in response to enzyme inhibitors. BCG stimulation has been shown to result in a nearly twofold increase in acid phosphatase activity. A nearly proportionate increase in the major acid phosphatase forms has been observed. PMID:4878908

An accelerometric measure of the gait pattern in horses after the administration of sublingual detomidine.

PubMed

López-Sanromán, F J; de la Riva Andrés, S; Holmbak-Petersen, R; Pérez-Nogués, M; Forés Jackson, P; Santos González, M

2014-10-01

The locomotor pattern alterations produced after the administration of a sublingual detomidine gel was measured by an accelerometric method in horses. Using a randomized two-way crossover design, all animals (n = 6) randomly received either detomidine gel or a placebo administered sublingually. A triaxial accelerometric device was used for gait assessment 15 minutes before (baseline) and every 10 minutes after each treatment for a period of 180 minutes. Eight different parameters were calculated, including speed, stride frequency, stride length, regularity, dorsoventral, propulsion, mediolateral, and total power. Force of acceleration and the three components of power were also calculated. Significant statistical differences were observed between groups in all the parameters but stride length. The majority of significant changes started between 30 and 70 minutes after drug administration and lasted for 160 minutes. This route of administration is definitely useful in horses in which a prolonged sedation is required, with stability being a major concern. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and estimation of trans-resveratrol in one-year-old canes from seven major Chinese grape producing regions.

PubMed

Zhang, Ang; Fang, Yulin; Li, Xuan; Meng, Jiangfei; Wang, Hua; Li, Hua; Zhang, Zhenwen; Guo, Zhijun

2011-03-31

The concentration of trans-resveratrol in 165 grape cane samples from three major grape production regions and four large distribution centers of Chinese wild Vitis species were determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Among the different genotype groups and purpose of uses, cultivars of V. vinifera had much higher amounts of trans-resveratrol than did the cultivars of both V. labrusca or V. labrusca and V. vinifera hybrids, and within the V. vinifera species, significantly higher amounts of trans-resveratrol were found in wine grapes compared to table ones. No significant differences were observed between V. labrusca and its hybrids from crosses with V. vinifera, and between red cultivars and white ones (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The contents of trans-resveratrol, as a normal constituent occurring in grape canes, in Chinese wild species of V. amurensis, V. pentagona, and V. davidii from their native habitats were also relatively high.

Strain diversity plays no major role in the varying efficacy of rotavirus vaccines: an overview.

PubMed

Velasquez, Daniel E; Parashar, Umesh D; Jiang, Baoming

2014-12-01

While a monovalent Rotarix® [RV1] and a pentavalent RotaTeq® [RV5] have been extensively tested and found generally safe and equally efficacious in clinical trials, the question still lingers about the evolving diversity of circulating rotavirus strains over time and their relationship with protective immunity induced by rotavirus vaccines. We reviewed data from clinical trials and observational studies that assessed the efficacy or field effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines against different rotavirus strains worldwide. RV1 provided broad clinical efficacy and field effectiveness against severe diarrhea due to all major circulating strains, including the homotypic G1P[8] and the fully heterotypic G2P[4] strains. Similarly, RV5 provided broad efficacy and effectiveness against RV5 and non-RV5 strains throughout different locations. Rotavirus vaccination provides broad heterotypic protection; however continuing surveillance is needed to track the change of circulating strains and monitor the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Volatiles from roasted byproducts of the poultry-processing industry.

PubMed

Wettasinghe, M; Vasanthan, T; Temelli, F; Swallow, K

2000-08-01

Volatiles of roasted chicken breast muscle and byproducts, such as backbones, breastbones, spent bones, and skin, were investigated. Total volatile concentrations ranged from 2030 ppb in the roasted backbones to 4049 ppb in the roasted skin. The major classes of volatile compounds detected in roasted samples were aldehydes (648-1532 ppb) and alcohols (336-1006 ppb). Nitrogen- and/or sulfur-containing compounds were also detected in appreciable quantities (161-706 ppb) in all samples. For all samples, hexanal and 2-methyl-2-buten-1-ol were dominant among the aldehydes and alcohols, respectively. Among the nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds, Maillard reaction products, such as tetrahydropyridazines, piperidines, and thiazoles, were the major contributors to the total volatile content in all samples. The composition of volatiles observed in roasted byproducts was markedly different from that of the roasted breast muscle. Therefore, the blending of the byproducts in appropriate proportions or blending of volatile flavor extracts from different byproducts may be necessary to obtain an aroma that mimics roasted chicken aroma.

Brief Report: Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory in Adolescent Major Depressive Disorder

PubMed Central

Champagne, Katelynn; Burkhouse, Katie L.; Woody, Mary L.; Feurer, Cope; Sosoo, Effua; Gibb, Brandon E.

2016-01-01

The current study examined whether overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) bias serves as a state-like marker of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescence or whether it would also be observed in currently nondepressed adolescents with a history of MDD. We examined differences in OGM to positive and negative cue words between adolescents (aged 11–18 years) with current MDD (n = 15), remitted MDD (n = 25), and no history of any depressive disorder (n = 25). Youth and their parents were administered a structured diagnostic interview and adolescents completed the autobiographical memory test. Compared to never depressed adolescents, adolescents with current or remitted MDD recalled less specific memories in response to positive and negative cue words. The difference between the two MDD groups was small and nonsignificant. These findings suggest that OGM is not simply a state-like marker in currently depressed adolescents, but is also evident in adolescents with remitted MDD, indicating that it may represent a trait-like vulnerability that increases risk for relapse. PMID:27498000

Proximate environmental forcing in fine-scale geochemical records of calcareous couplets (Upper Cretaceous and Palaeocene of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin, eastern North Atlantic)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez Berrocoso, Álvaro; Elorza, Javier; MacLeod, Kenneth G.

2013-02-01

Calcareous couplets are key elements in reconstructing the evolution of a sedimentary basin due to the influence of forcing mechanisms such as climate, sea level and tectonism on their depositional patterns. Proposed forcing mechanisms, however, are often not mutually exclusive and even constraining the relative importance of different processes is problematic. Added to the question of discriminating forcing mechanisms, a major challenge is to produce high-sampling density so that observations lie within temporal resolutions equal to or finer than the timescales on which different forcing operates. Here, we show fine-scale (1 sample/~ 2 cm) CaCO3, δ18O and δ13C records and sedimentological observations from three different sites (Isla de Castro, Sopelana-Ma, and Sopelana-Da) with calcareous couplets in the Basque Cantabrian Basin (eastern North Atlantic) to illustrate the potential of fine-sampling strategies to help distinguish proximate environmental forcing. Partial redistribution of carbonate during burial diagenesis has been proposed for these sediments. Our CaCO3, δ18O and δ13C data could thus be dismissed as diagenetic signals if only one sample was collected from each bed. Detailed observations of the fine-scale geochemical records, however, challenge purely diagenetic explanations. Combined with sedimentology, the CaCO3, δ18O and δ13C values, partially altered by diagenesis, are interpreted to have resulted from alternating climates. The proximate forcing through which alternating climates caused the geochemical patterns, though, was different in each section, due to their specific palaeogeographic positions in the basin and the properties of the seawater masses. The proximity of continental areas of high relief to the Isla de Castro section supported a high continental influence during its deposition. The Sopelana-Ma sediments are assigned to a transgressive system tract, a condition that is interpreted to have promoted a high influence of oceanic processes in its depositional setting. Finally, a relatively cool, oxygen-rich water mass with high oxidation potential influenced the geochemical and depositional patterns of Sopelana-Da. Beyond the climatic and oceanographic dynamics inferred for a basin that linked the western Tethys with Boreal domains during major marine transgressions of the Late Cretaceous to Palaeocene, an implication of our work is that if similar fine-scale geochemical records were applied to calcareous couplets spanning major events in Earth's history (e.g., ocean anoxic events), alternative forcing scenarios leading to and out of these events could be discriminated.

Effect of Preload Alterations on Left Ventricular Systolic Parameters Including Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography Radial Strain During General Anesthesia.

PubMed

Weber, Ulrike; Base, Eva; Ristl, Robin; Mora, Bruno

2015-08-01

Frequently used parameters for evaluation of left ventricular systolic function are load-sensitive. However, the impact of preload alterations on speckle-tracking echocardiographic parameters during anesthesia has not been validated. Therefore, two-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking echocardiography radial strain (RS) was assessed during general anesthesia, simulating 3 different preload conditions. Single-center prospective observational study. University hospital. Thirty-three patients with normal left ventricular systolic function undergoing major surgery. Transgastric views of the midpapillary level of the left ventricle were acquired at 3 different positions. Fractional shortening (FS), fractional area change (FAC), and 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography RS were analyzed in the transgastric midpapillary view. Considerable correlation above 0.5 was found for FAC and FS in the zero and Trendelenburg positions (r = 0.629, r = 0.587), and for RS and FAC in the anti-Trendelenburg position (r = 0.518). In the repeated-measures analysis, significant differences among the values measured at the 3 positions were found for FAC and FS. For FAC, there were differences up to 2.8 percentage points between the anti-Trendelenburg position and the other 2 positions. For FS, only the difference between position zero and anti-Trendelenburg was significant, with an observed change of 1.66. Two-dimensional RS was not significantly different at all positions, with observed changes below 1 percentage point. Alterations in preload did not result in clinically relevant changes of RS, FS, or FAC. Observed changes for RS were smallest; however, the variation of RS was larger than that of FS or FAC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inverse modeling of hydrologic parameters using surface flux and runoff observations in the Community Land Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Y.; Hou, Z.; Huang, M.; Tian, F.; Leung, L. Ruby

2013-12-01

This study demonstrates the possibility of inverting hydrologic parameters using surface flux and runoff observations in version 4 of the Community Land Model (CLM4). Previous studies showed that surface flux and runoff calculations are sensitive to major hydrologic parameters in CLM4 over different watersheds, and illustrated the necessity and possibility of parameter calibration. Both deterministic least-square fitting and stochastic Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)-Bayesian inversion approaches are evaluated by applying them to CLM4 at selected sites with different climate and soil conditions. The unknowns to be estimated include surface and subsurface runoff generation parameters and vadose zone soil water parameters. We find that using model parameters calibrated by the sampling-based stochastic inversion approaches provides significant improvements in the model simulations compared to using default CLM4 parameter values, and that as more information comes in, the predictive intervals (ranges of posterior distributions) of the calibrated parameters become narrower. In general, parameters that are identified to be significant through sensitivity analyses and statistical tests are better calibrated than those with weak or nonlinear impacts on flux or runoff observations. Temporal resolution of observations has larger impacts on the results of inverse modeling using heat flux data than runoff data. Soil and vegetation cover have important impacts on parameter sensitivities, leading to different patterns of posterior distributions of parameters at different sites. Overall, the MCMC-Bayesian inversion approach effectively and reliably improves the simulation of CLM under different climates and environmental conditions. Bayesian model averaging of the posterior estimates with different reference acceptance probabilities can smooth the posterior distribution and provide more reliable parameter estimates, but at the expense of wider uncertainty bounds.

Water surface elevation from the upcoming SWOT mission under different flows conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domeneghetti, Alessio; Schumann, Guy J. P.; Wei, Rui; Frasson, Renato P. M.; Durand, Michael; Pavelsky, Tamlin; Castellarin, Attilio; Brath, Armando

2017-04-01

The upcoming SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite mission will provide unprecedented bi-dimensional observations of terrestrial water surface heights along rivers wider than 100m. Despite the literature reports several activities showing possible uses of SWOT products, potential and limitations of satellite observations still remain poorly understood and investigated. We present one of the first analyses regarding the spatial observation of water surface elevation expected from SWOT for a 140 km reach of the middle-lower portion of the Po River, in Northern Italy. The river stretch is characterized by a main channel varying from 100-500 m in width and a floodplain delimited by a system of major embankments that can be as wide as 5 km. The reconstruction of the hydraulic behavior of the Po River is performed by means of a quasi-2D model built with detailed topographic and bathymetric information (LiDAR, 2m resolution), while the simulation of remotely sensed hydrometric data is performed with a SWOT simulator that mimics the satellite sensor characteristics. Referring to water surface elevations associated with different flow conditions (maximum, minimum and average flow) this work characterizes the spatial observations provided by SWOT and highlights the strengths and limitations of the expected products. The analysis provides a robust reference for spatial water observations that will be available from SWOT and assesses possible effects of river embankments, river width and river topography under different hydraulic conditions. Results of the study characterize the expected accuracy of the upcoming SWOT mission and provide additional insights towards the appropriate exploitation of future hydrological observations.

HIV-Related Knowledge and Perceptions by Academic Major: Implications for University Interventions

PubMed Central

Smith, Matthew Lee; La Place, Lisa L.; Menn, Mindy; Wilson, Kelly L.

2014-01-01

Most universities offer human sexuality courses, although they are not required for graduation. While students in health-related majors may receive sexuality education in formal settings, majority of college students never receive formal sexual health or HIV/AIDS-related education, which may lead to elevated engagement in high-risk sexual behaviors. This study examines perceived knowledge about HIV/AIDS, perceived risk, and perceived consequences among college students by two distinct classifications of academic majors. Data were collected from 510 college students. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions were performed to compare HIV-related covariates by academic major category. Limited differences were observed by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics categorization. Relative to health and kinesiology majors, those who self-reported being “completely knowledgeable” about HIV were less likely to be physical sciences, mathematics, engineering, and business (PMEB) (OR = 0.41, P = 0.047) or education, humanities, and social sciences majors (OR = 0.25, P = 0.004). PMEB majors were less likely to report behavioral factors as a risk for contracting HIV (OR = 0.86, P = 0.004) and perceived acquiring HIV would be more detrimental to their quality of life (OR = 2.14, P = 0.012), but less detrimental to their mental well-being (OR = 0.58, P = 0.042). Findings can inform college-wide campaigns and interventions to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and improve college health. PMID:24660165

Esophageal foreign bodies in adults with different durations of time from ingestion to effective treatment

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaowen; Jiang, Yan; Fu, Tao; Zhang, Xiaoheng; Tu, Chunmei

2017-01-01

Objective This study was performed to identify the differences in clinical characteristics, operative methods, complications, and postoperative hospitalization stays for adults with esophageal foreign bodies with different durations of time from ingestion to effective treatment. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 221 patients with a diagnosis of a foreign body in the esophagus, confirmed by rigid esophagoscopy, flexible esophagoscopy, or surgery. The differences between the two groups (Group A, ≤24 hours from ingestion to effective treatment; Group B, >24 hours from ingestion to effective treatment) were analyzed. Results Sharp foreign bodies comprised the majority of objects in the two groups, including jujube pits, bones (excluding fish bones), fish bones, dentures, and seafood shells. Foreign bodies located in the upper esophagus were more commonly observed in Group A than B. Significant differences were observed in the complication rate and length of postoperative hospitalization stays. Adults with esophageal foreign bodies had a high complication rate. Conclusions Rigid esophagoscopy can be used to remove sharp and bulky foreign bodies if more effective methods are unavailable. Effective treatment within 24 hours resulted in fewer complications and shorter postoperative hospitalization stays. PMID:28606025

Generalizing attentional control across dimensions and tasks: evidence from transfer of proportion-congruent effects.

PubMed

Wühr, Peter; Duthoo, Wout; Notebaert, Wim

2015-01-01

Three experiments investigated transfer of list-wide proportion congruent (LWPC) effects from a set of congruent and incongruent items with different frequency (inducer task) to a set of congruent and incongruent items with equal frequency (diagnostic task). Experiments 1 and 2 mixed items from horizontal and vertical Simon tasks. Tasks always involved different stimuli that varied on the same dimension (colour) in Experiment 1 and on different dimensions (colour, shape) in Experiment 2. Experiment 3 mixed trials from a manual Simon task with trials from a vocal Stroop task, with colour being the relevant stimulus in both tasks. There were two major results. First, we observed transfer of LWPC effects in Experiments 1 and 3, when tasks shared the relevant dimension, but not in Experiment 2. Second, sequential modulations of congruency effects transferred in Experiment 1 only. Hence, the different transfer patterns suggest that LWPC effects and sequential modulations arise from different mechanisms. Moreover, the observation of transfer supports an account of LWPC effects in terms of list-wide cognitive control, while being at odds with accounts in terms of stimulus-response (contingency) learning and item-specific control.

In vitro culture may be the major contributing factor for transgenic versus nontransgenic proteomic plant differences.

PubMed

Fonseca, Cátia; Planchon, Sébastien; Serra, Tânia; Chander, Subhash; Saibo, Nelson J M; Renaut, Jenny; Oliveira, M Margarida; Batista, Rita

2015-01-01

Identification of differences between genetically modified plants and their original counterparts plays a central role in risk assessment strategy. Our main goal was to better understand the relevance of transgene presence, genetic, and epigenetic changes induced by transgene insertion, and in vitro culture in putative unintended differences between a transgenic and its comparator. Thus, we have used multiplex fluorescence 2DE coupled with MS to characterize the proteome of three different rice lines (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica cv. Nipponbare): a control conventional line (C), an Agrobacterium-transformed transgenic line (Ta) and a negative segregant (NSb). We observed that Ta and NSb appeared identical (with only one spot differentially abundant--fold difference ≥ 1.5), contrasting with the control (49 spots with fold difference ≥ 1.5, in both Ta and NSb vs. control). Given that in vitro culture was the only event in common between Ta and NSb, we hypothesize that in vitro culture stress was the most relevant condition contributing for the observed proteomic differences. MS protein identification support our hypothesis, indicating that Ta and NSb lines adjusted their metabolic pathways and altered the abundance of several stress related proteins in order to cope with in vitro culture. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

First Results of Venus Express Spacecraft Observations with Wettzell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calves, Guifre Molera; Wagner, Jan; Neidhardt, Alexander; Kronschnabl, Gerhard; Ayucar, Miguel Perez; Cimo, Giuseppe; Pogrebenko, Sergei

2010-01-01

The ESA Venus Express spacecraft was observed at X-band with the Wettzell radio telescope in October-December 2009 in the framework of an assessment study of the possible contribution of the European VLBI Network to the upcoming ESA deep space missions. A major goal of these observations was to develop and test the scheduling, data capture, transfer, processing, and analysis pipeline. Recorded data were transferred from Wettzell to Metsahovi for processing, and the processed data were sent from Mets ahovi to JIVE for analysis. A turnover time of 24 hours from observations to analysis results was achieved. The high dynamic range of the detections allowed us to achieve a milliHz level of spectral resolution accuracy and to extract the phase of the spacecraft signal carrier line. Several physical parameters can be determined from these observational results with more observational data collected. Among other important results, the measured phase fluctuations of the carrier line at different time scales can be used to determine the influence of the solar wind plasma density fluctuations on the accuracy of the astrometric VLBI observations.

Operational water management applications of snowcovered area observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A.; Salomonson, V. V.; Foster, J. L.

1975-01-01

An effort was made to evaluate the utility of satellite snowcover observations for seasonal streamflow prediction. On a representative, large watershed(10 to the 5th power to 10 to the sixth power sq km) it was found, based on six years of data, that meteorological satellite observations of snow cover early in the snowmelt season exhibit a relationship to seasonal runoff having a statistically significant coefficient of determination of 0.92. Analyses of LANDSAT-1 snow-cover observations over the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming reveals that for areas with infrequent cloud cover the extent of snowcover and its change with time can be monitored on watersheds as small as 10 sq km in areal extent. The change in the snow cover with time as observed from LANDSAT-1 is found to reflect major differences in seasonal runoff from high altitude (mean altitude 3 km) and low altitude ( 3 km) watersheds. There are quantitative indications that LANDSAT observations over small watersheds could be used in a manner similar to that employed for meteorological satellite observations to relate the percent of a basin snowcovered on a given data to seasonal runoff.

Efficacy and safety of bivalirudin in coronary artery disease patients with mild to moderate chronic kidney disease: Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Zeng, Xiaofang; Lincoff, A Michael; Schulz-Schüpke, Stefanie; Steg, Philippe Gabriel; Elbez, Yedid; Mehran, Roxana; Stone, Gregg W; McAndrew, Thomas; Lin, Jianhui; Zhang, Xindan; Shi, Wenhai; Lei, Han; Jing, Zhicheng; Huang, Wei

2018-05-01

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have elevated bleeding and ischemic outcomes. We aim to assess the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of bivalirudin compared to heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPIs) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with CKD. Randomized trials were searched in PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases up to January 2017. Among the trials retrieved, efficacy endpoints were defined as mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat revascularization, stent thrombosis, and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). Safety endpoints were reported as non-coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) related major bleeding and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) major bleeding. Risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for each outcome using a fixed effect model. Five studies with a total of 3796 patients were included. In short-term follow up (30 days), bivalirudin significantly reduced non-CABG related major bleeding (p=0.0004) and TIMI major bleeding (p=0.007) compared to heparin plus GPIs. No significant differences were observed in rates of mortality, MI, repeat revascularization, stent thrombosis, and MACEs between the two groups in short- and long-term follow up (6 months to 3 years). In patients with ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) with concurrent CKD, the decreased non-CABG related major bleeding (p=0.04) without increasing ischemic events was also observed after short-term follow up. (1) Bivalirudin is safer than and as effective as heparin plus GPIs in CAD patients with CKD. (2) Impaired renal function does not affect the safety benefits of bivalirudin. (3) Similar efficacy profiles were identified between the two groups after both short- and long-term follow up in the CAD patients with CKD. Copyright © 2017 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling global methane emissions from livestock: Biological and nutritional controls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Donald E.

1992-01-01

The available observations of methane production from the literature have been compiled into a ruminant methane data base. This data base includes 400 treatment mean observations of methane losses from cattle and sheep, and minor numbers of measurements from other species. Methane loss varied from 2.0 to 11.6 percent of dietary gross energy. Measurements included describe the many different weights and physiological states of the animals fed and diets ranging from all forage to all concentrate diets or mixtures. An auxiliary spreadsheet lists approximately 1000 individual animal observations. Many important concepts have emerged from our query and analysis of this data set. The majority of the world's cattle, sheep, and goats under normal husbandry circumstances likely produce methane very close to 6 percent of their daily diets gross energy (2 percent of the diet by weight). Although individual animals or losses from specific dietary research circumstances can vary considerably, the average for the vast majority of groups of ruminant livestock are likely to fall between 5.5 to 6.5 percent. We must caution, however, that little experimental data is available for two-thirds of the world's ruminants in developing countries. Available evidence suggests similar percentage of emissions, but this supposition needs confirmation. More importantly, data is skimpy or unavailable to describe diet consumption, animal weight, and class distribution.

Latitudinal and Seasonal Investigations of Storm-Time TEC Variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adimula, I. A.; Oladipo, O. A.; Adebiyi, S. J.

2016-07-01

The ionosphere responds markedly and unpredictably to varying magnetospheric energy inputs caused by solar disturbances on the geospace. Knowledge of the impact of the space weather events on the ionosphere is important to assess the environmental effect on the operations of ground- and space-based technologies. Thus, global positioning system (GPS) measurements from the international GNSS service (IGS) database were used to investigate the ionospheric response to 56 geomagnetic storm events at six different latitudes comprising the northern and southern hemispheres in the Afro-European sector. Statistical distributions of total electron content (TEC) response show that during the main phase of the storms, enhancement of TEC is more pronounced in most of the seasons, regardless of the latitude and hemisphere. However, a strong seasonal dependence appears in the TEC response during the recovery phase. Depletion of TEC is majorly observed at the high latitude stations, and its appearance at lower latitudes is seasonally dependent. In summer hemisphere, the depletion of TEC is more pronounced in nearly all the latitudinal bands. In winter hemisphere, enhancement as well as depletion of TEC is observed over the high latitude, while enhancement is majorly observed over the mid and low latitudes. In equinoxes, the storm-time TEC distribution shows a fairly consistent characteristic with the summer distribution, particularly in the northern hemisphere.

Determination of hazardous ingredients in personal care products using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrar, M.; Iqbal, T.; Fahad, M.; Andleeb, M.; Farooq, Z.; Afsheen, S.

2018-05-01

In the present work, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technique is applied to explore the concentration of toxic elements present in cosmetic materials. The elemental analysis of chromium (Cr), magnesium (Mg), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) are selected as major elements and manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), potassium (P), sulfur (S), silicon (Si) and titanium (Ti) as minor elements in cosmetic products. In this technique, a plasma plume is generated by using an Nd:YAG Laser of 532 nm wavelength and spectral lines for the respective samples are observed. Four different samples of cosmetic products are selected, i.e. two samples for lipstick and two for eyeshadow. The observed spectral lines of all major and minor elements are used to calculate their concentration in all samples through the intensity ratio method. Among selected lipstick and eyeshadow samples, one sample is branded, and one is collected from the local market. It is observed that chromium, magnesium and lead have strong spectral lines and consequently show high concentration. The calculated concentrations are then compared to permissible limits set by the Food and Drug Administration with regard to the cosmetics industry. The concentration of these toxic elements in selected local cosmetic samples exceeds the safe permissible limit for human use and could lead to serious health problems.

Spatial variation and low diversity in the major histocompatibility complex in walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; Fales, Krystal R.; Jay, Chadwick V.; Sage, George K.; Talbot, Sandra L.

2014-01-01

Increased global temperature and associated changes to Arctic habitats will likely result in the northward advance of species, including an influx of pathogens novel to the Arctic. How species respond to these immunological challenges will depend in part on the adaptive potential of their immune response system. We compared levels of genetic diversity at a gene associated with adaptive immune response [Class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC), DQB exon 2] between populations of walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), a sea ice-dependent Arctic species. Walrus was represented by only five MHC DQB alleles, with frequency differences observed between Pacific and Atlantic populations. MHC DQB alleles appear to be under balancing selection, and most (80 %; n = 4/5) of the alleles were observed in walruses from both oceans, suggesting broad scale differences in the frequency of exposure and diversity of pathogens may be influencing levels of heterozygosity at DQB in walruses. Limited genetic diversity at MHC, however, suggests that walrus may have a reduced capacity to respond to novel immunological challenges associated with shifts in ecological communities and environmental stressors predicted for changing climates. This is particularly pertinent for walrus, since reductions in summer sea ice may facilitate both northward expansion of marine species and associated pathogens from more temperate regions, and exchange of marine mammals and associated pathogens through the recently opened Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in the Canadian high Arctic.

HLA-DRB1 alleles in four Amerindian populations from Argentina and Paraguay

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is one of the biological systems of major polymorphisms. The study of HLA class II variability has allowed the identification of several alleles that are characteristic to Amerindian populations, and it is an excellent tool to define the relations and biological affinities among them. In this work, we analyzed the allelic distribution of the HLA-DRB1 class II locus in four Amerindian populations: Mapuche (n = 34) and Tehuelche (n = 23) from the Patagonian region of Argentina, and Wichi SV (n = 24) and Lengua (n = 17) from the Argentinean and Paraguayan Chaco regions, respectively. In all of these groups, relatively high frequencies of Amerindian HLA-DRB1 alleles were observed (DRB1*0403, DRB1*0407, DRB1*0411, DRB1*0417, DRB1*0802, DRB1*0901, DRB1*1402, DRB1*1406 and DRB1*1602). However, we also detected the presence of non-Amerindian variants in Mapuche (35%) and Tehuelche (22%). We compared our data with those obtained in six indigenous groups of the Argentinean Chaco region and in a sample from Buenos Aires City. The genetic distance dendrogram showed a clear-cut division between the Patagonian and Chaco populations, which formed two different clusters. In spite of their linguistic differences, it can be inferred that the biological affinities observed are in concordance with the geographic distributions and interethnic relations established among the groups studied. PMID:21637670

Assessing climate change impacts on the rape stem weevil, Ceutorhynchus napi Gyll., based on bias- and non-bias-corrected regional climate change projections.

PubMed

Junk, J; Ulber, B; Vidal, S; Eickermann, M

2015-11-01

Agricultural production is directly affected by projected increases in air temperature and changes in precipitation. A multi-model ensemble of regional climate change projections indicated shifts towards higher air temperatures and changing precipitation patterns during the summer and winter seasons up to the year 2100 for the region of Goettingen (Lower Saxony, Germany). A second major controlling factor of the agricultural production is the infestation level by pests. Based on long-term field surveys and meteorological observations, a calibration of an existing model describing the migration of the pest insect Ceutorhynchus napi was possible. To assess the impacts of climate on pests under projected changing environmental conditions, we combined the results of regional climate models with the phenological model to describe the crop invasion of this species. In order to reduce systematic differences between the output of the regional climate models and observational data sets, two different bias correction methods were applied: a linear correction for air temperature and a quantile mapping approach for precipitation. Only the results derived from the bias-corrected output of the regional climate models showed satisfying results. An earlier onset, as well as a prolongation of the possible time window for the immigration of Ceutorhynchus napi, was projected by the majority of the ensemble members.

Emergence of the Asian 1 Genotype of Dengue Virus Serotype 2 in Viet Nam: In Vivo Fitness Advantage and Lineage Replacement in South-East Asia

PubMed Central

Ty Hang, Vu Thi; Holmes, Edward C.; Veasna, Duong; Quy, Nguyen Thien; Tinh Hien, Tran; Quail, Michael; Churcher, Carol; Parkhill, Julian; Cardosa, Jane; Farrar, Jeremy; Wills, Bridget; Lennon, Niall J.; Birren, Bruce W.; Buchy, Philippe

2010-01-01

A better description of the extent and structure of genetic diversity in dengue virus (DENV) in endemic settings is central to its eventual control. To this end we determined the complete coding region sequence of 187 DENV-2 genomes and 68 E genes from viruses sampled from Vietnamese patients between 1995 and 2009. Strikingly, an episode of genotype replacement was observed, with Asian 1 lineage viruses entirely displacing the previously dominant Asian/American lineage viruses. This genotype replacement event also seems to have occurred within DENV-2 in Thailand and Cambodia, suggestive of a major difference in viral fitness. To determine the cause of this major evolutionary event we compared both the infectivity of the Asian 1 and Asian/American genotypes in mosquitoes and their viraemia levels in humans. Although there was little difference in infectivity in mosquitoes, we observed significantly higher plasma viraemia levels in paediatric patients infected with Asian 1 lineage viruses relative to Asian/American viruses, a phenotype that is predicted to result in a higher probability of human-to-mosquito transmission. These results provide a mechanistic basis to a marked change in the genetic structure of DENV-2 and more broadly underscore that an understanding of DENV evolutionary dynamics can inform the development of vaccines and anti-viral drugs. PMID:20651932

Assessing climate change impacts on the rape stem weevil, Ceutorhynchus napi Gyll., based on bias- and non-bias-corrected regional climate change projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junk, J.; Ulber, B.; Vidal, S.; Eickermann, M.

2015-11-01

Agricultural production is directly affected by projected increases in air temperature and changes in precipitation. A multi-model ensemble of regional climate change projections indicated shifts towards higher air temperatures and changing precipitation patterns during the summer and winter seasons up to the year 2100 for the region of Goettingen (Lower Saxony, Germany). A second major controlling factor of the agricultural production is the infestation level by pests. Based on long-term field surveys and meteorological observations, a calibration of an existing model describing the migration of the pest insect Ceutorhynchus napi was possible. To assess the impacts of climate on pests under projected changing environmental conditions, we combined the results of regional climate models with the phenological model to describe the crop invasion of this species. In order to reduce systematic differences between the output of the regional climate models and observational data sets, two different bias correction methods were applied: a linear correction for air temperature and a quantile mapping approach for precipitation. Only the results derived from the bias-corrected output of the regional climate models showed satisfying results. An earlier onset, as well as a prolongation of the possible time window for the immigration of Ceutorhynchus napi, was projected by the majority of the ensemble members.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ASYMMETRY ORIGIN OF GALAXIES IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. I. OPTICAL OBSERVATIONS

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

Plauchu-Frayn, I.; Coziol, R., E-mail: plauchuf@astro.ugto.m, E-mail: rcoziol@astro.ugto.m

2010-06-15

This paper presents the first of two analyses about the influence of environment on the formation and evolution of galaxies observed in the nearby universe. For our study, we used three different samples representing different density environments: galaxies in Compact Groups (HCGs), Isolated Pairs of Galaxies (KPGs), and Isolated Galaxies (KIGs), which were taken as references. Usingboth characteristic isophotal parameters and evidence of asymmetries in the optical and the near-infrared, we are able to establish differences in the characteristics of galaxies with different morphologies in different environments, allowing us to better understand their different formation histories. In this first paper,more » we present the isophotal and asymmetry analyses of a sample of 214 galaxies in different environments observed in the optical (V and I images). For each galaxy, we have determined different characteristic isophotal parameters and V - I color profiles, as a function of semi-major axis, and performed a full asymmetry analysis in residual images using the V filter. Evidence of asymmetry in the optical is almost missing in the KIG sample and significantly more common in the KPG than in the HCG samples. Our isophotal analysis suggests that the stellar populations in the HCG galaxies are older and more dynamically relaxed than in the KPG. The HCG galaxies seem to be at a more advanced stage of interaction than the KPGs. One possible explanation is that these structures formed at different epochs: compact groups of galaxies would have formed before close pairs of galaxies, which only began interacting recently. However, similarities in the formation process of galaxies with same morphology suggest CGs and close pairs of galaxies share similar conditions; they are new structures forming relatively late in low-density environments.« less

[Mechanism study on difference of biotransformation between Mycobacterium fortuitum MF2 and MF96].

PubMed

Ling, Liang-Fei; Ge, Mei; Fu, Lei; Huang, Wei-Yi; Chen, Dai-Jie

2005-08-01

Biotransformation difference between parent strain (MF2) and mutant strain (MF96) of Mycobacterium fortuitum was observed. Biotransformation with resting cells showed that the major products of biotransformation by both parent and mutant strains are delta4-androstenedione(4AD) and testosterone(TS). Experiments with cell-free extract system showed that the proportion of 4AD/TS obtained from parent and mutant strains was almost same when enough NAD+ and NADH were supplied in this system. It was suggested that the difference of the ratio of products transformed by both strains in resting cell system may result from their different ratio of NAD+/NADH. This speculation was verified to be true by determination of the amount of NAD+ and NADH presented in both strains.

Spatial and Temporal Variations of the K/T Boundary Record: Implications Concerning Possible Megaseiche in the Reworking Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurrasse, F. J.; Lamolda, M. A.

2004-05-01

Major physical disruptions characterize the sedimentary record of the K/T boundary (KTB) layer from different sites in the Southern Peninsula of Haiti as well as in diverse areas of the world. These disturbances are most important within the vicinity of the crater at Chicxulub, Yucatan, Mexico, and 65 million years ago that can be chronologically correlated with the bolide impact postulated by Alvarez et al (1981). At all sites the KTB layer shows spatial and temporal differences even within short distances, and the complexity of its characteristic signals includes serious micropaleontological inconsistencies with mixed biotic assemblages that perpetuate divergence of interpretations, thereby they raise doubts on the timing and real causal mechanisms of the biotic turnover that characterizes the boundary. Indeed, often the biostratigraphic signals are difficult to resolve because of hiatuses, or sediments are highly reworked, and distinct taxonomic successions are not clearly defined. Well defined as well as cryptic primary sedimentary structures within the boundary layer are constant at all outcrops, and they indicate complex, multiphase, subaqueous flow processes that affected sedimentation of the KTB layer at different times. The structures are known to characterize oscillatory wave processes that affect cohesionless sediments, and such water motion is only known to be associated with seiche as a modern analog that may have generated the amalgamation recorded at the KTB layer. We believe that "Megaseiche" associated with the KT impact event and its subsequent effects provides a plausible unifying mechanism to explain how various levels of the water column in different large basins can oscillate to develop the structures observed. Because of the magnitude of the bolide impact that generated initial tsunamis and large seismic waves worldwide, megaseiches of different frequencies and nodal modes must have developed in the oceans worldwide to leave different signatures in the mixing pattern. Most importantly, the heterogeneity must have been further intensified in subsequent times when more localized megaseiches developed in independent basins at different times during major crustal readjustment. These phenomena may explain the heterogeneity of patterns and apparent irreconcilable discrepancies observed at KTB sites worldwide, as the structures represent a record of water movement and resuspension of sediment of different intensities and at different timesat certain locations. As observed in smaller-scale modern seiche, various oscillatory modes controlled the duration and attenuation of the water movement, the magnitude of bottom traction and resuspension that led to complex sedimentary structures and reworking patterns of the sediments and microfossils.

Differentiations of Chitin Content and Surface Morphologies of Chitins Extracted from Male and Female Grasshopper Species

PubMed Central

Kaya, Murat; Lelešius, Evaldas; Nagrockaitė, Radvilė; Sargin, Idris; Arslan, Gulsin; Mol, Abbas; Baran, Talat; Can, Esra; Bitim, Betul

2015-01-01

In this study, we used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), elemental analysis (EA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate chitin structure isolated from both sexes of four grasshopper species. FT-IR, EA, XRD, and TGA showed that the chitin was in the alpha form. With respect to gender, two main differences were observed. First, we observed that the quantity of chitin was greater in males than in females and the dry weight of chitin between species ranged from 4.71% to 11.84%. Second, using SEM, we observed that the male chitin surface structure contained 25 – 90nm wide nanofibers and 90 – 250 nm nanopores, while no pores or nanofibers were observed in the chitin surface structure of the majority of females (nanofibers were observed only in M. desertus females). In contrast, the elemental analysis, thermal properties, and crystalline index values for chitin were similar in males and females. Also, we carried out enzymatic digestion of the isolated chitins using commercial chitinase from Streptomyces griseus. We observed that there were no big differences in digestion rate of the chitins from both sexes and commercial chitin. The digestion rates were for grasshoppers’ chitins; 88.45–95.48% and for commercial chitin; 94.95%. PMID:25635814

Comparison between self-reported and observed food handling behaviors among Latinas.

PubMed

Dharod, Jigna Morarji; Pérez-Escamilla, Rafael; Paciello, Stefania; Bermúdez-Millán, Angela; Venkitanarayanan, Kumar; Damio, Grace

2007-08-01

The study was conducted to compare and identify the magnitude of differences between self-reported and observed food safety behaviors among women preparing a chicken and salad dish at home. The observed food safety practices also were compared according to sociodemographic variables and prior food safety education. Sixty Puerto Rican women who were the main meal preparers for their households were recruited in Hartford, Conn. Three household visits were made to (i) deliver food ingredients to prepare the chicken and salad meal, (ii) conduct household observation, and (iii) conduct a self-reported survey. The difference between self-reported and observed behaviors varied across food handling and sanitation behaviors. There was a high level of inaccuracy for socially desirable behaviors such as hand washing; the vast majority of participants reported practicing these behaviors but they were not observed doing so. Cutting board washing also was considerably overreported, questioning the validity of these self-reported data for regression analyses. There was a significant association (P < 0.05) between proper thawing method and prior food safety education, use of cutting board and higher income, and washing tomatoes and having a positive attitude towards food safety. Results revealed that overreporting errors must be considered when analyzing and/or interpreting data derived from self-reported food safety consumer surveys and that food safety education and positive food safety attitudes are associated with recommended food safety behaviors.

Investigation on the Possible Relationship between Magnetic Pulsations and Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jusoh, M.; Liu, H.; Yumoto, K.; Uozumi, T.; Takla, E. M.; Yousif Suliman, M. E.; Kawano, H.; Yoshikawa, A.; Asillam, M.; Hashim, M.

2012-12-01

The sun is the main source of energy to the solar system, and it plays a major role in affecting the ionosphere, atmosphere and the earth surface. The connection between solar wind and the ground magnetic pulsations has been proven empirically by several researchers previously (H. J. Singer et al., 1977, E. W. Greenstadt, 1979, I. A. Ansari 2006 to name a few). In our preliminary statistical analysis on relationship between solar and seismic activities (Jusoh and Yumoto, 2011, Jusoh et al., 2012), we observed a high possibility of solar-terrestrial coupling. We observed high tendency of earthquakes to occur during lower phase solar cycles which significantly related with solar wind parameters (i.e solar wind dynamic pressure, speed and input energy). However a clear coupling mechanism was not established yet. To connect the solar impact on seismicity, we investigate the possibility of ground magnetic pulsations as one of the connecting agent. In our analysis, the recorded ground magnetic pulsations are analyzed at different ranges of ultra low frequency; Pc3 (22-100 mHz), Pc4 (6.7-22 mHz) and Pc5 (1.7-6.7 mHz) with the occurrence of local earthquake events at certain time periods. This analysis focuses at 2 different major seismic regions; north Japan (mid latitude) and north Sumatera, Indonesia (low latitude). Solar wind parameters were obtained from the Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA via the OMNIWeb Data Explorer and the Space Physics Data Facility. Earthquake events were extracted from the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) database. The localized Pc3-Pc5 magnetic pulsations data were extracted from Magnetic Data Acquisition System (MAGDAS)/Circum Pan Magnetic Network (CPMN) located at Ashibetsu (Japan); for earthquakes monitored at north Japan and Langkawi (Malaysia); for earthquakes observed at north Sumatera. This magnetometer arrays has established by International Center for Space Weather Science and Education, Kyushu University, Japan. From the results, we observed significant correlations between ground magnetic pulsations and solar wind speed at difference earthquake epicenter depths. The details of the analysis will be discussed in the presentation.

Physiological and biological patterns of a highland and a coastal population of the European cherry fruit fly during diapause.

PubMed

Papanastasiou, Stella A; Nestel, David; Diamantidis, Alexandros D; Nakas, Christos T; Papadopoulos, Nikos T

2011-01-01

Adult emergence of univoltine temperate insect species and its synchronization with specific host phenological stages is mainly regulated by obligatory pupal diapause. Although a few studies have investigated the factors affecting diapause intensity, little attention has been paid to the physiological alterations and metabolic regulation that take place during diapause. Here, we describe differences in diapause between a highland and a coastal Greek population of the European cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi, a major pest of sweet and sour cherries in many European countries. Pupae of both populations were exposed to the environmental conditions prevailing in the two areas and diapause termination was observed under laboratory conditions. The regulation of energetic metabolites during the long pupae stage was examined under both field and laboratory conditions. Differences in diapause intensity revealed that the two populations have adapted to the local geographical and climatic conditions and have different requirements for low temperatures to terminate diapause. The coastal population undergoes a shorter diapause and adults emerge more rapidly, especially in the highland area. The highland population failed to terminate diapause (<40% adult emergence) in the coastal area. Both populations draw on their major energetic reserves (lipids and protein) similarly during diapause. Nevertheless, regulation of carbohydrate and glycogen reserves seems to vary between the populations: major peaks of these stored nutrients occur on different dates in the two populations, suggesting a differential regulation. Differences in diapause intensity imply a genetic differentiation between the two populations. The importance of our findings in understanding the physiological patterns during obligatory diapause of a univoltine insect species, as well as the practical implications for the development of specific phenological models for the European cherry fruit fly are discussed. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress response and communication in surgeons undergoing training in endoscopic management of major vessel hemorrhage: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Jukes, Alistair K; Mascarenhas, Annika; Murphy, Jae; Stepan, Lia; Muñoz, Tamara N; Callejas, Claudio A; Valentine, Rowan; Wormald, P J; Psaltis, Alkis J

2017-06-01

Major vessel hemorrhage in endoscopic, endonasal skull-base surgery is a rare but potentially fatal event. Surgical simulation models have been developed to train surgeons in the techniques required to manage this complication. This mixed-methods study aims to quantify the stress responses the model induces, determine how realistic the experience is, and how it changes the confidence levels of surgeons in their ability to deal with major vascular injury in an endoscopic setting. Forty consultant surgeons and surgeons in training underwent training on an endoscopic sheep model of jugular vein and carotid artery injury. Pre-course and post-course questionnaires providing demographics, experience level, confidence, and realism scores were taken, based on a 5-point Likert scale. Objective markers of stress response including blood pressure, heart rate, and salivary alpha-amylase levels were measured. Mean "realism" score assessed posttraining showed the model to be perceived as highly realistic by the participants (score 4.02). Difference in participant self-rated pre-course and post-course confidence levels was significant (p < 0.0001): mean pre-course confidence level 1.66 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43 to 1.90); mean post-course confidence level 3.42 (95% CI, 3.19 to 3.65). Differences in subjects' heart rates (HRs) and mean arterial blood pressures (MAPs) were significant between injury models (p = 0.0008, p = 0.0387, respectively). No statistically significant difference in salivary alpha-amylase levels pretraining and posttraining was observed. Results from this study indicate that this highly realistic simulation model provides surgeons with an increased level of confidence in their ability to deal with the rare but potentially catastrophic event of major vessel injury in endoscopic skull-base surgery. © 2017 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase and UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases in the Metabolism of Baicalein in Different Species.

PubMed

Zhang, Ruiya; Cui, Yonglei; Wang, Yan; Tian, Xiangge; Zheng, Lu; Cong, HaiJian; Wu, Bin; Huo, Xiaokui; Wang, Chao; Zhang, BaoJing; Wang, Xiaobo; Yu, Zhonghui

2017-12-01

Baicalein is the major bioactive flavonoid in some herb medicines and dietary plants; however, the detailed metabolism pathway of its major metabolite oroxylin A-7-O-β-D-glucuronide in human was not clear. It was important to illustrate the major metabolic enzymes that participate in its elimination for the clinic use of baicalein. We first revealed a two-step metabolism profile for baicalein and illustrated the combination of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) in drug metabolism, further evaluated its bioactivity variation during drug metabolism. The metabolism profiles were systematically characterized in different human biology preparations; after then, the anti-inflammatory activities of metabolites were evaluated in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cell. The first-step metabolite of baicalein was isolated and identified as oroxylin A; soluble-bound COMT (S-COMT) was the major enzyme responsible for its biotransformation. Specially, position 108 mutation of S-COMT significantly decreases the elimination. Meantime, oroxylin A was rapidly metabolized by UGTs, UGT1A1, -1A3, -1A6, -1A7, -1A8, -1A9, and -1A10 which were involved in the glucuronidation. Considerable species differences were observed with 1060-fold K m (3.05 ± 1.86-3234 ± 475 μM) and 330-fold CL int (5.93-1973 μL/min/mg) variations for baicalein metabolism. Finally, the middle metabolite oroxylin A exhibited a potent anti-inflammatory activity with the IC 50 value of 28 μM. The detailed kinetic parameters indicated that COMT provide convenience for the next glucuronidation; monkey would be a preferred animal model for the preclinical investigation of baicalein. Importantly, oroxylin A should be reconsidered in evaluating baicalein efficacy against inflammatory diseases.

Religious and spiritual beliefs, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression among nursing students.

PubMed

Papazisis, Georgios; Nicolaou, Panagiotis; Tsiga, Evangelia; Christoforou, Theodora; Sapountzi-Krepia, Despina

2014-06-01

Research of the role of religious belief and/or spirituality has been conducted on a wide range of health-related topics, across many disciplines, and in many countries. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between religious beliefs, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression in nursing students in Cyprus. One hundred and twenty-three nursing students were asked to complete a survey consisting of four self-report questionnaires (Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, The Royal Free Interview for Religious and Spiritual Beliefs, and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale). The lowest levels of depression were observed in the third and fourth study year. Normal self-esteem levels were found in the majority of the students (71.3%) and most of them perceived current stress at mild levels. No significant differences on the basis of sex were observed. The vast majority (98.2%) of the students stated a strong religious and/or a spiritual belief that was strongly positively correlated with increased self-esteem and negatively correlated with depression, current stress, and stress as personality trait. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Variation of acharan sulfate and monosaccharide composition and analysis of neutral N-glycans in African giant snail (Achatina fulica).

PubMed

Park, Youmie; Zhang, Zhenqing; Laremore, Tatiana N; Li, Boyangzi; Sim, Joon-Soo; Im, A-Rang; Ahn, Mi Young; Kim, Yeong Shik; Linhardt, Robert J

2008-12-01

Acharan sulfate content from African giant snail (Achatina fulica) was compared in eggs and snails of different ages. Acharan sulfate was not found in egg. Acharan sulfate disaccharide -->4)-alpha-D-GlcNpAc (1-->4)-alpha-L-IdoAp2S(1-->, analyzed by SAX (strong-anion exchange)-HPLC was observed soon after hatching and increases as the snails grow. Monosaccharide compositional analysis showed that mole % of glucosamine, a major monosaccharide of acharan sulfate, increased with age while mole % of galactose decreased with age. These results suggest that galactans represent a major energy source during development, while acharan sulfate appearing immediately after hatching, is essential for the snail growth. The structures of neutral N-glycans released from eggs by peptide N-glycosidase F (PNGase F), were next elucidated using ESI-MS/MS, MALDI-MS/MS, enzyme digestion, and monosaccharide composition analysis. Three types of neutral N-glycan structures were observed, truncated (Hex(2-4)-HexNAc(2)), high mannose (Hex(5-9)-HexNAc(2)), and complex (Hex(3)-HexNAc(2-10)) types. None showed core fucosylation.

The dwarf galaxy population of nearby galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisker, Thorsten; Wittmann, Carolin; Pak, Mina; Janz, Joachim; Bialas, Daniel; Peletier, Reynier; Grebel, Eva; Falcon Barroso, Jesus; Toloba, Elisa; Smakced Collaboration, Focus Collaboration

2015-01-01

The Fornax, Virgo, Ursa Major and Perseus galaxy clusters all have very different characteristics, in terms of their density, mass, and large-scale environment. We can regard these clusters as laboratories for studying environmental influence on galaxy evolution, using the sensitive low-mass galaxies as probes for external mechanisms. Here we report on recent and ongoing observational studies of the said clusters with imaging and spectroscopy, as well as on the interpretation of present-day cluster galaxy populations with the aid of cosmological simulations.Multicolor imaging data allow us to identify residual star formation in otherwise red early-type dwarf galaxies, which hold clues to the strength of gas stripping processes. Major-axis spectra and 2D kinematical maps provide insight regarding the amount of rotational support and how much dynamical heating a dwarf galaxy may have experienced. To this end, dedicated N-body simulations that follow the evolution of galaxies since early epochs reveal their path through parameter space, and can be compared to observations in order to understand the time-integrated effect of environmental influence.

Influence of Beijing outflow on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) observed at a mountain site in North China Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suthawaree, Jeeranut; Kato, Shungo; Pochanart, Pakpong; Kanaya, Yugo; Akimoto, Hajime; Wang, Zifa; Kajii, Yoshizumi

2012-07-01

In order to elucidate an impact of Beijing outflow on air quality in the mountainous area, measurement campaign was carried out in Mt. Mang, located 40 km north of Beijing in September 2007. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) observed at the site were mainly influenced by air masses arriving from urban areas. No significant impact of local emission was found. Correlation plots between selected VOC suggests several major emission sources as internal combustion, industrial emission, and coal, oil and biofuel burning. Air masses were classified into “polluted” (influence of Beijing and its satellite cities) and “clean” air mass by using backward trajectory analysis. Two air mass categories revealed significant different characteristics and mixing ratios. Reaction with OH is a major factor controlling mixing ratio of “clean” air mass while impact of dilution is also play important role on “polluted” air mass. Estimation of photochemical age of “polluted” air mass by assuming “clean” air mass for background mixing ratios reveals an averaged of 1.5-1.8 days.

Physical activity during recess in low-income 3rd grade students in Texas

PubMed Central

Springer, Andrew E.; Tanguturi, Yasas; Ranjit, Nalini; Skala, Katherine A.; Kelder, Steven H.

2012-01-01

Objectives We estimated the prevalence of recess-based moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vigorous physical activity (VPA) among third grade students attending low-income, urban schools in Texas. Methods Structured observations (n=77 class and 616 student observations) using SOFIT were conducted over three-months in 8 elementary schools with majority Hispanic students. Results Students engaged in 66.4% and 19.2% of their ~20 minute recess time in MVPA and VPA, respectively. Boys engaged in more MVPA and VPA (P<.007). Contextual differences in activity (setting and activity type) were identified. Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of scheduled recess time for children’s physical activity. PMID:23985178

Was RA Fisher Right?

PubMed

Srivastava, Ayush; Srivastava, Anurag; Pandey, Ravindra M

2017-10-01

Randomized controlled trials have become the most respected scientific tool to measure the effectiveness of a medical therapy. The design, conduct and analysis of randomized controlled trials were developed by Sir Ronald A. Fisher, a mathematician in Great Britain. Fisher propounded that the process of randomization would equally distribute all the known and even unknown covariates in the two or more comparison groups, so that any difference observed could be ascribed to treatment effect. Today, we observe that in many situations, this prediction of Fisher does not stand true; hence, adaptive randomization schedules have been designed to adjust for major imbalance in important covariates. Present essay unravels some weaknesses inherent in Fisherian concept of randomized controlled trial.

Using InSAR to Observe Sinkhole Activity in Central Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver-Cabrera, T.; Wdowinski, S.; Kruse, S.; Kiflu, H. G.

2017-12-01

Sinkhole collapse in Florida is a major geologic hazard, threatening human life and causing substantial damage to property. Detecting sinkhole deformation before a collapse is an important but difficult task; most techniques used to monitor sinkholes are spatially constrained to relatively small areas (tens to hundred meters). To overcome this limitation, we use Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), which is a very useful technique for detecting localized deformation while covering vast areas. InSAR results show localized deformation at several houses and commercial buildings in different locations along the study sites. We use a subsurface imaging technique, ground penetrating radar, to verify sinkhole existence beneath the observed deforming areas.

[Generalized congenital fibromatosis (author's transl)].

PubMed

Larrègue, M; Poitou, C; Bressieux, J P; de Giacomoni, P; Vant, F

1977-05-01

About a spontaneously regressive case of osteo-cutaneous congenital fibromatosis, the authors describe the characteristics of the disease (32 observations). Although the majority of cases are sporadic, 3 familial observations are in favour of a dominant autosomal transmission of low penetrance. Study of the familial cases and analysis of the different localisations demonstrate the unicity of the so-called diffuse forms with visceral involvement and of the so-called generalized forms without visceral involvement congenital fibromatosis is characterized by several fibromas at birth: in two-thirds of the cases, it is a purely cutaneous or osteocutaneous form, which disappears spontaneously; in one third of the cases, it is a cutaneous or osteo-cutaneous form with lethal visceral involvement.

Chaos-chaos transition of left hemisphere EEGs during standard tasks of Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale of hypnotic susceptibility.

PubMed

Yargholi, Elahe'; Nasrabadi, Ali Motie

2015-01-01

A recent study, recurrence quantification analysis of EEG signals during standard tasks of Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale of hypnotic susceptibility investigated recurrence quantifiers (RQs) of hypnotic electroencephalograph (EEG) signals recorded after hypnotic induction while subjects were doing standard tasks of Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale (WSGS) of hypnotic susceptibility to distinguish subjects of different hypnotizability levels. Following the same analysis, the current study determines the capability of different RQs to distinguish subjects of low, medium and high hypnotizability level and studies the influence of hypnotizability level on underlying dynamic of tasks. Besides, EEG channels were sorted according to the number of their RQs, which differed significantly among subjects of different hypnotizability levels. Another valuable result was determination of major brain regions in observing significant differences in various task types (ideomotors, hallucination, challenge and memory).

Charge transport model in nanodielectric composites based on quantum tunneling mechanism and dual-level traps

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

Li, Guochang; Chen, George, E-mail: gc@ecs.soton.ac.uk, E-mail: sli@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; School of Electronic and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ

Charge transport properties in nanodielectrics present different tendencies for different loading concentrations. The exact mechanisms that are responsible for charge transport in nanodielectrics are not detailed, especially for high loading concentration. A charge transport model in nanodielectrics has been proposed based on quantum tunneling mechanism and dual-level traps. In the model, the thermally assisted hopping (TAH) process for the shallow traps and the tunnelling process for the deep traps are considered. For different loading concentrations, the dominant charge transport mechanisms are different. The quantum tunneling mechanism plays a major role in determining the charge conduction in nanodielectrics with high loadingmore » concentrations. While for low loading concentrations, the thermal hopping mechanism will dominate the charge conduction process. The model can explain the observed conductivity property in nanodielectrics with different loading concentrations.« less

The uniqueness of humic substances in each of soil, stream and marine environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Malcolm, R.L.

1990-01-01

Definitive compositional differences are shown to exist for both fulvic acids and humic acids from soil, stream and marine environments by five different methods (1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, 14C age and ?? 13C isotopic analyses, amino acid analyses and pyrolysis-mass spectrometry). Definitive differences are also found between fulvic acids and humic acids within each environment. These differences among humic substances from various sources are more readily discerned because the method employed for the isolation of humic substances from all environments excludes most of the non-humic components and results in more purified humic isolates from water and soils. The major compositional aspects of fulvic acids and humic acids which determine the observed characteristic differences in each environment are the amounts and compositions of saccharide, phenolic, methoxyl, aromatic, hydrocarbon, amino acid and nitrogen moieties.

Effects of Bacteria on Artemia franciscana Cultured in Different Gnotobiotic Environments

PubMed Central

Marques, Antonio; Dinh, Thi; Ioakeimidis, Christos; Huys, Geert; Swings, Jean; Verstraete, Willy; Dhont, Jean; Sorgeloos, Patrick; Bossier, Peter

2005-01-01

The use of probiotics is receiving considerable attention as an alternative approach to control microbiota in aquaculture farms, especially in hatching facilities. However, application with consistent results is hampered by insufficient information on their modes of action. To investigate whether dead bacteria (allowing investigation of their nutritional effect) or live bacteria (allowing evaluation of their probiotic effect) have any beneficial effect towards Artemia franciscana and, subsequently, if live bacteria have probiotic effects beyond the effects observed with dead bacteria, a model system was employed using gnotobiotic Artemia as a test organism. Nauplii were cultured in the presence of 10 bacterial strains combined with four different major axenic live feeds (two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and two strains of Dunaliella tertiolecta) differing in their nutritional values. In combination with poor- and medium-quality live feeds, dead bacteria exerted a strong effect on Artemia survival but a rather weak or no effect on individual length and constituted a maximum of only 5.9% of the total ash-free dry weight supplied. These effects were reduced or even disappeared when medium- to good-quality major feed sources were used, possibly due to improvements in the health status of Artemia. Some probiotic bacteria, such as GR 8 (Cytophaga spp.), improved (not always significantly) the performance of nauplii beyond the effect observed with dead bacteria, independently of the feed supplied. The present approach can be an excellent system to study the exact mode of action of bacteria, especially if combined with challenge tests or other types of analysis (e.g., transcriptome and proteonomic analysis). PMID:16085818

Toward the optical tongue: flow-through sensing of tannin-protein interactions based on FTIR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Edelmann, Andrea; Lendl, Bernhard

2002-12-11

The interaction of polyphenols (tannins) with proline-rich proteins (gelatin) has been studied using an automated flow injection system with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic detection to gain insight into chemical aspects related to astringency. In the perception of astringency, a major taste property in red wines and other beverages such as beer, tea, or fruit juices, an interaction between proline-rich salivary proteins and tannins present in the sample takes place. To study this interaction, agarose beads carrying gelatin (a proline-rich protein) were placed in the IR flow cell in such a way that the beads were probed by the IR beam. Using an automated flow system, we injected samples in a carrier stream and flushed over the proteins in a highly reproducible manner. Simultaneously, any retardation due to tannin-protein interactions taking place inside the flow cell was monitored by infrared spectroscopy. Tannins of different sources (grapes, wooden barrels, formulations used in wine making) were investigated, and their flow-through behavior was characterized. Significant differences in their affinity toward gelatin could be observed. Furthermore, because of small but characteristic differences in the IR spectrum, it is possible to distinguish condensed from hydrolyzable tannins. Nonastringent substances such as alcohols, sugars, and acids did not show retention on gelatin. The selectivity of the flow-through sensor was also demonstrated on the example of red and white wine. In contrast to white wine, where no interaction could be observed, in red wine a major interaction of the red wine tannins was found.

Translational Shifts in Preclinical Models of Depression: Implications for Biomarkers for Improved Treatments.

PubMed

Slaney, Chloe; Hinchcliffe, Justyna K; Robinson, Emma S J

2018-04-26

Understanding the neurobiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) remains one of the major challenges in neuroscience. The disease is heterogeneous in nature, and patients present with a varied symptom profile. Studies seeking to identify biomarkers for MDD diagnosis and treatment have not yet found any one candidate which achieves sufficient sensitivity and specificity. In this article, we consider whether neuropsychological impairments, specifically affective biases, could provide a behavioural biomarker. Affective biases are observed when emotional states influence cognitive function. These biases have been shown to influence a number of different cognitive domains with some specific deficits observed in MDD. It has also been possible to use these neuropsychological tests to inform the development of translational tasks for non-human species. The results from studies in rodents suggest that quantification of affective biases is feasible and may provide a reliable method to predict antidepressant efficacy as well as pro-depressant risk. Animal studies suggest that affective state-induced biases in learning and memory operate over a different time course to biases influencing decision-making. The implications for these differences in terms of task validity and future ideas relating to affective biases and MDD are discussed. We also describe our most recent studies which have shown that depression-like phenotypes share a common deficit in reward-related learning and memory which we refer to as a reward-induced positive bias. This deficit is dissociable from more typical measures of hedonic behaviour and motivation for reward and may represent an important and distinct form of reward deficit linked to MDD.

Accelerated enamel mineralization in Dspp mutant mice

PubMed Central

Verdelis, Kostas; Szabo-Rogers, Heather L.; Xu, Yang; Chong, Rong; Kang, Ryan; Cusack, Brian J.; Jani, Priyam; Boskey, Adele L.; Qin, Chunlin; Beniash, Elia

2016-01-01

Dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) is one of the major non-collagenous proteins present in dentin, cementum and alveolar bone; it is also transiently expressed by ameloblasts. In humans many mutations have been found in DSPP and are associated with two autosomal-dominant genetic diseases — dentinogenesis imperfecta II (DGI-II) and dentin dysplasia (DD). Both disorders result in the development of hypomineralized and mechanically compromised teeth. The erupted mature molars of Dspp–/– mice have a severe hypomineralized dentin phenotype. Since dentin and enamel formations are interdependent, we decided to investigate the process of enamel onset mineralization in young Dspp–/– animals. We focused our analysis on the constantly erupting mouse incisor, to capture all of the stages of odontogenesis in one tooth, and the unerupted first molars. Using high-resolution microCT, we revealed that the onset of enamel matrix deposition occurs closer to the cervical loop and both secretion and maturation of enamel are accelerated in Dspp–/– incisors compared to the Dspp+/– control. Importantly, these differences did not translate into major phenotypic differences in mature enamel in terms of the structural organization, mineral density or hardness. The only observable difference was the reduction in thickness of the outer enamel layer, while the total enamel thickness remained unchanged. We also observed a compromised dentin-enamel junction, leading to delamination between the dentin and enamel layers. The odontoblast processes were widened and lacked branching near the DEJ. Finally, for the first time we demonstrate expression of Dspp mRNA in secretory ameloblasts. In summary, our data show that DSPP is important for normal mineralization of both dentin and enamel. PMID:26780724

Effects of urban density on carbon dioxide exchanges: Observations of dense urban, suburban and woodland areas of southern England.

PubMed

Ward, H C; Kotthaus, S; Grimmond, C S B; Bjorkegren, A; Wilkinson, M; Morrison, W T J; Evans, J G; Morison, J I L; Iamarino, M

2015-03-01

Anthropogenic and biogenic controls on the surface-atmosphere exchange of CO2 are explored for three different environments. Similarities are seen between suburban and woodland sites during summer, when photosynthesis and respiration determine the diurnal pattern of the CO2 flux. In winter, emissions from human activities dominate urban and suburban fluxes; building emissions increase during cold weather, while traffic is a major component of CO2 emissions all year round. Observed CO2 fluxes reflect diurnal traffic patterns (busy throughout the day (urban); rush-hour peaks (suburban)) and vary between working days and non-working days, except at the woodland site. Suburban vegetation offsets some anthropogenic emissions, but 24-h CO2 fluxes are usually positive even during summer. Observations are compared to estimated emissions from simple models and inventories. Annual CO2 exchanges are significantly different between sites, demonstrating the impacts of increasing urban density (and decreasing vegetation fraction) on the CO2 flux to the atmosphere. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Role of the ceramide-signaling pathways in ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis.

PubMed

Vit, Jean-Philippe; Rosselli, Filippo

2003-11-27

Ionizing radiations (IR) exposure leads to damage on several cellular targets. How signals from different targets are integrated to determine the cell fate remains a controversial issue. Understanding the pathway(s) responsible(s) for the cell killing effect of the IR exposure is of prime importance in light of using radiations as anticancer agent or as diagnostic tool. In this study, we have established that IR-induced cell damage initiates two independent signaling pathways that lead to a biphasic intracellular ceramide increase. A transitory increase of ceramide is observed within minutes after IR exposure as a consequence of DNA damage-independent acid sphingomyelinase activation. Several hours after irradiation, a second wave of ceramide accumulation is observed depending on the DNA damage-dependent activation of ceramide synthase, which requires a signaling pathway involving ATM. Importantly, we have demonstrated that the late ceramide accumulation is also dependent on the first one and is rate limiting for the apoptotic process induced by IR. In conclusion, our observations suggest that ceramide is a major determinant of the IR-induced apoptotic process at the cross-point of different signal transduction pathways.

Models of tremor and low-frequency earthquake swarms on Montserrat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuberg, J.; Luckett, R.; Baptie, B.; Olsen, K.

2000-08-01

Recent observations from Soufrière Hills volcano in Montserrat reveal a wide variety of low-frequency seismic signals. We discuss similarities and differences between hybrid earthquakes and long-period events, and their role in explosions and rockfall events. These events occur usually in swarms, and occasionally merge into tremor, an observation that can shed further light on the generation and composition of harmonic tremor. We use a 2D finite difference method to model major features of low-frequency seismic signatures and compare them with the observations. A depth-dependent velocity model for a fluid-filled conduit is introduced which accounts for the varying gas-content in the magma, and the impact on the seismic signals is discussed. We carefully analyse episodes of tremor that show shifting spectral lines and model those in terms of changes in the gas content of the magma as well as in terms of a time-dependent triggering mechanism of low-frequency resonances. In this way we explain the simultaneous occurrence of low-frequency events and tremor with a spectral content comprising integer harmonics.

Measuring the Relationship between Stellar Scintillation and Altitude: A Simple Discovery-Based Observational Exercise Used in College Level Non-Major Astronomy Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Russell D.

2013-01-01

A simple naked eye observational exercise is outlined that teaches non-major astronomy students basic observational and critical thinking skills but does not require complex equipment or extensive knowledge of the night sky. Students measure the relationship between stellar scintillation and the altitude of a set of stars. Successful observations…

Imaging an 80 au radius dust ring around the F5V star HD 157587

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

Millar-Blanchaer, Maxwell A.; Wang, Jason J.; Kalas, Paul

Here, we present H-band near-infrared polarimetric imaging observations of the F5V star HD 157587 obtained with the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) that reveal the debris disk as a bright ring structure at a separation of ~80–100 au. The new GPI data complement recent Hubble Space Telescope /STIS observations that show the disk extending out to over 500 au. The GPI image displays a strong asymmetry along the projected minor axis as well as a fainter asymmetry along the projected major axis. We associate the minor and major axis asymmetries with polarized forward scattering and a possible stellocentric offset, respectively. Tomore » constrain the disk geometry, we fit two separate disk models to the polarized image, each using a different scattering phase function. Both models favor a disk inclination of ~70° and a 1.5 ± 0.6 au stellar offset in the plane of the sky along the projected major axis of the disk. We find that the stellar offset in the disk plane, perpendicular to the projected major axis is degenerate with the form of the scattering phase function and remains poorly constrained. The disk is not recovered in total intensity due in part to strong adaptive optics residuals, but we recover three point sources. Considering the system's proximity to the galactic plane and the point sources' positions relative to the disk, we consider it likely that they are background objects and unrelated to the disk's offset from the star.« less

Anatomical variations in the origins of the celiac axis and the superior mesenteric artery: MDCT angiographic findings and their probable embryological mechanisms.

PubMed

Wang, Yi; Cheng, Cheng; Wang, Lu; Li, Ran; Chen, Jin-hua; Gong, Shui-gen

2014-08-01

To identify the spectrum and prevalence of anatomical variations in the origin of the celiac axis (CA), the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and their major branches by using multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) angiography. A retrospective evaluation was carried out on 1,500 abdominal MDCT angiography images. The aortic origins of the CA, the SMA and their major branch patterns were investigated. Normal aortic origins of CA and SMA were noted in 1,347 (89.8%) patients. Seven types of CA and SMA origin variants were identified in 153 (10.2%) patients. The three most common variations were hepatomesenteric trunk (67 patients, 4.47%), celiomesenteric trunk (CMT) (51 patients, 3.4%) and splenomesenteric trunk (18 patients, 1.2%). An evaluation of CMT was classified as long (34 patients, 66.7%) or short (17 patients, 33.3%) subtypes, compared with the length of the common trunk. Further CMT classification was based on the origin of the left gastric artery: subtype I, 26 patients (53.1%); subtype II, 5 patients (10.2%); subtype III, 15 patients (30.6%); subtype IV, 3 patients (6.1%). Dislocation interruption, incomplete interruption and persistence of the longitudinal anastomosis could be the embryological mechanisms of the variant origins of the CA, the SMA and their major branches. • Aortic origins of CA, SMA and their major branches were investigated. • Celiomesenteric trunk includes several different subtypes and configurations. • Probable embryological mechanisms of origin variants in these observed arteries were discussed. • Origin variants in these observed arteries have wide-ranging health implications.

IMAGING AN 80 au RADIUS DUST RING AROUND THE F5V STAR HD 157587

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

Millar-Blanchaer, Maxwell A.; Moon, Dae-Sik; Wang, Jason J.

2016-11-01

We present H -band near-infrared polarimetric imaging observations of the F5V star HD 157587 obtained with the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) that reveal the debris disk as a bright ring structure at a separation of ∼80–100 au. The new GPI data complement recent Hubble Space Telescope /STIS observations that show the disk extending out to over 500 au. The GPI image displays a strong asymmetry along the projected minor axis as well as a fainter asymmetry along the projected major axis. We associate the minor and major axis asymmetries with polarized forward scattering and a possible stellocentric offset, respectively. To constrainmore » the disk geometry, we fit two separate disk models to the polarized image, each using a different scattering phase function. Both models favor a disk inclination of ∼70° and a 1.5 ± 0.6 au stellar offset in the plane of the sky along the projected major axis of the disk. We find that the stellar offset in the disk plane, perpendicular to the projected major axis is degenerate with the form of the scattering phase function and remains poorly constrained. The disk is not recovered in total intensity due in part to strong adaptive optics residuals, but we recover three point sources. Considering the system’s proximity to the galactic plane and the point sources’ positions relative to the disk, we consider it likely that they are background objects and unrelated to the disk’s offset from the star.« less

Imaging an 80 au radius dust ring around the F5V star HD 157587

DOE PAGES

Millar-Blanchaer, Maxwell A.; Wang, Jason J.; Kalas, Paul; ...

2016-10-21

Here, we present H-band near-infrared polarimetric imaging observations of the F5V star HD 157587 obtained with the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) that reveal the debris disk as a bright ring structure at a separation of ~80–100 au. The new GPI data complement recent Hubble Space Telescope /STIS observations that show the disk extending out to over 500 au. The GPI image displays a strong asymmetry along the projected minor axis as well as a fainter asymmetry along the projected major axis. We associate the minor and major axis asymmetries with polarized forward scattering and a possible stellocentric offset, respectively. Tomore » constrain the disk geometry, we fit two separate disk models to the polarized image, each using a different scattering phase function. Both models favor a disk inclination of ~70° and a 1.5 ± 0.6 au stellar offset in the plane of the sky along the projected major axis of the disk. We find that the stellar offset in the disk plane, perpendicular to the projected major axis is degenerate with the form of the scattering phase function and remains poorly constrained. The disk is not recovered in total intensity due in part to strong adaptive optics residuals, but we recover three point sources. Considering the system's proximity to the galactic plane and the point sources' positions relative to the disk, we consider it likely that they are background objects and unrelated to the disk's offset from the star.« less

Can Tranexamic Acid Reduce Blood Loss during Major Cardiac Surgery? A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Compton, Frances; Wahed, Amer; Gregoric, Igor; Kar, Biswajit; Dasgupta, Amitava; Tint, Hlaing

2017-09-01

We examined the effectiveness of tranexamic acid in preventing intraoperative blood loss during major cardiac surgery. Out of initial 81 patients undergoing major cardiac surgery (both coronary artery bypass and valve repair procedures) at our teaching hospital, sixty-seven patients were selected for this study. We compared estimated blood loss, decrease in percent hemoglobin and hematocrit following surgery between two groups of patients (none of them received any blood product during surgery), one group receiving no tranexamic acid (n=17) and another group receiving tranexamic acid (n=25). In the second study, we combined these patients with patients receiving modest amounts of blood products (1-2 unit) and compared these parameters between two groups of patients (25 patients received no tranexamic acid, 42 patients received tranexamic acid). In patients who received no blood product during surgery, those who received no tranexamic acid showed statistically significant (independent t-test two tailed at p <0.05) reduced estimated blood loss (mean: 713.5 mL, SD: 351.6, n=17) compared to those who received tranexamic acid (mean: 987.2 mL, SD: 459.9, n=25). We observed similar results when the patients receiving no blood products and patients receiving modest amount of blood products were combined based on the use of tranexamic acid or not. No statistically significant difference was observed in percent reduced hemoglobin or hematocrit following surgery in any group of patients. We conclude that intraoperative antifibrinolytic therapy with tranexamic acid does not reduce intraoperative blood loss during major cardiac surgery which contradicts popular belief. © 2017 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.

Validating of Atmospheric Signals Associated with some of the Major Earthquakes in Asia (2003-2009)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ouzounov, D. P.; Pulinets, S.; Liu, J. Y.; Hattori, K.; Oarritm N,; Taylor, P. T.

2010-01-01

The recent catastrophic earthquake in Haiti (January 2010) has provided and renewed interest in the important question of the existence of precursory signals related to strong earthquakes. Latest studies (VESTO workshop in Japan 2009) have shown that there were precursory atmospheric signals observed on the ground and in space associated with several recent earthquakes. The major question, still widely debated in the scientific community is whether such signals systematically precede major earthquakes. To address this problem we have started to validate the anomalous atmospheric signals during the occurrence of large earthquakes. Our approach is based on integration analysis of several physical and environmental parameters (thermal infrared radiation, electron concentration in the ionosphere, Radon/ion activities, air temperature and seismicity) that were found to be associated with earthquakes. We performed hind-cast detection over three different regions with high seismicity Taiwan, Japan and Kamchatka for the period of 2003-2009. We are using existing thermal satellite data (Aqua and POES); in situ atmospheric data (NOAA/NCEP); and ionospheric variability data (GPS/TEC and DEMETER). The first part of this validation included 42 major earthquakes (M greater than 5.9): 10 events in Taiwan, 15 events in Japan, 15 events in Kamchatka and four most recent events for M8.0 Wenchuan earthquake (May 2008) in China and M7.9 Samoa earthquakes (Sep 2009). Our initial results suggest a systematic appearance of atmospheric anomalies near the epicentral area, 1 to 5 days prior to the largest earthquakes, that could be explained by a coupling process between the observed physical parameters, and the earthquake preparation processes.

Lassa Fever in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone

PubMed Central

Hartnett, Jessica N.; Levy, Danielle C.; Yenni, Rachael E.; Moses, Lina M.; Fullah, Mohammed; Momoh, Mambo; Fonnie, Mbalu; Fonnie, Richard; Kanneh, Lansana; Koroma, Veronica J.; Kargbo, Kandeh; Ottomassathien, Darin; Muncy, Ivana J.; Jones, Abigail B.; Illick, Megan M.; Kulakosky, Peter C.; Haislip, Allyson M.; Bishop, Christopher M.; Elliot, Deborah H.; Brown, Bethany L.; Zhu, Hu; Hastie, Kathryn M.; Andersen, Kristian G.; Gire, Stephen K.; Tabrizi, Shervin; Tariyal, Ridhi; Stremlau, Mathew; Matschiner, Alex; Sampey, Darryl B.; Spence, Jennifer S.; Cross, Robert W.; Geisbert, Joan B.; Folarin, Onikepe A.; Happi, Christian T.; Pitts, Kelly R.; Geske, F. Jon; Geisbert, Thomas W.; Saphire, Erica Ollmann; Robinson, James E.; Wilson, Russell B.; Sabeti, Pardis C.; Henderson, Lee A.; Khan, S. Humarr; Bausch, Daniel G.; Branco, Luis M.; Garry, Robert F.

2014-01-01

Background Lassa fever (LF), an often-fatal hemorrhagic disease caused by Lassa virus (LASV), is a major public health threat in West Africa. When the violent civil conflict in Sierra Leone (1991 to 2002) ended, an international consortium assisted in restoration of the LF program at Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) in an area with the world's highest incidence of the disease. Methodology/Principal Findings Clinical and laboratory records of patients presenting to the KGH Lassa Ward in the post-conflict period were organized electronically. Recombinant antigen-based LF immunoassays were used to assess LASV antigenemia and LASV-specific antibodies in patients who met criteria for suspected LF. KGH has been reestablished as a center for LF treatment and research, with over 500 suspected cases now presenting yearly. Higher case fatality rates (CFRs) in LF patients were observed compared to studies conducted prior to the civil conflict. Different criteria for defining LF stages and differences in sensitivity of assays likely account for these differences. The highest incidence of LF in Sierra Leone was observed during the dry season. LF cases were observed in ten of Sierra Leone's thirteen districts, with numerous cases from outside the traditional endemic zone. Deaths in patients presenting with LASV antigenemia were skewed towards individuals less than 29 years of age. Women self-reporting as pregnant were significantly overrepresented among LASV antigenemic patients. The CFR of ribavirin-treated patients presenting early in acute infection was lower than in untreated subjects. Conclusions/Significance Lassa fever remains a major public health threat in Sierra Leone. Outreach activities should expand because LF may be more widespread in Sierra Leone than previously recognized. Enhanced case finding to ensure rapid diagnosis and treatment is imperative to reduce mortality. Even with ribavirin treatment, there was a high rate of fatalities underscoring the need to develop more effective and/or supplemental treatments for LF. PMID:24651047

The professionalism disconnect: do entering residents identify yet participate in unprofessional behaviors?

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Professionalism has been an important tenet of medical education, yet defining it is a challenge. Perceptions of professional behavior may vary by individual, medical specialty, demographic group and institution. Understanding these differences should help institutions better clarify professionalism expectations and provide standards with which to evaluate resident behavior. Methods Duke University Hospital and Vidant Medical Center/East Carolina University surveyed entering PGY1 residents. Residents were queried on two issues: their perception of the professionalism of 46 specific behaviors related to training and patient care; and their own participation in those specified behaviors. The study reports data analyses for gender and institution based upon survey results in 2009 and 2010. The study received approval by the Institutional Review Boards of both institutions. Results 76% (375) of 495 PGY1 residents surveyed in 2009 and 2010 responded. A majority of responders rated all 46 specified behaviors as unprofessional, and a majority had either observed or participated in each behavior. For all 46 behaviors, a greater percentage of women rated the behaviors as unprofessional. Men were more likely than women to have participated in behaviors. There were several significant differences in both the perceptions of specified behaviors and in self-reported observation of and/or involvement in those behaviors between institutions. Respondents indicated the most important professionalism issues relevant to medical practice include: respect for colleagues/patients, relationships with pharmaceutical companies, balancing home/work life, and admitting mistakes. They reported that professionalism can best be assessed by peers, patients, observation of non-medical work and timeliness/detail of paperwork. Conclusion Defining professionalism in measurable terms is a challenge yet critical in order for it to be taught and assessed. Recognition of the differences by gender and institution should allow for tailored teaching and assessment of professionalism so that it is most meaningful. A shared understanding of what constitutes professional behavior is an important first step. PMID:24674275

Conformational Specific Infrared and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Cold YA(D-Pro)AA\\cdotH+ Ions: a Sterochemical "twist" on the Proline Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrilal, Christopher P.; DeBlase, Andrew F.; Burke, Nicole L.; McLuckey, Scott A.; Zwier, Timothy S.

2016-06-01

The "proline effect" is a well-known fragmentation phenomenon in mass spectrometry, in which y-fragments are produced preferentially over b-fragments during the collision induced dissociation of protonated L-proline containing peptide ions. This specific fragmentation channel is favored because of the high basicity of the secondary amine intermediate and the ring instability in alternative bn+ products [ASMS 2014, 25, 1705]. In contrast, peptides containing the D-Pro stereoisomer have been shown to largely favor the production of b4+ ions over y3+ ions. This strongly suggests that differences in the conformational preferences between the D-Pro and L-Pro diastereomers are likely to be responsible but structural evidence has been lacking to date. Using tandem mass spectrometry and IR-UV double resonant action spectroscopy we are able to compare the 3D structures of cold [YA(D-Pro)AA+H]+ to [YA(L-Pro)AA+H]+ ions. The UV action spectra reveals two major conformers in [YA(D-Pro)AA+H]+ and one major conformer in [YA(L-Pro)AA+H]+. Clear differences in the hydrogen bonding patterns are apparent between the two conformers observed in the D-Pro specie which are both distinct from the L-Pro diastereomer. Furthermore, conformer and diastereomer specific photofragmentation patterns are observed. It is also noted that a ten-fold photofragment enhancement unique to one of the D-Pro conformers is observed upon absorption of a resonant IR photon after UV excitation. Differences in the excited state photophysics between the two D-Pro conformers suggest that vibrational excitation of S1 turns on coupling to the dissociative -Tyr channel in one conformer, while this coupling is already present in the vibronic ground state of the other. Calculated harmonic spectra (M052X/6-31+G*) of conformers obtained from Monte Carlo searches to the experimental spectra.

Enhancing the Value of Population-Based Risk Scores for Institutional-Level Use.

PubMed

Raza, Sajjad; Sabik, Joseph F; Rajeswaran, Jeevanantham; Idrees, Jay J; Trezzi, Matteo; Riaz, Haris; Javadikasgari, Hoda; Nowicki, Edward R; Svensson, Lars G; Blackstone, Eugene H

2016-07-01

We hypothesized that factors associated with an institution's residual risk unaccounted for by population-based models may be identifiable and used to enhance the value of population-based risk scores for quality improvement. From January 2000 to January 2010, 4,971 patients underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR), either isolated (n = 2,660) or with concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (AVR+CABG; n = 2,311). Operative mortality and major morbidity and mortality predicted by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk models were compared with observed values. After adjusting for patients' STS score, additional and refined risk factors were sought to explain residual risk. Differences between STS model coefficients (risk-factor strength) and those specific to our institution were calculated. Observed operative mortality was less than predicted for AVR (1.6% [42 of 2,660] vs 2.8%, p < 0.0001) and AVR+CABG (2.6% [59 of 2,311] vs 4.9%, p < 0.0001). Observed major morbidity and mortality was also lower than predicted for isolated AVR (14.6% [389 of 2,660] vs 17.5%, p < 0.0001) and AVR+CABG (20.0% [462 of 2,311] vs 25.8%, p < 0.0001). Shorter height, higher bilirubin, and lower albumin were identified as additional institution-specific risk factors, and body surface area, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, blood urea nitrogen, and heart failure across all levels of functional class were identified as refined risk-factor variables associated with residual risk. In many instances, risk-factor strength differed substantially from that of STS models. Scores derived from population-based models can be enhanced for institutional level use by adjusting for institution-specific additional and refined risk factors. Identifying these and measuring differences in institution-specific versus population-based risk-factor strength can identify areas to target for quality improvement initiatives. Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kangaroo IGF-II is structurally and functionally similar to the human [Ser29]-IGF-II variant.

PubMed

Yandell, C A; Francis, G L; Wheldrake, J F; Upton, Z

1999-06-01

Kangaroo IGF-II has been purified from western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) serum and characterised in a number of in vitro assays. In addition, the complete cDNA sequence of mature IGF-II has been obtained by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Comparison of the kangaroo IGF-II cDNA sequence with known IGF-II sequences from other species revealed that it is very similar to the human variant, [Ser29]-hIGF-II. Both the variant and kangaroo IGF-II contain an insert of nine nucleotides that encode the amino acids Leu-Pro-Gly at the junction of the B and C domains of the mature protein. The deduced kangaroo IGF-II protein sequence also contains three other amino acid changes that are not observed in human IGF-II. These amino acid differences share similarities with the changes described in many of the IGF-IIs reported for non-mammalian species. Characterisation of human IGF-II, kangaroo IGF-II, chicken IGF-II and [Ser29]-hIGF-II in a number of in vitro assays revealed that all four proteins are functionally very similar. No significant differences were observed in the ability of the IGF-IIs to bind to the bovine IGF-II/cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor or to stimulate protein synthesis in rat L6 myoblasts. However, differences were observed in their abilities to bind to IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) present in human serum. Kangaroo, chicken and [Ser29]-hIGF-II had lower apparent affinities for human IGFBPs than did human IGF-II. Thus, it appears that the major circulating form of IGF-II in the kangaroo and a minor form of IGF-II found in human serum are structurally and functionally very similar. This suggests that the splice site that generates both the variant and major form of human IGF-II must have evolved after the divergence of marsupials from placental mammals.

Numerical simulation of terrain-induced mesoscale circulation in the Chiang Mai area, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sathitkunarat, Surachai; Wongwises, Prungchan; Pan-Aram, Rudklao; Zhang, Meigen

2008-11-01

The regional atmospheric modeling system (RAMS) was applied to Chiang Mai province, a mountainous area in Thailand, to study terrain-induced mesoscale circulations. Eight cases in wet and dry seasons under different weather conditions were analyzed to show thermal and dynamic impacts on local circulations. This is the first study of RAMS in Thailand especially investigating the effect of mountainous area on the simulated meteorological data. Analysis of model results indicates that the model can reproduce major features of local circulation and diurnal variations in temperatures. For evaluating the model performance, model results were compared with observed wind speed, wind direction, and temperature monitored at a meteorological tower. Comparison shows that the modeled values are generally in good agreement with observations and that the model captured many of the observed features.

Sex Differences in the Effect of Type 2 Diabetes on Major Cardiovascular Diseases: Results from a Population-Based Study in Italy

PubMed Central

Greci, Marina; Manicardi, Valeria

2017-01-01

The aim of the study is to assess sex difference in association between type 2 diabetes and incidence of major cardiovascular events, that is, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure, using information retrieved by diabetes register. The inhabitants of Reggio Emilia (Italy) aged 30–84 were followed during 2012–2014. Incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using multivariate Poisson model. The age- and sex-specific event rates were graphed. Subjects with type 2 diabetes had an excess risk compared to their counterparts without diabetes for all the three major cardiovascular events. The excess risk is similar in women and men for stroke (1.8 times) and heart failure (2.7 times), while for myocardial infarction, the excess risk in women is greater than the one observed in men (IRR 2.58, 95% CI 2.22–3.00 and IRR 1.78, 95% CI 1.60–2.00, resp.; P of interaction < 0.0001). Women had always a lesser risk than men, but in case of myocardial infarction, the women with type 2 diabetes lost part of advantage gained by women free of diabetes (IRR 0.61, 95% CI 0.53–0.72 and IRR 0.36, 95% CI 0.33–0.39, resp.). In women with type 2 diabetes, the risk of major cardiovascular events is anticipated by 20–30 years, while in men it is by 15–20. PMID:28316624

Innate immune system still works at diapause, a physiological state of dormancy in insects

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

Nakamura, Akihiro; Miyado, Kenji, E-mail: kmiyado@nch.go.jp; Takezawa, Youki

Highlights: {yields} Two major types of cells are present in the body fluid isolated from the thoracic region of a diapausing pupa. {yields} Phagocytosis and encapsulation by these cells were observed when latex beads as foreign targets were microinjected into a pupa. {yields} Such behavior by these cells was still observed even when pupae were continuously chilled at 4 {sup o}C. {yields} Innate cellular reactions can work in diapausing insects in a dormant state. -- Abstract: Diapause is most often observed in insects and is a physiologically dormant state different from other types of dormancy, such as hibernation. It allowsmore » insects to survive in harsh environments or extend longevity. In general, larval, pupal, or adult non-diapausing insects possess an innate immune system preventing the invasion of microorganisms into their bodies; however, it is unclear whether this system works under the dormant condition of diapause. We here report the occurrence of innate cellular reactions during diapause using pupae of a giant silkmoth, Samia cynthia pryeri. Scanning electron microscopic analysis demonstrated the presence of two major types of cells in the body fluid isolated from the thoracic region of a pupa. Phagocytosis and encapsulation, characteristics of innate cellular reactions, by these cells were observed when latex beads as foreign targets were microinjected into the internal portion of a pupa. Such behavior by these cells was still observed even when pupae were continuously chilled at 4 {sup o}C. Our results indicate that innate cellular reactions can work in diapausing insects in a dormant state.« less

Suicide among immigrants in Europe--a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Spallek, Jacob; Reeske, Anna; Norredam, Marie; Nielsen, Signe Smith; Lehnhardt, Jessica; Razum, Oliver

2015-02-01

Concerns about increased suicide risk among immigrants to European countries have been raised. We review the scientific literature on differences in suicide among immigrants compared with the majority populations in Europe's major immigration countries. We searched the databases PubMed and PsycINFO for peer-reviewed epidemiological studies published in 1990-2011, which compared suicide risks of adult immigrant groups with the risks of the majority population in European countries. Hits were screened by two researchers. We included 24 studies in the review. No generalizable pattern of suicide among immigrants was found. Immigrants from countries in which suicide risks are particularly high, i.e. countries in Northern and Eastern Europe, experienced higher suicide rates relative to groups without migration background. Gender and age differences were observed. Young female immigrants from Turkey, East Africa and South Asia are a risk group. Immigrants 'bring along' their suicide risk, at least for the initial period they spend in the immigration country. Health-care planners and providers need to be aware of this 'imported risks'. However, most immigrant groups do not have an increased suicide risk relative to the local-born population; some may even experience substantially lower risks. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the volatile constituents in the essential oil of Pistacia lentiscus L. from different origins and its antifungal and antioxidant activity.

PubMed

Barra, Andrea; Coroneo, Valentina; Dessi, Sandro; Cabras, Paolo; Angioni, Alberto

2007-08-22

Essential oil (EO) from aerial parts (leaves, juvenile branches, and flowers when present) of Pistacia lentiscus L. growing wild in five localities of Sardinia (Italy) was extracted by steam-distillation (SD) and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC), FID, and GC-ion trap mass spectrometry (ITMS). Samples of P. lentiscus L. were harvested between April and October to study the seasonal chemical variability of the EO. A total of 45 compounds accounting for 97.5-98.4% of the total EO were identified, and the major compounds were alpha-pinene (14.8-22.6%), beta-myrcene (1-19.4%), p-cymene (1.6-16.2%), and terpinen-4-ol (14.2-28.3%). The yields of EO (v/dry w) ranged between 0.09 and 0.32%. Similar content of the major compounds was found in samples from different origins and seasonal variability was also observed. The EOs were tested for their antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Rhizoctonia solani, Penicillium commune, Fusarium oxysporum. Two samples were weakly effective against Aspergillus flavus. Furthermore, terpinenol and alpha-terpineol, two of the major components of EO of Pistacia lentiscus L., totally inhibited the mycelian growth of A. flavus. Quite good antioxidant activity of the EO was also found.

Evaluating the Brazilian zero tolerance drinking and driving law: Time series analyses of traffic-related mortality in three major cities.

PubMed

Volpe, Fernando Madalena; Ladeira, Roberto Marini; Fantoni, Rosely

2017-05-19

A zero tolerance alcohol restriction law was adopted in Brazil in 2008. In order to assess the effectiveness of this intervention, the present study compares specific mortality in 2 time series: 1980-2007 and 2008-2013. Data on mortality and population were gathered from official Brazilian Ministry of Health information systems. Segmented regression analyses were carried out separately for 3 major Brazilian capitals: Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. In 2 cities (Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro) there were no significant changes in mortality rate trends in 2 periods, 1980 to 2007 and 2008 to 2013, where the observed rates did not differ significantly from predicted rates. In São Paulo, a decreasing trend until 2007 unexpectedly assumed higher levels after implementation of the law. There is no evidence of reduced traffic-related mortality in the 3 major Brazilian capitals 5.5 years after the zero tolerance drinking and driving law was adopted.

Antioxidant activity and nutritional quality of traditional red-grained rice varieties containing proanthocyanidins.

PubMed

Gunaratne, Anil; Wu, Kao; Li, Dongqin; Bentota, Amitha; Corke, Harold; Cai, Yi-Zhong

2013-06-01

Proanthocyanidin-containing rice varieties have been rarely reported. Antioxidant capacity, major antioxidant components, and nutritional parameters of eight traditional red-grained rice varieties containing proanthocyanidins grown in Sri Lanka were investigated. The tested traditional red varieties, on the average, had over sevenfold higher both total antioxidant capacity and phenolic content than three light brown-grained new-improved rice varieties. Major antioxidant phenolic compounds identified in this study included proanthocyanidins, phenolic acids and γ-oryzanols (ferulic acid derivatives). Proanthocyanidins were detected only in the traditional red varieties, but not found in new-improved ones. Most traditional red varieties also contained significantly higher levels of protein with well balanced amino acids and higher contents of fat, fibre and vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols) than the new-improved ones. Great variations in antioxidant capacity, major phenolics, and nutritional parameters were observed among different rice varieties. These Sri Lankan traditional red-grained rice varieties containing proanthocyanidins may be used as important genetic sources for rice breeding. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MSG-7: Atmospheric Penetration of Solar Radiation in the Range of Schumann-runge Bands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederick, J. E.

1982-01-01

There have been major efforts in measuring extraterrestrial solar irradiance for use in atmospheric studies. The quantity of immediate relevance to theoretical studies is the number of photons which reach a given altitude in the middle atmosphere. Current models compute the attenuated radiation field but the cross sections available for the major absorbers, O2 and O3, often come from experiments that are now quite old. Balloon measurements show some significant differences between the predicted and observed ultraviolet radiation field between 30 and 40 km. The wavelength region to be studied includes Lyman alpha plus the range 175 nm to the visible. Specific topics to be addressed are as follows: (1) the cross sections of the major absorbers, O2 and O3 including the Schumann-Runge bands as a subset; (2) comparison of the in situ measurements of the attenuated radiation field with calculations; and (3) the relevance of the scattered and reflected radiation fields for middle atmospheric processes.

MSG-7: atmospheric penetration of solar radiation in the range of Schumann-Runge bands

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

Frederick, J.E.

1982-12-01

There have been major efforts in measuring extraterrestrial solar irradiance for use in atmospheric studies. The quantity of immediate relevance to theoretical studies is the number of photons which reach a given altitude in the middle atmosphere. Current models compute the attenuated radiation field but the cross sections available for the major absorbers, O2 and O3, often come from experiments that are now quite old. Balloon measurements show some significant differences between the predicted and observed ultraviolet radiation field between 30 and 40 km. The wavelength region to be studied includes Lyman alpha plus the range 175 nm to themore » visible. Specific topics to be addressed are as follows: (1) the cross sections of the major absorbers, O2 and O3 including the Schumann-Runge bands as a subset (2) comparison of the in situ measurements of the attenuated radiation field with calculations and (3) the relevance of the scattered and reflected radiation fields for middle atmospheric processes.« less

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation activity worldwide in 2012 and a SWOT analysis of the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group including the global survey.

PubMed

Niederwieser, D; Baldomero, H; Szer, J; Gratwohl, M; Aljurf, M; Atsuta, Y; Bouzas, L F; Confer, D; Greinix, H; Horowitz, M; Iida, M; Lipton, J; Mohty, M; Novitzky, N; Nunez, J; Passweg, J; Pasquini, M C; Kodera, Y; Apperley, J; Seber, A; Gratwohl, A

2016-06-01

Data on 68 146 hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCTs) (53% autologous and 47% allogeneic) gathered by 1566 teams from 77 countries and reported through their regional transplant organizations were analyzed by main indication, donor type and stem cell source for the year 2012. With transplant rates ranging from 0.1 to 1001 per 10 million inhabitants, more HSCTs were registered from unrelated 16 433 donors than related 15 493 donors. Grafts were collected from peripheral blood (66%), bone marrow (24%; mainly non-malignant disorders) and cord blood (10%). Compared with 2006, an increase of 46% total (57% allogeneic and 38% autologous) was observed. Growth was due to an increase in reporting teams (18%) and median transplant activity/team (from 38 to 48 HSCTs/team). An increase of 167% was noted in mismatched/haploidentical family HSCT. A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis revealed the global perspective of WBMT to be its major strength and identified potential to be the key professional body for patients and authorities. The limited data collection remains its major weakness and threat. In conclusion, global HSCT grows over the years without plateauing (allogeneic>autologous) and at different rates in the four World Health Organization regions. Major increases were observed in allogeneic, haploidentical HSCT and, to a lesser extent, in cord blood transplantation.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Activity Worldwide in 2012 and a SWOT Analysis of the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group (WBMT) including the global survey

PubMed Central

Niederwieser, Dietger; Baldomero, Helen; Szer, Jeff; Gratwohl, Michael; Aljurf, Mahmoud; Atsuta, Yoshiko; Bouzas, Luis Fernando; Confer, Dennis; Greinix, Hildegard; Horowitz, Mary; Iida, Minako; Lipton, Jeff; Mohty, Mohamad; Novitzky, Nicolas; Nunez, José; Passweg, Jakob; Pasquini, Marcelo C.; Kodera, Yoshihisa; Apperley, Jane; Seber, Adriana; Gratwohl, Alois

2016-01-01

Data on 68,146 hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) (53% autologous and 47% allogeneic) gathered by 1566 teams from 77 countries and reported through their regional transplant organizations were analyzed by main indication, donor type and stem cell source for the year 2012. With transplant rates ranging from 0.1 to 1001 per 10 million inhabitants, more HSCT were registered from unrelated 16,433 than related 15,493 donors. Grafts were collected from peripheral blood (66%), bone marrow (24%; mainly non-malignant disorders) and cord blood (10%). Compared to 2006, an increase of 46% total (57% allogeneic and 38% autologous) was observed. Growth was due to an increase in reporting teams (18%) and median transplant activity/team (from 38 to 48 HSCT/team). An increase of 67% was noted in mismatched/haploidentical family HSCT. A SWOT analysis revealed the global perspective of WBMT to be its major strength and identified potential to be the key professional body for patients and authorities. The limited data collection remains its major weakness and threat. In conclusion, global HSCT grows over the years without plateauing (allogeneic>autologous) and at different rates in the four WHO regions. Major increases were observed in allogeneic, haploidentical HSCT and, to a lesser extent, in cord blood. PMID:26901703

Suicidal ideation modulates the reduction in serotonin transporter availability in male military conscripts with major depression: A 4-[18F]-ADAM PET study.

PubMed

Yeh, Yi-Wei; Ho, Pei-Shen; Chen, Chun-Yen; Kuo, Shin-Chang; Liang, Chih-Sung; Yen, Che-Hung; Huang, Chang-Chih; Shiue, Chyng-Yann; Huang, Wen-Sheng; Ma, Kuo-Hsing; Lu, Ru-Band; Huang, San-Yuan

2015-10-01

Suicide is an important issue in the military service, since it can influence military morale and create dangerous situations for other personnel. The serotonin transporter (SERT) has been suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression and suicidal behaviours. The aims of this study were to examine whether the brain SERT availability differs between military conscripts with depression and control subjects, and whether suicidal ideation is correlated with SERT availability. We used N,N-dimethyl-2-(2-amino-4-[(18)F]-fluorophenylthio)benzylamine (4-[(18)F]-ADAM) as a radioligand for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. All participants completed the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS) prior to PET imaging. The effect of major depression and BSS scores had an interaction on SERT availability. After adjusting for the BSS score, subjects with depression had lower SERT availability than control subjects (F1,17 = 23.85, P < 0.001). A positive correlation between SERT availability and BSS scores was observed in the depression group (F1,8 = 30.67, P = 0.001). The status of depression and intensity of suicidal ideation exert opposite effects on SERT availability. The extent of suicidal ideation may moderate the reduction effect in SERT binding observed in major depression in male military conscripts.

Observations and Modeling of Merging Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golovich, Nathan Ryan

Context: Galaxy clusters grow hierarchically with continuous accretion bookended by major merging events that release immense gravitational potential energy (as much as ˜1065 erg). This energy creates an environment for rich astrophysics. Precise measurements of the dark matter halo, intracluster medium, and galaxy population have resulted in a number of important results including dark matter constraints and explanations of the generation of cosmic rays. However, since the timescale of major mergers (˜several Gyr) relegates observations of individual systems to mere snapshots, these results are difficult to understand under a consistent dynamical framework. While computationally expensive simulations are vital in this regard, the vastness of parameter space has necessitated simulations of idealized mergers that are unlikely to capture the full richness. Merger speeds, geometries, and timescales each have a profound consequential effect, but even these simple dynamical properties of the mergers are often poorly understood. A method to identify and constrain the best systems for probing the rich astrophysics of merging clusters is needed. Such a method could then be utilized to prioritize observational follow up and best inform proper exploration of dynamical phase space. Task: In order to identify and model a large number of systems, in this dissertation, we compile an ensemble of major mergers each containing radio relics. We then complete a pan-chromatic study of these 29 systems including wide field optical photometry, targeted optical spectroscopy of member galaxies, radio, and X-ray observations. We use the optical observations to model the galaxy substructure and estimate line of sight motion. In conjunction with the radio and X-ray data, these substructure models helped elucidate the most likely merger scenario for each system and further constrain the dynamical properties of each system. We demonstrate the power of this technique through detailed analyses of two individual merging clusters. Each are largely bimodal mergers occurring in the plane of the sky. We build on the dynamical analyses of Dawson (2013b) and Ng et al. (2015) in order to constrain the merger speeds, timescales, and geometry for these two systems, which are among a gold sample earmarked for further follow up. Findings: MACS J1149.5+2223 has a previously unidentified southern subcluster involved in a major merger with the well-studied northern subcluster. We confirm the system to be among the most massive clusters known, and we study the dynamics of the merger. MACS J1149.5+2223 appears to be a more evolved system than the Bullet Cluster observed near apocenter. ZwCl 0008.8+5215 is a less massive but a bimodal system with two radio relics and a cool-core "bullet" analogous to the namesake of the Bullet Cluster. These two systems occupy different regions of merger phase space with the pericentric relative velocities of ˜2800 km s-1 and ˜1800 km s-1 for MACS J1149.5+2223 and ZwCl 0008.8+5215, respectively. The time since pericenter for the observed states are ˜1.2 Gyr and ˜0.8 Gyr, respectivel. In the ensemble analysis, we confirm that radio relic selection is an efficient trigger for the identification of major mergers. In particular, 28 of the 29 systems exhibit galaxy substructure aligned with the radio relics and the disturbed intra-cluster medium. Radio relics are typically aligned within 20° of the axis connecting the two galaxy subclusters. Furthermore, when radio relics are aligned with substructure, the line of sight velocity difference between the two subclusters is small compared with the infall velocity. This strongly implies radio relic selection is an efficient selector of systems merging in the plane of the sky. While many of the systems are complex with several simultaneous merging subclusters, these systems generally only contain one radio relic. Systems with double radio relics uniformly suggest major mergers with two dominant substructures well aligned between the radio relics. Conclusions: Radio relics are efficient triggers for identifying major mergers occurring within the plane of the sky. This is ideal for observing offsets between galaxies and dark matter distributions as well as cluster shocks. Double radio relic systems, in particular, have the simplest geometries, which allow for accurate dynamical models and inferred astrophysics. Comparing and contrasting the dynamical models of MACS J1149.5+2223 and ZwCl 0008.8+5215 with similar studies in the literature (Dawson, 2013b; Ng et al., 2015; van Weeren et al., 2017), a wide range of dynamical phase space (˜ 1500 - 3000 km -1 at pericenter and ˜ 500 - 1500 Myr after pericenter) may be sampled with radio relic mergers. With sufficient samples of bimodal systems, velocity dependence of underlying astrophysics may be uncovered. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

The effectiveness of a dentifrice without sodium lauryl sulphate on dental plaque and gingivitis - a randomized controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Sälzer, S; Rosema, Nam; Hennequin-Hoenderdos, N L; Slot, D E; Timmer, C; Dörfer, C E; Van der Weijden, G A

2017-08-01

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect on dental plaque and gingivitis of a dentifrice without sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) compared to two SLS-containing dentifrices. For this double-blind, parallel study, 90 volunteers having moderate gingival inflammation (≥40%) were randomly divided among three groups: one group using non-SLS dentifrice containing enzymes, colostrum and low concentrations of zinc and two control groups each using different SLS-containing dentifrices. Dental plaque scores (Turesky modification of Quigley & Hein) and gingivitis scores (Bleeding On Marginal Probing) were assessed at baseline, after 2 and 4 weeks. Eighty-nine participants provided evaluable data. A slight decrease in gingivitis scores was observed for all groups over 4 weeks, which was statistically significant for the non-SLS group. Mean values for dental plaque scores did not show major differences over 4 weeks. For both parameters, no significant differences between groups could be observed at any time point. Patient appreciation was in favour of the SLS groups especially regarding the foaming effect. No significant differences could be observed with respect to the effect on plaque and gingivitis between SLS-containing and SLS-free dentifrice containing enzymes, colostrum and low concentration zinc. Patients enjoyed the duration of taste and the 'foaming effect' of SLS-containing dentifrices better. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association of BCL11A genetic variant (rs11886868) with severity in β-thalassaemia major & sickle cell anaemia.

PubMed

Dadheech, Sneha; Madhulatha, D; Jainc, Suman; Joseph, James; Jyothy, A; Munshi, Anjana

2016-04-01

The amount of foetal haemoglobin that persists in adulthood affects the clinical severity of haemoglobinopathies including β-thalassaemia major and sickle cell anaemia (SCA). The present study was undertaken to analyse β-thalassaemia as well as SCA patients for the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs11886868 (T/C) in BCL11A gene and to evaluate the association between this polymorphism and severity of β-thalassaemia major and SCA. a total of 620 samples (420 β-thalassaemia major and 200 SCA cases) were analysed before blood transfusion using basic screening tests like complete blood analysis and osmotic fragility and further confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) and reverse dot blot techniques. All patients were transfusion dependent. Patients with β-thalassaemia and SCA were classified into mild, moderate, severe according to the severity score based on Hb levels, age of onset, age at which patients received their first blood transfusion, the degree of growth retardation and splenectomy. β-thalassaemia as well as SCA patients were analysed for the SNP, rs11886868 (T/C) in BCL11A gene and association between this polymorphism and severity of β-thalassaemia major as well as SCA was evaluated. There was a significant difference in genotypic and allelic frequencies of BCL11A gene polymorphism between mild and moderate and mild and severe cases in both the groups. A significant (P<0.001) difference was observed in the mean HbF levels between the three genotypes in different severity groups. HbF levels were found to be high in CC genotype bearing individuals followed by TC and TT in β-thalassaemia major as well as SCA. This study confirms that the T/C variant (rs11886868) of the BCL11A gene causing downregulation of BCL11A gene expression in adult erythroid precursors results in the induction of HbF and ameliorates the severity of β-thalassaemia as well as SCA.

Depressive symptomatology, youth Internet use, and online interactions: A national survey.

PubMed

Ybarra, Michele L; Alexander, Cheryl; Mitchell, Kimberly J

2005-01-01

To investigate the online communications and self-disclosure practices of youth reporting depressive symptomatology. The Youth Internet Safety Survey was a nationally representative telephone survey of 1501 Internet-using youth between the ages of 10 and 17 years, and one caregiver in their household. Fifty-three percent of youth participants were male and 73% were white race. The purpose of the survey was to obtain prevalence rates for unwanted sexual solicitation, harassment, and unwanted exposure to sexual material among young people online. Questions about current depressive symptomatology were also queried; this variable was defined based upon the DSM-IV definition of a major depressive episode: major depressive-like symptomatology (5+ symptoms of depression and functional impairment in at least one area); minor depressive-like symptomatology (3+ symptoms of depression); mild or no depressive symptomatology (<3 symptoms of depression). Data were cross-sectional and collected between the fall of 1999 and spring 2000. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the conditional odds of reporting DSM-IV-like major or minor depressive symptomatology vs. mild/no symptomatology given the indication of self-disclosure practices and interactions with others online. Males and females were assessed separately. Talking with strangers online, using the Internet most frequently for e-mailing others, and intensity of Internet use differentiated youth reporting depressive symptoms from asymptomatic peers. Report of depressive symptomatology was not related to most measures of general Internet use nor gender differences. Personal disclosure was significantly more likely to be reported by both young men and young women who reported major depressive symptomatology vs. mild or no symptomatology. Differences were observed for how adolescents choose to self-disclose; females posted pictures of themselves, whereas males were more likely to provide personally identifiable information. Finally, most gender-related variation reflected differences in the magnitude of Internet associations with depressive symptoms rather than the types of Internet use, access, or online communications. Youth-reported depressive symptomatology is associated with differences in online interactions and self-disclosure practices.

Structure of Leishmania major Methionyl-tRNA Synthetase in Complex with Intermediate Products Methionyladenylate and Pyrophosphate

PubMed Central

Larson, Eric T.; Kim, Jessica E.; Zucker, Frank H.; Kelley, Angela; Mueller, Natascha; Napuli, Alberto J.; Verlinde, Christophe L.M.J.; Fan, Erkang; Buckner, Frederick S.; Van Voorhis, Wesley C.; Merritt, Ethan A.; Hol, Wim G.J.

2011-01-01

Leishmania parasites cause two million new cases of leishmaniasis each year with several hundreds of millions people at risk. Due to the paucity and shortcomings of available drugs, we have undertaken the crystal structure determination of a key enzyme from Leishmania major in hopes of creating a platform for the rational design of new therapeutics. Crystals of the catalytic core of methionyl-tRNA synthetase from L. major (LmMetRS) were obtained with the substrates MgATP and methionine present in the crystallization medium. These crystals yielded the 2.0 Å resolution structure of LmMetRS in complex with two products, methionyladenylate and pyrophosphate, along with a Mg2+ ion that bridges them. This is the first class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) structure with pyrophosphate bound. The residues of the class I aaRS signature sequence motifs, KISKS and HIGH, make numerous contacts with the pyrophosphate. Substantial differences between the LmMetRS structure and previously reported complexes of E. coli MetRS (EcMetRS) with analogs of the methionyladenylate intermediate product are observed, even though one of these analogs only differs by one atom from the intermediate. The source of these structural differences is attributed to the presence of the product pyrophosphate in LmMetRS. Analysis of the LmMetRS structure in light of the Aquifex aeolicus MetRS-tRNAMet complex shows that major rearrangements of multiple structural elements of enzyme and/or tRNA are required to allow the CCA acceptor triplet to reach the methionyladenylate intermediate in the active site. Comparison with sequences of human cytosolic and mitochondrial MetRS reveals interesting differences near the ATP- and methionine-binding regions of LmMetRS, suggesting that it should be possible to obtain compounds that selectively inhibit the parasite enzyme. PMID:21144880