STUDIES ON TRANSMISSIBLE LYMPHOID LEUCEMIA OF MICE

PubMed Central

Furth, J.; Strumia, M.

1931-01-01

Lymphoid leucemia of the mouse is readily transmitted by intravenous inoculations. The majority of the mice inoculated successfully develop leucemic, a smaller number of them, aleucemic lymphadenosis. The data presented favor the view that leucemic and aleucemic lymphadenosis are essentially the same condition. Leucemia produced by transmission is preceded by an aleucemic stage, in which the lymph nodes and the spleen are uniformly enlarged, and the white blood count and the percentage of lymphocytes are within the normal range but immature lymphocytes are numerous in the circulating blood. Young as well as old mice may develop leucemia if leucotic material enters their circulation. Studies of transmissible leucemia favor the view that leucemia of mammals is a neoplastic disease. The basic problem of leucemia would seem to be determination of the factors that bring about a malignant transformation of lymphoid cells. PMID:19869876

Epistaxis: the factors involved in determining medicolegal liability.

PubMed

Khan, Mohemmed N; Blake, Danielle M; Vazquez, Alejandro; Setzen, Michael; Baredes, Soly; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine litigation involving epistaxis and analyze factors that determine liability. Jury verdicts and settlements regarding cases involving epistaxis were gathered utilizing the Westlaw database. Factors involved in litigation gathered included demographics, defendant specialty, procedure, alleged cause of malpractice, outcome, monetary award, and other variables. A total of 26 cases were analyzed. The majority of cases (57.7%) were decided in favor of the plaintiff or settled out of court. Total awards amounted to $24,501,252. Average awards for cases decided in favor of the plaintiff were $2,260,893 and ranged from $499,845 to $9,022,643. Settlements averaged $1,084,375 and ranged from $300,000 to $3,800,000. Common causes of malpractice encountered included delay in diagnosis, complications from medical procedures, and failure to recognize complications in a timely manner. Contrary to previous reports analyzing malpractice for varying medical procedures and complications, litigation in epistaxis is more commonly resolved in favor of the plaintiff or resolved through out-of-court settlements. Substantial financial awards and therapeutic complications from blindness to death make epistaxis a candidate for litigation. Of importance from a medicolegal stand is the fact that 30.8% (8) of the patients involved in epistaxis litigation died, either from complications of therapy or from experiencing epistaxis as a complication of another procedure/pathology. Using necessary diagnostic imaging, ensuring proper management techniques, and recognizing complications in a timely manner can serve to limit legal liability and enhance patient safety. © 2013 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

The Small Breathing Amplitude at the Upper Lobes Favors the Attraction of Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Lesions and Helps to Understand the Evolution toward Active Disease in An Individual-Based Model

PubMed Central

Cardona, Pere-Joan; Prats, Clara

2016-01-01

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) can induce two kinds of lesions, namely proliferative and exudative. The former are based on the presence of macrophages with controlled induction of intragranulomatous necrosis, and are even able to stop its physical progression, thus avoiding the induction of active tuberculosis (TB). In contrast, the most significant characteristic of exudative lesions is their massive infiltration with polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), which favor enlargement of the lesions and extracellular growth of the bacilli. We have built an individual-based model (IBM) (known as “TBPATCH”) using the NetLogo interface to better understand the progression from Mtb infection to TB. We have tested four main factors previously identified as being able to favor the infiltration of Mtb-infected lesions with PMNs, namely the tolerability of infected macrophages to the bacillary load; the capacity to modulate the Th17 response; the breathing amplitude (BAM) (large or small in the lower and upper lobes respectively), which influences bacillary drainage at the alveoli; and the encapsulation of Mtb-infected lesions by the interlobular septae that structure the pulmonary parenchyma into secondary lobes. Overall, although all the factors analyzed play some role, the small BAM is the major factor determining whether Mtb-infected lesions become exudative, and thus induce TB, thereby helping to understand why this usually takes place in the upper lobes. This information will be very useful for the design of future prophylactic and therapeutic approaches against TB. PMID:27065951

The Small Breathing Amplitude at the Upper Lobes Favors the Attraction of Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Lesions and Helps to Understand the Evolution toward Active Disease in An Individual-Based Model.

PubMed

Cardona, Pere-Joan; Prats, Clara

2016-01-01

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) can induce two kinds of lesions, namely proliferative and exudative. The former are based on the presence of macrophages with controlled induction of intragranulomatous necrosis, and are even able to stop its physical progression, thus avoiding the induction of active tuberculosis (TB). In contrast, the most significant characteristic of exudative lesions is their massive infiltration with polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), which favor enlargement of the lesions and extracellular growth of the bacilli. We have built an individual-based model (IBM) (known as "TBPATCH") using the NetLogo interface to better understand the progression from Mtb infection to TB. We have tested four main factors previously identified as being able to favor the infiltration of Mtb-infected lesions with PMNs, namely the tolerability of infected macrophages to the bacillary load; the capacity to modulate the Th17 response; the breathing amplitude (BAM) (large or small in the lower and upper lobes respectively), which influences bacillary drainage at the alveoli; and the encapsulation of Mtb-infected lesions by the interlobular septae that structure the pulmonary parenchyma into secondary lobes. Overall, although all the factors analyzed play some role, the small BAM is the major factor determining whether Mtb-infected lesions become exudative, and thus induce TB, thereby helping to understand why this usually takes place in the upper lobes. This information will be very useful for the design of future prophylactic and therapeutic approaches against TB.

Effects of acute and chronic exercise in patients with essential hypertension: benefits and risks.

PubMed

Gkaliagkousi, Eugenia; Gavriilaki, Eleni; Douma, Stella

2015-04-01

The importance of regular physical activity in essential hypertension has been extensively investigated over the last decades and has emerged as a major modifiable factor contributing to optimal blood pressure control. Aerobic exercise exerts its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system by promoting traditional cardiovascular risk factor regulation, as well as by favorably regulating sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, molecular effects, cardiac, and vascular function. Benefits of resistance exercise need further validation. On the other hand, acute exercise is now an established trigger of acute cardiac events. A number of possible pathophysiological links have been proposed, including SNS, vascular function, coagulation, fibrinolysis, and platelet function. In order to fully interpret this knowledge into clinical practice, we need to better understand the role of exercise intensity and duration in this pathophysiological cascade and in special populations. Further studies in hypertensive patients are also warranted in order to clarify the possibly favorable effect of antihypertensive treatment on exercise-induced effects. © American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2014. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A quantitative analysis of factors that influence and predict students' intention to major in and complete an undergraduate program in STEM or non-STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xuemei

2005-11-01

The goal of this study was to explore and understand the factors that influence students' intention to major in and complete an undergraduate program in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) discipline, in a non-STEM field, and how students' gender directly and indirectly affects their success in college. A quantitative study of three thousand four (3004) ACT-tested students who entered a Midwestern, land-grant university as freshmen in fall, 1999 was conducted based on their ACT Assessment information and their enrollment and graduation status after five years. A wide variety of variables were considered and logistic regression, factor analysis, and path analysis were used to analyze the data. The results show that students who intended to major in or completed STEM programs generally have better academic qualifications than their counterparts who intended to major in non-STEM fields. Students who intended to major in or completed STEM programs came from lower income families and smaller communities than those who intended to major in or graduated from non-STEM programs. In this study, gender's direct effect on students' college achievement is eleven times the total of gender's indirect effects through several major factors for students in both STEM fields and non-STEM fields. Perhaps nature has favored females when students' achievement is measured as their college GPA. The results also show that the overall high dropout rate is strongly associated with students' inadequate preparation in high school and family income. Out-of-school accomplishment in community service is a negative influence on their completion of a college degree. ACT scores are not necessary for prediction of college graduation.

Double-Serine Fluoroquinolone Resistance Mutations Advance Major International Clones and Lineages of Various Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria.

PubMed

Fuzi, Miklos; Szabo, Dora; Csercsik, Rita

2017-01-01

The major international sequence types/lineages of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and ESBL-producing E. coli were demonstrated to have been advanced by favorable fitness balance associated with high-level resistance to fluoroquinolones. The paper shows that favorable fitness in the major STs/lineages of these pathogens was principally attained by the capacity of evolving mutations in the fluoroquinolone-binding serine residues of both the DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV enzymes. The available information on fitness balance incurred by individual and various combinations of mutations in the enzymes is reviewed in multiple species. Moreover, strong circumstantial evidence is presented that major STs/lineages of other multi-drug resistant bacteria, primarily vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), emerged by a similar mechanism. The reason(s) why the major ST/lineage strains of various pathogens proved more adept at evolving favorable mutations than most isolates of the same species remains to be elucidated.

Double-Serine Fluoroquinolone Resistance Mutations Advance Major International Clones and Lineages of Various Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria

PubMed Central

Fuzi, Miklos; Szabo, Dora; Csercsik, Rita

2017-01-01

The major international sequence types/lineages of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and ESBL-producing E. coli were demonstrated to have been advanced by favorable fitness balance associated with high-level resistance to fluoroquinolones. The paper shows that favorable fitness in the major STs/lineages of these pathogens was principally attained by the capacity of evolving mutations in the fluoroquinolone-binding serine residues of both the DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV enzymes. The available information on fitness balance incurred by individual and various combinations of mutations in the enzymes is reviewed in multiple species. Moreover, strong circumstantial evidence is presented that major STs/lineages of other multi-drug resistant bacteria, primarily vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), emerged by a similar mechanism. The reason(s) why the major ST/lineage strains of various pathogens proved more adept at evolving favorable mutations than most isolates of the same species remains to be elucidated. PMID:29250038

Assessment of the Appalachian Basin Geothermal Field: Combining Risk Factors to Inform Development of Low Temperature Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. D.; Whealton, C.; Camp, E. R.; Horowitz, F.; Frone, Z. S.; Jordan, T. E.; Stedinger, J. R.

2015-12-01

Exploration methods for deep geothermal energy projects must primarily consider whether or not a location has favorable thermal resources. Even where the thermal field is favorable, other factors may impede project development and success. A combined analysis of these factors and their uncertainty is a strategy for moving geothermal energy proposals forward from the exploration phase at the scale of a basin to the scale of a project, and further to design of geothermal systems. For a Department of Energy Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis we assessed quality metrics, which we call risk factors, in the Appalachian Basin of New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. These included 1) thermal field variability, 2) productivity of natural reservoirs from which to extract heat, 3) potential for induced seismicity, and 4) presence of thermal utilization centers. The thermal field was determined using a 1D heat flow model for 13,400 bottomhole temperatures (BHT) from oil and gas wells. Steps included the development of i) a set of corrections to BHT data and ii) depth models of conductivity stratigraphy at each borehole based on generalized stratigraphy that was verified for a select set of wells. Wells are control points in a spatial statistical analysis that resulted in maps of the predicted mean thermal field properties and of the standard error of the predicted mean. Seismic risk was analyzed by comparing earthquakes and stress orientations in the basin to gravity and magnetic potential field edges at depth. Major edges in the potential fields served as interpolation boundaries for the thermal maps (Figure 1). Natural reservoirs were identified from published studies, and productivity was determined based on the expected permeability and dimensions of each reservoir. Visualizing the natural reservoirs and population centers on a map of the thermal field communicates options for viable pilot sites and project designs (Figure 1). Furthermore, combining the four risk factors at favorable sites enables an evaluation of project feasibility across sites based on tradeoffs in the risk factors. Uncertainties in each risk factor can also be considered to determine if the tradeoffs in risk factors between sites are meaningful.

Much lower prevalence of coronary calcium detected by electron-beam computed tomography among men aged 40-49 in Japan than in the US, despite a less favorable profile of major risk factors

PubMed Central

Sekikawa, Akira; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Riad Zaky, Wahid; Kadowaki, Takashi; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Okamura, Tomonori; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Egawa, Katsuya; Kanda, Hideyuki; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Kita, Yoshiyuki; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Mitsunami, Kenichi; Murata, Kiyoshi; Nishio, Yoshihiko; Tamaki, Shinji; Ueno, Yoshiki; Kuller, Lewis H.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Background Since World War II (WWII), exposures to westernized lifestyle have occurred in many non-Western countries, including Japan. National surveys showed that risk factor profiles for atherosclerosis around 1990 were similar in men in the post WWII birth cohorts in the United States (US) and Japan. We compared the degree of coronary calcium and other factors in men in the post WWII birth cohort: men aged 40-49 between the US and Japan. Methods We conducted a cross sectional study examining randomly selected 100 men from Kusatsu, Japan, and 100 men from Allegheny County, US. Coronary calcium was assessed using electron-beam computed tomography. Results Systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and smoking rates were higher among the Japanese (122.6 ± 14.1 versus 113.7 ± 9.6 mmHg, p<0.01; 5.72 ± 0.90 versus 4.99 ± 0.81 mmol/l (220.9 ± 34.6 versus 192.8 ± 31.3 mg/dl), p<0.01; 3.52 ± 1.01 versus 3.10 ± 0.78 mmol/l (136.0 ± 39.0 versus 119.7 ± 30.0 mg/dl), p<0.01; and 48 versus 15%, p<0.01, respectively). Triglycerides and fibrinogen were similar. HDL-cholesterol was higher among the Japanese. Body mass index, fasting insulin, and C-reactive protein were higher among the Americans. Prevalence of coronary artery calcium score > 0 was strikingly lower among the Japanese than the Americans (13 % versus 47 %, p <0.01). Conclusions Much lower prevalence of coronary calcium despite a less favorable profile of many major independent risk factors in the Japanese might imply that there are strong protective factors against atherosclerosis in the Japanese. Further investigation is of critical importance. PMID:15563587

Older adults' transportation walking: a cross-sectional study on the cumulative influence of physical environmental factors.

PubMed

Van Cauwenberg, Jelle; Clarys, Peter; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Van Holle, Veerle; Verté, Dominique; De Witte, Nico; De Donder, Liesbeth; Buffel, Tine; Dury, Sarah; Deforche, Benedicte

2013-08-14

The physical environment may play a crucial role in promoting older adults' walking for transportation. However, previous studies on relationships between the physical environment and older adults' physical activity behaviors have reported inconsistent findings. A possible explanation for these inconsistencies is the focus upon studying environmental factors separately rather than simultaneously. The current study aimed to investigate the cumulative influence of perceived favorable environmental factors on older adults' walking for transportation. Additionally, the moderating effect of perceived distance to destinations on this relationship was studied. The sample was comprised of 50,685 non-institutionalized older adults residing in Flanders (Belgium). Cross-sectional data on demographics, environmental perceptions and frequency of walking for transportation were collected by self-administered questionnaires in the period 2004-2010. Perceived distance to destinations was categorized into short, medium, and large distance to destinations. An environmental index (=a sum of favorable environmental factors, ranging from 0 to 7) was constructed to investigate the cumulative influence of favorable environmental factors. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were applied to predict probabilities of daily walking for transportation. For short distance to destinations, probability of daily walking for transportation was significantly higher when seven compared to three, four or five favorable environmental factors were present. For medium distance to destinations, probabilities significantly increased for an increase from zero to four favorable environmental factors. For large distance to destinations, no relationship between the environmental index and walking for transportation was observed. Our findings suggest that the presence of multiple favorable environmental factors can motivate older adults to walk medium distances to facilities. Future research should focus upon the relationship between older adults' physical activity and multiple environmental factors simultaneously instead of separately.

Older adults’ transportation walking: a cross-sectional study on the cumulative influence of physical environmental factors

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The physical environment may play a crucial role in promoting older adults’ walking for transportation. However, previous studies on relationships between the physical environment and older adults’ physical activity behaviors have reported inconsistent findings. A possible explanation for these inconsistencies is the focus upon studying environmental factors separately rather than simultaneously. The current study aimed to investigate the cumulative influence of perceived favorable environmental factors on older adults’ walking for transportation. Additionally, the moderating effect of perceived distance to destinations on this relationship was studied. Methods The sample was comprised of 50,685 non-institutionalized older adults residing in Flanders (Belgium). Cross-sectional data on demographics, environmental perceptions and frequency of walking for transportation were collected by self-administered questionnaires in the period 2004-2010. Perceived distance to destinations was categorized into short, medium, and large distance to destinations. An environmental index (=a sum of favorable environmental factors, ranging from 0 to 7) was constructed to investigate the cumulative influence of favorable environmental factors. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were applied to predict probabilities of daily walking for transportation. Results For short distance to destinations, probability of daily walking for transportation was significantly higher when seven compared to three, four or five favorable environmental factors were present. For medium distance to destinations, probabilities significantly increased for an increase from zero to four favorable environmental factors. For large distance to destinations, no relationship between the environmental index and walking for transportation was observed. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the presence of multiple favorable environmental factors can motivate older adults to walk medium distances to facilities. Future research should focus upon the relationship between older adults’ physical activity and multiple environmental factors simultaneously instead of separately. PMID:23945285

Insulin-Like Growth Factor and Epidermal Growth Factor Signaling in Breast Cancer Cell Growth: Focus on Endocrine Resistant Disease

PubMed Central

Berdiaki, Aikaterini; Tzardi, Maria

2015-01-01

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer for women worldwide with a lifetime risk amounting to a staggering total of 10%. It is well established that the endogenous synthesis of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) polypeptide growth factors are closely correlated to malignant transformation and all the steps of the breast cancer metastatic cascade. Numerous studies have demonstrated that both estrogens and growth factors stimulate the proliferation of steroid-dependent tumor cells, and that the interaction between these signaling pathways occurs at several levels. Importantly, the majority of breast cancer cases are estrogen receptor- (ER-) positive which have a more favorable prognosis and pattern of recurrence with endocrine therapy being the backbone of treatment. Unfortunately, the majority of patients progress to endocrine therapy resistant disease (acquired resistance) whereas a proportion of patients may fail to respond to initial therapy (de novo resistance). The IGF-I and EGF downstream signaling pathways are closely involved in the process of progression to therapy resistant disease. Modifications in the bioavailability of these growth factors contribute critically to disease progression. In the present review therefore, we will discuss in depth how IGF and EGF signaling participate in breast cancer pathogenesis and progression to endocrine resistant disease. PMID:26258011

Exploring the role of genetic variability and lifestyle in oxidative stress response for healthy aging and longevity.

PubMed

Dato, Serena; Crocco, Paolina; D'Aquila, Patrizia; de Rango, Francesco; Bellizzi, Dina; Rose, Giuseppina; Passarino, Giuseppe

2013-08-08

Oxidative stress is both the cause and consequence of impaired functional homeostasis characterizing human aging. The worsening efficiency of stress response with age represents a health risk and leads to the onset and accrual of major age-related diseases. In contrast, centenarians seem to have evolved conservative stress response mechanisms, probably derived from a combination of a diet rich in natural antioxidants, an active lifestyle and a favorable genetic background, particularly rich in genetic variants able to counteract the stress overload at the level of both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. The integration of these factors could allow centenarians to maintain moderate levels of free radicals that exert beneficial signaling and modulator effects on cellular metabolism. Considering the hot debate on the efficacy of antioxidant supplementation in promoting healthy aging, in this review we gathered the existing information regarding genetic variability and lifestyle factors which potentially modulate the stress response at old age. Evidence reported here suggests that the integration of lifestyle factors (moderate physical activity and healthy nutrition) and genetic background could shift the balance in favor of the antioxidant cellular machinery by activating appropriate defense mechanisms in response to exceeding external and internal stress levels, and thus possibly achieving the prospect of living a longer life.

Ranking methodology for determining the relative favorability for commercial development of US tar-sand deposits

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

Aamodt, P.L.; Freiwald, J.G.

1983-03-01

As a part of the DOE's program to stimulate petroleum production from unconventional sources, the Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a methodology to compare and rank tar sand deposits, based on their suitability for commercial development. Major categories influencing favorability were identified and evaluated to determine their individual and collective impacts. To facilitate their evaluation, deposit characteristics, extraction technologies, environmental controls, and institutional constraints were broken down into their elements. The elements were assessed singly and in interactive groups to determine their influence on favorability for commercial development. A numerical value was assigned each element to signify its estimatedmore » importance relative to the other elements. Eight tar sand deposits were evaluated using only one major category, deposit characteristics. This initial, and only partial favorability assessment, was solely a test of the methodology, and it was considered successful. Because only one of the four major categories was used for this initial favorability ranking, and also because the available deposit characteristic data were barely adequate for the test, these first results should be used only as an example of how the methodology is to be applied when more complete data are available. The eight deposits and their relative favorability rankings for commercial development, based only on the deposit characteristics, are Sunnyside, Utah; Asphalt Ridge, Utah; Edna, California; Santa Rosa, New Mexico; Tar Sand Triangle, Utah; PR Spring, Utah; Uvalde, Texas; and circle cliffs, Utah.« less

One step sintering of homogenized bauxite raw material and kinetic study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Chang-he; Jiang, Peng; Li, Yong; Sun, Jia-lin; Zhang, Jun-jie; Yang, Huan-ying

2016-10-01

A one-step sintering process of bauxite raw material from direct mining was completed, and the kinetics of this process was analyzed thoroughly. The results show that the sintering kinetics of bauxite raw material exhibits the liquid-phase sintering behavior. A small portion of impurities existed in the raw material act as a liquid phase. After X-ray diffraction analyses, scanning electron microscopy observations, and kinetics calculations, sintering temperature and heating duration were determined as the two major factors contributing to the sintering process and densification of bauxite ore. An elevated heating temperature and longer duration favor the densification process. The major obstacle for the densification of bauxite material is attributed to the formation of the enclosed blowhole during liquid-phase sintering.

Quo vadis C(4)? An ecophysiological perspective on global change and the future of C(4) plants.

PubMed

Sage, Rowan F; Kubien, David S

2003-01-01

C(4) plants are directly affected by all major global change parameters, often in a manner that is distinct from that of C(3) plants. Rising CO(2) generally stimulates C(3) photosynthesis more than C(4), but C(4) species still exhibit positive responses, particularly at elevated temperature and arid conditions where they are currently common. Acclimation of photosynthesis to high CO(2) occurs in both C(3) and C(4) plants, most notably in nutrient-limited situations. High CO(2) aggravates nitrogen limitations and in doing so may favor C(4) species, which have greater photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency. C(4) photosynthesis is favored by high temperature, but global warming will not necessarily favor C(4) over C(3) plants because the timing of warming could be more critical than the warming itself. C(3) species will likely be favored where harsh winter climates are moderated, particularly where hot summers also become drier and less favorable to C(4) plant growth. Eutrophication of soils by nitrogen deposition generally favors C(3) species by offsetting the superior nitrogen use efficiency of C(4) species; this should allow C(3) species to expand at the expense of C(4) plants. Land-use change and biotic invasions are also important global change factors that affect the future of C(4) plants. Human exploitation of forested landscapes favors C(4) species at low latitude by removing woody competitors and opening gaps in which C(4) grasses can establish. Invasive C(4) grasses are causing widespread forest loss in Asia, the Americas and Oceania by accelerating fire cycles and reducing soil nutrient status. Once established, weedy C(4) grasses can prevent woodland establishment, and thus arrest ecological succession. In sum, in the future, certain C(4) plants will prosper at the expense of C(3) species, and should be able to adjust to the changes the future brings.

Macroevolutionary Immunology: A Role for Immunity in the Diversification of Animal life

PubMed Central

Loker, Eric S.

2012-01-01

An emerging picture of the nature of immune systems across animal phyla reveals both conservatism of some features and the appearance among and within phyla of novel, lineage-specific defense solutions. The latter collectively represent a major and underappreciated form of animal diversity. Factors influencing this macroevolutionary (above the species level) pattern of novelty are considered and include adoption of different life styles, life histories, and body plans; a general advantage of being distinctive with respect to immune defenses; and the responses required to cope with parasites, many of which afflict hosts in a lineage-specific manner. This large-scale pattern of novelty implies that immunological phenomena can affect microevolutionary processes (at the population level within species) that can eventually lead to macroevolutionary events such as speciation, radiations, or extinctions. Immunologically based phenomena play a role in favoring intraspecific diversification, specialization and host specificity of parasites, and mechanisms are discussed whereby this could lead to parasite speciation. Host switching – the acquisition of new host species by parasites – is a major mechanism that drives parasite diversity and is frequently involved in disease emergence. It is also one that can be favored by reductions in immune competence of new hosts. Mechanisms involving immune phenomena favoring intraspecific diversification and speciation of host species are also discussed. A macroevolutionary perspective on immunology is invaluable in today’s world, including the need to study a broader range of species with distinctive immune systems. Many of these species are faced with extinction, another macroevolutionary process influenced by immune phenomena. PMID:22566909

Prediction Model for Predicting Powdery Mildew using ANN for Medicinal Plant— Picrorhiza kurrooa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shivling, V. D.; Ghanshyam, C.; Kumar, Rakesh; Kumar, Sanjay; Sharma, Radhika; Kumar, Dinesh; Sharma, Atul; Sharma, Sudhir Kumar

2017-02-01

Plant disease fore casting system is an important system as it can be used for prediction of disease, further it can be used as an alert system to warn the farmers in advance so as to protect their crop from being getting infected. Fore casting system will predict the risk of infection for crop by using the environmental factors that favor in germination of disease. In this study an artificial neural network based system for predicting the risk of powdery mildew in Picrorhiza kurrooa was developed. For development, Levenberg-Marquardt backpropagation algorithm was used having a single hidden layer of ten nodes. Temperature and duration of wetness are the major environmental factors that favor infection. Experimental data was used as a training set and some percentage of data was used for testing and validation. The performance of the system was measured in the form of the coefficient of correlation (R), coefficient of determination (R2), mean square error and root mean square error. For simulating the network an inter face was developed. Using this interface the network was simulated by putting temperature and wetness duration so as to predict the level of risk at that particular value of the input data.

A combined variable temperature 600 MHz NMR/MD study of the calcium release agent cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose (cADPR): Structure, conformational analysis, and thermodynamics of the conformational equilibria.

PubMed

Javornik, Uroš; Plavec, Janez; Wang, Baifan; Graham, Steven M

2018-01-02

A combined variable temperature 600 MHz NMR/molecular dynamics study of the Ca 2+ -release agent cyclic adenosine 5'-diphosphate ribose (cADPR) was conducted. In addition to elucidating the major and minor orientations of the conformationally flexible furanose rings, γ- (C4'-C5'), and β- (C5'-O5') bonds, the thermodynamics (ΔH o , ΔS o ) associated with each of these conformational equilibria were determined. Both furanose rings were biased towards a south conformation (64-74%) and both β-bonds heavily favored trans conformations. The R-ring γ-bond was found to exist almost exclusively as the γ + conformer, whereas the A-ring γ-bond was a mixture of the γ + and γ t conformers, with the trans conformer being slightly favored. Enthalpic factors accounted for most of the observed conformational preferences, although the R-ring furanose exists as its major conformation based solely on entropic factors. There was excellent agreement between the NMR and MD results, particularly with regard to the conformer identities, but the MD showed a bias towards γ + conformers. The MD results showed that both N-glycosidic χ-bonds are exclusively syn. Collectively the data allowed for the construction of a model for cADPR in which many of the conformationally flexible units in fact effectively adopt single orientations and where most of the conformational diversity resides in its A-ring furanose and γ-bond. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and hypothyroidism - merely concurrence or causal association?

PubMed

Kuczyński, Wojciech; Gabryelska, Agata; Mokros, Łukasz; Białasiewicz, Piotr

2016-01-01

The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) ranges from 4 to 7% in men and from 2 to 5% in women. Its deleterious consequences such as traffic accidents, cardiovascular complications increasing morbidity and mortality, make it a major health problem. Apart from obesity (a major risk factor for OSAHS), hypothyroid patients are prone to reveal this phenotype. Although hypothyroidism seems an acknowledged risk factor for OSAHS, some authors report the lack of clinically relevant association. The argument partly depends on the increased prevalence of hypothyroidism in OSAHS patients, but the epidemiological data is limited and somehow inconsistent; even less is known about sub-clinical hypothyroidism in OSAHS patients. Even if frequency of overt and sub-clinical hypothyroidism in OSAHS patients is comparable to the general population, screening for it seems beneficial, as hormone replacement therapy may improve sleep disordered breathing. Unfortunately, this favorable outcome was found only in a few studies with limited number of patients with hypothyroidism. Yet, despite the lack of international guidelines and no large multicentre studies on the topic available, we think that TSH screening might prove beneficial in vast majority of OSAHS patients.

Students’ Factors Affecting Undergraduates’ Perceptions of their Teaching and Learning Process within ECTS Experience

PubMed Central

la Fuente, Jesús De; Cardelle-Elawar, María; Peralta, F. Javier; Sánchez, M. Dolores; Martínez-Vicente, José Manuel; Zapata, Lucía

2010-01-01

Introduction: In the present study, we investigated the potential factors that influenced the level of students satisfaction with the teaching–learning process (TLP), from the perspective of students participating in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) experience. Method: A total of 1490 students from the Universities of Almería and Granada (Spain) participated in an evaluation of their class discipline area. They completed the new revised protocol for evaluating the ECTS experience. Analyses of variance were carried out, taking the following factors as independent variables: student's grade average, year in school, study discipline, credit load in terms of ECTS credits assigned to a subject, the e-learning approach. Perception of the TLP was used as the dependent variable. Results: The data analyses showed variability of the degree of statistically significance among the factors that influenced students’ perceptions of the TLP. These factors included: Student's grade average (in favor of high performers), year in school (in favor of earlier years), ECTS load (in favor of subjects with a medium load of credits), and e-learning (in favor of its use). These research findings provided evidence to explore the delineation of a potential profile of factors that trigger a favorable perception of the TLP. Discussion and Conclusion: The present findings certainly have implications to deepen our understanding of the core beliefs, commitment, and the experience in shaping the implementation of the European Higher Education Area through the ECTS. PMID:21713171

Salinity of the Delaware Estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, Bernard; McCarthy, Leo T.

1962-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to obtain data on and study the factors affecting the salinity of the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pa., to the Appoquinimink River, Del. The general chemical quality of water in the estuary is described, including changes in salinity in the river cross section and profile, diurnal and seasonal changes, and the effects of rainfall, sea level, and winds on salinity. Relationships are established of the concentrations of chloride and dissolved solids to specific conductance. In addition to chloride profiles and isochlor plots, time series are plotted for salinity or some quantity representing salinity, fresh-water discharge, mean river level, and mean sea level. The two major variables which appear to have the greatest effect on the salinity of the estuary are the fresh-water flow of the river and sea level. The most favorable combination of these variables for salt-water encroachment occurs from August to early October and the least favorable combination occurs between December and May.

The Impact of the Persian Gulf War and the Decline of the Soviet Union on How the United States Does Its Defense Business

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

that unless you put them all together and have a major plan by which they all integrate , it is this old business that the sum or the product is...variables are heavily dependent on duration and intensity, factors which are beginning to clear, but are still largely unknown in light of the favorable...0.4 Revolving Funds Fuel Price Increase 0.7 TOTAL 9.1 12.3 39.2 The combat expenses are above and beyond this, because it is very much dependent

Constrained Stochastic Extended Redundancy Analysis.

PubMed

DeSarbo, Wayne S; Hwang, Heungsun; Stadler Blank, Ashley; Kappe, Eelco

2015-06-01

We devise a new statistical methodology called constrained stochastic extended redundancy analysis (CSERA) to examine the comparative impact of various conceptual factors, or drivers, as well as the specific predictor variables that contribute to each driver on designated dependent variable(s). The technical details of the proposed methodology, the maximum likelihood estimation algorithm, and model selection heuristics are discussed. A sports marketing consumer psychology application is provided in a Major League Baseball (MLB) context where the effects of six conceptual drivers of game attendance and their defining predictor variables are estimated. Results compare favorably to those obtained using traditional extended redundancy analysis (ERA).

Favorable Cardiovascular Health, Compression of Morbidity, and Healthcare Costs: Forty-Year Follow-Up of the CHA Study (Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry).

PubMed

Allen, Norrina B; Zhao, Lihui; Liu, Lei; Daviglus, Martha; Liu, Kiang; Fries, James; Shih, Ya-Chen Tina; Garside, Daniel; Vu, Thanh-Huyen; Stamler, Jeremiah; Lloyd-Jones, Donald M

2017-05-02

We examined the association of cardiovascular health at younger ages with the proportion of life lived free of morbidity, the cumulative burden of morbidity, and average healthcare costs at older ages. The CHA study (Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry) is a longitudinal cohort of employed men and women 18 to 74 years of age at baseline examination in 1967 to 1973. Baseline measurements included blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, and smoking. Individuals were classified into 1 of 4 strata of cardiovascular health: favorable levels of all factors, 0 factors high but ≥1 elevated risk factors, 1 high risk factor, and ≥2 high risk factors. Linked Medicare and National Death Index data from 1984 to 2010 were used to determine morbidity in older age. An individual's all-cause morbidity score and cardiovascular morbidity score were calculated from International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision codes for each year of follow-up. We included 25 804 participants who became ≥65 years of age by 2010, representing 65% of all original CHA participants (43% female; 90% white; mean age, 44 years at baseline); 6% had favorable levels of all factors, 19% had ≥1 risk factors at elevated levels, 40% had 1 high risk factor, and 35% had ≥2 high risk factors. Favorable cardiovascular health at younger ages extended survival by almost 4 years and postponed the onset of all-cause and cardiovascular morbidity by 4.5 and 7 years, respectively, resulting in compression of morbidity in both absolute and relative terms. This translated to lower cumulative and annual healthcare costs for those in favorable cardiovascular health ( P <0.001) during Medicare eligibility. Individuals in favorable cardiovascular health in early middle age live a longer, healthier life free of all types of morbidity. These findings provide strong support for prevention efforts earlier in life aimed at preserving cardiovascular health and reducing the burden of disease in older ages. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Intraepithelial Attack Rather than Intratumorally Infiltration of CD8+T Lymphocytes is a Favorable Prognostic Indicator in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Zhang, J; Wang, Y F; Wu, B; Zhong, Z X; Wang, K X; Yang, L Q; Wang, Y Q; Li, Y Q; Gao, J; Li, Z S

2017-01-01

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are one of the major participants in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the mechanism of interaction between TILs and tumors is complex and remains unclear. To evaluate the state of immunoreactions in PDAC tissues, and explore the prognostic value of these markers in a large sample, to provide a new theoretical basis for PDAC immunotherapy. Immunohistochemical staining of CD4+ and CD8+T cells was performed in a tissue microarray (TMA) of 143 cases of PDAC. Two major variables for the spatial distributions of CD4+T and CD8+T cells in PDAC tissues, intraepithelial attack and intratumoral infiltration, were used to evaluate the state of immunoreactions, and the interrelationships with the clinicopathological variables were analyzed. Our data showed that both the intraepithelial CD4+T and CD8+T attack were less frequent than the intratumoral infiltration. CD8+T intraepithelial attack and intratumoral infiltration were more intense than CD4+T. CD8+T intraepithelial attack was an independent favorable prognostic factor for overall survival, correlating negatively with vascular invasion and positively with CD4+T and CD8+T high intratumoral infiltration. CD8+T high intratumoral infiltration without CD8+T intraepithelial attack was a poor prognostic factor. CD8+T high intratumoral infiltration was accompanied by T stage progression. Conclusively, in PDAC progression, imbalances of T cells occurred in CD4+ and CD8+ immunoreactions. The CD8+T intraepithelial attack was an independent favorable prognostic indicator, however the intraepithelial attack of CD4+T and the both intratumoral infiltration of CD8+T and CD4+T played an ambiguous role. Our data suggested that it is a potential approach to increasing the number of intraepithelial attacking CD8+T cells for tumor immunotherapy, and exploring a new mechanism for immunosuppression in a tumor microenvironment with high T cell infiltration without attack. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

FAVOR: A new fracture mechanics code for reactor pressure vessels subjected to pressurized thermal shock

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

Dickson, T.L.

1993-01-01

This report discusses probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis which is a major element of the comprehensive probabilistic methodology endorsed by the NRC for evaluation of the integrity of Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) pressure vessels subjected to pressurized-thermal-shock (PTS) transients. It is anticipated that there will be an increasing need for an improved and validated PTS PFM code which is accepted by the NRC and utilities, as more plants approach the PTS screening criteria and are required to perform plant-specific analyses. The NRC funded Heavy Section Steel Technology (HSST) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratories is currently developing the FAVOR (Fracturemore » Analysis of Vessels: Oak Ridge) PTS PFM code, which is intended to meet this need. The FAVOR code incorporates the most important features of both OCA-P and VISA-II and contains some new capabilities such as PFM global modeling methodology, the capability to approximate the effects of thermal streaming on circumferential flaws located inside a plume region created by fluid and thermal stratification, a library of stress intensity factor influence coefficients, generated by the NQA-1 certified ABAQUS computer code, for an adequate range of two and three dimensional inside surface flaws, the flexibility to generate a variety of output reports, and user friendliness.« less

FAVOR: A new fracture mechanics code for reactor pressure vessels subjected to pressurized thermal shock

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

Dickson, T.L.

1993-04-01

This report discusses probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis which is a major element of the comprehensive probabilistic methodology endorsed by the NRC for evaluation of the integrity of Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) pressure vessels subjected to pressurized-thermal-shock (PTS) transients. It is anticipated that there will be an increasing need for an improved and validated PTS PFM code which is accepted by the NRC and utilities, as more plants approach the PTS screening criteria and are required to perform plant-specific analyses. The NRC funded Heavy Section Steel Technology (HSST) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratories is currently developing the FAVOR (Fracturemore » Analysis of Vessels: Oak Ridge) PTS PFM code, which is intended to meet this need. The FAVOR code incorporates the most important features of both OCA-P and VISA-II and contains some new capabilities such as PFM global modeling methodology, the capability to approximate the effects of thermal streaming on circumferential flaws located inside a plume region created by fluid and thermal stratification, a library of stress intensity factor influence coefficients, generated by the NQA-1 certified ABAQUS computer code, for an adequate range of two and three dimensional inside surface flaws, the flexibility to generate a variety of output reports, and user friendliness.« less

Major factors for facilitating change in behavioral strategies to reduce obesity

PubMed Central

Dalle Grave, Riccardo; Centis, Elena; Marzocchi, Rebecca; El Ghoch, Marwan; Marchesini, Giulio

2013-01-01

It is very unlikely that our obesity-promoting environment will change in the near future. It is therefore mandatory to improve our knowledge of the main factors associated with successful adoption of obesity-reducing behaviors. This may help design more powerful procedures and strategies to facilitate the adoption of healthy lifestyles in a “toxic” environment favoring the development of a positive energy balance. The aim of this review is to describe the main factors associated with successful adoption of obesity-reducing behaviors and to describe the most recent development, limits, and outcomes of lifestyle modification programs. The evidence regarding predictors of weight loss and weight loss maintenance remains largely incomplete. It is necessary to develop strategies matching treatments to patients’ needs to improve successful weight loss and its maintenance. How to detect and how to address these needs is a continuous, challenging, research problem. PMID:24124398

Social-and-economic mechanism of formation of favorable investment attractiveness of the region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tereshkina, Tatiana; Mottaeva, Angela; Andreeva, Larisa; Larinina, Tatyana

2017-10-01

The article is devoted to the matters of investment attractiveness of regions. The factors making the regional investments possible. The authors argue, that social-and-economic development of regions is connected with the formation of the financial mechanism, representing the set of forms and methods of the organization, planning and stimulation of financial-and-economic activity in the certain social-and-economic space. The proper mechanism of formation of favorable investment attractiveness are offered. Besides, the ways of elimination of limiting factors in formation of favorable investment attractiveness are offered.

Sparse and incomplete factorial matrices to screen membrane protein 2D crystallization

PubMed Central

Lasala, R.; Coudray, N.; Abdine, A.; Zhang, Z.; Lopez-Redondo, M.; Kirshenbaum, R.; Alexopoulos, J.; Zolnai, Z.; Stokes, D.L.; Ubarretxena-Belandia, I.

2014-01-01

Electron crystallography is well suited for studying the structure of membrane proteins in their native lipid bilayer environment. This technique relies on electron cryomicroscopy of two-dimensional (2D) crystals, grown generally by reconstitution of purified membrane proteins into proteoliposomes under conditions favoring the formation of well-ordered lattices. Growing these crystals presents one of the major hurdles in the application of this technique. To identify conditions favoring crystallization a wide range of factors that can lead to a vast matrix of possible reagent combinations must be screened. However, in 2D crystallization these factors have traditionally been surveyed in a relatively limited fashion. To address this problem we carried out a detailed analysis of published 2D crystallization conditions for 12 β-barrel and 138 α-helical membrane proteins. From this analysis we identified the most successful conditions and applied them in the design of new sparse and incomplete factorial matrices to screen membrane protein 2D crystallization. Using these matrices we have run 19 crystallization screens for 16 different membrane proteins totaling over 1,300 individual crystallization conditions. Six membrane proteins have yielded diffracting 2D crystals suitable for structure determination, indicating that these new matrices show promise to accelerate the success rate of membrane protein 2D crystallization. PMID:25478971

Environmental factors that influence cyanobacteria and geosmin occurrence in reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Journey, Celeste A.; Beaulieu, Karen M.; Bradley, Paul M.; Bradley, Paul M.

2013-01-01

Phytoplankton are small to microscopic, free-floating algae that inhabit the open water of freshwater, estuarine, and saltwater systems. In freshwater lake and reservoirs systems, which are the focus of this chapter, phytoplankton communities commonly consist of assemblages of the major taxonomic groups, including green algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are a diverse group of single-celled organisms that can exist in a wide range of environments, not just open water, because of their adaptability. It is the adaptability of cyanobacteria that enables this group to dominate the phytoplankton community and even form nuisance or harmful blooms under certain environmental conditions. In fact, cyanobacteria are predicted to adapt favorably to future climate change in freshwater systems compared to other phytoplankton groups because of their tolerance to rising temperatures, enhanced vertical thermal stratification of aquatic ecosystems, and alterations in seasonal and interannual weather patterns. Understanding those environmental conditions that favor cyanobacterial dominance and bloom formation has been the focus of research throughout the world because of the concomitant production and release of nuisance and toxic cyanobacterial-derived compounds. However, the complex interaction among the physical, chemical, and biological processes within lakes, reservoirs, and large rivers often makes it difficult to identify primary environmental factors that cause the production and release of these cyanobacterial by-products.

Effectiveness of a tailor-made intervention for pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/or low back pain after delivery: Short-term results of a randomized clinical trial [ISRCTN08477490

PubMed Central

Bastiaenen, Caroline HG; de Bie, Rob A; Wolters, Pieter MJC; Vlaeyen, Johan WS; Leffers, Pieter; Stelma, Foekje; Bastiaanssen, Janneke M; Essed, Gerard GM; van den Brandt, Piet A

2006-01-01

Background For the moment, scientific evaluation of programs on treatment of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/or low back pain after delivery is hardly available with only one study with a positive result, suggesting uncertainty about the optimal approach. Investigators draw particular attention to biomedical factors but there is growing evidence that biopsychosocial factors appear to be even more important as a basis of an intervention program. Methods We studied the effectiveness of a tailor-made program with respect to biopsychosocial factors (intervention group) in women with pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/ or low back pain versus usual care based on a pain contingent basis (control group) shortly after delivery in a randomized controlled trial. Women with severe complaints shortly after delivery were selected from a longitudinal prospective cohort study (n = 7526), aimed at pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/or low back pain in the Netherlands. A concealed block randomization was performed after collecting baseline data. Researchers were blinded to treatment assignment. Outcomes were evaluated within the domains of the biopsychosocial approach. Primary outcome concerned limitations in activities (RDQ). Follow-up measurements were performed 12 weeks after delivery. Results Since May 2001 until July 2003, 869 women out of the cohort made a request for treatment by a physiotherapist, 10 days after delivery. Because of a quick recovery in two weeks time, we included only 126 women three weeks after delivery. There was a statistically significant and clinically relevant difference in improvement on the primary outcome (RDQ) between the two groups in favor of the experimental intervention. Conclusion The results favored the hypotheses. Women's worries about their condition were major targets in the experimental intervention. The prognosis after delivery, especially in de first weeks, turned out to be favorable. PMID:16504165

7 CFR 981.90 - Effective time, suspension, or termination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ALMONDS... order is favored by growers who have been engaged in the production of almonds for market within the... is favored by a majority of the growers of almonds who during the crop year have been engaged in the...

7 CFR 981.90 - Effective time, suspension, or termination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ALMONDS... order is favored by growers who have been engaged in the production of almonds for market within the... is favored by a majority of the growers of almonds who during the crop year have been engaged in the...

Whole Food versus Supplement: Comparing the Clinical Evidence of Tomato Intake and Lycopene Supplementation on Cardiovascular Risk Factors12

PubMed Central

Burton-Freeman, Britt M.; Sesso, Howard D.

2014-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in the United States and worldwide. A link between diet and CVD is well established, with dietary modification a foundational component of CVD prevention and management. With the discovery of bioactive components beyond the essential nutrients of foods, a new era of nutritional, medical, botanical, physiologic, and analytical sciences has unfolded. The ability to identify, isolate, purify, and deliver single components has expanded the dietary supplement business and health opportunity for consumers. Lycopene is an example of a food component that has attracted attention from scientists as well as food, agriculture, and dietary supplement industries. A major question, however, is whether delivering lycopene through a supplement source is as effective as or more effective than consuming lycopene through whole food sources, specifically the tomato, which is the richest source of lycopene in the Western diet. In this review, we examined clinical trials comparing the efficacy of lycopene supplements with tomato products on intermediate CVD risk factors including oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial function, blood pressure, and lipid metabolism. Overall, the present review highlights the need for more targeted research; however, at present, the available clinical research supports consuming tomato-based foods as a first-line approach to cardiovascular health. With the exception of blood pressure management where lycopene supplementation was favored, tomato intake provided more favorable results on cardiovascular risk endpoints than did lycopene supplementation. Indeed, future research that is well designed, clinically focused, mechanistically revealing, and relevant to human intake will undoubtedly add to the growing body of knowledge unveiling the promise of tomatoes and/or lycopene supplementation as an integral component of a heart-healthy diet. PMID:25469376

Predictive Factors for Response of Intracranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas to Transarterial Onyx Embolization: Angiographic Subgroup Analysis of Treatment Outcomes.

PubMed

Kim, Byungjun; Jeon, Pyoung; Kim, Keonha; Kim, Sungtae; Kim, Hyungjin; Byun, Hong Sik; Jo, Kyung-Il

2016-04-01

Endovascular treatment using Onyx has been increasingly used to treat intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs). This study evaluated predictive factors for favorable treatment outcome in patients with intracranial noncavernous DAVFs treated by transarterial Onyx embolization. Between August 2008 and August 2014, 55 patients who underwent transarterial Onyx embolization for noncavernous DAVFs were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' demographic, clinical, and procedural data were analyzed to find statistically significant predictive factors for favorable treatment outcomes after Onyx embolization. Fistulas were classified angiographically according to the relationship between fistulas and dural venous sinuses and the presence of leptomeningeal venous reflux. Sixty-eight Onyx embolizations were performed in 55 patients. Immediate angiographic cure was achieved in 28 patients, and 14 of 27 patients with residual shunts showed progressive occlusion at follow-up imaging studies. Therefore, the overall favorable treatment outcome was 76.4% (42/55). The remaining 13 patients (23.6%) showed persistent residual shunts, and 3 (5.5%) of them showed aggravation of residual lesion on follow-up studies. Of 25 patients with non-sinus fistulas, 23 patients (92%) showed favorable treatment outcomes, and 19 of 30 patients (63.3%) with sinus fistulas showed favorable outcomes. Among the evaluated variables, non-sinus DAVFs was a statistically significant predictive factor for favorable response to transarterial Onyx embolization (P < 0.05). Transarterial Onyx embolization is a highly effective treatment method for non-sinus DAVFs. Careful consideration of angiographic features and multimodal embolization strategies are required for treatment of sinus DAVFs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comprehensive Examination of the Determinants for Food Risk Perception: Focusing on Psychometric Factors, Perceivers' Characteristics, and Media Use.

PubMed

You, Myoungsoon; Ju, Youngkee

2017-01-01

Risk characteristics within a psychometric paradigm have been of major concern in studies of food risk perception. This study compared the influence of psychometric factors, perceivers' characteristics (i.e., risk attitude, trust, and favorability of the country of origin), and that of the news media on the levels of food risk perception. The interaction of news media with the other two factors was also examined. A nationwide survey (n = 1,500) was conducted. The foods under investigation were Chinese processed foods and Japanese seafood imported to South Korea. In both cases, hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that psychometric factors had the greatest influence on food risk perception, followed by perceivers' characteristics and media use. In addition, our results showed that the effect of perceived benefit and dread in Chinese food were salient only for those with little media use. The implication of the interaction effect on food risk perception is discussed in terms of accessibility and limited capacity of information processing.

Diet composition and activity level of at risk and metabolically healthy obese American adults.

PubMed

Hankinson, Arlene L; Daviglus, Martha L; Van Horn, Linda; Chan, Queenie; Brown, Ian; Holmes, Elaine; Elliott, Paul; Stamler, Jeremiah

2013-03-01

Obesity often clusters with other major cardiovascular disease risk factors, yet a subset of the obese appears to be protected from these risks. Two obesity phenotypes are described, (i) "metabolically healthy" obese, broadly defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m(2) and favorable levels of blood pressure, lipids, and glucose; and (ii) "at risk" obese, BMI ≥ 30 with unfavorable levels of these risk factors. More than 30% of obese American adults are metabolically healthy. Diet and activity determinants of obesity phenotypes are unclear. We hypothesized that metabolically healthy obese have more favorable behavioral factors, including less adverse diet composition and higher activity levels than at risk obese in the multi-ethnic group of 775 obese American adults ages 40-59 years from the International Population Study on Macro/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP) cohort. In gender-stratified analyses, mean values for diet composition and activity behavior variables, adjusted for age, race, and education, were compared between metabolically healthy and at risk obese. Nearly one in five (149/775 or 19%) of obese American INTERMAP participants were classified as metabolically healthy obese. Diet composition and most activity behaviors were similar between obesity phenotypes, although metabolically healthy obese women reported higher sleep duration than at risk obese women. These results do not support hypotheses that diet composition and/or physical activity account for the absence of cardiometabolic abnormalities in metabolically healthy obese. Copyright © 2012 The Obesity Society.

The pattern of choosing dialysis modality and related mortality outcomes in Korea: a national population-based study

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyung Jong; Park, Jung Tak; Han, Seung Hyeok; Yoo, Tae-Hyun; Park, Hyeong-Cheon; Kang, Shin-Wook; Kim, Kyoung Hoon; Ryu, Dong-Ryeol; Kim, Hyunwook

2017-01-01

Background/Aims Since comorbidities are major determinants of modality choice, and also interact with dialysis modality on mortality outcomes, we examined the pattern of modality choice according to comorbidities and then evaluated how such choices affected mortality in incident dialysis patients. Methods We analyzed 32,280 incident dialysis patients in Korea. Patterns in initial dialysis choice were assessed by multivariate logistic regression analyses. Multivariate Poisson regression analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of interactions between comorbidities and dialysis modality on mortality and to quantify these interactions using the synergy factor. Results Prior histories of myocardial infarction (p = 0.031), diabetes (p = 0.001), and congestive heart failure (p = 0.003) were independent factors favoring the initiation with peritoneal dialysis (PD), but were associated with increased mortality with PD. In contrast, a history of cerebrovascular disease and 1-year increase in age favored initiation with hemodialysis (HD) and were related to a survival benefit with HD (p < 0.001, both). While favoring initiation with HD, having Medical Aid (p = 0.001) and male gender (p = 0.047) were related to increased mortality with HD. Furthermore, although the severity of comorbidities did not inf luence dialysis modality choice, mortality in incident PD patients was significantly higher compared to that in HD patients as the severity of comorbidities increased (p for trend < 0.001). Conclusions Some comorbidities exerted independent effects on initial choice of dialysis modality, but this choice did not always lead to the best results. Further analyses of the pattern of choosing dialysis modality according to baseline comorbid conditions and related consequent mortality outcomes are needed. PMID:28651309

Husbands' attitudes towards abortion and Canadian abortion law.

PubMed

Osborn, R W; Silkey, B

1980-01-01

In a 1975 study of attitudes toward abortion among a stratified sample of 601 men residing in Toronto and married to women of reproductive age, non-Catholic men and men who had weak religious beliefs had significantly more permissive attitudes toward abortion than Catholic men and men who had strong religious beliefs. Each respondent received a scale score based on his acceptance of abortion under 7 different conditions. The 7 conditions were: 1) threat to maternal life; 2) pregnancy due to rape; 3) predicted birth of a mentally or physically handicapped child; 4) threat to maternal mental health; 5) unmarried mother; 6) marriage breakdown; and 7) inability to financially support the child. A high score indicated a permissive attitude toward abortion. High scores were associated with high income and educational levels, non-Catholic affiliation, weak religious beliefs, and being Canadian by birth. When religious factors were controlled, the effect of the other factors was markedly reduced. No association was observed between scale scores and the variables of age and expected family size. A majority of the men approved of abortion for 5 or more of the above listed situations. Men with high scores were more likely to use effective methods of contraception, to be married to women who had abortions, and to favor less restrictive abortion laws. Non-Catholic men and men with weaker religious beliefs were more likely to favor easing the abortion law than Catholic men and men who had strong religious beliefs. Those with higher income and educational levels within each religious group were also more likely to favor easing the law. Tables show: 1) the % distribution of respondents approving abortion by reason for the abortion; and 2) the results of the analyses using various measures of association.

Achieving Benchmark Results for Neonatal Palliation of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Related Anomalies in an Emerging Program.

PubMed

Dodge-Khatami, Ali; Chancellor, William Z; Gupta, Bhawna; Seals, Samantha R; Ebeid, Makram R; Batlivala, Sarosh P; Taylor, Mary B; Salazar, Jorge D

2015-07-01

Results of surgical management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and related anomalies are often compared to published benchmark data which reflect the use of a variety of surgical and hybrid protocols. We report encouraging results achieved in an emerging program, despite a learning curve at all care levels. Rather than relying on a single preferred protocol, surgical management was based on matching surgical strategy to individual patient factors. From 2010 to 2014, a total of 47 consecutive patients with HLHS or related anomalies with ductal-dependent systemic circulation underwent initial surgical palliation, including 30 Norwood stage I, 8 hybrid stage I, and 9 salvage-to-Norwood procedures. True hybrid procedures entailed bilateral pulmonary artery banding and ductal stenting. In the salvage-to-Norwood strategy, ductal stenting was withheld in favor of continued prostaglandin infusion in anticipation of a deferred Norwood procedure. Cardiac comorbidities (obstructed pulmonary venous return, poor ventricular function, and atrioventricular valve regurgitation) and noncardiac comorbidities influenced the choice of treatment strategies and were analyzed as potential risk factors for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support or in-hospital mortality. Overall hospital survival was 81% (Norwood 83.3%, hybrid 88%, "salvage" 67%; P = .4942). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was used for eight (17%) patients with two survivors. For cases with obstructed pulmonary venous return (n = 10, 21%), management choices favored a hybrid or salvage strategy (P = .0026). Aortic atresia (n = 22, 47%) was treated by a Norwood or salvage-to-Norwood. No cardiac, noncardiac, or genetic comorbidities were identified as independent risk factors for ECMO or discharge mortality in a multivariable analysis. Our emerging program achieved outcomes that compare favorably to published benchmark data with respect to hospital survival. These results reflect rigorous interdisciplinary teamwork and a flexible approach to surgical palliation based on matching surgical strategy to patient factors. With major associated cardiac/noncardiac comorbidity and antegrade coronary flow, a true hybrid with ductal stenting was our preferred strategy. For high-risk situations such as aortic atresia with obstructed pulmonary venous return, the salvage hybrid-bridge-to-Norwood strategy may help achieve survival albeit with increased resource utilization. © The Author(s) 2015.

Are Financial Conflicts of Interest for the Surgeon A Source of Concern for the Patient?

PubMed

Yi, Paul H; Cross, Michael B; Johnson, Staci R; Rasinski, Kenneth A; Nunley, Ryan M; Della Valle, Craig J

2015-09-01

We surveyed 269 consecutive patients (81% response rate) with an anonymous questionnaire to assess their attitudes toward conflicts-of-interest (COIs) resulting from three financial relationships between orthopedic surgeons and orthopedic industry: (1) being paid as a consultant; (2) receiving research funding; (3) receiving product design royalties. The majority perceived these relationships favorably, with 75% agreeing that surgeons in such relationships are top experts in the field and two-thirds agreeing that surgeons engage in such relationships to serve patients better. Patients viewed surgeons who designed products more favorably than those who are consultants (P=0.03). The majority (74%) agreed that these COIs should be disclosed to patients. Given patients' desires for disclosure and their favorable perceptions of these relationships, open discussions about financial COIs is appropriate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cumulative effect of psychosocial factors in youth on ideal cardiovascular health in adulthood: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

PubMed

Pulkki-Råback, Laura; Elovainio, Marko; Hakulinen, Christian; Lipsanen, Jari; Hintsanen, Mirka; Jokela, Markus; Kubzansky, Laura D; Hintsa, Taina; Serlachius, Anna; Laitinen, Tomi T; Laitinen, Tomi; Pahkala, Katja; Mikkilä, Vera; Nevalainen, Jaakko; Hutri-Kähönen, Nina; Juonala, Markus; Viikari, Jorma; Raitakari, Olli T; Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa

2015-01-20

The American Heart Association has defined a new metric of ideal cardiovascular health as part of its 2020 Impact Goals. We examined whether psychosocial factors in youth predict ideal cardiovascular health in adulthood. Participants were 477 men and 612 women from the nationwide Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Psychosocial factors were measured from cohorts 3 to 18 years of age at the baseline of the study, and ideal cardiovascular health was examined 27 years later in adulthood. The summary measure of psychosocial factors in youth comprised socioeconomic factors, emotional factors, parental health behaviors, stressful events, self-regulation of the child, and social adjustment of the child. There was a positive association between a higher number of favorable psychosocial factors in youth and greater ideal cardiovascular health index in adulthood (β=0.16; P<0.001) that persisted after adjustment for age, sex, medication use, and cardiovascular risk factors in childhood (β=0.15; P<0.001). The association was monotonic, suggesting that each increment in favorable psychosocial factors was associated with improvement in cardiovascular health. Of the specific psychosocial factors, a favorable socioeconomic environment (β=0.12; P<0.001) and participants' self-regulatory behavior (β=0.07; P=0.004) were the strongest predictors of ideal cardiovascular health in adulthood. The findings suggest a dose-response association between favorable psychosocial factors in youth and cardiovascular health in adulthood, as defined by the American Heart Association metrics. The effect seems to persist throughout the range of cardiovascular health, potentially shifting the population distribution of cardiovascular health rather than simply having effects in a high-risk population. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Correlates of Perceived Favorability of Online Courses for Quantitative versus Qualitative Undergraduate Business Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blau, Gary; Pred, Robert; Drennan, Rob B., Jr.; Kapanjie, Darin

2016-01-01

An online survey tested the association among background, technological, and course-related variables with perceived favorability of online courses for two independent samples of fall 2015 and spring 2016 business undergraduates taking at least one online or hybrid course. Results showed that perceived learning was a consistent positive correlate…

Biodegradation: Updating the concepts of control for microbial cleanup in contaminated aquifers.

PubMed

Meckenstock, Rainer U; Elsner, Martin; Griebler, Christian; Lueders, Tillmann; Stumpp, Christine; Aamand, Jens; Agathos, Spiros N; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen; Bastiaens, Leen; Bjerg, Poul L; Boon, Nico; Dejonghe, Winnie; Huang, Wei E; Schmidt, Susanne I; Smolders, Erik; Sørensen, Sebastian R; Springael, Dirk; van Breukelen, Boris M

2015-06-16

Biodegradation is one of the most favored and sustainable means of removing organic pollutants from contaminated aquifers but the major steering factors are still surprisingly poorly understood. Growing evidence questions some of the established concepts for control of biodegradation. Here, we critically discuss classical concepts such as the thermodynamic redox zonation, or the use of steady state transport scenarios for assessing biodegradation rates. Furthermore, we discuss if the absence of specific degrader populations can explain poor biodegradation. We propose updated perspectives on the controls of biodegradation in contaminant plumes. These include the plume fringe concept, transport limitations, and transient conditions as currently underestimated processes affecting biodegradation.

Hypothalamic inflammation and the central nervous system control of energy homeostasis.

PubMed

Pimentel, Gustavo D; Ganeshan, Kirthana; Carvalheira, José B C

2014-11-01

The control of energy homeostasis relies on robust neuronal circuits that regulate food intake and energy expenditure. Although the physiology of these circuits is well understood, the molecular and cellular response of this program to chronic diseases is still largely unclear. Hypothalamic inflammation has emerged as a major driver of energy homeostasis dysfunction in both obesity and anorexia. Importantly, this inflammation disrupts the action of metabolic signals promoting anabolism or supporting catabolism. In this review, we address the evidence that favors hypothalamic inflammation as a factor that resets energy homeostasis in pathological states. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of an intervention to increase liberal arts mathematics and science majors' knowledge of and attitudinal favorability toward the teaching profession

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klemballa, Carolyn

In light of the persistent shortage of qualified mathematics and science teachers and the new teacher qualification provisions of the recently passed No Child Left Behind Act, This study tested the impact of an educational intervention designed to enhance interest in public school teaching careers among undergraduate students who were declared/intended majors in mathematics and/or natural science. Besides salary, research reveals content fear as the biggest roadblock to attracting mathematics and science teachers. Because of this, liberal arts majors in mathematics and science are a target pool of individuals to recruit into teaching. The researcher hypothesized that knowledge and attitudinal favorability would both increase after an intervention about teaching careers and that an increase in one variable would be associated with the other. Also, knowledge and attitudinal favorability would have a greater increase after a more intensive intervention than a less intensive intervention or no intervention. The researcher also hypothesized that if undergraduates were less decided in their career, lower classmen, and female, their attitudes toward the teaching profession would increase the most. One hundred eighty-nine college students, 73 males and 116 females, including 85 freshmen, 67 sophomores, 18 juniors and 19 seniors, at University A and University B were randomly assigned to a workshop, reading, or control group. The workshop group attended a workshop about the teaching profession. The reading group read articles with the same information presented in the workshop. The control group read unrelated articles. The findings from this study indicate that an intervention about teaching does significantly increase both knowledge and attitudinal favorability toward teaching (p < .01). A low significant correlation was found between knowledge and attitudinal favorability (p < .05). Findings also suggested that a more intensive intervention yields a higher increase in both knowledge and attitudinal favorability than a less intensive intervention (p < .01). Lastly, the level of career indecision, undergraduate class, and gender did not have a significant relationship with attitudinal favorability towards teaching. Based on these findings, the researcher made recommendations for future research and policy, in particular urging more communication between schools of education and liberal arts.

Molecular players at the intersection of obesity and osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Bonet, M Luisa; Granados, Nuria; Palou, Andreu

2011-12-01

Obesity and degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis, OA) are two multifactorial pathologies that are becoming major medical issues with the aging of the world population. The relationship of OA with obesity is complex, involving both biomechanical and metabolic links. Dysregulated production of adipose tissue-derived inflammatory mediators, hyperlipidemia, and increased systemic oxidative stress are conditions frequently associated with obesity that may favor joint degeneration. In addition, it is remarkable that many regulatory factors have been implicated in the development, maintenance and function of both adipose tissues and cartilage and other articular joint tissues. Disturbances in these factors may underlie additional links between obesity and OA. In this review, molecular players at the intersection of adipose tissue and joint cell biology - including differentiation signals and transcription factors, extracellular matrix components and remodelers, joint cell- and adipose tissue cell-derived mediators (cytokines, adipokines), hypoxia inducible transcription factors, lipids, advanced glycation end products and miRNAs - are reviewed, with emphasis on their dysregulation in obesity and OA. Knowledge of these factors may illuminate a novel, adipocentric avenue for the pathogenesis and therapy of OA and other joint diseases.

Nursing students’ attitude towards suicide attempters: A study from rural part of Northern India

PubMed Central

Nebhinani, Mamta; Nebhinani, Naresh; Tamphasana, L.; Gaikwad, Achla D.

2013-01-01

Context: Majority of health professionals have unfavorable attitudes towards patients presenting with self-harm, which further compromises their willingness and outcome of care. Aims: To assess the nursing students’ attitudes toward suicide attempters. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study was conducted in two nursing colleges of north India. Material and Methods: Three hundred and eight nursing students were recruited through total enumeration method from May to June 2012. ‘Suicide opinion questionnaire’ was administered to assess their attitudes towards suicide attempters. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics was employed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 14.0 for Windows. Results: Majority were single females, from urban locality, with the mean age of 20 years. Only minority had previous exposure to suicide prevention programs and management of such cases. Majority of students agreed for mental illness, disturbed family life, and depression as major push to attempt suicide. They held favorable attitude for half of the attitudinal statement, but they were uncertain for rest half of the statements. Conclusions: They generally had favorable attitude towards suicide attempters. Their uncertain response highlights the need for enhancing educational exposure of nursing students and new staff at the earliest opportunity, to carve their favorable attitude towards patients presenting with self-harm. PMID:24347946

Which outcomes do women expect to achieve after undergoing induced abortion

PubMed Central

Nouhjah, Sedigheh; Zamani-Alavijeh, Fereshteh; Heydarabadi, Akbar Babaei; Hozaili, Maedeh

2017-01-01

Introduction Unsafe abortion is one of the most important health problems in many countries. Because of legal and moral issues, abortion is one of the most sensitive decisions. The aim of this study was to understand women’s expected gains from undergoing induced abortion. Methods To explain the factors leading to induced abortion, we collected the stories and experiences of a total of 21 people, including 18 women who underwent induced abortion in their most recent pregnancies, two women’s health providers, and a companion of a mother who died after an induced abortion. This qualitative study was conducted in Imam Khomeini and Razi hospital of Ahvaz and also a number of health centers, from February to September 2014. To collect the required data, we used open and semi-structured deep interviews. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results Three major themes emerged from the analysis of the collected data, which included the following: 1) Expected favorable health-related outcomes, 2) Expected favorable economic outcomes, and 3. Expected favorable outcomes in social level and family relationships. Conclusion The results of this study showed that the studied women, to achieve to desirable outcomes in areas of health, economic and social, have undergone induced abortion. Hence, to develop programs for the prevention of induced abortion it is necessary to consider the motivations of women to intentionally terminate a pregnancy. PMID:28465801

Which outcomes do women expect to achieve after undergoing induced abortion.

PubMed

Nouhjah, Sedigheh; Zamani-Alavijeh, Fereshteh; Heydarabadi, Akbar Babaei; Hozaili, Maedeh

2017-02-01

Unsafe abortion is one of the most important health problems in many countries. Because of legal and moral issues, abortion is one of the most sensitive decisions. The aim of this study was to understand women's expected gains from undergoing induced abortion. To explain the factors leading to induced abortion, we collected the stories and experiences of a total of 21 people, including 18 women who underwent induced abortion in their most recent pregnancies, two women's health providers, and a companion of a mother who died after an induced abortion. This qualitative study was conducted in Imam Khomeini and Razi hospital of Ahvaz and also a number of health centers, from February to September 2014. To collect the required data, we used open and semi-structured deep interviews. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Three major themes emerged from the analysis of the collected data, which included the following: 1) Expected favorable health-related outcomes, 2) Expected favorable economic outcomes, and 3. Expected favorable outcomes in social level and family relationships. The results of this study showed that the studied women, to achieve to desirable outcomes in areas of health, economic and social, have undergone induced abortion. Hence, to develop programs for the prevention of induced abortion it is necessary to consider the motivations of women to intentionally terminate a pregnancy.

A Comparison of the Attitudes of Students and Non-Students toward the Disabled in Ghana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Sylvia

1983-01-01

In Ghana, 146 college students majoring in general education, special education administration, and medicine responded more favorably than 128 nonstudents to attitude statements emphasizing education of the disabled and were less likely to blame the disabled and his/her family for the disability. Both groups least favored socializing with the…

Population growth and the decline of natural Southern yellow pine forests

Treesearch

David B. South; Edward R. Buckner

2004-01-01

Population growth has created social and economic pressures that affect the sustainability of naturally regenerated southern yellow pine forests. Major causes of this decline include (1) a shift in public attitudes regarding woods burning (from one favoring it to one that favors fire suppression) and (2) an increase in land values (especially near urban centers). The...

Using Gender Schema Theory to Examine Gender Equity in Computing: a Preliminary Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agosto, Denise E.

Women continue to constitute a minority of computer science majors in the United States and Canada. One possible contributing factor is that most Web sites, CD-ROMs, and other digital resources do not reflect girls' design and content preferences. This article describes a pilot study that considered whether gender schema theory can serve as a framework for investigating girls' Web site design and content preferences. Eleven 14- and 15-year-old girls participated in the study. The methodology included the administration of the Children's Sex-Role Inventory (CSRI), Web-surfing sessions, interviews, and data analysis using iterative pattern coding. On the basis of their CSRI scores, the participants were divided into feminine-high (FH) and masculine-high (MH) groups. Data analysis uncovered significant differences in the criteria the groups used to evaluate Web sites. The FH group favored evaluation criteria relating to graphic and multimedia design, whereas the MH group favored evaluation criteria relating to subject content. Models of the two groups' evaluation criteria are presented, and the implications of the findings are discussed.

Agent-Based Modeling of Physical Factors That May Control the Growth of Coccidioides immitis (Valley Fever Fungus) in Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gettings, M. E.; Fisher, F. S.

2003-12-01

A model of the spread and survival of the fungus Coccidioides immitis in soil via wind-borne spore transport has been completed using public domain agent-based modeling software. The hypothetical model posits that for a successful new site to become established, four factors must be simultaneously satisfied. 1) There must be transport of spores from a source site to sites with favorable soil geology, texture, topographic aspect, and lack of biomass competition. 2) There must be sufficient moisture for fungal growth. 3) Temperature of the surface and soil must be favorable for growth. Finally, 4) the temperature and moisture must remain in favorable ranges for a long enough time interval for the fungus to grow down to depths at which spores will survive subsequent heat, aridity, and ultraviolet radiation of the hot, dry season typical of the Southwest U.S. climate. Using agent-based modeling software, a model was built so that the effects of combinations of these controlling factors could be evaluated using realistic temperature, rain and wind models. The rain probability and amount, temperature annual and diurnal variation, and wind direction and intensity were based on the weather records at Tucson, Arizona for the 107-year period from 1894 to 2001. Favorable ground was defined using a fractal tree algorithm that emulates a drainage network in accordance with observations that favorable sites are often adjacent to drainage channels. Numerous model runs produced the following five conclusions. 1) If any property is not isotropic, for example wind direction or narrow paths of rainstorms, parts of the favorable areas will never become colonized no matter how long the model runs. 2)The spread of sites is extremely sensitive to moisture duration. The amount of wind and temperature after a rain control the length of time before a site becomes too dry. 3) The distribution of wind and rainstorm direction relative to that of the favorable sites is a strong control on the spread of colonization. East-west winds across an area that has mostly north-south favorable sites restricts spread strongly. 4) Soil temperature was the least sensitive control in the model, although it does control the ultimate dormancy of a site. Fifth, the model results cover the spectrum of complete colonization of all favorable sites from a few source sites to none, one, or two new sites in three years of model simulation. This implies the probability of new sites depends on the four factors in a Bayesian way. These results indicate that the complexity introduced in the model from site favorableness, temperature, moisture, and duration of favorable temperature and moisture conditions is adequate to explain observed distributions of real sites.

Restoring conjunctival tolerance by topical nuclear factor-κB inhibitors reduces preservative-facilitated allergic conjunctivitis in mice.

PubMed

Guzmán, Mauricio; Sabbione, Florencia; Gabelloni, María Laura; Vanzulli, Silvia; Trevani, Analía Silvina; Giordano, Mirta Nilda; Galletti, Jeremías Gastón

2014-09-04

To evaluate the role of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation in eye drop preservative toxicity and the effect of topical NF-κB inhibitors on preservative-facilitated allergic conjunctivitis. Balb/c mice were instilled ovalbumin (OVA) combined with benzalkonium chloride (BAK) and/or NF-κB inhibitors in both eyes. After immunization, T-cell responses and antigen-induced ocular inflammation were evaluated. Nuclear factor-κB activation and associated inflammatory changes also were assessed in murine eyes and in an epithelial cell line after BAK exposure. Benzalkonium chloride promoted allergic inflammation and leukocyte infiltration of the conjunctiva. Topical NF-κB inhibitors blocked the disruptive effect of BAK on conjunctival immunological tolerance and ameliorated subsequent ocular allergic reactions. In line with these findings, BAK induced NF-κB activation and the secretion of IL-6 and granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor in an epithelial cell line and in the conjunctiva of instilled mice. In addition, BAK favored major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II expression in cultured epithelial cells in an NF-κB-dependent fashion after interaction with T cells. Benzalkonium chloride triggers conjunctival epithelial NF-κB activation, which seems to mediate some of its immune side effects, such as proinflammatory cytokine release and increased MHC II expression. Breakdown of conjunctival tolerance by BAK favors allergic inflammation, and this effect can be prevented in mice by topical NF-κB inhibitors. These results suggest a new pharmacological target for preservative toxicity and highlight the importance of conjunctival tolerance in ocular surface homeostasis. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Insights into the Molecular Events That Regulate Heat-Induced Chilling Tolerance in Citrus Fruits.

PubMed

Lafuente, María T; Establés-Ortíz, Beatriz; González-Candelas, Luis

2017-01-01

Low non-freezing temperature may cause chilling injury (CI), which is responsible for external quality deterioration in many chilling-sensitive horticultural crops. Exposure of chilling-sensitive citrus cultivars to non-lethal high-temperature conditioning may increase their chilling tolerance. Very little information is available about the molecular events involved in such tolerance. In this work, the molecular events associated with the low temperature tolerance induced by heating Fortune mandarin, which is very sensitive to chilling, for 3 days at 37°C prior to cold storage is presented. A transcriptomic analysis reveals that heat-conditioning has an important impact favoring the repression of genes in cold-stored fruit, and that long-term heat-induced chilling tolerance is an active process that requires activation of transcription factors involved in transcription initiation and of the WRKY family. The analysis also shows that chilling favors degradation processes, which affect lipids and proteins, and that the protective effect of the heat-conditioning treatment is more likely to be related to the repression of the genes involved in lipid degradation than to the modification of fatty acids unsaturation, which affects membrane permeability. Another major factor associated with the beneficial effect of the heat treatment on reducing CI is the regulation of stress-related proteins. Many of the genes that encoded such proteins are involved in secondary metabolism and in oxidative stress-related processes.

The Ustilago maydis Nit2 Homolog Regulates Nitrogen Utilization and Is Required for Efficient Induction of Filamentous Growth

PubMed Central

Horst, Robin J.; Zeh, Christine; Saur, Alexandra; Sonnewald, Sophia; Sonnewald, Uwe

2012-01-01

Nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR) is a regulatory strategy found in microorganisms that restricts the utilization of complex and unfavored nitrogen sources in the presence of favored nitrogen sources. In fungi, this concept has been best studied in yeasts and filamentous ascomycetes, where the GATA transcription factors Gln3p and Gat1p (in yeasts) and Nit2/AreA (in ascomycetes) constitute the main positive regulators of NCR. The reason why functional Nit2 homologs of some phytopathogenic fungi are required for full virulence in their hosts has remained elusive. We have identified the Nit2 homolog in the basidiomycetous phytopathogen Ustilago maydis and show that it is a major, but not the exclusive, positive regulator of nitrogen utilization. By transcriptome analysis of sporidia grown on artificial media devoid of favored nitrogen sources, we show that only a subset of nitrogen-responsive genes are regulated by Nit2, including the Gal4-like transcription factor Ton1 (a target of Nit2). Ustilagic acid biosynthesis is not under the control of Nit2, while nitrogen starvation-induced filamentous growth is largely dependent on functional Nit2. nit2 deletion mutants show the delayed initiation of filamentous growth on maize leaves and exhibit strongly compromised virulence, demonstrating that Nit2 is required to efficiently initiate the pathogenicity program of U. maydis. PMID:22247264

Environmental factors that influence cyanobacteria and geosmin occurrence in reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Journey, Celeste A.; Beaulieu, Karen M.; Bradley, Paul M.

2013-01-01

Phytoplankton are small to microscopic, free-floating algae that inhabit the open water of freshwater, estuarine, and saltwater systems. In freshwater lake and reservoirs systems, which are the focus of this chapter, phytoplankton communities commonly consist of assemblages of the major taxonomic groups, including green algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are a diverse group of single-celled organisms that can exist in a wide range of environments, not just open water, because of their adaptability [1-3]. It is the adaptability of cyanobacteria that enables this group to dominate the phytoplankton community and even form nuisance or harmful blooms under certain environmental conditions [3-6]. In fact, cyanobacteria are predicted to adapt favorably to future climate change in freshwater systems compared to other phytoplankton groups because of their tolerance to rising temperatures, enhanced vertical thermal stratification of aquatic ecosystems, and alterations in seasonal and interannual weather patterns [7, 8]. Understanding those environmental conditions that favor cyanobacterial dominance and bloom formation has been the focus of research throughout the world because of the concomitant production and release of nuisance and toxic cyanobacterial-derived compounds [4-6, 7-10]. However, the complex interaction among the physical, chemical, and biological processes within lakes, reservoirs, and large rivers often makes it difficult to identify primary environmental factors that cause the production and release of these cyanobacterial by-products.

Environmental factors that influence cyanobacteria and geosmin occurrence in reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Journey, Celeste A.; Beaulieu, Karen M.; Bradley, Paul M.; Bradley, Paul M.

2013-01-01

Phytoplankton are small to microscopic, free-floating algae that inhabit the open water of freshwater, estuarine, and saltwater systems. In freshwater lake and reservoirs systems, which are the focus of this chapter, phytoplankton communities commonly consist of assemblages of the major taxonomic groups, including green algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are a diverse group of single-celled organisms that can exist in a wide range of environments, not just open water, because of their adaptability [1-3]. It is the adaptability of cyanobacteria that enables this group to dominate the phytoplankton community and even form nuisance or harmful blooms under certain environmental conditions [3-6]. In fact, cyanobacteria are predicted to adapt favorably to future climate change in freshwater systems compared to other phytoplankton groups because of their tolerance to rising temperatures, enhanced vertical thermal stratification of aquatic ecosystems, and alterations in seasonal and interannual weather patterns [7, 8]. Understanding those environmental conditions that favor cyanobacterial dominance and bloom formation has been the focus of research throughout the world because of the concomitant production and release of nuisance and toxic cyanobacterial-derived compounds [4-6, 7-10]. However, the complex interaction among the physical, chemical, and biological processes within lakes, reservoirs, and large rivers often makes it difficult to identify primary environmental factors that cause the production and release of these cyanobacterial by-products [9].

Stage I-IIA Non-Bulky Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Is Further Distinction Based on Prognostic Factors Useful? The Stanford Experience

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

Advani, Ranjana H., E-mail: radvani@stanford.edu; Hoppe, Richard T.; Maeda, Lauren S.

2011-12-01

Purpose: In the United States, early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is defined as asymptomatic stage I/II non-bulky disease. European groups stratify patients to more intense treatment by considering additional unfavorable factors, such as age, number of nodal sites, sedimentation rate, extranodal disease, and elements of the international prognostic score for advanced HL. We sought to determine the prognostic significance of these factors in patients with early-stage disease treated at Stanford University Medical Center. Methods and Materials: This study was a retrospective analysis of 101 patients treated with abbreviated Stanford V chemotherapy (8 weeks) and 30-Gy (n = 84 patients) or 20-Gymore » (n = 17 patients) radiotherapy to involved sites. Outcomes were assessed after applying European risk factors. Results: At a median follow-up of 8.5 years, freedom from progression (FFP) and overall survival (OS) rates were 94% and 97%, respectively. From 33% to 60% of our patients were unfavorable per European criteria (i.e., German Hodgkin Study Group [GHSG], n = 55%; European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, n = 33%; and Groupe d'Etudes des Lymphomes de l'Adulte, n = 61%). Differences in FFP rates between favorable and unfavorable patients were significant only for GHSG criteria (p = 0.02) with there were no differences in OS rates for any criteria. Five of 6 patients who relapsed were successfully salvaged. Conclusions: The majority of our patients deemed unfavorable had an excellent outcome despite undergoing a significantly abbreviated regimen. Application of factors used by the GHSG defined a less favorable subset for FFP but with no impact on OS. As therapy for early-stage disease moves to further reductions in therapy, these factors take on added importance in the interpretation of current trial results and design of future studies.« less

The transcription factor FBI-1 inhibits SAM68-mediated BCL-X alternative splicing and apoptosis.

PubMed

Bielli, Pamela; Busà, Roberta; Di Stasi, Savino M; Munoz, Manuel J; Botti, Flavia; Kornblihtt, Alberto R; Sette, Claudio

2014-04-01

Alternative splicing (AS) is tightly coupled to transcription for the majority of human genes. However, how these two processes are linked is not well understood. Here, we unveil a direct role for the transcription factor FBI-1 in the regulation of AS. FBI-1 interacts with the splicing factor SAM68 and reduces its binding to BCL-X mRNA. This, in turn, results in the selection of the proximal 5' splice site in BCL-X exon 2, thereby favoring the anti-apoptotic BCL-XL variant and counteracting SAM68-mediated apoptosis. Conversely, depletion of FBI-1, or expression of a SAM68 mutant lacking the FBI-1 binding region, restores the ability of SAM68 to induce BCL-XS splicing and apoptosis. FBI-1's role in splicing requires the activity of histone deacetylases, whose pharmacological inhibition recapitulates the effects of FBI-1 knockdown. Our study reveals an unexpected function for FBI-1 in splicing modulation with a direct impact on cell survival.

The transcription factor FBI-1 inhibits SAM68-mediated BCL-X alternative splicing and apoptosis

PubMed Central

Bielli, Pamela; Busà, Roberta; Di Stasi, Savino M; Munoz, Manuel J; Botti, Flavia; Kornblihtt, Alberto R; Sette, Claudio

2014-01-01

Alternative splicing (AS) is tightly coupled to transcription for the majority of human genes. However, how these two processes are linked is not well understood. Here, we unveil a direct role for the transcription factor FBI-1 in the regulation of AS. FBI-1 interacts with the splicing factor SAM68 and reduces its binding to BCL-X mRNA. This, in turn, results in the selection of the proximal 5′ splice site in BCL-X exon 2, thereby favoring the anti-apoptotic BCL-XL variant and counteracting SAM68-mediated apoptosis. Conversely, depletion of FBI-1, or expression of a SAM68 mutant lacking the FBI-1 binding region, restores the ability of SAM68 to induce BCL-XS splicing and apoptosis. FBI-1's role in splicing requires the activity of histone deacetylases, whose pharmacological inhibition recapitulates the effects of FBI-1 knockdown. Our study reveals an unexpected function for FBI-1 in splicing modulation with a direct impact on cell survival. PMID:24514149

Planning for natural regeneration of hardwoods in the Coastal Plain

Treesearch

Robert L. Johnson

1978-01-01

Hardwood species reproduce through seeding and sprouting. Frequent selective cuttings and small, incomplete openings favor tolerant species; the opposite conditions favor intolerants. Factors to be considered in evaluating and predicting reproduction before harvest are listed.

Determinants of Access to Fertility Preservation in Women with Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Lee, Sanghoon; Heytens, Elke; Moy, Fred; Ozkavukcu, Sinan; Oktay, Kutluk

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE Evaluation of socio-economic, demographic, and medical factors that influence the referral pattern either before cancer treatment to fertility preservation (FP, early referral) or post-chemotherapy to assisted reproduction (PCART, delayed referral). DESIGN Secondary analysis. SETTING Academic medical centers. PATIENT(S) Three hundred fourteen patients with breast cancer who were counseled for FP (n=218) or PCART (n=96) from June 1999 to July 2009. INTERVENTION(S) None MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Factors favoring early referrals RESULT(S) Mean age at diagnosis was higher in FP vs PCART (35.3±4.5 vs 33.9±4.7, p<0.01). Ninety percent presented with cancer stage 1 or 2. From 2000 to 2009 the proportion of referrals for FP increased continually. In 2009, nearly all (95.5%) were for FP. The majority (63.8%) was referred from an academic center. Patients with a family history of breast cancer were more likely to consult for FP (75.2% vs 64.3% without, p=0.04). There was no association with occupation, income, race, ethnicity, obstetrical history, and prior infertility treatment. Only 22.9% of those counseled in PCART compared to 45.0% in the FP group proceeded with a procedure (p<0.001). CONCLUSION(S) There has been an increasing trend within the last 10 years for early referral of breast cancer patients to FP. Factors favoring early referrals are older age, early stage cancer, family history of breast cancer, and an academic center involvement. Those seen before cancer treatment are more likely to receive an intervention. PMID:21371704

Mechanisms Controlling the Plant Diversity Effect on Soil Microbial Community Composition and Soil Microbial Diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mellado Vázquez, P. G.; Lange, M.; Griffiths, R.; Malik, A.; Ravenek, J.; Strecker, T.; Eisenhauer, N.; Gleixner, G.

2015-12-01

Soil microorganisms are the main drivers of soil organic matter cycling. Organic matter input by living plants is the major energy and matter source for soil microorganisms, higher organic matter inputs are found in highly diverse plant communities. It is therefore relevant to understand how plant diversity alters the soil microbial community and soil organic matter. In a general sense, microbial biomass and microbial diversity increase with increasing plant diversity, however the mechanisms driving these interactions are not fully explored. Working with soils from a long-term biodiversity experiment (The Jena Experiment), we investigated how changes in the soil microbial dynamics related to plant diversity were explained by biotic and abiotic factors. Microbial biomass quantification and differentiation of bacterial and fungal groups was done by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis; terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to determine the bacterial diversity. Gram negative (G-) bacteria predominated in high plant diversity; Gram positive (G+) bacteria were more abundant in low plant diversity and saprotrophic fungi were independent from plant diversity. The separation between G- and G+ bacteria in relation to plant diversity was governed by a difference in carbon-input related factors (e.g. root biomass and soil moisture) between plant diversity levels. Moreover, the bacterial diversity increased with plant diversity and the evenness of the PLFA markers decreased. Our results showed that higher plant diversity favors carbon-input related factors and this in turn favors the development of microbial communities specialized in utilizing new carbon inputs (i.e. G- bacteria), which are contributing to the export of new C from plants to soils.

Avoiding Another Hollow Force: Optimizing the Joint Force Despite Sequestration

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

Vietnam, socio-economic factors and funding decisions that favored the development of advanced weapon systems rather than funding other vital requirements...funding decisions that favored the development of advanced weapon systems rather than funding other vital requirements such as manpower led to the...to factors such as inefficiencies in production, $29.6 billion to quantity changes, and $13.7 billion to research and development (R&D) cost growth

Factors affecting survival outcomes of patients with non-metastatic Ewing's sarcoma family tumors in the spine: a retrospective analysis of 63 patients in a single center.

PubMed

Wan, Wei; Lou, Yan; Hu, Zhiqi; Wang, Ting; Li, Jinsong; Tang, Yu; Wu, Zhipeng; Xu, Leqin; Yang, Xinghai; Song, Dianwen; Xiao, Jianru

2017-01-01

Little information has been published in the literature regarding survival outcomes of patients with Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFTs) of the spine. The purpose of this study is to explore factors that may affect the prognosis of patients with non-metastatic spinal ESFTs. A retrospective analysis of survival outcomes was performed in patients with non-metastatic spinal ESFTs. Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to identify prognostic factors for recurrence and survival. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were defined as the date of surgery to the date of local relapse and death. Kaplan-Meier methods were applied to estimate RFS and OS. Log-rank test was used to analyze single factors for RFS and OS. Factors with p values ≤0.1 were subjected to multivariate analysis. A total of 63 patients with non-metastatic spinal ESFTs were included in this study. The mean follow-up period was 35.1 months (range 1-155). Postoperative recurrence was detected in 25 patients, and distant metastasis and death occurred in 22 and 36 patients respectively. The result of multivariate analysis suggested that age older than 25 years and neoadjuvant chemotherapy were favorable independent prognostic factors for RFS and OS. In addition, total en-bloc resection, postoperative chemotherapy, radiotherapy and non-distant metastasis were favorable independent prognostic factors for OS. Age older than 25 years and neoadjuvant chemotherapy are favorable prognostic factors for both RFS and OS. In addition, total en-bloc resection, postoperative chemotherapy, radiotherapy and non-distant metastasis are closely associated with favorable survival.

Planning for the sustainability of community-based health programs: conceptual frameworks and future directions for research, practice and policy.

PubMed

Shediac-Rizkallah, M C; Bone, L R

1998-03-01

Attention to the sustainability of health intervention programs both in the US and abroad is increasing, but little consensus exists on the conceptual and operational definitions of sustainability. Moreover, an empirical knowledge base about the determinants of sustainability is still at an early stage. Planning for sustainability requires, first, a clear understanding of the concept of sustainability and operational indicators that may be used in monitoring sustainability over time. Important categories of indicators include: (1) maintenance of health benefits achieved through an initial program, (2) level of institutionalization of a program within an organization and (3) measures of capacity building in the recipient community. Second, planning for sustainability requires the use of programmatic approaches and strategies that favor long-term program maintenance. We suggest that the potential influences on sustainability may derive from three major groups of factors: (1) project design and implementation factors, (2) factors within the organizational setting, and (3) factors in the broader community environment. Future efforts to develop sustainable health intervention programs in communities can build on the concepts and strategies proposed here.

Mouth cancer in inflammatory bowel diseases.

PubMed

Giagkou, E; Christodoulou, D K; Katsanos, K H

2016-05-01

Mouth cancer is a major health problem. Multiple risk factors for developing mouth cancer have been studied and include history of tobacco and alcohol abuse, age over 40, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, human papilloma virus infection (HPV), nutritional deficiencies, chronic irritation, and existence or oral potentially malignant lesions such as leukoplakia and lichen planus. An important risk factor for mouth cancer is chronic immunosuppression and has been extensively reported after solid organ transplantation as well as HIV-infected patients. Diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not yet considered as a risk factor for oral cancer development. However, a significant number of patients with IBD are receiving immunosuppressants and biological therapies which could represent potential oral oncogenic factors either by direct oncogenic effect or by continuous immunosuppression favoring carcinogenesis, especially in patients with HPV(+) IBD. Education on modifiable risk behaviors in patients with IBD is the cornerstone of prevention of mouth cancer. Oral screening should be performed for all patients with IBD, especially those who are about to start an immunosuppressant or a biologic. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evidence of selective reporting bias in hematology journals: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Scheckel, Caleb; Hicks, Chandler; Nissen, Timothy; Leduc, Linda; Som, Mousumi; Vassar, Matt

2017-01-01

Introduction Selective reporting bias occurs when chance or selective outcome reporting rather than the intervention contributes to group differences. The prevailing concern about selective reporting bias is the possibility of results being modified towards specific conclusions. In this study, we evaluate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in hematology journals, a group in which selective outcome reporting has not yet been explored. Methods Our primary goal was to examine discrepancies between the reported primary and secondary outcomes in registered and published RCTs concerning hematological malignancies reported in hematology journals with a high impact factor. The secondary goals were to address whether outcome reporting discrepancies favored statistically significant outcomes, whether a pattern existed between the funding source and likelihood of outcome reporting bias, and whether temporal trends were present in outcome reporting bias. For trials with major outcome discrepancies, we contacted trialists to determine reasons for these discrepancies. Trials published between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015 in Blood; British Journal of Haematology; American Journal of Hematology; Leukemia; and Haematologica were included. Results Of 499 RCTs screened, 109 RCTs were included. Our analysis revealed 118 major discrepancies and 629 total discrepancies. Among the 118 discrepancies, 30 (25.4%) primary outcomes were demoted, 47 (39.8%) primary outcomes were omitted, and 30 (25.4%) primary outcomes were added. Three (2.5%) secondary outcomes were upgraded to a primary outcome. The timing of assessment for a primary outcome changed eight (6.8%) times. Thirty-one major discrepancies were published with a P-value and twenty-five (80.6%) favored statistical significance. A majority of authors whom we contacted cited a pre-planned subgroup analysis as a reason for outcome changes. Conclusion Our results suggest that outcome changes occur frequently in hematology trials. Because RCTs ultimately underpin clinical judgment and guide policy implementation, selective reporting could pose a threat to medical decision making. PMID:28570573

Instrumented elephant seals reveal the seasonality in chlorophyll and light-mixing regime in the iron-fertilized Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blain, Stéphane; Renaut, Sophie; Xing, Xiaogang; Claustre, Hervé; Guinet, Christophe

2013-12-01

analyze an original large data set of concurrent in situ measurements of fluorescence, temperature and salinity provided by sensors mounted on the elephant seals of Kerguelen Island. Our results were mainly gathered in regions of the Southern Ocean where the typical iron limitation is relieved by natural iron fertilization. Thus the role of light as the proximal factor of control of phytoplankton can be examined. We show that self-shading, and consequently stratification, are major factors controlling the integrated biomass during the bloom induced by iron fertilization. When the mixed layer was the shallowest, the maximum ChlML achievable by the given light-mixing regime was however not reached, most likely due to silicic acid limitation. We also show that a favorable light-mixing regime prevails after the spring equinox and is maintained for roughly seven months (October-April).

Are State legislatures responding to public opinion when allocating funds for tobacco control programs?

PubMed

Snyder, Angela; Falba, Tracy; Busch, Susan; Sindelar, Jody

2004-07-01

This study explored the factors associated with state-level allocations to tobacco-control programs. The primary research question was whether public sentiment regarding tobacco control was a significant factor in the states' 2001 budget decisions. In addition to public opinion, several additional political and economic measures were considered. Significant associations were found between our outcome, state-level tobacco-control funding per capita, and key variables of interest including public opinion, amount of tobacco settlement received, the party affiliation of the governor, the state's smoking rate, excise tax revenue received, and whether the state was a major producer of tobacco. The findings from this study supported our hypothesis that states with citizens who favor more restrictive indoor air policies allocate more to tobacco control. Effective public education to change public opinion and the cultural norms surrounding smoking may affect political decisions and, in turn, increase funding for crucial public health programs.

Brachytherapy devices and methods employing americium-241

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

Gray, L. A.

1985-04-16

Sources and methods for radiation therapy, particularly brachytherapy, employing americium-241 (60 keV gamma emission and 433 year half-life) provide major advantages for radiotherapy, including simplified radiation protection, dose reduction to healthy tissue, increased dose to tumor, and improved dose distributions. A number of apparent drawbacks and unfavorable considerations including low gamma factor, high self-absorption, increased activity required and alpha-particle generation leading to helium gas pressure buildup and potential neutron contamination in the generated radiation are all effectively dealt with and overcome through recognition of subtle favorable factors unique to americium-241 among brachytherapy sources and through suitable constructional techniques. Due tomore » an additional amount of radiation, in the order of 50%, provided primarily to nearby regions as a result of Compton scatter in tissue and water, higher dose rates occur than would be predicted by conventional calculations.« less

Transport and public health in China: the road to a healthy future

PubMed Central

Jiang, Baoguo; Liang, Song; Peng, Zhong-Ren; Cong, Haozhe; Levy, Morgan; Cheng, Qu; Wang, Tianbing; Remais, Justin

2017-01-01

Transportation-related risk factors are a major source of morbidity and mortality in China, where expansion of road networks and surges in personal vehicle ownership are having profound effects on public health. Road traffic injuries and fatalities have increased alongside motorized transport in China, and accident injury risk is aggravated by inadequate emergency response systems and trauma care. National air quality standards and emission control technologies are having a positive effect, yet persistent air pollution is increasingly attributable to a growing and outdated vehicle fleet, and famously congested roads. Urban design favors motorized transport, and physical activity and its associated health benefits are hindered by poor urban infrastructure. Transport emissions of greenhouse gases contribute substantially to regional and global climate change, which compound public health risks from multiple factors. Despite these complex challenges, technological advances and innovations in planning and policy stand to make China a leader in sustainable, healthy transportation. PMID:29047445

Banning nuclear tests: cold feet in the Carter administration

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

Kincade, W.H.

1978-11-01

Several factors are outlined as being responsible for preventing U.S. negotiators from reaching agreements on nuclear test limitations through the SALT II and the comprehensive test ban treaty (CTB) in spite of hopeful speculations early in the year. Major questions arose over whether the treaties could be ratified, a shift in emphasis from the verifiability of compliance to the reliability of U.S. stockpiles, doubts in the scientific community and virorous lobbying by opponents to constraining the military. Mr. Kincade feels that these factors have influenced Presidential decisiveness, causing the administration to lose public confidence when the purpose of actions towardmore » the Soviet Union and China was not explained. He further feels that by confusing the public and failing to capitalize on his leadership opportunities, the President has been unable to develop a public consensus in favor of nuclear arms control. 13 references.« less

Leveraging LSTM for rapid intensifications prediction of tropical cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Yang, R.; Yang, C.; Yu, M.; Hu, F.; Jiang, Y.

2017-10-01

Tropical cyclones (TCs) usually cause severe damages and destructions. TC intensity forecasting helps people prepare for the extreme weather and could save lives and properties. Rapid Intensifications (RI) of TCs are the major error sources of TC intensity forecasting. A large number of factors, such as sea surface temperature and wind shear, affect the RI processes of TCs. Quite a lot of work have been done to identify the combination of conditions most favorable to RI. In this study, deep learning method is utilized to combine conditions for RI prediction of TCs. Experiments show that the long short-term memory (LSTM) network provides the ability to leverage past conditions to predict TC rapid intensifications.

Low cost solar array project production process and equipment task: A Module Experimental Process System Development Unit (MEPSDU)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Several major modifications were made to the design presented at the PDR. The frame was deleted in favor of a "frameless" design which will provide a substantially improved cell packing factor. Potential shaded cell damage resulting from operation into a short circuit can be eliminated by a change in the cell series/parallel electrical interconnect configuration. The baseline process sequence defined for the MEPSON was refined and equipment design and specification work was completed. SAMICS cost analysis work accelerated, format A's were prepared and computer simulations completed. Design work on the automated cell interconnect station was focused on bond technique selection experiments.

Wind energy - A utility perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fung, K. T.; Scheffler, R. L.; Stolpe, J.

1981-03-01

Broad consideration is given to the siting, demand, capital and operating cost and wind turbine design factors involved in a utility company's incorporation of wind powered electrical generation into existing grids. With the requirements of the Southern California Edison service region in mind, it is concluded that although the economic and legal climate for major investments in windpower are favorable, the continued development of large only wind turbine machines (on the scale of NASA's 2.5 MW Mod-2 design) is imperative in order to reduce manpower and maintenance costs. Stress is also put on the use of demonstration projects for both vertical and horizontal axis devices, in order to build up operational experience and confidence.

Does Economic Education Make a Difference in Congress? How Economics Majors Vote on Trade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Roark, J. Brian

2012-01-01

The author of this article expands the background theory of voting to incorporate the undergraduate majors of members of Congress. Examining nine votes on trade across the 109th and 110th Congresses reveals that economics majors are the only category of college major to vote in favor of free trade in a predictable way. Controls for a variety of…

Efficacy and safety of recombinant activated factor vii in major surgical procedures: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

PubMed

Ranucci, Marco; Isgrò, Giuseppe; Soro, Giorgio; Conti, Daniela; De Toffol, Barbara

2008-03-01

To investigate the efficacy and safety of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) treatment in patients undergoing major surgical procedures. Relevant studies were searched in BioMedCentral, CENTRAL, PubMed, and PubMed Central. Only randomized controlled trials on humans undergoing major surgery were included. Efficacy was determined as the rate of patients receiving allogeneic packed red blood cells; safety was assessed in terms of thromboembolic complications and mortality rate. We followed the Cochrane Collaboration method for data extraction and internal validity procedures, as well as the Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses statement. Seven randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Treatment with rFVIIa is associated with a reduced risk of receiving allogeneic packed red blood cells (odds ratio, 0.29; 95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.80). In a subgroup analysis, only patients receiving at least 50 mug/kg of rFVIIa had a significant benefit (odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.78). No differences in thromboembolic complications and mortality rates were observed. Treatment with rFVIIa is effective in reducing the rate of patients undergoing transfusion with allogeneic packed red blood cells. However, the cost-benefit ratio is favorable only in patients who need a huge number of packed red blood cell units. No safety concerns arise from the present study.

Perceptions about varieties of brown rice: a qualitative study from Southern India.

PubMed

Kumar, Shuba; Mohanraj, Rani; Sudha, Vasudevan; Wedick, Nicole M; Malik, Vasanti; Hu, Frank B; Spiegelman, Donna; Mohan, Viswanathan

2011-10-01

Consumption of whole grains, such as brown rice, compared to white rice can decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This qualitative study conducted in 2009 sought to identify factors that can act as barriers to or promote acceptance of brown rice as a staple food among South Indian adults (n=65). Using purposeful sampling, eight focus groups were conducted among adults with normal body mass index and adults who were overweight, aged 24 to 47 years, living in slum and non-slum sites in Chennai, a city in Southern India. These focus groups, conducted in Tamil, the local language of Chennai, were homogenous by sex. The focus groups were audiotaped after obtaining consent. Results were transcribed and coded according to four major themes that emerged during the focus group discussions, including culture and dietary practices, factors influencing rice preferences, awareness and perceptions of brown rice, and barriers to and factors influencing acceptance of brown rice. Overall, the majority of participants favored eating rice and rice-based foods. Tradition largely dictated the specific form of rice that people consumed. Awareness about the nutritive properties of brown rice was poor and was cited as a major barrier to its acceptance. In addition, participants tended to consider cooked rice that was neither white nor long-grained to be inferior. However, they believed that although convincing people to switch to brown rice would be a slow process, promoting its healthful benefits could serve to popularize it. Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatial heterogeneity in human activities favors the persistence of wolves in agroecosystems.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Mohsen; López-Bao, José Vicente; Kaboli, Mohammad

2014-01-01

As human populations expand, there is increasing demand and pressure for land. Under this scenario, behavioural flexibility and adaptation become important processes leading to the persistence of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes such as agroecosystems. A growing interest has recently emerged on the outcome of the coexistence between wolves and humans in these systems. It has been suggested that spatial heterogeneity in human activities would be a major environmental factor modulating vulnerability and persistence of this contentious species in agroecosystems. Here, we combined information from 35 den sites detected between 2011 and 2012 in agroecosystems of western Iran (Hamedan province), a set of environmental variables measured at landscape and fine spatial scales, and generalized linear models to identify patterns of den site selection by wolves in a highly-modified agroecosystem. On a landscape level, wolves selected a mixture of rangelands with scattered dry-farms on hillsides (showing a low human use) to locate their dens, avoiding areas with high densities of settlements and primary roads. On a fine spatial scale, wolves primarily excavated dens into the sides of elevated steep-slope hills with availability of water bodies in the vicinity of den sites, and wolves were relegated to dig in places with coarse-soil particles. Our results suggest that vulnerability of wolves in human-dominated landscapes could be compensated by the existence of spatial heterogeneity in human activities. Such heterogeneity would favor wolf persistence in agroecosystems favoring a land sharing model of coexistence between wolves and people.

Spatial Heterogeneity in Human Activities Favors the Persistence of Wolves in Agroecosystems

PubMed Central

Ahmadi, Mohsen; López-Bao, José Vicente; Kaboli, Mohammad

2014-01-01

As human populations expand, there is increasing demand and pressure for land. Under this scenario, behavioural flexibility and adaptation become important processes leading to the persistence of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes such as agroecosystems. A growing interest has recently emerged on the outcome of the coexistence between wolves and humans in these systems. It has been suggested that spatial heterogeneity in human activities would be a major environmental factor modulating vulnerability and persistence of this contentious species in agroecosystems. Here, we combined information from 35 den sites detected between 2011 and 2012 in agroecosystems of western Iran (Hamedan province), a set of environmental variables measured at landscape and fine spatial scales, and generalized linear models to identify patterns of den site selection by wolves in a highly-modified agroecosystem. On a landscape level, wolves selected a mixture of rangelands with scattered dry-farms on hillsides (showing a low human use) to locate their dens, avoiding areas with high densities of settlements and primary roads. On a fine spatial scale, wolves primarily excavated dens into the sides of elevated steep-slope hills with availability of water bodies in the vicinity of den sites, and wolves were relegated to dig in places with coarse-soil particles. Our results suggest that vulnerability of wolves in human-dominated landscapes could be compensated by the existence of spatial heterogeneity in human activities. Such heterogeneity would favor wolf persistence in agroecosystems favoring a land sharing model of coexistence between wolves and people. PMID:25251567

Development and Validation of an Empiric Tool to Predict Favorable Neurologic Outcomes Among PICU Patients.

PubMed

Gupta, Punkaj; Rettiganti, Mallikarjuna; Gossett, Jeffrey M; Daufeldt, Jennifer; Rice, Tom B; Wetzel, Randall C

2018-01-01

To create a novel tool to predict favorable neurologic outcomes during ICU stay among children with critical illness. Logistic regression models using adaptive lasso methodology were used to identify independent factors associated with favorable neurologic outcomes. A mixed effects logistic regression model was used to create the final prediction model including all predictors selected from the lasso model. Model validation was performed using a 10-fold internal cross-validation approach. Virtual Pediatric Systems (VPS, LLC, Los Angeles, CA) database. Patients less than 18 years old admitted to one of the participating ICUs in the Virtual Pediatric Systems database were included (2009-2015). None. A total of 160,570 patients from 90 hospitals qualified for inclusion. Of these, 1,675 patients (1.04%) were associated with a decline in Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category scale by at least 2 between ICU admission and ICU discharge (unfavorable neurologic outcome). The independent factors associated with unfavorable neurologic outcome included higher weight at ICU admission, higher Pediatric Index of Morality-2 score at ICU admission, cardiac arrest, stroke, seizures, head/nonhead trauma, use of conventional mechanical ventilation and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, prolonged hospital length of ICU stay, and prolonged use of mechanical ventilation. The presence of chromosomal anomaly, cardiac surgery, and utilization of nitric oxide were associated with favorable neurologic outcome. The final online prediction tool can be accessed at https://soipredictiontool.shinyapps.io/GNOScore/. Our model predicted 139,688 patients with favorable neurologic outcomes in an internal validation sample when the observed number of patients with favorable neurologic outcomes was among 139,591 patients. The area under the receiver operating curve for the validation model was 0.90. This proposed prediction tool encompasses 20 risk factors into one probability to predict favorable neurologic outcome during ICU stay among children with critical illness. Future studies should seek external validation and improved discrimination of this prediction tool.

Major Vault Protein May Affect Nonhomologous End-Joining Repair and Apoptosis Through Ku70/80 and BAX Downregulation in Cervical Carcinoma Tumors

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

Lloret, Marta; Instituto Canario de Investigacion del Cancer, Canary Islands; Lara, Pedro Carlos

Purpose: We investigated the relationship between major vault protein (MVP) expression, the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair gene Ku70/80, and related genes involved in the regulation of apoptosis and proliferation to shed light on the possible causes of genetic instability, tumor progression, and resistance to oncologic treatment in patients with clinical cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: One hundred sixteen consecutive patients with localized cervix carcinoma were prospectively included in this study from July 1997 to Dec 2003. Patients were staged according to the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) classification. Forty patients had Stage I disease, 45 had Stage II, and 31 hadmore » Stage III/IVA. Most patients had squamous tumors (98 cases) and Grades II (52 cases) and III (45 cases) carcinomas. Expression of MVP, Ku70/80, Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), BCL2-associated X protein (BAX), B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), p53, and Ki67 was studied by using immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded tumor tissue. Results: Tumors overexpressing MVP (65 of 116 cases) showed low levels of Ku70/80 (p = 0.013) and BAX expression (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, low Ku70/80 expression was strongly related to suppressed BAX (p < 0.001) and, to a lesser extent, upregulated BCL-2 (p = 0.042), altered p53 (p = 0.038), and increased proliferation (p = 0.002). Conclusion: We hypothesize that an early regulatory mechanism favors homologous or NHEJ repair at first, mediated by vaults along with other factors yet to be elucidated. If vaults are overexpressed, NHEJ repair may be suppressed by means of several mechanisms, with resultant genomic instability. These mechanisms may be associated with the decision of damaged cells to survive and proliferate, favoring tumor progression and reducing tumor response to oncologic treatment through the development of resistant cell phenotypes. Additional clinical studies are necessary to test this hypothesis.« less

Is investigator background related to outcome in head to head trials of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for adult depression? A systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Gentili, Claudio; Pietrini, Pietro; Cuijpers, Pim

2017-01-01

Background The influence of factors related to the background of investigators conducting trials comparing psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy has remained largely unstudied. Specializations emphasizing biological determinants of mental disorders, like psychiatry, might favor pharmacotherapy, while others stressing psychosocial factors, like psychology, could promote psychotherapy. Yet financial conflict of interest (COI) could be a confounding factor as authors with a medical specialization might receive more sponsoring from the pharmaceutical industry. Method We conducted a meta-analysis with subgroup and meta-regression analysis examining whether the specialization and affiliation of trial authors were associated to outcomes in the direct comparison of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for the acute treatment of depression. Meta-regression analysis also included trial risk of bias and author conflict of interest in relationship to the pharmaceutical industry. Results We included 45 trials. In half, the first author was psychologist. The last author was psychiatrist/MD in half of the trials, and a psychologist or statistician/other technical in the rest. Most lead authors had medical affiliations. Subgroup analysis indicated that studies with last authors statisticians favored pharmacotherapy. Univariate analysis showed a negative relationship between the presence of statisticians and outcomes favoring psychotherapy. Multivariate analysis showed that trials including authors with financial COI reported findings more favorable to pharmacotherapy. Discussion We report the first detailed overview of the background of authors conducting head to head trials for depression. Trials co-authored by statisticians appear to subtly favor pharmacotherapy. Receiving funding from the industry is more closely related to finding better outcomes for the industry’s elective treatment than are factors related to authors’ background. Limitations For a minority of authors we could not retrieve background information. The number of trials was insufficient to evidence subtler effects. PMID:28158281

[Hospital-based multicenter study in Spain, Mexico and Cuba on attitudes to living liver donation].

PubMed

Ríos, Antonio; López-Navas, Ana Isabel; Ayala-García, Marco Antonio; Sebastián, María José; Abdo-Cuza, Anselmo; Martínez-Alarcón, Laura; Ramírez, Ector Jaime; Muñoz, Gerardo; Palacios, Gerardo; Suárez-López, Juliette; Castellanos, Roberto; González, Beatríz; Martínez, Miguel Angel; Díaz, Ernesto; Ramírez, Pablo; Parrilla, Pascual

2015-01-01

Given the lack of a sufficient number of livers available for transplantation, living liver donation (LLD) is being developed in the Spanish-speaking world. To do this, it is essential that health workers in hospitals are in favor of such donation, given that they are a key component in this treatment and that their attitudes influence public opinion. To analyze attitude toward LLD among hospital personnel from healthcare centers in Spain and Latin America. Ten hospitals were selected from the «International Donor Collaborative Project»: 3 from Spain, 5 from Mexico and 2 from Cuba. Random sampling stratified by type of service and job category was used. Attitudes to LLD were evaluated through a validated questionnaire on psychosocial aspects. The questionnaire was anonymous and self-administered. Statistical tests consisted of Student's T test, the chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Of the 2,618 employees surveyed, 85% (n=2,231) were in favor of related LLD; of these, 31% (n=804) were in favor of unrelated LLD. No association was found between the country of the interviewed, personal-social variables or work-related variables. The following factors were associated with a favorable attitude toward related LLD donation: having had personal experience of donation and transplantation (P<.001); being in favor of deceased donation (P<.001); believing that one might need a possible transplant (P<.001); being in favor of living kidney donation (P<.001); being willing to accept a liver from a living donor (P<.001); having discussed the matter of donation and transplantation within the family (P<.001) and with one's partner (P<.001); carrying out pro-social type activities (P<.001); being Catholic (P=.040); believing that one's religion is in favor of donation and transplantation (P<.001); and not being concerned about the possible mutilation of the body after donation (P<.001). Hospital personnel from Spain and Latin America had a favorable attitude toward LLD, which was associated with factors directly and indirectly related to donation and transplantation, family and religious factors, and attitudes toward the body. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and AEEH y AEG. All rights reserved.

Favorable modulation of benign breast tissue and serum risk biomarkers is associated with > 10 % weight loss in postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Fabian, Carol J; Kimler, Bruce F; Donnelly, Joseph E; Sullivan, Debra K; Klemp, Jennifer R; Petroff, Brian K; Phillips, Teresa A; Metheny, Trina; Aversman, Sonya; Yeh, Hung-Wen; Zalles, Carola M; Mills, Gordon B; Hursting, Stephen D

2013-11-01

We conducted a phase II feasibility study of a 6-month behavioral weight loss intervention in postmenopausal overweight and obese women at increased risk for breast cancer and the effects of weight loss on anthropomorphic, blood, and benign breast tissue biomarkers. 67 women were screened by random peri-areolar fine-needle aspiration, 27 were registered and 24 participated in the interventional phase. The 24 biomarker evaluable women had a median baseline BMI of 34.2 kg/m(2) and lost a median of 11 % of their initial weight. Significant tissue biomarker modulation after the 6-month intervention was noted for Ki-67 (if restricted to the 15 women with any Ki-67 at baseline, p = 0.041), adiponectin to leptin ratio (p = 0.003); and cyclin B1 (p = 0.001), phosphorylated retinoblastoma (p = 0.005), and ribosomal S6 (p = 0.004) proteins. Favorable modulation for serum markers was observed for sex hormone-binding globulin (p < 0.001), bioavailable estradiol (p < 0.001), bioavailable testosterone (p = 0.033), insulin (p = 0.018), adiponectin (p = 0.001), leptin (p < 0.001), the adiponectin to leptin ratio (p < 0.001), C-reactive protein (p = 0.002), and hepatocyte growth factor (p = 0.011). When subdivided by <10 or >10 % weight loss, change in percent total body and android (visceral) fat, physical activity, and the majority of the serum and tissue biomarkers were significantly modulated only for women with >10 % weight loss from baseline. Some factors such as serum PAI-1 and breast tissue pS2 (estrogen-inducible gene) mRNA were not significantly modulated overall but were when considering only those with >10 % weight loss. In conclusion, a median weight loss of 11 % over 6 months resulted in favorable modulation of a number of anthropomorphic, breast tissue and serum risk and mechanistic markers. Weight loss of 10 % or more should likely be the goal for breast cancer risk reduction studies in obese women.

For love or money? Attitudes toward financial incentives among actual living kidney donors.

PubMed

van Buren, M C; Massey, E K; Maasdam, L; Zuidema, W C; Hilhorst, M T; Ijzermans, J N; Weimar, W

2010-11-01

Due to lengthening waiting lists for kidney transplantation, a debate has emerged as to whether financial incentives should be used to stimulate living kidney donation. In recent surveys among the general public approximately 25% was in favor of financial incentives while the majority was opposed or undecided. In the present study, we investigated the opinion of living kidney donors regarding financial incentives for living kidney donation. We asked 250 living kidney donors whether they, in retrospect, would have wanted a financial reward for their donation. We also investigated whether they were in favor of using financial incentives in a government-controlled system to stimulate living anonymous donation. Additionally, the type of incentive deemed most appropriate was also investigated. In general almost half (46%) of the study population were positive toward introducing financial incentives for living donors. The majority (78%) was not in favor of any kind of reward for themselves as they had donated out of love for the recipient or out of altruistic principles. Remarkably, 60% of the donors were in favor of a financial incentive for individuals donating anonymously. A reduced premium or free health insurance was the preferred incentive. ©2010 The Authors Journal compilation©2010 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia for neurological salvage in patients with cardiogenic sudden cardiac arrest: the importance of prehospital return of spontaneous circulation.

PubMed

Shinada, Takuro; Hata, Noritake; Kobayashi, Nobuaki; Tomita, Kazunori; Shirakabe, Akihiro; Tsurumi, Masafumi; Matsushita, Masato; Okazaki, Hirotake; Yamamoto, Yoshiya; Yokoyama, Shinya

2013-01-01

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) have improved neurological outcomes after sudden cardiac arrest, but the factors affecting favorable neurological outcome remain unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify these factors in patients in cardiac arrest treated with MTH. Forty-six consecutive patients (mean age, 59.4 ± 14.3 years; 37 men and 9 women) who had had cardiogenic cardiac arrest from January 2008 through December 2011, including cases that were and were not shockable, were enrolled in this study, and the factors affecting favorable neurological outcome were retrospectively investigated. The interval from cardiac arrest to cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), the start of MTH, and the attaining of the target temperature were retrieved from the medical records. The relationship between the neurological outcome and clinical findings, including the causes of cardiac arrest and vital signs before MTH, were also investigated. Blood pressure and body temperature before MTH were higher, the interval from cardiac arrest to ROSC was shorter, and MTH was started earlier in patients with favorable neurological outcomes than in those with unfavorable outcomes. A multivariate logistic regression model revealed that the presence of prehospital ROSC was predictive of a favorable neurological outcome. In addition, renal failure during MTH occurred more frequently in patients with unfavorable neurological outcomes. MTH is associated with favorable neurological outcomes after sudden cardiac arrest, including those with non-shockable rhythms, especially in patients with prehospital ROSC.

Virulence factors in Escherichia coli urinary tract infection.

PubMed Central

Johnson, J R

1991-01-01

Uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli are characterized by the expression of distinctive bacterial properties, products, or structures referred to as virulence factors because they help the organism overcome host defenses and colonize or invade the urinary tract. Virulence factors of recognized importance in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infection (UTI) include adhesins (P fimbriae, certain other mannose-resistant adhesins, and type 1 fimbriae), the aerobactin system, hemolysin, K capsule, and resistance to serum killing. This review summarizes the virtual explosion of information regarding the epidemiology, biochemistry, mechanisms of action, and genetic basis of these urovirulence factors that has occurred in the past decade and identifies areas in need of further study. Virulence factor expression is more common among certain genetically related groups of E. coli which constitute virulent clones within the larger E. coli population. In general, the more virulence factors a strain expresses, the more severe an infection it is able to cause. Certain virulence factors specifically favor the development of pyelonephritis, others favor cystitis, and others favor asymptomatic bacteriuria. The currently defined virulence factors clearly contribute to the virulence of wild-type strains but are usually insufficient in themselves to transform an avirulent organism into a pathogen, demonstrating that other as-yet-undefined virulence properties await discovery. Virulence factor testing is a useful epidemiological and research tool but as yet has no defined clinical role. Immunological and biochemical anti-virulence factor interventions are effective in animal models of UTI and hold promise for the prevention of UTI in humans. Images PMID:1672263

Legal liability in iatrogenic orbital injury.

PubMed

Svider, Peter F; Kovalerchik, Olga; Mauro, Andrew C; Baredes, Soly; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2013-09-01

In this study, we detailed factors governing legal outcomes in iatrogenic orbital injury, with the purpose of discussing strategies to minimize liability and enhance patient safety. Retrospective analysis. Jury verdict and settlement reports were searched from publically available federal and state court records using the Westlaw database (Thomson Reuters, New York, NY). After exclusion of nonrelevant cases, 20 cases of iatrogenic orbital injuries were examined for factors such as legal outcome, damages awarded, defendant specialty, alleged causes of malpractice, and patient demographic information. The majority (60.0%) of cases were resolved in the defendant's favor. Payment was considerable for the cases decided in support of the plaintiff, averaging $1.13 million. Out-of-court settlements averaged $1.78 million (range, $487,500-$3.9 million), whereas jury-awarded damages averaged $472,661 (range, $75,000-$763,214). Complications stemming from endoscopic sinus surgery were most common (50.0%). Diplopia was the most common medical complaint (50.0%), whereas permanent deficits and having to undergo additional surgery were each present in 65.0% of cases. The potential for permanent sequelae of iatrogenic orbital injury makes this complication susceptible to malpractice litigation. Otolaryngologists were the most common defendants. Although cases were resolved in the defendant's favor 60% of the time, payments made were considerable, averaging $1.13 million. Steps to minimize liability and improve patient safety include an informed consent process explicitly listing risks, including diplopia and blindness, and obtaining timely ophthalmology consultation when a complication is recognized. Copyright © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

The restaurant syndromes.

PubMed

Settipane, G A

1987-01-01

The Restaurant syndromes can be caused by five major factors: food allergens, sulfites, monosodium glutamate (MSG), tartrazine, and scombroidosis (and other seafood poisoning). A history of atopy and ingestion of known food allergens such as peanuts, egg, fish, and walnuts, together with positive results of skin tests or RAST to these foods, will favor a diagnosis of food allergy. Allergic reactions to peanuts have produced fatalities in minutes through an IgE mediated reaction. An extremely rapid onset (minutes) of symptoms consisting of flushing, bronchospasm and hypotension is consistent with a sulfite reaction. Burning, pressure, and tightness or numbness in the face, neck, and upper chest following ingestion of Chinese food favors a diagnosis of adverse reaction to MSG. Also, development of late onset bronchospasm (up to 14 hours) may be related to MSG reactions. Bronchospasm and urticaria in a patient with a history of aspirin intolerance suggests tartrazine sensitivity. If everyone ingesting a fish meal develops flushing, urticaria, pruritus, gastrointestinal complaints, or bronchospasm, this implies scombroidosis, ciguatera, or other seafood poisoning. Finally, severe headache or hypertension can result from ingestion of naturally occurring amines, such as tyramine (cheese, red wine) and phenylethylamine (chocolate). A double-blind oral challenge test may be the only way of confirming the diagnosis for most of the etiological factors of the Restaurant syndromes. The treatment of choice for acute reaction is epinephrine followed by antihistamine. Proper labeling and avoidance of these ingredients in sensitive individuals are the best preventive measures.

Current State of Colorectal Surgery Training: A Survey of Program Directors, Current and Recently Matched Colorectal Residents, and Recent Colorectal Graduates.

PubMed

Bailey, Matthew B; Miller, Peter E; Pawlak, Stephanie E; Thomas, Michael S; Beck, David E; Vargas, H David; Whitlow, Charles B; Margolin, David A

2016-02-01

Colorectal residency has become one of the more competitive postgraduate training opportunities; however, little information is available to guide potential applicants in gauging their competitiveness. The aim of this study was to identify the current trends colorectal residency training and to identify what factors are considered most important in ranking a candidate highly. We hypothesized that there was a difference in what program directors, current and recently matched colorectal residents, and recent graduates consider most important in making a candidate competitive for a colorectal residency position. Three 10-question anonymous surveys were sent to 59 program directors, 87 current and recently matched colorectal residents, and 119 recent graduates in March 2015. The study was conducted as an anonymous internet survey. Current trends in applying for a colorectal residency, competitiveness of recent colorectal residents, factors considered most important in ranking a candidate highly, and what future colorectal surgeons can expect after finishing their training were measured. The study had an overall response rate of 43%, with 28 (47%) of 59 program directors, 46 (53%) of 87 current and recently matched colorectal residents, and 39 (33%) of 119 recent graduates responding. The majority of program directors felt that a candidate's performance during the interview process was the most important factor in making a candidate competitive, followed by contact from a colleague, letters of recommendation, American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam scores, and number of publications/presentations. The majority of current and recently matched colorectal residents felt that a recommendation/telephone call from a colleague was the most important factor, whereas the majority of recent graduates favored letters of recommendation as the most important factor in ranking a candidate highly. Limitations to the study include its small sample size, selection bias, responder bias, and misclassification bias. There are differences in what program directors and current/recent residents consider most important in making an applicant competitive for colorectal residency.

Optimal Levels of All Major Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Younger Age and Functional Disability in Older Age: The Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry (CHA) 32-Year Follow-up Health Survey

PubMed Central

Vu, Thanh-Huyen T.; Lloyd-Jones, Donald M.; Liu, Kiang; Stamler, Jeremiah; Garside, Daniel B.; Daviglus, Martha L.

2016-01-01

Background The associations of optimal levels of all major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, i.e., low-risk, in younger age with subsequent CVD morbidity and mortality have been well documented. However, little is known about associations of low-risk profiles in younger age with functional disability in older age. Methods and Results The sample included 6,014 participants from the CHA Study. Low-risk status, defined as untreated SBP/DBP ≤120/≤80 mmHg, untreated serum total cholesterol <5.18 mmol/l, not smoking, BMI < 25 kg/m2, and no diabetes, was assessed at baseline (1967–73). Functional disability, categorized as: 1) any disability in activities of daily living (ADLs), 2) any disability in instrumental ADLs (IADLs) but no ADL, or 3) no disability, was assessed from the 2003 health survey. There were 39% women, 4% Black, with a mean age of 43 and 6% low-risk status at baseline. After 32 years, 7% reported having limitations in performing any ADL and 11% in any IADL only. The prevalence of any ADL limitation was lowest in low-risk persons and increased in a graded fashion with less favorable risk-factor groups (p-trend <0.001). Compared to those with 2+ high-risk factors, the multivariable-adjusted odds of having any disability in ADLs vs. no disability in persons with low-risk, any moderate-risk, and 1 high-risk factor at baseline were lower by 58%, 48%, and 37%, respectively. Results were similar for IADLs, in both men and women. Conclusions Having an optimal CVD risk factor profile at younger age is associated with the lowest rate of functional disability in older age. PMID:27382089

Scientific literacy: Factor structure and gender differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manhart, James Joseph

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factor structure of scientific literacy and to document any gender differences with respect to each factor. Participants included 1139 students (574 females, 565 males) in grades 9 through 12 who were taking a science class at one of four Midwestern high schools. Based on National Science Education Standards, a 100 item multiple-choice test was constructed to assess scientific literacy. Confirmatory factor analysis of item parcels suggested a three factor model was the best way to explain the data resulting from the administration of this test. The factors were labeled constructs of science, abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, and social aspects of science. Gender differences with respect to these factors were examined using analysis of variance procedures. Because differential enrollment in science classes could cause gender differences in grades 11 and 12, parallel analyses were conducted on the grades 9 and 10 subsample and the grades 11 and 12 subsample. However, the results of the two analyses were similar. The most consistent gender difference observed was that females performed better than males on the social aspects of science factor. Males tended to perform better than females on the constructs of science factor, although no consistent gender difference was noted for items dealing with life science. With respect to the abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry factor, females tended to perform better than males in grades 9 and 10, while no consistent gender difference was observed in grades 11 and 12. Gender differences were also examined using the Mantel-Haenszel procedure to flag individual items that functioned differently for females and males of the same ability. Twelve items were flagged for grades 9 and 10 (8 in favor of females, 4 in favor of males). Fourteen items were flagged for grades 11 and 12 (7 in favor of females, 7 in favor of males). All of the flagged items exhibited only small to moderate differential item functioning (DIF). Only three items were similarly flagged in both subsamples, one item from each factor.

Definitions of and beliefs about wife abuse among ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from Israel.

PubMed

Steinmetz, Simona; Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M

2006-04-01

This article presents a study conducted among 148 men from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel. A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to examine their definitions of and beliefs about wife abuse. The definitions provided by the majority of the participants were highly consistent with definitions that are accepted in the professional literature. The majority of participants tended to view wife abuse as unjustified and held violent husbands responsible for their behavior. They were also in favor of helping women who were abused. At the same time, however, some participants showed a tendency to blame women for violence against them and indicated that the reasons why women stay with husbands who are abusive can be attributed more to external factors than to her internal situation. Substantial amounts of the variance in the participants' definitions of and beliefs about wife abuse can be explained by the extent of their patriarchal ideology. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Plant TOR signaling components

PubMed Central

John, Florian; Roffler, Stefan; Wicker, Thomas; Ringli, Christoph

2011-01-01

Cell growth is a process that needs to be tightly regulated. Cells must be able to sense environmental factors like nutrient abundance, the energy level or stress signals and coordinate growth accordingly. The Target Of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway is a major controller of growth-related processes in all eukaryotes. If environmental conditions are favorable, the TOR pathway promotes cell and organ growth and restrains catabolic processes like autophagy. Rapamycin is a specific inhibitor of the TOR kinase and acts as a potent inhibitor of TOR signaling. As a consequence, interfering with TOR signaling has a strong impact on plant development. This review summarizes the progress in the understanding of the biological significance and the functional analysis of the TOR pathway in plants. PMID:22057328

ON IMPROVING THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE NEGRO.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

TOBIN, JAMES

EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE NEGRO POVERTY MUST BE UNDERTAKEN WITHIN A FAVORABLE OVERALL ECONOMIC CLIMATE, AND THE CURRENT CLIMATE IS NOT FAVORABLE BECAUSE MANPOWER AND PLANT CAPACITY ARE NOT FULLY UTILIZED. SUCH FACTORS AS LIMITED JOBS, EXAGGERATED JOB REQUIREMENTS, LOWER EARNING CAPACITY, DURATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT, FLUCTUATIONS OF THE BUSINESS CYCLE, AND…

[Biological and social correlates of favorable and unfavorable neurosis course].

PubMed

Sarsembaev, K T

2003-01-01

Four hundred ninety seven patients with neurosis of Astana (Kazakhstan) community, 116 men and 381 women, have been studied. The patients were traced in 5-year follow up study. Favorable and unfavorable types of the disorder were established, the latter being characterized by transforming into neurotic personality development. The influence of endogenous and environmental factors on neurosis prognosis was examined. To elaborate adequate measures for preventing neurotic personality development, criteria for favorable and unfavorable prognosis of neurotic disorders were suggested.

Male attitudes to family planning education in Santiago, Chile.

PubMed

Hall, M F

1977-01-01

Male attitudes toward family planning education were assessed through a study of 720 men in Santiago and 240 men in a nearby rural area of Chile. Interviews were conducted by male students at the University of Chile School of Public Health. A large majority of the men were using or planned to use contraception in the future. There was a near consensus that adults should be informed regarding family planning. More than a majority of the respondents favored provision of contraceptive information for unmarried women, but most did not approve of premarital sexual activity for females. Most respondents favored the teaching of sex education in schools "according to the age of the children." Younger and higher class males tended to hold the most liberal attitudes.

Factors Influencing Deoxynivalenol Accumulation in Small Grain Cereals

PubMed Central

Wegulo, Stephen N.

2012-01-01

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by the plant pathogenic fungi Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum. These and other closely related fungi cause a disease known as Fusarium head blight (FHB) in small grain cereals. Other mycotoxins produced by FHB-causing fungi include nivalenol, T-2 toxin, and zearalenone. Ingestion of mycotoxin-contaminated food and feed can lead to toxicosis in humans and animals, respectively. DON is the predominant and most economically important of these mycotoxins in the majority of small grain-producing regions of the world. This review examines the factors that influence DON accumulation in small grain cereals from an agricultural perspective. The occurrence and economic importance of FHB and DON in small grain cereals, epidemiological factors and cereal production practices that favor FHB development and DON accumulation in grain under field conditions, and regulatory/advisory standards for DON in food and feed are discussed. This information can be used to develop strategies that reduce DON accumulation in grain before harvest and to mitigate the human and animal health risks associated with DON contamination of food and feed. PMID:23202310

Sex differences in lipid profiles and treatment utilization among young adults with acute myocardial infarction: Results from the VIRGO study.

PubMed

Lu, Yuan; Zhou, Shengfan; Dreyer, Rachel P; Caulfield, Michael; Spatz, Erica S; Geda, Mary; Lorenze, Nancy P; Herbert, Peter; D'Onofrio, Gail; Jackson, Elizabeth A; Lichtman, Judith H; Bueno, Héctor; Spertus, John A; Krumholz, Harlan M

2017-01-01

Young women with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have higher mortality risk than similarly aged men. An adverse lipid profile is an important risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes after AMI, but little is known about whether young women with AMI have a higher-risk lipid pattern than men. We characterized sex differences in lipid profiles and treatment utilization among young adults with AMI. A total of 2,219 adults with AMI (1,494 women) aged 18-55 years were enrolled from 103 hospitals in the United States (2008-2012). Serum lipids and lipoprotein subclasses were measured 1 month after discharge. More than 90% of adults were discharged on a statin, but less than half received a high-intensity dose and 12% stopped taking treatments by 1 month. For both men and women, the median of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was reduced to <100 mg/dL 1 month after discharge for AMI, but high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol remained <40 mg/dL. Multivariate regression analyses showed that young women had favorable lipoprotein profiles compared with men: women had higher HDL cholesterol and HDL large particle, but lower total cholesterol-to-HDL cholesterol ratio and LDL small particle. Young women with AMI had slightly favorable lipid and lipoprotein profiles compared with men, suggesting that difference in lipid and lipoprotein may not be a major contributor to sex differences in outcomes after AMI. In both men and women, statin remained inadequately used, and low HDL cholesterol level was a major lipid abnormality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statin use and risk for type 2 diabetes: what clinicians should know.

PubMed

Maki, Kevin C; Diwadkar-Navsariwala, Veda; Kramer, Melvyn W

2018-03-01

Statins are the first line of pharmacologic treatment for the management of hypercholesterolemia in patients at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease. In recent years, several randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies have reported increased risk for new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) with statin treatment, particularly with use of high-intensity statins that reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 50% or more. This paper summarizes the data from RCTs and observational studies for statin-associated T2D risk, and puts into perspective this evidence, weighed against the established benefits of statin therapy for CV risk reduction. In RCTs, the increase in T2D risk with statin therapy appears to be attributable mainly to those with major T2D risk factors. The increase in incidence of T2D in those with major risk is approximately 25% for statin use, compared to placebo, and for intensive statin therapy compared to moderate-intensity statin therapy. However, in those with major T2D risk factors, the number of CV disease events prevented for each excess case of T2D is close to or greater than one, indicating that the risk-benefit ratio still strongly favors use of statin therapy, or intensive statin therapy, for patients with sufficient CV disease risk to warrant cholesterol-lowering drug therapy. Recommendations are summarized for evaluation of the T2D risk factor profile before initiation of and during statin therapy. In addition, the importance of lifestyle management and other preventive measures is emphasized for management of risks for both T2D and CV disease events in patients receiving statin therapy.

Stromal Tissue Rigidity Promotes Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Mediated Corneal Wound Healing Through the Transforming Growth Factor β Signaling Pathway.

PubMed

Yang, Yun-Hsiang; Hsieh, Ting-Lieh; Ji, Andrea Tung-Qian; Hsu, Wei-Tse; Liu, Chia-Yu; Lee, Oscar Kuang-Sheng; Ho, Jennifer Hui-Chun

2016-10-01

The healing of a corneal epithelial defect is essential for preventing infectious corneal ulcers and subsequent blindness. We previously demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the corneal stroma, through a paracrine mechanism, yield a more favorable therapeutic benefit for corneal wound re-epithelialization than do MSCs in the corneal epithelium. In this study, MSCs were grown on a matrix with the rigidity of the physiological human vitreous (1 kPa), corneal epithelium (8 kPa), or corneal stroma (25 kPa) for investigating the role of corneal tissue rigidity in MSC functions regarding re-epithelialization promotion. MSC growth on a 25-kPa dish significantly promoted the wound healing of human corneal epithelial (HCE-T) cells. Among growth factors contributing to corneal epithelial wound healing, corneal stromal rigidity selectively enhanced transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) secretion from MSCs. Inhibitors of TGF-β pan receptor, TGF-β receptor 1, and Smad2 dose dependently abrogated MSC-mediated HCE-T wound healing. Furthermore, MSCs growth on a matrix with corneal stromal rigidity enhanced the ability of themselves to promote corneal re-epithelialization by activating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and integrin β1 production in HCE-T cells through TGF-β signaling pathway activation. Smad2 activation resulted in the upregulation of MMP-2 and -13 expression in HCE-T cells, whereas integrin β1 production favored a Smad2-independent TGF-β pathway. Altogether, we conclude that corneal stromal rigidity is a critical factor for MSC-induced promotion of corneal re-epithelialization. The activation of the TGF-β signaling pathway, which maintains the balance between integrin and MMP expression, in HCE-T cells is the major pathway responsible for MSC-mediated wound healing. Stem Cells 2016;34:2525-2535. © 2016 AlphaMed Press.

Legionella Contamination in Hot Water of Italian Hotels

PubMed Central

Borella, Paola; Montagna, Maria Teresa; Stampi, Serena; Stancanelli, Giovanna; Romano-Spica, Vincenzo; Triassi, Maria; Marchesi, Isabella; Bargellini, Annalisa; Tatò, Daniela; Napoli, Christian; Zanetti, Franca; Leoni, Erica; Moro, Matteo; Scaltriti, Stefania; Ribera D'Alcalà, Gabriella; Santarpia, Rosalba; Boccia, Stefania

2005-01-01

A cross-sectional multicenter survey of Italian hotels was conducted to investigate Legionella spp. contamination of hot water. Chemical parameters (hardness, free chlorine concentration, and trace element concentrations), water systems, and building characteristics were evaluated to study risk factors for colonization. The hot water systems of Italian hotels were strongly colonized by Legionella; 75% of the buildings examined and 60% of the water samples were contaminated, mainly at levels of ≥103 CFU liter−1, and Legionella pneumophila was the most frequently isolated species (87%). L. pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from 45.8% of the contaminated sites and from 32.5% of the hotels examined. When a multivariate logistic model was used, only hotel age was associated with contamination, but the risk factors differed depending on the contaminating species and serogroup. Soft water with higher chlorine levels and higher temperatures were associated with L. pneumophila serogroup 1 colonization, whereas the opposite was observed for serogroups 2 to 14. In conclusion, Italian hotels, particularly those located in old buildings, represent a major source of risk for Legionnaires' disease due to the high frequency of Legionella contamination, high germ concentration, and major L. pneumophila serogroup 1 colonization. The possible role of chlorine in favoring the survival of Legionella species is discussed. PMID:16204491

Legionella contamination in hot water of Italian hotels.

PubMed

Borella, Paola; Montagna, Maria Teresa; Stampi, Serena; Stancanelli, Giovanna; Romano-Spica, Vincenzo; Triassi, Maria; Marchesi, Isabella; Bargellini, Annalisa; Tatò, Daniela; Napoli, Christian; Zanetti, Franca; Leoni, Erica; Moro, Matteo; Scaltriti, Stefania; Ribera D'Alcalà, Gabriella; Santarpia, Rosalba; Boccia, Stefania

2005-10-01

A cross-sectional multicenter survey of Italian hotels was conducted to investigate Legionella spp. contamination of hot water. Chemical parameters (hardness, free chlorine concentration, and trace element concentrations), water systems, and building characteristics were evaluated to study risk factors for colonization. The hot water systems of Italian hotels were strongly colonized by Legionella; 75% of the buildings examined and 60% of the water samples were contaminated, mainly at levels of > or =10(3) CFU liter(-1), and Legionella pneumophila was the most frequently isolated species (87%). L. pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from 45.8% of the contaminated sites and from 32.5% of the hotels examined. When a multivariate logistic model was used, only hotel age was associated with contamination, but the risk factors differed depending on the contaminating species and serogroup. Soft water with higher chlorine levels and higher temperatures were associated with L. pneumophila serogroup 1 colonization, whereas the opposite was observed for serogroups 2 to 14. In conclusion, Italian hotels, particularly those located in old buildings, represent a major source of risk for Legionnaires' disease due to the high frequency of Legionella contamination, high germ concentration, and major L. pneumophila serogroup 1 colonization. The possible role of chlorine in favoring the survival of Legionella species is discussed.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis to Predict Environmental Influence on Malaria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baig, S.; Sarfraz, M. S.

2018-05-01

Malaria is a vector borne disease which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. It is one of the major diseases in the category of infectious diseases. The survival and bionomics of malaria is affected by environmental factors such as climatic, demographic and land-use/land-cover etc. Currently, a very few under developing countries are using Geo-informatics approaches to control this disease. Gujrat a district of Pakistan, is still under threat of malaria disease. Current research is carried on malaria incidents obtained from District Executive Officer of Health Gujrat. The objective of this study was to explore the spatio-temporal patterns of malaria in district Gujrat and to identify the areas being affected by Malaria. Furthermore, it has been also analyzed the relationship between malaria incident and environmental factors in highly favorable zones. Data is analyzed based on spatial and temporal patterns using (Moran's I). Moreover cluster and hot spots analysis were performed on the incident data. This study shows positive correlation with rainfall, vegetation index, population density and water bodies; while it shows positive and negative correlation with temperature in different seasons. However, variation between amount of vegetation and water bodies were observed. Finding of this research can help the decision makers to take preventive measures and reduce the morbidity and mortality related with malaria in Gujrat, Pakistan.

Factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition: Exploratory factor analyses with the 16 primary and secondary subtests.

PubMed

Canivez, Gary L; Watkins, Marley W; Dombrowski, Stefan C

2016-08-01

The factor structure of the 16 Primary and Secondary subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V; Wechsler, 2014a) standardization sample was examined with exploratory factor analytic methods (EFA) not included in the WISC-V Technical and Interpretive Manual (Wechsler, 2014b). Factor extraction criteria suggested 1 to 4 factors and results favored 4 first-order factors. When this structure was transformed with the Schmid and Leiman (1957) orthogonalization procedure, the hierarchical g-factor accounted for large portions of total and common variance while the 4 first-order factors accounted for small portions of total and common variance; rendering interpretation at the factor index level less appropriate. Although the publisher favored a 5-factor model where the Perceptual Reasoning factor was split into separate Visual Spatial and Fluid Reasoning dimensions, no evidence for 5 factors was found. It was concluded that the WISC-V provides strong measurement of general intelligence and clinical interpretation should be primarily, if not exclusively, at that level. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

A French Culture Course for Non-Language Majors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savoie, Norman R.

The traditional upper-level course in French civilization at Utah State University was abandoned in favor of a course entitled "France Today," taught once a year to a consistent enrollment of students majoring in a wide variety of disciplines. The content varies somewhat each year, but the class typically begins with several class…

A Global Overview of the Impact of Peritoneal Dialysis First or Favored Policies: An Opinion

PubMed Central

Liu, Frank Xiaoqing; Gao, Xin; Inglese, Gary; Chuengsaman, Piyatida; Pecoits-Filho, Roberto; Yu, Alex

2015-01-01

Given the ever-increasing burden of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in a global milieu of limited financial and health resources, interested parties continue to search for ways to optimize dialysis access. Government and payer initiatives to increase access to renal replacement therapies (RRTs), particularly peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD), may have meaningful impacts from clinical and health-economic perspectives; and despite similar clinical and humanistic outcomes between the two dialysis modalities, PD may be the more convenient and resource-conscious option. This review assessed country-specific PD-First/Favored policies and their associated background, implementation, and outcomes. It was found that barriers to policy-implementation are broadly associated with government policy, economics, provider or healthcare professional education, modality-related factors, and patient-related factors. Notably, the success of a given country's PD-Favored policy was inversely associated with the extent of HD infrastructure. It is hoped that this review will provide a foundation across countries to share lessons learned during the development and implementation of PD-First/Favored policies. PMID:25082840

Length of occlusion predicts recanalization and outcome after intravenous thrombolysis in middle cerebral artery stroke.

PubMed

Rohan, Vladimir; Baxa, Jan; Tupy, Radek; Cerna, Lenka; Sevcik, Petr; Friesl, Michal; Polivka, Jiri; Polivka, Jiri; Ferda, Jiri

2014-07-01

The length of large vessel occlusion is considered a major factor for therapy in patients with ischemic stroke. We used 4D-CT angiography evaluation of middle cerebral artery occlusion in prediction of recanalization and favorable clinical outcome and after intravenous thrombolysis (IV-tPA). In 80 patients treated with IV-tPA for acute complete middle cerebral artery/M1 occlusion determined using CT angiography and temporal maximum intensity projection, calculated from 4D-CT angiography, the length of middle cerebral artery proximal stump, occlusion in M1 or M1 and M2 segment were measured. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to define independent predictors of successful recanalization after 24 hours and favorable outcome after 3 months. The length of occlusion was measureable in all patients using temporal maximum intensity projection. Recanalization thrombolysis in myocardial infarction 2 to 3 was achieved in 37 individuals (46%). The extension to M2 segment as a category (odds ratio, 4.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-15.05; P=0.012) and the length of M1 segment occlusion (odds ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-0.92; P=0.0007) with an optimal cutoff value of 12 mm (sensitivity 0.67; specificity 0.71) were significant independent predictors of recanalization. Favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale 0-2) was achieved in 25 patients (31%), baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (odds ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.93; P=0.003) and the length of occlusion M1 in segment (odds ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.91; P=0.0008) with an optimal cutoff value of 11 mm (sensitivity 0.74; specificity 0.76) were significant independent predictors of favorable outcome. The length of middle cerebral artery occlusion is an independent predictor of successful IV-tPA treatment. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Assessing Factors Contributing to Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms in U.S. Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salls, W. B.; Iiames, J. S., Jr.; Lunetta, R. S.; Mehaffey, M.; Schaeffer, B. A.

2017-12-01

Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms (CHABs) in inland lakes have emerged as a major threat to water quality from both ecological and public health standpoints. Understanding the factors and processes driving CHAB occurrence is important in order to properly manage ensuring more favorable water quality outcomes. High water temperatures and nutrient loadings are known drivers of CHABs; however, the contribution of landscape variables and their interactions with these drivers remains relatively unstudied at a regional or national scale. This study assesses upstream landscape variables that may contribute to or obstruct/delay nutrient loadings to freshwater systems in several hundred inland lakes in the Upper Mid-western and Northeastern United States. We employ multiple linear regression and random forest modeling to determine which variables contribute most strongly to CHAB occurrence. This lakeshed-based approach will rank the impact of each landscape variable on cyanobacteria levels derived from satellite remotely sensed data from the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) sensor for the 2011 bloom season (July - October).

Growth and Heavy Metal Accumulation of Koelreuteria Paniculata Seedlings and Their Potential for Restoring Manganese Mine Wastelands in Hunan, China

PubMed Central

Huang, Zhihong; Xiang, Wenhua; Ma, Yu’e; Lei, Pifeng; Tian, Dalun; Deng, Xiangwen; Yan, Wende; Fang, Xi

2015-01-01

The planting of trees on mine wastelands is an effective, long-term technique for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated wastes. In this study, a pot experiment with seedlings of Koelreuteria paniculata under six treatments of local mine wastes was designed to determine the major constraints on tree establishment and to evaluate the feasibility of planting K. paniculata on manganese mine wastelands. Results showed that K. paniculata grew well in mine tailings, and also under a regime of equal amounts of mine tailings and soil provided in adjacent halves of pots. In contrast, mine sludge did not favor survival and growth because its clay texture limited fine root development. The bio-concentration factor and the translocation factor were mostly less than 1, indicating a low phytoextraction potential for K. paniculata. K. paniculata is suited to restore manganese mine sludge by mixing the mine sludge with local mine tailings or soil. PMID:25654773

DSN human factors project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chafin, R. L.; Martin, T. H.

1980-01-01

The project plan was to hold focus groups to identify the factors influencing the ease of use characteristics of software and to bond the problem. A questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate those factors which were more appropriately measured with that method. The performance oriented factors were analyzed and relationships hypothesized. The hypotheses were put to test in the experimental phase of the project. In summary, the initial analysis indicates that there is an initial performance effect favoring computer controlled dialogue but the advantage fades fast as operators become experienced. The user documentation style is seen to have a significant effect on performance. The menu and prompt command formats are preferred by inexperienced operators. The short form mnemonic is least favored. There is no clear best command format but the short form mnemonic is clearly the worst.

Extended-duration venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in acutely ill medical patients with recently reduced mobility: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Hull, Russell D; Schellong, Sebastian M; Tapson, Victor F; Monreal, Manuel; Samama, Meyer-Michel; Nicol, Philippe; Vicaut, Eric; Turpie, Alexander G G; Yusen, Roger D

2010-07-06

Extended-duration low-molecular-weight heparin has been shown to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in high-risk surgical patients. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of extended-duration enoxaparin thromboprophylaxis in acutely ill medical patients. Randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled trial. Randomization was computer-generated. Allocation was centralized. Patients, caregivers, and outcome assessors were blinded to group assignment. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00077753) SETTING: 370 sites in 20 countries across North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Acutely ill medical patients 40 years or older with recently reduced mobility (bed rest or sedentary without [level 1] or with [level 2] bathroom privileges). Eligibility criteria for patients with level 2 immobility were amended to include only those who had additional VTE risk factors (age >75 years, history of VTE, or active or previous cancer) after interim analyses suggested lower-than-expected VTE rates. Enoxaparin, 40 mg/d subcutaneously (2975 patients), or placebo (2988 patients), for 28 +/- 4 days after receiving open-label enoxaparin for an initial 10 +/- 4 days. Incidence of VTE up to day 28 and of major bleeding events up to 48 hours after the last study treatment dose. Extended-duration enoxaparin reduced VTE incidence compared with placebo (2.5% vs. 4%; absolute risk difference favoring enoxaparin, -1.53% [95.8% CI, -2.54% to -0.52%]). Enoxaparin increased major bleeding events (0.8% vs. 0.3%; absolute risk difference favoring placebo, 0.51% [95% CI, 0.12% to 0.89%]). The benefits of extended-duration enoxaparin seemed to be restricted to women, patients older than 75 years, and those with level 1 immobility. Estimates of efficacy and safety for the overall trial population are difficult to interpret because of the change in eligibility criteria during the trial. Use of extended-duration enoxaparin reduces VTE more than it increases major bleeding events in acutely ill medical patients with level 1 immobility, those older than 75 years, and women. Sanofi-aventis.

Epistasis and the selective advantage of sex and recombination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Oliveira, Viviane M.; da Silva, Juliana K.; Campos, Paulo R. A.

2008-09-01

The understanding of the central mechanisms favoring sex and recombination in real populations is one of the fundamental issues in evolutionary biology. Based on a previous stochastic formulation for the study of sex, here we aim to investigate the conditions under which epistasis favors the fixation of the sexual mode of reproduction in a given population. In addition, we try to identify the evolutionary forces which contribute to this process. One considers a finite population model which assumes the existence of a recombination modifier allele that can activate the recombination mechanism. We have found that sex is very little favored in a scenario of antagonistic epistasis, and this advantage only occurs in a narrow range of values of the selection coefficient sd . On the other hand, synergistic epistasis favors recombination in a very broad domain. However, the major mechanism contributing to the spreading of the modifier allele depends on the range of values of sd . At large sd , background selection favors recombination since it increases the efficacy of selection, while at low sd Muller’s ratchet is the leading mechanism.

Continental Divide? The attitudes of US and Canadian oncologists on the costs, cost-effectiveness, and health policies associated with new cancer drugs.

PubMed

Berry, Scott R; Bell, Chaim M; Ubel, Peter A; Evans, William K; Nadler, Eric; Strevel, Elizabeth L; Neumann, Peter J

2010-09-20

Oncologists in the United States and Canada work in different health care systems, but physicians in both countries face challenges posed by the rising costs of cancer drugs. We compared their attitudes regarding the costs and cost-effectiveness of medications and related health policy. Survey responses of a random sample of 1,355 United States and 238 Canadian medical oncologists (all outside of Québec) were compared. Response rate was 59%. More US oncologists (67% v 52%; P < .001) favor access to effective treatments regardless of cost, while more Canadians favor access to effective treatments only if they are cost-effective (75% v 58%; P < .001). Most (84% US, 80% Canadian) oncologists state that patient out-of-pocket costs influence their treatment recommendations, but less than half the respondents always or frequently discuss the costs of treatments with their patients. The majority of oncologists favor more use of cost-effectiveness data in coverage decisions (80% US, 69% Canadian; P = .004), but fewer than half the oncologists in both countries feel well equipped to use cost-effectiveness information. Majorities of oncologists favor government price controls (57% US, 68% Canadian; P = .01), but less than half favor more cost-sharing by patients (29% US, 41% Canadian; P = .004). Oncologists in both countries prefer to have physicians and nonprofit agencies determine whether drugs provide good value. Oncologists in the United States and Canada generally have similar attitudes regarding cancer drug costs, cost-effectiveness, and associated policies, despite practicing in different health care systems. The results support providing education to help oncologists in both countries use cost-effectiveness information and discuss drug costs with their patients.

Shoring up the pipeline: A case study of female navigation throughout the science instructional pathway (SIP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aclufi, Allison Jill

Female minority students are increasing in numbers as science majors, but are still under-represented when compared to White and Asian males in the workplace. Many factors have been proposed and studied, yet there has been little, if any, longitudinal study of possible exacerbating variables that may play a key role in deterring female minority students from pursuing a science degree and career. This study took a retro-longitudinal look at the experiences of ten successful science undergraduate female minority students. Two major domains already widely covered in the literature were identified: academic experiences and social-capital networks. Based on in-depth interviews, the following trends, in order of magnitude, were noted: students were focused and goal-orientated, insufficient amounts and access to science equipment, lack of science education in elementary school, no after-school science programs, indifferent or resistant stakeholders, males favored in the classroom, parent alienation from schools, inequitable access to academic information, parental encouragement, and a lack of ethnic identity in the context of a science student. Not all of these trends began in elementary school, most began in middle school and exacerbated throughout the remainder of student's K-12 education. The major factors that allowed for these students matriculation into a four-year university as undergraduate science majors was their goal-orientated dedication to a science career, and deliberate expansion of their social-capital networks to facilitate knowledge acquisition mandatory for college acceptance. A large-scale, longitudinal study, following students throughout their entire K-12 education would provide details that may be lost due to memory, and allow for the creation of more effective interventions to reduce student attrition.

Political orientation and perceptions of adolescent autonomy and judicial culpability.

PubMed

Reppucci, N Dickon; Scott, Elizabeth; Antonishak, Jill

2009-01-01

This study probed general attitudes about processing youths in adult criminal court across a range of offenses, explored attitudes about age of autonomous decision-making for several activities outside the criminal justice context, and examined the interaction between these two realms. The major finding was that adults favor adult punishment of adolescent offenders at younger ages than they favor autonomy in other decision-making contexts; the gap is widest for those who identify themselves as conservatives. 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterization of PD-L1 expression in Chinese non-small cell lung cancer patients with PTEN expression as a means for tissue quality screening.

PubMed

Zhang, Xu-Chao; Cao, Xu; Sun, Chun; Xie, Zhi; Guo, Jian-Jun; Yang, Jin-Ji; Yang, Xue-Ning; Dai, Hang-Jun; Li, Su-Chun; Xu, Xin-Ran; Zuo, Yun-Xia; Chen, Meng; Koeppen, Hartmut; He, Jing; Kiermaier, Astrid; Shames, David; Cheng, Gang; Wu, Yi-Long

2018-03-01

The goal of this study is to evaluate PD-L1 prevalence and its association with major clinical characteristics in Chinese non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to inform the clinical development of anti-PD1/PD-L1 agents in this population. We used phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression through IHC as a surrogate tissue quality marker to screen surgical NSCLC samples in tissue microarray (TMA; 172 cases) or whole-section (268 cases) format. The samples were then analyzed with a clinically validated PD-L1 IHC assay. The results were correlated with baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes. PTEN IHC showed that 108 TMA samples and 105 whole-section samples qualified for PD-L1 IHC. With a clinically relevant cutoff, 41.7% of the TMA samples were PD-L1 positive. PD-L1 level was much lower in EGFR-mutant patients and seemed to be a favorable prognostic factor for both overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). These findings were confirmed in the whole-section samples except that their survival data were not mature enough for correlation analysis. In summary, PD-L1 expression was detected in approximately 40% of PTEN-qualified Chinese NSCLC samples, negatively correlated with EGFR mutation and seemed to be a favorable prognostic factor for both OS and RFS. Notably, the different results from PTEN-qualified and PTEN-disqualified samples underscore the importance of tissue quality control prior to biomarker testing.

[The implementation gap in asthma prevention and control?].

PubMed

Demoly, Pascal; Just, Jocelyne; Annesi-Maesano, Isabella; Bousquet, Jean; Michel, François-Bernard

2014-01-01

Asthma and allergic diseases generally start early in life and persist throughout life but, for reasons we do not yet understand, they sometimes appear later Prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of these major chronic respiratory diseases is a recognized priority for EU public health policy and for the United Nations. As factors favoring allergy (rapid urbanization, pollution, climate change and infections) are not expected to change in the foreseeable future, it is crucial to develop, strengthen and optimize prevention and treatment. We have developed tools to control asthma but are still unable to prevent children from developing asthma and allergic diseases. This article examines what works and what does not, and analyzes the "missing links" between the creation and effective implementation of a prevention program, otherwise known as the implementation gap.

Conformational and stereoelectronic investigation in 1,2-difluoropropane: The gauche effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitencourt, Michelle; Freitas, Matheus P.; Rittner, Roberto

2007-09-01

The effect of attaching an additional fluorine atom at C-2 in 1-fluoropropane (FP), giving 1,2-difluoropropane (DFP), on its conformational equilibrium, is theoretically evaluated. This substitution causes critical implications on the conformer stabilities of DFP (TG, GT and GG conformations) and the steric and electrostatic interactions should favor the conformer with fluorine atoms trans. However, the gauche effect plays a major role in describing the energies balance in DFP, shifting the equilibrium towards the conformation in which the two fluorine atoms are gauche. The origin of this effect is discussed through an NBO analysis, which allows the evaluation of both classical and non-classical (hyperconjugation and bent bonds) interactions as the prevailing factors governing the conformational equilibrium of molecules containing the 1,2-difluoroethane fragment.

Physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and exercise training in primary and secondary coronary prevention.

PubMed

Swift, Damon L; Lavie, Carl J; Johannsen, Neil M; Arena, Ross; Earnest, Conrad P; O'Keefe, James H; Milani, Richard V; Blair, Steven N; Church, Timothy S

2013-01-01

Substantial data have established that higher levels of physical activity (PA), participating in exercise training (ET), and higher overall cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) provide considerable protection in the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). This review surveys data from epidemiological and prospective ET studies supporting the favorable impact of PA, ET, and CRF in primary CHD prevention. Clearly, cardiac rehabilitation and ET (CRET) programs have been underutilized for patients with CHD, particularly considering the effect of CRET on CHD risk factors, including CRF, obesity indices, fat distribution, plasma lipids, inflammation, and psychological distress, as well as overall morbidity and mortality. These data strongly support the routine referral of patients with CHD to CRET programs and that patients should be vigorously encouraged to attend CRET following major CHD events.

Muscle Mass and Weight Gain Nutritional Supplements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Bill

There are numerous sports supplements available that claim to increase lean body mass. However, for these sports supplements to exert any favorable changes in lean body mass, they must influence those factors regulating skeletal muscle hypertrophy (i.e., satellite cell activity, gene transcription, protein translation). If a given sports supplement does favorably influence one of these regulatory factors, the result is a positive net protein balance (in which protein synthesis exceeds protein breakdown). Sports supplement categories aimed at eliciting a positive net protein balance include anabolic hormone enhancers, nutrient timing pre- and postexercise workout supplements, anticatabolic supplements, and nitric oxide boosters. Of all the sports supplements available, only a few have been subject to multiple clinical trials with repeated favorable outcomes relative to increasing lean body mass. This chapter focuses on these supplements and others that have a sound theoretical rationale in relation to increasing lean body mass.

[Municipalities Stratification for Health Performance Evaluation].

PubMed

Calvo, Maria Cristina Marino; Lacerda, Josimari Telino de; Colussi, Claudia Flemming; Schneider, Ione Jayce Ceola; Rocha, Thiago Augusto Hernandes

2016-01-01

to propose and present a stratification of Brazilian municipalities into homogeneous groups for evaluation studies of health management performance. this was a methodological study, with selected indicators which classify municipalities according to conditions that influence the health management and population size; data for the year 2010 were collected from demographic and health databases; correlation tests and factor analysis were used. seven strata were identified - Large-sized; Medium-sized with favorable, regular or unfavorable influences; and Small-sized with favorable, regular or unfavorable influences -; there was a concentration of municipalities with favorable influences in strata with better purchasing power and funding, as well as a concentration of municipalities with unfavorable influences in the North and Northeast regions. the proposed classification grouped similar municipalities regarding influential factors in health management, which allowed the identification of comparable groups of municipalities, setting up a consistent alternative to performance evaluation studies.

Histopathologic risk factors in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma variants: An update with special reference to HPV-related carcinomas

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Accurate identification of the microscopic risk factors of oral and oropharyngeal (OP) squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and their morphologic variants is of at most importance, as these generally determine treatment modalities, prognosis and overall patient outcome. The great majority of oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas are microscopically described as kerartinizing squamous cell carcinoma (KSCC). They bear certain resemblance to keratinizing stratified squamous epithelium. Tobacco habits and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages have been considered to be the main etiologic agents in these carcinomas. The tumors occurred in older patients more commonly affected the oral tongue and floor of the mouth with well established morphologic risk factors including tumor grade, pattern of invasion and perineural involvement. Within the last 30 years however, the advent and expanding prevalence of high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) as an important etiologic agent for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, particularly in the OP, has resulted in a significant change in the established morphologic criteria for risk assessment. The majority of HPV relate carcinomas of the OP are nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (NKSCC). These tumors are found to be more responsive to treatment with a favorable patient outcome and good prognosis. Consequently, alterations in treatment protocols aimed at de-escalation are currently being evaluated. More recently, other morphologic variants that are HPV positive are reported with increasing frequency in the OP and other head and neck sites. As a result, several clinical and pathologic questions have emerged. Importantly, whether the virus is biologically active in these tumors and involved in their pathogenesis, and second, what are the clinical implications with regard to patient management and outcome in the HPV-related variants. Examples of HPV-related squamous cell carcinoma variants that will be addressed here are: basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC), undifferentiated carcinoma (UCa), papillary squamous carcinoma (PSCC) and small cell carcinoma. Some studies have suggested favorable prognosis in some variants, analogous to that of the (NKSCC), while others showed poorer outcome. So far the number of studies on this subject is limited and the number of cases evaluated in each investigation is few. Because of that, it is prudent at this stage, not to alter management protocols as a result of identification of HPV in these variants and to await additional information Key words:Histopathologic risk-factors, oral cavity, oropharynx, squamous cell carcinoma variants, keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, HPV, basaloid squamous cell carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, papillary squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma. PMID:24880454

Integrated combined effects of temperature, pH and sodium chloride concentration on biofilm formation by Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis and Typhimurium under low nutrient food-related conditions.

PubMed

Iliadis, Ioannis; Daskalopoulou, Aikaterini; Simões, Manuel; Giaouris, Efstathios

2018-05-01

Salmonella enterica is a major foodborne bacterial pathogen. This forms biofilms on surfaces and persists, depending on the strain and the environment. The integrative interaction of temperature (T; 13-39 °C), pH (5-8) and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration (0.5-8.5%) on biofilm formation by two S. enterica strains (ser. Enteritidis and Typhimurium) was here evaluated under low nutrient conditions. This was achieved using response surface methodology to model the combined effect of each factor on the response, through mathematical quadratic fitting of the outcomes of a sequence of designed experiments. These last were executed by incubating stainless steel coupons carrying sessile bacteria, for 24 h, in 1:10 diluted tryptone soya broth, under 15 different combinations of three independent factors (T, pH and NaCl). For each strain, a second order polynomial model, describing the relationship between biofilm formation (log CFU/cm 2 ) and the factors (T, pH and NaCl), was developed using least square regression analysis. Both derived models predicted the combined influences of these factors on biofilm formation, with agreement between predictions and experimental observations (R 2  ≥ 0.96, P ≤ 0.0001). For both strains, the increase of NaCl content restricted their sessile growth, while under low salinity conditions (NaCl < 4%) biofilm formation was favored as pH increased, regardless of T. Interestingly, under low salt content, and depending on the strain, biofilm formation was either favored or hindered by increasing T. Thus, 34.5 and 13 °C were the T predicted to maximize biofilm formation by strains Enteritidis and Typhimurium, respectively, something which was also experimentally verified. To sum, these models can predict the interactive influences of crucial food-related factors on biofilm growth of a significant foodborne pathogen towards the efforts to limit its persistence in food industry. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Roles of Climate Change and Climate Variability in the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lim, Young-Kwon; Schubert, Siegfried D.; Kovach, Robin; Molod, Andrea M.; Pawson, Steven

2018-01-01

The 2017 hurricane season was extremely active with six major hurricanes, the third most on record. The sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) over the eastern Main Development Region (EMDR), where many tropical cyclones (TCs) developed during active months of August/September, were approximately 0.96 degrees Centigrade above the 1901-2017 average (warmest on record): about 0.42 degrees Centigrade from a long-term upward trend and the rest (around 80 percent) attributed to the Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM). The contribution to the SST from the North Atlantic Oscillation over the EMDR was a weak warming, while that from ENSO was negligible. Nevertheless, ENSO, the NAO, and the AMM all contributed to favorable wind shear conditions, while the AMM also produced enhanced atmospheric instability. Compared with the strong hurricane years of 2005-2010, the ocean heat content (OHC) during 2017 was larger across the tropics, with higher SST anomalies over the EMDR and Caribbean Sea. On the other hand, the dynamical/thermodynamical atmospheric conditions, while favorable for enhanced TC activity, were less prominent than in 2005-2010 across the tropics. The results suggest that unusually warm SST in the EMDR together with the long fetch of the resulting storms in the presence of record-breaking OHC were key factors in driving the strong TC activity in 2017.

The education and employment status of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

PubMed

Marri, Sheetal R; Buchman, Alan L

2005-02-01

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has the propensity to affect patients who are in their late teens and early 20s, an age when most people decide on their educational and career directions. This review describes the effects that IBD has on the continuum of education and employment. Patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis attain a similar level of education as that of the general population. The quality of life of such patients in school, as measured by both patients' and teachers' perceptions, indicates that, despite the difficulties that students face in terms of missed school time and physical inconveniences, teachers are generally perceived by students to have favorable attitudes toward helping them. Even though earlier work in the area of employment has suggested that the occurrence of IBD is clustered among people in white-collar positions, recent data have suggested that certain environmental risks for IBD (i.e., sedentary or indoor jobs) may be associated with jobs classified as being white-collar, and therefore having a white-collar job may in itself not be a risk factor for the development of IBD. Patients with IBD have a higher rate of nonparticipation in the labor force, and the participation rate seems to maintain steady levels over time. A majority of patients with IBD continue in the same employment positions over a period of years. Patients with IBD, especially those who have undergone surgery, took more sick leave than their counterparts without IBD. A majority of patients with IBD favored the disclosure of their diagnosis to their employers and perceived little discrimination in the workplace. Furthermore, most employers were perceived by their employees with IBD as having fair attitudes toward the compensation provided for their employees with IBD.

The Acid Phosphatase-Encoding Gene GmACP1 Contributes to Soybean Tolerance to Low-Phosphorus Stress

PubMed Central

Hao, Derong; Wang, Hui; Kan, Guizhen; Jin, Hangxia; Yu, Deyue

2014-01-01

Phosphorus (P) is essential for all living cells and organisms, and low-P stress is a major factor constraining plant growth and yield worldwide. In plants, P efficiency is a complex quantitative trait involving multiple genes, and the mechanisms underlying P efficiency are largely unknown. Combining linkage analysis, genome-wide and candidate-gene association analyses, and plant transformation, we identified a soybean gene related to P efficiency, determined its favorable haplotypes and developed valuable functional markers. First, six major genomic regions associated with P efficiency were detected by performing genome-wide associations (GWAs) in various environments. A highly significant region located on chromosome 8, qPE8, was identified by both GWAs and linkage mapping and explained 41% of the phenotypic variation. Then, a regional mapping study was performed with 40 surrounding markers in 192 diverse soybean accessions. A strongly associated haplotype (P = 10−7) consisting of the markers Sat_233 and BARC-039899-07603 was identified, and qPE8 was located in a region of approximately 250 kb, which contained a candidate gene GmACP1 that encoded an acid phosphatase. GmACP1 overexpression in soybean hairy roots increased P efficiency by 11–20% relative to the control. A candidate-gene association analysis indicated that six natural GmACP1 polymorphisms explained 33% of the phenotypic variation. The favorable alleles and haplotypes of GmACP1 associated with increased transcript expression correlated with higher enzyme activity. The discovery of the optimal haplotype of GmACP1 will now enable the accurate selection of soybeans with higher P efficiencies and improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying P efficiency in plants. PMID:24391523

Rapidly-growing mycobacterial infection: a recognized cause of early-onset prosthetic joint infection.

PubMed

Jitmuang, Anupop; Yuenyongviwat, Varah; Charoencholvanich, Keerati; Chayakulkeeree, Methee

2017-12-28

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a major complication of total hip and total knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA). Although mycobacteria are rarely the causative pathogens, it is important to recognize and treat them differently from non-mycobacterial infections. This study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics, associated factors and long-term outcomes of mycobacterial and non-mycobacterial PJI. We conducted a retrospective case-control study of patients aged ≥18 years who were diagnosed with PJI of the hip or knee at Siriraj Hospital from January 2000 to December 2012. Patient characteristics, clinical data, treatments and outcomes were evaluated. A total of 178 patients were included, among whom 162 had non-mycobacterial PJI and 16 had mycobacterial PJI. Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) (11) and M. tuberculosis (MTB) (5) were the causative pathogens of mycobacterial PJI. PJI duration and time until onset were significantly different between mycobacterial and non-mycobacterial PJI. Infection within 90 days of arthroplasty was significantly associated with RGM infection (OR 21.86; 95% CI 4.25-112.30; p < .001). Implant removal was associated with improved favorable outcomes at 6 months (OR 5.96; 95% CI 1.88-18.88; p < .01) and 12 months (OR 3.96; 95% CI 1.15-13.71; p = .03) after the infection. RGM were the major pathogens of early onset PJI after THA and TKA. Both a high clinical index of suspicion and mycobacterial cultures are recommended when medically managing PJI with negative cultures or non-response to antibiotics. Removal of infected implants was associated with favorable outcomes.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists favorably address all components of metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Sanjay; Ghosal, Samit; Chatterjee, Saurav

2016-10-15

Cardiovascular death is the leading cause of mortality for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The etiology of cardiovascular disease in diabetes may be divided into hyperglycemia per se and factors operating through components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Hyperglycemia causes direct injury to vascular endothelium and possibly on cardiac myocytes. MetS is a cluster of risk factors like obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertension and dyslipidemia. The incidence of this syndrome is rising globally. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are a group of drugs, which address all components of this syndrome favorably. Experimental evidence suggests that they have favorable actions on myocardium as well. Several compounds belonging to GLP-1RA class are in market now and a large number awaiting their entry. Although, originally this class of drugs emerged as a treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus, more recent data generated revealed beneficial effects on multiple metabolic parameters. We have studied literature published between 2000 and 2016 to look into effects of GLP-1RA on components of MetS. Results from recently concluded clinical trials suggest that some of the molecules in this class may have favorable effects on cardiovascular outcome.

[Imitative urbanisation and the outward growth of African cities].

PubMed

Badibanga, A

1985-01-01

The city with its modern infrastructure and surrounding squatter settlements is exogenous to Africa because of its organization, location, and original functions. Cities were founded in the colonial era and still are not often situated in the center of national territories but rather near a port, a border, or a source of raw materials. A primary purpose of cities was the exogenous 1 of providing a link between land and sea, raw materials and distant markets. The city of the natives was haphazardly constructed at the periphery of the European city. The barrier it once provided between African and colonist now serves to separate mass and elite. Shanty towns, 1 of the worst urban plagues and the most perfect reflection of the absolute poverty of some parts of African cities, seem to surge spontaneously in the immediate outskirts of cities. Neither their size nor their rapid growth was foreseen by urban planners. Urban overpopulation due to rapid natural increase and immigration resulting from the excessive openness to the exterior is the major problem of African urbanization in the late 20th century. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the population of cities with 5000 or more inhabitants increased from 23 million in 1960 to 75 million in 1980. Urbanization is increasing in Africa at the rate of 10%/year. Among the many causes of this dizzying urban growth, the rural exodus is 1 of the most important and itself is caused by a multitude of economic, social, and political factors. The principal economic cause is the difficulty of earning cash in the countryside and the presumed availability of employment in cities. Natural and geographic factors such as alternating rainy and dry seasons and serious droughts also favor abandonment of the countryside, at least temporarily. Famine resulting from food deficits caused by the disturbed equilibrium between population and resources and the diversion of arable lands to cash crops also favors massive displacement of population. Psychosocial factors such as the substitution of individualism for clan solidarity engendered by the schools, the attractions of the city for youth wishing to escape traditional constraints, and the availability in the city of diversions such as bars and movies are other factors. The search of politicians for supporters among their own tribesmen after independence may have played a role as well. Administrative constraints such as forced cultivation of certain crops and civil wars caused displacement of large numbers of peasants to the cities. Rapid urbanization accentuates the centralizing role of cities without lessening their isolation from national realities. Cities are degraded into simple models of consumption; they are dependent on imported food and are major factors in changing indigenous diets.

Racial Categorization Predicts Implicit Racial Bias in Preschool Children.

PubMed

Setoh, Peipei; Lee, Kristy J J; Zhang, Lijun; Qian, Miao K; Quinn, Paul C; Heyman, Gail D; Lee, Kang

2017-06-12

This research investigated the relation between racial categorization and implicit racial bias in majority and minority children. Chinese and Indian 3- to 7-year-olds from Singapore (N = 158) categorized Chinese and Indian faces by race and had their implicit and explicit racial biases measured. Majority Chinese children, but not minority Indian children, showed implicit bias favoring own race. Regardless of ethnicity, children's racial categorization performance correlated positively with implicit racial bias. Also, Chinese children, but not Indian children, displayed explicit bias favoring own race. Furthermore, children's explicit bias was unrelated to racial categorization performance and implicit bias. The findings support a perceptual-social linkage in the emergence of implicit racial bias and have implications for designing programs to promote interracial harmony. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

The Navajo Nation: An American Colony. A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCabe, Carol J.; Lewis, Hester

The major portion of this report is devoted to the Anglo and American Indian testimony from the 1973 Commission on Civil Rights Hearings on Navajo economic development, employment, education, and health care. Among the major recommendations cited are those calling for: (1) legal recognition of the Navajo Tribal Council to provide for favorable tax…

A Feeling of Belonging and Effectiveness Key to Women's Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Victoria

2009-01-01

Katie Tepper is a 20-year-old University of Missouri-Columbia junior who is studying industrial engineering and looks forward to a job in the manufacturing field, but the statistics aren't in her favor when it comes to her major. Only 17.2 percent of engineering majors are women, according to the Engineering Workforce Commission (EWC). And yet,…

Psychological foundations of xenophilia: the role of major personality traits in predicting favorable attitudes toward cross-cultural contact and exploration.

PubMed

Stürmer, Stefan; Benbow, Alison E F; Siem, Birte; Barth, Markus; Bodansky, Alexander N; Lotz-Schmitt, Katharina

2013-11-01

Building on an integration of research findings on intergroup behavior from multiple fields of scientific inquiry (biological and cultural paleoanthropology, social psychology), as well as research on the HEXACO personality framework (e.g., Ashton & Lee, 2007), 3 independent studies (total N = 1,007) were conducted to introduce and test a fresh personality perspective on human xenophilia. Even though the studies focused on different criteria (Study 1: favorable attitudes toward contact with immigrants, Study 2: habitual cross-cultural exploration, Study 3: favorable attitudes toward contact with indigenous people) and employed different operationalizations of major personality traits (the HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised [HEXACO-PI-R], the 10-item Big Five Inventory [BFI-10]) results were remarkably similar. First, path analyses confirmed that major personality traits were significant and direct predictors of xenophilia that were independent of the contributions of individual differences commonly predicting xenophobic reactions across studies. Second, and in line with the authors' more specific hypotheses, hierarchical regression analyses also corroborated that individual differences in the levels of endeavor-related personality traits (i.e., eXtraversion, Openness, and Conscientiousness) had a substantially greater power in predicting individual differences in xenophilia than individual differences in levels of altruism/cooperation-related traits (i.e., Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, and Agreeableness). The implications of these findings for more general psychological theorizing on human sociality are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Implant materials generate different peri-implant inflammatory factors: poly-ether-ether-ketone promotes fibrosis and microtextured titanium promotes osteogenic factors.

PubMed

Olivares-Navarrete, Rene; Hyzy, Sharon L; Slosar, Paul J; Schneider, Jennifer M; Schwartz, Zvi; Boyan, Barbara D

2015-03-15

An in vitro study examining factors produced by human mesenchymal stem cells on spine implant materials. The aim of this study was to examine whether the inflammatory microenvironment generated by cells on titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti-alloy, TiAlV) surfaces is affected by surface microtexture and whether it differs from that generated on poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK). Histologically, implants fabricated from PEEK have a fibrous connective tissue surface interface whereas Ti-alloy implants demonstrate close approximation with surrounding bone. Ti-alloy surfaces with complex micron/submicron scale roughness promote osteoblastic differentiation and foster a specific cellular environment that favors bone formation whereas PEEK favors fibrous tissue formation. Human mesenchymal stem cells were cultured on tissue culture polystyrene, PEEK, smooth TiAlV, or macro-/micro-/nano-textured rough TiAlV (mmnTiAlV) disks. Osteoblastic differentiation and secreted inflammatory interleukins were assessed after 7 days. Fold changes in mRNAs for inflammation, necrosis, DNA damage, or apoptosis with respect to tissue culture polystyrene were measured by low-density polymerase chain reaction array. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance, followed by Bonferroni's correction of Student's t-test. Cells on PEEK upregulated mRNAs for chemokine ligand-2, interleukin (IL) 1β, IL6, IL8, and tumor necrosis factor. Cells grown on the mmnTiAlV had an 8-fold reduction in mRNAs for toll-like receptor-4. Cells grown on mmnTiAlV had reduced levels of proinflammatory interleukins. Cells on PEEK had higher mRNAs for factors strongly associated with cell death/apoptosis, whereas cells on mmnTiAlV exhibited reduced cytokine factor levels. All results were significant (P < 0.05). These results suggest that fibrous tissue around PEEK implants may be due to several factors: reduced osteoblastic differentiation of progenitor cells and production of an inflammatory environment that favors cell death via apoptosis and necrosis. Ti alloy surfaces with complex macro/micro/nanoscale roughness promote osteoblastic differentiation and foster a specific cellular environment that favors bone formation. N/A.

Motivation of Community Health Workers in Diagnosing, Treating, and Referring Sick Young Children in a Multicountry Study.

PubMed

Sanou, Armande K; Jegede, Ayodele S; Nsungwa-Sabiiti, Jesca; Siribié, Mohamadou; Ajayi, IkeOluwapo O; Turinde, Asaf; Oshiname, Frederick O; Sermé, Luc; Kabarungi, Vanessa; Falade, Catherine O; Kyaligonza, Josephine; Afonne, Chinenye; Balyeku, Andrew; Castellani, Joëlle; Gomes, Melba

2016-12-15

 Community health workers (CHWs) are an important element of care provision for a wide range of conditions, but their turnover rate is high. Many studies have been conducted on health workers' motivation, focusing on formal sector staff but not CHWs. Although CHWs are easy to recruit, motivating and retaining them for service delivery is difficult. This article investigates factors influencing CHW motivation and retention in health service delivery.  Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to identify the key factors favoring motivation and retention of CHWs as well as those deterring them. We interviewed 47, 25, and 134 CHWs in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Uganda, respectively, using a structured questionnaire. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted with CHWs, community participants, and facility health workers.  Except for Burkina Faso, most CHWs were female. Average age was between 38 and 41 years, and most came from agricultural communities. The majority (52%-80%) judged they had a high to very high level of satisfaction, but most CHWs (approximately 75%) in Burkina Faso and Uganda indicated that they would be prepared to leave the job, citing income as a major reason. Community recognition and opportunities for training and supervision were major incentives in all countries, but the volume of unremunerated work, at a time when both malaria-positive cases and farming needs were at their peak, was challenging.  Most CHWs understood the volunteer nature of their position but desired community recognition and modest financial remuneration.  ISRCTN13858170. © 2016 World Health Organization; licensee Oxford Journals.

Motivation of Community Health Workers in Diagnosing, Treating, and Referring Sick Young Children in a Multicountry Study

PubMed Central

Sanou, Armande K.; Jegede, Ayodele S.; Nsungwa-Sabiiti, Jesca; Siribié, Mohamadou; Ajayi, IkeOluwapo O.; Turinde, Asaf; Oshiname, Frederick O.; Sermé, Luc; Kabarungi, Vanessa; Falade, Catherine O.; Kyaligonza, Josephine; Afonne, Chinenye; Balyeku, Andrew; Castellani, Joëlle; Gomes, Melba

2016-01-01

Background. Community health workers (CHWs) are an important element of care provision for a wide range of conditions, but their turnover rate is high. Many studies have been conducted on health workers’ motivation, focusing on formal sector staff but not CHWs. Although CHWs are easy to recruit, motivating and retaining them for service delivery is difficult. This article investigates factors influencing CHW motivation and retention in health service delivery. Methods. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to identify the key factors favoring motivation and retention of CHWs as well as those deterring them. We interviewed 47, 25, and 134 CHWs in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Uganda, respectively, using a structured questionnaire. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted with CHWs, community participants, and facility health workers. Results. Except for Burkina Faso, most CHWs were female. Average age was between 38 and 41 years, and most came from agricultural communities. The majority (52%–80%) judged they had a high to very high level of satisfaction, but most CHWs (approximately 75%) in Burkina Faso and Uganda indicated that they would be prepared to leave the job, citing income as a major reason. Community recognition and opportunities for training and supervision were major incentives in all countries, but the volume of unremunerated work, at a time when both malaria-positive cases and farming needs were at their peak, was challenging. Conclusions. Most CHWs understood the volunteer nature of their position but desired community recognition and modest financial remuneration. Clinical Trials Registration. ISRCTN13858170. PMID:27941104

Selection bias at the heterosexual HIV-1 transmission bottleneck

PubMed Central

Carlson, Jonathan M.; Schaefer, Malinda; Monaco, Daniela C.; Batorsky, Rebecca; Claiborne, Daniel T.; Prince, Jessica; Deymier, Martin J.; Ende, Zachary S.; Klatt, Nichole R.; DeZiel, Charles E.; Lin, Tien-Ho; Peng, Jian; Seese, Aaron M.; Shapiro, Roger; Frater, John; Ndung’u, Thumbi; Tang, Jianming; Goepfert, Paul; Gilmour, Jill; Price, Matt A.; Kilembe, William; Heckerman, David; Goulder, Philip J.R.; Allen, Todd M.; Allen, Susan; Hunter, Eric

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Introduction Heterosexual HIV-1 transmission is an inefficient process with rates reported at <1% per unprotected sexual exposure. When transmission occurs, systemic infection is typically established by a single genetic variant, taken from the swarm of genetically distinct viruses circulating in the donor. Whether that founder virus represents a chance event or was systematically favored is unclear. Our work has tested a central hypothesis that founder virus selection is biased toward certain genetic characteristics. Rationale If HIV-1 transmission involves selection for viruses with certain favorable characteristics, then such advantages should emerge as statistical biases when viewed across many viral loci in many transmitting partners. We therefore identified 137 Zambian heterosexual transmission pairs, for whom plasma samples were available for both the donor and recipient partner soon after transmission, and compared the viral sequences obtained from each partner to identify features that predicted whether the majority amino acid observed at any particular position in the donor was transmitted. We focused attention on two features: viral genetic characteristics that correlate with viral fitness, and clinical factors that influence transmission. Statistical modeling indicates that the former will be favored for transmission, while the latter will nullify this relative advantage. Results We observed a highly significant selection bias that favors the transmission of amino acids associated with increased fitness. These features included the frequency of the amino acid in the study cohort, the relative advantage of the amino acid with respect to the stability of the protein, and features related to immune escape and compensation. This selection bias was reduced in couples with high risk of transmission. In particular, significantly less selection bias was observed in women and in men with genital inflammation, compared to healthy men, suggesting a more permissive environment in the female than male genital tract. Consistent with this observation, viruses transmitted to women were characterized by lower predicted fitness than those in men. The presence of amino acids favored during transmission predicted which individual virus within a donor was transmitted to their partner, while chronically infected individuals with viral populations characterized by a predominance of these amino acids were more likely to transmit to their partners. Conclusion These data highlight the clear selection biases that benefit fitter viruses during transmission in the context of a stochastic process. That such biases exist, and are tempered by certain risk factors, suggests that transmission is frequently characterized by many abortive transmission events in which some target cells are nonproductively infected. Moreover, for efficient transmission, some changes that favored survival in the transmitting partner are frequently discarded, resulting in overall slower evolution of HIV-1 in the population. Paradoxically, by increasing the selection bias at the transmission bottleneck, reduction of susceptibility may increase the expected fitness of breakthrough viruses that establish infection and may therefore worsen the prognosis for the newly infected partner. Conversely, preventative or therapeutic approaches that weaken the virus may reduce overall transmission rates via a mechanism that is independent from the quantity of circulating virus, and may therefore provide long-term benefits even upon breakthrough infection. PMID:25013080

A new model for tabular-type uranium deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanford, R.F.

1992-01-01

Tabular-type uranium deposits occur as tabular, originally subhorizontal bodies entirely within reduced fluvial sandstones of Late Silurian age or younger. This paper proposes that belts of tabular-type uranium deposits formed in areas of mixed local and regional groundwater discharge shortly after deposition of the host sediments. The general characteristics of tabular-type uranium deposits indicate that their essential feature was the formation at a density-stratified ground-water interface in areas of local and regional ground-water discharge. Reconstruction of the paleohydrogeology is the key to understanding the formation of these deposits. Geologic ground-water controls that favor discharge, such as the pinch-out of major aquifers, are also favorable for uranium ore. The combination of topographic and geologic features that both cause discharge is most favorable for ore deposition. -from Author

A Tune in “A Minor” Can “B Major”: A Review of Epidemiology, Illness Course, and Public Health Implications of Subthreshold Depression in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Meeks, Thomas; Vahia, Ipsit; Lavretsky, Helen; Kulkarni, Ganesh; Jeste, Dilip

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND With emphasis on dimensional aspects of psychopathology in development of the upcoming DSM-V, we systematically review data on epidemiology, illness course, risk factors for, and consequences of late-life depressive syndromes not meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for major depression or dysthymia. We termed these syndromes subthreshold depression, including minor depression and subsyndromal depression. METHODS We searched PubMed (1980–Jan 2010) using the terms: subsyndromal depression, subthreshold depression, and minor depression in combination with elderly, geriatric, older adult, and late-life. Data were extracted from 181 studies of late-life subthreshold depression. RESULTS In older adults subthreshold depression was generally at least 2–3 times more prevalent (median community point prevalence 9.8%) than major depression. Prevalence of subthreshold depression was lower in community settings versus primary care and highest in long-term care settings. Approximately 8–10% of older persons with subthreshold depression developed major depression per year. The course of late-life subthreshold depression was more favorable than that of late-life major depression, but far from benign, with a median remission rate to non-depressed status of only 27% after ≥1 year. Prominent risk factors included female gender, medical burden, disability, and low social support; consequences included increased disability, greater healthcare utilization, and increased suicidal ideation. LIMITATIONS Heterogeneity of the data, especially related to definitions of subthreshold depression limit our ability to conduct meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS The high prevalence and associated adverse health outcomes of late-life subthreshold depression indicate the major public health significance of this condition and suggest a need for further research on its neurobiology and treatment. Such efforts could potentially lead to prevention of considerable morbidity for the growing number of older adults. PMID:20926139

Neutrophils Contribute to the Protection Conferred by ArtinM against Intracellular Pathogens: A Study on Leishmania major

PubMed Central

Ricci-Azevedo, Rafael; Oliveira, Aline Ferreira; Conrado, Marina C. A. V.; Carvalho, Fernanda Caroline; Roque-Barreira, Maria Cristina

2016-01-01

ArtinM, a D-mannose binding lectin from Artocarpus heterophyllus, has immunomodulatory activities through its interaction with N-glycans of immune cells, culminating with the establishment of T helper type 1 (Th1) immunity. This interaction protects mice against intracellular pathogens, including Leishmania major and Leishmania amazonensis. ArtinM induces neutrophils activation, which is known to account for both resistance to pathogens and host tissue injury. Although exacerbated inflammation was not observed in ArtinM-treated animals, assessment of neutrophil responses to ArtinM is required to envisage its possible application to design a novel immunomodulatory agent based on carbohydrate recognition. Herein, we focus on the mechanisms through which neutrophils contribute to ArtinM-induced protection against Leishmania, without exacerbating inflammation. For this purpose, human neutrophils treated with ArtinM and infected with Leishmania major were analyzed together with untreated and uninfected controls, based on their ability to eliminate the parasite, release cytokines, degranulate, produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and change life span. We demonstrate that ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils enhanced L. major clearance and at least duplicated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) release; otherwise, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) production was reduced by half. Furthermore, ROS production and cell degranulation were augmented. The life span of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils decreased and they did not form NETs when infected with L. major. We postulate that the enhanced leishmanicidal ability of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils is due to augmented release of inflammatory cytokines, ROS production, and cell degranulation, whereas host tissue integrity is favored by their shortened life span and the absence of NET formation. Our results reinforce the idea that ArtinM may be considered an appropriate molecular template for the construction of an efficient anti-infective agent. PMID:27058234

Neutrophils Contribute to the Protection Conferred by ArtinM against Intracellular Pathogens: A Study on Leishmania major.

PubMed

Ricci-Azevedo, Rafael; Oliveira, Aline Ferreira; Conrado, Marina C A V; Carvalho, Fernanda Caroline; Roque-Barreira, Maria Cristina

2016-04-01

ArtinM, a D-mannose binding lectin from Artocarpus heterophyllus, has immunomodulatory activities through its interaction with N-glycans of immune cells, culminating with the establishment of T helper type 1 (Th1) immunity. This interaction protects mice against intracellular pathogens, including Leishmania major and Leishmania amazonensis. ArtinM induces neutrophils activation, which is known to account for both resistance to pathogens and host tissue injury. Although exacerbated inflammation was not observed in ArtinM-treated animals, assessment of neutrophil responses to ArtinM is required to envisage its possible application to design a novel immunomodulatory agent based on carbohydrate recognition. Herein, we focus on the mechanisms through which neutrophils contribute to ArtinM-induced protection against Leishmania, without exacerbating inflammation. For this purpose, human neutrophils treated with ArtinM and infected with Leishmania major were analyzed together with untreated and uninfected controls, based on their ability to eliminate the parasite, release cytokines, degranulate, produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and change life span. We demonstrate that ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils enhanced L. major clearance and at least duplicated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) release; otherwise, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) production was reduced by half. Furthermore, ROS production and cell degranulation were augmented. The life span of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils decreased and they did not form NETs when infected with L. major. We postulate that the enhanced leishmanicidal ability of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils is due to augmented release of inflammatory cytokines, ROS production, and cell degranulation, whereas host tissue integrity is favored by their shortened life span and the absence of NET formation. Our results reinforce the idea that ArtinM may be considered an appropriate molecular template for the construction of an efficient anti-infective agent.

Quantifying the driving factors for language shift in a bilingual region.

PubMed

Prochazka, Katharina; Vogl, Gero

2017-04-25

Many of the world's around 6,000 languages are in danger of disappearing as people give up use of a minority language in favor of the majority language in a process called language shift. Language shift can be monitored on a large scale through the use of mathematical models by way of differential equations, for example, reaction-diffusion equations. Here, we use a different approach: we propose a model for language dynamics based on the principles of cellular automata/agent-based modeling and combine it with very detailed empirical data. Our model makes it possible to follow language dynamics over space and time, whereas existing models based on differential equations average over space and consequently provide no information on local changes in language use. Additionally, cellular automata models can be used even in cases where models based on differential equations are not applicable, for example, in situations where one language has become dispersed and retreated to language islands. Using data from a bilingual region in Austria, we show that the most important factor in determining the spread and retreat of a language is the interaction with speakers of the same language. External factors like bilingual schools or parish language have only a minor influence.

Biomass smoke as a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: effects on innate immunity.

PubMed

Olloquequi, Jordi; Silva O, Rafael

2016-07-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, is considered an archetypical disease of innate immunity, where inhaled particles and gases trigger an inflammatory response, favoring tissue proliferation in small airways and tissue destruction in lung parenchyma, in addition to the recruitment of immune cells to these compartments. Although cigarette smoking is still considered the main risk factor for developing COPD, the trend of proposing biomass smoke (BS) exposure as a principal risk factor is gaining importance, as around 3 billion people worldwide are exposed to this pollutant daily. A considerable amount of evidence has shown the potential of BS as an enhancer of lung inflammation. However, an impairment of some innate immune responses after BS exposure has also been described. Regarding the mechanisms by which biomass smoke alters the innate immune responses, three main classes of cell surface receptors-the TLRs, the scavenger receptors and the transient receptor potential channels-have shown the ability to transduce signals initiated after BS exposure. This article is an updated and comprehensive review of the immunomodulatory effects described after the interaction of BS components with these receptors. © The Author(s) 2016.

Geriatric neuro-oncology: from mythology to biology.

PubMed

Weller, Michael; Platten, Michael; Roth, Patrick; Wick, Wolfgang

2011-12-01

Age has remained one of the most important determinants of risk for the development of certain brain tumors, of benefit from and tolerance of brain tumor treatment, and overall outcome. Regarding these three aspects, there are major differences across the spectrum of primary brain tumors depending on specific histology. Here, we review recent advances in understanding the biological basis of the prognostic marker 'age' in neuro-oncology. Contemporary population-based studies confirm the strong prognostic impact of age in many brain tumors. Elderly patients continue to be treated less aggressively than younger patients with the same tumors. However, biological factors may contribute to the negative prognostic impact of age. For instance, among gliomas, mutations of the isocitrate dehydrogenase genes, which are prognostically favorable, are much more common in younger patients. Moreover, complete responses defined by neuroimaging were much less durable in elderly as opposed to younger patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma in the German Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma Study Group trial. A combination of age-adapted patterns of care and treatment-independent, tumor-intrinsic factors contributes to the poorer outcome of elderly patients with brain tumors. These factors need to be better distinguished and understood in order to improve outcome in elderly brain tumor patients.

[Validity and reliability of the Culture of Quality Health Services questionnaire in Mexico].

PubMed

Herrera-Kiengelher, L; Zepeda-Zaragoza, J; Austria-Corrales, F; Vázquez-Zarate, V M

2013-01-01

Patient Safety is a major public health problem worldwide and is responsibility of all those involved in health care. Establishing a Safety Culture has proved to be a factor that favors the integration of work teams, communication and construction of clear procedures in various organizations. Promote a culture of safety depends on several factors, such as organization, work unit and staff. Objective assessment of these factors will help to identify areas for improvement and establish strategic lines of action. [corrected] To adapt, validate and calibrate the questionnaire Culture of Quality in Health Services (CQHS) in Mexican population. A cross with a stratified representative sample of 522 health workers. The questionnaire was translated and adapted from Singer's. Content was validated by experts, internal consistency, confirmatory factorial validity and item calibration with Samejima's Graded Response Model. Convergent and divergent construct validity was confirmed from the CQHS, item calibration showed that the questionnaire is able to discriminate between patients and represent different levels of the hypothesized dimensions with greater accuracy and lower standard error. The CQHS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess patient safety culture in hospitals in Mexico. Copyright © 2013 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

[Successful outcome of a pregnancy with an extremely low fetal heart rate (34 bpm) due to isolated complete heart block--case report].

PubMed

Hamela-Olkowska, Anita; Dangel, Joanna; Miszczak-Knecht, Maria

2009-09-01

Isolated complete congenital heart block (CHB) in the majority of cases is associated with the presence of autoantibodies to SSA (Ro) and SSB (La) antigens in the maternal serum. The prognosis is less favorable in fetuses with a ventricular rate < 55bpm. We have reported a case of a fetus with an isolated non-autoimmune CHB with an extremely low ventricular rate (34bpm) in which the outcome was favorable. In the neonate the non-compaction of the myocardium was diagnosed.

Is necroptosis a death pathway in aluminum-induced neuroblastoma cell demise?

PubMed

Zhang, Q L; Niu, Q; Ji, X L; Conti, P; Boscolo, P

2008-01-01

Besides being an aggravating factor secondary to major physiological alterations in degenerative diseases, aluminum has also been considered as a risk factor in the etiology. Although many in vivo and in vitro data are in favor of apoptosis and necrosis being involved in Al induced neurodegenerative processes, there is considerable evidence that very complex events may contribute to neural cell death. Necroptosis, a novel cell death pathway, was recently reported to contribute to ischemia brain injury. It is different from, but associated with, apoptosis and necrosis, the two common major pathways of cell demise. In the present study, SH-SY5Y cells were put under stress by Al, a potential degenerative cell death inducer. Nec-1, a specific inhibitor, was used to identify necroptosis. The characteristics observed in Nec-1 and Al treated SH-SY5Y cells showed that necrotic morphological changes were reduced, and a sharp decrease of necrotic rate was detected. Besides, there were Al-induced mitochondria membrane potential decreasing, reactive oxygen species remaining, and autophagosomes declining. The mechanism of Nec-1s effect on cell death may be related to caspases pathways. To our best knowledge, this is the pioneer report on necroptosis in mixed human neural cell death pathways, which might offer a novel therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases, and an extended window for neuroprotection.

Optimal Levels of All Major Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Younger Age and Functional Disability in Older Age: The Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry 32-Year Follow-Up Health Survey.

PubMed

Vu, Thanh-Huyen T; Lloyd-Jones, Donald M; Liu, Kiang; Stamler, Jeremiah; Garside, Daniel B; Daviglus, Martha L

2016-07-01

The associations of optimal levels of all major cardiovascular disease risk factors, that is, low risk, in younger age with subsequent cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality have been well documented. However, little is known about associations of low-risk profiles in younger age with functional disability in older age. The sample included 6014 participants from the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry Study. Low-risk status, defined as untreated systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≤120/≤80 mm Hg, untreated serum total cholesterol <5.18 mmol/l, not smoking, body mass index < 25 kg/m(2), and no diabetes mellitus, was assessed at baseline (1967 to 1973). Functional disability, categorized as (1) any disability in activities of daily living (ADLs), (2) any disability in instrumental ADLs but not in ADL, or (3) no disability, was assessed from the 2003 health survey. There were 39% women, 4% Black, with a mean age of 43 years and 6% low-risk status at baseline. After 32 years, 7% reported having limitations in performing any ADL and 11% in any instrumental ADL only. The prevalence of any ADL limitation was lowest in low-risk people and increased in a graded fashion with less-favorable risk factor groups (P trend <0.001). Compared with those with 2+ high-risk factors, the multivariable-adjusted odds of having any disability in ADLs versus no disability in people with low risk, any moderate risk, and 1 high-risk factor at baseline were lower by 58%, 48%, and 37%, respectively. Results were similar for instrumental ADLs, in both men and women. Having an optimal cardiovascular disease risk factor profile at younger age is associated with the lowest rate of functional disability in older age. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Dynamics of soybean rust epidemics in sequential plantings of soybean cultivars in Nigeria

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soybean rust, caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is an important foliar disease of soybean. The disease intensity is dependent on environmental factors, although the precise conditions of most of these factors is not known. To help understand what environmental factors favor disease develop...

Timing of favorable conditions, competition and fertility interact to govern recruitment of invasive Chinese tallow tree in stressful environments.

PubMed

Gabler, Christopher A; Siemann, Evan

2013-01-01

The rate of new exotic recruitment following removal of adult invaders (reinvasion pressure) influences restoration outcomes and costs but is highly variable and poorly understood. We hypothesize that broad variation in average reinvasion pressure of Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree, a major invader) arises from differences among habitats in spatiotemporal availability of realized recruitment windows. These windows are periods of variable duration long enough to permit establishment given local environmental conditions. We tested this hypothesis via a greenhouse mesocosm experiment that quantified how the duration of favorable moisture conditions prior to flood or drought stress (window duration), competition and nutrient availability influenced Triadica success in high stress environments. Window duration influenced pre-stress seedling abundance and size, growth during stress and final abundance; it interacted with other factors to affect final biomass and germination during stress. Stress type and competition impacted final size and biomass, plus germination, mortality and changes in size during stress. Final abundance also depended on competition and the interaction of window duration, stress type and competition. Fertilization interacted with competition and stress to influence biomass and changes in height, respectively, but did not affect Triadica abundance. Overall, longer window durations promoted Triadica establishment, competition and drought (relative to flood) suppressed establishment, and fertilization had weak effects. Interactions among factors frequently produced different effects in specific contexts. Results support our 'outgrow the stress' hypothesis and show that temporal availability of abiotic windows and factors that influence growth rates govern Triadica recruitment in stressful environments. These findings suggest that native seed addition can effectively suppress superior competitors in stressful environments. We also describe environmental scenarios where specific management methods may be more or less effective. Our results enable better niche-based estimates of local reinvasion pressure, which can improve restoration efficacy and efficiency by informing site selection and optimal management.

Timing of Favorable Conditions, Competition and Fertility Interact to Govern Recruitment of Invasive Chinese Tallow Tree in Stressful Environments

PubMed Central

Gabler, Christopher A.; Siemann, Evan

2013-01-01

The rate of new exotic recruitment following removal of adult invaders (reinvasion pressure) influences restoration outcomes and costs but is highly variable and poorly understood. We hypothesize that broad variation in average reinvasion pressure of Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree, a major invader) arises from differences among habitats in spatiotemporal availability of realized recruitment windows. These windows are periods of variable duration long enough to permit establishment given local environmental conditions. We tested this hypothesis via a greenhouse mesocosm experiment that quantified how the duration of favorable moisture conditions prior to flood or drought stress (window duration), competition and nutrient availability influenced Triadica success in high stress environments. Window duration influenced pre-stress seedling abundance and size, growth during stress and final abundance; it interacted with other factors to affect final biomass and germination during stress. Stress type and competition impacted final size and biomass, plus germination, mortality and changes in size during stress. Final abundance also depended on competition and the interaction of window duration, stress type and competition. Fertilization interacted with competition and stress to influence biomass and changes in height, respectively, but did not affect Triadica abundance. Overall, longer window durations promoted Triadica establishment, competition and drought (relative to flood) suppressed establishment, and fertilization had weak effects. Interactions among factors frequently produced different effects in specific contexts. Results support our ‘outgrow the stress’ hypothesis and show that temporal availability of abiotic windows and factors that influence growth rates govern Triadica recruitment in stressful environments. These findings suggest that native seed addition can effectively suppress superior competitors in stressful environments. We also describe environmental scenarios where specific management methods may be more or less effective. Our results enable better niche-based estimates of local reinvasion pressure, which can improve restoration efficacy and efficiency by informing site selection and optimal management. PMID:23967212

Gulf of Maine Harmful Algal Bloom in summer 2005 – Part 2: Coupled Bio-physical Numerical Modeling

PubMed Central

He, Ruoying; McGillicuddy, Dennis J.; Keafer, Bruce A.; Anderson, Donald M.

2017-01-01

A coupled physical/biological modeling system was used to hindcast the 2005 Alexandrium fundyense bloom in the Gulf of Maine and investigate the relative importance of factors governing the bloom’s initiation and development. The coupled system consists of a state-of-the-art, free-surface primitive equation Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) tailored for the Gulf of Maine (GOM) using a multi-nested configuration, and a population dynamics model for A. fundyense. The system was forced by realistic momentum and buoyancy fluxes, tides, river runoff, observed A. fundyense benthic cyst abundance, and climatological nutrient fields. Extensive comparisons were made between simulated (both physical and biological) fields and in-situ observations, revealing that the hindcast model is capable of reproducing the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of the 2005 bloom. Sensitivity experiments were then performed to distinguish the roles of three major factors hypothesized to contribute to the bloom: 1) the high abundance of cysts in western GOM sediments; 2) strong northeaster storms with prevailing downwelling-favorable winds; and 3) a large amount of fresh water input due to abundant rainfall and heavy snowmelt. Results suggested that the high abundance of cysts in western GOM was the primary factor of the 2005 bloom. Wind forcing was an important regulator, as episodic bursts of northeast winds caused onshore advection of offshore populations. These downwelling favorable winds accelerated the alongshore flow, resulting in transport of high cell concentrations into Massachusetts Bay. A large regional bloom would still have happened, however, even with normal or typical winds for that period. Anomalously high river runoff in 2005 resulted in stronger buoyant plumes/currents, which facilitated the transport of cell population to the western GOM. While affecting nearshore cell abundance in Massachusetts Bay, the buoyant plumes were confined near to the coast, and had limited impact on the gulf-wide bloom distribution. PMID:28366964

Critical assessment of opposing views on trends in childhood cancer.

PubMed

Bukowski, J A

2000-01-01

Two articles reaching opposite conclusions on the current trends in childhood cancer have recently appeared in the literature. One concluded that pediatric cancers have increased dramatically, suggesting an effect from environmental hazards; the other concluded that rates for the major pediatric cancers have remained fairly stable, except for modest increases due to improvements in diagnosis or reporting. This review discusses the reasons for this discrepancy, including differences in the populations, age groups, and time periods analyzed. The arguments in favor of an increase are examined and shown to provide no convincing evidence that environmental pollutants have increased pediatric cancer rates over the past 20 to 30 years. Any suggested increase appears to be the result of non-causal factors, such as selective analysis and reporting, residual confounding by age, random variation, and stepwise improvements in diagnosis and classification.

Metrication: An economic wake-up call for US industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carver, G. P.

1993-03-01

As the international standard of measurement, the metric system is one key to success in the global marketplace. International standards have become an important factor in international economic competition. Non-metric products are becoming increasingly unacceptable in world markets that favor metric products. Procurement is the primary federal tool for encouraging and helping U.S. industry to convert voluntarily to the metric system. Besides the perceived unwillingness of the customer, certain regulatory language, and certain legal definitions in some states, there are no major impediments to conversion of the remaining non-metric industries to metric usage. Instead, there are good reasons for changing, including an opportunity to rethink many industry standards and to take advantage of size standardization. Also, when the remaining industries adopt the metric system, they will come into conformance with federal agencies engaged in similar activities.

Hypoxia, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, and TET-Mediated Epigenetic Changes

PubMed Central

Kao, Shih-Han; Wu, Kou-Juey; Lee, Wen-Hwa

2016-01-01

Tumor hypoxia is a pathophysiologic outcome of disrupted microcirculation with inadequate supply of oxygen, leading to enhanced proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, and chemo-resistance. Epigenetic changes induced by hypoxia are well documented, and they lead to tumor progression. Recent advances show that DNA demethylation mediated by the Ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins induces major epigenetic changes and controls key steps of cancer development. TET enzymes serve as 5mC (5-methylcytosine)-specific dioxygenases and cause DNA demethylation. Hypoxia activates the expression of TET1, which also serves as a co-activator of HIF-1α transcriptional regulation to modulate HIF-1α downstream target genes and promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition. As HIF is a negative prognostic factor for tumor progression, hypoxia-activated prodrugs (HAPs) may provide a favorable therapeutic approach to lessen hypoxia-induced malignancy. PMID:26861406

Dose-response studies and 'no-effect-levels' of N-nitroso compounds: some general aspects.

PubMed

Preussmann, R

1980-01-01

One major problem in the evaluation of potential carcinogenic food additives and contaminants is that of thresholds or, better, of 'no-adverse-effect-levels'. Arguments in favor of the postulated 'irreversibility' of carcinogenic effects are based on dose-response studies, single dose and multigeneration experiments as well as on the concept of somatic mutation as the first step in carcinogenesis with subsequent transmittance of induced defects during cell replication. The problem of extrapolation of results of animal experiments using high doses to low exposure and low incidences in man is not yet solved satisfactorily. Possible practical consequences include zero tolerance, acceptable thresholds at low risk and safety factors. Acceptable intakes should never be considered constants but should be changeable as soon as new facts in regard to the safety evaluation are available.

The Effect of Bridging Locoregional Therapy and Sociodemographics on Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: A United Network for Organ Sharing Population Study.

PubMed

Magnetta, Michael J; Xing, Minzhi; Zhang, Di; Kim, Hyun S

2016-12-01

To investigate socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with transplantation outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with bridging locoregional therapy (LRT) before orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was used to identify all patients in the United States with HCC who were listed for OLT between 2002 and 2013. Mean overall survival (OS) after OLT was stratified based on age, sex, ethnicity, transplant year, region, and insurance status. Kaplan-Meier estimation was used for survival analysis with log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model to assess independent prognostic factors for OS. Of the 17,291 listed patients with HCC, 14,511 underwent OLT. Mean age was 57.4 years (76.8% male). Favorable sociodemographic factors were associated with increased rates of bridging LRT before OLT and longer wait time on the transplant list and were shown to be independent prognostic factors for prolonged OS after OLT using multivariate analysis. Favorable demographic factors included patient age < 60 years, donor age < 45 years, year of diagnosis between 2008 and 2013, UNOS regions 4 and 5, Asian ethnicity, high functional status, postgraduate education, private payer insurance, and employment at the time of OLT. Patients with favorable sociodemographics had higher rates of LRT before OLT performed for HCC cure. These patients had longer transplant wait times and longer OS after OLT. Copyright © 2016 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Uranium migration and favourable sites of potential radioelement concentrations in Gabal Umm Hammad area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youssef, Mohamed A. S.; Sabra, Mohamed Elsadek M.; Abdeldayem, Abdelaziz L.; Masoud, Alaa A.; Mansour, Salah A.

2017-12-01

Airborne gamma-ray spectrometric data, covering Gabal Umm Hammad area, near Quseir City, in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, has been utilized to identify the uranium migration path, and U, Th and K-favorability indices. The following of the uranium migration technique enabled estimation of the amount of migrated uranium, in and out of the rock units. Investigation of the Taref Formation, Nakhil Formation, Tarawan Formation and Dawi Formation shows large negative amount of uranium migration, indicating that uranium leaching is outward from the geologic body toward surrounding rock units. Moreover, calculation of the U, Th and K-favorability indices has been carried out for the various rock units to locate the rocks having the highest radioelement potentialities. The rock units that possess relatively major probability of uranium potentiality include Mu‧tiq Group, weakly deformed granitic rocks, and Trachyte plugs and sheets. Meanwhile, the rock units with major potential of Th-index are Taref Formation, Quseir Formation and Dawi Formation. The rock units with major potential of K-index are Dokhan volcanic and Mu‧tiq group.

Categorizing renal oncocytic neoplasms on core needle biopsy: a morphologic and immunophenotypic study of 144 cases with clinical follow-up. Alderman MA, Daignault S, Wolf JS Jr, Palapattu GS, Weizer AZ, Hafez KS, Kunju LP, Wu AJ. Hum Pathol.September 2016;55:1-10.

PubMed

Kryvenko, Oleksandr N

2017-06-01

There is limited literature on renal oncocytic neoplasms diagnosed on core biopsy. All renal oncocytic neoplasm core biopsies from 2006 to 2013 were, retrospectively, reviewed. Morphologic features and an immunohistochemical panel of CK7, c-KIT, and S100A1 were assessed. Concordance with resection diagnosis, statistical analysis including a random forest classification, and follow-up were recorded. The postimmunohistochemical diagnoses of 144 renal oncocytic core biopsies were favor oncocytoma (67%), favor renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (12%), and cannot exclude RCC (21%). Diagnosis was revised following immunohistochemistry in 7% of cases. The most common features for oncocytoma (excluding dense granular cytoplasm) were nested architecture, edematous stroma, binucleation and tubular architecture; the most common features for favor RCC were sheet-like architecture, nuclear pleomorphism, papillary architecture, and prominent cell borders. High nuclear grade, necrosis, extensive papillary architecture, raisinoid nuclei, and frequent mitoses were not seen in oncocytomas. Comparing the pathologist and random forest classification, the overall out-of-bag estimate of classification error dropped from 23% to 13% when favor RCC and cannot exclude RCC was combined into 1 category. Resection was performed in 19% (28 cases) with a 94% concordance (100% of favor RCC biopsies and 90% of cannot exclude RCC biopsies confirmed as RCC; 83% of favor oncocytomas confirmed); ablation in 23%; and surveillance in 46%. Follow-up was available in 92% (median follow-up, 33 months) with no adverse outcomes. Renal oncocytic neoplasms comprise a significant subset (16%) of all core biopsies, and the majority (78%) can be classified as favor oncocytoma or favor RCC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nurse-Administered, Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy in IBS: Efficacy and Factors Predicting a Positive Response.

PubMed

Lövdahl, Jenny; Ringström, Gisela; Agerforz, Pia; Törnblom, Hans; Simrén, Magnus

2015-07-01

Hypnotherapy is an effective treatment in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is often delivered by a psychotherapist and is costly and time consuming. Nurse-administered hypnotherapy could increase availability and reduce costs. In this study the authors evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-administered, gut-directed hypnotherapy and identify factors predicting treatment outcome. Eighty-five patients were included in the study. Participants received hypnotherapy by a nurse once/week for 12 weeks. Patients reported marked improvement in gastrointestinal (GI) and extra-colonic symptoms after treatment, as well as a reduction in GI-specific anxiety, general anxiety, and depression. Fifty-eight percent were responders after the 12 weeks treatment period, and of these 82% had a favorable clinical response already at week 6. Women were more likely than men to respond favorably to the treatment. Nurse-administered hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for IBS. Being female and reporting a favorable response to treatment by week 6 predicted a positive treatment response at the end of the 12 weeks treatment period.

Assessment of Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Self-Care Practice Among Adolescents - A State Wide Cross- Sectional Study in Manipur, North Eastern India.

PubMed

Wahengbam, Pragya Pandey; Kshetrimayum, Nandita; Wahengbam, Brucelee Singh; Nandkeoliar, Tanya; Lyngdoh, Daiasharailang

2016-06-01

The World Health Organization global strategy of promoting oral health have shown vast improvements in developed countries but the scenario is glum among underprivileged communities due to lacunae in implementation of these promotional programs. Manipur, a North Eastern state in India, is one such marginalized area. The study aimed to evaluate Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) towards oral health in 15-18 year adolescents residing in Manipur together with the association of these variables to sociodemographic factors. This cross-sectional study included 810 healthy adolescents drawn from various primary health care centers spanning in all the nine districts of Manipur. A closed ended questionnaire for the purpose of collecting data was used in the survey. Of the total participants 90.9% had high knowledge, 79.8% had favorable attitude and 70.4% had adequate practice towards oral health. Education of the parents and respondents was the only factor significantly associated with all three variables, knowledge, attitude and practice. Significant and positive linear correlation between knowledge-attitude (r=0.369, p<0.01) knowledge-practice (r=0.405, p<0.01) and attitude-practice (r =0.353, p<0.01), were observed. An overwhelming majority of the respondents had high knowledge, favorable attitude and sound practice with respect to oral health. A positive linear correlation exists between the knowledge, attitude and practice. Evidence based reinforcement programs should be introduced to further reduce the gap between knowledge, attitude and practice. The study will also serve as a reference value for use in future evaluation to help measure the effectiveness of the planned activities. Future research needs to focus on establishing the dental caries prevalence and oral hygiene status of Manipuri youth.

Analysis of clock-regulated genes in Neurospora reveals widespread posttranscriptional control of metabolic potential

PubMed Central

Hurley, Jennifer M.; Dasgupta, Arko; Emerson, Jillian M.; Zhou, Xiaoying; Ringelberg, Carol S.; Knabe, Nicole; Lipzen, Anna M.; Lindquist, Erika A.; Daum, Christopher G.; Barry, Kerrie W.; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Smith, Kristina M.; Galagan, James E.; Bell-Pedersen, Deborah; Freitag, Michael; Cheng, Chao; Loros, Jennifer J.; Dunlap, Jay C.

2014-01-01

Neurospora crassa has been for decades a principal model for filamentous fungal genetics and physiology as well as for understanding the mechanism of circadian clocks. Eukaryotic fungal and animal clocks comprise transcription-translation–based feedback loops that control rhythmic transcription of a substantial fraction of these transcriptomes, yielding the changes in protein abundance that mediate circadian regulation of physiology and metabolism: Understanding circadian control of gene expression is key to understanding eukaryotic, including fungal, physiology. Indeed, the isolation of clock-controlled genes (ccgs) was pioneered in Neurospora where circadian output begins with binding of the core circadian transcription factor WCC to a subset of ccg promoters, including those of many transcription factors. High temporal resolution (2-h) sampling over 48 h using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) identified circadianly expressed genes in Neurospora, revealing that from ∼10% to as much 40% of the transcriptome can be expressed under circadian control. Functional classifications of these genes revealed strong enrichment in pathways involving metabolism, protein synthesis, and stress responses; in broad terms, daytime metabolic potential favors catabolism, energy production, and precursor assembly, whereas night activities favor biosynthesis of cellular components and growth. Discriminative regular expression motif elicitation (DREME) identified key promoter motifs highly correlated with the temporal regulation of ccgs. Correlations between ccg abundance from RNA-Seq, the degree of ccg-promoter activation as reported by ccg-promoter–luciferase fusions, and binding of WCC as measured by ChIP-Seq, are not strong. Therefore, although circadian activation is critical to ccg rhythmicity, posttranscriptional regulation plays a major role in determining rhythmicity at the mRNA level. PMID:25362047

Venous thromboembolism and hyperhomocysteinemia as first manifestation of pernicious anemia: a case series.

PubMed

Ammouri, W; Tazi, Z Mezalek; Harmouche, H; Maamar, M; Adnaoui, M

2017-09-02

Hyperhomocysteinemia has been suspected of favoring thrombosis. Several case-control studies and even a meta-analysis have confirmed a link between venous thrombosis and hyperhomocysteinemia. Homocysteine is due to genetic and acquired factors (poor diet in folate and vitamin B12, older age, renal impairment, thyroid diseases, and malignancies) induced by the intake and the concentrations of vitamin B9 or B12 in the majority of cases. We report the cases of four Moroccan patients who presented with acute vein thrombosis of different sites: a 34-year-old man, a 60-year-old man, a 58-year-old man, and a 47-year-old woman. All patients had a low level of cobalamin with marked hyperhomocysteinemia with normal serum and red cell folic acid. Venous thrombosis revealed pernicious anemia in all patients. Their low levels of cobalamin, atrophic gastritis, and positive results for gastric parietal cell antibodies confirmed the diagnosis of pernicious anemia. There was no evidence of immobilization, recent surgery, malignancy, antiphospholipid antibody, myeloproliferative disorder, or hormone replacement therapy. No deficiencies in protein C and protein S were detected; they had normal antithrombin III function and factor V Leiden; no prothrombin gene mutations were detected. Treatment included orally administered anticoagulation therapy and cobalamin supplementation. The outcome was favorable in all cases. These reports demonstrate that pernicious anemia, on its own, can lead to hyperhomocysteinemia that is significant enough to lead to thrombosis. Understanding the molecular pathogenesis of the development of thrombosis in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia related to Biermer disease would help us to identify patients at risk and to treat them accordingly. The literature concerning the relationship between homocysteine and venous thrombosis is briefly reviewed.

Resuscitation and post resuscitation care of the very old after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is worthwhile.

PubMed

Winther-Jensen, Matilde; Kjaergaard, Jesper; Hassager, Christian; Bro-Jeppesen, John; Nielsen, Niklas; Lippert, Freddy K; Køber, Lars; Wanscher, Michael; Søholm, Helle

2015-12-15

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is associated with a poor prognosis. As comorbidity and frailty increase with age; ethical dilemmas may arise when OHCA occur in the very old. We aimed to investigate mortality, neurological outcome and post resuscitation care in octogenarians (≥80) to assess whether resuscitation and post resuscitation care should be avoided. During 2007-2011 consecutive OHCA-patients were attended by the physician-based Emergency Medical Services-system in Copenhagen. Pre-hospital data based on Utstein-criteria, and data on post resuscitation care were collected. Primary outcome was successful resuscitation; secondary endpoints were 30-day mortality and neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Category (CPC)). 2509 OHCA-patients with attempted resuscitation were recorded, 22% (n=558) were octogenarians/nonagenarians. 166 (30% of all octogenarians with resuscitation attempted) octogenarians were successfully resuscitated compared to 830 (43% with resuscitation attempted) patients <80 years. 30-day mortality in octogenarians was significantly higher after adjustment for prognostic factors (HR=1.61 CI: 1.22-2.13, p<0.001). Octogenarians received fewer coronary angiographies (CAG) (14 vs. 37%, p<0.001), and had lower odds of receiving CAG by multivariate logistic regression (OR: 0.19, CI: 0.08-0.44, p<0.001). A favorable neurological outcome (CPC 1/2) in survivors to discharge was found in 70% (n=26) of octogenarians compared to 86% (n=317, p=0.03) in the younger patients. OHCA in octogenarians was associated with a significantly higher mortality rate after adjustment for prognostic factors. However, the majority of octogenarian survivors were discharged with a favorable neurological outcome. Withholding resuscitation and post resuscitation care in octogenarians does not seem justified. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Guided bone regeneration: A novel approach in the treatment of pediatric dentoalveolar trauma

PubMed Central

Murthy, Prashanth Sadashiva; Shivamallu, Avinash Bettahalli; Deshmukh, Seema; Nandlal, Bhojraj; Thotappa, Srilatha K.

2015-01-01

Traumatic injuries in the primary dentition pose major challenges for management. This emergency treatment requires proper planning so as to achieve favorable results. Trauma causing severe dentoalveolar injuries, especially in children, needs an interdisciplinary approach so as to retain normal functional anatomy for that age. This article describes a clinical innovative technique, which utilizes a resorbable membrane in management of pediatric dentoalveolar trauma. The membrane was shaped to cover the multiple alveolar bone fracture, thereby favoring the healing of the bone defects. The use of this resorbable membrane maintained a secluded space for the bone growth and prevented overgrowth of the soft tissue in the region of the defect. This resulted in uneventful healing leading to well-maintained functional bone contour, which further favored the esthetic rehabilitation as well as protected the underlying permanent tooth buds. PMID:26005471

Brain Protection and Cognitive Function: Cocoa Flavonoids as Nutraceuticals.

PubMed

Grassi, Davide; Ferri, Claudio; Desideri, Giovambattista

2016-01-01

Cognitive decline and dementia are major public health social problems, suggesting the specific need to provide research into risk factors for cognitive decline as priority topic. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that oxidative stress and neuroinflammation might play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of cognitive decline. Further, cognitive dysfunction and dementia in Alzheimer's disease as well as in vascular dementia seem to be also the consequence of cerebral blood flow decrease and deregulation, also suggesting a putative pathophysiological convergence of mechanisms between atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. In keeping with this, a growing interest has been addressed to flavonoids as potential nutraceuticals with neuroprotective effects. Of interest, cocoa beans have been described as a fundamental source of anti-oxidant flavonoids with the flavan-3-ols and their derivatives being present in high concentrations. Therefore, recent studies specifically focused on the favorable effects of flavonoid-rich cocoa and chocolate on cerebrovascular risk factors and cognitive function. Aim of this review is to summarize new findings concerning the cocoa effects on cognitive function, particularly focusing on some putative mechanisms of vascular and antioxidant action involved in preventing dementia.

Anatomical causes of female infertility and their management.

PubMed

Abrao, Mauricio S; Muzii, Ludovico; Marana, Riccardo

2013-12-01

The main female anatomical causes of infertility include post-infectious tubal damage, endometriosis, and congenital/acquired uterine anomalies. Congenital (septate uterus) and acquired (myomas and synechiae) diseases of the uterus may lead to infertility, pregnancy loss, and other obstetric complications. Pelvic inflammatory disease represents the most common cause of tubal damage. Surgery still remains an important option for tubal factor infertility, with results in terms of reproductive outcome that compare favorably with those of in vitro fertilization. Endometriosis is a common gynecologic condition affecting women of reproductive age, which can cause pain and infertility. The cause of infertility associated with endometriosis remains elusive, suggesting a multifactorial mechanism involving immunologic, genetic, and environmental factors. Despite the high prevalence of endometriosis, the exact mechanisms of its pathogenesis are unknown. Specific combinations of medical, surgical, and psychological treatments can ameliorate the quality of life of women with endometriosis. In the majority of cases, surgical treatment of endometriosis has promoted significant increases in fertilization rates. There are obvious associations between endometriosis and the immune system, and future strategies to treat endometriosis might be based on immunologic concepts. © 2013.

Outcome of endovascular treatment for acute basilar artery occlusion in the modern era: a single institution experience.

PubMed

Li, Chuanhui; Zhao, Wenbo; Wu, Chuanjie; Shang, Shuyi; Chen, Jian; Ren, Ming; Duan, Jiangang; Ma, Qingfeng; Li, Guilin; Zhang, Yunzhou; Zhang, Hongqi; Jiao, Liqun; Ji, Xunming

2018-06-01

The beneficial effect of endovascular treatment (EVT) for patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (ABAO) remains uncertain. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate clinical outcome of EVT for patients with ABAO and analyze prognostic factors of good outcome. From our prospectively established database, we reviewed all patients with ABAO receiving EVT during January 2014 to December 2016. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were evaluated. Favorable functional outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 3 assessed at 3-month follow-up. The association between clinical and procedural characteristics and functional outcome was assessed. Of the 68 patients included, 50 patients (73.5%) received mechanical thrombectomy with stent retriever device. Successful reperfusion (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction grades 2b-3) was achieved in 61 patients (89.7%). Overall favorable functional outcome was reached by 31 patients (45.6%). In univariate analysis, Glasgow Coma Scale sum score, baseline National Institutes of Health stroke scale score (NIHSS), and baseline glycemia level were identified predicting good clinical outcome. Multivariate analysis showed that lower NIHSS was the only independent risk factor of favorable functional outcome (OR 0.832; 95% CI, 0.715-0.968; p = 0.018). No difference of favorable outcomes was observed between the subgroups of time to EVT < 6 h and ≽ 6 h. Data in the present study suggests that EVT for ABAO patients should be reasonable within 24 h of symptom onset. The most important factor determining clinical outcome is initial stroke severity.

Exploring the Molecular Design of Protein Interaction Sites with Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Free Energy Calculations†

PubMed Central

Liang, Shide; Li, Liwei; Hsu, Wei-Lun; Pilcher, Meaghan N.; Uversky, Vladimir; Zhou, Yaoqi; Dunker, A. Keith; Meroueh, Samy O.

2009-01-01

The significant work that has been invested toward understanding protein–protein interaction has not translated into significant advances in structure-based predictions. In particular redesigning protein surfaces to bind to unrelated receptors remains a challenge, partly due to receptor flexibility, which is often neglected in these efforts. In this work, we computationally graft the binding epitope of various small proteins obtained from the RCSB database to bind to barnase, lysozyme, and trypsin using a previously derived and validated algorithm. In an effort to probe the protein complexes in a realistic environment, all native and designer complexes were subjected to a total of nearly 400 ns of explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The MD data led to an unexpected observation: some of the designer complexes were highly unstable and decomposed during the trajectories. In contrast, the native and a number of designer complexes remained consistently stable. The unstable conformers provided us with a unique opportunity to define the structural and energetic factors that lead to unproductive protein–protein complexes. To that end we used free energy calculations following the MM-PBSA approach to determine the role of nonpolar effects, electrostatics and entropy in binding. Remarkably, we found that a majority of unstable complexes exhibited more favorable electrostatics than native or stable designer complexes, suggesting that favorable electrostatic interactions are not prerequisite for complex formation between proteins. However, nonpolar effects remained consistently more favorable in native and stable designer complexes reinforcing the importance of hydrophobic effects in protein–protein binding. While entropy systematically opposed binding in all cases, there was no observed trend in the entropy difference between native and designer complexes. A series of alanine scanning mutations of hot-spot residues at the interface of native and designer complexes showed less than optimal contacts of hot-spot residues with their surroundings in the unstable conformers, resulting in more favorable entropy for these complexes. Finally, disorder predictions revealed that secondary structures at the interface of unstable complexes exhibited greater disorder than the stable complexes. PMID:19113835

Stereotactic Radiosurgery With or Without Whole-Brain Radiation Therapy for Limited Brain Metastases: A Secondary Analysis of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group N0574 (Alliance) Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Churilla, Thomas M; Ballman, Karla V; Brown, Paul D; Twohy, Erin L; Jaeckle, Kurt; Farace, Elana; Cerhan, Jane H; Anderson, S Keith; Carrero, Xiomara W; Garces, Yolanda I; Barker, Fred G; Deming, Richard; Dixon, Jesse G; Burri, Stuart H; Chung, Caroline; Ménard, Cynthia; Stieber, Volker W; Pollock, Bruce E; Galanis, Evanthia; Buckner, Jan C; Asher, Anthony L

2017-12-01

To determine whether whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is associated with improved overall survival among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with favorable prognoses at diagnosis. In the N0574 trial, patients with 1 to 3 brain metastases were randomized to receive stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or SRS plus WBRT (SRS + WBRT), with a primary endpoint of cognitive deterioration. We calculated diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (DS-GPA) scores for NSCLC patients and evaluated overall survival according to receipt of WBRT and DS-GPA score using 2 separate cut-points (≥2.0 vs <2.0 and ≥2.5 vs <2.5). A total of 126 NSCLC patients were included for analysis, with median follow-up of 14.2 months. Data for DS-GPA calculation were available for 86.3% of all enrolled NSCLC patients. Overall, 50.0% of patients had DS-GPA score ≥2.0, and 23.0% of patients had DS-GPA scores ≥2.5. The SRS and SRS + WBRT groups were well balanced with regard to prognostic factors. The median survival according to receipt of WBRT was 11.3 months (+WBRT) and 17.9 months (-WBRT) for patients with DS-GPA ≥2.0 (favorable prognoses, P=.63; hazard ratio 0.86; 95% confidence interval 0.47-1.59). Median survival was 3.7 months (+WBRT) and 6.6 months (-WBRT) for patients with DS-GPA <2.0 patients (unfavorable prognoses, P=.85; hazard ratio 0.95; 95% confidence interval 0.56-1.62). Outcomes according to the receipt of WBRT and DS-GPA remained similar utilizing DS-GPA ≥2.5 as a cutoff for favorable prognoses. There was no interaction between the continuum of the DS-GPA groups and WBRT on overall survival (P=.53). We observed no significant differences in survival according to receipt of WBRT in favorable-prognosis NSCLC patients. This study further supports the approach of SRS alone in the majority of patients with limited brain metastases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Desired Numbers of Children, Fertility Preferences and Related Factors among Couples Who Referred to Pre-Marriage Counseling in Alborz Province, Iran

PubMed Central

Lotfi, Razieh; Rajabi Naeeni, Masoumeh; Rezaei, Nasrin; Farid, Malihe; Tizvir, Afsoon

2017-01-01

Background The Islamic Republic of Iran has experienced a dramatic decrease in fertility rates in the past three decades. One of the main issues in the field of fertility is the couple’s preferences and the desire to bear children. This study aimed to determine desired number of children, fertility preference, and related factors among people referring pre-marriage counseling to clarify their presumed behavior in case of fertility. Materials and Methods This study was a descriptive analytic cross-sectional survey, conducted during 8 months. The participants were 300 couples came to pre-marriage counseling centers of two health centers of Karaj and asked to complete a 22 items questionnaire about of demographic characteristics, participants’ interest, preference about fertility, and economic situation. Results Majority of the males were between the ages of 20-30 years (66.6%) while majority of the females were below 25 years of age (57%). About 17 percent of men and 22.3 percent of women stated that they want to have 1 child and equally 52.7 percent of men and 52.7 percent of women wanted to have 2 children. The only factor that contributed to the female participant’s decision for a desirable number of children was the number of siblings that they have. In male participants with an increasing age at marriage and aspiration for higher educational level, the time interval between marriage and the birth of the first child has increased. There was a convergence in desired number of children in male and female participants. Conclusion Majority of the participants express their desire to have only one or two children in future but in considering the fact that what one desires does not always come into reality, the risk of reduced fertility is generally present in the community. Appropriate policies should be implemented in order to create a favorable environment for children. PMID:28868844

Desired Numbers of Children, Fertility Preferences and Related Factors among Couples Who Referred to Pre-Marriage Counseling in Alborz Province, Iran.

PubMed

Lotfi, Razieh; Rajabi Naeeni, Masoumeh Rajabi Naeeni; Rezaei, Nasrin; Farid, Malihe; Tizvir, Afsoon

2017-10-01

The Islamic Republic of Iran has experienced a dramatic decrease in fertility rates in the past three decades. One of the main issues in the field of fertility is the couple's preferences and the desire to bear children. This study aimed to determine desired number of children, fertility preference, and related factors among people referring pre-marriage counseling to clarify their presumed behavior in case of fertility. This study was a descriptive analytic cross-sectional survey, conducted during 8 months. The participants were 300 couples came to pre-marriage counseling centers of two health centers of Karaj and asked to complete a 22 items questionnaire about of demographic characteristics, participants' interest, preference about fertility, and economic situation. Majority of the males were between the ages of 20-30 years (66.6%) while majority of the females were below 25 years of age (57%). About 17 percent of men and 22.3 percent of women stated that they want to have 1 child and equally 52.7 percent of men and 52.7 percent of women wanted to have 2 children. The only factor that contributed to the female participant's decision for a desirable number of children was the number of siblings that they have. In male participants with an increasing age at marriage and aspiration for higher educational level, the time interval between marriage and the birth of the first child has increased. There was a convergence in desired number of children in male and female participants. Majority of the participants express their desire to have only one or two children in future but in considering the fact that what one desires does not always come into reality, the risk of reduced fertility is generally present in the community. Appropriate policies should be implemented in order to create a favorable environment for children. Copyright© by Royan Institute. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the Antigenic and Prophylactic Properties of the Leishmania Translation Initiation Factors eIF2 and eIF2B in Natural and Experimental Leishmaniasis

PubMed Central

Garde, Esther; Ramírez, Laura; Corvo, Laura; Solana, José C.; Martín, M. Elena; González, Víctor M.; Gómez-Nieto, Carlos; Barral, Aldina; Barral-Netto, Manoel; Requena, José M.; Iborra, Salvador; Soto, Manuel

2018-01-01

Different members of intracellular protein families are recognized by the immune system of the vertebrate host infected by parasites of the genus Leishmania. Here, we have analyzed the antigenic and immunogenic properties of the Leishmania eIF2 and eIF2B translation initiation factors. An in silico search in Leishmania infantum sequence databases allowed the identification of the genes encoding the α, β, and γ subunits and the α, β, and δ subunits of the putative Leishmania orthologs of the eukaryotic initiation factors F2 (LieIF2) or F2B (LieIF2B), respectively. The antigenicity of these factors was analyzed by ELISA using recombinant versions of the different subunits. Antibodies against the different LieIF2 and LieIF2B subunits were found in the sera from human and canine visceral leishmaniasis patients, and also in the sera from hamsters experimentally infected with L. infantum. In L. infantum (BALB/c) and Leishmania major (BALB/c or C57BL/6) challenged mice, a moderate humoral response against these protein factors was detected. Remarkably, these proteins elicited an IL-10 production by splenocytes derived from infected mice independently of the Leishmania species employed for experimental challenge. When DNA vaccines based on the expression of the LieIF2 or LieIF2B subunit encoding genes were administered in mice, an antigen-specific secretion of IFN-γ and IL-10 cytokines was observed. Furthermore, a partial protection against murine CL development due to L. major infection was generated in the vaccinated mice. Also, in this work we show that the LieIF2α subunit and the LieIF2Bβ and δ subunits have the capacity to stimulate IL-10 secretion by spleen cells from naïve mice. B-lymphocytes were identified as the major producers of this anti-inflammatory cytokine. Taking into account the data found in this study, it may be hypothesized that these proteins act as virulence factors implicated in the induction of humoral responses as well as in the production of the down-regulatory IL-10 cytokine, favoring a pathological outcome. Therefore, these proteins might be considered markers of disease. PMID:29675401

Some concepts of favorability for world-class-type uranium deposits in the northeastern United States

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

Adler, H.H.

1981-03-01

An account is given of concepts of favorability of geologic environments in the eastern United States for uranium deposits of several major types existing elsewhere in the world. The purpose is to convey some initial ideas about the interrelationships of the geology of the eastern United States and the geologic settings of certain of these world-class deposits. The study and report include consideration of uranium deposits other than those generally manifesting the geologic, geochemical and genetic characteristics associated with the conventional sandstone-type ores of the western United States.

Sex disparities in risk and risk factors for ischemic heart disease in the Asia-Pacific region.

PubMed

Peters, Sanne Ae; Woodward, Mark; Lam, Tai H; Fang, Xianghua; Suh, Il; Ueshema, Hirotsugu; Dobson, Annette J; Grobbee, Diederick E; Huxley, Rachel R

2014-05-01

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with higher rates among men than women. Relatively few studies on risk factor associations are available from the Asia-Pacific region, especially with regard to sex differences. Our objective was to compare the relationships between modifiable risk factors and IHD in men and women from the Asia-Pacific region. Data from 600,445 individuals from 44 studies from the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration, an individual patient data overview, were used. Cox models were used to evaluate the effects of risk factors on fatal and non-fatal IHD separately in men and women from Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) and Asia. Over a median follow-up of 6.7 years, 5695 IHD events were documented. The hazard ratio for IHD, comparing men with women, was 2.14 (95% CI 1.97-2.33) in ANZ and 1.88 (95% CI 1.54-2.29) in Asia. The age-adjusted prevalence of major risk factors was generally higher in men than women, especially in ANZ. Risk factors acted broadly similarly between men and women in both Asia and ANZ, with any indications of differences tending to favor men, rather than women. The excess risk of IHD observed in men compared with women in both Asia and ANZ may be, at least in part, a result of a more hazardous risk profile in men compared with women. The contribution of sex differences in the magnitude of the risk factor-disease associations is unlikely to be a contributing factor.

Relative Age Effects in Mathematics and Reading: Investigating the Generalizability across Students, Time and Classes

PubMed Central

Thoren, Katharina; Heinig, Elisa; Brunner, Martin

2016-01-01

A child's age in comparison to the age of her or his classmates (relative age) has been found to be an influential factor on academic achievement, particularly but not exclusively at the beginning of formal schooling. However, few studies have focused on the generalizability of relative age effects. To close this gap, the present study analyzes the generalizability across students with and without immigrant backgrounds, across three student cohorts that entered school under a changing law of school enrollment, and across classes. To this end, we capitalized on representative large-scale data sets from three student cohorts attending public schools in Berlin, the capital of Germany. We analyzed the data using a multilevel framework. Our results for the overall student sample indicate relative age effects for reading and mathematics in favor of the relatively older students in Grade 2 that become somewhat smaller in size in Grade 3. By Grade 8, relative age effects had vanished in reading and had even reversed in favor of the relatively young in mathematics. Furthermore, relative age effects were not found to be systematically different among students with and without immigrant backgrounds, student cohorts, or across classes. Taken together, these results empirically underscore the broad generalizability of the findings as found for the overall student population and replicate the pattern of findings on relative effects as identified by the majority of previous studies. PMID:27242593

Surveyed opinion of American trauma surgeons in management of colon injuries.

PubMed

Eshraghi, N; Mullins, R J; Mayberry, J C; Brand, D M; Crass, R A; Trunkey, D D

1998-01-01

Primary repair or resection and anastomosis of colon wounds have been advocated in many recent studies, but the proportion of trauma surgeons accepting these recommendations is unknown. To determine the current preferences of American trauma surgeons for colon injury management. Four hundred forty-nine members of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma were surveyed regarding their preferred management of eight types of colon wounds among three options: diverting colostomy (DC), primary repair (PR), or resection and anastomosis (RA). The influence of selected patient factors and surgeons' characteristics on the choice of management was also surveyed. Seventy-three percent of surgeons completed the survey. Ninety-eight percent chose PR for at least one type of injury. Thirty percent never selected DC. High-velocity gunshot wound was the only injury for which the majority (54%) would perform DC. More than 55% of the surgeons favored RA when the isolated colon injury was a contusion with possible devascularization, laceration greater than 50% of the diameter, or transection. Surgeons who managed five or fewer colon wounds per year chose DC more frequently (p < 0.001) and PR less frequently (p < 0.001) than surgeons who managed six or more colon wounds per year. The prevailing opinion of trauma surgeons favors primary repair or resection of colon injuries, including anastomosis of unprepared bowel. Surgeons who manage fewer colon wounds prefer colostomy more frequently.

Roles of beta-turns in protein folding: from peptide models to protein engineering.

PubMed

Marcelino, Anna Marie C; Gierasch, Lila M

2008-05-01

Reverse turns are a major class of protein secondary structure; they represent sites of chain reversal and thus sites where the globular character of a protein is created. It has been speculated for many years that turns may nucleate the formation of structure in protein folding, as their propensity to occur will favor the approximation of their flanking regions and their general tendency to be hydrophilic will favor their disposition at the solvent-accessible surface. Reverse turns are local features, and it is therefore not surprising that their structural properties have been extensively studied using peptide models. In this article, we review research on peptide models of turns to test the hypothesis that the propensities of turns to form in short peptides will relate to the roles of corresponding sequences in protein folding. Turns with significant stability as isolated entities should actively promote the folding of a protein, and by contrast, turn sequences that merely allow the chain to adopt conformations required for chain reversal are predicted to be passive in the folding mechanism. We discuss results of protein engineering studies of the roles of turn residues in folding mechanisms. Factors that correlate with the importance of turns in folding indeed include their intrinsic stability, as well as their topological context and their participation in hydrophobic networks within the protein's structure.

Roles of β-Turns in Protein Folding: From Peptide Models to Protein Engineering

PubMed Central

Marcelino, Anna Marie C.; Gierasch, Lila M.

2010-01-01

Reverse turns are a major class of protein secondary structure; they represent sites of chain reversal and thus sites where the globular character of a protein is created. It has been speculated for many years that turns may nucleate the formation of structure in protein folding, as their propensity to occur will favor the approximation of their flanking regions and their general tendency to be hydrophilic will favor their disposition at the solvent-accessible surface. Reverse turns are local features, and it is therefore not surprising that their structural properties have been extensively studied using peptide models. In this article, we review research on peptide models of turns to test the hypothesis that the propensities of turns to form in short peptides will relate to the roles of corresponding sequences in protein folding. Turns with significant stability as isolated entities should actively promote the folding of a protein, and by contrast, turn sequences that merely allow the chain to adopt conformations required for chain reversal are predicted to be passive in the folding mechanism. We discuss results of protein engineering studies of the roles of turn residues in folding mechanisms. Factors that correlate with the importance of turns in folding indeed include their intrinsic stability, as well as their topological context and their participation in hydrophobic networks within the protein’s structure. PMID:18275088

How organizational learning is associated with patient rights: a qualitative content analysis

PubMed Central

Heidari, Shahin; Nayeri, Nahid Dehghan; Ravari, Ali; Sabzevari, Sakineh

2016-01-01

Background Nowadays, patient rights, particularly receiving favorable health care based on modern knowledge, informed consent, and privacy, are important issues in health care delivery systems. Organizational learning is considered an important factor influencing health care quality and patient rights. However, there is little evidence regarding this issue. Objective The present study was conducted to explore the role of organizational learning in patient rights from clinical nurses’ viewpoint. Design This qualitative study was conducted through conventional content analysis. In total, 18 nurses who met the inclusion criteria participated in this study through purposive sampling with maximum variation. Data were gathered through 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, which continued until data saturation was achieved. Data collection also included constant and simultaneous comparative analyses. Results Data analysis led to four major themes: conservation of patient safety, providing favorable care, being the patient's advocate, and informing the patients. All the participants believed that organizational learning could play a vital role in respecting patient rights and interests. Conclusions Participants believed that their efforts to conduct organizational learning, tried to improve respecting the patient rights via conservation of patient safety, trying to improve quality of care, being an advocate, and informing the patient. It would be appreciable if nursing managers honored the commitment of the nurses for learning, highlight their role as defenders of patient rights, and encourage them to initiate organizational learning. PMID:27465289

Risk factors for meningitis after craniotomy in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to anterior circulation aneurysms rupture.

PubMed

Inoue, Takashi; Shimizu, Hiroaki; Fujimura, Miki; Sato, Kenichi; Endo, Hidenori; Niizuma, Kuniyasu; Sakata, Hiroyuki; Tominaga, Teiji

2015-12-01

Postoperative meningitis is a serious complication occurring after neurosurgical interventions. However, few investigations have focused specifically on the risk factors that predispose patients to meningitis after major craniotomy. This study identified the risk factors for postoperative meningitis after neurovascular surgery, and investigated the relationship between postoperative meningitis and clinical outcome. A total of 148 consecutive patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) who underwent clipping surgery through a pterional approach within 72 h between January 2007 and September 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. The treatment strategy of our hospital for patients with SAH was based on the findings of digital subtraction angiography in the acute phase. Coil embolization was firstly considered, and clipping through craniotomy if indicated was performed as soon as possible. Prophylactic antibiotics were administered before beginning craniotomy and for at least 3 days after. Hydrocortisone was used to prevent hyponatremia if allowed by the medical condition of the patient. Intrathecal administration of nicardipine hydrochloride was given if required for vasospasm treatment. Meningitis was clinically diagnosed from the blood samplings and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations. Data were collected from the electronic and paper charts. The status of modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0-2 at discharge was defined as favorable outcome. A total of 14 patients (9.5%) had meningitis during this study period. Symptomatic vasospasm was detected in 33 patients (22.3%), and 12 patients (8.1%) had permanent neurological deficits caused by vasospasm. Overall, 109 patients (73.6%) had favorable outcome. The longer duration of drainage placement, presence of CSF leakage, and intrathecal administration of vasodilatory agent showed significantly higher incidence of postoperative meningitis in univariate analysis (p=0.0093, 0.0017, and 0.0090, respectively). The proportion of favorable outcome patients at discharge (mRS 0-2) was significantly lower in patients with postoperative meningitis (35.7%) than in patients without it (77.6%) (p=0.0004). The duration of in-hospital stay was significantly longer in patients with postoperative meningitis (median 58.5, range 28-115 days) than in patients without it (median 38.5, range 19-149 days) (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only presence of CSF leakage was associated with postoperative meningitis (p=0.0299). Meningitis after surgery is still a serious complication that requires preventative intervention. The clinical outcome of patients with postoperative meningitis after neurovascular surgery is not still satisfactory. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of electrocardiographic findings and associated risk factors between Taiwan Chinese and US White adults.

PubMed

Wu, Chih-Cheng; Yeh, Wen-Ting; Crow, Richard S; Bai, Chyi-Huey; Pan, Wen-Harn

2008-08-18

Electrocardiographic (ECG) findings are known to differ by race, however, systematic comparisons of findings between eastern and western countries are rare. To compare the ECG findings and associated coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors between Taiwan Chinese and US White adults aged >or=40 years. We compared the prevalence rate of Minnesota Code criteria based ECG findings and associated CHD risk factors by using data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) and the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT, 1993-1996). Examining all the ECG findings collectively, we observed a higher prevalence of major Minnesota Code findings in Taiwan Chinese women than in US White women (15.0% vs. 10.5%), particularly ST segment depression (5.4% vs. 2.4%) and T wave abnormalities (10.8% vs. 4.8%). The prevalence of major Minnesota Code findings was similar in both Taiwan Chinese and US White men (22.7% vs. 19.6%). Taiwan Chinese men had a higher prevalence of ST segment elevation (13.7% vs. 0.9%). Taiwan Chinese also had a higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy with repolarization change than US Whites in both sexes (2.7% vs. 1.4% for men, 4.3% vs. 1.3% for women). Taiwan Chinese had more favorable CHD risk factor profiles than US Whites, including lipid profile, obesity, central obesity, and smoking status. The prevalence of hypertension was similar between the two groups, however, a lower percentage of Taiwan Chinese received treatment. Taiwan Chinese men had a lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus than US White men, whereas Taiwan Chinese women had a higher prevalence than US White women. These results suggest that substantial differences in ECG findings exist between Taiwan Chinese and US Whites which cannot be entirely explained by CHD risk factors alone.

An appraisal of the potential use of fly ash for reclaiming coal mine spoil.

PubMed

Ram, Lal C; Masto, Reginald E

2010-01-01

Growing dependence on coal-fired power plants for electrical generation in many countries presents ongoing environmental challenges. Burning pulverized coal in thermal power plants (TPPs) generates large amounts of fly ash (FA) that must be disposed of or otherwise handled, in an environmentally-sound manner. A possible option for dealing with fly ash is to use it as an amendment for mine spoil or other damaged soil. It has been demonstrated through studies in India and other countries that FA alone or in combination with organic or inorganic materials can be used in a productive manner for reclamation of mine spoil. The characteristics of FA, including silt-sized particles, lighter materials with low bulk density (BD), higher water holding capacity, favorable pH and significant concentrations of many essential plant nutrients, make it a potentially favorable amendment for mine spoil reclamation. Studies have indicated that the application of FA has improved the physical, chemical and biological qualities of soil to which it is applied. The release of trace metals and soluble salts from FA could be a major limitation to its application. This is particularly true of fresh, un-weathered FA or acidic FA, although perhaps not a concern for weathered/pond ash or alkaline FA. Some potential contaminants, especially metals and other salt ions, could be immobilized and rendered biologically inert by the addition of certain inorganic and organic amendments. However, in view of the variability in the characteristics of FAs that are associated with location, feed coal, combustion conditions and other factors, the suitability of a particular FA for a specific soil/mine spoil needs to be critically evaluated before it is applied in order to maximize favorable results and eliminate unexpected consequences. FA generated in India tends to be mostly alkaline, with lower levels of trace elements than are often found in FAs from other countries. The concentrations of potential chemical stressors, predominantly metals, in Indian FAs are often less than established or proposed permissible limits and are thus better suited for soil application. A major logistic limitation to the use of FA could be the cost involved in transport of ash from production to utilization sites. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International multicenter cohort study of pediatric brain arteriovenous malformations. Part 2: Outcomes after stereotactic radiosurgery.

PubMed

Starke, Robert M; Ding, Dale; Kano, Hideyuki; Mathieu, David; Huang, Paul P; Feliciano, Caleb; Rodriguez-Mercado, Rafael; Almodovar, Luis; Grills, Inga S; Silva, Danilo; Abbassy, Mahmoud; Missios, Symeon; Kondziolka, Douglas; Barnett, Gene H; Dade Lunsford, L; Sheehan, Jason P

2017-02-01

OBJECTIVE Pediatric patients (age < 18 years) harboring brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are burdened with a considerably higher cumulative lifetime risk of hemorrhage than adults. Additionally, the pediatric population was excluded from recent prospective comparisons of intervention versus conservative management for unruptured AVMs. The aims of this multicenter, retrospective cohort study are to analyze the outcomes after stereotactic radiosurgery for unruptured and ruptured pediatric AVMs. METHODS We analyzed and pooled AVM radiosurgery data from 7 participating in the International Gamma Knife Research Foundation. Patients younger than 18 years of age who had at least 12 months of follow-up were included in the study cohort. Favorable outcome was defined as AVM obliteration, no post-radiosurgical hemorrhage, and no permanently symptomatic radiation-induced changes (RIC). The post-radiosurgery outcomes of unruptured versus ruptured pediatric AVMs were compared, and statistical analyses were performed to identify predictive factors. RESULTS The overall pediatric AVM cohort comprised 357 patients with a mean age of 12.6 years (range 2.8-17.9 years). AVMs were previously treated with embolization, resection, and fractionated external beam radiation therapy in 22%, 6%, and 13% of patients, respectively. The mean nidus volume was 3.5 cm 3 , 77% of AVMs were located in eloquent brain areas, and the Spetzler-Martin grade was III or higher in 59%. The mean radiosurgical margin dose was 21 Gy (range 5-35 Gy), and the mean follow-up was 92 months (range 12-266 months). AVM obliteration was achieved in 63%. During a cumulative latency period of 2748 years, the annual post-radiosurgery hemorrhage rate was 1.4%. Symptomatic and permanent radiation-induced changes occurred in 8% and 3%, respectively. Favorable outcome was achieved in 59%. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the absence of prior AVM embolization (p = 0.001) and higher margin dose (p < 0.001) were found to be independent predictors of a favorable outcome. The rates of favorable outcome for patients treated with a margin dose ≥ 22 Gy vs < 22 Gy were 78% (110/141 patients) and 47% (101/216 patients), respectively. A margin dose ≥ 22 Gy yielded a significantly higher probability of a favorable outcome (p < 0.001). The unruptured and ruptured pediatric AVM cohorts included 112 and 245 patients, respectively. Ruptured AVMs had significantly higher rates of obliteration (68% vs 53%, p = 0.005) and favorable outcome (63% vs 51%, p = 0.033), with a trend toward a higher incidence of post-radiosurgery hemorrhage (10% vs 4%, p = 0.07). The annual post-radiosurgery hemorrhage rates were 0.8% for unruptured and 1.6% for ruptured AVMs. CONCLUSIONS Radiosurgery is a reasonable treatment option for pediatric AVMs. Obliteration and favorable outcomes are achieved in the majority of patients. The annual rate of latency period hemorrhage after radiosurgery for both ruptured and unruptured pediatric AVM patients conveys a significant risk until the nidus is obliterated.

Children in Foster Care and the Development of Favorable Outcomes

PubMed Central

Fisher, Philip A.

2011-01-01

Young foster children have invariably faced a variety of risks that are strongly linked to long-term deficits in functioning across multiple developmental domains. Despite these risks, however, some children demonstrate more favorable outcomes and exhibit adaptation and the development of assets. In the present study, the relationship of early childhood factors (e.g., maltreatment history, placement history, parenting practices, environmental stress, developmental status, and attachment behavior) to the development of favorable outcomes in middle childhood were examined in a sample of foster children who had been in foster care in preschool (N = 35). Favorable outcomes were defined as demonstrations of emotion regulation and school adjustment in during middle childhood. Developmental status (particularly attention and executive functioning) and a lack of environmental stress during early childhood foster care experiences had a significant positive relationship with the development of emotion regulation and school adjustment in middle childhood. PMID:21987598

Latency Entry of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Is Determined by the Interaction of Its Genome with the Nuclear Environment

PubMed Central

Cohen, Camille; Streichenberger, Nathalie; Texier, Pascale; Takissian, Julie; Rousseau, Antoine; Poccardi, Nolwenn; Welsch, Jérémy; Corpet, Armelle; Schaeffer, Laurent; Labetoulle, Marc; Lomonte, Patrick

2016-01-01

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) establishes latency in trigeminal ganglia (TG) sensory neurons of infected individuals. The commitment of infected neurons toward the viral lytic or latent transcriptional program is likely to depend on both viral and cellular factors, and to differ among individual neurons. In this study, we used a mouse model of HSV-1 infection to investigate the relationship between viral genomes and the nuclear environment in terms of the establishment of latency. During acute infection, viral genomes show two major patterns: replication compartments or multiple spots distributed in the nucleoplasm (namely “multiple-acute”). Viral genomes in the “multiple-acute” pattern are systematically associated with the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein in structures designated viral DNA-containing PML nuclear bodies (vDCP-NBs). To investigate the viral and cellular features that favor the acquisition of the latency-associated viral genome patterns, we infected mouse primary TG neurons from wild type (wt) mice or knock-out mice for type 1 interferon (IFN) receptor with wt or a mutant HSV-1, which is unable to replicate due to the synthesis of a non-functional ICP4, the major virus transactivator. We found that the inability of the virus to initiate the lytic program combined to its inability to synthesize a functional ICP0, are the two viral features leading to the formation of vDCP-NBs. The formation of the “multiple-latency” pattern is favored by the type 1 IFN signaling pathway in the context of neurons infected by a virus able to replicate through the expression of a functional ICP4 but unable to express functional VP16 and ICP0. Analyses of TGs harvested from HSV-1 latently infected humans showed that viral genomes and PML occupy similar nuclear areas in infected neurons, eventually forming vDCP-NB-like structures. Overall our study designates PML protein and PML-NBs to be major cellular components involved in the control of HSV-1 latency, probably during the entire life of an individual. PMID:27618691

Attitudes Toward Patient Management Problems as a Self-Assessment Technique in Dermatology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsay, David L.; And Others

1977-01-01

Patient management problems were found to be favorable methods of self-assessment by an overwhelming majority of practicing dermatologists and those in training, regardless of the type of practice or the number of years in practice. (LBH)

The relationship of women's postpartum mental health to employment, childbirth, and social support.

PubMed

Gjerdingen, D K; Chaloner, K M

1994-05-01

This study was conducted to examine changes in women's mental health over the first postpartum year and factors that are associated with mental health. Participants included women who were married, employed, English-speaking, and giving birth to their first child at one of two hospitals in St Paul, Minnesota. Women who were eligible and willing to participate were mailed questionnaires at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum. There were significant changes in mothers' general mental health, depression, and anxiety over the first postpartum year (P < or = .01), with least favorable outcomes at 1 month and most favorable outcomes at 12 months postpartum. Poor mental health was related to work factors, such as longer work hours and maternity leave of less than 24 weeks, and to variables often associated with recent childbirth, such as maternal fatigue, loss of sleep, concerns about appearance, and infant illnesses. In addition, postpartum symptoms were predicted by physical illness, previous mental problems, poor general health, poor social support, fewer recreational activities, young age, and low income (R2 = 37% to 57%). In this select group of women, postpartum mental health was found to be least favorable 1 month after delivery and related to factors associated with employment, recent delivery, and level of social support.

The role of non-thermal factors in the control of skin blood flow during exercise.

PubMed Central

Nielsen, B.

1986-01-01

Arguments in favor of the importance of non-thermal factors in the control of skin circulation are presented. Such factors include exercise, posture, water and electrolyte balance, state of training, and acclimatization. The first three factors probably elicit their effects via high- and low-pressure baroreceptors, while the mechanisms involved for the remainder are unknown. PMID:3529655

[Factors influencing the satisfaction of demands on services for elderly with visual disability].

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Li, Wenfei; Zhu, Jieping; Huang, Tingting; Zhu, Lin; Chen, Gong; Zheng, Xiaoying

2014-09-01

To investigate the status and associated factors of demand satisfaction (DS) of services for older adults with visual disability (OAVD). Based on the 2nd National Sample Survey on Disability in 2006, a total number of 24 017 OAVD cases were included. Associated relationships among demographic, health-related, social, economic factors and services of DS, including health demand (Type I), basic livelihood demand (Type II), and environmental support demand (Type III) were analyzed. The proportions of DS of Type I, II, III services for OAVD were 35.1% , 9.3% and 4.3% respectively. Eight factors as:having pension insurance (OR = 1.64), living in urban areas (OR = 1.54), per capita household income at ≥5 000 or over Yuan (OR = 1.46)were favorable ones on OAVD DS while at age ≥80 or above (OR = 0.90), being male (OR = 0.93)were adverse factors of Type I. Four factors as:being male (OR = 1.43), living in urban areas (OR = 1.15), subjects defined as grade II (OR = 1.36) and grade I (OR = 1.70) etc., were favorable factors on OAVD DS. Five factors as: range of age groups at 15-59 (OR = 0.57) or at ≥60 (OR = 0.45), per capita household income at 1 000-1 999 Yuan (OR = 0.77), 2 000-4 999 Yuan (OR = 0.58) and ≥5 000 Yuan (OR = 0.39) were adverse factors of Type II. Factors as: living in urban areas (OR = 1.23), defined as grade II (OR = 1.38) and grade I (OR = 1.34), having pension insurance (OR = 1.62) and per capita household income at ≥5 000 Yuan (OR = 1.42) etc., were favorable factors of Type III. The DS degree of older adults with visual disability was generally very low while factors as: per capita household income, situation on social insurance, age, degree of disability, age when disability was identified, areas of residence, gender, grade of disability, marriage status, levels of education etc., were significantly associated with the service on DS.

Personal Factors and Perceived Barriers to Participation in Leisure Activities for Young and Adults with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badia, Marta; Orgaz, Begona M.; Verdugo, Miguel A.; Ullan, Ana M.; Martinez, Magdalena M.

2011-01-01

Participation in leisure activities has been identified as a factor that favors inclusion in the community and it also contributes to a better quality of life. This study analyzed the influence of certain personal characteristics and environmental factors in the participation in leisure activities of youngsters and adults with developmental…

Therapeutic Outcomes of Pectoralis Major Muscle Turnover Flap in Mediastinitis.

PubMed

Bagheri, Reza; Tashnizi, Mohammad Abbasi; Haghi, Seyed Ziaollah; Salehi, Maryam; Rajabnejad, Ata'ollah; Safa, Mohsen Hatami Ghale; Vejdani, Mohammad

2015-08-01

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic results and safety of pectoralis major muscle turnover flaps in the treatment of mediastinitis after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. Data regarding 33 patients with post-CABG deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs) who underwent pectoralis major muscle turnover flap procedures in the Emam Reza and Ghaem Hospitals of Mashhad, Iran were reviewed in this study. For each patient, age, sex, hospital stay duration, remission, recurrence, and associated morbidity and mortality were evaluated. Of the 2,447 CABG procedures that were carried out during the time period encompassed by our study, DSWIs occurred in 61 patients (2.5%). Of these 61 patients, 33 patients (nine females [27.3%] and 24 males [72.7%]) with an average age of 63±4.54 years underwent pectoralis major muscle turnover flap placement. Symptoms of infection mainly occurred within the first 10 days after surgery (mean, 10.24±13.62 days). The most common risk factor for DSWIs was obesity (n=16, 48.4%) followed by diabetes mellitus (n=13, 39.4%). Bilateral and unilateral pectoralis major muscle turnover flaps were performed in 20 patients (60.6%) and 13 patients (39.4%), respectively. Complete remission was achieved in 25 patients (75.7%), with no recurrence in the follow-up period. Four patients (12.1%) needed reoperation. The mean hospitalization time was 11.69±6.516 days. Four patients (12.1%) died during the course of the study: three due to the postoperative complication of respiratory failure and one due to pulmonary thromboembolism. Pectoralis major muscle turnover flaps are an optimal technique in the treatment of post-CABG mediastinitis. In addition to leading to favorable therapeutic results, this flap is associated with minimal morbidity and mortality, as well as a short hospitalization time.

Management of Major Bleeding Events in Patients Treated With Dabigatran for Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation: A Retrospective, Multicenter Review.

PubMed

Milling, Truman J; Fromm, Christian; Ganetsky, Michael; Pallin, Daniel J; Cong, Julie; Singer, Adam J

2017-05-01

There are limited data on the clinical presentations and management of dabigatran-associated major bleeding outside the clinical trial setting. The aim of this study is to describe clinical characteristics, interventions, and outcomes in patients with dabigatran-associated major bleeding who present to the emergency department (ED). We performed a retrospective observational chart review study of dabigatran-treated patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who presented with acute major bleeding to the ED. We searched electronic medical record databases cross-referencing medication lists and hemorrhage International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and ICD-10 codes. We studied the resulting charts to yield confirmed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in patients with an index event of major bleeding and at least 1 dose of dabigatran in the 5 preceding days. The electronic search yielded 284 cases, and we assessed 93 as ineligible, leaving 191 in the final cohort. Of these, 118 patients (62%) had gastrointestinal hemorrhage; 36 (19%) had intracranial hemorrhage, 8 (4%) of which were nontraumatic cases and 28 (15%) traumatic. Thirty-six (19%) of the index events were in "other" locations and 1 (0.5%) "unknown." There were 12 deaths (6%): 8 from patients presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding events, 2 from intracranial hemorrhage (both nontraumatic), and 2 from other. Although RBC and plasma transfusions were common, only 11 patients (6%) received purified coagulation factors. Despite rare use of reversal strategies, mortality was low and outcomes were favorable, similar to reported outcomes from clinical trials, in this sample of patients with major bleeding while receiving dabigatran. Copyright © 2016 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prognostic factors of a favorable outcome following a supervised exercise program for soldiers with sub-acute and chronic low back pain.

PubMed

Perron, Marc; Gendron, Chantal; Langevin, Pierre; Leblond, Jean; Roos, Marianne; Roy, Jean-Sébastien

2018-04-02

Low back pain (LBP) encompasses heterogeneous patients unlikely to respond to a unique treatment. Identifying sub-groups of LBP may help to improve treatment outcomes. This is a hypothesis-setting study designed to create a clinical prediction rule (CPR) that will predict favorable outcomes in soldiers with sub-acute and chronic LBP participating in a multi-station exercise program. Military members with LBP participated in a supervised program comprising 7 stations each consisting of exercises of increasing difficulty. Demographic, impairment and disability data were collected at baseline. The modified Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was administered at baseline and following the 6-week program. An improvement of 50% in the initial ODI score was considered the reference standard to determine a favorable outcome. Univariate associations with favorable outcome were tested using chi-square or paired t-tests. Variables that showed between-group (favorable/unfavorable) differences were entered into a logistic regression after determining the sampling adequacy. Finally, continuous variables were dichotomized and the sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative likelihood ratios were determined for the model and for each variable. A sample of 85 participants was included in analyses. Five variables contributed to prediction of a favorable outcome: no pain in lying down (p = 0.017), no use of antidepressants (p = 0.061), FABQ work score < 22.5 (p = 0.061), fewer than 5 physiotherapy sessions before entering the program (p = 0.144) and less than 6 months' work restriction (p = 0.161). This model yielded a sensitivity of 0.78, specificity of 0.80, LR+ of 3.88, and LR- of 0.28. A 77.5% probability of favorable outcome can be predicted by the presence of more than three of the five variables, while an 80% probability of unfavorable outcome can be expected if only three or fewer variables are present. The use of prognostic factors may guide clinicians in identifying soldiers with LBP most likely to have a favorable outcome. Further validation studies are needed to determine if the variables identified in our study are treatment effect modifiers that can predict success following participation in the multi-station exercise program. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03464877 registered retrospectively on 14 March 2018.

Attitudes toward rape and victims of rape: a test of the feminist theory in Ghana.

PubMed

Boakye, Kofi E

2009-10-01

This study explores the usefulness of the feminist theory in explaining attitudes toward rape and victims of rape in Ghana. The feminist theory of rape posits, inter alia, that patriarchy and gender inequality are major factors in the aetiology of rape and attitudes toward rape and that underlying patriarchy and gender inequality are gender stereotypes and false beliefs (myths) about rape, rapists, and victims of rape. Thus, the theory suggests a relationship between rape myths and less favorable attitudes toward rape and victims of rape. Results from a survey conducted in Ghana show some support for the feminist theory of rape: There is evidence of rape myth acceptance in Ghana; gender is significant in predicting levels of rape myth acceptance; and finally, education or profession and age, but not religion, are associated with levels of rape myth acceptance in a predictable way.

Thoracic outlet syndrome part 2: conservative management of thoracic outlet.

PubMed

Watson, L A; Pizzari, T; Balster, S

2010-08-01

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a symptom complex attributed to compression of the nerves and vessels as they exit the thoracic outlet. Classified into several sub-types, conservative management is generally recommended as the first stage treatment in favor of surgical intervention. In cases where postural deviations contribute substantially to compression of the thoracic outlet, the rehabilitation approach outlined in this masterclass will provide the clinician with appropriate management strategies to help decompress the outlet. The main component of the rehabilitation program is the graded restoration of scapula control, movement, and positioning at rest and through movement. Adjunctive strategies include restoration of humeral head control, isolated strengthening of weak shoulder muscles, taping, and other manual therapy techniques. The rehabilitation outlined in this paper also serves as a model for the management of any shoulder condition where scapula dysfunction is a major contributing factor. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental Factors Influencing Epidemic Cholera

PubMed Central

Jutla, Antarpreet; Whitcombe, Elizabeth; Hasan, Nur; Haley, Bradd; Akanda, Ali; Huq, Anwar; Alam, Munir; Sack, R. Bradley; Colwell, Rita

2013-01-01

Cholera outbreak following the earthquake of 2010 in Haiti has reaffirmed that the disease is a major public health threat. Vibrio cholerae is autochthonous to aquatic environment, hence, it cannot be eradicated but hydroclimatology-based prediction and prevention is an achievable goal. Using data from the 1800s, we describe uniqueness in seasonality and mechanism of occurrence of cholera in the epidemic regions of Asia and Latin America. Epidemic regions are located near regional rivers and are characterized by sporadic outbreaks, which are likely to be initiated during episodes of prevailing warm air temperature with low river flows, creating favorable environmental conditions for growth of cholera bacteria. Heavy rainfall, through inundation or breakdown of sanitary infrastructure, accelerates interaction between contaminated water and human activities, resulting in an epidemic. This causal mechanism is markedly different from endemic cholera where tidal intrusion of seawater carrying bacteria from estuary to inland regions, results in outbreaks. PMID:23897993

Origin of chemoselectivity in N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed cross-benzoin reactions: DFT and experimental insights.

PubMed

Langdon, Steven M; Legault, Claude Y; Gravel, Michel

2015-04-03

An exploration into the origin of chemoselectivity in the NHC-catalyzed cross-benzoin reaction reveals several key factors governing the preferred pathway. In the first computational study to explore the cross-benzoin reaction, a piperidinone-derived triazolium catalyst produces kinetically controlled chemoselectivity. This is supported by (1)H NMR studies as well as a series of crossover experiments. Major contributors include the rapid and preferential formation of an NHC adduct with alkyl aldehydes, a rate-limiting carbon-carbon bond formation step benefiting from a stabilizing π-stacking/π-cation interaction, and steric penalties paid by competing pathways. The energy profile for the analogous pyrrolidinone-derived catalyst was found to be remarkably similar, despite experimental data showing that it is less chemoselective. The chemoselectivity could not be improved through kinetic control; however, equilibrating conditions show substantial preference for the same cross-benzoin product kinetically favored by the piperidinone-derived catalyst.

[The modern principles of management of intermittent claudication].

PubMed

Gamzatov, T H; Svetlikov, A V

2016-01-01

Number of patients with peripheral arterial disease, despite various national public health programs, remains high and has no steady downward trend over the past few decades. Despite recent advances in drug therapy, сonservative approach in the management of peripheral arterial disease is often neglected by vascular surgeons. However, vast majority of patients with intermittent claudication, who receive comprehensive conservative treatment, including risk factor modification, exercise and drug therapy, may get significant improvement in quality of life by partial or complete relief of symptoms related to the disease. Patients strictly adhering to medical recommendations has favorable prognosis and progression of disease to the stage of critical limb ischemia is very unlikely. Noncompliant patients and those who continue smoking in particular, often experience progression of symptoms related to the disease. That may result in the need for surgical intervention aiming to prevent or delay the onset of critical limb ischemia.

Impacts of hydrogeochemical processes and anthropogenic activities on groundwater quality in the Upper Precambrian sedimentary aquifer of northwestern Burkina Faso

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sako, A.; Yaro, J. M.; Bamba, O.

2018-06-01

This study investigates the hydrogeochemical and anthropogenic factors that control groundwater quality in an Upper Precambrian sedimentary aquifer in the northwestern Burkina Faso. The raw data and statistical and geochemical modeling results were used to identify the sources of major ions in dug well, private borewell and tap water samples. Tap waters were classified as Ca-HCO3 and Ca-Mg-HCO3 types, reflecting the weathering of the local dolomitic limestones and silicate minerals. Dug well waters, with a direct contact with various sources of contamination, were classified as Ca-Na-K-HCO3 type. Two factors that explain 94% of the total variance suggested that water-rock interaction was the most important factor controlling the groundwater chemistry. Factor 1 had high loadings on pH, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3 -, SO4 2- and TDS. These variables were also strongly correlated indicating their common geogenic sources. Based on the HCO3 -/(HCO3 - + SO4 2-) ratios (0.8-0.99), carbonic acid weathering appeared to control Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3 - and SO4 2- acquisition in the groundwater. With relatively lower Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations, the majority of dug well and borewell waters were soft to moderately hard, whereas tap waters were considered very hard. Thus, the dug well and, to a lesser extent, borewell waters are likely to have a low buffering capacity. Factor 2 had high loadings on Na+, NO3 - and Cl-. The strong correlation between Na+ and NO3 - and Cl- implied that factor 2 represented the anthropogenic contribution to the groundwater chemistry. In contrast, K+ had moderate loadings on factors 1 and 2, consistent with its geogenic and anthropogenic sources. The study demonstrated that waters from dug wells and borewells were bacteriologically unsafe for human consumption, and their low buffering capacity may favor mobility of potentially toxic heavy metals in the aquifer. Not only very hard tap waters have aesthetic inconvenient, but their consumption may also pose health problems.

Partisan perspectives in the medical literature: a study of high frequency editorialists favoring hormone replacement therapy.

PubMed

Tatsioni, Athina; Siontis, George C M; Ioannidis, John P A

2010-09-01

Unfavorable results of major studies have led to a large shrinkage of the market for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the last 6 years. Some scientists continue to strongly support the use of HRT. We analyzed a sample of partisan editorializing articles on HRT to examine their arguments, the reporting of competing interests, the journal venues and their sponsoring societies. Through Thomson ISI database, we selected articles without primary data written by the five most prolific editorialists that addressed clinical topics pertaining to HRT and that were published in regular journal issues in 2002-2008. We recorded the number of articles with a partisan stance and their arguments, the number of partisan articles that reported conflicting interests, and the journal venues and their sponsoring societies publishing the partisan editorials. We analyzed 114 eligible articles (58 editorials, 16 guidelines, 37 reviews, 3 letters), of which 110 (96%) had a partisan stance favoring HRT. Typical arguments were benefits for menopausal and related symptoms (64.9%), criticism of unfavorable studies (78.9%), preclinical data that showed favorable effects of HRT (50%), and benefits for major outcomes such as osteoporosis and fractures (49.1%), cardiovascular disease (31.6%), dementia (24.6%) or colorectal cancer (20.2%), but also even breast cancer (4.4%). All 5 prolific editorialists had financial relationships with hormone manufacturers, but these were reported in only 6 of the 110 partisan articles. Four journals published 15-37 partisan articles each. The medical societies of these journals reported on their websites that several pharmaceutical companies sponsored them or their conferences. There is a considerable body of editorializing articles favoring HRT use and very few of these articles report conflicts of interest. Full disclosure of conflicts of interest is needed, especially for articles without primary data.

Educational and social competencies at 8 years in children with threshold retinopathy of prematurity in the CRYO-ROP multicenter study.

PubMed

Msall, Michael E; Phelps, Dale L; Hardy, Robert J; Dobson, Velma; Quinn, Graham E; Summers, C Gail; Tremont, Michelle R

2004-04-01

To describe the educational status and special education services at 8 years among children who had threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). A prospective study was conducted of a cohort of children who had birth weight of <1251 g and threshold ROP in the Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity multicenter study. At age 5.5 years, visual status, functional skills, and social information were obtained. At 8 years, special education classes, developmental disabilities, rehabilitation therapies, and academic and social competencies were determined by questionnaire. Visual status was considered favorable/unfavorable on the basis of the better eye. Of 255 survivors, 216 (85%) were evaluated at both 5.5 and 8 years. Major impairments were significantly more prevalent in children with unfavorable versus favorable visual status: cerebral palsy (39% vs 16%), developmental disability (57% vs 22%), autism (9% vs 1%), and epilepsy (23% vs 3%). Special education services (63% vs 27%), below-grade-level academic performance (84% vs 48%), and school-based rehabilitation services were significantly less common in children with favorable visual status. Favorable visual status, favorable functional ratings at 5.5 years, markers of higher socioeconomic status, and nonblack race were associated with significantly lower rates of both special education placement and below-grade-level academic performance at age 8. On multivariate logistic regression, only favorable visual status and functional status remained significant predictors for decreasing special education placement. Threshold ROP is associated with high rates of developmental, educational, and social challenges in middle childhood; preserved vision was associated with a clear advantage, with more than half of the children with favorable visual status performing at grade level.

Opinions about child corporal punishment and influencing factors.

PubMed

Bell, Tessa; Romano, Elisa

2012-07-01

The use of corporal punishment has been linked to negative developmental outcomes for children. Despite this finding, Section 43 of the Canadian Criminal Code permits the use of corporal punishment by parents for children 2 to 12 years of age. Therefore, this study's first objective is to investigate opinions toward Section 43 and spanking more generally. The second objective is to investigate predictors of opinions toward Section 43 and spanking more generally. The sample consists of 818 nonparents (70.7% female, 29.0% male) who completed an online study. Results indicate that 38.6% were favorable toward upholding Section 43. However, this decreases to 25.8% when a condition is included, stating that parents would not be prosecuted for mild slaps or spankings. For attitudes toward spanking more generally, results reveal that 16.7% of the participants held favorable attitudes. Hierarchical regression analyses reveal that planning to use corporal punishment upon becoming a parent predicted having a more favorable attitude toward Section 43 as well as toward spanking more generally (after controlling for sociodemographics). In contrast, having experienced violence during one's childhood predicts having less favorable attitudes toward Section 43 and spanking more generally. Significant interactions are found between childhood experiences of corporal punishment and perceptions of parental warmth/support and impulsiveness during discipline in predicting attitudes toward spanking. Those who report experiencing more corporal punishment during childhood but also more parental warmth/support hold more favorable attitudes toward spanking and those who report experiencing more corporal punishment during childhood and also more parental impulsiveness hold less favorable attitudes toward spanking. Findings indicate that examining opinions toward Section 43 and spanking separately is important because these concepts are not synonymous. In addition, both more immediate factors and those related to one's developmental history play a role in predicting opinions toward Section 43 and spanking more generally.

The "multiple hormone deficiency" theory of aging: is human senescence caused mainly by multiple hormone deficiencies?

PubMed

Hertoghe, T

2005-12-01

In the human body, the productions, levels and cell receptors of most hormones progressively decline with age, gradually putting the body into various states of endocrine deficiency. The circadian cycles of these hormones also change, sometimes profoundly, with time. In aging individuals, the well-balanced endocrine system can fall into a chaotic condition with losses, phase-advancements, phase delays, unpredictable irregularities of nycthemeral hormone cycles, in particular in very old or sick individuals. The desynchronization makes hormone activities peak at the wrong times and become inefficient, and in certain cases health threatening. The occurrence of multiple hormone deficits and spilling through desynchronization may constitute the major causes of human senescence, and they are treatable causes. Several arguments can be put forward to support the view that senescence is mainly a multiple hormone deficiency syndrome: First, many if not most of the signs, symptoms and diseases (including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, dementia) of senescence are similar to physical consequences of hormone deficiencies and may be caused by hormone deficiencies. Second, most of the presumed causes of senescence such as excessive free radical formation, glycation, cross-linking of proteins, imbalanced apoptosis system, accumulation of waste products, failure of repair systems, deficient immune system, may be caused or favored by hormone deficiencies. Even genetic causes such as limits to cell proliferation (such as the Hayflick limit of cell division), poor gene polymorphisms, premature telomere shortening and activation of possible genetic "dead programs" may have links with hormone deficiencies, being either the consequence, the cause, or the major favoring factor of hormone deficiencies. Third, well-dosed and -balanced hormone supplements may slow down or stop the progression of signs, symptoms, or diseases of senescence and may often reverse or even cure them. If hormone deficiencies and imbalances are the major causes of senescence, what then is the treatment? Crucial for the treatment of senescent persons is to make a correct diagnosis by making up an anamnesis of all symptoms related to hormone disturbances, conducting a thorough physical examination, and getting laboratory tests done such as serum and 24-hour urine analyses. The physician should look not only for hormone deficiencies, including the mildest ones, but also for any alterations in hormone circadian cycles, and for the presence of any factors--nutritional, dietary, behavioral, lifestyle, environmental (including illumination and indoor, outdoor, or dietary pollutants)--that cause or aggravate hormone deficiencies. After completion of the detailed diagnostic phase and obtaining and analyzing the results of the tests, treatment can start. In general, before supplying hormones, all other factors that contribute to senescence should be eliminated. After that, supplements of the missing hormones can then be administered, carefully respecting an appropriate timing of their intake, and eventually recommending measures such as lifestyle changes to restore circadian rhythmicity.

Tea and Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Deka, Apranta; Vita, Joseph A.

2011-01-01

There is increasing evidence for a protective effect of tea consumption against cardiovascular disease. This review summarizes the available epidemiological data providing evidence for and against such an effect. We also review observational and intervention studies that investigated an effect of tea and tea extracts on cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, serum lipids, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. Finally, we review potential mechanisms of benefit, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-proliferative effects, as well as favorable effects on endothelial function. Overall, the observational data suggest a benefit, but results are mixed and likely confounded by lifestyle and background dietary factors. The weight of evidence indicates favorable effects on risk factors and a number of plausible mechanisms have been elucidated in experimental and translational human studies. Despite the growing body evidence, it remains uncertain whether tea consumption should be recommended to the general population or to patients as a strategy to reduce cardiovascular risk. PMID:21477653

Difficulties in the accessibility to health services for tuberculosis diagnoses in Brazilian municipalities.

PubMed

Scatena, Lúcia Marina; Villa, Tereza Cristina Scatena; Netto, Antonio Ruffino; Kritski, Afrânio Lineu; Figueiredo, Tânia Maria Ribeiro Monteiro de; Vendramini, Silvia Helena Figueiredo; Assis, Marluce Maria de Araújo; Motta, Maria Catarina Salvador da

2009-06-01

To assess difficulties in the accessibility to tuberculosis diagnoses in the health services in Brazil. The study was carried out in 2007 and surveyed tuberculosis patients treated in the primary care services in the cities of Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, Itaboraí (these three in Southeastern Brazil), Campina Grande and Feira de Santana (these two in Northeastern Brazil). The instrument 'Primary Care Assessment Tool' was used, adapted to assess tuberculosis care in Brazil. Tuberculosis diagnosis in the health services was assessed by means of multiple correspondence factor analysis. The accessibility to the diagnosis was represented by the dimensions 'locomotion to the health service' and 'assistance service' in the factorial plan. The patients from Ribeirão Preto and Itaboraí were associated with more favorable conditions to the dimension 'locomotion to the health service' and the patients from Campina Grande and Feira de Santana were associated with less favorable conditions. Ribeirão Preto presented more favorable conditions to the dimension 'assistance service', followed by Itaboraí, Feira de Santana and Campina Grande. São José do Rio Preto presented less favorable conditions to both dimensions, 'locomotion to the health service' and 'assistance service', compared to the other cities. The factor analysis enabled the visualization of the organizational characteristics of the services that provide tuberculosis care. The decentralization of the actions to the family health program and reference centers seems not to present a satisfactory performance regarding accessibility to the tuberculosis diagnosis, as the form of services organization was not a determinant factor to guarantee the accessibility to the early diagnosis of the illness.

Comment on and reinterpretation of Gabriel et Al. (2014) 'fish mercury and surface water sulfate relationships in the everglades protection area'.

PubMed

Julian, Paul; Gu, Binhe; Redfield, Garth

2015-01-01

Mercury (Hg) methylation and bioaccumulation is a major environmental issue in the Everglades Protection Area (EvPA). Therefore, it is critical to improve our predictive understanding of Hg dynamics. This commentary critically reviews a recently published manuscript concerning the possible relationship between Hg in fish tissue and surface water sulfate within EvPA marshes. The commentary addresses fundamental issues with the authors' data analysis, results and interpretation as well as highlights inconsistencies with published literature and the lack of support for their suggested ecosystem management actions. A number of chemical, biological, and physical factors influence Hg methylation and bioaccumulation, and water sulfate is sometimes viewed as a keystone factor, Gabriel et al. (2014) conclude that Hg bioaccumulation is favored at elevated sulfate concentrations, and suggest mitigation strategies to reduce sulfate inputs to the EvPA. A careful review of their data and conclusions reveals major flaws and in fact, a more straightforward and defensible interpretation of their data would be that no predictable relationship exists between fish tissue Hg and surface water sulfate concentrations in south Florida. Given the complexity of Hg cycling and the influence of trophic and habitat characteristics on aquatic consumer Hg accumulation, expecting one parameter to predict Hg accumulation dynamics within fish species within a dynamic marsh environment is unrealistic. Furthermore, proposing any management guidance from this relationship with little to no quantitative statistical analysis is inappropriate and misleading.

Resveratrol and health from a consumer perspective: perception, attitude, and adoption of a new functional ingredient.

PubMed

Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica; Grunert, Klaus G

2015-08-01

Resveratrol is an ingredient widely researched, with growing evidence of health-promoting effects. However, the reactions of supplement or food consumers to resveratrol has not been researched, and the ingredient is yet unknown to most consumers. We used respective literature and our own resveratrol consumer studies with Danish and U.S. consumers to look at current findings and future research directions for three questions. (1) Which factors determine consumer interest in a yet unknown functional ingredient such as resveratrol? (2) How should resveratrol be marketed as a new functional ingredient to be understood and favorably perceived? (3) What could be the effects of adoption of an ingredient such as resveratrol on the healthy lifestyle of a consumer? Literature and first results indicate that personal relevance and familiarity are crucial factors; however, consumers show little interest in resveratrol and lack relevant knowledge, especially in Denmark. Favorable attitudes were explained by health outcome expectations, use of complementary and alternative medicine, and interest in the indulgence dimension of food. Nonscientifically phrased communication led to more favorable attitudes in Danish consumers; scientifically phrased communication, though, made U.S. consumers more likely to retain favorable attitudes in the presence of contradictory evidence. We discuss future research directions in different cultural backgrounds and market contexts and for different foods. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

Quantifying the driving factors for language shift in a bilingual region

PubMed Central

Prochazka, Katharina; Vogl, Gero

2017-01-01

Many of the world’s around 6,000 languages are in danger of disappearing as people give up use of a minority language in favor of the majority language in a process called language shift. Language shift can be monitored on a large scale through the use of mathematical models by way of differential equations, for example, reaction–diffusion equations. Here, we use a different approach: we propose a model for language dynamics based on the principles of cellular automata/agent-based modeling and combine it with very detailed empirical data. Our model makes it possible to follow language dynamics over space and time, whereas existing models based on differential equations average over space and consequently provide no information on local changes in language use. Additionally, cellular automata models can be used even in cases where models based on differential equations are not applicable, for example, in situations where one language has become dispersed and retreated to language islands. Using data from a bilingual region in Austria, we show that the most important factor in determining the spread and retreat of a language is the interaction with speakers of the same language. External factors like bilingual schools or parish language have only a minor influence. PMID:28298530

Aging of hematopoietic stem cells: DNA damage and mutations?

PubMed

Moehrle, Bettina M; Geiger, Hartmut

2016-10-01

Aging in the hematopoietic system and the stem cell niche contributes to aging-associated phenotypes of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), including leukemia and aging-associated immune remodeling. Among others, the DNA damage theory of aging of HSCs is well established, based on the detection of a significantly larger amount of γH2AX foci and a higher tail moment in the comet assay, both initially thought to be associated with DNA damage in aged HSCs compared with young cells, and bone marrow failure in animals devoid of DNA repair factors. Novel data on the increase in and nature of DNA mutations in the hematopoietic system with age, the quality of the DNA damage response in aged HSCs, and the nature of γH2AX foci question a direct link between DNA damage and the DNA damage response and aging of HSCs, and rather favor changes in epigenetics, splicing-factors or three-dimensional architecture of the cell as major cell intrinsic factors of HSCs aging. Aging of HSCs is also driven by a strong contribution of aging of the niche. This review discusses the DNA damage theory of HSC aging in the light of these novel mechanisms of aging of HSCs. Copyright © 2016 ISEH - International Society for Experimental Hematology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Current Status of Adjuvant Therapy for Colon Cancer

PubMed Central

André, Thierry; Afchain, Pauline; Barrier, Alain; Blanchard, Pierre; Larsen, Annette K.; Tournigand, Christophe; Louvet, Christophe; de Gramont, Aimery

2007-01-01

Due to its frequency and persistently high mortality, colorectal cancer represents a major public health problem. The use of adjuvant chemotherapy has improved prognosis in stage III disease, but much work remains to be done in optimizing adjuvant treatment, including refinement of ability to predict disease course and response to chemotherapy. The FOLFOX4 regimen is now considered standard treatment for stage III disease. Combinations of irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) have not proven to be more effective than 5-FU/folinic acid (FA). Oral fluoropyrimidines (eg, capecitabine, UFT + FA) now offer an alternative to intravenous 5-FU. Adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colorectal cancer is more controversial. Use of adjuvant chemotherapy does not appear to be justified in patients with no particular risk factors (T3N0 with no poor prognosis factor). In contrast, the risk:benefit ratio in patients with one or more poor prognostic factors (T4 tumor, occlusion or perforation, poorly differentiated tumor, vascular invasion, or < 10 lymph nodes examined) appears to favor adjuvant treatment with FOLFOX4. Ongoing adjuvant trials are evaluating bevacizumab and cetuximab combined with 5-FU and oxaliplatin, and are examining the utility of such potential predictive markers as tumor microsatellite instability and loss of heterozygosity. Duration of therapy and prevention of oxaliplatin neurotoxicity are other critical areas for future research. PMID:19262714

Attributable risks for childhood overweight: evidence for limited effectiveness of prevention.

PubMed

Plachta-Danielzik, Sandra; Kehden, Britta; Landsberg, Beate; Schaffrath Rosario, Angelika; Kurth, Bärbel-Maria; Arnold, Christiane; Graf, Christine; Hense, Sabrina; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Müller, Manfred James

2012-10-01

Calculation of attributable risks (ARs) of childhood overweight to estimate effectiveness of prevention strategies. We used pooled data of 4 population-based German studies including 34240 children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years to calculate the impact of familial, social, "early life", and lifestyle factors on overweight. ARs (joint for all determinants as well as partial risks) were calculated. The prevalence of childhood overweight was 13.4%. Successfully tackling all determinants can reduce overweight by 77.7% (ie, from 13.4% to 3.0%; = joint AR) with partial effects of treating parental overweight (42.5%); improving social status (14.3%); reducing media time to <1 hour per day (11.4%); and not smoking during pregnancy, low weight gain during pregnancy, and breastfeeding (together 9.5%), respectively. Improving all preventable risk factors (ie, early life factors and lifestyle) the effect is 9.2%. Media time has the strongest effect. The determinants identified explained 78% of the prevalence of overweight. Taking into account the partial ARs, the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions to prevent overweight in children is limited. Our data argue in favor of interventions aimed at families and social environments, with a major focus on promoting a lower screen time and computer use in children.

Is Helicobacter pylori Infection the Primary Cause of Duodenal Ulceration or a Secondary Factor? A Review of the Evidence

PubMed Central

Ananthakrishnan, N.; Tovey, Frank I.

2013-01-01

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has a role in the multifactorial etiology of peptic ulcer disease. A link between H. pylori infection and duodenal ulcer disease is now established. Other contributing factors and their interaction with the organism may initiate the ulcerative process. The fact that eradication of H. pylori infection leads to a long-term cure in the majority of duodenal ulcer patients and the fact that the prevalence of infection is higher in ulcer patients than in the normal population are cogent arguments in favor of it being the primary cause of the ulceration. Against this concept there are issues that need explanation such as the reason why only a minority of infected persons develop duodenal ulceration when infection with H. pylori is widespread. There is evidence that H. pylori infection has been prevalent for several centuries, yet duodenal ulceration became common at the beginning of the twentieth century. The prevalence of duodenal ulceration is not higher in countries with a high prevalence of H. pylori infection. This paper debate puts forth the point of view of two groups of workers in this field whether H. pylori infection is the primary cause of duodenal ulcer disease or a secondary factor. PMID:23606834

Supervised normalization of microarrays

PubMed Central

Mecham, Brigham H.; Nelson, Peter S.; Storey, John D.

2010-01-01

Motivation: A major challenge in utilizing microarray technologies to measure nucleic acid abundances is ‘normalization’, the goal of which is to separate biologically meaningful signal from other confounding sources of signal, often due to unavoidable technical factors. It is intuitively clear that true biological signal and confounding factors need to be simultaneously considered when performing normalization. However, the most popular normalization approaches do not utilize what is known about the study, both in terms of the biological variables of interest and the known technical factors in the study, such as batch or array processing date. Results: We show here that failing to include all study-specific biological and technical variables when performing normalization leads to biased downstream analyses. We propose a general normalization framework that fits a study-specific model employing every known variable that is relevant to the expression study. The proposed method is generally applicable to the full range of existing probe designs, as well as to both single-channel and dual-channel arrays. We show through real and simulated examples that the method has favorable operating characteristics in comparison to some of the most highly used normalization methods. Availability: An R package called snm implementing the methodology will be made available from Bioconductor (http://bioconductor.org). Contact: jstorey@princeton.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:20363728

Behavioral lifestyle and mental health status of Japanese factory workers.

PubMed

Ezoe, S; Morimoto, K

1994-01-01

Lifestyle factors, sometimes associated with physical health and mortality, have also been known to be associated with mental health status. This study seeks to correlate behavioral lifestyles with major components of mental health among Japanese factory workers. We administered the 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and a questionnaire concerning eight personal health practices to 2,132 male and 668 female factory workers at a camera-manufacturing company in Japan. There were strong negative relationships of a higher total number of favorable lifestyles as indicated by the Health Practice Index (HPI) to psychological distress and its components: somatic symptoms, anxiety-insomnia, and social dysfunction. After controlling for the effects of confounding factors that included age, marital status, and somatic condition, multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that five of the eight health factors among male workers--mental stress, nutritional balance, eating breakfast regularly, physical exercise, and working hours--were significantly related to the grade of psychological distress or its three components. Among female workers, five health practices, i.e., mental stress, physical exercise, sleeping hours, working hours, and cigarette smoking, were significantly associated with the grade of psychological distress or its three components. Good health practices might be individually and as a whole associated with better mental health status in factory workers.

Conditional dissociation as a punishment mechanism in the evolution of cooperation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Xinglong; Zhou, Changli; Cao, Zhigang; Yang, Xiaoguang

2016-05-01

Recent studies show that conditional dissociation, a.k.a. post-interaction partner-refusal, can promote the emergence and stability of cooperation. However, in most of these studies, players' strategies are restricted to pure ones, which is obviously inconsistent with many biological and economic situations. Another concern with line of these studies is that conditional dissociation is often combined with other mechanisms. These mechanisms may favor cooperation per se, leaving it unclear whether conditional dissociation is indeed a key factor. In this paper, we study a clean model, pruning all the factors other than conditional dissociation that may favor cooperation. We find that conditional dissociation, which could be viewed as a variant of peer punishment, does promote cooperation, no matter whether mixed strategies are allowed or not. This confirms the previous findings in the literature. In addition, compared with the pure strategy scenario, cooperators are less competitive when mixed strategies are allowed. Our main finding is supported by both the numerical simulations and the theoretical analysis of Neutrally Stable Strategy. We also find that cooperative behavior is favored when waiting time and/or the population's lifespan are longer.

Nuclear transport of the Neurospora crassa NIT-2 transcription factor is mediated by importin-α.

PubMed

Bernardes, Natália E; Takeda, Agnes A S; Dreyer, Thiago R; Cupertino, Fernanda B; Virgilio, Stela; Pante, Nelly; Bertolini, Maria Célia; Fontes, Marcos R M

2017-12-06

The Neurospora crassa NIT-2 transcription factor belongs to the GATA transcription factor family and plays a fundamental role in the regulation of nitrogen metabolism. Because NIT-2 acts by accessing DNA inside the nucleus, understanding the nuclear import process of NIT-2 is necessary to characterize its function. Thus, in the present study, NIT-2 nuclear transport was investigated using a combination of biochemical, cellular, and biophysical methods. A complemented strain that produced an sfGFP-NIT-2 fusion protein was constructed, and nuclear localization assessments were made under conditions that favored protein translocation to the nucleus. Nuclear translocation was also investigated using HeLa cells, which showed that the putative NIT-2 nuclear localization sequence (NLS; 915 TISSKRQRRHSKS 927 ) was recognized by importin-α and that subsequent transport occurred via the classical import pathway. The interaction between the N. crassa importin-α (NcImpα) and the NIT-2 NLS was quantified with calorimetric assays, leading to the observation that the peptide bound to two sites with different affinities, which is typical of a monopartite NLS sequence. The crystal structure of the NcImpα/NIT-2 NLS complex was solved and revealed that the NIT-2 peptide binds to NcImpα with the major NLS-binding site playing a primary role. This result contrasts other recent studies that suggested a major role for the minor NLS-binding site in importin-α from the α2 family, indicating that both sites can be used for different cargo proteins according to specific metabolic requirements. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

The innate and adaptive immune response induced by alveolar macrophages exposed to ambient particulate matter

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

Miyata, Ryohei; Eeden, Stephan F. van, E-mail: Stephan.vanEeden@hli.ubc.ca

Emerging epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular events but the exact mechanism by which PM has adverse effects is still unclear. Alveolar macrophages (AM) play a major role in clearing and processing inhaled PM. This comprehensive review of research findings on immunological interactions between AM and PM provides potential pathophysiological pathways that interconnect PM exposure with adverse cardiovascular effects. Coarse particles (10 {mu}m or less, PM{sub 10}) induce innate immune responses via endotoxin-toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 pathway while fine (2.5 {mu}m or less, PM{sub 2.5}) and ultrafine particles (0.1 {mu}mmore » or less, UFP) induce via reactive oxygen species generation by transition metals and/or polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The innate immune responses are characterized by activation of transcription factors [nuclear factor (NF)-{kappa}B and activator protein-1] and the downstream proinflammatory cytokine [interleukin (IL)-1{beta}, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-{alpha}] production. In addition to the conventional opsonin-dependent phagocytosis by AM, PM can also be endocytosed by an opsonin-independent pathway via scavenger receptors. Activation of scavenger receptors negatively regulates the TLR4-NF-{kappa}B pathway. Internalized particles are subsequently subjected to adaptive immunity involving major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) expression, recruitment of costimulatory molecules, and the modulation of the T helper (Th) responses. AM show atypical antigen presenting cell maturation in which phagocytic activity decreases while both MHC II and costimulatory molecules remain unaltered. PM drives AM towards a Th1 profile but secondary responses in a Th1- or Th-2 up-regulated milieu drive the response in favor of a Th2 profile.« less

Use of local anesthesia during dental rehabilitation with general anesthesia: a survey of dentist anesthesiologists.

PubMed

Townsend, Janice A; Hagan, Joseph L; Smiley, Megann

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to document current practices of dentist anesthesiologists who are members of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists regarding the supplemental use of local anesthesia for children undergoing dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. A survey was administered via e-mail to the membership of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists to document the use of local anesthetic during dental rehabilitations under general anesthesia and the rationale for its use. Seventy-seven (42.1%) of the 183 members responded to this survey. The majority of dentist anesthesiologists prefer use of local anesthetic during general anesthesia for dental rehabilitation almost always or sometimes (90%, 63/70) and 40% (28/70) prefer its use with rare exception. For dentist anesthesiologists who prefer the administration of local anesthesia almost always, they listed the following factors as very important: "stabilization of vital signs/decreased depth of general anesthesia" (92.9%, 26/28) and "improved patient recovery" (82.1%, 23/28). There was a significant association between the type of practice and who determines whether or not local anesthesia is administered during cases. The majority of respondents favor the use of local anesthesia during dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia.

Yellow fever in the Americas: the growing concern about new epidemics.

PubMed

Ortiz-Martínez, Yeimer; Patiño-Barbosa, Andrés Mauricio; Rodriguez-Morales, Alfonso J

2017-01-01

Yellow fever (YF) is a haemorrhagic viral disease with a high case fatality rate. It is considered a reemerging infectious disease of remarkable importance. During the last outbreaks in Brazil (2016-2017), many cases of YF emerged despite high YF vaccination coverage in some areas. However, there are many areas and populations worldwide where vaccination coverage has been low for years (e.g. Nigeria), which increases the risk of major epidemics in such areas, as would be the case in many of the American territories. Several factors, including the vast border and migratory status of Brazil, the widespread distribution of Aedes mosquitoes and the lack of efficient health policies and surveillance systems, favor this complex epidemiological scenario of reemergence. Therefore, mass vaccination of the population at risk, public health awareness and preparedness are urgently needed in this region. This opinion article describes the current global epidemiological situation of YF, focusing especially on the Americas, as well the risk and vulnerabilities in the region that would be of concern for major expansion to other countries apart from Brazil. Also, imported risk from endemic area outside of Americas (i.e. Africa) are of current concern.

Sodium and phosphorus-based food additives: persistent but surmountable hurdles in the management of nutrition in chronic kidney disease

PubMed Central

Gutiérrez, Orlando M.

2012-01-01

Sodium and phosphorus-based food additives are among the most commonly consumed nutrients in the world. This is because both have diverse applications in processed food manufacturing, leading to their widespread utilization by the food industry. Since most foods are naturally low in salt, sodium additives almost completely account for the excessive consumption of sodium throughout the world. Similarly, phosphorus additives represent a major and “hidden” phosphorus load in modern diets. These factors pose a major barrier to successfully lowering sodium or phosphorus intake in patients with chronic kidney disease. As such, any serious effort to reduce sodium or phosphorus consumption will require reductions in the use of these additives by the food industry. The current regulatory environment governing the use of food additives does not favor this goal, however, in large part because these additives have historically been classified as generally safe for public consumption. To overcome these barriers, coordinated efforts will be needed to demonstrate that high intakes of these additives are not safe for public consumption and as such, should be subject to greater regulatory scrutiny. PMID:23439374

Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management of Edema in Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome.

PubMed

Ellis, Demetrius

2015-01-01

Generalized edema is a major presenting clinical feature of children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) exemplified by such primary conditions as minimal change disease (MCD). In these children with classical NS and marked proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia, the ensuing tendency to hypovolemia triggers compensatory physiological mechanisms, which enhance renal sodium (Na(+)) and water retention; this is known as the "underfill hypothesis." Edema can also occur in secondary forms of NS and several other glomerulonephritides, in which the degree of proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia, are variable. In contrast to MCD, in these latter conditions, the predominant mechanism of edema formation is "primary" or "pathophysiological," Na(+) and water retention; this is known as the "overfill hypothesis." A major clinical challenge in children with these disorders is to distinguish the predominant mechanism of edema formation, identify other potential contributing factors, and prevent the deleterious effects of diuretic regimens in those with unsuspected reduced effective circulatory volume (i.e., underfill). This article reviews the Starling forces that become altered in NS so as to tip the balance of fluid movement in favor of edema formation. An understanding of these pathomechanisms then serves to formulate a more rational approach to prevention, evaluation, and management of such edema.

Sodium- and phosphorus-based food additives: persistent but surmountable hurdles in the management of nutrition in chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Gutiérrez, Orlando M

2013-03-01

Sodium- and phosphorus-based food additives are among the most commonly consumed nutrients in the world. This is because both have diverse applications in processed food manufacturing, leading to their widespread use by the food industry. Since most foods are naturally low in salt, sodium additives almost completely account for the excessive consumption of sodium throughout the world. Similarly, phosphorus additives represent a major and "hidden" phosphorus load in modern diets. These factors pose a major barrier to successfully lowering sodium or phosphorus intake in patients with CKD. As such, any serious effort to reduce sodium or phosphorus consumption will require reductions in the use of these additives by the food industry. The current regulatory environment governing the use of food additives does not favor this goal, however, in large part because these additives have historically been classified as generally safe for public consumption. To overcome these barriers, coordinated efforts will be needed to demonstrate that high intake of these additives is not safe for public consumption and as such should be subject to greater regulatory scrutiny. Copyright © 2013 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Agriculture and the Recent "Benign Climate" in Minnesota.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Donald G.; Ruschy, David L.; Skaggs, Richard H.

1993-06-01

A little noticed but remarkably consistent and agriculturally favorable climatic period existed for approximately 18 years, beginning in the mid-1950s in the U.S. Corn Belt and perhaps even earlier in Minnesota. The full application of technology to agriculture was delayed due to world political events (World War II and the Korean conflict, for example) until the 1950s. From then until about 1974, the interaction between this favorable climatic period and the applied technology and the enthusiasm they engendered in agricultural circles were subtle and unrealized factors that helped lead to the agricultural inflation of the 1970s, while the unexpected and generally unrecognized cessation of the "benign" climate must be considered as a factor leading to the agricultural depression in the 1980s.

Pneumococcal meningitis and endocarditis in an infant: possible improved survival with factor V Leiden mutation.

PubMed

Mohapatra, Sitikant; Doulah, Assaf; Brown, Elspeth

2017-10-01

Streptococcus pneumoniae infections continue to remain associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although the incidence of invasive meningeal and/or lung disease are not uncommon, Streptococcus pneumoniae endocarditis is rare especially in healthy pediatric population. New studies have suggested a strong association between factor V leiden (FVL) mutation and favorable outcomes in critically ill children. A healthy 10 month old presented with sepsis and meningeal signs, was later confirmed to have Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis and endocarditis. She was found to have factor V leiden mutation and made a complete recovery despite initial complications. Presence of factor V leiden mutation in critically ill children with severe septicaemia possibly contributes to better outcomes. What is known: • Mortality and morbidity remain high with invasive pneumococcal disease. • Pneumococcal endocarditis is rare in healthy pediatric population and results in significant morbidity and mortality What is new: • New studies have suggested a strong association between factor V leiden (FVL) mutation and favorable outcomes in critically ill children. • The presence of factor V mutation in children with extensive invasive pneumococcal disease possibly contributes to a better outcome.

Factors associated with independent pharmacy owners' satisfaction with Medicare Part D contracts.

PubMed

Zhang, Su; Doucette, William R; Urmie, Julie M; Xie, Yang; Brooks, John M

2010-06-01

As Medicare Part D contracts apply pressure on the profitability of independent pharmacies, there is concern about their owners' willingness to sign such contracts. Identifying factors affecting independent pharmacy owners' satisfaction with Medicare Part D contracts could inform policy makers in managing Medicare Part D. (1) To identify influences on independent pharmacy owners' satisfaction with Medicare Part D contracts and (2) to characterize comments made by independent pharmacy owners about Medicare Part D. This cross-sectional study used a mail survey of independent pharmacy owners in 15 states comprising 6 Medicare regions to collect information on their most- and least-favorable Medicare Part D contracts, including satisfaction, contract management activities, market position, pharmacy operation, and specific payment levels on brand and generic drugs. Of the 1649 surveys mailed, 296 surveys were analyzed. The regression models for satisfaction with both the least and the most-favorable Part D contracts were significant (P<0.05). A different set of significant influences on satisfaction was identified for each regression model. For the most-favorable contract, influences were contending and equity. For the least-favorable contract, influences were negotiation, equity, generic rate bonus, and medication therapy management (MTM) payment. About one-third of the survey respondents made at least 1 comment. The most frequent themes in the comments were that Medicare Part D reimbursement rate is too low (28%) and that contracts are offered without negotiation in a "take it or leave it" manner (20%). Equity, contending, negotiation, generic rate bonus, and MTM payments were identified as the influences of independent pharmacy owners' satisfaction toward Medicare Part D contracts. Generic rate bonus and MTM payment provide additional financial incentives to less financially favorable contracts and, in turn, contribute to independent pharmacy owner's satisfaction toward these contracts. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Definition, description, clinicopathological features, pathogenesis and natural history of endometriosis: CNGOF-HAS Endometriosis Guidelines].

PubMed

Borghese, B; Santulli, P; Marcellin, L; Chapron, C

2018-03-01

Endometriosis and adenomyosis are histologically defined. The frequency of endometriosis cannot be precisely estimated in the general population. Endometriosis is considered a disease when it causes pain and/or infertility. Endometriosis is a heterogeneous disease with three well-recognized subtypes that are often associated with each other: superficial endometriosis (SUP), ovarian endometrioma (OMA), and deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). DIE is frequently multifocal and mainly affects the following structures: the uterosacral ligaments, the posterior vaginal cul-de-sac, the bladder, the ureters, and the digestive tract (rectum, recto-sigmoid junction, appendix). The role of menstrual reflux in the pathophysiology of endometriosis is major and explains the asymmetric distribution of lesions, which predominate in the posterior compartment of the pelvis and on the left (NP3). All factors favoring menstrual reflux increase the risk of endometriosis (early menarche, short cycles, AUB, etc.). Inflammation and biosteroid hormones synthesis are the main mechanisms favoring the implantation and the growth of the lesions. Pain associated with endometriosis can be explained by nociception, hyperalgia, and central sensitization, associated to varying degrees in a single patient. Typology of pain (dysmenorrhea, deep dyspareunia, digestive or urinary symptoms) is correlated with the location of the lesions. Infertility associated with endometriosis can be explained by several non-exclusive mechanisms: a pelvic factor (inflammation), disrupting natural fertilization; an ovarian factor, related to oocyte quality and/or quantity; a uterine factor disrupting implantation. The pelvic factor can be fixed by surgical excision of the lesions that improves the chance of natural conception (NP2). The uterine factor can be corrected by an ovulation-blocking treatment that improves the chances of getting pregnant by in vitro fertilization (NP2). The impact of endometrioma exeresis on the ovarian reserve (NP2) should be considered when a surgery is scheduled. Endometriosis is a multifactorial disease, resulting from combined action of genetic and environmental factors. The risk of developing endometriosis for a first-degree relative is five times higher than in the general population (NP2). Identification of genetic variants involved in the disease has no implication for clinical practice for the moment. The role of environmental factors, particularly endocrine disrupters, is plausible but not demonstrated. Literature review does not support the progression of endometriosis over time, either in terms of the volume or the number of the lesions (NP3). The risk of acute digestive occlusion or functional loss of a kidney in patients followed for endometriosis seems exceptional. These complications were revealing the disease in the majority of cases. IVF does not increase the intensity of pain associated with endometriosis (NP2). There is few data on the influence of pregnancy on the lesions, except the possibility of a decidualization of the lesions that may give them a suspicious aspect on imaging. The impact of endometriosis on pregnancy is debated. There is an epidemiological association between endometriosis and rare subtypes of ovarian cancer (endometrioid and clear cell carcinomas) (NP2). However, the relative risk is moderate (around 1.3) (NP2) and the causal relationship between endometriosis and ovarian cancer is not demonstrated so far. Considering the low incidence of endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer, there is no argument to propose a screening or a risk reducing strategy for the patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Recurrent Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mushkin, Selma J., Ed.

The volume presents 24 papers deriving from the March 1973, Georgetown University Conference of Recurrent Education, the first major meeting on recurrent education to be held in the United States. The conference findings underscore the many problems and issues favoring greater flexibility in the timing of education and educational systems that…

Sex uncovered special issue: The ecology of sexual reproduction

PubMed Central

LIVELY, C. M.; MORRAN, L. T.

2014-01-01

Sexual reproduction is widely regarded as one of the major unexplained phenomena in biology. Nonetheless, while a general answer may remain elusive, considerable progress has been made in the last few decades. Here we fist review the genesis of, and support for, the major ecological hypotheses for biparental sexual reproduction. We then focus on the idea that host-parasite coevolution can favor cross fertilization over uniparental forms of reproduction, as this hypothesis currently has the most support from natural populations. We also review the results from experimental evolution studies, which tend to show that exposure to novel environments can select for higher levels of sexual reproduction, but that sex decreases in frequency after populations become adapted to the previously novel conditions. In contrast, experimental coevolution studies suggest that host-parasite interactions can lead to the long-term persistence of sex. Taken together, the evidence from natural populations and from laboratory experiments point to antagonistic coevolution as a potent and possibly ubiquitous force of selection favoring cross-fertilization and recombination. PMID:24617324

The Influence of Noneconomic Factors on Negotiators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tracy, Lane

1974-01-01

Certain noneconomic factors in collective bargaining are directly related to the negotiator's personal inclination to settle for the new contract. In this study, the pattern of relationships between the parties, the nature of the work itself, favorable recognition, team policy, and interpersonal relationships proved to be significantly related to…

Family Factors in the Early Development of Children with Down Syndrome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hooste, Ann Van; Maes, Bea

2003-01-01

This article provides an overview of important family and environmental factors that affect early development of infants and children with Down syndrome. It concludes that a moderately directive parenting style combined with sensitive, responsive, and reciprocal interactions, embedded in a general stimulating environment, are favorable to the…

Natural regeneration of white and red fir. . . influence of several factors

Treesearch

Donald T. Gordon

1970-01-01

In a group of studies at Swain Mountain Experimental Forest in northeastern California, seedling survival and mortality were analyzed within the general framework of seed production and dispersal, germination, seedbed condition, soil surface temperature, insolation, soil moisture, and vegetative competition. Factors found to favor seedling establishment were abundance...

Hyperdiploidy with 58-66 chromosomes in childhood B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia is highly curable: 58951 CLG-EORTC results.

PubMed

Dastugue, Nicole; Suciu, Stefan; Plat, Geneviève; Speleman, Frank; Cavé, Hélène; Girard, Sandrine; Bakkus, Marleen; Pagès, Marie Pierre; Yakouben, Karima; Nelken, Brigitte; Uyttebroeck, Anne; Gervais, Carine; Lutz, Patrick; Teixeira, Manuel R; Heimann, Pierre; Ferster, Alice; Rohrlich, Pierre; Collonge, Marie Agnès; Munzer, Martine; Luquet, Isabelle; Boutard, Patrick; Sirvent, Nicolas; Karrasch, Matthias; Bertrand, Yves; Benoit, Yves

2013-03-28

The aim of our study was to analyze the factors contributing to heterogeneity of prognosis in patients with hyperdiploidy>50 chromosomes (HD>50), a group of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia with favorable outcome. The 541 HD>50 patients registered prospectively in the 58951 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Children's Leukemia Group (CLG) trial, identified by karyotype (446 patients) and by DNA index (DI) (490 patients), had a 6-year event-free survival (EFS) of 89.0% (standard error [SE] = 1.5%) and a 6-year overall survival (OS) of 95.9% (SE = 0.9%). The strongest prognostic factor was the modal number of chromosomes (MNC): the 6-year EFS of 51-53, 54-57, and 58-66 MNC groups were 80%, 89%, and 99%, respectively (P < .0001). Ploidy assessed by DI was also a favorable factor: the higher the DI, the better the outcome. The 6-year EFS of the 3 subgroups of DI < 1.16/≥1.16-<1.24/≥1.24 were 83%, 90%, and 95%, respectively (P = .009). All usual combinations of trisomies (chromosomes 4, 10, 17, 18) were significant favorable factors but had lower EFS when MNC was lower than 58. In multivariate analysis, MNC remained the strongest factor. Consequently, the best indicator for excellent outcome was ploidy assessed by karyotype because patients with 58-66 chromosomes stood every chance of being cured (OS of 100% at 6-year follow-up) with less-intensive therapy. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00003728. Registered: http://www.eortc.org/, http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00003728.

Does Chinese culture influence psychosocial factors for heroin use among young adolescents in China? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Liu, Hongjie; Li, Jian; Lu, Zhouping; Liu, Wei; Zhang, Zhiyong

2010-09-21

Little empirical research has examined how cultural factors influence psychosocial factors for heroin drug use. The objectives of the study were to investigate the levels of individualism and collectivism among young adolescents and how cultural differences were associated with the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior and other psychosocial factors for heroin drug use. A cross-sectional study was conducted among young adolescents in an HIV and heroin-stricken area in China. The Individualism-Collectivism Interpersonal Assessment Inventory (ICIAI) was used to measure cultural norms and values in the context of three social groups: family members, close friends, and classmates. A total of 220 boys and 241 girls were recruited and participated in an interview. Compared to boys, girls reported higher levels of the three specific-relationship ICIAIs, as well as higher levels of perceived behavioral control for heroin use, perceived peer control, and communication with parent about heroin use, but a lower level of favorable attitude towards heroin use. The levels of descriptive and subjective norms of heroin use were low in both girls and boys. Among boys, family ICIAI was positively associated with perceived behavioral control, and friend ICIAI was positively associated with perceived peer control and communication with parent. Among girls, family ICIAI was positively associated with perceived behavioral control and communication with parents about heroin use, but negatively with favorable attitudes to heroin use; friend ICIAI was positively associated with perceived peer control, and classmate ICIAI was negatively associated with favorable attitudes toward heroin use. This study documents that collectivistic aspects of Chinese culture may influence psychosocial factors for heroin use, although the patterns are varied by gender. Findings provide an empirical basis for the development of culturally competent intervention programs for heroin use intervention and prevention.

The Consistency and Reporting of Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Trials of Immunosuppressive Agents in Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Howell, Martin; Wong, Germaine; Turner, Robin M; Tan, Ho Teck; Tong, Allison; Craig, Jonathan C; Howard, Kirsten

2016-05-01

Shared decision making regarding immunosuppression in kidney transplantation requires an understanding of effects on quality of life (QoL). Our aim was to review the frequency and reliability of QoL measures reported in randomized controlled trials of maintenance immunosuppression following kidney transplantation. Systematic literature review. Kidney transplant recipients enrolled in randomized trials of maintenance immunosuppression. Systematic search of the Cochrane Kidney and Transplant register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases to January 2014 identifying maintenance immunosuppression trials. An EQUATOR Network-endorsed checklist was used to assess QoL reporting and effect sizes estimated. Maintenance immunosuppression (comparative studies, dose adjustment, and agent withdrawal). Any quantitative patient-reported measure of physical, emotional, or social well-being. Of 2,272 reports, 41 (2%; involving 4,549 participants from 23 trials) included QoL outcomes using 22 instruments (8 generic, 2 disease specific, and 12 symptom specific). Reporting was incomplete for the majority with 1 (4%) addressing all 11 items of the checklist, 4 (17%) addressing clinical significance, and 15 (65%) reporting outcomes selectively. Almost all (n = 96 [95%]) effect size estimates for 101 QoL outcomes (18 trials; 3,919 participants) favored the interventions, with 37 (37%) statistically significant. In comparison, 30 (73%) clinical outcomes favored the intervention and 13 (31%) were significant. QoL outcomes are commonly secondary outcomes and may not be indexed or found using text word searches. Effect sizes were estimated from different QoL measures, populations, and interventions. The small number of trials limits the ability to identify statistically significant associations between effect size and study-/patient-related factors. QoL is infrequently reported in immunosuppression trials in kidney transplantation, appears subject to major biases, and thus may be unreliable for decision making. Copyright © 2016 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Changes in Food Supply at the Time of Sex Differentiation on the Gonadal Transcriptome of Juvenile Fish. Implications for Natural and Farmed Populations

PubMed Central

Díaz, Noelia; Ribas, Laia; Piferrer, Francesc

2014-01-01

Background Food supply is a major factor influencing growth rates in animals. This has important implications for both natural and farmed fish populations, since food restriction may difficult reproduction. However, a study on the effects of food supply on the development of juvenile gonads has never been transcriptionally described in fish. Methods and Findings This study investigated the consequences of growth on gonadal transcriptome of European sea bass in: 1) 4-month-old sexually undifferentiated fish, comparing the gonads of fish with the highest vs. the lowest growth, to explore a possible link between transcriptome and future sex, and 2) testis from 11-month-old juveniles where growth had been manipulated through changes in food supply. The four groups used were: i) sustained fast growth, ii) sustained slow growth, iii) accelerated growth, iv) decelerated growth. The transcriptome of undifferentiated gonads was not drastically affected by initial natural differences in growth. Further, changes in the expression of genes associated with protein turnover were seen, favoring catabolism in slow-growing fish and anabolism in fast-growing fish. Moreover, while fast-growing fish took energy from glucose, as deduced from the pathways affected and the analysis of protein-protein interactions examined, in slow-growing fish lipid metabolism and gluconeogenesis was favored. Interestingly, the highest transcriptomic differences were found when forcing initially fast-growing fish to decelerate their growth, while accelerating growth of initially slow-growing fish resulted in full transcriptomic convergence with sustained fast-growing fish. Conclusions Food availability during sex differentiation shapes the juvenile testis transcriptome, as evidenced by adaptations to different energy balances. Remarkably, this occurs in absence of major histological changes in the testis. Thus, fish are able to recover transcriptionally their testes if they are provided with enough food supply during sex differentiation; however, an initial fast growth does not represent any advantage in terms of transcriptional fitness if later food becomes scarce. PMID:25340342

Effects of changes in food supply at the time of sex differentiation on the gonadal transcriptome of juvenile fish. Implications for natural and farmed populations.

PubMed

Díaz, Noelia; Ribas, Laia; Piferrer, Francesc

2014-01-01

Food supply is a major factor influencing growth rates in animals. This has important implications for both natural and farmed fish populations, since food restriction may difficult reproduction. However, a study on the effects of food supply on the development of juvenile gonads has never been transcriptionally described in fish. This study investigated the consequences of growth on gonadal transcriptome of European sea bass in: 1) 4-month-old sexually undifferentiated fish, comparing the gonads of fish with the highest vs. the lowest growth, to explore a possible link between transcriptome and future sex, and 2) testis from 11-month-old juveniles where growth had been manipulated through changes in food supply. The four groups used were: i) sustained fast growth, ii) sustained slow growth, iii) accelerated growth, iv) decelerated growth. The transcriptome of undifferentiated gonads was not drastically affected by initial natural differences in growth. Further, changes in the expression of genes associated with protein turnover were seen, favoring catabolism in slow-growing fish and anabolism in fast-growing fish. Moreover, while fast-growing fish took energy from glucose, as deduced from the pathways affected and the analysis of protein-protein interactions examined, in slow-growing fish lipid metabolism and gluconeogenesis was favored. Interestingly, the highest transcriptomic differences were found when forcing initially fast-growing fish to decelerate their growth, while accelerating growth of initially slow-growing fish resulted in full transcriptomic convergence with sustained fast-growing fish. Food availability during sex differentiation shapes the juvenile testis transcriptome, as evidenced by adaptations to different energy balances. Remarkably, this occurs in absence of major histological changes in the testis. Thus, fish are able to recover transcriptionally their testes if they are provided with enough food supply during sex differentiation; however, an initial fast growth does not represent any advantage in terms of transcriptional fitness if later food becomes scarce.

Comparison of job stress and obesity in nurses with favorable and unfavorable work schedules.

PubMed

Han, Kihye; Trinkoff, Alison M; Storr, Carla L; Geiger-Brown, Jeanne; Johnson, Karen L; Park, Sungae

2012-08-01

To compare obesity-related factors between female nurses with favorable work schedules (WSs) and unfavorable WSs. In a cross-sectional study, 1724 female nurses were stratified by WS (favorable vs unfavorable). For each schedule type, the odds of obesity were related to health behaviors, home demands, and job stress using logistic regression models. Among nurses with unfavorable WSs, healthy behaviors (exercise, sleep) were inversely associated with obesity, whereas for those with favorable WSs, obese nurses reported significantly more unhealthy behaviors (smoking, alcohol use; odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.38), more physical lifting of children/dependents (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.06-1.93), having more nurse input into their jobs (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02-1.44), yet less boss support at work (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.68-0.99). Considering impacts of WSs on obesity and potential obesity-related health outcomes, healthful scheduling should be provided to nurses.

Effects of Personality Disorders on Self-Other Agreement and Favorableness in Personality Descriptions.

PubMed

Tandler, Nancy; Mosch, Alice; Wolf, Annegret; Borkenau, Peter

2016-10-01

The authors studied effects of self-reported personality disorder (PD) symptoms on interpersonal perception, particularly self-other agreement and favorableness. Using a round-robin design, 52 groups of four well-acquainted students described themselves and each other on a measure of the Five-Factor model of personality and were administered a self-report screening instrument for DSM-IV (Axis 2). Using the Social Accuracy Model, the peer reports were predicted, across items, from either (a) the target person's self-reports plus the self-report item means, or (b) the items' social desirability. This resulted in separate coefficients for each peer-target dyad, indicating either self-other agreement or favorableness. These coefficients were then predicted from the PD scores of the target and the peer, using multilevel modeling. Main findings were that persons scoring high on PD measures agreed less with their peers on their unique personality characteristics, and that such persons were described by, and described their peers, less favorably.

Favorable effect of aerobic exercise on arterial pressure and aortic pulse wave velocity during stress testing.

PubMed

Milatz, Florian; Ketelhut, Sascha; Ketelhut, Sascha; Ketelhut, Reinhard G

2015-07-01

Increased central pulse wave velocity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The favorable influence of exercise on arterial stiffness (AS) and blood pressure (BP) has been reported exclusively at rest. The present study investigated the influence of a single bout of acute cycling on AS and BP during recovery and, moreover, during cold pressor stress testing. 32 healthy men (33.7 ± 8 years, BMI 24 ± 2.5 kg/m²) performed a 60 minute endurance exercise on a bicycle ergometer (45 % VO2max). Before and after exercise aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) as well as central and peripheral BP were measured non-invasively at rest and at the end of a 2 minute cold pressor test (CPT). Even after 60 minutes of recovery aPWV (- 0.22 ± 0.3 m / sec) was significantly reduced (p < 0.01). Exercise decreased peripheral (- 8 ± 7 mmHg) and central (- 7 ± 8 mmHg) systolic BP as well as peripheral (- 3 ± 5 mmHg) and central (- 4 ± 7 mmHg) diastolic BP (p < 0.01). In comparison to measurements during CPT pre-exercise, there was a significant reduction in aPWV (- 0.19 ± 0.3 m / sec), peripheral (- 6 ± 10 mmHg) and central (- 5 ± 8 mmHg) systolic BP as well as peripheral (- 3 ± 6 mmHg) and central (- 3 ± 6 mmHg) diastolic BP during CPT after exercise (p < 0.01). The present study suggests that acute endurance exercise leads not only to decreased BP but even more reduces aPWV as a measure of AS even after 60 minutes of recovery. In particular, the investigation provides evidence that acute moderate-intensity exercise has a favorable effect on BP and aPWV during stress testing.

Clinical characteristics, drug resistance, and treatment outcomes among tuberculosis patients with diabetes in Peru.

PubMed

Magee, M J; Bloss, E; Shin, S S; Contreras, C; Huaman, H Arbanil; Ticona, J Calderon; Bayona, J; Bonilla, C; Yagui, M; Jave, O; Cegielski, J P

2013-06-01

Diabetes is a risk factor for active tuberculosis (TB). Data are limited regarding the association between diabetes and TB drug resistance and treatment outcomes. We examined characteristics of TB patients with and without diabetes in a Peruvian cohort at high risk for drug-resistant TB. Among TB patients with diabetes (TB-DM), we studied the association between diabetes clinical/management characteristics and TB drug resistance and treatment outcomes. During 2005-2008, adults with suspected TB with respiratory symptoms in Lima, Peru, who received rapid drug susceptibility testing (DST), were prospectively enrolled and followed during treatment. Bivariate and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to examine the relationships of diabetes characteristics with drug-resistant TB and TB outcomes. Of 1671 adult TB patients enrolled, 186 (11.1%) had diabetes. TB-DM patients were significantly more likely than TB patients without diabetes to be older, have had no previous TB treatment, and to have a body mass index (BMI) >18.5 kg/m(2) (p<0.05). In patients without and with previous TB treatment, the prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB was 23% and 26%, respectively, among patients without diabetes, and 12% and 28%, respectively, among TB-DM patients. Among 149 TB-DM patients with DST results, 104 (69.8%) had drug-susceptible TB and 45 (30.2%) had drug-resistant TB, of whom 29 had multidrug-resistant TB. There was no association between diabetes characteristics and drug-resistant TB. Of 136 TB-DM patients with outcome information, 107 (78.7%) had a favorable TB outcome; active diabetes management was associated with a favorable outcome. Diabetes was common in a cohort of TB patients at high risk for drug-resistant TB. Despite prevalent multidrug-resistant TB among TB-DM patients, the majority had a favorable TB treatment outcome. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes of Students in Education Classes toward Censorship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naylor, Alice P.; And Others

1995-01-01

Attitudes toward censorship of 1,347 undergraduate education students were examined. Survey results indicated that the subjects had a propensity toward permitting free flow of information while objecting to censorship. A significant majority in one or more subgroups favored restricting free flow in certain situations. (SM)

Applied research and implementation of microbial control agents for pest control: greenhouse crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Greenhouse crop production has experienced strong growth in recent decades, reaching nearly 4 million hectare in 2010. Due to favorable environmental conditions and constant availability of host plants, arthropod pests are a major production constraint that has elicited parallel increases in pestici...

University Students' Perceptions of Issues Related to Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terry, Robert, Jr.; Lawver, David E.

1995-01-01

Telephone interviews with 390 of 400 college students revealed an overall favorable impression of food safety and agriculture's impact on the economy and environment. Males were more positive about animal welfare and production agriculture. Gender, college major, and hometown were related to attitudes about agriculture issues. (SK)

Teacher Attitudes toward Career Ladder.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, LouAnn

An evaluation of teacher attitudes toward a public schools career ladder program is presented. Survey questionnaires mailed to 3,239 administrators, nonprogram teachers, and participating teachers elicited 1,683 returns for a 52 percent response rate. Findings indicate that the majority of teachers favored continuation of the career ladder…

Differential regulation of the transcriptional activity of the glucocorticoid receptor through site-specific phosphorylation.

PubMed

Kumar, Raj; Calhoun, William J

2008-12-01

Post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation are known to play an important role in the gene regulation by the transcription factors including the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily of which the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a member. Protein phosphorylation often switches cellular activity from one state to another. Like many other transcription factors, the GR is a phosphoprotein, and phosphorylation plays an important role in the regulation of GR activity. Cell signaling pathways that regulate phosphorylation of the GR and its associated proteins are important determinants of GR function under various physiological conditions. While the role of many phosphorylation sites in the GR is still not fully understood, the role of others is clearer. Several aspects of transcription factor function, including DNA binding affinity, interaction of transactivation domains with the transcription initiation complex, and shuttling between the cytoplasmic compartments, have all been linked to site-specific phosphorylation. All major phosphorylation sites in the human GR are located in the N-terminal domain including the major transactivation domain, AF1. Available literature clearly indicates that many of these potential phosphorylation sites are substrates for multiple kinases, suggesting the potential for a very complex regulatory network. Phosphorylated GR interacts favorably with critical coregulatory proteins and subsequently enhances transcriptional activity. In addition, the activities and specificities of coregulators may be subject to similar regulation by phosphorylation. Regulation of the GR activity due to phosphorylation appears to be site-specific and dependent upon specific cell signaling cascade. Taken together, site-specific phosphorylation and related kinase pathways play an important role in the action of the GR, and more precise mechanistic information will lead to fuller understanding of the complex nature of gene regulation by the GR- and related transcription factors. This review provides currently available information regarding the role of GR phosphorylation in its action, and highlights the possible underlying mechanisms of action.

The Impact of Financial Conflict of Interest on Surgical Research: An Observational Study of Published Manuscripts.

PubMed

Cherla, Deepa V; Viso, Cristina P; Olavarria, Oscar A; Bernardi, Karla; Holihan, Julie L; Mueck, Krislynn M; Flores-Gonzalez, Juan; Liang, Mike K; Adams, Sasha D

2018-02-09

Substantial discrepancies exist between industry-reported and self-reported conflicts of interest (COI). Although authors with relevant, self-reported financial COI are more likely to write studies favorable to industry sponsors, it is unknown whether undisclosed COI have the same effect. We hypothesized that surgeons who fail to disclose COI are more likely to publish findings that are favorable to industry than surgeons with no COI. PubMed was searched for articles in multiple surgical specialties. Financial COI reported by surgeons and industry were compared. COI were considered to be relevant if they were associated with the product(s) mentioned by an article. Primary outcome was favorability, which was defined as an impression favorable to the product(s) discussed by an article and was determined by 3 independent, blinded clinicians for each article. Primary analysis compared incomplete self-disclosure to no COI. Ordered logistic multivariable regression modeling was used to assess factors associated with favorability. Overall, 337 articles were reviewed. There was a high rate of discordance in the reporting of COI (70.3%). When surgeons failed to disclose COI, their conclusions were significantly more likely to favor industry than surgeons without COI (RR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.4, p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, any COI (regardless of relevance, disclosure, or monetary amount) were significantly associated with favorability. Any financial COI (disclosed or undisclosed, relevant or not relevant) significantly influence whether studies report findings favorable to industry. More attention must be paid to improving research design, maximizing transparency in medical research, and insisting that surgeons disclose all COI, regardless of perceived relevance.

Psychometric properties of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for children in a large clinical sample.

PubMed

Pestle, Sarah L; Chorpita, Bruce F; Schiffman, Jason

2008-04-01

The Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children (PSWQ-C; Chorpita, Tracey, Brown, Collica, & Barlow, 1997) is a 14-item self-report measure of worry in children and adolescents. Although the PSWQ-C has demonstrated favorable psychometric properties in small clinical and large community samples, this study represents the first psychometric evaluation of the PSWQ-C in a large clinical sample (N = 491). Factor analysis indicated a two-factor structure, in contrast to all previously published findings on the measure. The PSWQ-C demonstrated favorable psychometric properties in this sample, including high internal consistency, high convergent validity with related constructs, and acceptable discriminative validity between diagnostic categories. The performance of the 3 reverse-scored items was closely examined, and results indicated retaining all 14 items.

Ergonomics intervention in a tile industry- case of manual material handling.

PubMed

Dormohammadi, Ali; Amjad Sardrudi, Hosein; Motamedzade, Majid; Dormohammadi, Reza; Musavi, Saeed

2012-12-13

Manual material handling is one of the major health and safety hazards in industry. This study aims to assess the lifting tasks, before and after intervention using NIOSH lifting equation and Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC). This interventional study was performed in 2011 in a tile manufacturing industry in Hamadan, located in the West of Iran. The prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort was determined using Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. In order to assess the risk factors related to lifting and identify the high-risk activities, MAC and NIOSH lifting equation were used. In intervention phase, we designed a load-carrying cart with shelves capable of moving vertically up and down, similar to scissor lifts. After intervention, the reassessment of risk factors was conducted to determine the success of the intervention and to compare risk levels before and after intervention using t-test. The outputs of MAC and NIOSH lifting equation assessments before intervention revealed that all activities were at high-risk level. After intervention, the risk level decreased to average level. In conclusion, the results of intervention revealed a considerable decrease in risk level. It may be concluded that the given intervention was acceptable and favorably effective in preventing musculoskeletal disorders especially low back pain.

Attitudes toward direct-to-consumer advertisements and online genetic testing among high-risk women participating in a hereditary cancer clinic.

PubMed

Perez, Giselle K; Cruess, Dean G; Cruess, Stacy; Brewer, Molly; Stroop, Jennifer; Schwartz, Robin; Greenstein, Robert

2011-07-01

Genetic testing for the breast cancer genes 1/2 (BRCA 1/2) has helped women determine their risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. As interest in genetic testing has grown, companies have created strategies to disseminate information about testing, including direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) and online genetic testing. This study examined attitudes toward DTCA and online testing for BRCA among 84 women at a high-risk clinic as well as additional factors that may be associated with these attitudes, such as personal and familial cancer history, cancer worry and risk perception, and history with genetic testing/counseling. Results showed that the majority of the women held favorable attitudes toward DTCA for BRCA testing but did not support online testing. Factors such as familial ovarian cancer, cancer worry, and satisfaction with genetic counseling/testing were associated with positive attitudes toward DTCA, whereas personal breast cancer history was related to negative attitudes. The findings suggest that women may view DTCA as informational but rely on physicians for help in their decision to undergo testing, and also suggest that cancer history may affect women's acceptance of DTCA and genetic testing.

Persistent predator-prey dynamics revealed by mass extinction.

PubMed

Sallan, Lauren Cole; Kammer, Thomas W; Ausich, William I; Cook, Lewis A

2011-05-17

Predator-prey interactions are thought by many researchers to define both modern ecosystems and past macroevolutionary events. In modern ecosystems, experimental removal or addition of taxa is often used to determine trophic relationships and predator identity. Both characteristics are notoriously difficult to infer in the fossil record, where evidence of predation is usually limited to damage from failed attacks, individual stomach contents, one-sided escalation, or modern analogs. As a result, the role of predation in macroevolution is often dismissed in favor of competition and abiotic factors. Here we show that the end-Devonian Hangenberg event (359 Mya) was a natural experiment in which vertebrate predators were both removed and added to an otherwise stable prey fauna, revealing specific and persistent trophic interactions. Despite apparently favorable environmental conditions, crinoids diversified only after removal of their vertebrate consumers, exhibiting predatory release on a geological time scale. In contrast, later Mississippian (359-318 Mya) camerate crinoids declined precipitously in the face of increasing predation pressure from new durophagous fishes. Camerate failure is linked to the retention of obsolete defenses or "legacy adaptations" that prevented coevolutionary escalation. Our results suggest that major crinoid evolutionary phenomena, including rapid diversification, faunal turnover, and species selection, might be linked to vertebrate predation. Thus, interactions observed in small ecosystems, such as Lotka-Volterra cycles and trophic cascades, could operate at geologic time scales and higher taxonomic ranks. Both trophic knock-on effects and retention of obsolete traits might be common in the aftermath of predator extinction.

Climatic changes, bioclimatic stages and flooding durations in relation with public health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandoz, A.; Roumieux, C.; Trouillet, A.

2009-12-01

Climatic Changes, and more generaly Global Changes, play a major role in environmental modifications related to public health. Modifications of temperatures, precipitations... influence ecological habitats. These habitats can be adapted for some animals species, responsable for predestinate pandemics. Mosquitoes and birds represent for certain pandemics the essential elements of virus transmission. Abundance of mosquitoes and birds species, is heavily conditioned to favorable ecological habitats, flooded areas extent and their variations. The study we carried, has been done in South of France. We show present status of ecological habitats and flooded durations in relation with actual climat. We have refine mediterranean spatial knowledge in mediterranean basin with actual data. We show evolution of climat and consequences for bioclimatic stages, using world clim data and IPCC scenarii. We reach environment impact for certain virus like West Nile virus. This virus affects birds, horses and hands up to men (e.g.West Nile virus appeared in 1999 in USA, between 1999 and 2007 : 27 000 human cases including 1 050 deaths). Presence of the virus is conditioned by different factors, primarily including vector distribution (mosquitoes). We show how it’s possible to localise favorable areas for the virus and to predict its future expansion areas. We present maps of the possibilities for future concerning previsions of bioclimatic steps variations. Thanks to the latest remote sensing and spatial analysis techniques. Our maps may be used as precious tools to help decision makers when faced with mosquito related problems.

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

Venteris, Erik R.; Skaggs, Richard; Wigmosta, Mark S.

The warm sunny climate and unoccupied arid lands in the American southwest are favorable factors for algae cultivation. However, additional resources affect the overall viability of specific sites and regions. We investigated the tradeoffs between growth rate, water, and CO 2 availability and costs for two strains: N. salina and Chlorella sp. We conducted site selection exercises (~88,000 US sites) to produce 21 billion gallons yr -1 (BGY) of renewable diesel (RD). Experimental trials from the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bio-Products (NAABB) team informed the growth model of our Biomass Assessment Tool (BAT). We simulated RD production bymore » both lipid extraction and hydrothermal liquefaction. Sites were prioritized by the net value of biofuel minus water and flue gas costs. Water cost models for N. salina were based on seawater and high salinity groundwater and for Chlorella, fresh and brackish groundwater. CO 2 costs were based on a flue gas delivery model. Selections constrained by production and water were concentrated along the Gulf of Mexico and southeast Atlantic coasts due to high growth rates and low water costs. Adding flue gas constraints increased the spatial distribution, but the majority of sites remained in the southeast. The 21 BGY target required ~3.8 million hectares of mainly forest (41.3%) and pasture (35.7%). Exclusion in favor of barren and scrub lands forced most production to the southwestern US, but with increased water consumption (5.7 times) and decreased economic efficiency (-38%).« less

Predictors of favorable soft tissue profile outcomes following Class II Twin-block treatment.

PubMed

Kim, Ji-Eun; Mah, Su-Jung; Kim, Tae-Woo; Kim, Su-Jung; Park, Ki-Ho; Kang, Yoon-Goo

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine cephalometric factors that help predict favorable soft-tissue profile outcomes following treatment with the Class II Twin-block appliance. Pre- and post-treatment lateral cephalograms of 45 patients treated with the Class II Twin-block appliance were retrospectively analyzed. Profile silhouettes were drawn from the cephalograms and evaluated by three orthodontists in order to determine the extent of improvement. Samples were divided into a favorable group (upper 30% of visual analogue scale [VAS] scores, n = 14) and an unfavorable group (lower 30% of VAS scores, n = 14). Skeletal and soft-tissue measurements were performed on the cephalograms and an intergroup comparison was conducted. An independent t -test revealed that the following pre-treatment values were lower in the favorable group compared to the unfavorable group: lower incisor to mandibular plane angle, lower incisor to pogonion distance, point A-nasion-point B angle, sella-nasion line (SN) to maxillary plane angle, SN to mandibular plane angle, gonial angle, and symphysis inclination. The favorable group had a larger incisor inclination to occlusal plane. Moreover, the favorable group showed larger post-treatment changes in gonial angle, B point projection, and pogonion projection than did the unfavorable group. Class II malocclusion patients with a low divergent skeletal pattern and reduced lower incisor protrusions are likely to show more improvement in soft-tissue profile outcomes following Class II Twin-block treatment.

Racial/ethnic differences in the etiology of alcohol use among urban adolescents.

PubMed

Tobler, Amy L; Livingston, Melvin D; Komro, Kelli A

2011-09-01

We examined relations between neighborhood context, home and family management practices, deviant peer affiliations, beliefs favorable to use, and alcohol use among urban African American and Hispanic adolescents. The sample comprised 4,027 African American and Hispanic adolescents who were 50% boys and 75% low income. Participants completed surveys in 2002-2005 and 2008-2009. Structural equation modeling assessed direct and indirect relations between neighborhood context in 6th grade, home and family management practices in 7th grade, deviant peer affiliations and beliefs favorable to use in 8th grade, and alcohol use in 12th grade. There was significant variation in structural models across race/ethnicity but not gender. Differences included the influence of neighborhood and school strength and, where similarities existed, differences in effect magnitude. Similarities included significant correlations among measurement components; the indirect influence of alcohol advertisement exposure, gender, area deprivation, and home alcohol access on alcohol use; direct influence of deviant peer affiliations and beliefs favorable to use on alcohol use; and indirect effects highlighting the importance of preventing home alcohol access, deviant peer affiliations, and beliefs favorable to use and promoting protective family management practices. Neighborhood and school strength may be particularly important in preventing alcohol use among African Americans, whereas preventing early onset of alcohol use among Hispanics remains important. Preventive efforts may wish to focus on neighborhood deprivation, exposure to alcohol advertisements, and home risks and protective factors because they have direct and indirect effects on intrapersonal factors and alcohol use.

CD30 expression defines a novel subgroup of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with favorable prognosis and distinct gene expression signature: a report from the International DLBCL Rituximab-CHOP Consortium Program Study

PubMed Central

Hu, Shimin; Xu-Monette, Zijun Y.; Balasubramanyam, Aarthi; Manyam, Ganiraju C.; Visco, Carlo; Tzankov, Alexander; Liu, Wei-min; Miranda, Roberto N.; Zhang, Li; Montes-Moreno, Santiago; Dybkær, Karen; Chiu, April; Orazi, Attilio; Zu, Youli; Bhagat, Govind; Richards, Kristy L.; Hsi, Eric D.; Choi, William W. L.; Han van Krieken, J.; Huang, Qin; Huh, Jooryung; Ai, Weiyun; Ponzoni, Maurilio; Ferreri, Andrés J. M.; Zhao, Xiaoying; Winter, Jane N.; Zhang, Mingzhi; Li, Ling; Møller, Michael B.; Piris, Miguel A.; Li, Yong; Go, Ronald S.; Wu, Lin; Medeiros, L. Jeffrey; Young, Ken H.

2013-01-01

CD30, originally identified as a cell-surface marker of Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin cells of classical Hodgkin lymphoma, is also expressed by several types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including a subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, the prognostic and biological importance of CD30 expression in DLBCL is unknown. Here we report that CD30 expression is a favorable prognostic factor in a cohort of 903 de novo DLBCL patients. CD30 was expressed in ∼14% of DLBCL patients. Patients with CD30+ DLBCL had superior 5-year overall survival (CD30+, 79% vs CD30–, 59%; P = .001) and progression-free survival (P = .003). The favorable outcome of CD30 expression was maintained in both the germinal center B-cell and activated B-cell subtypes. Gene expression profiling revealed the upregulation of genes encoding negative regulators of nuclear factor κB activation and lymphocyte survival, and downregulation of genes encoding B-cell receptor signaling and proliferation, as well as prominent cytokine and stromal signatures in CD30+ DLBCL patients, suggesting a distinct molecular basis for its favorable outcome. Given the superior prognostic value, unique gene expression signature, and significant value of CD30 as a therapeutic target for brentuximab vedotin in ongoing successful clinical trials, it seems appropriate to consider CD30+ DLBCL as a distinct subgroup of DLBCL. PMID:23343832

Check the right box. Credits or deductions? The three main presidential candidates take varying stances on adjusting tax code regarding insurance.

PubMed

Blesch, Gregg

2008-04-14

The battle over health reform has a taxing angle, and the debate involves whether tax credits or deductions would work better in relation to health insurance. Some type of credit seems to be favored by the three major candidates. One major facet is how it affects employer-based plans. "It's the third-largest health program in the country, and no one knows about it," says Jonathan Gruber, left, of MIT.

On the Stability of Rotated Factor Loadings: The Wexler Phenomenon.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jennerich, Robert I.

The formulas which give the standard errors of factor loading estimates while available and computable are complicated, and our understanding of them is limited. A nontechnical description of their behavior under favorable and unfavorable conditions is given. Of particular interest is their behavior in the presence of singularities arising from…

The Factor Structure and Screening Utility of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodebaugh, Thomas L.; Woods, Carol M.; Heimberg, Richard G.; Liebowitz, Michael R.; Schneier, Franklin R.

2006-01-01

The widely used Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS; R. P. Mattick & J. C. Clarke, 1998) possesses favorable psychometric properties, but questions remain concerning its factor structure and item properties. Analyses included 445 people with social anxiety disorder and 1,689 undergraduates. Simple unifactorial models fit poorly, and models that…

The impact of prematurity and maternal socioeconomic status and education level on achievement-test scores up to 8th grade.

PubMed

ElHassan, Nahed O; Bai, Shasha; Gibson, Neal; Holland, Greg; Robbins, James M; Kaiser, Jeffrey R

2018-01-01

The relative influence of prematurity vs. maternal social factors (socioeconomic status and education level) on academic performance has rarely been examined. To examine the impact of prematurity and maternal social factors on academic performance from 3rd through 8th grade. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of infants born in 1998 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The study sample included 58 extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGANs, 23‒<28 weeks), 171 preterm (≥28‒<34 weeks), 228 late preterm (≥34‒<37 weeks), and 967 term ((≥37‒<42 weeks) infants. Neonatal and maternal variables were collected including maternal insurance status (proxy measure for socioeconomic status) and education level. The primary outcomes were literacy and mathematics achievement-test scores from 3rd through 8th grade. Linear mixed models were used to identify significant predictors of academic performance. All two-way interactions between grade level, gestational-age (GA) groups, and social factors were tested for statistical significance. Prematurity, social factors, gender, race, gravidity, and Apgar score at one minute were critical determinants of academic performance. Favorable social factors were associated with a significant increase in both literacy and mathematic scores, while prematurity was associated with a significant decrease in mathematic scores. Examination of GA categories and social factors interaction suggested that the impact of social factors on test scores was similar for all GA groups. Furthermore, the impact of social factors varied from grade to grade for literacy, while the influence of either GA groups or social factors was constant across grades for mathematics. For example, an ELGAN with favorable social factors had a predicted literacy score 104.1 (P <.001), 98.2 (P <.001), and 76.4 (P <.01) points higher than an otherwise similar disadvantaged term infant at grades 3, 5, and 8, respectively. The difference in their predicted mathematic scores was 33.4 points for all grades (P <.05). While there were significant deficits in academic performance for ELGANs compared to PT, LPT, and term infants, the deficit could be offset by higher SES and better-educated mothers. These favorable social factors were critical to a child's academic achievement. The role of socioeconomic factors should be incorporated in discussions on outcome with families of preterm infants.

Predictors of Adult Attitudes toward Corporal Punishment of Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagne, Marie-Helene; Tourigny, Marc; Joly, Jacques; Pouliot-Lapointe, Joelle

2007-01-01

This study identifies predictors of favorable attitudes toward spanking. Analyses were performed with survey data collected from a representative sample of 1,000 adults from Quebec, Canada. According to this survey, a majority of respondents endorsed spanking, despite their recognition of potential harm associated with corporal punishment (CP) of…

Computer Literacy and Societal Impact of Computers: Education and Manpower.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamblen, John W.

The use of computers in education and general society is continually expanding, but the growing need for highly educated computer technologists will continue unless universities take major steps toward the reallocation of their resources in favor of the burgeoning computer science departments, and government and industry provide a significant…

Improving Sugarcane for Biofuel: Engineering for an even better feedstock

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sugarcane is a proven biofuel feedstock and accounts for about half the biofuel production worldwide. It has a more favorable energy input/output ratio than that of corn, the other major biofuel feedstock. The rich resource of genetic diversity and the plasticity of autopolyploid genomes offer a wea...

A Study of Teachers, Principals, and Tenure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kersten, Thomas; Brandfon, Frances

1988-01-01

A survey of teachers and principals in North Cook County, Illinois, explored tenure issues related to teacher performance, professional image, job security, and teacher welfare. Although a majority of teachers and principals agreed that tenure inhibits dismissal of below-average teachers, 54 percent of teachers favored keeping tenure, and 69…

Attitudes of Preschool Teachers toward the Integration of Handicapped Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyson, Lily L.; Kubo, H. Richard

Forty-six supervisors and teachers were surveyed regarding their attitudes toward integration of handicapped children in a regular preschool program, the helpfulness of supportive services, and the necessary conditions for the integration of their programs. Findings showed that the majority of teachers were in favor of integration and supportive…

Teachers' Attitudes Toward Death-Related Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkes, A. Cordell

1978-01-01

Reports a study to assess teachers attitudes toward death-related issues. A questionnaire was given to 61 teachers in a graduate education course. It was found that the teachers tended to favor liberal abortion laws (67 percent), euthanasia (83 percent), and the majority (65 percent) believed in life after death. (SLH)

Finger millet: An alternative crop for the Southern High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the Southern High Plains, dairies are expanding to take advantage of favorable climatic conditions. Currently, corn (Zea mays L.) and forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] are the two major crops grown in the region to meet silage demands for the expanding dairy industry, but they have rel...

Infant formula increases bone turnover favoring bone formation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the first year of life, the major infant food choices have traditionally been breast milk (BM), cow's milk formula (MF), or soy formula (SF). Studies examining the effects of infant formula on early life skeletal development are extremely limited. We have enrolled 120 healthy 6-month-old infants ...

The Quality of Life in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shu, Xiaoling; Zhu, Yifei

2009-01-01

The Asia Barometer Survey of 2,000 respondents reveals that substantial majorities of the Chinese people experience feelings of happiness, enjoyment, and accomplishment. In fact, the proportion experiencing these indicators of a high quality of life are larger in China than in some more prosperous countries. Favorable historical comparison,…

Professional Human Service Occupation Biases Represented in General Psychology Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firmin, Michael W.; Johnson, Erica J.; Wikler, Jeremiah

2009-01-01

We examined the coverage given by General Psychology textbooks, representing 8 major commercial publishers, regarding the professions of psychology, counseling, marriage & family therapy, and social workers. Of the 24 textbooks assessed, we found substantial bias favoring the coverage of psychology. While 25% of the texts mentioned social workers,…

A threshold-based weather model for predicting stripe rust infection in winter wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wheat stripe rust (WSR) (caused by Puccinia striiformis sp. tritici) is a major threat in most wheat growing regions worldwide, with potential to inflict regular yield losses when environmental conditions are favorable. We propose a threshold-based disease-forecasting model using a stepwise modeling...

The application of MATLAB-based analytic hierarchy process in Hainan residential quarter function factor evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Dongdong; Liu, Peiqi

2017-04-01

Since being designated as an international tourist island, Hainan has become an overwhelmingly favored choice of real estate investment. This paper first constructed Hainan residential quarter function factor index system, then evaluated relevant factors, and finally solved the problem of factor importance ranking. In this specific case, the software MATLAB was used to facilitate AHP calculation. The evaluation results have guiding and referential value to both real estate developers and residential consumers.

Predictors of adult attitudes toward corporal punishment of children.

PubMed

Gagné, Marie-Hélène; Tourigny, Marc; Joly, Jacques; Pouliot-Lapointe, Joëlle

2007-10-01

This study identifies predictors of favorable attitudes toward spanking. Analyses were performed with survey data collected from a representative sample of 1,000 adults from Quebec, Canada. According to this survey, a majority of respondents endorsed spanking, despite their recognition of potential harm associated with corporal punishment (CP) of children. The prediction model of attitudes toward spanking included demographics, experiencing or witnessing various forms of family violence and abuse in childhood, and perceived frequency of physical injuries resulting from CP. Spanking was the most reported childhood experience (66.4%), and most violence and abuse predictors were significantly and positively correlated. Older respondents who were spanked in childhood and who believed that spanking never or seldom results in physical injuries were the most in favor of spanking. On the other hand, respondents who reported more severe physical violence or psychological abuse in childhood were less in favor of spanking. Findings are discussed in terms of prevention of CP and family coercion cycle.

Favorable cardiovascular risk factor profile is associated with lower healthcare expenditure and resource utilization among adults with diabetes mellitus free of established cardiovascular disease: 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).

PubMed

Feldman, David I; Valero-Elizondo, Javier; Salami, Joseph A; Rana, Jamal S; Ogunmoroti, Oluseye; Osondu, Chukwuemeka U; Spatz, Erica S; Virani, Salim S; Blankstein, Ron; Blaha, Michael J; Veledar, Emir; Nasir, Khurram

2017-03-01

Given the prevalence and economic burden of diabetes mellitus (DM), we studied the impact of a favorable cardiovascular risk factor (CRF) profile on healthcare expenditures and resource utilization among individuals without cardiovascular disease (CVD), by DM status. 25,317 participants were categorized into 3 mutually-exclusive strata: "Poor", "Average" and "Optimal" CRF profiles (≥4, 2-3, 0-1 CRF, respectively). Two-part econometric models were utilized to study cost data. Mean age was 45 (48% male), with 54% having optimal, 39% average, and 7% poor CRF profiles. Individuals with DM were more likely to have poor CRF profile vs. those without DM (OR 7.7, 95% CI 6.4, 9.2). Individuals with DM/poor CRF profile had a mean annual expenditure of $9,006, compared to $6,461 among those with DM/optimal CRF profile (p < 0.001). A favorable CRF profile is associated with significantly lower healthcare expenditures and utilization in CVD-free individuals across DM status, suggesting that these individuals require aggressive individualized prescriptions targeting lifestyle modifications and therapeutic treatments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Research- and community-based clinicians' attitudes on treatment manuals.

PubMed

Barry, Declan T; Fulgieri, Melissa D; Lavery, Meaghan E; Chawarski, Marek C; Najavits, Lisa M; Schottenfeld, Richard S; Pantalon, Michael V

2008-01-01

We assessed the attitudes of 18 research- and 22 community-based substance abuse clinicians on treatment manuals. Research and community clinicians exhibited favorable attitudes toward manuals, and the majority (72% and 77%, respectively) reported an interest in learning more about substance use disorder (SUD) treatment manuals. Among community clinicians, greater years of experience was significantly associated with less favorable attitudes toward treatment manuals. Research clinicians endorsed significantly higher ratings for the importance attached to "theoretical rationale/overview" and "main session points to address" than community clinicians. Findings suggest that community SUD clinicians are already familiar with and have positive attitudes toward manuals, but specific subgroups have concerns that should be addressed.

Sequence-Dependent Diastereospecific and Diastereodivergent Crosslinking of DNA by Decarbamoylmitomycin C.

PubMed

Aguilar, William; Paz, Manuel M; Vargas, Anayatzinc; Clement, Cristina C; Cheng, Shu-Yuan; Champeil, Elise

2018-04-20

Mitomycin C (MC), a potent antitumor drug, and decarbamoylmitomycin C (DMC), a derivative lacking the carbamoyl group, form highly cytotoxic DNA interstrand crosslinks. The major interstrand crosslink formed by DMC is the C1'' epimer of the major crosslink formed by MC. The molecular basis for the stereochemical configuration exhibited by DMC was investigated using biomimetic synthesis. The formation of DNA-DNA crosslinks by DMC is diastereospecific and diastereodivergent: Only the 1''S-diastereomer of the initially formed monoadduct can form crosslinks at GpC sequences, and only the 1''R-diastereomer of the monoadduct can form crosslinks at CpG sequences. We also show that CpG and GpC sequences react with divergent diastereoselectivity in the first alkylation step: 1"S stereochemistry is favored at GpC sequences and 1''R stereochemistry is favored at CpG sequences. Therefore, the first alkylation step results, at each sequence, in the selective formation of the diastereomer able to generate an interstrand DNA-DNA crosslink after the "second arm" alkylation. Examination of the known DNA adduct pattern obtained after treatment of cancer cell cultures with DMC indicates that the GpC sequence is the major target for the formation of DNA-DNA crosslinks in vivo by this drug. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Musical FAVORS: Reintroducing music to adult cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Plant, Geoff

2015-09-01

Music represents a considerable challenge for many adult users of cochlear implants (CIs). Around half of adult CI users report that they do not find music enjoyable, and, in some cases, despite enhanced speech perception skills, this leads to considerable frustration and disappointment for the CI user. This paper presents suggestions to improve the musical experiences of deafened adults with CIs. Interviews with a number of adult CI users revealed that there were a number of factors which could lead to enhanced music experiences. The acronym FAVORS (familiar music, auditory-visual access, open-mindedness, and simple arrangements) summarizes the factors that have been identified, which can help CI users in their early music listening experiences. Each of these factors is discussed in detail, along with suggestions for how they can be used in therapy sessions. The use of a group approach (music focus groups) is also discussed and an overview of the approach and exercises used is presented. The importance of live music experiences is also discussed.

Prognostic Factors in Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treated with Surgery Combined with Radiotherapy: A Retrospective Single-Center Study on 164 Patients

PubMed Central

Cai, Ling; Mirimanoff, René-Olivier; Mouhsine, Elyazid; Guillou, Louis; Leyvraz, Pierre-Francois; Leyvraz, Serge; Gay, Beatrice; Matzinger, Oscar; Ozsahin, Mahmut; Zouhair, Abderrahim

2013-01-01

The aim of the present study is to assess the disease profile, outcome and prognostic factors in patients treated with surgery combined with radiotherapy (RT), with or without chemotherapy (CXT), for soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) in a multidisciplinary setting. One hundred and sixty-four patients with STS treated between 1980 and 2010 at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois were enrolled in this retrospective study. Seventy-six percent of patients underwent postoperative RT with (24%), or without (52%) CXT, 15% preoperative RT with (5%), or without (10%) CXT, surgery alone (7%), or RT alone (2%) with or without CXT. The median follow-up was 60 months (range 6-292). Local failure was observed in 18%, and distant failure in 21% of the patients. Overall survival (OS), diseasefree survival (DFS), local control (LC) and distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) were 88%, 68%, 83%, and 79% at 5 years, and 80%, 56%, 76%, and 69% at 10 years, respectively. In univariate analyses, favorable prognostic factors for OS, DFS, and DMFS were tumor size 6 cm or less, World Health Organization (WHO)/Zubrod score 0, and stage 2 or less. Age and superficial tumors were favorable only for OS and DMFS respectively. STS involving the extremities had a better outcome regarding DFS and LC. Histological grade 2 or less was favorable for DFS, DMFS, and LC. Radical surgery was associated with better LC and DMFS. RT dose more than 60 Gy was favorable for OS, DFS, and LC. In multivariate analyses, independent factors were age for OS; tumor size for OS, DFS and DMFS; WHO/Zubrod score for OS, DFS and LC; hemoglobin level for DFS; site for DFS and LC; tumor depth for DMFS; histological grade for DFS and LC; surgical procedure for LC and DMFS; and RT dose for OS. This study confirms that in a multidisciplinary setting, STS have a fairly good prognosis. A number of prognostic and predictive factors, including the role of surgery combined with RT, were identified. Regarding RT, a dose of more than 60 Gy was associated with a better outcome, at the price of a higher toxicity. We could not demonstrate a superiority of preoperative RT over postoperative RT. PMID:24416489

Predictors of functional outcome among stroke patients in Lima, Peru.

PubMed

Abanto, Carlos; Ton, Thanh G N; Tirschwell, David L; Montano, Silvia; Quispe, Yrma; Gonzales, Isidro; Valencia, Ana; Calle, Pilar; Garate, Arturo; Zunt, Joseph

2013-10-01

Because of the aging population in low- and middle-income countries, cerebrovascular disease is expected to remain a leading cause of death. Little has been published about stroke in Peru. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized stroke patients at a referral center hospital in Lima, Peru to explore factors associated with functional outcome among stroke patients. We identified 579 patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage stroke at the National Institute of Neurologic Sciences in Lima, Peru in 2008 and 2009. A favorable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale score of ≤ 2 at discharge. The mean age was 63.3 years; 75.6% had ischemic stroke; the average duration of stay was 17.3 days. At hospital discharge, 231 (39.9%) had a favorable outcome. The overall mortality rate was 5.2%. In multivariate models, the likelihood of having a favorable outcome decreased linearly with increasing age (P = .02) and increasing National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (P = .02). Favorable outcome was also associated with male gender (relative risk [RR] 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0-1.5) and divorced status (RR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.7). Patients on Salud Integral de Salud (SIS; public assistance-type insurance; RR 0.7; 95% CI 0.5-1.0) were also less likely to have a favorable outcome. Favorable outcome after stroke was independently associated with younger age, a lower NIHSS score, male gender, being divorced, and not being on SIS insurance. These findings suggest that additional study of worse functional outcomes in patients with SIS insurance be conducted and confirm the importance of risk adjustment for age, stroke severity (according to the NIHSS scale), and other socioeconomic factors in outcomes studies. Future studies should preferentially assess outcome at 30 days and 6 months to provide more reliable comparisons and allow additional study of Peruvian end-of-life decision-making and care. Copyright © 2013 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of biomotor structures on performance of competitive gymnastics elements in elementary school male sixth-graders.

PubMed

Delas, Suncica; Zagorac, Nebojsa; Katić, Ratko

2008-06-01

In order to identify the biomotor systems that determine performance of competitive gymnastics elements in elementary school male sixth-graders, factor structures of morphological characteristics and basic motor abilities were determined first, followed by relations of the morphological-motor system factors obtained with a set of criterion variables evaluating specific motor skills in competitive gymnastics in 110 male children aged 12 years +/- 3 months. Factor analysis of 17 morphological measures produced three morphological factors: factor of mesoectoendomorphy (general morphological factor) and factor of pronounced endomorphy, i.e. excessive adipose tissue, along with low skeleton longitudinality. Factor analysis of 16 motor variables yielded four motor factors: factor of general motoricity; factor integrating leg flexibility and arm explosiveness; factor juxtaposing body flexibility and repetitive leg strength; and factor predominantly defining leg movement frequency. Three significant canonical correlations, i.e. linear combinations, explained the association between the set of six latent variables of the morphological and basic motor system, and five variables assessing the knowledge in competitive gymnastics. The first canonical linear combination was based on the favorable and predominant impact of the general motor factor (a system integrating leg explosiveness, whole body coordination, relative arm and trunk strength, and arm movement frequency), along with unfavorable effect of morphological factors on the gymnastics elements performance, squat vault and handstand in particular The relation of the second pair of canonical factors pointed to the effects of leg flexibility and arm explosiveness on the cartwheel and backward pullover mount performance, whereas the relation of the third pair of canonical factors showed a favorable impact of the general morphological factor and leg movement frequency regulator on the forward shoulderkip from increase, cartwheel and handstand performance.

Evolution of limited seed dispersal ability on gypsum islands.

PubMed

Schenk, John J

2013-09-01

Dispersal is a major feature of plant evolution that has many advantages but is not always favored. Wide dispersal, for example, leads to greater seed loss in oceanic-island endemics, and evolution has favored morphologies that limit dispersal. I tested the hypothesis that selection favored limited dispersal on gypsum islands in western North America, where edaphic communities are sparsely vegetated except for a specialized flora that competes poorly with the surrounding flora. • I applied a series of comparative phylogenetic approaches to gypsophilic species of Mentzelia section Bartonia (Loasaceae) to investigate the evolution of limited dispersal function in seed wings, which increase primary dispersal by wind. Through these tests, I determined whether narrowed wings were selected for in gypsophilic species. • Gypsophily was derived four to seven times. Seed area was not significantly correlated with gypsophily or wing area. Wing area was significantly smaller in the derived gypsum endemics, supporting the hypothesis in favor of limited dispersal function. A model-fitting approach identified two trait optima in wing area, with gypsum endemics having a lower optimum. • Evolution into novel ecologies influences morphological evolution. Morphological characters have been selected for limited dispersal following evolution onto gypsum islands. Selection for limited dispersal ability has occurred across animals and plants, both in oceanic and terrestrial systems, which suggests that reduced dispersal ability may be a general process: selection favors limited dispersal if the difference in survival between the habitat of the parent and the surrounding area is great enough.

Refractory major depression successfully treated with electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with Addison disease.

PubMed

Heijnen, Willemijn T C J; Pluijms, Esther M; Birkenhager, Tom K

2013-06-01

This report describes a 55-year-old woman who had 1 previous episode of major depression that responded favorably to treatment with tricyclic antidepressants. After the development of Addison disease, she experienced a new episode of major depression that failed to respond to adequate treatment with imipramine and was subsequently successfully treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with steroid cover. The patient did not experience adrenal crisis or adverse effects. After 9 ECT sessions, she attained full remission. These findings support the suggestion that ECT treatment is safe in patients with Addison disease when using 100 mg intravenous hydrocortisone as prophylaxis.

Perceptions of psychology as a science among university students: the influence of psychology courses and major of study.

PubMed

Bartels, Jared M; Hinds, Ryan M; Glass, Laura A; Ryan, Joseph J

2009-10-01

The goal was to examine the relationship between the number of psychology courses students have taken and their perceptions of psychology as a science. Additionally, differences in perceptions of psychology among psychology, education, and natural science majors were examined. Results indicated that students who had taken four or more psychology courses had more favorable perceptions of psychology as a science compared to those who had taken no courses or one course and those who had taken two to three courses. No significant differences in overall perceptions of psychology emerged among students in the three majors.

[Effects of gastric bypass on estimated cardiovascular risk in morbidly obese patients with metabolic syndrome].

PubMed

Corcelles, Ricard; Vidal, Josep; Delgado, Salvadora; Ibarzabal, Ainitze; Bravo, Raquel; Momblan, Dulce; Espert, Juanjo; Morales, Xavi; Almenara, Raúl; Lacy, Antonio M

2014-01-01

The major goal of surgical treatment in morbid obesity is to decrease morbidity and mortality associated with excess weight. In this sense, the main factors of death are cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of gastric bypass on cardiovascular risk estimation in patients after bariatric surgery. We retrospectively evaluated pre and postoperative cardiovascular risk estimation of 402 morbidly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass. The major variable studied is the cardiovascular risk estimation that is calculated preoperatively and after 12 months. Cardiovascular risk estimation analysis has been performed with the REGICOR Equation. REGICOR formulation allows calculating a 10 year risk of cardiovascular events adapted to the Spanish population and is expressed in percentages. We reported an overall 4.1±3.0 mean basal REGICOR score. One year after the operation, cardiovascular risk estimation significantly decreased to 2,2±1,6 (P<.001). In patients with metabolic syndrome according to ATP-III criteria, basal REGICOR score was 4.8±3.1 whereas in no metabolic syndrome patients 2.2±1.8. Evaluation 12 months after surgery, determined a significant reduction in both groups (metabolic syndrome and non metabolic syndrome) with a mean REGICOR score of 2.3±1.6 and 1.6±1.0 respectively. The results of our study demonstrate favorable effects of gastric bypass on the cardiovascular risk factors included in the REGICOR equation. Copyright © 2013 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Spatial Patterns of Mercury Bioaccumulation in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin, MT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staats, M. F.; Langner, H.; Moore, J. N.

2010-12-01

The Upper Clark Fork River Basin (UCFRB) in Montana has a legacy of historic gold/silver mine waste that contributes large quantities of mercury into the watershed. Mercury bioaccumulation at higher levels of the aquatic food chain, such as the mercury concentration in the blood of pre-fledge osprey, exhibit an irregular spatial signature based on the location of the nests throughout the river basin. Here we identify regions with a high concentration of bioavailable mercury and the major factors that allow the mercury to bioaccumulate within trophic levels. This identification is based on the abundance of mercury sources and the potential for mercury methylation. To address the source term, we did a survey of total mercury in fine sediments along selected UCFRB reaches, along with the assessment of environmental river conditions (percentage of backwaters/wetlands, water temperature and pH, etc). In addition, we analyzed the mercury levels of a representative number of macroinvertebrates and fish from key locations. The concentration of total mercury in sediment, which varies from reach to reach (tributaries of the Clark Fork River, <0.05 mg/kg to the main stem of the river, >5mg/kg) affects the concentration of mercury found at various trophic levels. However, reaches with a low supply of mine waste-derived mercury can also yield substantial concentrations of mercury in the biota, due to highly favorable conditions for mercury methylation. We identify that the major environmental factor that affects the methylation potential in the UCFRB is the proximity and connectivity of wetland areas to the river.

Low pacemaker incidence with continuous-sutured valves: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Niclauss, Lars; Delay, Dominique; Pfister, Raymond; Colombier, Sebastien; Kirsch, Matthias; Prêtre, René

2017-06-01

Background Permanent pacemaker implantation after surgical aortic valve replacement depends on patient selection and risk factors for conduction disorders. We aimed to identify risk criteria and obtain a selected group comparable to patients assigned to transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Methods Isolated sutured aortic valve replacements in 994 patients treated from 2007 to 2015 were reviewed. Demographics, hospital stay, preexisting conduction disorders, surgical technique, and etiology in patients with and without permanent pacemaker implantation were compared. Reported outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation were compared with those of a subgroup including only degenerative valve disease and first redo. Results The incidence of permanent pacemaker implantation was 2.9%. Longer hospital stay ( p = 0.01), preexisting rhythm disorders ( p < 0.001), complex prosthetic endocarditis ( p = 0.01), and complex redo ( p < 0.001) were associated with permanent pacemaker implantation. Although prostheses were sutured with continuous monofilament in the majority of cases (86%), interrupted pledgetted sutures were used more often in the pacemaker group ( p = 0.002). In the subgroup analysis, the incidence of permanent pacemaker implantation was 2%; preexisting rhythm disorders and the suture technique were still major risk factors. Conclusion Permanent pacemaker implantation depends on etiology, preexisting rhythm disorders, and suture technique, and the 2% incidence compares favorably with the reported 5- to 10-fold higher incidence after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Cost analysis should take this into account. Often dismissed as minor complication, permanent pacemaker implantation increases the risks of endocarditis, impaired myocardial recovery, and higher mortality if associated with prosthesis regurgitation.

Endogenous signal peptides in recombinant protein production by Pichia pastoris: From in-silico analysis to fermentation.

PubMed

Massahi, Aslan; Çalık, Pınar

2016-11-07

For extracellular recombinant protein production, the efficiency of five endogenous secretion signal peptides (SPs) of Pichia pastoris, SP13 (MLSTILNIFILLLFIQASLQ), SP23 (MKILSALLLLFTLAFA), SP24 (MKVSTTKFLAVFLLVRLVCA), SP26 (MWSLFISGLLIFYPLVLG), SP34 (MRPVLSLLLLLASSVLA), selected based on their D-score which quantifies the signal peptide-ness of a given sequence segment, was investigated using recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) as the model protein. The expression was conducted under glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter (PGAP). The highest secretion efficiency among endogenous SPs was obtained by SP23 followed by SP24, SP34, SP13 and SP26, respectively. The fermentation characteristics of rhGH production by the use of SP23, the most favorable endogenous SP of P.pastoris, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae α-mating factor prepro sequence (α-MF) were compared. With respect to the SP23 which is 73 amino acids shorter in length compared to α-MF, in high cell density cultures, where carbon and energy source are limited, the substitution of SP23 for α-MF seems promising. α-MF higher secretion efficiency was verified by major physicochemical properties including hydropathy index, isoelectric point, and aliphatic index. Regarding the examined endogenous SPs, there was no clear correlation between secretion efficiency and major physicochemical properties when each of these properties was considered independently. To find a correlation, factors such as protein N-terminus effect, length of the SP, secondary structure of the SP, and interactions of the selected properties should also be investigated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors that enable or limit the sustained use of improved firewood cookstoves: Qualitative findings eight years after an intervention in rural Mexico.

PubMed

Catalán-Vázquez, Minerva; Fernández-Plata, Rosario; Martínez-Briseño, David; Pelcastre-Villafuerte, Blanca; Riojas-Rodríguez, Horacio; Suárez-González, Laura; Pérez-Padilla, Rogelio; Schilmann, Astrid

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the factors enabling/limiting the use of improved cookstoves among rural fuel wood users from one mestizo and two indigenous communities eight years after an intervention in the state of Michoacan, in Mexico. A qualitative study with an ethnographic perspective was conducted in 2013/2014 based on 62 interviews with women who had participated in an improved firewood cookstove program in 2005. Thematic qualitative content analysis was performed. Very few women from the indigenous communities were using the improved cookstove at the time of the study; the majority had dismantled or had ceased using it; whereas most of those from the mestizo community were using it for all of their cooking activities. In the indigenous communities, characterized by extended families, uptake of new technology was limited by traditional routine practices, rearrangement of rooms in the house, attachment to the traditional stove, a low- or non-risk perception of woodsmoke; gender relations, insufficient training, non-compliance with program recommendations and design-related aspects. Conversely, in the mestizo community, the uptake of the improved cookstove was favored by routine cooking practices in a nuclear family, a previous use of a raised cookstove and social representations on the health-disease-death effects of woodsmoke vs. the health benefits of cooking with improved stoves. The sociocultural dimension of communities and the cookstove design are aspects that either favor or limit the use of improved cookstoves in indigenous and mestizo populations. Effective cookstove programs must take these elements into account from their early planning stages, and blend them into implementation and follow-up. Project communication, training and differentiated follow-up activities ensuring the operation and maintenance of the cookstove, should be designed according to the specific needs and traditions of each community; they should be based on the preferences and needs of the users.

A Pediatric Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia With a Rare Karyotype of ider(17)(q10)t(15;17) and Favorable Outcome: A Case Report.

PubMed

He, Yanli; Wang, Ping; Liang, Kaiwei; Chen, Xiangjun; Du, Wen; Li, Juan; Hu, Yanjie; Bai, Yan; Liu, Wei; Li, Xiaoqing; Jin, Runming; Zhang, Min; Zheng, Jine

2015-10-01

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a specific malignant hematological disorder with a diagnostic hallmark of chromosome translocation t(15;17)(q22;q21). As a very rare secondary cytogenetic aberration in pediatric APL, ider(17q) (q10)t(15;17) was suggested to be a poor prognostic factor based on previous case reports.Here, we report a pediatric APL case with a rare karyotype of ider(17)(q10)t(15;17). Bone marrow aspiration, immunophenotyping, molecular biology, cytogenetic, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses were performed at initial diagnosis and during the treatment.A 6-year-old boy was brought to our hospital with the chief complaint of bleeding gums twice and intermittent fever for 3 days in January 2013. He was diagnosed as low-risk APL according to the 2012 NCCN guideline on APL, with the expression of PML-RARA (bcr3 subtype) and the karyotype of 46,XY, der(15)t(15;17)(q22;q21),ider(17)(q10)t(15;17), which was further verified by FISH. The patient was treated through combination all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic with daunorubicin according to the 2012 NCCN guideline for APL. Continuous hematological completed remission (HCR) and major molecular remission (MMR) were achieved with normal karyotype for >28 months after induction chemotherapy.Different from previously reported cases, this pediatric APL patient with ider(17)(q10)t(15;17) displays favorable clinical outcomes, which might be related to the low-risk classification and arsenic treatment during the treatment. It suggests that ider(17)(q10)t(15;17) may not be the sole determinant for worse outcomes in pediatric APL and implies that more contributed factors should be considered for pediatric APL prognosis.

Factors that enable or limit the sustained use of improved firewood cookstoves: Qualitative findings eight years after an intervention in rural Mexico

PubMed Central

Catalán-Vázquez, Minerva; Fernández-Plata, Rosario; Martínez-Briseño, David; Pelcastre-Villafuerte, Blanca; Riojas-Rodríguez, Horacio; Suárez-González, Laura; Pérez-Padilla, Rogelio

2018-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the factors enabling/limiting the use of improved cookstoves among rural fuel wood users from one mestizo and two indigenous communities eight years after an intervention in the state of Michoacan, in Mexico. Methods A qualitative study with an ethnographic perspective was conducted in 2013/2014 based on 62 interviews with women who had participated in an improved firewood cookstove program in 2005. Thematic qualitative content analysis was performed. Results Very few women from the indigenous communities were using the improved cookstove at the time of the study; the majority had dismantled or had ceased using it; whereas most of those from the mestizo community were using it for all of their cooking activities. In the indigenous communities, characterized by extended families, uptake of new technology was limited by traditional routine practices, rearrangement of rooms in the house, attachment to the traditional stove, a low- or non-risk perception of woodsmoke; gender relations, insufficient training, non-compliance with program recommendations and design-related aspects. Conversely, in the mestizo community, the uptake of the improved cookstove was favored by routine cooking practices in a nuclear family, a previous use of a raised cookstove and social representations on the health-disease-death effects of woodsmoke vs. the health benefits of cooking with improved stoves. The sociocultural dimension of communities and the cookstove design are aspects that either favor or limit the use of improved cookstoves in indigenous and mestizo populations. Conclusions Effective cookstove programs must take these elements into account from their early planning stages, and blend them into implementation and follow-up. Project communication, training and differentiated follow-up activities ensuring the operation and maintenance of the cookstove, should be designed according to the specific needs and traditions of each community; they should be based on the preferences and needs of the users. PMID:29466464

NUDT2 Disruption Elevates Diadenosine Tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and Down-Regulates Immune Response and Cancer Promotion Genes

PubMed Central

Marriott, Andrew S.; Vasieva, Olga; Fang, Yongxiang; Copeland, Nikki A.; McLennan, Alexander G.; Jones, Nigel J.

2016-01-01

Regulation of gene expression is one of several roles proposed for the stress-induced nucleotide diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A). We have examined this directly by a comparative RNA-Seq analysis of KBM-7 chronic myelogenous leukemia cells and KBM-7 cells in which the NUDT2 Ap4A hydrolase gene had been disrupted (NuKO cells), causing a 175-fold increase in intracellular Ap4A. 6,288 differentially expressed genes were identified with P < 0.05. Of these, 980 were up-regulated and 705 down-regulated in NuKO cells with a fold-change ≥ 2. Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis (IPA®) was used to assign these genes to known canonical pathways and functional networks. Pathways associated with interferon responses, pattern recognition receptors and inflammation scored highly in the down-regulated set of genes while functions associated with MHC class II antigens were prominent among the up-regulated genes, which otherwise showed little organization into major functional gene sets. Tryptophan catabolism was also strongly down-regulated as were numerous genes known to be involved in tumor promotion in other systems, with roles in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Conversely, some pro-apoptotic genes were up-regulated. Major upstream factors predicted by IPA® for gene down-regulation included NFκB, STAT1/2, IRF3/4 and SP1 but no major factors controlling gene up-regulation were identified. Potential mechanisms for gene regulation mediated by Ap4A and/or NUDT2 disruption include binding of Ap4A to the HINT1 co-repressor, autocrine activation of purinoceptors by Ap4A, chromatin remodeling, effects of NUDT2 loss on transcript stability, and inhibition of ATP-dependent regulatory factors such as protein kinases by Ap4A. Existing evidence favors the last of these as the most probable mechanism. Regardless, our results suggest that the NUDT2 protein could be a novel cancer chemotherapeutic target, with its inhibition potentially exerting strong anti-tumor effects via multiple pathways involving metastasis, invasion, immunosuppression and apoptosis. PMID:27144453

NUDT2 Disruption Elevates Diadenosine Tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and Down-Regulates Immune Response and Cancer Promotion Genes.

PubMed

Marriott, Andrew S; Vasieva, Olga; Fang, Yongxiang; Copeland, Nikki A; McLennan, Alexander G; Jones, Nigel J

2016-01-01

Regulation of gene expression is one of several roles proposed for the stress-induced nucleotide diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A). We have examined this directly by a comparative RNA-Seq analysis of KBM-7 chronic myelogenous leukemia cells and KBM-7 cells in which the NUDT2 Ap4A hydrolase gene had been disrupted (NuKO cells), causing a 175-fold increase in intracellular Ap4A. 6,288 differentially expressed genes were identified with P < 0.05. Of these, 980 were up-regulated and 705 down-regulated in NuKO cells with a fold-change ≥ 2. Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis (IPA®) was used to assign these genes to known canonical pathways and functional networks. Pathways associated with interferon responses, pattern recognition receptors and inflammation scored highly in the down-regulated set of genes while functions associated with MHC class II antigens were prominent among the up-regulated genes, which otherwise showed little organization into major functional gene sets. Tryptophan catabolism was also strongly down-regulated as were numerous genes known to be involved in tumor promotion in other systems, with roles in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Conversely, some pro-apoptotic genes were up-regulated. Major upstream factors predicted by IPA® for gene down-regulation included NFκB, STAT1/2, IRF3/4 and SP1 but no major factors controlling gene up-regulation were identified. Potential mechanisms for gene regulation mediated by Ap4A and/or NUDT2 disruption include binding of Ap4A to the HINT1 co-repressor, autocrine activation of purinoceptors by Ap4A, chromatin remodeling, effects of NUDT2 loss on transcript stability, and inhibition of ATP-dependent regulatory factors such as protein kinases by Ap4A. Existing evidence favors the last of these as the most probable mechanism. Regardless, our results suggest that the NUDT2 protein could be a novel cancer chemotherapeutic target, with its inhibition potentially exerting strong anti-tumor effects via multiple pathways involving metastasis, invasion, immunosuppression and apoptosis.

Risk factors for complicated varicella infection in pediatric oncology patients at a tertiary health care facility in Pakistan.

PubMed

Alam, Muhammad Matloob; Qamar, Farah Naz; Khan, Zalan Wahid; Kumar, Vikram; Mushtaq, Naureen; Fadoo, Zehra

2014-02-13

Varicella zoster infection (VZI) is well recognized as a potential cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised pediatric oncology patients (POP). The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical profile and risk factors for complications and outcomes of VZI in POP treated with acyclovir. Medical records of all POP with a discharge diagnosis of VZI over a period of seven years (2005-2011) were reviewed. The demographic features, underlying malignancy, risk factors for VZI, complications, and outcomes were recorded. Thirty-six POP with VZI were identified. Leukemia was the most common underlying malignancy (n = 20, 58.8%), followed by lymphoma (n = 7, 20.6%) and solid organ tumors (n = 7, 20.6%). Most of the cases (41%) were observed in children under five. All patients were treated with acyclovir. Varicella-related complications developed in 10 (29%) patients. The most frequent complication was bloodstream infection (n = 3, 8.8%), followed by pneumonia (n = 2, 5.9%), skin infection (n = 2, 5.9%), hepatitis, renal failure, and encephalitis. Independent risk factors associated with complications were age < five years, weight for age < fifth percentile, delay in seeking care (> seven days after onset of symptoms) and severe neutropenia (ANC < 500/cm). One child died secondary to varicella encephalitis. Our data suggests that young age, poor health-seeking behavior, severe neutropenia, and being underweight are the major risk factors for the development of varicella-related complications in POP in developing countries. These complications could be favorably modified through active immunization of immunocompetent children.

Plant association and management guide for the Pacific silver fir zone Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Treesearch

Dale G. Brockway; Christopher Topik; Miles A. Hemstrom; William H. Emmingham

1983-01-01

The study of plant communities provides useful information about the environment in which they occur. Communities are a product of long-term interaction between factors in the physical environment and the organisms present. Environmental factors such as temperature, moisture, light and nutrients act as selective influences on plant populations, favoring species best...

A Preliminary Study of Potential Dietary Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease among Chinese American Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Wei Yue; Chen, W. William

1994-01-01

This study compared dietary knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and patterns between Chinese American middle school students and their Chinese equivalents. Chinese students had less knowledge and less favorable attitudes but more positive behavioral factors affecting diet. They consumed less meat, dairy products, fat, sweets, and snacks and ate more…

The Factor Structure and Dimensional Scoring of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire for "DSM-IV"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodebaugh, Thomas L.; Holaway, Robert M.; Heimberg, Richard G.

2008-01-01

Despite favorable psychometric properties, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire for the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (4th ed.) (GAD-Q-IV) does not have a known factor structure, which calls into question use of its original weighted scoring system (usually referred to as the dimensional score).…

The perception of Malaysian pedestrians toward the use of footbridges.

PubMed

Hasan, Razi; Napiah, Madzlan

2018-04-03

The footbridge is a vital structure in the road network and a cornerstone among crossing facilities. Yet, it suffers from low usage by pedestrians as they try to cross the street on the level. This study aims to analyze the perceptions of Malaysian pedestrians toward the use of footbridges with the consideration of different factors. The study was carried out by collecting data from field observation and questionnaire distribution on the street among the public. The data were statistically analyzed by applying multiple linear regression models and a series of chi-square tests. The study found that the most influential factor cited by pedestrians in decision making regarding using a footbridge is the existence of an escalator. Being in a hurry and the fear of heights were significantly associated with choosing not to use a footbridge. Zebra crossing was chosen as the most favorable type of crossing facility by the majority of respondents. In addition, installation of a fence and barriers was proposed as an effective procedure to prevent jaywalking. To construct new and efficient footbridges in the future, the study suggests consideration of traffic volume, posted speed limit, and the number of lanes, because these are the most influential factors to predict the usage rate. The study encourages decision makers and stakeholders to consider providing escalators for new footbridges to enhance the safety of pedestrians.

Spatial analysis of choice of place of delivery in Nigeria.

PubMed

Gayawan, Ezra

2014-06-01

Access to quality healthcare during childbirth is a crucial factor for taming maternal and child mortality and morbidity. Increasing this access in developing countries depends on understanding the factors influencing maternal healthcare decision at a geographical location. This study analyzes spatial pattern in choice of place of delivery in Nigeria. Data analyzed came from Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey data set. The choice of place delivery was considered a multi-categorical response and a multinomial logistic regression model used to evaluate spatial variations in choosing a particular place to deliver against home delivery. Results show a north-south divide in choosing health facilities against homes for delivery. The likelihood of institutional delivery was significantly lower for women residing in Bayelsa and the majority of the states in northern Nigeria. As women advance in age, they have more likelihood of having institutional deliveries. Other contributing factors that favor institutional deliveries include use of antenatal care services, urban dwelling, mass media and parity. Usage of mass media to campaign for institutional deliveries particularly in northern Nigeria, among younger women and those of higher parity; encouraging the use of antenatal services and even distribution of health facilities making them easily accessible to rural women are important for enhancing chances of institutional deliveries. Also, state-specific policies in this regard are indispensable. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploring the application of latent class cluster analysis for investigating pedestrian crash injury severities in Switzerland.

PubMed

Sasidharan, Lekshmi; Wu, Kun-Feng; Menendez, Monica

2015-12-01

One of the major challenges in traffic safety analyses is the heterogeneous nature of safety data, due to the sundry factors involved in it. This heterogeneity often leads to difficulties in interpreting results and conclusions due to unrevealed relationships. Understanding the underlying relationship between injury severities and influential factors is critical for the selection of appropriate safety countermeasures. A method commonly employed to address systematic heterogeneity is to focus on any subgroup of data based on the research purpose. However, this need not ensure homogeneity in the data. In this paper, latent class cluster analysis is applied to identify homogenous subgroups for a specific crash type-pedestrian crashes. The manuscript employs data from police reported pedestrian (2009-2012) crashes in Switzerland. The analyses demonstrate that dividing pedestrian severity data into seven clusters helps in reducing the systematic heterogeneity of the data and to understand the hidden relationships between crash severity levels and socio-demographic, environmental, vehicle, temporal, traffic factors, and main reason for the crash. The pedestrian crash injury severity models were developed for the whole data and individual clusters, and were compared using receiver operating characteristics curve, for which results favored clustering. Overall, the study suggests that latent class clustered regression approach is suitable for reducing heterogeneity and revealing important hidden relationships in traffic safety analyses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment Strategies in 135 Consecutive Patients with Enterocutaneous Fistulas

PubMed Central

Visschers, Ruben G. J.; Damink, Steven W. M. Olde; Winkens, Bjorn; Soeters, Peter B.

2008-01-01

Background Enterocutaneous fistulas (ECF) pose a major challenge to every gastrointestinal (GI) surgeon. Based on earlier studies, a standardized treatment guideline was implemented. The focus of the present study was to assess that guideline and determine prognostic factors for outcome of patients with ECF, and to define a more detailed therapeutic approach including the convalescence time before restorative surgery. Methods All patients with ECF treated between 1990 and 2005 were included. Management consisted of controlling Sepsis, Optimization of nutritional state, Wound care, assessment of fistula Anatomy, Timing of surgery, and Surgical strategy (the SOWATS guideline). Prognostic factors were assessed by way of multiple logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 135 patients were treated at our unit. Overall closure was achieved in 118 patients (87.4%). Restorative operations for fistula closure were performed after a median of 53 days (range: 4–270 days). Restorative operations were successful in 97/107 patients (90.7%). Thirteen patients (9.6%) died. An abdominal wall defect was the most predominant negative prognostic factor for spontaneous closure (odds ratio [OR] = 0.195, confidence interval [CI] 0.052–0.726, p = 0.015). A strong relation was found between preoperative albumin level and surgical closure (p < 0.001) and mortality (p < 0.001). Conclusions Application of the SOWATS guideline allowed a favorable outcome after a short convalescence period. Abdominal wall defects and preoperative hypoalbuminemia are important prognostic variables. PMID:18175171

Treatment strategies in 135 consecutive patients with enterocutaneous fistulas.

PubMed

Visschers, Ruben G J; Olde Damink, Steven W M; Winkens, Bjorn; Soeters, Peter B; van Gemert, Wim G

2008-03-01

Enterocutaneous fistulas (ECF) pose a major challenge to every gastrointestinal (GI) surgeon. Based on earlier studies, a standardized treatment guideline was implemented. The focus of the present study was to assess that guideline and determine prognostic factors for outcome of patients with ECF, and to define a more detailed therapeutic approach including the convalescence time before restorative surgery. All patients with ECF treated between 1990 and 2005 were included. Management consisted of controlling Sepsis, Optimization of nutritional state, Wound care, assessment of fistula Anatomy, Timing of surgery, and Surgical strategy (the SOWATS guideline). Prognostic factors were assessed by way of multiple logistic regression analysis. A total of 135 patients were treated at our unit. Overall closure was achieved in 118 patients (87.4%). Restorative operations for fistula closure were performed after a median of 53 days (range: 4-270 days). Restorative operations were successful in 97/107 patients (90.7%). Thirteen patients (9.6%) died. An abdominal wall defect was the most predominant negative prognostic factor for spontaneous closure (odds ratio [OR]=0.195, confidence interval [CI] 0.052-0.726, p=0.015). A strong relation was found between preoperative albumin level and surgical closure (p<0.001) and mortality (p<0.001). Application of the SOWATS guideline allowed a favorable outcome after a short convalescence period. Abdominal wall defects and preoperative hypoalbuminemia are important prognostic variables.

An in-depth understanding of biomass recalcitrance using natural poplar variants as the feedstock

DOE PAGES

Meng, Xianzhi; Pu, Yunqiao; Yoo, Chang Geun; ...

2016-12-12

Here, in an effort to better understand the biomass recalcitrance, six natural poplar variants were selected as feedstocks based on previous sugar release analysis. Compositional analysis and physicochemical characterizations of these poplars were performed and the correlations between these physicochemical properties and enzymatic hydrolysis yield were investigated. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and 13C solid state NMR were used to determine the degree of polymerization (DP) and crystallinity index (CrI) of cellulose, and the results along with the sugar release study indicated that cellulose DP likely played a more important role in enzymatic hydrolysis. Simons’ stain revealed that the accessible surface area of substrate significantly varied among these variants from 17.3 to 33.2 mg gmore » $$–1\\atop{biomass}$$ as reflected by dye adsorption, and cellulose accessibility was shown as one of the major factors governing substrates digestibility. HSQC and 31P NMR analysis detailed the structural features of poplar lignin variants. Overall, cellulose relevant factors appeared to have a stronger correlation with glucose release, if any, than lignin structural features. Lignin structural features, such as a phenolic hydroxyl group and the ratio of syringyl and guaiacyl (S/G), were found to have a more convincing impact on xylose release. Low lignin content, low cellulose DP, and high cellulose accessibility generally favor enzymatic hydrolysis; however, recalcitrance cannot be simply judged on any single substrate factor.« less

An in-depth understanding of biomass recalcitrance using natural poplar variants as the feedstock

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

Meng, Xianzhi; Pu, Yunqiao; Yoo, Chang Geun

Here, in an effort to better understand the biomass recalcitrance, six natural poplar variants were selected as feedstocks based on previous sugar release analysis. Compositional analysis and physicochemical characterizations of these poplars were performed and the correlations between these physicochemical properties and enzymatic hydrolysis yield were investigated. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and 13C solid state NMR were used to determine the degree of polymerization (DP) and crystallinity index (CrI) of cellulose, and the results along with the sugar release study indicated that cellulose DP likely played a more important role in enzymatic hydrolysis. Simons’ stain revealed that the accessible surface area of substrate significantly varied among these variants from 17.3 to 33.2 mg gmore » $$–1\\atop{biomass}$$ as reflected by dye adsorption, and cellulose accessibility was shown as one of the major factors governing substrates digestibility. HSQC and 31P NMR analysis detailed the structural features of poplar lignin variants. Overall, cellulose relevant factors appeared to have a stronger correlation with glucose release, if any, than lignin structural features. Lignin structural features, such as a phenolic hydroxyl group and the ratio of syringyl and guaiacyl (S/G), were found to have a more convincing impact on xylose release. Low lignin content, low cellulose DP, and high cellulose accessibility generally favor enzymatic hydrolysis; however, recalcitrance cannot be simply judged on any single substrate factor.« less

Factors limiting deceased organ donation: focus groups' perspective from culturally diverse community.

PubMed

Wong, L P

2010-06-01

In-depth understanding of cultural and religious factors limiting organ donation of three ethnic populations (Malay, Chinese, and Indian) in Southeast Asia is lacking. Identification of factors limiting organ donation among these three ethnic groups will provide insights into culturally appropriate strategies to promote acceptance of organ donation in a multiethnic Asian community. A total of 17 focus group discussions (105 participants) were conducted between September and December 2008. Participants were members of the general public aged 18 to 60 years, recruited through convenient sampling around the Klang Valley area of Malaysia. Although the majority had favorable attitudes toward deceased organ donation and transplantation, a diversity of myths and misinformation were unearthed from the discussions across the ethnic groups. These include perceived religious prohibition, cultural myths and misperceptions, fear of disfigurement, fear of surgery, distrust of the medical system, and family disapproval. Culture and religious beliefs played important prohibitive roles among those opposed to organ donations. There were distinctive ethnic differences in cultural and religious concerns regarding organ donation. Less-educated and rural groups appeared to have more misconceptions than the well-educated and the urban groups. Our findings may assist organ donation and transplantation organizations to reach diverse sociodemographic and ethnic communities with culture-specific information about organ donation. The involvement of community and religious leaders is critical in organ donation requests.

Nuclear matrix protein SMAR1 control regulatory T-cell fate during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

PubMed Central

Mirlekar, B; Ghorai, S; Khetmalas, M; Bopanna, R; Chattopadhyay, S

2015-01-01

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are essential for self-tolerance and immune homeostasis. Transcription factor Foxp3, a positive regulator of Treg cell differentiation, has been studied to some extent. Signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 3 (STAT3) is known to negatively regulate Foxp3. It is not clear how STAT3 is regulated during Treg differentiation. We show that SMAR1, a known transcription factor and tumor suppressor, is directly involved in maintaining Treg cell fate decision. T-cell-specific conditional knockdown of SMAR1 exhibits increased susceptibility towards inflammatory disorders, such as colitis. The suppressive function of Treg cells is compromised in the absence of SMAR1 leading to increased T helper type 17 (Th17) differentiation and inflammation. Compared with wild-type, the SMAR1−/− Treg cells showed increased susceptibility of inflammatory bowel disease in Rag1−/− mice, indicating the role of SMAR1 in compromising Treg cell differentiation resulting in severe colitis. We show that SMAR1 negatively regulate STAT3 expression favoring Foxp3 expression and Treg cell differentiation. SMAR1 binds to the MAR element of STAT3 promoter, present adjacent to interleukin-6 response elements. Thus Foxp3, a major driver of Treg cell differentiation, is regulated by SMAR1 via STAT3 and a fine-tune balance between Treg and Th17 phenotype is maintained. PMID:25993445

Lentivector Integration Sites in Ependymal Cells From a Model of Metachromatic Leukodystrophy: Non-B DNA as a New Factor Influencing Integration

PubMed Central

McAllister, Robert G; Liu, Jiahui; Woods, Matthew W; Tom, Sean K; Rupar, C Anthony; Barr, Stephen D

2014-01-01

The blood–brain barrier controls the passage of molecules from the blood into the central nervous system (CNS) and is a major challenge for treatment of neurological diseases. Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease caused by loss of arylsulfatase A (ARSA) activity. Gene therapy via intraventricular injection of a lentiviral vector is a potential approach to rapidly and permanently deliver therapeutic levels of ARSA to the CNS. We present the distribution of integration sites of a lentiviral vector encoding human ARSA (LV-ARSA) in murine brain choroid plexus and ependymal cells, administered via a single intracranial injection into the CNS. LV-ARSA did not exhibit a strong preference for integration in or near actively transcribed genes, but exhibited a strong preference for integration in or near satellite DNA. We identified several genomic hotspots for LV-ARSA integration and identified a consensus target site sequence characterized by two G-quadruplex-forming motifs flanking the integration site. In addition, our analysis identified several other non-B DNA motifs as new factors that potentially influence lentivirus integration, including human immunodeficiency virus type-1 in human cells. Together, our data demonstrate a clinically favorable integration site profile in the murine brain and identify non-B DNA as a potential new host factor that influences lentiviral integration in murine and human cells. PMID:25158091

Risk factors and prevention of vascular complications in polycythemia vera.

PubMed

Barbui, T; Finazzi, G

1997-01-01

Risk factors for vascular complications in polycythemia vera (PV) include laboratory and clinical findings. Among laboratory values, the hematocrit has been clearly associated with thrombosis, particularly in the cerebral circulation. Platelet count is a possible but not yet clearly established predictor of vascular complications. Platelet function tests are of little help in prognostic evaluation because most attempts to correlate these abnormalities with clinical events have been disappointing. Clinical predictors of thrombosis include increasing age and a previous history of vascular events. Identifying risk factors for thrombosis is important to initiate therapy. Phlebotomy is associated with an increased incidence of thrombosis in the first 3 to 5 years, whereas chemotherapy may induce a higher risk of secondary malignancies after 7 to 10 years of follow-up. New cytoreductive drugs virtually devoid of mutagenic risk include interferon-alpha and anagrelide, but their role in reducing thrombotic complications remains to be demonstrated. Antithrombotic drugs, such as aspirin, are frequently used in PV, despite doubts regarding safety and efficacy. Two recent studies from the Gruppo Italiano Studio Policitemia Vera (GISP) assessed the rate of major thrombosis as well as the tolerability of low-dose aspirin in PV patients. These investigations created a favorable scenario for launching a European collaborative clinical trial (ECLAP study) aimed at testing the efficacy of low-dose aspirin in preventing thrombosis and prolonging survival in patients with PV.

Risk factors and prognosis in T-cell posttransplantation lymphoproliferative diseases: reevaluation of 163 cases.

PubMed

Tiede, Christina; Maecker-Kolhoff, Britta; Klein, Christoph; Kreipe, Hans; Hussein, Kais

2013-02-15

Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative diseases (PTLD) are mainly Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated disorders of B-cell origin. Due to the rarity of monomorphic T-cell PTLD (T-PTLD), knowledge about pathogenesis, risk factors, therapy, and prognosis relies predominantly on case reports and small series. Therefore, we aimed to provide an overview and a retrospective analysis of this rare PTLD subtype. We analyzed all available articles on T-PTLD in the PubMed database as well as in our own databases (Institute of Pathology/Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School) from 1988 to 2010. Reevaluated parameters were gender, age, transplanted organ, immunosuppressant regimen, time between transplantation and T-PTLD manifestation, T-PTLD subtype, virus positivity, localization, therapy, and follow-up. A total of 163 cases were evaluated. We found that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was associated with early-onset T-PTLD, whereas late onset occurred after immunosuppression with steroids and azathioprine without administration of calcineurin inhibitors. The major independent favorable prognostic factors were T-PTLD of the large granular lymphocytic leukemia subtype, young age, and a combination of radiotherapy/radiochemotherapy and reduced immunosuppression, whereas the hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma subtype and cases with involvement of bone marrow, the central nervous system, or graft had an adverse prognosis. T-PTLD is a heterogeneous group of different aberrant T-cell proliferations and represents a significant complication following transplantation, showing a uniformly poor prognosis.

Human and organizational factors affecting telemedicine utilization within U.S. military forces in Europe.

PubMed

Lam, David M; Mackenzie, Colin

2005-02-01

During the past 10 years, the United States Army installed telemedicine capabilities in more than 30 Army medical treatment facilities within the European Theater, including the former Yugoslavia. In spite of favorable reviews of utilization from the early days of the installations, there has been only limited use for patient care. We conducted a field study of the program implementation within a group of military clinics and hospitals using site visits and interviews. Problems leading to underutilization were identified primarily as organizational factors rather than classic "human factors" or "man-machine interface" problems. The majority of those interviewed felt that: they had not been given adequate information on the role of telemedicine systems in provision of health care; operational and support policies had not been developed adequately; cost-benefit of use was not clearly demonstrated; and that many organizational impediments existed. Additionally, the lack of strong clinician proponents was repeatedly cited. Although limited in scope, this study provides insight into the attitudes of clinicians given the opportunity to use various telemedicine modalities, and identifies organizational problems that could be rectified by a defined mission involving the use of telemedicine and a structure encouraging its acceptance in routine clinical practice. As a result of this study, recommendations were made for changes in implementation practices, which may have civil as well as military implications.

Pathogen bacteria adhesion to skin mucus of fishes.

PubMed

Benhamed, Said; Guardiola, Francisco A; Mars, Mohammed; Esteban, María Ángeles

2014-06-25

Fish are always in intimate contact with their environment; therefore they are permanently exposed to very vary external hazards (e.g. aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, viruses, parasites, pollutants). To fight off pathogenic microorganisms, the epidermis and its secretion, the mucus acts as a barrier between the fish and the environment. Fish are surrounded by a continuous layer of mucus which is the first physical, chemical and biological barrier from infection and the first site of interaction between fish's skin cells and pathogens. The mucus composition is very complex and includes numerous antibacterial factors secreted by fish's skin cells, such as immunoglobulins, agglutinins, lectins, lysins and lysozymes. These factors have a very important role to discriminate between pathogenic and commensal microorganisms and to protect fish from invading pathogens. Furthermore, the skin mucus represents an important portal of entry of pathogens since it induces the development of biofilms, and represents a favorable microenvironment for bacteria, the main disease agents for fish. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of the interaction between bacteria and fish skin mucus, the adhesion mechanisms of pathogens and the major factors influencing pathogen adhesion to mucus. The better knowledge of the interaction between fish and their environment could inspire other new perspectives to study as well as to exploit the mucus properties for different purposes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential Links between Impaired One-Carbon Metabolism Due to Polymorphisms, Inadequate B-Vitamin Status, and the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease

PubMed Central

Troesch, Barbara; Weber, Peter; Mohajeri, M. Hasan

2016-01-01

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the major cause of dementia and no preventive or effective treatment has been established to date. The etiology of AD is poorly understood, but genetic and environmental factors seem to play a role in its onset and progression. In particular, factors affecting the one-carbon metabolism (OCM) are thought to be important and elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels, indicating impaired OCM, have been associated with AD. We aimed at evaluating the role of polymorphisms of key OCM enzymes in the etiology of AD, particularly when intakes of relevant B-vitamins are inadequate. Our review indicates that a range of compensatory mechanisms exist to maintain a metabolic balance. However, these become overwhelmed if the activity of more than one enzyme is reduced due to genetic factors or insufficient folate, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and/or vitamin B12 levels. Consequences include increased Hcy levels and reduced capacity to synthetize, methylate and repair DNA, and/or modulated neurotransmission. This seems to favor the development of hallmarks of AD particularly when combined with increased oxidative stress e.g., in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 carriers. However, as these effects can be compensated at least partially by adequate intakes of B-vitamins, achieving optimal B-vitamin status for the general population should be a public health priority. PMID:27973419

Hip Arthroscopy: Common Problems and Solutions.

PubMed

Casp, Aaron; Gwathmey, Frank Winston

2018-04-01

The use of hip arthroscopy continues to expand. Understanding potential pitfalls and complications associated with hip arthroscopy is paramount to optimizing clinical outcomes and minimizing unfavorable results. Potential pitfalls and complications are associated with preoperative factors such as patient selection, intraoperative factors such as iatrogenic damage, traction-related complications, inadequate correction of deformity, and nerve injury, or postoperative factors such as poor rehabilitation. This article outlines common factors that contribute to less-than-favorable outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Landmarks in the history of cancer epidemiology.

PubMed

Greenwald, Peter; Dunn, Barbara K

2009-03-15

The application of epidemiology to cancer prevention is relatively new, although observations of the potential causes of cancer have been reported for more than 2,000 years. Cancer was generally considered incurable until the late 19th century. Only with a refined understanding of the nature of cancer and strategies for cancer treatment could a systematic approach to cancer prevention emerge. The 20th century saw the elucidation of clues to cancer causation from observed associations with population exposures to tobacco, diet, environmental chemicals, and other exogenous factors. With repeated confirmation of such associations, researchers entertained for the first time the possibility that cancer, like many of the infectious diseases of the time, might be prevented. By the mid-20th century, with antibiotics successfully addressing the majority of infectious diseases and high blood pressure treatment beginning to affect the prevalence of heart disease in a favorable direction, the focus of much of epidemiology shifted to cancer. The early emphasis was on exploring, in greater depth, the environmental, dietary, hormonal, and other exogenous exposures for their potential associations with increased cancer risk. The first major breakthrough in identifying a modifiable cancer risk factor was the documentation of an association between tobacco smoking and lung cancer. During the past four decades, epidemiologic studies have generated population data identifying risk factors for cancers at almost every body site, with many cancers having multiple risk factors. The development of technologies to identify biological molecules has facilitated the incorporation of these molecular manifestations of biological variation into epidemiologic studies, as markers of exposure as well as putative surrogate markers of cancer outcome. This technological trend has, during the past two decades, culminated in emphasis on the identification of genetic variants and their products as correlates of cancer risk, in turn, creating opportunities to incorporate the discipline of molecular/genetic epidemiology into the study of cancer prevention. Epidemiology will undoubtedly continue contributing to cancer prevention by using traditional epidemiologic study designs to address broad candidate areas of interest, with molecular/genetic epidemiology investigations honing in on promising areas to identify specific factors that can be modified with the goal of reducing risk.

11 CFR 7.8 - Gifts, entertainment, and favors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... persons concerned which are the motivating factors; (2) To the acceptance of food, refreshments, and... as pens, pencils, note pads, calendars; and (4) To the acceptance of loans from banks or other...

Combined Analyses of hENT1, TS, and DPD Predict Outcomes of Borderline-resectable Pancreatic Cancer.

PubMed

Yabushita, Yasuhiro; Mori, Ryutaro; Taniguchi, Koichi; Matsuyama, Ryusei; Kumamoto, Takafumi; Sakamaki, Kentaro; Kubota, Kensuke; Endo, Itaru

2017-05-01

Predicting chemosensitivity to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) in pancreatic cancer is desired. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between intratumoral expression of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1), thymidylate synthase (TS), and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) and the outcomes of NACRT with gemcitabine (GEM) combined with S-1 in patients with borderline-resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC). Forty-seven patients who underwent NACRT with GEM plus S-1, following curative surgery, were recruited in our Institution between 2009 and 2012. Immunohistochemical expressions of hENT1, TS, and DPD in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies and resected specimens were examined. The correlation between these enzyme expressions and long-term outcome was analyzed. In 21 FNA specimens, no relationship between clinical responses to NACRT and long-term survival was found. However, in 47 resected specimens, patients were classified according to the number of favorable hENT1, TS, and DPD expression factors (hENT1 positive/TS negative/DPD negative). The presence of three favorable factors was strongly associated with improved partial response rates to NACRT (p=0.002). Patients with 2 or more favorable factors showed a significantly longer overall survival than the other patients (p=0.002). Combined expression analyses of hENT1, TS, and DPD may predict long-term outcomes in patients with BRPC after NACRT. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Does Academic Blogging Enhance Promotion and Tenure? A Survey of US and Canadian Medicine and Pediatric Department Chairs.

PubMed

Cameron, Christian Blake; Nair, Vinay; Varma, Manu; Adams, Martha; Jhaveri, Kenar D; Sparks, Matthew A

2016-06-23

Electronic educational (e-learning) technology usage continues to grow. Many medical journals operate companion blogs (an application of e-learning technology) that enable rapid dissemination of scientific knowledge and discourse. Faculty members participating in promotion and tenure academic tracks spend valuable time and effort contributing, editing, and directing these medical journal blogs. We sought to understand whether chairs of medicine and pediatric departments acknowledge blog authorship as academic achievement. The authors surveyed 267 chairs of US and Canadian medicine and pediatric departments regarding their attitudes toward the role of faculty participation in e-learning and blogging in the promotion and tenure process. The survey completion rate was 22.8% (61/267). A majority of respondents (87%, 53/61) viewed educational scholarship as either important or very important for promotion. However, only 23% (14/61) perceived importance to faculty effort in producing content for journal-based blogs. If faculty were to participate in blog authorship, 72% (44/61) of surveyed chairs favored involvement in a journal-based versus a society-based or a personal (nonaffiliated) blog. We identified a "favorable group" of chairs (19/59, 32%), who rated leadership roles in e-learning tools as important or very important, and an "unfavorable group" of chairs (40/59, 68%), who rated leadership roles in e-learning tools as somewhat important or not important. The favorable group were more likely to be aware of faculty bloggers within their departments (58%, 11/19 vs 25%, 10/40), viewed serving on editorial boards of e-learning tools more favorably (79%, 15/19 vs 31%, 12/39), and were more likely to value effort spent contributing to journal-based blogs (53%, 10/19 vs 10%, 4/40). Our findings demonstrate that although the majority of department chairs value educational scholarship, only a minority perceive value in faculty blogging effort.

Efficient xylose fermentation by the brown rot fungus Neolentinus lepideus.

PubMed

Okamoto, Kenji; Kanawaku, Ryuichi; Masumoto, Masaru; Yanase, Hideshi

2012-02-10

The efficient production of bioethanol on an industrial scale requires the use of renewable lignocellulosic biomass as a starting material. A limiting factor in developing efficient processes is identifying microorganisms that are able to effectively ferment xylose, the major pentose sugar found in hemicellulose, and break down carbohydrate polymers without pre-treatment steps. Here, a basidiomycete brown rot fungus was isolated as a new biocatalyst with unprecedented fermentability, as it was capable of converting not only the 6-carbon sugars constituting cellulose, but also the major 5-carbon sugar xylose in hemicelluloses, to ethanol. The fungus was identified as Neolentinus lepideus and was capable of assimilating and fermenting xylose to ethanol in yields of 0.30, 0.33, and 0.34 g of ethanol per g of xylose consumed under aerobic, oxygen-limited, and anaerobic conditions, respectively. A small amount of xylitol was detected as the major by-product of xylose metabolism. N. lepideus produced ethanol from glucose, mannose, galactose, cellobiose, maltose, and lactose with yields ranging from 0.34 to 0.38 g ethanol per g sugar consumed, and also exhibited relatively favorable conversion of non-pretreated starch, xylan, and wheat bran. These results suggest that N. lepideus is a promising candidate for cost-effective and environmentally friendly ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. To our knowledge, this is the first report on efficient ethanol fermentation from various carbohydrates, including xylose, by a naturally occurring brown rot fungus. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trends and perioperative outcomes for laparoscopic and robotic nephrectomy using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database.

PubMed

Liu, Jen-Jane; Leppert, John T; Maxwell, Bryan G; Panousis, Periklis; Chung, Benjamin I

2014-05-01

We sought to examine the trends in perioperative outcomes of kidney cancer surgery stratified by type (radical nephrectomy [RN] vs. partial nephrectomy [PN]) and approach (open vs. minimally invasive). We queried the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to identify kidney cancer operations performed from 2005 to 2011. We examined 30-day perioperative outcomes including operative time, transfusion rate, length of stay, major morbidity (cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and infectious), and mortality. A total of 2,902 PN and 5,459 RN cases were identified. The use of PN increased over time, accounting for 39% of all nephrectomies in 2011. Minimally invasive approaches also increased over time for both RN and PN. Open surgery was associated with increased length of stay, receipt of transfusion, major complications, and perioperative mortality. Resident involvement and open approach were independent predictors of major complications for both PN and RN. Additionally, the presence of a medical comorbidity was also a risk factor for complications after RN. The overall complication rates decreased for all approaches over the study period. Minimally invasive approaches to kidney cancer renal surgery have increased with favorable outcomes. The safety of open and minimally invasive PN improved significantly over the study period. Although pathologic features cannot be determined from this data set, these data show that complications from renal surgical procedures are decreasing in an era of increasing use. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Leptospirosis in the western Indian Ocean islands: what is known so far?

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

In the past decade, leptospirosis has emerged as a major zoonosis with a worldwide distribution. The disease is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. The western Indian Ocean includes more than one hundred tropical or subequatorial islands where leptospirosis constitutes a major public health problem. The clinical signs of the human disease are generally similar to an influenza-like syndrome, but acute forms of the disease are reported and mortality remains significant in this region. In animals, clinical forms are mainly asymptomatic but leptospirosis reduces the fertility of livestock, resulting in economic losses. The data available about human and animal leptospirosis in the western Indian Ocean islands are diverse: human leptospirosis has been extensively studied in Reunion Island, Mayotte, and the Seychelles, whereas the human clinical disease has never been described in Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, or Rodrigues, mainly because of the deficiency in appropriate medical and diagnostic structures. The rat is recognized as the major reservoir host for the bacteria on all islands, but recent data from Reunion Island indicates that almost all mammals can be a source of contamination. The incidence of leptospirosis in humans is highly seasonal, and linked to the rainy season, which is favorable for the environmental maintenance and transmission of the bacteria. The epidemiology of leptospirosis is fully island-dependent, related to the number of mammalian species, the origins of the introduced mammalian species, the relationships between humans and fauna, and environmental as well as cultural and socio-economic factors. PMID:24016311

Measuring attitudes about women's recourse after exposure to intimate partner violence: the ATT-RECOURSE scale.

PubMed

Yount, Kathryn M; VanderEnde, Kristin; Zureick-Brown, Sarah; Minh, Tran Hung; Schuler, Sidney Ruth; Anh, Hoang Tu

2014-06-01

Attitudes about intimate partner violence (IPV) against women are widely surveyed, but attitudes about women's recourse after exposure to IPV are understudied, despite their importance for intervention. Designed through qualitative research and administered in a probability sample of 1,054 married men and women 18 to 50 years in My Hao District, Vietnam, the ATT-RECOURSE scale measures men's and women's attitudes about a wife's recourse after exposure to physical IPV. Data were initially collected for nine items. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with one random split-half sample (N 1 = 526) revealed a one-factor model with significant loadings (0.316-0.686) for six items capturing a wife's silence, informal recourse, and formal recourse. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with the other random split-half sample (N 2 = 528) showed adequate fit for the six-item model and significant factor loadings of similar magnitude to the EFA results (0.412-0.669). For the six items retained, men consistently favored recourse more often than did women (52.4%-66.0% of men vs. 41.9%-55.2% of women). Tests for uniform differential item functioning (DIF) by gender revealed one item with significant uniform DIF, and adjusting for this revealed an even larger gap in men's and women's attitudes, with men favoring recourse, on average, more than women. The six-item ATT-RECOURSE scale is reliable across independent samples and exhibits little uniform DIF by gender, supporting its use in surveys of men and women. Further methodological research is discussed. Research is needed in Vietnam about why women report less favorable attitudes than men regarding women's recourse after physical IPV.

Factors affecting work ability in day and shift-working nurses.

PubMed

Camerino, Donatella; Conway, Paul Maurice; Sartori, Samantha; Campanini, Paolo; Estryn-Béhar, Madeleine; van der Heijden, Beatrice Isabella Johanna Maria; Costa, Giovanni

2008-04-01

Satisfactory work ability is sustained and promoted by good physical and mental health and by favorable working conditions. This study examined whether favorable and rewarding work-related factors increased the work ability among European nurses. The study sample was drawn from the Nurses' Early Exit Study and consisted of 7,516 nursing staff from seven European countries working in state-owned and private hospitals. In all, 10.8% were day, 4.2% were permanent night, 20.9% were shift without night shift, and 64.1% were shift workers with night shifts. Participants were administered a composite questionnaire at baseline (Time 0) and 1 yr later (Time 1). The Work Ability Index (WAI) at Time 1 was used as the outcome measure, while work schedule, sleep, rewards (esteem and career), satisfaction with pay, work involvement and motivation, and satisfaction with working hours at Time 0 were included as potential determinants of work ability. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted after adjusting for a number of confounders (i.e., country, age, sex, type of employment, family status, and other job opportunities in the same area). Work schedule was not related to Time 1 changes in WAI. Higher sleep quality and quantity and more favorable psychosocial factors significantly increased work ability levels. Higher sleep quality and quantity did not mediate the effect of work schedule on work ability. No relevant interaction effects on work ability were observed between work schedule and the other factors considered at Time 0. As a whole, sleep and satisfaction with working time were gradually reduced from day work to permanent night work. However, scores on work involvement, motivation, and satisfaction with pay and rewards were the highest in permanent night workers and the lowest in rotating shift workers that included night shifts.

Factors favoring regain of the lost vertical spinal height through posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

PubMed

Shi, Benlong; Mao, Saihu; Xu, Leilei; Sun, Xu; Liu, Zhen; Zhu, Zezhang; Lam, Tsz Ping; Cheng, Jack Cy; Ng, Bobby; Qiu, Yong

2016-07-04

Height gain is a common beneficial consequence following correction surgery in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), yet little is known concerning factors favoring regain of the lost vertical spinal height (SH) through posterior spinal fusion. A consecutive series of AIS patients from February 2013 to August 2015 were reviewed. Surgical changes in SH (ΔSH), as well as the multiple coronal and sagittal deformity parameters were measured and correlated. Factors associated with ΔSH were identified through Pearson correlation analysis and multivariate regression analysis. A total of 172 single curve and 104 double curve patients were reviewed. The ΔSH averaged 2.5 ± 0.9 cm in single curve group and 2.9 ± 1.0 cm in double curve group. The multivariate regression analysis revealed the following pre-operative variables contributed significantly to ΔSH: pre-op Cobb angle, pre-op TK (single curve group only), pre-op GK (double curve group only) and pre-op LL (double curve group only) (p < 0.05). Thus change in height (in cm) = 0.044 × (pre-op Cobb angle) + 0.012 × (pre-op TK) (Single curve, adjusted R(2) = 0.549) or 0.923 + 0.021 × (pre-op Cobb angle1) + 0.028 × (pre-op Cobb angle2) + 0.015 × (pre-op GK)-0.012 × (pre-op LL) (Double curve, adjusted R(2) = 0.563). Severer pre-operative coronal Cobb angle and greater sagittal curves were beneficial factors favoring more contribution to the surgical lengthening effect in vertical spinal height in AIS.

Use of Local Anesthesia During Dental Rehabilitation With General Anesthesia: A Survey of Dentist Anesthesiologists

PubMed Central

Townsend, Janice A.; Hagan, Joseph L.; Smiley, Megann

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to document current practices of dentist anesthesiologists who are members of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists regarding the supplemental use of local anesthesia for children undergoing dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. A survey was administered via e-mail to the membership of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists to document the use of local anesthetic during dental rehabilitations under general anesthesia and the rationale for its use. Seventy-seven (42.1%) of the 183 members responded to this survey. The majority of dentist anesthesiologists prefer use of local anesthetic during general anesthesia for dental rehabilitation almost always or sometimes (90%, 63/70) and 40% (28/70) prefer its use with rare exception. For dentist anesthesiologists who prefer the administration of local anesthesia almost always, they listed the following factors as very important: “stabilization of vital signs/decreased depth of general anesthesia” (92.9%, 26/28) and “improved patient recovery” (82.1%, 23/28). There was a significant association between the type of practice and who determines whether or not local anesthesia is administered during cases. The majority of respondents favor the use of local anesthesia during dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. PMID:24697820

Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management of Edema in Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome

PubMed Central

Ellis, Demetrius

2016-01-01

Generalized edema is a major presenting clinical feature of children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) exemplified by such primary conditions as minimal change disease (MCD). In these children with classical NS and marked proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia, the ensuing tendency to hypovolemia triggers compensatory physiological mechanisms, which enhance renal sodium (Na+) and water retention; this is known as the “underfill hypothesis.” Edema can also occur in secondary forms of NS and several other glomerulonephritides, in which the degree of proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia, are variable. In contrast to MCD, in these latter conditions, the predominant mechanism of edema formation is “primary” or “pathophysiological,” Na+ and water retention; this is known as the “overfill hypothesis.” A major clinical challenge in children with these disorders is to distinguish the predominant mechanism of edema formation, identify other potential contributing factors, and prevent the deleterious effects of diuretic regimens in those with unsuspected reduced effective circulatory volume (i.e., underfill). This article reviews the Starling forces that become altered in NS so as to tip the balance of fluid movement in favor of edema formation. An understanding of these pathomechanisms then serves to formulate a more rational approach to prevention, evaluation, and management of such edema. PMID:26793696

Commissioning and Plans for the NSTX-U Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ono, Masayuki; NSTX-U Team

2016-10-01

The National Spherical Torus Experiment - Upgrade (NSTX-U) has started its first year of plasma operations after the successful completion of the CD-4 milestones. The unique operating regimes of NSTX-U can contribute to several important issues in the physics of burning plasmas to optimize the performance of ITER. The major mission of NSTX-U is also to develop the physics and technology basis for an ST-based Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF). The new center stack will provide toroidal field of 1 Tesla at a major radius of 0.93 m which should enable a plasma current of up to 2 mega-Amp for 5 sec. A much more tangential 2nd NBI system, with 2-3 times higher current drive efficiency compared to the 1st NBI system, is installed. NSTX-U is designed to attain the 100% non-inductive operation needed for a compact FNSF design. With higher fields and heating powers of 14 MW, the NSTX-U plasma collisionality will be reduced by a factor of 3-6 to help explore the trend in transport towards the low collisionality FNSF regime. If the favorable trends observed on NSTX holds at low collisionality, high fusion neutron fluences could be achievable in very compact ST devices.

Attributes of conscientiousness throughout the animal kingdom: An empirical and evolutionary overview.

PubMed

Delgado, Mikel M; Sulloway, Frank J

2017-08-01

Conscientiousness is a fundamental aspect of human personality, one that is closely linked with various favorable life outcomes. Despite its importance in humans, conscientiousness has received little attention as to how it may have evolved, or whether it provides similar fitness benefits in other animals. To date, research in animal personality has found consistent support for the presence of all major dimensions of human personality in other animals except conscientiousness. In this review, we investigate conscientiousness at the level of traits and facets (clusters of closely related traits). A systematic review of the literature retrieved 876 relevant publications describing attributes of conscientiousness in other animal species. A factor analysis of citation counts revealed 2 major dimensions representing 9 distinct facets of conscientiousness in nonhumans. These facets, together with their underlying personality traits, exhibit individual variability, are generally known to be heritable, and often offer clear fitness benefits to individuals. Other facets of conscientiousness appear to be unique to humans. Publication biases, research biases, and anthropomorphism may all play a role in the structure of the evidence we report. We conclude by suggesting fruitful areas of future research to further elucidate the presence and functional roles of conscientiousness in animals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Caregiving, Perceptions of Maternal Favoritism, and Tension Among Siblings

PubMed Central

Suitor, J. Jill; Gilligan, Megan; Johnson, Kaitlin; Pillemer, Karl

2014-01-01

Purpose: Studies of later-life families have revealed that sibling tension often increases in response to parents’ need for care. Both theory and research on within-family differences suggest that when parents’ health declines, sibling relations may be affected by which children assume care and whether siblings perceive that the parent favors some offspring over others. In the present study, we explore the ways in which these factors shape sibling tension both independently and in combination during caregiving. Design and Methods: In this article, we use data collected from 450 adult children nested within 214 later-life families in which the offspring reported that their mothers needed care within 2 years prior to the interview. Results: Multilevel analyses demonstrated that providing care and perceiving favoritism regarding future caregiving were associated with sibling tension following mothers’ major health events. Further, the effects of caregiving on sibling tension were greater when perceptions of favoritism were also present. Implications: These findings shed new light on the conditions under which adult children are likely to experience high levels of sibling tension during caregiving. Understanding these processes is important because siblings are typically the individuals to whom caregivers are most likely to turn for support when assuming care of older parents, yet these relationships are often a major source of interpersonal stress. PMID:23811753

Maryland's high cancer mortality rate: a review of contributing demographic factors.

PubMed

Freedman, D M

1999-01-01

For many years, Maryland has ranked among the top states in cancer mortality. This study analyzed mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC-Wonder) to help explain Maryland's cancer rate and rank. Age-adjusted rates are based on deaths per 100,000 population from 1991 through 1995. Rates and ranks overall, and stratified by age, are calculated for total cancer mortality, as well as for four major sites: lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal. Because states differ in their racial/gender mix, race/gender rates among states are also compared. Although Maryland ranks seventh in overall cancer mortality, its rates and rank by race and gender subpopulation are less high. For those under 75, white men ranked 26th, black men ranked 20th, and black and white women ranked 12th and 10th, respectively. Maryland's overall rank, as with any state, is a function of the rates of its racial and gender subpopulations and the relative size of these groups in the state. Many of the disparities between Maryland's overall high cancer rank and its lower rank by subpopulation also characterize the major cancer sites. Although a stratified presentation of cancer rates and ranks may be more favorable to Maryland, it should not be used to downplay the attention cancer mortality in Maryland deserves.

Enhancement of bone consolidation in mandibular distraction osteogenesis: a contemporary review of experimental studies involving adjuvant therapies.

PubMed

Hong, Paul; Boyd, Daniel; Beyea, Steven D; Bezuhly, Michael

2013-07-01

One of the major disadvantages of mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) is the prolonged time required for consolidation of the regenerate bone. The objective of the present study is to perform a contemporary review of various adjuvant therapies to enhance bone consolidation in MDO. A PubMed search for articles related to MDO, along with the references of those articles, was performed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to all experimental studies assessing adjuvant therapies to enhance bone consolidation. A total of 1414 titles and abstracts were initially reviewed; 61 studies were included for full review. Many studies involved growth factors, hormones, pharmacological agents, gene therapy, and stem cells. Other adjuvant therapies included mechanical stimulation, laser therapy, and hyperbaric oxygen. Majority of the studies demonstrated positive bone healing effects and thus adjuvant therapies remain a viable strategy to enhance and hasten the consolidation period. Although most studies have demonstrated promising results, many questions still remain, such as optimal amount, timing, and delivery methods required to stimulate the most favorable bone regeneration. As well, further studies comparing various adjuvant therapies and documentation of long-term adverse effects are required prior to clinical application. Copyright © 2013 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Academic computer science and gender: A naturalistic study investigating the causes of attrition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Declue, Timothy Hall

Far fewer women than men take computer science classes in high school, enroll in computer science programs in college, or complete advanced degrees in computer science. The computer science pipeline begins to shrink for women even before entering college, but it is at the college level that the "brain drain" is the most evident numerically, especially in the first class taken by most computer science majors called "Computer Science 1" or CS-I. The result, for both academia and industry, is a pronounced technological gender disparity in academic and industrial computer science. The study revealed the existence of several factors influencing success in CS-I. First, and most clearly, the effect of attribution processes seemed to be quite strong. These processes tend to work against success for females and in favor of success for males. Likewise, evidence was discovered which strengthens theories related to prior experience and the perception that computer science has a culture which is hostile to females. Two unanticipated themes related to the motivation and persistence of successful computer science majors. The findings did not support the belief that females have greater logistical problems in computer science than males, or that females tend to have a different programming style than males which adversely affects the females' ability to succeed in CS-I.

Ground motion in the presence of complex topography: Earthquake and ambient noise sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hartzell, Stephen; Meremonte, Mark; Ramírez-Guzmán, Leonardo; McNamara, Daniel

2014-01-01

To study the influence of topography on ground motion, eight seismic recorders were deployed for a period of one year over Poverty Ridge on the east side of the San Francisco Bay Area, California. This location is desirable because of its proximity to local earthquake sources and the significant topographic relief of the array (439 m). Topographic amplification is evaluated as a function of frequency using a variety of methods, including reference‐site‐based spectral ratios and single‐station horizontal‐to‐vertical spectral ratios using both shear waves from earthquakes and ambient noise. Field observations are compared with the predicted ground motion from an accurate digital model of the topography and a 3D local velocity model. Amplification factors from the theoretical calculations are consistent with observations. The fundamental resonance of the ridge is prominently observed in the spectra of data and synthetics; however, higher‐frequency peaks are also seen primarily for sources in line with the major axis of the ridge, perhaps indicating higher resonant modes. Excitations of lateral ribs off of the main ridge are also seen at frequencies consistent with their dimensions. The favored directions of resonance are shown to be transverse to the major axes of the topographic features.

Relationship between major dietary patterns and sarcopenia among menopausal women.

PubMed

Mohseni, Reza; Aliakbar, Sima; Abdollahi, Afsoun; Yekaninejad, Mir Saeed; Maghbooli, Zhila; Mirzaei, Khadijeh

2017-12-01

Dietary habits have been associated with the prevalence of the sarcopenia and limited data are available in this field for menopausal women. This study focused on the relationship between dietary patterns and prevalence of the sarcopenia in menopausal women. This cross-sectional study was done in 250 menopausal women 45 years old or older. Dietary data were collected using a food-frequency questionnaire and physical activity was assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Height, weight, skeletal muscle mass, hand grip, and gait speed were measured and sarcopenia was defined based on European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) guidelines. Using factor analysis, two major dietary patterns were found: a Western pattern (high in commercial beverage, sugar and dessert, snacks, solid fat, potato, high fat dairy, legume, organ meat, fast food, and sweets) and a Mediterranean pattern (high in olive, low-fat dairy, vegetable, fish, nut, and vegetable oil). After adjusting for confounding variables, for the highest vs the lowest tertiles, the Odds Ratio (OR) for sarcopenia was 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.47-2.37] in the Western pattern and 0.40 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.17-0.89] in the Mediterranean pattern. Our findings suggest that Mediterranean dietary pattern has a favorable role in the prevention of sarcopenia.

What Happened to Nezara viridula (L.) in the Americas? Possible Reasons to Explain Populations Decline.

PubMed

Panizzi, A R; Lucini, T

2016-12-01

Once abundant in the Americas, the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (L.) has gradually declined in numbers. Until the 1990s, it was considered the main pest of major crops such as soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, particularly in southern Brazil and southern USA, as well as Argentina, Uruguay, and other countries. In the past 15+ years, a dramatic population decrease was observed to the point of now being considered a secondary pest in these referred countries. In this article, we list and discuss possible reasons which explain the decline in N. viridula population in the Americas. These factors include the following: (1) the steady increase of herbicides used in no-tillage/multiple cropping systems affecting potential hosts such as weeds in crop fields and nearby natural vegetation; (2) the change in cultivation systems, mostly in the Neotropics, favoring other species more adapted to exploit crops in modern day agriculture; (3) competition among several species of stink bugs that colonize major crops; (4) the growing impact of several species of egg parasitoids, some of them laboratory reared and released in crop fields, and other natural enemies (parasitoids and predators); and (5) the impact of global climate change affecting its distribution and biology.

Non-contact temperature measurements in support of microgravity combustion experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenberg, Paul S.

1989-01-01

Recent conceptual advances in the understanding of combustion science fundamentals in the context of microgravity processes and phenomenology have resulted in an increased demand for diagnostic systems of greater sophistication. Owing primarily to the severe operational constraints that accompany the space flight environment, measurement systems to date remain fairly primative in nature. Qualitative pictures provided by photographic recording media comprise the majority of the existing data, the remainder consisting of the output of conventional transducers, such as thermocouples, hot wires, and pressure transducers. The absence of the rather strong influence of buoyant convection renders microgravity combustion phenomena more fragile than their 1-G counterparts. The emphasis was placed on nonperturbing optical diagnostics. Other factors such as limited supplies of expendable reactants, and periods of microgravity time of sufficient duration, coupled with more fundamental questions regarding inherent length and time scales and reproducibility have favored multipoint or multidimensional techniques. While the development of optical diagnostics for application to combustion science is an extremely active area at present, the peculiarities of space flight hardware severely restrict the feasibility of implementing the majority of techniques which are being utilized in terrestrial applications. The additional requirements for system reliability and operational simplicity have tended to promote somewhat less commonly emphasized techniques such as refractive index mapping and molecular Rayleigh scattering, which are briefly discussed.

Sweetgum Management

Treesearch

Frank W. Shropshire; Robert L. Johnson; Daniel H. Sims

1987-01-01

If your forest has conditions that favor sweetgum, this bulletin can help you manage your trees for their best returns. Sweetgum grows on many different sites and in association with many other species. It is a major component within many diverse stands in the South and several States elsewhere. Markets for sweetgum lumber and pulpwood fluctuate with the economy, but...

An Assessment of Economic Education Programs for Journalism Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grunig, James E.

Situational theory was used to isolate two kinds of publics from a sample of 294 journalism and business students to determine whether journalism majors would fit better into different publics and use different cognitive strategies than would students more interested in or more favorable toward business. In contrast to the traditional "domino"…

Teenage Prostitution as a Product of Child Abuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seymour, Vickie Lynn

Teenage runaways and prostitution have become a rising problem in the major cities of the United States. Research into the backgrounds of youngsters selling sexual favors has shown many similarities in children's family background, particularly homes with abusing parents. The handling or lack of handling, up to this point, has not proved…

Computer-Based Instruction and Health Professions Education: A Meta-Analysis of Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Peter A.; Dacanay, Lakshmi S.

1992-01-01

The meta-analytic techniques of G. V. Glass were used to statistically integrate findings from 47 comparative studies on computer-based instruction (CBI) in health professions education. A clear majority of the studies favored CBI over conventional methods of instruction. Results show higher-order applications of computers to be especially…

AB 1725, IV: Part-Time Faculty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Community Colleges, Sacramento. Board of Governors.

An overview is provided of issues related to the use of part-time faculty in community colleges in California and elsewhere in the nation. First, background information is provided on the major relevant issues. This section: (1) lists the teaching functions which are best carried out by full-time instructors as argued by those who favor employing…

78 FR 56857 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-16

...: Export Health Certificate For Animal Products. OMB Control Number: 0579-0256. Summary of Collection: The... animal products, is a major business in the United States and contributes to a favorable balance of trade. To facilitate the export of U.S. animals and products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and...

Policies To Help Disadvantaged Children: Financing Options for the 1990s. Changing Domestic Priorities Discussion Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Roberta Ott; And Others

This paper estimates the costs of several approaches to increasing federal assistance to disadvantaged children and evaluates major funding strategies that could overcome the restrictions posed by the federal budget deficit. Approaches favored by conservatives, such as strengthening behavioral standards for children, sponsoring demonstration…

Gender Bias in the Iranian High School EFL Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amini, Mohadeseh; Birjandi, Parviz

2012-01-01

Gender bias is unfortunately still present in many societies especially the developing countries. Such prejudice is in most cases in favor of males and against females. While females nowadays comprise a great majority of the work force all around the world, they are still being looked upon as the "weaker sex" associated with…

Breaking Bad in Business Education: Impacts on Student Incivility and Academic Dishonesty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Offstein, Evan H.; Chory, Rebecca M.

2017-01-01

The present study examines instructors' attempts to increase student satisfaction through what we predict to be destructive communication tactics. Results indicate that business majors reported being more likely to engage in incivility and academic dishonesty in courses taught by professors who attempted to gain student favor through gossiping,…

Library Files; Open or Closed to Readers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fingland, Geoffrey; And Others

At a Newspaper Division meeting of the Special Libraries Association four newspaper librarians presented the pros and cons of closed clipping files. The major point in favor of closed files was that they are not as subject to loss and misfiling as are openfiles. However, with closed files close communication is needed between librarian and…

Resistance to Online Catalogs: A Comparative Study at Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Carol; And Others

1986-01-01

Surveys of student and faculty attitudes toward proposed online public access catalogs were conducted in 1984 at Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore. The traditional card catalog was generally favored; only Swarthmore's faculty gave majority support to the online catalog. Differences between colleges may result from Swarthmore's greater experience with…

Web-Streamed Didactic Instruction on Substance Use Disorders Compares Favorably with Live-Lecture Format

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maher, Karam-Hage; Brower, Kirk J.; Mullan, Patricia B.; Gay, Tamara; Gruppen, Larry D.

2013-01-01

Objective: Education about substance use disorders in medical schools and, subsequently, physicians' identification of and intervention in these diagnoses lag behind that of most other disabling disorders. To reduce barriers and improve access to education about this major public health concern, medical schools are increasingly adopting web-based…

Combining Art and Science in "Arts and Sciences" Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Needle, Andrew; Corbo, Christopher; Wong, Denise; Greenfeder, Gary; Raths, Linda; Fulop, Zoltan

2007-01-01

Two of this article's authors--an art professor and a biology professor--shared a project for advanced biology, art, nursing, and computer science majors involving scientific research that used digital imaging of the brain of the zebrafish, a newly favored laboratory animal. These contemporary and innovative teaching and learning practices were a…

Global warming and house fly control: direct effects and biodiversity concerns.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

House flies are major pests of human and animal health throughout the world and are among the most difficult to control. Effective fly management relies on a balance of sanitation, insecticide use, and biological control. Climate change could upset that balance in favor of the fly unless pro-activ...

States on Ropes in Finance Lawsuits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoff, David J.

2004-01-01

This article describes how the litigation over whether states are adequately financing their K-12 schools has tipped in favor of those who say they are not. Of the six major judicial decisions in the past 18 months, advocates of increased school funding have won each time, dramatically changing the finance landscape in those states. Advocates for…

Melt processing of Zein with Polyvinylprrolidone and Cloisite**R Nonoclay to improve tensile properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Zein, the predominant prolamine in corn, is one of the potential major co-products of the bioethanol industry. Historically, it was used predominantly in the coatings and textile industries (1). In the 1950’s, though, petroleum-based products became more cost effective and zein fell out of favor. ...

Predictors of favorable soft tissue profile outcomes following Class II Twin-block treatment

PubMed Central

Kim, Ji-Eun; Mah, Su-Jung; Kim, Tae-Woo; Kim, Su-Jung; Park, Ki-Ho

2018-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to determine cephalometric factors that help predict favorable soft-tissue profile outcomes following treatment with the Class II Twin-block appliance. Methods Pre- and post-treatment lateral cephalograms of 45 patients treated with the Class II Twin-block appliance were retrospectively analyzed. Profile silhouettes were drawn from the cephalograms and evaluated by three orthodontists in order to determine the extent of improvement. Samples were divided into a favorable group (upper 30% of visual analogue scale [VAS] scores, n = 14) and an unfavorable group (lower 30% of VAS scores, n = 14). Skeletal and soft-tissue measurements were performed on the cephalograms and an intergroup comparison was conducted. Results An independent t-test revealed that the following pre-treatment values were lower in the favorable group compared to the unfavorable group: lower incisor to mandibular plane angle, lower incisor to pogonion distance, point A-nasion-point B angle, sella-nasion line (SN) to maxillary plane angle, SN to mandibular plane angle, gonial angle, and symphysis inclination. The favorable group had a larger incisor inclination to occlusal plane. Moreover, the favorable group showed larger post-treatment changes in gonial angle, B point projection, and pogonion projection than did the unfavorable group. Conclusions Class II malocclusion patients with a low divergent skeletal pattern and reduced lower incisor protrusions are likely to show more improvement in soft-tissue profile outcomes following Class II Twin-block treatment. PMID:29291184

Electric and magnetic form factors of strange baryons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Cauteren, T.; Merten, D.; Corthals, T.; Janssen, S.; Metsch, B.; Petry, H.-R.; Ryckebusch, J.

. Predictions for the electromagnetic form factors of the Λ , Σ and Ξ hyperons are presented. The numerical calculations are performed within the framework of the fully relativistic constituent-quark model developed by the Bonn group. The computed magnetic moments compare favorably with the experimentally known values. Most magnetic form factors GM (Q2) can be parameterized in terms of a dipole with cutoff masses ranging from 0.79 to 1.14 GeV.

Bayesian Hypothesis Testing

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

Andrews, Stephen A.; Sigeti, David E.

These are a set of slides about Bayesian hypothesis testing, where many hypotheses are tested. The conclusions are the following: The value of the Bayes factor obtained when using the median of the posterior marginal is almost the minimum value of the Bayes factor. The value of τ 2 which minimizes the Bayes factor is a reasonable choice for this parameter. This allows a likelihood ratio to be computed with is the least favorable to H 0.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Etiology of Alcohol Use Among Urban Adolescents*

PubMed Central

Tobler, Amy L.; Livingston, Melvin D.; Komro, Kelli A.

2011-01-01

Objective: We examined relations between neighborhood context, home and family management practices, deviant peer affiliations, beliefs favorable to use, and alcohol use among urban African American and Hispanic adolescents. Method: The sample comprised 4,027 African American and Hispanic adolescents who were 50% boys and 75% low income. Participants completed surveys in 2002–2005 and 2008–2009. Structural equation modeling assessed direct and indirect relations between neighborhood context in 6th grade, home and family management practices in 7th grade, deviant peer affiliations and beliefs favorable to use in 8th grade, and alcohol use in 12th grade. Results: There was significant variation in structural models across race/ethnicity but not gender. Differences included the influence of neighborhood and school strength and, where similarities existed, differences in effect magnitude. Similarities included significant correlations among measurement components; the indirect influence of alcohol advertisement exposure, gender, area deprivation, and home alcohol access on alcohol use; direct influence of deviant peer affiliations and beliefs favorable to use on alcohol use; and indirect effects highlighting the importance of preventing home alcohol access, deviant peer affiliations, and beliefs favorable to use and promoting protective family management practices. Conclusions: Neighborhood and school strength may be particularly important in preventing alcohol use among African Americans, whereas preventing early onset of alcohol use among Hispanics remains important. Preventive efforts may wish to focus on neighborhood deprivation, exposure to alcohol advertisements, and home risks and protective factors because they have direct and indirect effects on intrapersonal factors and alcohol use. PMID:21906507

3 Tesla MRI-negative focal epilepsies: Presurgical evaluation, postoperative outcome and predictive factors.

PubMed

Kogias, Evangelos; Klingler, Jan-Helge; Urbach, Horst; Scheiwe, Christian; Schmeiser, Barbara; Doostkam, Soroush; Zentner, Josef; Altenmüller, Dirk-Matthias

2017-12-01

To investigate presurgical diagnostic modalities, clinical and seizure outcome as well as predictive factors after resective epilepsy surgery in 3 Tesla MRI-negative focal epilepsies. This retrospective study comprises 26 patients (11 males/15 females, mean age 34±12years, range 13-50 years) with 3 Tesla MRI-negative focal epilepsies who underwent resective epilepsy surgery. Non-invasive and invasive presurgical diagnostic modalities, type and localization of resection, clinical and epileptological outcome with a minimum follow-up of 1year (range 1-11 years, mean 2.5±2.3years) after surgery as well as outcome predictors were evaluated. All patients underwent invasive video-EEG monitoring after implantation of intracerebral depth and/or subdural electrodes. Ten patients received temporal and 16 extratemporal or multilobar (n=4) resections. There was no perioperative death or permanent morbidity. Overall, 12 of 26 patients (46%) were completely seizure-free (Engel IA) and 65% had a favorable outcome (Engel I-II). In particular, seizure-free ratio was 40% in the temporal and 50% in the extratemporal group. In the temporal group, long duration of epilepsy correlated with poor seizure outcome, whereas congruent unilateral FDG-PET hypometabolism correlated with a favorable outcome. In almost two thirds of temporal and extratemporal epilepsies defined as "non-lesional" by 3 Tesla MRI criteria, a favorable postoperative seizure outcome (Engel I-II) can be achieved with accurate multimodal presurgical evaluation including intracranial EEG recordings. In the temporal group, most favorable results were obtained when FDG-PET displayed congruent unilateral hypometabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association of perception of front-of-pack labels with dietary, lifestyle and health characteristics.

PubMed

Méjean, Caroline; Macouillard, Pauline; Péneau, Sandrine; Lassale, Camille; Hercberg, Serge; Castetbon, Katia

2014-01-01

To identify patterns of perception of front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labels and determine dietary, lifestyle and health profiles related to such patterns. Cross-sectional. 28,952 French adults participating in the web-based Nutrinet-Santé cohort. Perception was measured using indicators of understanding and acceptability for three simple FOP labels ("green tick", the logo of the French Nutrition and Health Program and "simple traffic lights" (STL)), and two detailed FOP formats ("multiple traffic lights" (MTL) and "color range" logo (CR)), placed on ready-to-eat soup packages. Dietary intake data were collected using three web-based 24 h records. Associations of perception patterns with individual characteristics, including diet, lifestyle and health status, were examined using analysis of covariance and logistic regression, adjusted for socio-demographic and economic factors. No clear trend emerged concerning differences in dietary intake between perception groups. Low physical activity and obesity were more frequent in the 'favorable to STL' group (respectively, 20.7% and 10.7%). The 'favorable to MTL' group included the highest percentage of individuals who declared type 2 diabetes (2.2%). Persons with hypertension were proportionally more numerous in the 'favorable to MTL' and the 'favorable to CR logo' groups (respectively, 9.5% and 9.3%). After adjustment for socio-demographic and economic factors, no FOP label stood out as being more suitable than another for reaching populations with poor diet. However, both STL and MTL may be most appropriate for increasing awareness of healthy eating among groups at higher risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases.

High-rise buildings and neurologically favorable outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Daisuke; Kitamura, Tetsuhisa; Kiyohara, Kosuke; Nishiyama, Chika; Hayashida, Sumito; Fujii, Tomoko; Izawa, Junichi; Shimamoto, Tomonari; Matsuyama, Tasuku; Hatakeyama, Toshihiro; Katayama, Yusuke; Kiguchi, Takeyuki; Kawamura, Takashi; Iwami, Taku

2016-12-01

The number of people living in high-rise buildings has recently been increasing in Japan, and delayed transport time by emergency-medical-service (EMS) personnel from higher floors could lead to lower survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, there are no clinical studies assessing the association between the floor where patients reside and neurologically favorable outcome after OHCA. This was a prospective, population-based study conducted in Osaka City, Japan that enrolled adults aged >=18years suffering an OHCA of cardiac origin before EMS arrival between 2013 and 2014. The primary outcome measure was one-month survival with neurologically favorable outcome. We divided OHCA patients into the following groups: those residing on >=3 floors (the high floor group) and <3 floors (the low floor group). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with neurologically favorable outcome. A total of 2979 patients were eligible for analysis. Of them, 1885 (62.3%) occurred below the third floor and 1094 (37.4%) occurred at or above the third floor. The proportion of neurologically favorable outcome after OHCA was significantly lower in the high floor group than in the low floor group (2.7% [30/1094] versus 4.8% [91/1885], P=0.005). In a multivariate analysis, neurologically favorable outcome after OHCA was significantly lower in the high floor group than in the low floor group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.59 [95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.96]). In this population, one-month survival with neurologically favorable outcome from OHCA was lower in the high floor group than in the low floor group. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting outcome in myasthenia gravis.

PubMed

Andersen, Jintana B; Gilhus, Nils Erik; Sanders, Donald B

2016-12-01

Information from myasthenia gravis (MG) patients treated and evaluated for at least 2 years between 1980 and 2014 was reviewed to assess the effect of demographics, antibody status and titer, thymus histology, and clinical severity on outcome after 2, 5, and 10 years of treatment. Among 268 patients, 74% had acetylcholine receptor antibodies, 5% had muscle specific tyrosine kinase-antibodies, and 22% had neither. Optimal outcome was achieved by 64% of patients at 2 years of follow-up, 73% at 5 years, and 75% after 10 years. Optimal outcome was achieved more often in patients with late onset, in those who had thymectomy, and in those with ocular-only disease at maximum severity. The only consistent independent predictor of optimal outcome was onset after age 50 years on multivariate analysis. Prognosis is favorable for the majority of MG patients, regardless of age, maximum disease severity, or antibody status. Muscle Nerve, 2016 Muscle Nerve 54: 1041-1049, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Triple confusion: An interesting case of proteinuria in pregnancy.

PubMed

Guru, Pramod K; Ramaeker, Devon M; Jeybalan, Arundhathi; Shah, Nirav A; Bastacky, Sheldon; Liang, Kelly V

2016-01-01

Pregnancy-related renal diseases are unique and need special attention, both for diagnosis and management. The major confounding factors for diagnosis are the physiological multiorgan changes that occur throughout the gestational period. Proper diagnosis of the renal disease is also important, given the impact of varied management options both on the maternal and fetal health. A young middle-aged female with a long-standing history of diabetes presented to the hospital with worsening proteinuria in her second trimester of pregnancy. Clinical history, examinations, and laboratory analysis did not give any clues for diagnosis of a specific disease entity. This led us to take the risk of renal biopsy for a tissue diagnosis. The odds of renal biopsy favored the management decision in her case, thereby avoiding the confusions prior to biopsy. The pathological diagnosis is a surprise though not a unique entity on its own (minimal change disease in pregnancy). The case illustrates the disparity of clinical presentations and the pathology in patients, and the importance of renal biopsy in pregnant patients in particular.

Brainstem cavernous malformations: Natural history versus surgical management.

PubMed

Walcott, Brian P; Choudhri, Omar; Lawton, Michael T

2016-10-01

While brainstem cavernous malformations were once considered inoperable, improvements in patient selection, surgical exposures, intraoperative MRI-guidance, MR tractography, and neurophysiologic monitoring have resulted in good outcomes in the majority of operated patients. In a consecutive series of 104 patients with brainstem cavernous malformations, only 14% of patients experienced cranial nerve or motor dysfunction that was worse at late follow-up, relative to their preoperative condition. Outcomes were predicted by several factors, including larger lesion size, lesions that crossed the midline, the presence of a developmental venous anomaly, older age, and greater time interval from lesion hemorrhage to surgery. The 14% of patients who experienced a persistent neurological deficit as a result of surgery, while substantial from any perspective, compares favorably with the risks of observation based on a recent meta-analysis. Curative resection is a safe and effective treatment for brainstem cavernous malformations that will prevent re-hemorrhage in symptomatic patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relapsed or refractory pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: current and emerging treatments.

PubMed

Martin, Alissa; Morgan, Elaine; Hijiya, Nobuko

2012-12-01

Relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatrics. With contemporary chemotherapy, >85% of patients with newly diagnosed ALL survive. Unfortunately, 20% of these patients will relapse and for these children, outcomes remain poor despite our best known chemotherapy protocols. Most of these children will achieve a second complete remission, but maintaining this remission remains difficult. Because relapsed ALL is such a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, it is the focus of much research interest. Efforts have been made and continue to focus on understanding the underlying biology that drives relapse. The role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in relapsed ALL remains unclear, but many clinicians still favor this for high-risk patients given the poor prognosis with current chemotherapy alone. It is important to use new drugs with little cross-resistance in the treatment of relapsed ALL. New classes of agents are currently being studied. We also discuss prognostic factors and the biology of relapsed ALL.

Metal-inorganic-organic matrices as efficient sorbents for hydrogen storage.

PubMed

Azzouz, Abdelkrim; Nousir, Saadia; Bouazizi, Nabil; Roy, René

2015-03-01

Stabilization of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) without re-aggregation is a major challenge. An unprecedented strategy is developed for achieving high dispersion of copper(0) or palladium(0) on montmorillonite-supported diethanolamine or thioglycerol. This results in novel metal-inorganic-organic matrices (MIOM) that readily capture hydrogen at ambient conditions, with easy release under air stream. Hydrogen retention appears to involve mainly physical interactions, slightly stronger on thioglycerol-based MIOM (S-MIOM). Thermal enhancement of desorption suggests also a contribution of chemical interactions. The increase of hydrogen uptake with prolonged contact times arises from diffusion hindrance, which appears to be beneficial by favoring hydrogen entrapment. Even with compact structures, MIOMs act as efficient sorbents with much higher efficiency factor (1.14-1.17 mmol H 2 m(-2)) than many other sophisticated adsorbents reported in the literature. This opens new prospects for hydrogen storage and potential applications in microfluidic hydrogenation reactions. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States. Volume 2: Detailed report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, E. I. H.

1982-01-01

A comprehensive assessment of the regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States is provided. The assessment is focused on the general characteristics of twelve defined geographic regions. Natural resources essential to solar ponds are surveyed. Meteorological and hydrogeological conditions affecting pond performance are examined. Potentially favorable pond sites are identified. Regional thermal and electrical energy output from solar ponds is calculated. Selected pond design cases are studied. Five major potential market sectors are evaluated in terms of technical and energy-consumption characteristics, and solar-pond applicability and potential. Relevant pond system data and financial factors are analyzed. Solar-pond energy costs are compared with conventional energy costs. The assessment concludes that, excepting Alaska, ponds are applicable in all regions for at least two market sectors. Total solar pond energy supply potential in the five market sectors examined is estimated to be 8.94 quads/yr by the year 2000, approximately 7.2% of the projected total national energy demand.

A review on microbial lipids as a potential biofuel.

PubMed

Shields-Menard, Sara A; Amirsadeghi, Marta; French, W Todd; Boopathy, Raj

2018-07-01

Energy security, environmental concerns, and unstable oil prices have been the driving trifecta of demand for alternative fuels in the United States. The United States' dependence on energy resources, often from unstable oil-producing countries has created political insecurities and concerns. As we try to gain energy security, unconventional oil becomes more common, flooding the market, and causing the major downshift of the usual unstable oil prices. Meanwhile, consumption of fossil fuels and the consequent CO 2 emissions have driven disruptions in the Earth's atmosphere and are recognized to be responsible for global climate change. While the significance of each of these three factors may fluctuate with global politics or new technologies, transportation energy will remain the prominent focus of multi-disciplined research. Bioenergy future depends on the price of oil. Current energy policy of the United States heavily favors petroleum industry. In this review, the current trend in microbial lipids as a potential biofuel is discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mercury speciation and dispersion from an active gold mine at the West Wits area, South Africa.

PubMed

Lusilao-Makiese, J G; Tessier, E; Amouroux, D; Tutu, H; Chimuka, L; Weiersbye, I; Cukrowska, E M

2016-01-01

Total mercury (HgTOT), inorganic mercury (IHg), and methylmercury (MHg) were determined in dry season waters, sediments, and tailings from an active mine which has long history of gold exploitation. Although HgTOT in waters was generally low (0.03 to 19.60 ng L(-1)), the majority of the samples had proportions of MHg of at least 90 % of HgTOT which denotes a substantial methylation potential of the mine watersheds. Mercury was relatively high in tailing materials (up to 867 μg kg(-1)) and also in the mine sediments (up to 837 μg kg(-1)) especially in samples collected near tailing storage facilities and within a receiving water dam. Sediment profiles revealed mercury enrichment and enhanced methylation rate at deeper layers. The presence of IHg and decaying plants (organic matter) in the watersheds as well as the anoxic conditions of bulk sediments are believed to be some of the key factors favoring the mercury methylation at the site.

Candida albicans, the opportunist. A cellular and molecular perspective.

PubMed

Dupont, P F

1995-02-01

Candida albicans causes the majority of opportunistic fungal infections. The yeast's commensualistic relationship with humans enables it, when environmental conditions are favorable, to multiply and replace much of the normal flora. Virulence factors of C. albicans, enabling the organism to adhere to and penetrate host tissues, involve specific molecular interactions between the cells of the fungus and the host. Localized disease, such as oral candidiasis, onychomycosis, and vaginitis, results. These infections are usually limited to surfaces of the host, and can be quickly and successfully controlled by the use of one of the available antifungal agents. Candida albicans infections typically become systemic and life threatening when the host is immunocompromised. Depending on the immune defect in the host, one of the spectrum of Candida diseases can develop. If successful treatment of these patients is to be achieved, modulation of the immune deficit, as well as the use of an appropriate antifungal drug, must become a routine part of therapeutic interventions.

Matrix Metalloproteinases and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases in Inflammation and Fibrosis of Skeletal Muscles

PubMed Central

Alameddine, Hala S.; Morgan, Jennifer E.

2016-01-01

In skeletal muscles, levels and activity of Matrix MetalloProteinases (MMPs) and Tissue Inhibitors of MetalloProteinases (TIMPs) have been involved in myoblast migration, fusion and various physiological and pathological remodeling situations including neuromuscular diseases. This has opened perspectives for the use of MMPs’ overexpression to improve the efficiency of cell therapy in muscular dystrophies and resolve fibrosis. Alternatively, inhibition of individual MMPs in animal models of muscular dystrophies has provided evidence of beneficial, dual or adverse effects on muscle morphology or function. We review here the role played by MMPs/TIMPs in skeletal muscle inflammation and fibrosis, two major hurdles that limit the success of cell and gene therapy. We report and analyze the consequences of genetic or pharmacological modulation of MMP levels on the inflammation of skeletal muscles and their repair in light of experimental findings. We further discuss how the interplay between MMPs/TIMPs levels, cytokines/chemokines, growth factors and permanent low-grade inflammation favor cellular and molecular modifications resulting in fibrosis. PMID:27911334

Interannual variability of cut-off low systems over the European sector: The role of blocking and the Northern Hemisphere circulation modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieto, R.; Gimeno, L.; de La Torre, L.; Ribera, P.; Barriopedro, D.; García-Herrera, R.; Serrano, A.; Gordillo, A.; Redaño, A.; Lorente, J.

2007-04-01

An earlier developed multidecadal database of Northern Hemisphere cut-off low systems (COLs), covering a 41 years period (from 1958 to 1998) is used to study COLs interannual variability in the European sector (25°-47.5° N, 50° W-40° E) and the major factors controlling it. The study focus on the influence on COLs interannual variability, of larger scale phenomena such as blocking events and other main circulation modes defined over the Euro-Atlantic region. It is shown that there is a very large interannual variability in the COLs occurrence at the annual and seasonal scales, although without significant trends. The influence of larger scale phenomena is seasonal dependent, with the positive phase of the NAO favoring autumn COL development, while winter COL occurrence is mostly related to blocking events. During summer, the season when more COLs occur, no significant influences were found.

Do people agree about the causes of behavior? A social relations analysis of behavior ratings and causal attributions.

PubMed

Robins, Richard W; Mendelsohn, Gerald A; Connell, Joanie B; Kwan, Virginia S Y

2004-02-01

Two studies examined consistency and agreement in behavior ratings and causal attributions. In Study 1, participants (N = 280) engaged in a series of getting-acquainted conversations in one of 3 communication media (face-to-face, telephone, computer mediated); in Study 2, participants (N = 120) engaged in a competitive group task. In both studies, participants rated themselves and their interaction partners on a set of behaviors and then made attributions about the causes of those behaviors. The major findings were that (a) participants consistently favored some causal factors over others in explaining both their own and their partners' behavior, supporting the existence of generalized attributional styles; and (b) participants showed moderate self-partner and partner-partner agreement about behavior but virtually no agreement about the causes of behavior. Thus, in brief interactions people tend to see themselves and others through the lens of their stable patterns of perceiving and interpreting behavior.

Regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States. Volume 2: Detailed report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, E. I. H.

1982-03-01

A comprehensive assessment of the regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States is provided. The assessment is focused on the general characteristics of twelve defined geographic regions. Natural resources essential to solar ponds are surveyed. Meteorological and hydrogeological conditions affecting pond performance are examined. Potentially favorable pond sites are identified. Regional thermal and electrical energy output from solar ponds is calculated. Selected pond design cases are studied. Five major potential market sectors are evaluated in terms of technical and energy-consumption characteristics, and solar-pond applicability and potential. Relevant pond system data and financial factors are analyzed. Solar-pond energy costs are compared with conventional energy costs. The assessment concludes that, excepting Alaska, ponds are applicable in all regions for at least two market sectors. Total solar pond energy supply potential in the five market sectors examined is estimated to be 8.94 quads/yr by the year 2000, approximately 7.2% of the projected total national energy demand.

Pulsed Dilution Method for the Recovery of Aggregated Mouse TNF-α.

PubMed

Mahmoodi, Merat; Ghodsi, Maryam; Moghadam, Malihe; Sankian, Mojtaba

2017-04-01

The expression of mouse tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in Escherichia coli is a favorable way to get high yield of protein; however, the formation of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies, which is the consequence of insoluble accumulated proteins, is a major obstacle in this system. To overcome this obstacle, we used a pulsed dilution method to convert the product to its native conformation. Reducing agent and guanidine hydrochloride were used to solubilize inclusion bodies formed after TNF-(α) expression. Then, the refolding procedure was performed by pulsed dilution of the denatured protein into a refolding buffer. The properly-folded protein was purified by metal affinity chromatography. SDS-PAGE showed a 19.9 kDa band related to the mature TNF-(α) protein. The protein was recognized by anti-mouse TNF-(α) on western blots. The final concentration of the purified recombinant TNF-(α) was 62.5 µg/mL. Our study demonstrates the efficiency of this method to produce a high yield of folded mature TNF- (α).

Predators determine how weather affects the spatial niche of lizard prey: exploring niche dynamics at a fine scale.

PubMed

Lopez-Darias, Marta; Schoener, Thomas W; Spiller, David A; Losos, Jonathan B

2012-12-01

Although abiotic and biotic factors can interact to shape the spatial niche of a species, studies that explore the interactive effects of both at a local scale are rare. We demonstrate that one of the main axes (perch height) characterizing the spatial niche of a common lizard, Anolis sagrei, varies according to the interactive effects of weather and the activity of a larger predatory lizard, Leiocephalus carinatus. Results were completely consistent: no matter how favorable the weather conditions for using the ground (mainly characterized by temperature, humidity, wind speed, rain), A. sagrei did not do so if the predator was present. Hence, great behavioral plasticity enabled A. sagrei to adjust its use of space very quickly. To the best of our knowledge, these results constitute the first field demonstration for anoles (and possibly for other animals as well) of how time-varying environmental conditions and predator presence interact to produce short-term changes in utilization along a major niche axis.

Discussing the putative role of obesity-associated genes in the etiopathogenesis of eating disorders.

PubMed

Gervasini, Guillermo; Gamero-Villarroel, Carmen

2015-01-01

In addition to the identification of mutations clearly related to Mendelian forms of obesity; genome-wide association studies and follow-up studies have in the last years pinpointed several loci associated with BMI. These genetic alterations are located in or near genes expressed in the hypothalamus that are involved in the regulation of eating behavior. Accordingly, it seems plausible that these SNPs, or others located in related genes, could also help develop aberrant conduct patterns that favor the establishment of eating disorders should other susceptibility factors or personality dimensions be present. However, and somewhat surprisingly, with few exceptions such as BDNF, the great majority of the genes governing these pathways remain untested in patients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder. In the present work, we review the few existing studies, but also indications and biological concepts that point to these genes in the CNS as good candidates for association studies with eating disorder patients.

Young multiethnic women's attitudes toward the HPV vaccine and HPV vaccination.

PubMed

Wong, Li Ping

2008-11-01

To investigate the acceptability of the HPV vaccine among a multiethnic sample of young women in Malaysia. A qualitative study of 40 young women aged between 13 and 27 years recruited into 7 focus groups to discuss their knowledge of HPV infection, and their attitudes toward and acceptance of the HPV vaccine. The women were divided into Malay, Chinese, and Indian groups to allow for comparison among ethnicities. Poor knowledge about HPV did not influence the HPV vaccine's acceptability. Although participants were in favor of the vaccine, the majority preferred to delay vaccination because it is newly introduced, they did not perceive themselves to be at risk of HPV infection, or because of cost factors. Concerns were raised regarding the vaccine's safety, the potential to be perceived as promiscuous and sexually active, and whether the vaccine was halal. Promotion of the HPV vaccine should take account of social and cultural acceptability. The findings will help develop strategies for effective vaccination initiatives in a multiethnic and multireligious Asian society.

Nature of the uppermost mantle below the Porcupine Basin, offshore Ireland: new insights from seismic refraction and gravity data modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prada, M.; Watremez, L.; Chen, C.; O'Reilly, B.; Minshull, T. A.; Reston, T. J.; Wagner, G.; Gaw, V.; Klaeschen, D.; Shannon, P.

2015-12-01

The Porcupine Basin is a tongue-shaped basin SW of Ireland formed during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean. Its history of sedimentation reveals several rifting and subsidence phases during the Late Paleozoic and Cenozoic, with a particular major rift phase occurring in Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous times. Previous work, focused on seismic and gravity data, suggest the presence of major crustal faulting and uppermost mantle serpentinization in the basin. Serpentinization is a key factor in lithospheric extension since it reduces the strength of mantle rocks, and hence, influences the tectonics of the lithosphere. Besides reducing the seismic velocity of the rock, serpentinization decreases mantle rock density favoring isostatic rebound and basin uplift, thus affecting the tectonic and thermal evolution of the basin. Here we characterize the deep structure of the Porcupine Basin from wide-angle seismic (WAS) and gravity data, with especial emphasis on the nature of the underlying mantle. The WAS data used were acquired along a 300 km long transect across the northern region of the basin. We used a travel time inversion method to model the data and obtain a P-wave velocity (Vp) model of the crust and uppermost mantle, together with the geometry of the main geological interfaces. The crustal structure along the model reveals a maximum stretching factor of ~5-6. These values are well within the range of crustal extension at which the crust becomes entirely brittle allowing the formation of major crustal faulting and serpentinization of the mantle. To further constrain the seismic structure and hence the nature of the mantle we assess the Vp uncertainty of the model by means of a Monte Carlo analysis and perform gravity modeling to test different interpretations regarding mantle rock nature. This project is funded by the Irish Shelf Petroleum Studies Group (ISPSG) of the Irish Petroleum Infrastructure Programme Group 4.

Clinical outcomes with Biolimus (A9)™ eluting stent, 'BioMatrix' in diabetic patients--interim results from multicenter post market surveillance registry in India.

PubMed

Seth, Ashok; Hiremath, Shirish; Dani, Sameer; Kapoor, Sunil; Jain, R K; Abhaichand, Rajpal; Trivedi, Shailendra; Kaul, Upendra; Patil, Aruna; Khemnar, Bhushan; Rangnekar, Hrishikesh

2013-01-01

The objective of this registry is to establish safety and efficacy of BioMatrix, BioMatrix™-Biolimus A9™ eluting stent in diabetic population in India. Diabetes mellitus is a major predisposing factor for coronary artery disease. Prognosis for diabetic population patients presenting with coronary artery disease who undergo coronary revascularization is inferior to non diabetics and remains an independent risk factor of restenosis, need for revascularization, and overall mortality. Stent thrombosis is a potential complication of first generation, permanent polymer drug-eluting stents. Biodegradable polymer is a good relief in this era and its utility in diabetic patients will be a major advantage for them. 334 patients with diabetes mellitus and requiring angioplasty, implanted with BioMatrix stent were followed at 1, 6, 12 and 24 months who entered in a multicenter registry in India. We analyzed the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and stent thrombosis (ST) at 1, 6, 12 and 24 months. The mean age was 58.71 ± 9.2 years, 81% were males, comorbidity index was 1.6 ± 1.02, and 59.1% presented with acute coronary syndrome. The incidence of adverse event rates was: MACE 1.27%. There were no incidences of myocardial infarction (MI) and target vessel revascularization (TVR). Definite stent thrombosis occurred only in 2 patients. In this registry of diabetic population treated with BioMatrixTM-Biolimus A9TM eluting stent (BioMatrix), the reported incidence of MACE and ST were much lower than previously published results. The 1- and 2-year follow-up result supports favorable clinical outcomes of using BioMatrix stents as a suitable alternative to contemporary DES available during PCI in diabetic patients. Copyright © 2013 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clinical outcomes with Biolimus (A9)™ eluting stent, ‘BioMatrix’ in diabetic patients – interim results from multicenter post market surveillance registry in India

PubMed Central

Seth, Ashok; Hiremath, Shirish; Dani, Sameer; Kapoor, Sunil; Jain, R.K.; Abhaichand, Rajpal; Trivedi, Shailendra; Kaul, Upendra; Patil, Aruna; Khemnar, Bhushan; Rangnekar, Hrishikesh

2013-01-01

Objective The objective of this registry is to establish safety and efficacy of BioMatrix, BioMatrix™-Biolimus A9™ eluting stent in diabetic population in India. Background Diabetes mellitus is a major predisposing factor for coronary artery disease. Prognosis for diabetic population patients presenting with coronary artery disease who undergo coronary revascularization is inferior to non diabetics and remains an independent risk factor of restenosis, need for revascularization, and overall mortality. Stent thrombosis is a potential complication of first generation, permanent polymer drug-eluting stents. Biodegradable polymer is a good relief in this era and its utility in diabetic patients will be a major advantage for them. Methods 334 patients with diabetes mellitus and requiring angioplasty, implanted with BioMatrix stent were followed at 1, 6, 12 and 24 months who entered in a multicenter registry in India. We analyzed the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and stent thrombosis (ST) at 1, 6, 12 and 24 months. Results The mean age was 58.71 ± 9.2 years, 81% were males, comorbidity index was 1.6 ± 1.02, and 59.1% presented with acute coronary syndrome. The incidence of adverse event rates was: MACE 1.27%. There were no incidences of myocardial infarction (MI) and target vessel revascularization (TVR). Definite stent thrombosis occurred only in 2 patients. Conclusion In this registry of diabetic population treated with BioMatrixTM-Biolimus A9TM eluting stent (BioMatrix), the reported incidence of MACE and ST were much lower than previously published results. The 1- and 2-year follow-up result supports favorable clinical outcomes of using BioMatrix stents as a suitable alternative to contemporary DES available during PCI in diabetic patients. PMID:24206882

Support for e-Health Services Among Elderly Primary Care Patients

PubMed Central

Pirogowicz, Iwona

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: E-health has a substantial potential to improve access to as well as support efficient and effective care for the elderly. Questions remain and must be addressed, however, regarding the challenges faced by the elderly in the use of this technology. The aim of the study was to assess the attitude (needs) and preferences of the elderly in a selected region of Poland regarding selected e-health services and the factors associated with them. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted among 286 patients over 60 years of age being served by general practitioners in southwest Poland's Lower Silesia Province. The assessment pertaining to e-health was based on a specially designed questionnaire. Results: Nearly one-third of the study respondents had a computer at home, and 61% of these (19% of all surveyed elderly) used it. Twenty-two percent of respondents used the Internet, at least occasionally, whereas 62% used mobile phones. Approximately 41% (n=116) of the elderly had a favorable attitude toward e-health services (labeled here as supporters) and were willing to use it if/when offered an opportunity to do so. A substantial majority (84%) of supporters expressed a desire to receive simple medical recommendations via mobile phone or a computer, although significant majorities (61% and 60%, respectively) would like to receive the results of tests by e-mail or short message service reminders for scheduled visits or prescribed medications. Slightly less than half (47%) of e-health supporters would request appointments online. Among the more important factors associated with support of e-health services were urban residence, higher education, and normal cognitive function, as well as having a computer, Internet access, or a mobile phone. Conclusions: The majority of elderly patients in this Polish community are not overly enthusiastic about using information and communications technology tools in their healthcare. Nevertheless, a substantial percentage (41%) among this group support selected e-health services. PMID:24359252

Postoperative Early Major and Minor Complications in Laparoscopic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (LVSG) Versus Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRYGB) Procedures: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

PubMed

Osland, Emma; Yunus, Rossita Mohamad; Khan, Shahjahan; Alodat, Tareq; Memon, Breda; Memon, Muhammed Ashraf

2016-10-01

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy (LVSG) have been proposed as cost-effective strategies to manage obesity-related chronic disease. The aim of this meta-analysis and systematic review was to compare the "early postoperative complication rate i.e. within 30-days" reported from randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing these two procedures. RCTs comparing the early complication rates following LVSG and LRYGB between 2000 and 2015 were selected from PubMed, Medline, Embase, Science Citation Index, Current Contents, and the Cochrane database. The outcome variables analyzed included 30-day mortality, major and minor complications and interventions required for their management, length of hospital stay, readmission rates, operating time, and conversions from laparoscopic to open procedures. Six RCTs involving a total of 695 patients (LVSG n = 347, LRYGB n = 348) reported on early major complications. A statistically significant reduction in relative odds of early major complications favoring the LVSG procedure was noted (p = 0.05). Five RCTs representing 633 patients (LVSG n = 317, LRYGB n = 316) reported early minor complications. A non-statically significant reduction in relative odds of 29 % favoring the LVSG procedure was observed for early minor complications (p = 0.4). However, other outcomes directly related to complications which included reoperation rates, readmission rate, and 30-day mortality rate showed comparable effect size for both surgical procedures. This meta-analysis and systematic review of RCTs suggests that fewer early major and minor complications are associated with LVSG compared with LRYGB procedure. However, this does not translate into higher readmission rate, reoperation rate, or 30-day mortality for either procedure.

Muslim and non-Muslim adolescents' reasoning about freedom of speech and minority rights.

PubMed

Verkuyten, Maykel; Slooter, Luuk

2008-01-01

An experimental questionnaire study, conducted in The Netherlands, examined adolescents' reasoning about freedom of speech and minority rights. Muslim minority and non-Muslim majority adolescents (12-18 years) made judgments of different types of behaviors and different contexts. The group membership of participants had a clear effect. Muslim participants were less in favor of freedom of speech if it involved the offending of religious beliefs and were more in favor of Muslim minority rights. There were also cross-group gender differences whereby parental practices that negatively affect females were more strongly rejected by Muslim females than by Muslim males and non-Muslim females and males. The findings are discussed with reference to social-cognitive domain theory and intergroup theories.

The Incompatibility of Materialism and the Desire for Children: Psychological Insights into the Fertility Discrepancy among Modern Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Norman P.; Patel, Lily; Balliet, Daniel; Tov, William; Scollon, Christie N.

2011-01-01

We examined factors related to attitudes toward marriage and the importance of having children in both the US and Singapore. Path analysis indicated that life dissatisfaction leads to materialism, and both of these factors lead to favorable attitudes toward marriage, which leads to greater desire for children. Further analysis indicated this model…

Conflict and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region: A Strategic Net Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

in particular—succeeded in eroding the government’s regulatory capa- bilities in favor of a financial environment that was more laissez - faire but less...largely unpredictable or unknowable factors (such as leadership personalities and political calculations, humanitarian disasters, and internal...from historical memories and leadership outlooks to structural economic and demo- graphic factors. Significantly, the policy positions and actions

A proposed site index for red spruce in the Northeast

Treesearch

T. F. McLintock; C. A. Bickford

1957-01-01

A basic principle that should be recognized at the start of any forward-looking forest-management plan is that the intensity or level of management that can be profitably applied to a given tract will be controlled largely by four factors: markets, labor supply, accessibility, and site. The more favorable these factors are, the higher the intensity of management that...

Effects of individual-level socioeconomic factors on racial disparities in cancer treatment and survival: findings from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study, 1979-2003.

PubMed

Du, Xianglin L; Lin, Charles C; Johnson, Norman J; Altekruse, Sean

2011-07-15

This is the first study to use the linked National Longitudinal Mortality Study and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to determine the effects of individual-level socioeconomic factors (health insurance, education, income, and poverty status) on racial disparities in receiving treatment and in survival. This study included 13,234 cases diagnosed with the 8 most common types of cancer (female breast, colorectal, prostate, lung and bronchus, uterine cervix, ovarian, melanoma, and urinary bladder) at age ≥ 25 years, identified from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study-SEER data during 1973 to 2003. Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression models were used for survival analysis. Three-year all-cause observed survival for cases diagnosed with local-stage cancers of the 8 leading tumors combined was ≥ 82% regardless of race/ethnicity. More favorable survival was associated with higher socioeconomic status. Compared with whites, blacks were less likely to receive first-course cancer-directed surgery, perhaps reflecting a less favorable stage distribution at diagnosis. Hazard ratio (HR) for cancer-specific mortality was significantly higher among blacks compared with whites (HR, 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.3) after adjusting for age, sex, and tumor stage, but not after further controlling for socioeconomic factors and treatment (HR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.9-1.1). HRs for all-cause mortality among patients with breast cancer and for cancer-specific mortality in patients with prostate cancer were significantly higher for blacks compared with whites after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, treatment, and patient and tumor characteristics. Favorable survival was associated with higher socioeconomic status. Racial disparities in survival persisted after adjusting for individual-level socioeconomic factors and treatment for patients with breast and prostate cancer. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

Does Chinese culture influence psychosocial factors for heroin use among young adolescents in China? A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Little empirical research has examined how cultural factors influence psychosocial factors for heroin drug use. The objectives of the study were to investigate the levels of individualism and collectivism among young adolescents and how cultural differences were associated with the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior and other psychosocial factors for heroin drug use. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among young adolescents in an HIV and heroin-stricken area in China. The Individualism-Collectivism Interpersonal Assessment Inventory (ICIAI) was used to measure cultural norms and values in the context of three social groups: family members, close friends, and classmates. Results A total of 220 boys and 241 girls were recruited and participated in an interview. Compared to boys, girls reported higher levels of the three specific-relationship ICIAIs, as well as higher levels of perceived behavioral control for heroin use, perceived peer control, and communication with parent about heroin use, but a lower level of favorable attitude towards heroin use. The levels of descriptive and subjective norms of heroin use were low in both girls and boys. Among boys, family ICIAI was positively associated with perceived behavioral control, and friend ICIAI was positively associated with perceived peer control and communication with parent. Among girls, family ICIAI was positively associated with perceived behavioral control and communication with parents about heroin use, but negatively with favorable attitudes to heroin use; friend ICIAI was positively associated with perceived peer control, and classmate ICIAI was negatively associated with favorable attitudes toward heroin use. Conclusions This study documents that collectivistic aspects of Chinese culture may influence psychosocial factors for heroin use, although the patterns are varied by gender. Findings provide an empirical basis for the development of culturally competent intervention programs for heroin use intervention and prevention. PMID:20858259

Time-based partitioning model for predicting neurologically favorable outcome among adults with witnessed bystander out-of-hospital CPA.

PubMed

Abe, Toshikazu; Tokuda, Yasuharu; Cook, E Francis

2011-01-01

Optimal acceptable time intervals from collapse to bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for neurologically favorable outcome among adults with witnessed out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) have been unclear. Our aim was to assess the optimal acceptable thresholds of the time intervals of CPR for neurologically favorable outcome and survival using a recursive partitioning model. From January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2009, we conducted a prospective population-based observational study across Japan involving consecutive out-of-hospital CPA patients (N = 69,648) who received a witnessed bystander CPR. Of 69,648 patients, 34,605 were assigned to the derivation data set and 35,043 to the validation data set. Time factors associated with better outcomes: the better outcomes were survival and neurologically favorable outcome at one month, defined as category one (good cerebral performance) or two (moderate cerebral disability) of the cerebral performance categories. Based on the recursive partitioning model from the derivation dataset (n = 34,605) to predict the neurologically favorable outcome at one month, 5 min threshold was the acceptable time interval from collapse to CPR initiation; 11 min from collapse to ambulance arrival; 18 min from collapse to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC); and 19 min from collapse to hospital arrival. Among the validation dataset (n = 35,043), 209/2,292 (9.1%) in all patients with the acceptable time intervals and 1,388/2,706 (52.1%) in the subgroup with the acceptable time intervals and pre-hospital ROSC showed neurologically favorable outcome. Initiation of CPR should be within 5 min for obtaining neurologically favorable outcome among adults with witnessed out-of-hospital CPA. Patients with the acceptable time intervals of bystander CPR and pre-hospital ROSC within 18 min could have 50% chance of neurologically favorable outcome.

Population attributable risks of patient, child and organizational risk factors for perinatal mortality in hospital births.

PubMed

Poeran, Jashvant; Borsboom, Gerard J J M; de Graaf, Johanna P; Birnie, Erwin; Steegers, Eric A P; Bonsel, Gouke J

2015-04-01

The main objective of this study was to estimate the contributing role of maternal, child, and organizational risk factors in perinatal mortality by calculating their population attributable risks (PAR). The primary dataset comprised 1,020,749 singleton hospital births from ≥22 weeks' gestation (The Netherlands Perinatal Registry 2000-2008). PARs for single and grouped risk factors were estimated in four stages: (1) creating a duplicate dataset for each PAR analysis in which risk factors of interest were set to the most favorable value (e.g., all women assigned 'Western' for PAR calculation of ethnicity); (2) in the primary dataset an elaborate multilevel logistic regression model was fitted from which (3) the obtained coefficients were used to predict perinatal mortality in each duplicate dataset; (4) PARs were then estimated as the proportional change of predicted- compared to observed perinatal mortality. Additionally, PARs for grouped risk factors were estimated by using sequential values in two orders: after PAR estimation of grouped maternal risk factors, the resulting PARs for grouped child, and grouped organizational factors were estimated, and vice versa. The combined PAR of maternal, child and organizational factors is 94.4 %, i.e., when all factors are set to the most favorable value perinatal mortality is expected to be reduced with 94.4 %. Depending on the order of analysis, the PAR of maternal risk factors varies from 1.4 to 13.1 %, and for child- and organizational factors 58.7-74.0 and 7.3-34.3 %, respectively. In conclusion, the PAR of maternal-, child- and organizational factors combined is 94.4 %. Optimization of organizational factors may achieve a 34.3 % decrease in perinatal mortality.

Conflict over condition-dependent sex allocation can lead to mixed sex-determination systems

PubMed Central

Kuijper, Bram; Pen, Ido

2014-01-01

Theory suggests that genetic conflicts drive turnovers between sex-determining mechanisms, yet these studies only apply to cases where sex allocation is independent of environment or condition. Here, we model parent–offspring conflict in the presence of condition-dependent sex allocation, where the environment has sex-specific fitness consequences. Additionally, one sex is assumed to be more costly to produce than the other, which leads offspring to favor a sex ratio less biased toward the cheaper sex in comparison to the sex ratio favored by mothers. The scope for parent–offspring conflict depends on the relative frequency of both environments: when one environment is less common than the other, parent–offspring conflict can be reduced or even entirely absent, despite a biased population sex ratio. The model shows that conflict-driven invasions of condition-independent sex factors (e.g., sex chromosomes) result either in the loss of condition-dependent sex allocation, or, interestingly, lead to stable mixtures of condition-dependent and condition-independent sex factors. The latter outcome corresponds to empirical observations in which sex chromosomes are present in organisms with environment-dependent sex determination. Finally, conflict can also favor errors in environmental perception, potentially resulting in the loss of condition-dependent sex allocation without genetic changes to sex-determining loci. PMID:25180669

Favorable Alleles for Stem Water-Soluble Carbohydrates Identified by Association Analysis Contribute to Grain Weight under Drought Stress Conditions in Wheat

PubMed Central

Li, Runzhi; Chang, Xiaoping; Jing, Ruilian

2015-01-01

Drought is a major environmental constraint to crop distribution and productivity. Stem water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) buffer wheat grain yield against conditions unfavorable for photosynthesis during the grain filling stage. In this study, 262 winter wheat accessions and 209 genome-wide SSR markers were collected and used to undertake association analysis based on a mixed linear model (MLM). The WSC in different internodes at three growth stages and 1000-grain weight (TGW) were investigated under four environmental regimes (well-watered, drought stress during the whole growth period, and two levels of terminal drought stress imposed by chemical desiccation under the well-watered and drought stress during the whole growth period conditions). Under diverse drought stress conditions, WSC in lower internodes showed significant positive correlations with TGW, especially at the flowering stage under well-watered conditions and at grain filling under drought stress. Sixteen novel WSC-favorable alleles were identified, and five of them contributed to significantly higher TGW. In addition, pyramiding WSC favorable alleles was not only effective for obtaining accessions with higher WSC, but also for enhancing TGW under different water regimes. During the past fifty years of wheat breeding, WSC was selected incidentally. The average number of favorable WSC alleles increased from 1.13 in the pre-1960 period to 4.41 in the post-2000 period. The results indicate a high potential for using marker-assisted selection to pyramid WSC favorable alleles in improving WSC and TGW in wheat. PMID:25768726

International survey of nephrologists' perceptions and attitudes about rewards and compensations for kidney donation.

PubMed

Ghahramani, Nasrollah; Karparvar, Zahra; Ghahramani, Mehrdad; Shadrou, Shahrouz

2013-06-01

Payment for organ donation, whether in the form of incentives, rewards or compensation is highly debated and has been denounced by many professional and legislative bodies. Despite the passionate discussion in the literature, there is very limited data on attitudes and perceptions of physicians about providing rewards or compensation to organ donors. We investigated the relationship between demographic and practice characteristics of nephrologists and their perceptions and attitudes about rewards and compensations for organ donation. Using a web-based survey, we explored the views of nephrologists around the world about rewards and compensations for kidney donation. The relationship between attitudes and demographic characteristics of 1280 nephrologists from 74 countries was examined by univariate and multivariable analyses. Seventy-five percent agreed with donor health insurance, 26% favored direct financial compensation and 31% agreed with financial rewards for unrelated donors. Sixty-six percent believed that rewards will lead to increased donation. Seventy-three percent indicated that rewards will lead to exploitation of the poor and 78% agreed with legislation prohibiting organ sales. Thirty-seven percent believed that rewards will negatively impact deceased-donor transplantation. Nephrologists from India/Pakistan and the Middle East had more favorable views about rewards, while respondents from Latin America and Europe, older than 50, female nephrologists and those practicing in rural areas had less favorable views. We conclude that a minority of nephrologists favor rewards for donation, many agree with some compensation and a considerable majority favor donor health insurance. Perceptions of nephrologists about rewards and compensation are influenced by age, sex, urban versus rural location and geographic region of practice.

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin decrease expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in peripheral lymphocyte of β-thalassemia major patients.

PubMed

Ghatrehsamani, Mahdi; Soleimani, Masoud; Esfahani, Behjat Al-Sadat Moayedi; Hakemi, Mazdak Ganjalikhani; Shirzad, Hedayatollah; Eskandari, Nahid; Adib, Minoo

2015-01-01

β-thalassemia major is a hereditary disease with inefficient erythropoiesis. Level of inflammatory cytokine is elevated in these patients. In this study, we investigate the effect of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), on the expression of inflammatory mediators in β-thalassemia major patient's lymphocytes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients and healthy participants was isolated and cultured in favor of lymphocytes increment. Based on the treatment, we divided the cell into four groups. The orders of group's treatments were no treatment, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) treatment, TNF-α and TCDD treatment, TCDD treatment in Group 1-4, respectively. After cell culture, we extracted the cells RNA and converted them to cDNA. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to assessment relative expression of caspase-1, NLRP3, and AhR. We compared all patient groups with equal healthy (control) groups. Results showed that expression of caspase-1 in patients (Groups 1 and 2) was significantly lower than healthy individuals (P < 0.05). Although, no significant difference was found (Groups 1, 2, and control) in AhR gene expression (P > 0.05). Expression of AhR in other groups of patients (3 and 4) was significantly lower than control groups (P < 0.05). Expression of caspase-1 in Group 4 was significantly larger than the control group (P < 0.001). We show here that chronic inflammation decrease caspase-1 expression and exposure of human lymphocytes to TCDD promote caspase-1 expression. Furthermore, activation of AhR with TCDD decreases AhR expression in lymphocytes of β-thalassemia major disease.

Spanish-Latin American multicenter study of attitudes toward organ donation among personnel from hospital healthcare centers.

PubMed

Ríos, Antonio; López-Navas, Ana; Ayala-García, Marco Antonio; Sebastián, María José; Abdo-Cuza, Anselmo; Alán, Jeannina; Martínez-Alarcón, Laura; Ramírez, Ector Jaime; Muñoz, Gerardo; Suárez-López, Juliette; Castellanos, Roberto; Ramírez, Ricardo; González, Beatriz; Martínez, Miguel Angel; Díaz, Ernesto; Ramírez, Pablo; Parrilla, Pascual

2014-01-01

Hospital personnel are a group which has an influence on the opinion of the rest of the population about healthcare matters. Any unfavorable attitude of this group would be an obstacle to an increase in organ donation. To analyze the attitude of hospital workers toward the donation of one's own organs in Spanish and Latin American hospitals and to determine the factors affecting this attitude. Eleven hospitals from the "International Collaborative Donor Project" were selected, 3 in Spain, 5 in Mexico, 2 in Cuba and one in Costa Rica. A random sample was stratified by the type of service and job category. Attitude toward donation and transplantation was assessed using a validated survey. The questionnaire was completed anonymously and was self-administered. Student's t-test, the χ2 test and logistic regression analysis. Of the 2,785 workers surveyed, 822 were from Spain, 1,595 from Mexico, 202 from Cuba and 166 from Costa Rica and 79% (n=2,191) were in favor of deceased organ donation. According to country, 94% (n=189) of Cubans were in favor, compared to 82% (n=1,313) of the Mexicans, 73% (n=121) of the Costa Ricans and 69% (n=568) of the Spanish (P<.001). In the multivariate analysis, the following variables had the most specific weight: 1) originating from Cuba (odds ratio=8.196; P<.001); 2) being a physician (OR= 2.544; P<.001); 3) performing a job related to transplantation (OR = 1.610; P=.005); 4) having discussed the subject of donation and transplantation within the family (OR= 3.690; P<.001); 5) having a partner with a favorable attitude toward donation and transplantation (OR= 3.289; P<.001); 6) a respondent's belief that his or her religion is in favor of donation and transplantation (OR= 3.021; P=.001); 7) not being concerned about the possible mutilation of the body after donation (OR= 2.994; P<.001); 8) the preference for other options apart from burial for treating the body after death (OR= 2.770; P<.001); and 9) acceptance of carrying out an autopsy if one were needed (OR= 2.808; P<.001). Hospital personnel in Spanish and Latin American healthcare centers had a favorable attitude toward donation, although 21% of respondents were not in favor of donating. This attitude was more favorable among Latin American workers and was very much conditioned by job-related and psychosocial factors. Copyright © 2013 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

19 CFR 200.735-105 - Gifts, entertainment, and favors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... the business of the persons concerned which are the motivating factors; (2) The acceptance of food and... trip, where an employee may properly be in attendance. (3) The acceptance of loans from banks or other...

Factors influencing clicking of banner ads on the WWW.

PubMed

Cho, Chang-Hoan

2003-04-01

This paper explores various factors influencing the clicking of banner ads on the WWW. The study indicates that several important variables affect the clicking of banner ads: (1) level of product involvement, (2) congruency between the content of a vehicle and the product category of a banner ad, (3) attitude toward the vehicle, and (4) overall attitude toward web advertising. For methodology, this study employed a between-group experimental design and measured real click-through rates with the aid of an online data collection technology called FileMaker Pro. Results of logistic regressions show that people are more likely to click banner ads if they are highly involved with products, perceive high synergy between web pages and ads, have a favorable attitude toward a vehicle, or have a favorable attitude toward web advertising in general. A total of 756 subjects participated in this research.

Factors affecting the stability of drug-loaded polymeric micelles and strategies for improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Weisai; Li, Caibin; Wang, Zhiyu; Zhang, Wenli; Liu, Jianping

2016-09-01

Polymeric micelles (PMs) self-assembled by amphiphilic block copolymers have been used as promising nanocarriers for tumor-targeted delivery due to their favorable properties, such as excellent biocompatibility, prolonged circulation time, favorable particle sizes (10-100 nm) to utilize enhanced permeability and retention effect and the possibility for functionalization. However, PMs can be easily destroyed due to dilution of body fluid and the absorption of proteins in system circulation, which may induce drug leakage from these micelles before reaching the target sites and compromise the therapeutic effect. This paper reviewed the factors that influence stability of micelles in terms of thermodynamics and kinetics consist of the critical micelle concentration of block copolymers, glass transition temperature of hydrophobic segments and polymer-polymer and polymer-cargo interaction. In addition, some effective strategies to improve the stability of micelles were also summarized.

A descriptive study of the utilization of physical therapy for postoperative rehabilitation in patients undergoing surgery for lumbar radiculopathy.

PubMed

Louw, Adriaan; Puentedura, Emilio J; Diener, Ina

2016-11-01

To determine the referral patterns, utilization and indications for postoperative physical therapy (PT) for lumbar radiculopathy. At least 50 % of patients following lumbar surgery (LS) for radiculopathy are referred for PT to address postoperative pain and disability. Very little is known regarding factors following LS that predict referral to PT, patient perceptions, satisfaction of postoperative PT and predictors of success for PT following LS for radiculopathy. Sixty-five patients who underwent LS for radiculopathy completed outcome measures on pain and disability prior to, and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after LS. They also completed a questionnaire regarding postoperative PT at the 12-month follow-up. The majority of patients (59.32 %) attended PT after LS for an average of 14 visits and rated PT favorably. Forty-five percent of the patients who did not attend PT after LS were of the opinion that they would have benefitted from PT after LS, and 62.5 % of these patients reported the surgeon not discussing postoperative PT after LS. Patients with longer duration of symptoms prior to surgery, with greater leg pain scores 1 month after surgery, and who did not feel as well prepared for surgery at the 1 year follow-up were more likely to receive PT, but this did not result in significantly better outcomes on any measure at any follow-up period and did not predict attendance in PT after LS. There is a need to determine if a subgroup of patients following LS exists who will respond favorably to postoperative PT.

Hydrogeology and potential for ground-water development, carbonate-rock aquifers in southern Nevada and southeastern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burbey, T.J.

1997-01-01

Seventeen hydrographic areas in southern Nevada were assessed for the ground-water development potential of the underlying carbonate-rock aquifers on the basis of geologic and hydrologic information developed as part of the Nevada Carbonate Aquifers Study and information compiled from previous investigations. All selected areas lie within a miogeoclinal belt where thick accumulations of carbonate rock followed by major episodes of compression and extension have greatly modified the region. Most of the selected hydrographic areas lie within the less extended terranes; however, several areas, or parts of areas, lie within severely extended terranes where carbonate rocks have been greatly thinned, or where deformed blocks of carbonate rock are discontinuous and isolated from surrounding carbonate rock aquifers. Three principal criteria were used to assess the development potential of each selected hydrographic area. These quantitative criteria are: (1) depth to water, (2) depth to and thickness of carbonate rocks, and (3) water quality. Other site-specific factors, such as accessibility and potential effects of ground-water development, are also discussed. Results suggest that sites with high potential for development may be scarce in southern Nevada. Many areas described as favorable on the basis of the three quantitative criteria were deemed unfavorable on the basis of possible short- and long-term effects associated with development and on the amount of available data used to make the assessment. The most favorable sites may be in more severely extended terranes, where development of isolated blocks (of carbonate-rock aquifer material) would be less likely to affect neighboring areas.

Recruitment and Financing of Candidates To Study Overseas: Its Implications for Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smart, Don

Growing numbers of Malaysian students are going to Australia for overseas study. This paper begins with a discussion of Malaysia's New Economic Policy, whose provisions include a phasing out of English as the language of instruction in favor of Bahasa Malaya, the language of the indigenous Malay majority. This policy provides a background for the…

Changing Beliefs about Corporal Punishment: Increasing Knowledge about Ineffectiveness to Build More Consistent Moral and Informational Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Daniel H.; Funk, Daniel C.; Beth, Alicia; Bush, Angela M.

2005-01-01

Although the effectiveness of corporal punishment (CP) has received little empirical support, public support for this disciplinary method continues despite calls for its abandonment by researchers. Even among educators, favorable attitudes toward the use of CP are prevalent. We measured education majors' beliefs about CP before and after they read…

Separate, Unequal, But More Autonomous: Technology, Equity and World Order in the Millennial Transition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morehouse, Ward

Part of a series of working papers intended to stimulate research, education, dialogue, and political action in favor of a more just world order, this monograph relates technology to four major global issues--energy, environment, employment, and equity. The objective is to determine the kinds of technological choices that can be made regarding…

Raters' L2 Background as a Potential Source of Bias in Rating Oral Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winke, Paula; Gass, Susan; Myford, Carol

2013-01-01

Based on evidence that listeners may favor certain foreign accents over others (Gass & Varonis, 1984; Major, Fitzmaurice, Bunta, & Balasubramanian, 2002; Tauroza & Luk, 1997) and that language-test raters may better comprehend and/or rate the speech of test takers whose native languages (L1s) are more familiar on some level (Carey,…

Universality and Availability of Education at All Levels.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perera, L. H. Horace

An overview is presented in this paper of the problems involved in making education universal and available at all levels in different regions in the world. It is pointed out that a majority of the world's children have no schooling; preschool education, though widely favored, has still to become universal even in the industrialized countries. The…

The nuclear weapons free world . We already live in

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonini, R.

We do live in a nuclear weapons free world, already. After a long debate about nuclear weapons the situation today is such that, officially, no governement is in favor of them. The reason is to be found in the strongest moral stigma on nuclear weapons. Moreover the vast majority of the most influencial people share this view.

Points of View: A Survey of Survey Courses--Are They Effective? Argument Favoring a Survey as the First Course for Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ledbetter, Mary Lee; Campbell, A. Malcolm

2005-01-01

Reasonable people disagree about how to introduce undergraduate students to the marvels and complexities of the biological sciences. With intrinsically varied subdisciplines within biology, exponentially growing bases of information, and new unifying theories rising regularly, introduction to the curriculum is a challenge. Some decide to focus…

Women and Slavery: A Cross-Cultural Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wertz, Dorothy C.

A cross-cultural and historical survey of the relationship between slavery and the status of women focuses on Marxian theory, the position of free women, sexual division of labor, the threat of rape, and equivalents of slavery in the modern world. Throughout history, the majority of slaves have been women, many of whom held favored positions,…

Seasoning of aspen

Treesearch

Harvey H. Smith

1947-01-01

Aspen is now the major forest type in the Lake States, and extensive stands are reaching maturity. Increasing quantities are being cut, and much is now being put to new and more exacting uses that require better air-seasoning and kiln-drying practices. The recent favorable market for green aspen lumber appears to be falling off, and the time may soon come when...

Perspectives on prescribed fire in the south: does ethnicity matter?

Treesearch

Siew Hoon Lim; J.M. Bowker; Cassandra Y. Johnson; H. Ken Cordell

2009-01-01

Using a household survey and regression methods, we assessed preferences for prescribed fire in the southern United States. We found that the majority of the respondents favored the use of prescribed fire. However, we observed pronounced racial variation in opinions on prescribed fire and its side effects. African Americans and Hispanics were less supportive and were...

The School's Contribution to Mental Health. Discussion Papers. Volume II. No. 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, Vernon L.

Schools have a major contribution to make in the area of mental health and have a responsibility to develop programs of a positive nature which will provide favorable grounds for the emergence of mentally healthy individuals. Schools cannot prevent all emotional disorders, neither can they correct all those which come to them. Public opinion and…

Capital and Labor in the 21st Century: The End of History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rachleff, Peter

2017-01-01

Over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, the contours of neoliberalism took shape, as individual corporations implemented new strategies seeking to shift the frontier of control in their favor and increase their profits. Their actions began to shape the political and economic practices of both major political parties, and the orientation of…

Characterization of whitefly and whitefly-borne virus populations in tomato- and sweet pepper-growing greenhouses in the Cartago province, Costa Rica

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop production in greenhouse environments requires special care. Poor management can favor pest related problems which can lead to economic losses. Whiteflies and whitefly-borne viruses are major constraints to the production of tomato and sweet pepper both in field and greenhouses settings. Limit...

75 FR 59160 - Radiation Protection Regulations and Guidance; Public Meetings and Request for Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

..., which are based on a more diverse world population? Issue No. 2: Occupational Dose Limits The... between the ICRP values and the EPA values stems primarily from the use of a U.S. population cancer... worldwide population. In discussion with stakeholders to date, the majority have been generally in favor of...

The Corner

Treesearch

David Giblin; Daniel C Dey; Dick Burhans; John Kabrick; Brian Root; Jennifer Grabner; Mike Gold

2001-01-01

This past March the membership was asked for the first time ever to vote on an advocacy issue instance the issue was a petition initiated by the California Native Plant Society supporting the equal protection of plants under the Federal Endangered Species Act. A total of 34 votes were cast, with an overwhelming majority of the votes in favor of MOSCB becoming a...

Do Music Education Majors Intend to Teach Music?: An Exploratory Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellman, Daniel

2008-01-01

Preservice music teachers (N = 152) at six institutions were surveyed on their intent to enter and remain in K-12 music teaching. Respondents provided favorable speculations for entering and remaining in K-12 music teaching. Prevalent responses for desiring a music teaching position were categorized as follows: love for music, sharing music,…

Youth and the Meaning of Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottlieb, David; And Others

The present study sought to provide data that will contribute to an understanding of how a select group of graduating college seniors perceive and feel about work. The sample was composed of 1,860 male and female members of the class of 1972 at 5 colleges in Pennsylvania. The vast majority of the seniors expressed favorable attitudes toward work…

National Uranium Resource Evaluation: Durango Quadrangle, Colorado

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

Theis, N.J.; Madson, M.E.; Rosenlund, G.C.

1981-06-01

The Durango Quadrangle (2/sup 0/), Colorado, was evaluated using National Uranium Resource Evaluation criteria to determine environments favorable for uranium deposits. General reconnaissance, geologic and radiometric investigations, was augmented by detailed surface examination and radiometric and geochemical studies in selected areas. Eight areas favorable for uranium deposits were delineated. Favorable geologic environments include roscoelite-type vanadium-uranium deposits in the Placerville and Barlow Creek-Hermosa Creek districts, sandstone uranium deposits along Hermosa Creek, and vein uranium deposits in the Precambrian rocks of the Needle Mountains area and in the Paleozoic rocks of the Tuckerville and Piedra River Canyon areas. The major portions ofmore » the San Juan volcanic field, the San Juan Basin, and the San Luis Basin within the quadrangle were judged unfavorable. Due to lack of information, the roscoelite belt below 1000 ft (300 m), the Eolus Granite below 0.5 mi (0.8 km), and the Lake City caldera are unevaluated. The Precambrian Y melasyenite of Ute Creek and the Animas Formation within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation are unevaluated due to lack of access.« less

Appeals court reverses verdict favoring drug companies.

PubMed

1995-06-02

An appeals court reversed a verdict favoring drug companies after the widow of a hemophiliac, whose death was linked to HIV-tainted blood products, sued four pharmaceutical companies to pay damages. The four companies, Alpha Therapeutic Corp., Miles Laboratories Inc., Armour Pharmaceutical Co., and Baxter Travenol Laboratories Inc., provided Factor VIII, a clotting concentrate, to [name removed] [name removed], the plaintiff's husband, from 1972 until his death in 1987. [Name removed]'s wife sued the companies, alleging that the defendants negligently solicited blood plasma from paid donors who had a high risk of having HIV, failed to determine whether any lots of Factor VIII contained plasma from an at-risk donor, failed to warn consumers of possible risks, and failed to heat-treat HIV and other viruses in Factor VIII, despite industry-wide knowledge of the risk of infection. The three-judge panel said the trial judge's decision to avoid ruling on the antigenic stimulation theory, based on insufficient evidence, was improper. In addition, the appeals court said a retrial is necessary because of improper remarks made by Alpha's attorney.

Fat high in stearic acid favorably affects blood lipids and factor VII coagulant activity in comparison with fats high in palmitic acid or high in myristic and lauric acids.

PubMed

Tholstrup, T; Marckmann, P; Jespersen, J; Sandström, B

1994-02-01

The effect of fats high in individual, prevalent saturated dietary fatty acids on lipoproteins and hemostatic variables in young healthy subjects was evaluated in a randomized strictly controlled metabolic feeding study. Three experimental diets: shea butter (S; 42% stearic acid), palm oil (P; 43% palmitic palmitic acid), and palm-kernel oil with high-oleic sunflower oil (ML; 10% myristic acid, 30% lauric acid) were served to 15 men for 3 wk each, separated by washout periods. Diet S compared with diet P resulted in significant reduction in plasma cholesterol (22%) LDL cholesterol (26%), apolipoprotein B (18%), HDL cholesterol (12%), apolipoprotein A-I (13%), and a 13% lower factor VII coagulant activity (P = 0.001). Similar differences were observed between diets S and ML. In conclusion, intake of shea butter high in stearic acid favorably affects blood lipids and factor VII coagulant activity in young men, compared with fats high in saturated fatty acids with 12-16 carbons.

Survey of practicing urologists: robotic versus open radical prostatectomy.

PubMed

Lee, Eugene K; Baack, Janet; Duchene, David A

2010-04-01

The robotic assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) has become the most common operative choice for localized prostate cancer. At our institution, we have also seen a substantial increase in the proportion of RARP. Possible patient factors may include marketing, increased Internet usage by patients, and patient-to-patient communication. We surveyed urologists from the central United States to determine possible surgeon factors for the popularity of the RARP. We mailed a survey to all urologists in the South Central Section of the American Urological Association. After demographic information was obtained, participants were asked to choose an operation for themselves based on two prostate cancer scenarios; low risk and high risk. For the low risk prostate cancer scenario, 54.3% chose RARP while 32.9% chose a radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). In the high risk scenario, 32.3% chose a RARP while 58.8% chose the RRP. The top reasons for choosing robotics included decreased blood loss, better pain control, and visualization of the apex. The most popular reasons for an open operation included improved lymph node dissection, better tactile sensation, and easier operation for the surgeon. The two most important factors for choosing a particular operation were cancer control and the urologist performing the operation. Also, urologists favored the operative choice in which he or she performed. Robotic assisted radical prostatectomy has become the favored operative approach for low risk prostate cancer. However, many urologists still feel an oncologic difference may exist between open and robotic surgery as evidenced by more urologists favoring an open approach for high risk prostate cancer.

Favorable Changes in Serum Estrogens and Other Biological Factors After Weight Loss in Overweight or Obese Breast Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Rock, Cheryl L.; Pande, Chetna; Flatt, Shirley W.; Ying, Carl; Pakiz, Bilge; Parker, Barbara A.; Williams, Kathryn; Bardwell, Wayne A.; Heath, Dennis D.; Nichols, Jeanne F.

2014-01-01

Background Obesity is associated with increased risk for recurrence and all-cause mortality in breast cancer survivors. Excess adiposity is associated with increased estrogen, insulin, and leptin, and decreased sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations, which may promote breast cancer progression and recurrence. This study aimed to assess the effects of weight loss on these factors. Patients and Methods Overweight or obese breast cancer survivors (N = 220) who were enrolled in a weight loss intervention study provided baseline and follow-up blood samples and weight data. Serum estrogens, SHBG, insulin, and leptin were measured at baseline, 6 and 18 months. Results Weight loss of ≥5% of initial weight decreased leptin and insulin compared with those who did not achieve that amount of weight loss (P < .0001). Weight loss also increased SHBG at 6 and 18 months (P < .01). Postmenopausal women who lost ≥5% of body weight at 6 months had lower estrone (P = .02), estradiol (P = .002), and bioavailable estradiol (P = .001) concentrations than women who did not lose at least 5% of body weight, and weight loss at 18 months was significantly related to change in serum bioavailable estradiol concentration (P = 0.02). Conclusion Favorable changes in estrogens, SHBG, insulin, and leptin were observed in association with weight loss in these overweight or obese women who had been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. Weight loss appears to have favorable effects on hormonal and biological factors associated with increased risk for recurrence and poorer prognosis. PMID:23375717

Renal-Stone Risk Assessment During Space Shuttle Flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitson, Peggy A.; Pietrzyk, Robert A.; Pak, Charles Y. C.

1996-01-01

The metabolic and environmental factors influencing renal stone formation before, during, and after Space Shuttle flights were assessed. We established the contributing roles of dietary factors in relationship to the urinary risk factors associated with renal stone formation. 24-hr urine samples were collected prior to, during space flight, and following landing. Urinary factors associated with renal stone formation were analyzed and the relative urinary supersaturation ratios of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate (brushite), sodium urate, struvite and uric acid were calculated. Food and fluid consumption was recorded for a 48-hr period ending with the urine collection. Urinary composition changed during flight to favor the crystallization of stone-forming salts. Factors that contributed to increased potential for stone formation during space flight were significant reductions in urinary pH and increases in urinary calcium. Urinary output and citrate, a potent inhibitor of calcium-containing stones, were slightly reduced during space flight. Dietary intakes were significantly reduced for a number of variables, including fluid, energy, protein, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. This is the first in-flight characterization of the renal stone forming potential in astronauts. With the examination of urinary components and nutritional factors, it was possible to determine the factors that contributed to increased risk or protected from risk. In spite of the protective components, the negative contributions to renal stone risk predominated and resulted in a urinary environment that favored the supersaturation of stone-forming salts. The importance of the hypercalciuria was noted since renal excretion was high relative to the intake.

Renal stone risk assessment during Space Shuttle flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitson, P. A.; Pietrzyk, R. A.; Pak, C. Y.

1997-01-01

PURPOSE: The metabolic and environmental factors influencing renal stone formation before, during, and after Space Shuttle flights were assessed. We established the contributing roles of dietary factors in relationship to the urinary risk factors associated with renal stone formation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 24-hr. urine samples were collected prior to, during space flight, and following landing. Urinary and dietary factors associated with renal stone formation were analyzed and the relative urinary supersaturation of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate (brushite), sodium urate, struvite and uric acid were calculated. RESULTS: Urinary composition changed during flight to favor the crystallization of calcium-forming salts. Factors that contributed to increased potential for stone formation during space flight were significant reductions in urinary pH and increases in urinary calcium. Urinary output and citrate, a potent inhibitor of calcium-containing stones, were slightly reduced during space flight. Dietary intakes were significantly reduced for a number of variables, including fluid, energy, protein, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first in-flight characterization of the renal stone forming potential in astronauts. With the examination of urinary components and nutritional factors, it was possible to determine the factors that contributed to increased risk or protected from risk. In spite of the protective components, the negative contributions to renal stone risk predominated and resulted in a urinary environment that favored the supersaturation of stone-forming salts. Dietary and pharmacologic therapies need to be assessed to minimize the potential for renal stone formation in astronauts during/after space flight.

The attitude toward living kidney donation among personnel from units related to donation and transplantation in Spain, Mexico and Cuba.

PubMed

Ríos, Antonio; López-Navas, Ana; Ayala-García, Marco Antonio; Sebastián, María José; Abdo-Cuza, Anselmo; Martínez-Alarcón, Laura; Ramírez, Ector Jaime; Muñoz, Gerardo; Palacios, Gerardo; Suárez-López, Juliette; Castellanos, Ricardo; González, Beatriz; Martínez, Miguel Angel; Díaz, Ernesto; Ramírez, Pablo; Parrilla, Pascual

2014-05-01

Living kidney donation (LKD) is becoming increasingly necessary as a treatment option for reducing the deficit in transplant organs. Hospital personnel in services related to donation and transplantation play a key role in promoting this kind of donation. To analyze the attitude toward LKD among hospital workers in services related to donation and transplantation in Spain and Latin America. Eight hospitals in the "International Collaborative Donor Project" were selected (Spain-Mexico-Cuba). A random sample was taken which was stratified according to the type of service and job category, in transplant-related services. Of the 878 respondents, 90% were in favor of related LKD, and 28% were in favor if the LKD was not related. Attitude was more favorable among Latin Americans workers compared to the Spanish (p=0.014). Other factors associated to attitude included: age (p=0.004); an attitude in favor of deceased donation and living liver donation (p<0.001); and acceptance of a kidney from a donor (p<0.001). The attitude toward related LKD was very favorable among hospital personnel in units related to the donation and transplantation process in Spain and Latin America, which means that they could contribute to its promotion particularly at the current time when living kidney donation needs to be expanded.

National Uranium Resource Evaluation Program. Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Beeville NTMS Quadrangle, Texas. Uranium resource evaluation project

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

Not Available

Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey of the Beeville Quadrangle, Texas are reported. Field and laboratory data are presented for 373 groundwater and 364 stream sediment samples. Statistical and areal distributions of uranium and possible uranium-related variables are displayed. A generalized geologic map of the survey area is provided, and pertinent geologic factors which may be of significance in evaluating the potential for uranium mineralization are briefly discussed. The groundwater data indicate that the northwestern corner of the quadrangle is the most favorable for potential uranium mineralization. Favorability is indicated by high uranium concentrations; high arsenic, molybdenum, and vanadium concentrations;more » and proximity and similar geologic setting to the mines of the Karnes County mining district. Other areas that appear favorable are an area in Bee and Refugio Counties and the northeastern part of the quadrangle. Both areas have water chemistry similar to the Karnes County area, but the northeastern area does not have high concentrations of pathfinder elements. The stream sediment data indicate that the northeastern corner of the quadrangle is the most favorable for potential mineralization, but agricultural practices and mineralogy of the outcropping Beaumont Formation may indicate a false anomaly. The northwestern corner of the quadrangle is considered favorable because of its proximity to the known uranium deposits, but the data do not seem to support this.« less

Factors influencing protein tyrosine nitration – structure-based predictive models

PubMed Central

Bayden, Alexander S.; Yakovlev, Vasily A.; Graves, Paul R.; Mikkelsen, Ross B.; Kellogg, Glen E.

2010-01-01

Models for exploring tyrosine nitration in proteins have been created based on 3D structural features of 20 proteins for which high resolution X-ray crystallographic or NMR data are available and for which nitration of 35 total tyrosines has been experimentally proven under oxidative stress. Factors suggested in previous work to enhance nitration were examined with quantitative structural descriptors. The role of neighboring acidic and basic residues is complex: for the majority of tyrosines that are nitrated the distance to the heteroatom of the closest charged sidechain corresponds to the distance needed for suspected nitrating species to form hydrogen bond bridges between the tyrosine and that charged amino acid. This suggests that such bridges play a very important role in tyrosine nitration. Nitration is generally hindered for tyrosines that are buried and for those tyrosines where there is insufficient space for the nitro group. For in vitro nitration, closed environments with nearby heteroatoms or unsaturated centers that can stabilize radicals are somewhat favored. Four quantitative structure-based models, depending on the conditions of nitration, have been developed for predicting site-specific tyrosine nitration. The best model, relevant for both in vitro and in vivo cases predicts 30 of 35 tyrosine nitrations (positive predictive value) and has a sensitivity of 60/71 (11 false positives). PMID:21172423

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Abscisic Acid/Gibberellin Balance in the Control of Seed Dormancy and Germination in Cereals

PubMed Central

Tuan, Pham A.; Kumar, Rohit; Rehal, Pawanpuneet K.; Toora, Parneet K.; Ayele, Belay T.

2018-01-01

Seed dormancy is an adaptive trait that does not allow the germination of an intact viable seed under favorable environmental conditions. Non-dormant seeds or seeds with low level of dormancy can germinate readily under optimal environmental conditions, and such a trait leads to preharvest sprouting, germination of seeds on the mother plant prior to harvest, which significantly reduces the yield and quality of cereal crops. High level of dormancy, on the other hand, may lead to non-uniform germination and seedling establishment. Therefore, intermediate dormancy is considered to be a desirable trait as it prevents the problems of sprouting and allows uniformity of postharvest germination of seeds. Induction, maintenance, and release of seed dormancy are complex physiological processes that are influenced by a wide range of endogenous and environmental factors. Plant hormones, mainly abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA), are the major endogenous factors that act antagonistically in the control of seed dormancy and germination; ABA positively regulates the induction and maintenance of dormancy, while GA enhances germination. Significant progress has been made in recent years in the elucidation of molecular mechanisms regulating ABA/GA balance and thereby dormancy and germination in cereal seeds, and this review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the topic. PMID:29875780

Physical-biological coupling in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica: Influence of physical factors on phytoplankton community structure and biomass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Youngju; Yang, Eun Jin; Park, Jisoo; Jung, Jinyoung; Kim, Tae Wan; Lee, SangHoon

2016-11-01

To understand the spatial distribution of phytoplankton communities in various habitats in the Amundsen Sea, western Antarctica, a field survey was conducted at 15 stations during the austral summer, from December 2013 to January 2014. Water samples were analyzed by microscopy. We found high phytoplankton abundance and biomass in the Amundsen Sea polynya (ASP). Their strong positive correlation with water temperature suggests that phytoplankton biomass accumulated in the surface layer of the stratified polynya. In the ASP, the predominant phytoplankton species was Phaeocystis antarctica, while diatoms formed a major group in the sea ice zone, especially Fragilariopsis spp., Chaetoceros spp., and Proboscia spp. Although this large diatom abundance sharply decreased just off the marginal sea ice zone, weakly silicified diatoms, due to their high buoyancy, were distributed at almost all stations on the continental shelf. Dictyocha speculum appeared to favor the area between the marginal sea ice zone and the ASP in contrast to cryptophytes and picophytoplankton, whose abundance was higher in the area between the continental shelf and the open ocean of Amundsen Sea. Several environmental factors were found to affect the spatial variation of phytoplankton species, but the community structure appeared to be controlled mainly by the seawater density related to sea-ice melting and water circulation in the Amundsen Sea.

Environmental and socio-economic methodologies and solutions towards integrated water resources management.

PubMed

Friesen, Jan; Rodriguez Sinobas, Leonor; Foglia, Laura; Ludwig, Ralf

2017-03-01

Semi-arid regions are facing the challenge of managing water resources under conditions of increasing scarcity and drought. These are recently pressured by the impact of climate change favoring the shifting from using surface water to groundwater without taking sustainability issues into account. Likewise, water scarcity raises the competition for water among users, increasing the risk of social conflicts, as the availability of fresh water in sufficient quality and quantity is already one of the major factors limiting socio-economic development. In terms of hydrology, semi-arid regions are characterized by very complex hydro- and hydrogeological systems. The complexity of the water cycle contrasts strongly with the poor data availability, (1) which limits the number of analysis techniques and methods available to researchers, (2) limits the accuracy of models and predictions, and (3) consequently challenges the capabilities to develop appropriate management measures to mitigate or adapt the environment to scarcity and drought conditions. Integrated water resources management is a holistic approach to focus on both environmental as well as on socio-economic factors influencing water availability and supply. The management approaches and solutions adopted, e.g. in form of decision support for specific water resources systems, are often highly specific for individual case studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of Modulator of Inflammation Cyclooxygenase-2 in Gammaherpesvirus Mediated Tumorigenesis

PubMed Central

Gandhi, Jaya; Khera, Lohit; Gaur, Nivedita; Paul, Catherine; Kaul, Rajeev

2017-01-01

Chronic inflammation is recognized as a threat factor for cancer progression. Release of inflammatory molecules generates microenvironment which is highly favorable for development of tumor, cancer progression and metastasis. In cases of latent viral infections, generation of such a microenvironment is one of the major predisposing factors related to virus mediated tumorigenesis. Among various inflammatory mediators implicated in pathological process associated with cancer, the cyclooxygenase (COX) and its downstream effector molecules are of greater significance. Though the role of infectious agents in causing inflammation leading to transformation of cells has been more or less well established, however, the mechanism by which inflammation in itself modulates the events in life cycle of infectious agent is not very much clear. This is specifically important for gammaherpesviruses infections where viral life cycle is characterized by prolonged periods of latency when the virus remains hidden, immunologically undetectable and expresses only a very limited set of genes. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms for role of inflammation in virus life cycle and tumorigenesis. This review is an attempt to summarize the latest findings highlighting the significance of COX-2 and its downstream signaling effectors role in life cycle events of gammaherpesviruses leading to progression of cancer. PMID:28400769

Feasibility of groundwater recharge dam projects in arid environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaafar, H. H.

2014-05-01

A new method for determining feasibility and prioritizing investments for agricultural and domestic recharge dams in arid regions is developed and presented. The method is based on identifying the factors affecting the decision making process and evaluating these factors, followed by determining the indices in a GIS-aided environment. Evaluated parameters include results from field surveys and site visits, land cover and soils data, precipitation data, runoff data and modeling, number of beneficiaries, domestic irrigation demand, reservoir objectives, demography, reservoirs yield and reliability, dam structures, construction costs, and operation and maintenance costs. Results of a case study on more than eighty proposed dams indicate that assessment of reliability, annualized cost/demand satisfied and yield is crucial prior to investment decision making in arid areas. Irrigation demand is the major influencing parameter on yield and reliability of recharge dams, even when only 3 months of the demand were included. Reliability of the proposed reservoirs as related to their standardized size and net inflow was found to increase with increasing yield. High priority dams were less than 4% of the total, and less priority dams amounted to 23%, with the remaining found to be not feasible. The results of this methodology and its application has proved effective in guiding stakeholders for defining most favorable sites for preliminary and detailed design studies and commissioning.

Hematidrosis (bloody sweat): a review of the recent literature (1996-2016).

PubMed

Kluger, Nicolas

2018-06-01

Hematidrosis is an eccrine sweat disorder characterized by one or more episodes of spontaneous, bloody sweating from non-traumatized skin. The author carried out a systematic review of all cases of hematidrosis reported in PubMed over the past 20 years. A total of 25 cases were reviewed; 21 were women (84%), the median age was 13 years (range 9-72), and the majority (62%) were from Asia, mainly India. Hematidrosis was located on the face-including the forehead (40%), eyes (40%), and ears (36%)-in 96% of the cases and on the umbilicus in 24% and the palms in 20%. Prodromal symptoms were reported by almost 30% of the patients. Possible triggering factors were identified in 56% of the cases; most of these (86%) were stress factors within families (conflicts or abuse) or at school. In two cases, platelet dysfunction and epilepsy were suspected as culprits. Nine patients had a psychiatric diagnosis associated with hematidrosis. The outcome was favorable in most of the cases with medical treatment (e.g., beta-blocker, anxiolytics) and psychological support. The number of cases has increased in recent years. Hematidrosis appears to be a somatization disorder that mainly affects children from developing countries. Its physiopathology remains largely unknown. It deserves better recognition because it is usually a temporary condition when managed properly.

Comprehensive safety management and assessment at rugby football competitions.

PubMed

Tajima, T; Chosa, E; Kawahara, K; Nakamura, Y; Yoshikawa, D; Yamaguchi, N; Kashiwagi, T

2014-11-01

The present study aims to improve medical systems by designing objective safety assessment criteria for rugby competitions. We evaluated 195 competitions between 2002 and 2011 using an original safety scale comprising the following sections: 1) competence of staff such as referees, medical attendants and match day doctor; 2) environment such as weather, wet bulb globe temperature and field conditions; and 3) emergency medical care systems at the competitions. Each section was subdivided into groups A, B and C according to good, normal or fair degrees of safety determined by combinations of the results.Overall safety was assessed as A, B and C for 110, 78 and 7 competitions, respectively. The assessments of individual major factors were mostly favorable for staff, but the environment and medical care systems were assessed as C in 25 and 70, respectively, of the 195 competitions. Medical management involves not having a match day doctor, but also comprehensive management including preventive factors and responses from the staff, environment and medical-care systems. 6 cases of severe injuries and accidents occurred between 2002 and 2011, which were observed in Grade A competition. These cases revealed better prognosis without obvious impairment, thus confirming the value of the present assessment scale. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Maple Flooring - How Architects View it

Treesearch

Gary R. Lindell

1971-01-01

In a study of architects'' opinions of maple flooring versus vinyl asbestos tile for school gymnasuims, resiliency and durability were found to be important factors favoring maple whereas vinyl asbestos tile was felt to be less costly and more dimesionally stable.

Binding Energy and Enzymatic Catalysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, David E.; Raines, Ronald T.

1990-01-01

Discussed is the fundamental role that the favorable free energy of binding of the rate-determining transition state plays in catalysis. The principle that all of the catalytic factors discussed are realized by the use of this binding energy is reviewed. (CW)

The Importance of Measuring Strength-of-Preference Scores for Health Care Options in Preference-Sensitive Care

PubMed Central

Crump, R. Trafford; Llewellyn-Thomas, Hilary A.

2012-01-01

Objective The objective was to determine whether a paired-comparison/leaning scale method: a) could feasibly be used to elicit strength-of-preference scores for elective health care options in large community-based survey settings; and b) could reveal preferential sub-groups that would have been overlooked if only a categorical-response format had been used. Study Design Medicare beneficiaries in four different regions of the United States were interviewed in person. Participants considered 8 clinical scenarios, each with 2 to 3 different health care options. For each scenario, participants categorically selected their favored option, then indicated how strongly they favored that option relative to the alternative on a paired-comparison bi-directional Leaning Scale. Results Two hundred and two participants were interviewed. For 7 of the 8 scenarios, a clear majority (> 50%) indicated that, overall, they categorically favored one option over the alternative(s). However, the bi-directional strength-of-preference Leaning Scale scores revealed that, in 4 scenarios, for half of those participants, their preference for the favored option was actually “weak” or “neutral”. Conclusion Investigators aiming to assess population-wide preferential attitudes towards different elective health care scenarios should consider gathering ordinal-level strength-of-preference scores and could feasibly use the paired-comparison/bi-directional Leaning Scale to do so. PMID:22494579

Popularity of suture materials among residents and faculty members of a postdoctoral periodontology program.

PubMed

Maksoud, Mohamed; Koo, Samuel; Barouch, Kasumi; Karimbux, Nadeem

2014-02-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the favoritism of suture materials among a group of clinicians at a teaching institution. The surveys included 11 absorbable and nine non-absorbable sutures. The surveyor was asked to select his or her suture preferences when it comes to using it in 13 different, commonly-performed surgical procedures. The surveys showed overall preferences for non-absorbable versus absorbable sutures. Chromic Gut with a 4-0 diameter thread reverse cutting FS2 needle was the most favored suture. For periodontal bone grafts and hard tissue ridge augmentation, polytetrafluoroethylene with a 4-0 thread and FS2 needle was preferred. For autogenous gingival grafts, gingival allografts, connective tissue grafts, frenectomy and frenoplasty, Chromic Gut with 5-0 diameter thread reverse cutting P3 needle was favored. For extraction socket preservation, soft tissue canine exposure, ridge augmentation, and dental implants, Chromic Gut with 4-0 diameter thread reverse cutting FS2 needle was preferred, and for sinus augmentation, Vicryl with a 4-0 diameter thread reverse cutting FS2 needle was favored. Absorbable sutures were preferred in the majority of periodontal procedures; however, non-absorbable sutures were favored in procedures that required longer healing or better stability of the flap edges in cases of periodontal and ridge augmentation. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Assessment of Factors that Influence the Recruitment of Majors from Introductory Geology Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoisch, T. D.; Bowie, J. I.

2009-12-01

In order to guide the formulation of strategies for recruiting undergraduates taking introductory geology courses into the geology program at Northern Arizona University, we surveyed 783 students in introductory geology classes and 23 geology majors in their junior and senior years. Our introductory courses (GLG100, Introduction to Geology; GLG101, Physical Geology; and GLG112, Geologic Disasters) typically enroll ~600 students each semester. The majority of students in these classes are non-majors who take them in order to satisfy a university general education requirement (called “Liberal Studies requirements” at NAU). A large proportion of these students are freshmen (51%) and sophomores (30%), and many have not yet decided on a major or are uncertain about the major they have chosen. Our analysis shows that ~7% of students in the introductory classes are possible candidates for recruitment. Although a small percentage, it represents a large number of individuals, in fact more than could be accommodated were they all to decide to major in geology. Influential factors that weigh in favor of majoring in geology include good employability, good salary potential, and opportunities for working outdoors, field work, observing nature, travel, and environmentally friendly employment. In addition, students view a career as a geologist as potentially the most fulfilling of the different science occupations (biologist, chemist, geologist, environmental scientist, physicist) and among the more environmentally friendly. However, students perceive geology to be the least difficult of the sciences, and geology occupations to be low-paying and low in prestige relative to the other sciences. These negative perceptions could be countered by providing data to introductory students showing the starting salaries of geologists in comparison to other science occupations, and by communicating the rigorous nature of the more advanced classes in the geology degree program. A preliminary finding of this study is that administering surveys may have the beneficial unintended consequence of inspiring students in introductory classes to reconsider their choice of major. From the Fall 2007 semester to the Spring 2008 semester, 14 of 573 introductory students or 2.4% continued into a geology course that can serve as the second course in the major, whereas from the Fall 2008 semester to the Spring 2009 semester, 24 of 609 students or 4.0% continued, a 67% increase in the rate of continuation. One possible explanation for the dramatic increase is that surveys were administered to students in the introductory classes in Fall 2008 but not in Fall 2007. If administering surveys was in fact the cause of the increase in the continuation rate, then we may have encountered a “Hawthorne effect;” that is, a situation in which the condition of being studied causes subjects to change their behavior. The process of taking the survey may have caused students to reconsider their choice of major, although this was not the intended purpose or design of the surveys.

Heat shock factor-1 intertwines insulin/IGF-1, TGF-β and cGMP signaling to control development and aging.

PubMed

Barna, János; Princz, Andrea; Kosztelnik, Mónika; Hargitai, Balázs; Takács-Vellai, Krisztina; Vellai, Tibor

2012-11-01

Temperature affects virtually all cellular processes. A quick increase in temperature challenges the cells to undergo a heat shock response to maintain cellular homeostasis. Heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1) functions as a major player in this response as it activates the transcription of genes coding for molecular chaperones (also called heat shock proteins) that maintain structural integrity of proteins. However, the mechanisms by which HSF-1 adjusts fundamental cellular processes such as growth, proliferation, differentiation and aging to the ambient temperature remain largely unknown. We demonstrate here that in Caenorhabditis elegans HSF-1 represses the expression of daf-7 encoding a TGF-β (transforming growth factor-beta) ligand, to induce young larvae to enter the dauer stage, a developmentally arrested, non-feeding, highly stress-resistant, long-lived larval form triggered by crowding and starvation. Under favorable conditions, HSF-1 is inhibited by crowding pheromone-sensitive guanylate cyclase/cGMP (cyclic guanosine monophosphate) and systemic nutrient-sensing insulin/IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) signaling; loss of HSF-1 activity allows DAF-7 to promote reproductive growth. Thus, HSF-1 interconnects the insulin/IGF-1, TGF-β and cGMP neuroendocrine systems to control development and longevity in response to diverse environmental stimuli. Furthermore, HSF-1 upregulates another TGF-β pathway-interacting gene, daf-9/cytochrome P450, thereby fine-tuning the decision between normal growth and dauer formation. Together, these results provide mechanistic insight into how temperature, nutrient availability and population density coordinately influence development, lifespan, behavior and stress response through HSF-1.

Survey of Attitudes toward Uterus Transplantation among Japanese Women of Reproductive Age: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Kisu, Iori; Banno, Kouji; Soeda, Etsuko; Kurihara, Yuki; Okushima, Miho; Yamaguchi, Ami; Nakagawa, Eriko; Umene, Kiyoko; Aoki, Daisuke

2016-01-01

Objective Uterus transplantation (UTx) is a potential option for women with uterine factor infertility to have a child, but there has been no large-scale survey of the views on UTx in women of reproductive age in Japan. The present study was aimed to clarify the views of Japanese women of reproductive age on UTx for uterine factor infertility. Methods A questionnaire on UTx was conducted by an Internet research company in December 2014 as a cross-sectional study in 3,892 randomly chosen women aged 25 to 39 years old. Responses were analyzed from 3,098 subjects (mean age 32.1±4.2 years old), after exclusion of inappropriate respondents in screening. Results Of the respondents, 62.1%, 34.7% and 18.1% favored adoption, UTx and gestational surrogacy, respectively. In contrast, 7.0%, 21.9% and 63.3% opposed adoption, UTx and gestational surrogacy, respectively. In choices of candidates for UTx based on highest priority, deceased persons (33.8%) and mothers (19.0%) were favored as donors, and women with congenital absence of the uterus (54.4%) and hysterectomy due to a malignant uterine tumor (20.0%) as recipients. Regarding societal acceptance of UTx, the answer rates were 15.7% for "UTx should be permitted", 77.6% for "UTx should be permitted with discussion", and 6.7% for "UTx should not be permitted, even with discussion". Regarding personal opinions on UTx, 44.2% were in favor, 47.5% had no opinion, and 8.3% were against. Conclusion Our results suggest that many Japanese women of reproductive age feel that UTx is socially and individually acceptable, but that concerns requiring further discussion remain among these women. There was also a tendency for UTx to be viewed more favorably than gestational surrogacy. PMID:27203855

Favorable Cardiovascular Risk Profile Is Associated With Lower Healthcare Costs and Resource Utilization: The 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

PubMed

Valero-Elizondo, Javier; Salami, Joseph A; Ogunmoroti, Oluseye; Osondu, Chukwuemeka U; Aneni, Ehimen C; Malik, Rehan; Spatz, Erica S; Rana, Jamal S; Virani, Salim S; Blankstein, Ron; Blaha, Michael J; Veledar, Emir; Nasir, Khurram

2016-03-01

The American Heart Association's 2020 Strategic Goals emphasize the value of optimizing risk factor status to reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to quantify the overall and marginal impact of favorable cardiovascular risk factor (CRF) profile on healthcare expenditure and resource utilization in the United States among those with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study population was derived from the 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Direct and indirect costs were calculated for all-cause healthcare resource utilization. Variables of interest included CVD diagnoses (coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, dysrhythmias, or heart failure), ascertained by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification codes, and CRF profile (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, physical activity, and obesity). Two-part econometric models were used to study expenditure data. The final study sample consisted of 15 651 MEPS participants (58.5±12 years, 54% female). Overall, 5921 (37.8%) had optimal, 7002 (44.7%) had average, and 2728 (17.4%) had poor CRF profile, translating to 54.2, 64.1, and 24.9 million adults in United States, respectively. Significantly lower health expenditures were noted with favorable CRF profile across CVD status. Among study participants with established CVD, overall healthcare expenditures with optimal and average CRF profile were $5946 and $3731 less compared with those with poor CRF profile. The respective differences were $4031 and $2560 in those without CVD. Favorable CRF profile is associated with significantly lower medical expenditure and healthcare utilization among individuals with and without established CVD. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Questionnaire based assessment of patients' acceptability of leukocytapheresis for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Nagase, Kazuko; Fukuanga, Ken; Yokoyama, Yoko; Kamikozuru, Koji; Miwa, Hiroto; Nakamura, Shiro

2013-10-01

The aim of the present study was to assess patients' acceptance of therapeutic leukocytapheresis known as cytapheresis (CAP) for the treatment of an active flare of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A questionnaire was sent to 155 IBD patients who had been treated with CAP for an active flare of IBD at the IBD center of Hyogo College of Medicine between January 2009 and July 2012. In the questionnaire, patients were asked to evaluate CAP including efficacy, safety, unfavorable features and their willingness to be retreated with CAP for a subsequent IBD flare-up. Seventy-eight percent (112 of 155 patients) including 86 with ulcerative colitis and 26 with Crohn's disease completed the questionnaire. The need for coming to hospital for CAP, needle pain during blood access, sparing time for CAP process were scored by 57%, 58%, and 58.9% of the patients, respectively as unfavorable. Patients highly favored the safety of CAP, the sum of very and relatively favorable was 89%, higher than for efficacy (68%). Seventy-two percent of patients favored retreatment with CAP. In binary logistic regression analysis, the levels of satisfaction for efficacy (P < 0.001), and inconvenience for CAP treatment time (P < 0.001) were highly significant factors for patients' willingness to be retreated. Bearing in mind that CAP is a non-pharmacologic treatment intervention, our analyses indicated that IBD patients favored high efficacy, as well as comfort of CAP or maintaining their normal social activity even during an active phase of the disease. Patient's acceptability for CAP appeared to be determined by the balance of these factors. © 2013 The Authors. Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis © 2013 International Society for Apheresis.

Deferred radiotherapy and upfront procarbazine–ACNU–vincristine administration for 1p19q codeleted oligodendroglial tumors are associated with favorable outcome without compromising patient performance, regardless of WHO grade

PubMed Central

Hata, Nobuhiro; Yoshimoto, Koji; Hatae, Ryusuke; Kuga, Daisuke; Akagi, Yojiro; Suzuki, Satoshi O; Iwaki, Toru; Shono, Tadahisa; Mizoguchi, Masahiro; Iihara, Koji

2016-01-01

Recently updated phase III trials revealed the favorable effect of add-on procarbazine-lomustine-vincristine chemotherapy (CT) to radiotherapy (RT) in treating anaplastic oligodendrogliomas with 1p19q codeletion (codel). However, the underlying rationality of deferring RT and upfront CT administration for these tumors is yet to be elucidated. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the long-term outcome of our case series with oligodendroglial tumors treated with deferred RT and upfront procarbazine+nimustine+vincristine (PAV) in the introduction administration. We enrolled 36 patients with newly diagnosed oligodendroglial tumors (17, grade II and 19, grade III) treated during 1999–2012 and followed up for a median period of 69.0 months. Their clinical and genetic prognostic factors were analyzed, and progression-free survival, overall survival (OS), and deterioration-free survival (DFS) were evaluated. Regardless of the WHO grade, the 25 patients with 1p19q codel tumors never received RT initially, and of these 25, 23 received PAV treatment upfront. The 75% OS of patients with 1p19q codel tumor was 135.3 months (did not reach the median OS), indicating a favorable outcome. Multivariate analysis revealed that IDH mutation and 1p19q, not WHO grade, are independent prognostic factors; furthermore, IDH and 1p19q status stratified the cohort into 3 groups with significantly different OS. The DFS explained the prolonged survival without declining performance in patients with both grade II and III 1p19q codel tumors. Deferred RT and upfront PAV treatment for 1p19q codel oligodendrogliomas were associated with favorable outcomes without compromising performance status, regardless of WHO grade. PMID:27895504

Attitude Toward Organ Donation and Transplantation in Veterinary Students: A Multicenter and Stratified Study in Spain.

PubMed

Martínez-Alarcón, L; Ríos, A; Ramis, G; Gómez-Laguna, J; Moll, X; Falceto, V; San Román-Acaso, F; San Román-Llorens, F; Quereda, J J; Herrero-Medrano, J M; Mendonça, L; Martin-Barrasa, J L; Fernández, O M; López-Navas, A I; Hernández, A M; Muñoz, A; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

2018-03-01

Veterinarians often hold decision-making positions in the public health care system and can therefore influence public opinion about organ donation and transplantation (ODT). The aim of this work was to analyze the attitude of Spanish veterinary students toward ODT, because they may influence public opinion in the future, and to determine the factors that condition it. This was a sociologic, interdisciplinary, multicenter, observational study in Spain. The study population was students studying for a veterinary degree in Spain (n = 9000), and a sample of 2815 students (confidence of 99% and precision of ±1%) was stratified by geographic area and academic year. A validated questionnaire of attitude toward ODT (PCID-DTO-Ríos) was self-administered and anonymous. Of the 2815 selected students (2790 plus the 0.9% per type of sample), 2650 completed the questionnaire (response rate, 94.14%): 83% (n = 2207) of the respondents were in favor of donation and 17% against. The following main variables were related to a favorable attitude: being female (odds ratio [OR], 0.752; P = .034); knowing a donor (OR, 1.834; P = .003); having discussed the matter with one's family (OR, 1.587; P = .002); having spoken about the subject in social circles with friends (OR, 1.633; P < .001), and being in favor of donating a deceased family member's organs (OR, 2.403; P < .001). Seventeen percent of Spanish veterinary students were not in favor of ODT. It is important to know the factors that determine their attitude, because this will make it possible to optimize the resources invested in campaigns to promote ODT and to take more specific action. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Survey of Attitudes toward Uterus Transplantation among Japanese Women of Reproductive Age: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Kisu, Iori; Banno, Kouji; Soeda, Etsuko; Kurihara, Yuki; Okushima, Miho; Yamaguchi, Ami; Nakagawa, Eriko; Umene, Kiyoko; Aoki, Daisuke

2016-01-01

Uterus transplantation (UTx) is a potential option for women with uterine factor infertility to have a child, but there has been no large-scale survey of the views on UTx in women of reproductive age in Japan. The present study was aimed to clarify the views of Japanese women of reproductive age on UTx for uterine factor infertility. A questionnaire on UTx was conducted by an Internet research company in December 2014 as a cross-sectional study in 3,892 randomly chosen women aged 25 to 39 years old. Responses were analyzed from 3,098 subjects (mean age 32.1±4.2 years old), after exclusion of inappropriate respondents in screening. Of the respondents, 62.1%, 34.7% and 18.1% favored adoption, UTx and gestational surrogacy, respectively. In contrast, 7.0%, 21.9% and 63.3% opposed adoption, UTx and gestational surrogacy, respectively. In choices of candidates for UTx based on highest priority, deceased persons (33.8%) and mothers (19.0%) were favored as donors, and women with congenital absence of the uterus (54.4%) and hysterectomy due to a malignant uterine tumor (20.0%) as recipients. Regarding societal acceptance of UTx, the answer rates were 15.7% for "UTx should be permitted", 77.6% for "UTx should be permitted with discussion", and 6.7% for "UTx should not be permitted, even with discussion". Regarding personal opinions on UTx, 44.2% were in favor, 47.5% had no opinion, and 8.3% were against. Our results suggest that many Japanese women of reproductive age feel that UTx is socially and individually acceptable, but that concerns requiring further discussion remain among these women. There was also a tendency for UTx to be viewed more favorably than gestational surrogacy.

Association of Perception of Front-of-Pack Labels with Dietary, Lifestyle and Health Characteristics

PubMed Central

Méjean, Caroline; Macouillard, Pauline; Péneau, Sandrine; Lassale, Camille; Hercberg, Serge; Castetbon, Katia

2014-01-01

Objective To identify patterns of perception of front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labels and determine dietary, lifestyle and health profiles related to such patterns. Design Cross-sectional. Participants/Setting 28,952 French adults participating in the web-based Nutrinet-Santé cohort. Outcome measures Perception was measured using indicators of understanding and acceptability for three simple FOP labels (“green tick”, the logo of the French Nutrition and Health Program and “simple traffic lights” (STL)), and two detailed FOP formats (“multiple traffic lights” (MTL) and “color range” logo (CR)), placed on ready-to-eat soup packages. Dietary intake data were collected using three web-based 24 h records. Statistical analyses Associations of perception patterns with individual characteristics, including diet, lifestyle and health status, were examined using analysis of covariance and logistic regression, adjusted for socio-demographic and economic factors. Results No clear trend emerged concerning differences in dietary intake between perception groups. Low physical activity and obesity were more frequent in the ‘favorable to STL’ group (respectively, 20.7% and 10.7%). The ‘favorable to MTL’ group included the highest percentage of individuals who declared type 2 diabetes (2.2%). Persons with hypertension were proportionally more numerous in the ‘favorable to MTL’ and the ‘favorable to CR logo’ groups (respectively, 9.5% and 9.3%). Conclusions After adjustment for socio-demographic and economic factors, no FOP label stood out as being more suitable than another for reaching populations with poor diet. However, both STL and MTL may be most appropriate for increasing awareness of healthy eating among groups at higher risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases. PMID:24621617

Transforming growth factor-β released by apoptotic white blood cells during red blood cell storage promotes transfusion-induced alloimmunomodulation.

PubMed

Vallion, Romain; Bonnefoy, Francis; Daoui, Anna; Vieille, Loredane; Tiberghien, Pierre; Saas, Philippe; Perruche, Sylvain

2015-07-01

Red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization is a major immunologic risk of transfusion. However, RBC storage facilitates white blood cell (WBC) apoptosis and apoptotic cells have immunomodulatory properties. We investigated the behavior of WBCs, and apoptosis in particular, in RBC units during storage and then studied the impact of WBC apoptosis on the modulation of posttransfusion alloimmunization in RBC products stored short term. We used a mouse model of alloimmunization to transfused HEL-ovalbumin-Duffy (HOD) surface antigen expressed specifically on RBCs. The presence of circulating anti-HOD immunoglobulin G detected by flow cytometry confirmed immunization to HOD+ RBCs. WBC apoptosis and factors released by apoptotic WBCs during storage were determined and in particular the role of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β was assessed on RBC alloimmunization. In blood stored 72 hours, 30% of WBCs were apoptotic, and transfusion of short-term-stored blood resulted in lesser immunization than did fresh blood or stored leukoreduced (LR) RBCs. WBCs undergoing apoptosis released during short-term storage factors modulating RBC alloimmunization. Indeed apoptotic cell-released factors modulate alloimmunization whereas exogenous apoptotic cells directly transfused with LR RBCs did not. While microparticles released during RBC storage had no immunomodulatory role, TGF-β found in the supernatant of stored blood demonstrated the capacity to favor Treg polarization of naïve CD4+CD25- T cells in vitro and limited RBC alloimmunization in vivo. Indeed, addition of recombinant TGF-β to stored LR RBC transfusion strongly limited posttransfusion RBC alloimmunization. Our findings show that short-term storage of non-LR blood facilitates WBC apoptosis therefore releasing TGF-β that modulates posttransfusion RBC alloimmunization. © 2015 AABB.

Enacted Stigma, Mental Health, and Protective Factors Among Transgender Youth in Canada

PubMed Central

Veale, Jaimie F.; Peter, Tracey; Travers, Robb; Saewyc, Elizabeth M.

2017-01-01

Abstract Purpose: We aimed to assess the Minority Stress Model which proposes that the stress of experiencing stigma leads to adverse mental health outcomes, but social supports (e.g., school and family connectedness) will reduce this negative effect. Methods: We measured stigma-related experiences, social supports, and mental health (self-injury, suicide, depression, and anxiety) among a sample of 923 Canadian transgender 14- to 25-year-old adolescents and young adults using a bilingual online survey. Logistic regression models were conducted to analyze the relationship between these risk and protective factors and dichotomous mental health outcomes among two separate age groups, 14- to 18-year-old and 19- to 25-year-old participants. Results: Experiences of discrimination, harassment, and violence (enacted stigma) were positively related to mental health problems and social support was negatively associated with mental health problems in all models among both age groups. Among 14–18 year olds, we examined school connectedness, family connectedness, and perception of friends caring separately, and family connectedness was always the strongest protective predictor in multivariate models. In all the mental health outcomes we examined, transgender youth reporting low levels of enacted stigma experiences and high levels of protective factors tended to report favorable mental health outcomes. Conversely, the majority of participants reporting high levels of enacted stigma and low levels of protective factors reported adverse mental health outcomes. Conclusion: While these findings are limited by nonprobability sampling procedures and potential additional unmeasured risk and protective factors, the results provide positive evidence for the Minority Stress Model in this population and affirm the need for policies and programs to support schools and families to support transgender youth. PMID:29279875

[Factors predictive of good motivation to quit smoking among Moroccan smokers attending a lung disease outpatient clinic in 2008].

PubMed

Bouaïti, E; Mzouri, M; Sbaï-Idrissi, K; Razine, R; Kassouati, J; Lamrabet, M; Hassouni, F; Ouaaline, M; Benbrahim, N Fikri

2010-02-01

Motivations for cessation of smoking should be studied to determine which factors have an impact. Educational messages can then be developed to help smokers become more successful in adopting healthy behavior. The objective of our work was to determine the factors influencing the quality of motivation for smoking cessation among patients attending a lung disease clinic. Between March and June 2008, patients attending the outpatient clinical of the Moulay Youssef Hospital Department of Pneumology in Rabat were studied. Data on the smoking status and motivation to stop smoking (Richmond's test) were collected using a standardized questionnaire. A logistic regression model was developed to analyze the quality of their motivation to quit smoking. The median age for smoking the first cigarette was low (<20 years); pharmacological dependence on nicotine was low (Fagerström score<8 in 71.8%). More than a third of patients (36.6%) had already intended to cease smoking. According to the Richmond test, only 46.0% were well motivated (score>or=8). At multivariate analysis, factors predictive of a good motivation to quit smoking were a previous attempt to stop smoking (OR=5.4 [2.5-11.7]), severe disease (OR=3.7 [1.6-8.2]). Beginning the tobacco addiction before the age of 18 years was predictive of poor motivation (OR=2.7 [1.4-5.3]). Our investigation provides evidence in favor of searching for different factors which might affect motivation to stop smoking among patients seeking care in a lung disease clinic. Lung specialists, who manage the large majority of these patients should be particularly active in this area.

Social capital, social participation and life satisfaction among Chilean older adults

PubMed Central

Ponce, María Soledad Herrera; Rosas, Raúl Pedro Elgueta; Lorca, María Beatriz Fernández

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE To examine factors associated with social participation and their relationship with self-perceived well-being in older adults. METHODS This study was based on data obtained from the National Socioeconomic Characterization (CASEN) Survey conducted in Chile, in 2011, on a probability sample of households. We examined information of 31,428 older adults living in these households. Descriptive and explanatory analyses were performed using linear and multivariate logistic regression models. We assessed the respondents’ participation in different types of associations: egotropic, sociotropic, and religious. RESULTS Social participation increased with advancing age and then declined after the age of 80. The main finding of this study was that family social capital is a major determinant of social participation of older adults. Their involvement was associated with high levels of self-perceived subjective well-being. We identified four settings as sources of social participation: home-based; rural community-based; social policy programs; and religious. Older adults were significantly more likely to participate when other members of the household were also involved in social activities evidencing an intergenerational transmission of social participation. Rural communities, especially territorial associations, were the most favorable setting for participation. There has been a steady increase in the rates of involvement of older adults in social groups in Chile, especially after retirement. Religiosity remains a major determinant of associativism. The proportion of participation was higher among older women than men but these proportions equaled after the age of 80. CONCLUSIONS Self-perceived subjective well-being is not only dependent upon objective factors such as health and income, but is also dependent upon active participation in social life, measured as participation in associations, though its effects are moderate. PMID:25372164

Social capital, social participation and life satisfaction among Chilean older adults.

PubMed

Ponce, María Soledad Herrera; Rosas, Raúl Pedro Elgueta; Lorca, María Beatriz Fernández

2014-10-01

To examine factors associated with social participation and their relationship with self-perceived well-being in older adults. This study was based on data obtained from the National Socioeconomic Characterization (CASEN) Survey conducted in Chile, in 2011, on a probability sample of households. We examined information of 31,428 older adults living in these households. Descriptive and explanatory analyses were performed using linear and multivariate logistic regression models. We assessed the respondents' participation in different types of associations: egotropic, sociotropic, and religious. Social participation increased with advancing age and then declined after the age of 80. The main finding of this study was that family social capital is a major determinant of social participation of older adults. Their involvement was associated with high levels of self-perceived subjective well-being. We identified four settings as sources of social participation: home-based; rural community-based; social policy programs; and religious. Older adults were significantly more likely to participate when other members of the household were also involved in social activities evidencing an intergenerational transmission of social participation. Rural communities, especially territorial associations, were the most favorable setting for participation. There has been a steady increase in the rates of involvement of older adults in social groups in Chile, especially after retirement. Religiosity remains a major determinant of associativism. The proportion of participation was higher among older women than men but these proportions equaled after the age of 80. Self-perceived subjective well-being is not only dependent upon objective factors such as health and income, but is also dependent upon active participation in social life, measured as participation in associations, though its effects are moderate.

Safety of endoscopic removal of self-expandable stents after treatment of benign esophageal diseases.

PubMed

van Halsema, Emo E; Wong Kee Song, Louis M; Baron, Todd H; Siersema, Peter D; Vleggaar, Frank P; Ginsberg, Gregory G; Shah, Pari M; Fleischer, David E; Ratuapli, Shiva K; Fockens, Paul; Dijkgraaf, Marcel G W; Rando, Giacomo; Repici, Alessandro; van Hooft, Jeanin E

2013-01-01

Temporary placement of self-expandable stents has been increasingly used for the management of benign esophageal diseases. To evaluate the safety of endoscopic removal of esophageal self-expandable stents placed for the treatment of benign esophageal diseases. Multicenter retrospective study. Six tertiary care centers in the United States and Europe. A total of 214 patients with benign esophageal diseases undergoing endoscopic stent removal. Endoscopic stent removal. Endoscopic techniques for stent removal, time to stent removal, and adverse events related to stent removal. A total of 214 patients underwent a total of 329 stent extractions. Stents were mainly placed for refractory strictures (49.2%) and fistulae (49.8%). Of the removed stents, 52% were fully covered self-expandable metal stents (FCSEMSs), 28.6% were partially covered self-expandable metal stents (PCSEMSs), and 19.5% were self-expandable plastic stents. A total of 35 (10.6%) procedure-related adverse events were reported, including 7 (2.1%) major adverse events. Multivariate analysis revealed that use of PCSEMSs (P < .001) was a risk factor for adverse events during stent removal. Favorable factors for successful stent removal were FCSEMSs (P ≤ .012) and stent migration (P = .010). No significant associations were found for stent indwelling time (P = .145) and stent embedding (P = .194). Retrospective analysis, only tertiary care centers. With an acceptable major adverse event rate of 2.1%, esophageal stent removal in the setting of benign disease was found to be a safe and feasible procedure. FCSEMSs were more successfully removed than self-expandable plastic stents and PCSEMSs. Adverse events caused by stent removal were not time dependent. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Toward Defining "Vocal Constriction": Practitioner Perspectives.

PubMed

Lemon-McMahon, Belinda; Hughes, Diane

2018-01-01

This research investigated the terminology used in relation to constriction of the singing voice from a range of practitioner perspectives. It focused on the locality, causes, consequences, management, trends, identification, and vocabulary of constriction. The research aimed to develop a holistic understanding of the term "vocal constriction" from participant experiences and perceptions (N = 10). Data collection occurred through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a range of voice care professionals. Participants included three professional groups: (1) Ear, Nose, and Throat medical specialists or laryngologists, (2) speech pathologists or speech therapists, and (3) singing teachers. Purposive sampling was used to ensure that the participants from groups 1 and 2 had extensive experience with singers in their practice. The singing teachers were experienced in either classical or contemporary styles, or both. Participant responses highlighted a discrepancy in preferred terminology, with "constriction" being less favored overall. Several anatomical locations were identified including postural, supraglottic (anteroposterior and false fold), articulatory, and in the intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal musculature; psychological issues were also identified. Primary causes, secondary causes, and influencing factors were identified. Inefficient technique and poor posture or alignment were considered primary causes; similarly, emotion and anxiety or stress were identified as influencing factors by the majority of participants. There was less uniformity in responses regarding other causes. The major findings of this research are the respective participant group distinctions, an uncertainty regarding anteroposterior constriction, and that the location and effects of constriction are individual to the singer and must be considered contextually. A definition is offered, and areas for further research are identified. Copyright © 2018 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing strategies for selection of low-density SNPs for imputation-mediated genomic prediction in U. S. Holsteins.

PubMed

He, Jun; Xu, Jiaqi; Wu, Xiao-Lin; Bauck, Stewart; Lee, Jungjae; Morota, Gota; Kachman, Stephen D; Spangler, Matthew L

2018-04-01

SNP chips are commonly used for genotyping animals in genomic selection but strategies for selecting low-density (LD) SNPs for imputation-mediated genomic selection have not been addressed adequately. The main purpose of the present study was to compare the performance of eight LD (6K) SNP panels, each selected by a different strategy exploiting a combination of three major factors: evenly-spaced SNPs, increased minor allele frequencies, and SNP-trait associations either for single traits independently or for all the three traits jointly. The imputation accuracies from 6K to 80K SNP genotypes were between 96.2 and 98.2%. Genomic prediction accuracies obtained using imputed 80K genotypes were between 0.817 and 0.821 for daughter pregnancy rate, between 0.838 and 0.844 for fat yield, and between 0.850 and 0.863 for milk yield. The two SNP panels optimized on the three major factors had the highest genomic prediction accuracy (0.821-0.863), and these accuracies were very close to those obtained using observed 80K genotypes (0.825-0.868). Further exploration of the underlying relationships showed that genomic prediction accuracies did not respond linearly to imputation accuracies, but were significantly affected by genotype (imputation) errors of SNPs in association with the traits to be predicted. SNPs optimal for map coverage and MAF were favorable for obtaining accurate imputation of genotypes whereas trait-associated SNPs improved genomic prediction accuracies. Thus, optimal LD SNP panels were the ones that combined both strengths. The present results have practical implications on the design of LD SNP chips for imputation-enabled genomic prediction.

Interactions between Genetic and Ecological Effects on the Evolution of Life Cycles.

PubMed

Rescan, Marie; Lenormand, Thomas; Roze, Denis

2016-01-01

Sexual reproduction leads to an alternation between haploid and diploid phases, whose relative length varies widely across taxa. Previous genetical models showed that diploid or haploid life cycles may be favored, depending on dominance interactions and on effective recombination rates. By contrast, niche differentiation between haploids and diploids may favor biphasic life cycles, in which development occurs in both phases. In this article, we explore the interplay between genetical and ecological factors, assuming that deleterious mutations affect the competitivity of individuals within their ecological niche and allowing different effects of mutations in haploids and diploids (including antagonistic selection). We show that selection on a modifier gene affecting the relative length of both phases can be decomposed into a direct selection term favoring the phase with the highest mean fitness (due to either ecological differences or differential effects of mutations) and an indirect selection term favoring the phase in which selection is more efficient. When deleterious alleles occur at many loci and in the presence of ecological differentiation between haploids and diploids, evolutionary branching often occurs and leads to the stable coexistence of alleles coding for haploid and diploid cycles, while temporal variations in niche sizes may stabilize biphasic cycles.

Morality and nuclear energy: perceptions of risks and benefits, personal norms, and willingness to take action related to nuclear energy.

PubMed

De Groot, Judith I M; Steg, Linda

2010-09-01

We examined factors underlying people's willingness to take action in favor of or against nuclear energy from a moral perspective. We conducted a questionnaire study among a sample of the Dutch population (N = 123). As expected, perceptions of risks and benefits were related to personal norms (PN), that is, feelings of moral obligation toward taking action in favor of or against nuclear energy. In turn, PN predicted willingness to take action. Furthermore, PN mediated the relationships between perceptions of risk and benefits and willingness to take action. In line with our hypothesis, beliefs about the risks and benefits of nuclear energy were less powerful in explaining PN for supporters compared to PN of opponents. Also, beliefs on risks and benefits and PN explained significantly more variance in willingness to take action of opponents than of supporters. Our results suggest that a moral framework is useful to explain willingness to take action in favor of and against nuclear energy, and that people are more likely to protest in favor of or against nuclear energy when PN are strong. © 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

Tumor-associated myeloid cells as guiding forces of cancer cell stemness.

PubMed

Sica, Antonio; Porta, Chiara; Amadori, Alberto; Pastò, Anna

2017-08-01

Due to their ability to differentiate into various cell types and to support tissue regeneration, stem cells simultaneously became the holy grail of regenerative medicine and the evil obstacle in cancer therapy. Several studies have investigated niche-related conditions that favor stemness properties and increasingly emphasized their association with an inflammatory environment. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are major orchestrators of cancer-related inflammation, able to dynamically express different polarized inflammatory programs that promote tumor outgrowth, including tumor angiogenesis, immunosuppression, tissue remodeling and metastasis formation. In addition, these myeloid populations support cancer cell stemness, favoring tumor maintenance and progression, as well as resistance to anticancer treatments. Here, we discuss inflammatory circuits and molecules expressed by TAMs and MDSCs as guiding forces of cancer cell stemness.

The Precambrian Biogeochemical Carbon Isotopic Record: Contributions of Thermal Versus Biological Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DesMarais, David J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Superplumes offer a new approach for understanding global C cycles. Isotopes help to discern the impacts of geological, environmental and biological processes ujpun the evolution of these cycles. For example, C-13/C-12 values of coeval sedimentary organics and carbonates give global estimates of the fraction of C buried as organics (Forg), which today lies near 0.2. Before Oxygenic photosynthesis arose, our biosphere obtained reducing power for biosynthesis solely from thermal volatiles and rock alteration. Thus Forg was dominated by the mantle redox state, which has remained remarkably constant for greater than Gy. Recent data confirm that the long-term change in Forg had been small, indicating that the mantle redox buffer remains important even today. Oxygenic photosynthesis enabled life to obtain additional reducing power by splitting the water molecule. Accordingly, biological organic production rose above the level constrained by the mantle-derived flux of reduced species. For example, today, chemoautotrophs harvesting energy from hydrothermal emanations can synthesize at most between 0.2 x 10(exp 12) and 2x 10(exp 12) mol C yr-1 of organic C globally. In contrast, global photosynthetic productivity is estimated at 9000 x 10(exp 12) mol C yr-1. Occasionally photosynthetic productivity did contribute to dramatically -elevated Forg values (to 0.4 or more) as evidenced by very high carbonate C-13/C-12. The interplay between biological, tectonic and other environmental factors is illustrated by the mid-Archean to mid-Proterozoic isotopic record. The relatively constant C-13/C-12 values of Archean carbonates support the view that photosynthetically-driven Forg increases were not yet possible. In contrast, major excursions in C-13/C-12, and thus also in Forg, during the early Proterozoic confirmed the global importance of oxygenic photosynthesis by that time. Remarkably, the superplume event at 1.9 Ga did not trigger another major Forg increase, despite the favorable conditions for organic burial that were evidenced by elevated sea levels and higher black shale abundances. Perhaps those superplume-rated processes that favored enhanced organic burial were offset by the ability of mantle-derived redox buffering, which was enhanced during the superplume event, to limit excursions in Forg.

Magnetotelluric investigation of the geothermal anomaly in Hailin, Mudanjiang, northeastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lili; Hao, Tianyao; Xiao, Qibin; Wang, Jie; Zhou, Liang; Qi, Min; Cui, Xiangpan; Cai, Ningxiao

2015-07-01

To study the occurrence conditions and locations of geothermal bodies in Hailin, Mudanjiang, northeastern China, we conducted a magnetotelluric investigation to delineate the electrical conductivity structure of the area on three parallel profiles. The area to the west of the Mudanjiang Fault lies in the Hailang sag of the Ning'an Basin. The data were processed using the mutual reference technique, static shift correction, and structural strike and dimensionality analysis based on tensor decomposition. Moreover, a modified anisotropic-diffusion-based method was used to suppress noise for the magnetotelluric time series data. This method retains the advantages of conventional anisotropic diffusion and is superior in its discrimination ability. The method is characteristic not only of the inherited features such as intra-region smoothing and edge preservation, but also of the adaptive selection of the diffusion coefficient. Data analysis revealed that the electrical resistivity structure can be approximated by a two-dimensional characterization. Two-dimensional inversion and rendering visualization show that a highly resistive granite basement is covered with conductive sedimentary layers and that a relatively low-resistivity anomalous structure with a resistivity of approximately 100-600 Ω·m is imbedded in the high-resistivity background. The anomalous structure has a narrow top and a wide bottom (the bottom depth is at least 3500 m). The shape and electrical features of the structure indicate favorable storage space for hot subsurface water. Fault activities and magma intrusion may result in the fractures of the basement, which are filled with hot water and thus produce the relatively low resistivity. Based on a comprehensive analysis, we infer that the structure is indicative of a geothermal reservoir. An exploratory well drilled near the structure confirms the occurrence of high temperatures. Several geological factors (cap rock, basement, and major faults) determine the favorable geothermal conditions of the reservoir. Large areas of granite form the major thermal source for the study area. The Mudanjiang and Hailang River Faults and their subsidiary faults provide another heat source and movement channels.

Open Reading Frame 3 of Genotype 1 Hepatitis E Virus Inhibits Nuclear Factor-κappa B Signaling Induced by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in Human A549 Lung Epithelial Cells

PubMed Central

Tian, Deying; Wang, Jingjing; Zheng, Zizheng; Xia, Ningshao

2014-01-01

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the primary causative agents of acute hepatitis, and represents a major cause of severe public health problems in developing countries. The pathogenesis of HEV is not well characterized, however, primarily due to the lack of well-defined cell and animal models. Here, we investigated the effects of genotype 1 HEV open reading frame 3 (ORF3) on TNF-α-induced nucleus factor-κappa B (NF-κB) signaling. Human lung epithelial cells (A549) were transiently transfected with ORF3 containing plasmids. These cells were then stimulated with TNF-α and the nucleus translocation of the p65 NF-κB subunit was assessed using western blot and laser confocal microscopy. DNA-binding activity of p65 was also examined using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and the suppression of NF-κB target genes were detected using real-time RT-PCR and ELISA. These results enabled us to identify the decreased phosphorylation levels of IKBα. We focused on the gene of negative regulation of NF-κB, represented by TNF-α-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3, also known as A20). Reducing the levels of A20 with siRNAs significantly enhances luciferase activation of NF-κB. Furthermore, HEV ORF3 regulated A20 primarily via activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), involved in unfolded protein response (UPR), resulting in the degradation or inactivation of the receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1), a major upstream activator of IKB kinase compounds (IKKs). Consequently, the phosphorylation of IKBα and the nucleus translocation of p65 are blocked, which contributes to diminished NF-κB DNA-binding activation and NF-κB-dependent gene expression. The findings suggest that genotype 1 HEV, through ORF3, may transiently activate NF-κB through UPR in early stage, and subsequently inhibit TNF-α-induced NF-κB signaling in late phase so as to create a favorable virus replication environment. PMID:24959724

Older Adults' Reasons for Using Technology while Aging in Place.

PubMed

Peek, Sebastiaan T M; Luijkx, Katrien G; Rijnaard, Maurice D; Nieboer, Marianne E; van der Voort, Claire S; Aarts, Sil; van Hoof, Joost; Vrijhoef, Hubertus J M; Wouters, Eveline J M

2016-01-01

Most older adults prefer to age in place, and supporting older adults to remain in their own homes and communities is also favored by policy makers. Technology can play a role in staying independent, active and healthy. However, the use of technology varies considerably among older adults. Previous research indicates that current models of technology acceptance are missing essential predictors specific to community-dwelling older adults. Furthermore, in situ research within the specific context of aging in place is scarce, while this type of research is needed to better understand how and why community-dwelling older adults are using technology. To explore which factors influence the level of use of various types of technology by older adults who are aging in place and to describe these factors in a comprehensive model. A qualitative explorative field study was set up, involving home visits to 53 community-dwelling older adults, aged 68-95, living in the Netherlands. Purposive sampling was used to include participants with different health statuses, living arrangements, and levels of technology experience. During each home visit: (1) background information on the participants' chronic conditions, major life events, frailty, cognitive functioning, subjective health, ownership and use of technology was gathered, and (2) a semistructured interview was conducted regarding reasons for the level of use of technology. The study was designed to include various types of technology that could support activities of daily living, personal health or safety, mobility, communication, physical activity, personal development, and leisure activities. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze interview transcripts. The level of technology use in the context of aging in place is influenced by six major themes: challenges in the domain of independent living; behavioral options; personal thoughts on technology use; influence of the social network; influence of organizations, and the role of the physical environment. Older adults' perceptions and use of technology are embedded in their personal, social, and physical context. Awareness of these psychological and contextual factors is needed in order to facilitate aging in place through the use of technology. A conceptual model covering these factors is presented. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Bridging complexity theory and resilience to develop surge capacity in health systems.

PubMed

Therrien, Marie-Christine; Normandin, Julie-Maude; Denis, Jean-Louis

2017-03-20

Purpose Health systems are periodically confronted by crises - think of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, H1N1, and Ebola - during which they are called upon to manage exceptional situations without interrupting essential services to the population. The ability to accomplish this dual mandate is at the heart of resilience strategies, which in healthcare systems involve developing surge capacity to manage a sudden influx of patients. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper relates insights from resilience research to the four "S" of surge capacity (staff, stuff, structures and systems) and proposes a framework based on complexity theory to better understand and assess resilience factors that enable the development of surge capacity in complex health systems. Findings Detailed and dynamic complexities manifest in different challenges during a crisis. Resilience factors are classified according to these types of complexity and along their temporal dimensions: proactive factors that improve preparedness to confront both usual and exceptional requirements, and passive factors that enable response to unexpected demands as they arise during a crisis. The framework is completed by further categorizing resilience factors according to their stabilizing or destabilizing impact, drawing on feedback processes described in complexity theory. Favorable order resilience factors create consistency and act as stabilizing forces in systems, while favorable disorder factors such as diversity and complementarity act as destabilizing forces. Originality/value The framework suggests a balanced and innovative process to integrate these factors in a pragmatic approach built around the fours "S" of surge capacity to increase health system resilience.

[Major milestones for European pharmaceutical policy].

PubMed

Sauer, Fernand

2014-01-01

Under the 1985 White Paper on the completion of the single market, several pharmaceutical harmonisation measures were unanimously adopted, in favor of biotech products and on pricing transparency, legal status of prescription, wholesale distribution and advertising. The European pharmaceutical harmonisation was extended to Norway and Iceland, to new accession member states and through major international conferences with the US and Japan (ICH). Starting in 1995, the European medicines agency has produced an efficient marketing authorisation system for new human and veterinary medicines. The system was extended to pediatric medicines and advanced therapies. The monitoring of drug adverse effects (pharmacovigilance) has been gradually strengthened.

Accidental introductions of natural enemies: causes and implications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Accidental introductions of natural enemies, including parasitoid and predatory groups, may exceed species introduced intentionally. Several factors favor this: a general surge in international trade; lack of surveillance for species that are not associated with live plants or animals; inability to ...

Less subclinical atherosclerosis in Japanese men in Japan than in White men in the United States in the post-World War II birth cohort.

PubMed

Sekikawa, Akira; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Kadowaki, Takashi; El-Saed, Aiman; Okamura, Tomonori; Takamiya, Tomoko; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Murata, Kiyoshi; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Evans, Rhobert W; Kita, Yoshikuni; Kuller, Lewis H

2007-03-15

Coronary heart disease incidence and mortality remain very low in Japan despite major dietary changes and increases in risk factors that should have resulted in a substantial increase in coronary heart disease rates (Japanese paradox). Primary genetic effects are unlikely, given the substantial increase in coronary heart disease in Japanese migrating to the United States. For men aged 40-49 years, levels of total cholesterol and blood pressure have been similar in Japan and the United States throughout their lifetimes. The authors tested the hypothesis that levels of subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification, and intima-media thickness of the carotid artery in men aged 40-49 years are similar in Japan and the United States. They conducted a population-based study of 493 randomly selected men: 250 in Kusatsu City, Shiga, Japan, and 243 White men in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 2002-2005. Compared with the Whites, the Japanese had a less favorable profile regarding many risk factors. The prevalence ratio for the presence of a coronary calcium score of > or =10 for the Japanese compared with the Whites was 0.52 (95% confidence interval: 0.35, 0.76). Mean intima-media thickness was significantly lower in the Japanese (0.616 mm (standard error, 0.005) vs. 0.672 (standard error, 0.005) mm, p < 0.01). Both associations remained significant after adjusting for risk factors. The findings warrant further investigations.

Less subclinical atherosclerosis in Japanese men in Japan than in white men in the United States in the post World-War-II birth cohort

PubMed Central

Sekikawa, Akira; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Kadowaki, Takashi; El-Saed, Aiman; Okamura, Tomonori; Takamiya, Tomoko; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Murata, Kiyoshi; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Evans, Rhobert W.; Kita, Yoshikuni; Kuller, Lewis H.

2013-01-01

Coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence and mortality remain very low in Japan despite major dietary changes and increases in CHD risk factors that should have resulted in substantial increase in CHD rates (Japanese paradox). Primary genetic effects are unlikely, given the substantial increase in CHD in migrant Japanese to the U.S. For men aged 40–49, levels of total cholesterol and blood pressure have been similar in Japan and the U.S. throughout their lifetime. The authors tested the hypothesis that levels of subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification and intima-media thickness of the carotid artery (IMT), in men aged 40–49 are similar in Japan and the U.S. The authors conducted a population-based study of 493 randomly-selected men: 250 men in Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan, and 243 white men in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, U.S. in 2002–2005. The Japanese had a less favorable profile of many risk factors than the whites. Prevalence ratio for the presence of coronary calcium score ≥10 in the Japanese compared to the whites was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.35, 0.76). Mean (SE) IMT was significantly lower in the Japanese (0.616 (0.005) versus 0.672 (0.005) mm, p<0.01). Both associations remained significant after adjusting for risk factors. The findings warrant further investigations. PMID:17244636

Immunopathological characterization of human cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions caused by Leishmania (Viannia) spp. in Amazonian Brazil.

PubMed

Castro Gomes, Cláudia Maria; Sousa, Maria Gloria Teixeira; Menezes, Joyce Prieto Bezerra; Batista, Marliane Campos; Lima, Ana Carolina Stocco; Belda, Walter; Bradshaw, Daniel; Gama, Monica Elinor Alves; Laurenti, Márcia Dalastra; Silveira, Fernando Tobias; Corbett, Carlos Eduardo Pereira

2017-05-01

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is a chronic infectious disease caused by different protozoan species of Leishmania, and it is endemic in both tropical and subtropical countries. Using immunohistochemistry, we investigate the density of CD68 + , lysozyme + , CD1a + , factor XIIIa + , CD4 + , CD8 + , CD56 + , interferon (IFN)-γ + , and inducible NO synthase (iNOS + ) cells. These cells were analyzed from 22 biopsy samples obtained from the lesions of ACL patients, whose infection was caused by Leishmania (Viannia) spp. Histopathological analysis showed dense mononuclear inflammatory infiltration in the dermis, which was composed of lymphocytes, macrophages, plasma cells, and discrete tissue parasitism. Granulomatous reactions were also present in the majority of cases. The density of the activated macrophages was higher than that of inactivated macrophages in the lesions. The density of Langerhans cells (CD1a + ) was lower than that of dermal dendrocytes (factor XIIIa + ). The density of CD8 + T lymphocytes was higher than that of CD4 + T lymphocytes. The cellular density of these immunological markers in relation to the species of Leishmania demonstrated that L. (Viannia) sp. lesions had higher IFN-γ expression than that Leishmania (Viania) braziliensis lesions. The evaluation of these markers, according to disease progression, did not reveal any significant differences. L. (Viannia) sp. infection leads to a favorable immune response in the host, as predominantly represented by lysozyme + , factor XIIIa + , CD8 + T cells, and the expression of (IFN)-γ + at the lesion site.

Source-to-sink transport of sugar and regulation by environmental factors

PubMed Central

Lemoine, Remi; Camera, Sylvain La; Atanassova, Rossitza; Dédaldéchamp, Fabienne; Allario, Thierry; Pourtau, Nathalie; Bonnemain, Jean-Louis; Laloi, Maryse; Coutos-Thévenot, Pierre; Maurousset, Laurence; Faucher, Mireille; Girousse, Christine; Lemonnier, Pauline; Parrilla, Jonathan; Durand, Mickael

2013-01-01

Source-to-sink transport of sugar is one of the major determinants of plant growth and relies on the efficient and controlled distribution of sucrose (and some other sugars such as raffinose and polyols) across plant organs through the phloem. However, sugar transport through the phloem can be affected by many environmental factors that alter source/sink relationships. In this paper, we summarize current knowledge about the phloem transport mechanisms and review the effects of several abiotic (water and salt stress, mineral deficiency, CO2, light, temperature, air, and soil pollutants) and biotic (mutualistic and pathogenic microbes, viruses, aphids, and parasitic plants) factors. Concerning abiotic constraints, alteration of the distribution of sugar among sinks is often reported, with some sinks as roots favored in case of mineral deficiency. Many of these constraints impair the transport function of the phloem but the exact mechanisms are far from being completely known. Phloem integrity can be disrupted (e.g., by callose deposition) and under certain conditions, phloem transport is affected, earlier than photosynthesis. Photosynthesis inhibition could result from the increase in sugar concentration due to phloem transport decrease. Biotic interactions (aphids, fungi, viruses…) also affect crop plant productivity. Recent breakthroughs have identified some of the sugar transporters involved in these interactions on the host and pathogen sides. The different data are discussed in relation to the phloem transport pathways. When possible, the link with current knowledge on the pathways at the molecular level will be highlighted. PMID:23898339

Cocoa Polyphenols: Evidence from Epidemiological Studies.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Chisa

2018-01-01

Accumulating evidence suggests potential preventive effects of chocolate/cocoa on the risk of cardio vascular disease (CVD). However, cocoa products also contain high levels of sugar and fat, which increase CVD risk factors. Even, the identity of the substance in chocolate/cocoa that has a favorable effect on CVD and CVD risk factors remains unclear, growing evidence from experimental studies suggests that cocoa polyphenols might be a major contributor to cardiovascular-protective effects. However, epidemiological studies, which are necessary to evaluate an association between the risk of CVD and cocoa polyphenol, remain sparse. We will discuss recent evidence regarding the association between cocoa polyphenol consumption and the risks of CVD and its risk factors by reviewing recent epidemiological studies. We shall also provide some guidance for patient counseling and will discuss the public health implications for recommending cocoa polyphenol consumption to prevent CVD. Epidemiological studies evaluating the association between cocoa polyphenol itself and the risk of CVD are sparse. However, evidence from limited epidemiological studies suggests that cocoa polyphenol consumption may lower the risk of CVD. Given the potential adverse effects of the consumption of cocoa products with high fat and sugar and the fact that the most appropriate dose of cocoa polyphenol for cardio-protective effects has not yet been established, health care providers should remain cautious about recommending cocoa/cocoa polyphenol consumption to their patients to reduce the risk of CVD, taking the characteristics of individual patients into careful consideration. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

A paradigm for understanding trust and mistrust in medical research: The Community VOICES study.

PubMed

Smirnoff, M; Wilets, I; Ragin, D F; Adams, R; Holohan, J; Rhodes, R; Winkel, G; Ricci, E M; Clesca, C; Richardson, L D

2018-01-01

To promote justice in research practice and rectify health disparities, greater diversity in research participation is needed. Lack of trust in medical research is one of the most significant obstacles to research participation. Multiple variables have been identified as factors associated with research participant trust/mistrust. A conceptual model that provides meaningful insight into the interplay of factors impacting trust may promote more ethical research practice and provide an enhanced, actionable understanding of participant mistrust. A structured survey was developed to capture attitudes toward research conducted in emergency situations; this article focuses on items designed to assess respondents' level of trust or mistrust in medical research in general. Community-based interviews were conducted in English or Spanish with 355 New York City residents (white 42%, African American 29%, Latino 22%). Generally favorable attitudes toward research were expressed by a majority (85.3%), but many respondents expressed mistrust. Factor analysis yielded four specific domains of trust/mistrust, each of which was associated with different demographic variables: general trustworthiness (older age, not disabled); perceptions of discrimination (African American, Latino, Spanish language preference); perceptions of deception (prior research experience, African American); and perceptions of exploitation (less education). The four domains identified in the analysis provide a framework for understanding specific areas of research trust/mistrust among disparate study populations. This model offers a conceptual basis for the design of tailored interventions that target specific groups to promote trust of individual researchers and research institutions as well as to facilitate broader research participation.

Source-to-sink transport of sugar and regulation by environmental factors.

PubMed

Lemoine, Remi; La Camera, Sylvain; Atanassova, Rossitza; Dédaldéchamp, Fabienne; Allario, Thierry; Pourtau, Nathalie; Bonnemain, Jean-Louis; Laloi, Maryse; Coutos-Thévenot, Pierre; Maurousset, Laurence; Faucher, Mireille; Girousse, Christine; Lemonnier, Pauline; Parrilla, Jonathan; Durand, Mickael

2013-01-01

Source-to-sink transport of sugar is one of the major determinants of plant growth and relies on the efficient and controlled distribution of sucrose (and some other sugars such as raffinose and polyols) across plant organs through the phloem. However, sugar transport through the phloem can be affected by many environmental factors that alter source/sink relationships. In this paper, we summarize current knowledge about the phloem transport mechanisms and review the effects of several abiotic (water and salt stress, mineral deficiency, CO2, light, temperature, air, and soil pollutants) and biotic (mutualistic and pathogenic microbes, viruses, aphids, and parasitic plants) factors. Concerning abiotic constraints, alteration of the distribution of sugar among sinks is often reported, with some sinks as roots favored in case of mineral deficiency. Many of these constraints impair the transport function of the phloem but the exact mechanisms are far from being completely known. Phloem integrity can be disrupted (e.g., by callose deposition) and under certain conditions, phloem transport is affected, earlier than photosynthesis. Photosynthesis inhibition could result from the increase in sugar concentration due to phloem transport decrease. Biotic interactions (aphids, fungi, viruses…) also affect crop plant productivity. Recent breakthroughs have identified some of the sugar transporters involved in these interactions on the host and pathogen sides. The different data are discussed in relation to the phloem transport pathways. When possible, the link with current knowledge on the pathways at the molecular level will be highlighted.

Environmental Monitoring of Endemic Cholera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ElNemr, W.; Jutla, A. S.; Constantin de Magny, G.; Hasan, N. A.; Islam, M.; Sack, R.; Huq, A.; Hashem, F.; Colwell, R.

2012-12-01

Cholera remains a major public health threat. Since Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the disease, is autochthonous to riverine, estuarine, and coastal waters, it is unlikely the bacteria can be eradicated from its natural habitat. Prediction of disease, in conjunction with preventive vaccination can reduce the prevalence rate of a disease. Understanding the influence of environmental parameters on growth and proliferation of bacteria is an essential first step in developing prediction methods for outbreaks. Large scale geophysical variables, such as SST and coastal chlorophyll, are often associated with conditions favoring growth of V. cholerae. However, local environmental factors, meaning biological activity in ponds from where the bulk of populations in endemic regions derive water for daily usage, are either neglected or oversimplified. Using data collected from several sites in two geographically distinct locations in South Asia, we have identified critical local environmental factors associated with cholera outbreak. Of 18 environmental variables monitored for water sources in Mathbaria (a coastal site near the Bay of Bengal) and Bakergonj (an inland site) of Bangladesh, water depth and chlorophyll were found to be important factors associated with initiation of cholera outbreaks. Cholera in coastal regions appears to be related to intrusion. However, monsoonal flooding creates conditions for cholera epidemics in inland regions. This may be one of the first attempts to relate in-situ environmental observations with cholera. We anticipate that it will be useful for further development of prediction models in the resource constrained regions.

Speech Cases Turned Aside by High Court

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Mark

2012-01-01

The U.S. Supreme Court declined without comment to take up two major appeals involving student free-speech rights on the Internet. One appeal encompassed two cases decided in favor of students last June by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, in Philadelphia. The other appeal stemmed from a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for…

Self-Discipline Gives Girls the Edge: Gender in Self-Discipline, Grades, and Achievement Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duckworth, Angela Lee; Seligman, Martin E. P.

2006-01-01

Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, girls earn higher grades than boys in all major subjects. Girls, however, do not out perform boys on achievement or IQ tests. To date, explanations for the underprediction of girls' GPAs by standardized tests have focused on gender differences favoring boys on such tests. The authors' investigation…