"They may be pixels, but they're MY pixels:" developing a metric of character attachment in role-playing video games.

PubMed

Lewis, Melissa L; Weber, René; Bowman, Nicholas David

2008-08-01

This paper proposes a new and reliable metric for measuring character attachment (CA), the connection felt by a video game player toward a video game character. Results of construct validity analyses indicate that the proposed CA scale has a significant relationship with self-esteem, addiction, game enjoyment, and time spent playing games; all of these relationships are predicted by theory. Additionally, CA levels for role-playing games differ significantly from CA levels of other character-driven games.

Exploring Play/Playfulness and Learning in the Adult and Higher Education Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanis, David J.

2012-01-01

Play and playfulness and their role in learning are researched extensively in early childhood education. However, as the child matures into an adult, play and playfulness are given less attention in the teaching and learning process. In adult education, there is very little research about play/playfulness and its significance for learning. Despite…

Role-play facilitates children's mindreading of those with atypical color perception.

PubMed

Furumi, Fumikazu; Koyasu, Masuo

2014-01-01

The present study examined the effects of role-play experience on children's mindreading ability. Forty-one primary school children (20 boys, 21 girls, mean age: 9.37 years, range: 8-11 years) were introduced to a communication task in which the use of mindreading was essential. During each trial, participants viewed a shelf, presented on a laptop, which contained several familiar objects, and they were instructed to touch an object on the shelf following an order issued by a "manager" who stood at the opposite side of the shelf. There were two managers: one was a monkey manager with normal color vision, and the other was a dog manager with restricted color vision. The monkey manager could see all the objects in the same colors as the participants, whereas the dog manager saw some objects in different colors. Participants were required to respond according to the manager's instruction. In the restricted color vision condition, the dog manager saw the colors of objects differently; thus, participants had to work out his intentions, according to his different perspective. In the normal color vision condition, all objects were in the same colors as those seen by the monkey manager. Before the test phase, participants in the role-play group were provided a role-play experience in which they assumed the role of the dog manager with restricted color vision. The experimental data were analyzed using a 2 × 2 mixed-design ANOVA (role-play condition × communication partner condition) to examine differences in the error rate. Both main effects and its interaction were significant. According to the post-hoc analyses, participants in the no-role-play condition made significantly more errors in the restricted color vision condition than in the normal color vision condition, whereas no such difference was found among participants in the role-play condition. These results suggest that role-play experience could facilitate mindreading of characters with restricted color vision.

Civic Professionalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyte, Harry C.; Fretz, Eric

2010-01-01

The authors assert that higher education has a significant role to play in the reinvigoration of American democracy, and that narrow specialization of academic interests, technocratic practices and assumptions, and privatizing values throughout colleges and universities limit the ability of higher education to play this role. These dynamics also…

What's in a Name: Exposing Gender Bias in Student Ratings of Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacNell, Lillian; Driscoll, Adam; Hunt, Andrea N.

2015-01-01

Student ratings of teaching play a significant role in career outcomes for higher education instructors. Although instructor gender has been shown to play an important role in influencing student ratings, the extent and nature of that role remains contested. While difficult to separate gender from teaching practices in person, it is possible to…

Development of the Contextual Assessment of Social Skills (CASS): a role play measure of social skill for individuals with high-functioning autism.

PubMed

Ratto, Allison B; Turner-Brown, Lauren; Rupp, Betty M; Mesibov, Gary B; Penn, David L

2011-09-01

This study piloted a role play assessment of conversational skills for adolescents and young adults with high-functioning autism/Asperger syndrome (HFA/AS). Participants completed two semi-structured role plays, in which social context was manipulated by changing the confederate's level of interest in the conversation. Participants' social behavior was rated via a behavioral coding system, and performance was compared across contexts and groups. An interaction effect was found for several items, whereby control participants showed significant change across context, while participants with HFA/AS showed little or no change. Total change across contexts was significantly correlated with related social constructs and significantly predicted ASD. The findings are discussed in terms of the potential utility of the CASS in the evaluation of social skill.

Macroeconomic conditions and health: Inspecting the transmission mechanism.

PubMed

Colombo, Emilio; Rotondi, Valentina; Stanca, Luca

2018-02-01

We study the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and self-reported health in a large sample of Italian individuals, focusing on the mediating role played by health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, eating habits) and economic stress. Our findings indicate that, overall, higher local unemployment is negatively related to individuals' health conditions. A one percentage point increase in the province-level unemployment rate is associated with a significant increase in the probability of experiencing diabetes (0.03 percentage points), infarction (0.01), ulcer (0.06), cirrhosis (0.01) and nervous disorders (0.07), with a time lag that differs across individual health conditions. Employment status and educational level play a significant role as moderators of these relationships. Eating habits, in addition to economic stress, play a key role as mediators, by enhancing the negative relationship between macroeconomic conditions and health outcomes, while physical exercise is found to play a dampening role. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Teaching communication skills to hospice teams: comparing the effectiveness of a communication skills laboratory with in-person, second life, and phone role-playing.

PubMed

Hamilton, Gillian; Ortega, Rosio; Hochstetler, Vicki; Pierson, Kristen; Lin, Peiyi; Lowes, Susan

2014-09-01

Communication skills are critical in hospice care but challenging to teach. Therefore, a hospice agency developed a communication skills laboratory for nurses and social workers. Learners role-played 3 common hospice scenarios. The role-play modalities were in-person, Second Life, and telephone. Learners were scored on 4 communication aspects. Learners in all modalities rated the laboratory as very effective. However, learners in the Second Life and phone modality showed greater improvements from scene 1 to 3 than those in the in-person modality. There were no significant differences in improvement between the Second Life and phone modalities. Results support the effectiveness of this communication skills laboratory while using different teaching modalities and show phone and Second Life role-plays were more effective than an in-person role-play. © The Author(s) 2013.

Porosity Evolution in a Creeping Single Crystal (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

1] indicated that the growth of initially present processing induced voids in a nickel based single crystal superalloy played a significant role in...processing induced voids in a nickel based single crystal superalloy played a significant role in limiting creep life. Also, creep tests on single...experimental observations of creep deformation and failure of a nickel based single crystal superalloy, [1, 2]. Metallographic observations have shown that Ni

Trends in Video Game Play through Childhood, Adolescence, and Emerging Adulthood

PubMed Central

Ream, Geoffrey L.; Elliott, Luther C.; Dunlap, Eloise

2013-01-01

This study explored the relationship between video gaming and age during childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. It also examined whether “role incompatibility,” the theory that normative levels of substance use decrease through young adulthood as newly acquired adult roles create competing demands, generalizes to video gaming. Emerging adult video gamers (n = 702) recruited from video gaming contexts in New York City completed a computer-assisted personal interview and life-history calendar. All four video gaming indicators—days/week played, school/work day play, nonschool/work day play, and problem play—had significant curvilinear relationships with age. The “shape” of video gaming's relationship with age is, therefore, similar to that of substance use, but video gaming appears to peak earlier in life than substance use, that is, in late adolescence rather than emerging adulthood. Of the four video gaming indicators, role incompatibility only significantly affected school/work day play, the dimension with the clearest potential to interfere with life obligations. PMID:24236277

Influence of temperature on acid-stress adaptation in Listeria monocytogenes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Several factors play critical roles in controlling the induction of acid-stress adaptation in L. monocytogenes. Our findings show that temperature plays a significant role in the induction of acid-stress adaptation in Listeria monocytogenes and two distinct patterns were observed: (I) Presence of su...

Understanding protein synthesis: a role-play approach in large undergraduate human anatomy and physiology classes.

PubMed

Sturges, Diana; Maurer, Trent W; Cole, Oladipo

2009-06-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of role play in a large undergraduate science class. The targeted population consisted of 298 students enrolled in 2 sections of an undergraduate Human Anatomy and Physiology course taught by the same instructor. The section engaged in the role-play activity served as the study group, whereas the section presented with a traditional lecture served as the control group. A pretest/posttest assessment and a survey were administered to both sections and used in data analysis. In addition, overall test scores and item analysis were examined. The analysis revealed that participants in both groups improved significantly from pretest to posttest, but there were no significant differences between the groups in posttest scores. Neither group showed a significant change from posttest to the exam. However, there was a moderate positive effect on engagement and satisfaction survey questions from being in the study group (based on 255 total surveys returned by both groups). The role-play activity was at least as effective as the lecture in terms of student performance on the above-mentioned assessments. In addition, it proved successful in engaging students in the learning process and increasing their satisfaction.

On whether mirror neurons play a significant role in processing affective prosody.

PubMed

Ramachandra, Vijayachandra

2009-02-01

Several behavioral and neuroimaging studies have indicated that both right and left cortical structures and a few subcortical ones are involved in processing affective prosody. Recent investigations have shown that the mirror neuron system plays a crucial role in several higher-level functions such as empathy, theory of mind, language, etc., but no studies so far link the mirror neuron system with affective prosody. In this paper is a speculation that the mirror neuron system, which serves as a common neural substrate for different higher-level functions, may play a significant role in processing affective prosody via its connections with the limbic lobe. Actual research must apply electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques to assess whether the mirror neuron systems underly affective prosody in humans.

The Role of c-FLIP(L) in Regulating Apoptotic Pathways in Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

which regulates gene expression 3. c-Fos has been shown to play an important role in development, inflammation and oncogenic processes. For example...important role in development, inflammation and oncogenic processes. For example, TNF-family induction of c-Fos plays an important role in proper bone c...identifying the down-stream targets of c-Fos has significant implications in understanding of normal development, inflammation and oncogenesis (10). In

Safety in Numbers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Dennis

2017-01-01

Many people are not aware of how significant a role two-year institutions play in training emergency first responders. Community colleges play a key role in training the nation's police officers and other public safety employees, such as firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). The demand for these programs is high. There is a…

Reusable, Lifelike Virtual Humans for Mentoring and Role-Playing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Edward M.

2007-01-01

Lifelike, interactive digital characters, serving as mentors and role-playing actors, have been shown to significantly improve learner motivation and retention. However, the cost of modeling such characters, authoring and editing their interactions, and delivering them over limited-bandwidth connections can be prohibitive. This paper describes a…

Support for Palestinians among Jewish Americans: The Importance of Education and Contact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dessel, Adrienne B.; Abu Ahmad, Manal Yazbak; Dembo, Robert; Ben Hagai, Ella

2017-01-01

The violent and protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues, and Jewish Americans play a significant role in influencing related US foreign policy as well as in promoting positive interactions with Palestinians globally. Diaspora populations have played an important role in international peace processes and American Jews are actively…

Development of Confidence in Child Behavior Management through Role Playing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kress, Gerard C., Jr.; Ehrlichs, Melvin A.

1990-01-01

In a preclinical course in pediatric dentistry, 76 students were taught child behavior management through role playing of 7-10 common management situations. Pre- and postcourse measures of student confidence found that, although older students were more confident, all gained significantly from the training. Other student characteristics were also…

Free-play behavior of atypical children: an approach to assessment.

PubMed

Clune, C; Paolella, J M; Foley, J M

1979-03-01

Children's free-play behavior and its relationship to IQ and usefulness in assessing severely disturbed children were investigated. The results indicated that (1) the play of 100 normal children scored for quality and time generally yielded significant positive correlations with Binet and WPPSI IQs; (2) the correlations remained the same when verbalizations were deleted from the play protocols; (3) the play scores for 16 severely disturbed boys significantly differentiated two subgroups differing in degree of pathology, showed significant improvement from the pre- to posttreatment periods, and indicated pretreatment scores were significantly and positively correlated with improvement assessed by observer ratings in a 2-year follow-up. Implications for the use of this measure in assessment and the role of play in development were discussed.

Students with autism spectrum disorder in the university context: peer acceptance predicts intention to volunteer.

PubMed

Gardiner, Emily; Iarocci, Grace

2014-05-01

With growing numbers of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) entering post-secondary institutions, strategies are needed to facilitate the social integration of these students. The goal of this study was to examine the role of various factors in university students’ acceptance of, and intention to volunteer with, a peer with ASD. Both contact quantity and quality emerged as significant predictors of acceptance; however, for those who had experienced direct contact with individuals with ASD, only perceived quality emerged as significant. Moreover, acceptance played a significant role in participants’ likelihood of signing up to volunteer. These findings point to the central role that positive experiences play in attitude formation for this population.

Learning through Play: Portraits, Photoshop, and Visual Literacy Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honeyford, Michelle A.; Boyd, Karen

2015-01-01

Play has a significant role in language and literacy learning. However, even when valued in schools, opportunities for play are limited beyond early childhood education. This study of an after-school program for adolescents looks closely at several forms of play that students engaged in to produce self-portraits. The study suggests that play and…

Role-Playing Game Based Assessment to Fractional Concept in Second Grade Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Fu-Yuan; Hsieh, Mei-Ling

2017-01-01

This study developed a set of Role-playing game (RPG), which was used to explore whether significant differences exist in academic performance and learning attitudes between RPG-based assessment and traditional lectures. This study also investigated the satisfaction of students toward the RPG scenario. Research participants included 100 second…

The Psychology of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rangaswamy, A.; Balasubramanian, P.; Nirmala, R. Sweety

2007-01-01

Psychology plays a significant role in the life of each and every human being. Starting from childhood, if psychology of learning is utilized positively it would play a vital role in the building up of a bright career of a child. The explosion of information technology has been exercising far reaching influence on the area of educational…

University Faculty Describe Their Use of Moving Images in Teaching and Learning and Their Perceptions of the Library's Role in That Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otto, Jane Johnson

2014-01-01

The moving image plays a significant role in teaching and learning; faculty in a variety of disciplines consider it a crucial component of their coursework. Yet little has been written about how faculty identify, obtain, and use these resources and what role the library plays. This study, which engaged teaching faculty in a dialogue with library…

Adolescent cybervictimization - Who they turn to and their perceived school climate.

PubMed

Veiga Simão, A M; Ferreira, P Costa; Freire, I; Caetano, A P; Martins, M J; Vieira, C

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to understand how adolescent cybervictims perceive their school climate and whether telling school community members, such as teachers, play a significant role in these perceptions. Another objective was to understand whether age and gender played a significant role in the relation between whom cybervictims told and their perceived school climate. The Cybervictims Scale for Adolescents and Children and the Perceived School Climate Scale were applied to 3525 Portuguese students of whom 218 were cybervictims attending 6th, 8th , and 11th grades. Results showed that even though adolescent cybervictims reported cybervictimization more to friends and parents, those who told teachers about their experience, tended to report more positive perceptions of their school climate. Gender and age did not play a significant role in the relationship between cybervictimization and perceived school climate. Implications of the findings are discussed with regards to the role of teachers and in-service training in preventing cyberbullying. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Henry Carmichael [1796 to 1862]: Australia's Pioneer Adult Educator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Roger K.

2016-01-01

This paper outlines the important role that Henry Carmichael played in the foundation of adult education in Australia. He was the driving force in the foundation and early success of the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts. He also played a very significant role in the establishment of public schooling. His wide interest in educational thought is…

Learning Strategies and Learner Attitudes in the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Cube World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goh, Shu Li

2016-01-01

The rapid progress of technology has revolutionized learning and in the field of computer assisted language learning, the use of digital games has expanded significantly. One type of game that has been attracting interest is massively multiplayer online role-playing games (henceforth MMORPGs). Recent research has drawn attention to the potential…

Canadian Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions of Gender Differences in Shy Girls and Boys in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akseer, Tabasum; Bosacki, Sandra L.; Rose-Krasnor, Linda; Coplan, Robert J.

2014-01-01

Shyness may play a significant role in children's socio-emotional and cognitive competence in the classroom. This qualitative study investigated elementary school teachers' perceptions of the concept of shyness in their students. In particular, we explored teachers' perceptions regarding the role that gender plays in shy children's behaviours, and…

The Use of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games in CALL: An Analysis of Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Mark

2016-01-01

Contemporary CALL research reflects renewed interest in digital games. One aspect of this phenomenon namely, use of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), has expanded significantly, highlighting the need for a review. This paper analyzes findings from 10 learner-based studies that draw on accounts of SLA informed by cognitive…

Personality Correlates of Self-Report, Role-Playing, and In Vivo Measures of Assertiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Samuel B.; And Others

1979-01-01

Undergraduates completed self-report inventories of assertiveness, participated in behavior role-playing tasks and in vivo measures of assertiveness, and completed the Personality Research Form E (PRF-E). Of 22 PRF-E scales, 11 had at least one significant correlation with assertiveness measures. Some composites of PRF-E scales were related to…

Transforming the World in Which We Live: Laureate's Transnational Civic Learning Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plater, William M.

2017-01-01

Higher education serves as an agent of social change that plays a significant role in the development of socially conscious and engaged students. The duty higher education has toward society, the role for-profit educational institutions play in enhancing the public good, and the prospect of making social change an element of these providers'…

Let's 'play' with molecular pharmacology.

PubMed

Choudhury, Supriyo; Pradhan, Richeek; Sengupta, Gairik; Das, Manisha; Chatterjee, Manojit; Roy, Ranendra Kumar; Chatterjee, Suparna

2015-01-01

Understanding concepts of molecular mechanisms of drug action involves sequential visualization of physiological processes and drug effects, a task that can be difficult at an undergraduate level. Role-play is a teaching-learning methodology whereby active participation of students as well as clear visualization of the phenomenon is used to convey complex physiological concepts. However, its use in teaching drug action, a process that demands understanding of a second level of complexity over the physiological process, has not been investigated. We hypothesized that role-play can be an effective and well accepted method for teaching molecular pharmacology. In an observational study, students were guided to perform a role-play on a selected topic involving drug activity. Students' gain in knowledge was assessed comparing validated pre- and post-test questionnaires as well as class average normalized gain. The acceptance of role-play among undergraduate medical students was evaluated by Likert scale analysis and thematic analysis of their open-ended written responses. Significant improvement in knowledge (P < 0.001) was noted in the pre- to post-test knowledge scores, while a high gain in class average normalized score was evident. In Likert scale analysis, most students (93%) expressed that role-play was an acceptable way of teaching. In a thematic analysis, themes of both strengths and weaknesses of the session emerged. Role-play can be effectively utilized while teaching selected topics of molecular pharmacology in undergraduate medical curricula.

Time perspective as a predictor of massive multiplayer online role-playing game playing.

PubMed

Lukavska, Katerina

2012-01-01

This article focuses on the relationship between the time perspective (TP) personality trait and massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) playing. We investigate the question of frequency of playing. The TP was measured with Zimbardo's TP Inventory (ZTPI), which includes five factors-past negative, past positive, present hedonistic, present fatalistic, and future. The study used data from 154 MMORPG players. We demonstrated that TP partially explained differences within a group of players with respect to the frequency of playing. Significant positive correlations were found between present factors and the amount of time spent playing MMORPGs, and significant negative correlation was found between the future factor and the time spent playing MMORPGs. Our study also revealed the influence of future-present balance on playing time. Players who scored lower in future-present balance variables (their present score was relatively high compared with their future score) reported higher values in playing time. In contrast to referential studies on TP and drug abuse and gambling, present fatalistic TP was demonstrated to be a stronger predictor of extensive playing than present hedonistic TP, which opened the question of motivation for playing. The advantage of our study compared with other personality-based studies lies in the fact that TP is a stable but malleable personality trait with a direct link to playing behavior. Therefore, TP is a promising conceptual resource for excessive playing therapy.

Student Voices about the Role Feedback Plays in the Enhancement of Their Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plank, Christine; Dixon, Helen; Ward, Gillian

2014-01-01

If feedback is to be framed as purposeful dialogue then both students and teachers have significant roles to play. Students must be willing and able to provide feedback to teachers not only about their learning needs but also about the teaching they experience. In turn, teachers must create the conditions that support active student learning and…

Socio-Politico--Pedagogical Problems of Language Teaching in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omoniyi, Ayeomoni Moses

2012-01-01

The languages spoken in Nigeria do not only play significant roles in the socio-political life of the country, but also help in no small measure to unify or integrate the country that is so much diverse in all spheres of life. In realizing these multiplicity of roles the languages play in the country, the Government instituted and enacted a policy…

The role of high level play as a predictor social functioning in autism.

PubMed

Manning, Margaret M; Wainwright, Laurel D

2010-05-01

Play and social abilities of a group of children diagnosed with high functioning autism were compared to a second group diagnosed with a variety of developmental language disorders (DLD). The children with autism engaged in fewer acts of high level play. The children with autism also had significantly lower social functioning than the DLD group early in the play session; however, these differences were no longer apparent by the end of the play session. In addition, a significant association existed between play and social functioning regardless of diagnosis. This suggests that play may act as a current indicator of social ability while providing an arena for social skills practice.

Exploring employment readiness through mock job interview and workplace role-play exercises: comparing youth with physical disabilities to their typically developing peers.

PubMed

Lindsay, Sally; McDougall, Carolyn; Sanford, Robyn; Menna-Dack, Dolly; Kingsnorth, Shauna; Adams, Tracey

2015-01-01

To assess performance differences in a mock job interview and workplace role-play exercise for youth with disabilities compared to their typically developing peers. We evaluated a purposive sample of 31 youth (15 with a physical disability and 16 typically developing) on their performance (content and delivery) in employment readiness role-play exercises. Our findings show significant differences between youth with disabilities compared to typically developing peers in several areas of the mock interview content (i.e. responses to the questions: "tell me about yourself", "how would you provide feedback to someone not doing their share" and a problem-solving scenario question) and delivery (i.e. voice clarity and mean latency). We found no significant differences in the workplace role-play performances of youth with and without disabilities. Youth with physical disabilities performed poorer in some areas of a job interview compared to their typically developing peers. They could benefit from further targeted employment readiness training. Clinicians should: Coach youth with physical disability on how to "sell" their abilities to potential employers and encourage youth to get involved in volunteer activities and employment readiness training programs. Consider using mock job interviews and other employment role-play exercises as assessment and training tools for youth with physical disabilities. Involve speech pathologists in the development of employment readiness programs that address voice clarity as a potential delivery issue.

Medical students' perspective about role-plays as a teaching strategy in community medicine.

PubMed

Manzoor, Iram; Mukhtar, Fatima; Hashmi, Noreen Rahat

2012-04-01

To assess the students' perspective about role-plays conducted as a teaching methodology in community medicine. A quasi-experimental study. Department of Community Medicine at Fatima Memorial College of Medicine and Dentistry from July to November 2010. A probability technique of simple random sampling was used to collect 63 students from the third and fourth year MBBS who were randomly distributed in five sub-groups. They were variously ascribed the roles of obsceners, participants and helpers. A questionnaire was distributed to collect student's responses. The data was analyzed on SPSS version 17 to compare the responses. Chi-square test was applied and p-value was fixed at < 0.05 as significant. Sixty-three students were selected as participants of this study in which 46 belonged to the fourth year MBBS class (73%) and 17 were third year MBBS students (27%). There were 13 male (20.6%) and 50 female (79.4%) students. Role-plays were identified as most effective method of teaching (n = 25, 37.9%) followed by lectures (n = 17, 25.8%, p = 0.054). Fifty-two students (78.5%) admitted that role-plays improved their knowledge of the subject, 55 (84.6%) said that it will help them in their clinical performance. Fifty-nine participants (89.4%) found role-plays interesting and 49 (74.2%) wanted to incorporate role-plays as a part of curriculum. Fifty-six of the participants (88.9%) agreed that role-plays improved their communication skills. Twenty-one participants (31.8%) believed that it helped them in making acquaintance with the local situation. Forty-six students (76.7%) identified role-plays as a feasible way of andragogy (p = 0.005) and 48 (76.2%) said that it provoked critical thinking about the subject (p = 0.038). Fifty-four students (85.7%) admitted that their attention span was better in role-plays as compared to lectures (p = 0.047). Role-plays were well accepted by the students as an effective teaching methodology and can be incorporated as a part of teaching strategies in Community Medicine.

Investigation of 2-Dimensional Isotropy of Under-Ice Roughness in the Beaufort Gyre and Implications for Mixed Layer Ocean Turbulence

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

this roughness is important for numerical modeling and prediction of the Arctic air-ice-ocean system, which will play a significant role as the US Navy...is important for numerical modeling and prediction of the Arctic air-ice-ocean system, which will play a significant role as the US Navy increases... Model 1 is based on a sequence of plane parallel layers each with a constant gradient whereas Model 2 is based on a series of flat layers of

The Role of Discourse Signaling Cues in Second Language Listening Comprehension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Euen Hyuk (Sarah)

2003-01-01

Demonstrates that cues play a significant role in second language listening comprehension and provides additional empirical support for their beneficial effect. Found that the absence of cues appeared to contribute significantly to the miscomprehension of information in a lecture. (Author/VWL)

Grief and the Role of the Inner Representation of the Deceased.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marwit, Samuel J.; Klass, Dennis

1995-01-01

Studied whether memories of deceased play active roles in ongoing lives of survivors. Seventy-one people described a significant death. Four roles were reliably identified and labeled role model, situation specific guidance, values clarification, and remembrance formation. Role adoption was predicted by closeness of relationship and suddenness of…

An Inquiry into the Selection and Spiritual Formation of Catholic Public School Lay Principals in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domfeh-Boateng, Joseph

2011-01-01

The teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the role of the laity in the Church has re-awakened a renewed participation of the laity in the evangelizing mission of the Church. The lay faithful are now occupying a number of significant positions in the Church and are playing various leadership roles once exclusively played by the clergy and…

A Novel Ras Effector Pathway Found to Play Significant Role in Tumor Suppression | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer; photo by Richard Frederickson, Staff Photographer Normal cells have mechanisms to prevent the development of cancer. Among these is a type of tumor suppressor mechanism known as oncogene-induced senescence, or OIS, which halts the uncontrolled growth of cells caused by mutations in oncogenes. The oncogene Ras plays a crucial role in inducing OIS

MOTHER-CHILD AND FATHER-CHILD PLAY INTERACTION: THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTAL PLAYFULNESS AS A MODERATOR OF THE LINKS BETWEEN PARENTAL BEHAVIOR AND CHILD NEGATIVITY.

PubMed

Menashe-Grinberg, Atara; Atzaba-Poria, Naama

2017-11-01

Based on the premise that father-child play is an important context for children's development and that fathers "specialize" in play, similarities and differences in the role of playfulness in the father-child and mother-child relationship were examined. Participants in this study included 111 families (children's age: 1-3 years). Father-child and mother-child play interactions were videotaped and coded for parental playfulness, sensitivity, structuring, and nonintrusiveness as well as child negativity. Results indicated that mothers and fathers did not differ in playfulness and that mothers and fathers who were higher in playfulness had children with lower levels of negativity. However, playfulness differently moderated the links between parents' and children's behaviors for mothers and fathers. A double-risk pattern was found for mothers, such that the links between child negativity and maternal sensitivity, structuring, and nonintrusiveness were significant only for the subgroup of mothers with low levels of playfulness. When mothers had high levels of playfulness, these effects were negligible. For fathers, a double-buffer pattern was revealed, indicating that the links between child negativity and paternal sensitivity and structuring were significant only for fathers with high levels of playfulness. When fathers had low levels of playfulness, these effects were negligible. These findings demonstrate the important role that parental playfulness has on parent-child interaction as well as the need to examine moderation patterns separately for fathers and mothers. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Motivations to play specifically predict excessive involvement in massively multiplayer online role-playing games: evidence from an online survey.

PubMed

Zanetta Dauriat, Francesca; Zermatten, Ariane; Billieux, Joël; Thorens, Gabriel; Bondolfi, Guido; Zullino, Daniele; Khazaal, Yasser

2011-01-01

Several studies have linked massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) with possible problematic usage or internet addiction. The main goal of the present study was to assess links between motivations to play in MMORPGs and addictive involvement in such types of games. A total of 696 gamers responded to an online survey. Five distinct motivations to play were identified in gamers: achievement, socializing, immersion, relaxing and escaping. Multiple regression analysis revealed that addictive MMORPG use patterns are predicted by achievement, escapism and socializing motives. Gender was also a significant predictor of problematic involvement in MMORPGs. Moreover, addictive MMORPG use positively correlated with the weekly time devoted to playing MMORPGs. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A comparative study of the effect of triage training by role-playing and educational video on the knowledge and performance of emergency medical service staffs in Iran.

PubMed

Aghababaeian, Hamidreza; Sedaghat, Soheila; Tahery, Noorallah; Moghaddam, Ali Sadeghi; Maniei, Mohammad; Bahrami, Nosrat; Ahvazi, Ladan Araghi

2013-12-01

Educating emergency medical staffs in triage skills is an important aspect of disaster preparedness. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of role-playing and educational video presentation on the learning and performance of the emergency medical service staffs in Khozestan, Iran A total of 144 emergency technicians were randomly classified into two groups. A researcher trained the first group using an educational video method and the second group with a role-playing method. Data were collected before, immediately, and 15 days after training using a questionnaire covering the three domains of demographic information, triage knowledge, and triage performance. The data were analyzed using defined knowledge and performance parameters. There was no significant difference between the two training methods on performance and immediate knowledge (P = .2), lasting knowledge (P=.05) and immediate performance (P = .35), but there was a statistical advantage for the role-playing method on lasting performance (P = .02). The two educational methods equally increase knowledge and performance, but the role-playing method may have a more desirable and lasting effect on performance.

Strategic interactions: Games of the Ju|'hoan.

PubMed

de Voogt, Alex

2017-12-01

Three strategic games played by the Ju|'hoan-a board, a card, and a gesture game-complicate the rhetorics that suggest an evolutionary or psychological significance of play. They are mostly played by adults, although every individual adult does not necessarily engage in each game. The Ju|'hoan card and board game practices were transmitted through contact across large parts of Botswana and Namibia, while the gesture game n!àì has been known in other San communities. It suggests that the significance of strategic games is more likely found in its potential for social interaction (i.e., allowing to overcome cultural divides) than in evolution and psychology. Within the anthropological literature, strategy games were thought to be absent in egalitarian societies, such as that of the Ju|'hoan. Here, the roles of power, competition, and winning were thought to be disruptive and unwanted. A closer examination of the details behind the Ju|'hoan games shows that not only were strategy games adopted and adapted from neighboring societies but that the game of n!àì was developed by the Ju|'hoan into a competitive one. The evolutionary or psychological significance of play is informed by studies on individual play, children's play, and games with informal rules. When considering strategic games throughout history, it is their role of facilitator rather than the playing practice itself that makes games relevant across languages, cultural divides, and sociopolitical boundaries.

SMMR-SSM/I derived Greenland Sea ice variability: links with Indian and Korean Monsoons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabhu, Amita; Oh, Jaiho; Kim, In-won; Kripalani, R. H.; Pandithurai, G.

2018-02-01

Greenland Sea ice area (GRESIA) in boreal autumn and its association with the subsequent summer monsoon rainfall over India and South Korea is assessed for the period 1983-2013. It is found that GRESIA in the month of October has a significant positive relation (correlation coefficient (cc) = 0.45) with the subsequent Indian monsoon rainfall (IMR) while having a significant negative relation (cc = -0.40) with the ensuing Korean monsoon rainfall (KMR). GRESIA episodes in the preceding autumn impact the ensuing summer monsoon rainfall over India (South Korea) adversely (favourably). While central Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) play a mediating role in transmitting the GRESIA signal towards the Indian subcontinent, snow over eastern Eurasia, just north of the Korea-Japan peninsula, plays a mediating role in transmitting the GRESIA signal towards the Korean peninsula. Although, the anomalies of equatorial central Pacific SSTs and eastern Eurasian snow play a crucial role in modulating IMR and KMR respectively, the GRESIA variability also plays a dominant role in modulating the monsoon variability over both the regions. Thus, a combination of autumn GRESIA along with SSTs over the central Pacific and snow over the eastern Eurasia, may possibly serve as a unique precursor to presage Asia's two diverse regional subsystems.

Netrin-1 guides inflammatory cell migration to control mucosal immune responses during intestinal inflammation

PubMed Central

Aherne, Carol M.; Collins, Colm B.; Eltzschig, Holger K.

2013-01-01

The intestinal epithelium is a dynamic barrier playing an active role in intestinal homeostasis and inflammation. Intestinal barrier function is dysregulated during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with epithelial cells playing a significant part in generating an inflammatory milieu through the release of signals that attract leukocytes to the intestinal lamina propria. However, it is increasingly appreciated that the intestinal epithelium mediates a counterbalancing response to drive resolution. Drawing analogies with neuronal development, where the balance of chemoattractive and chemorepellent signals is key to directed neuronal movement it has been postulated that such secreted cues play a role in leukocyte migration. Netrin-1 is one of the best-described neuronal guidance molecules, which has been shown to play a significant role in directed migration of leukocytes. Prior to our study the potential role of netrin-1 in IBD was poorly characterized. We defined netrin-1 as an intestinal epithelial-derived protein capable of limiting neutrophil recruitment to attenuate acute colitis. Our study highlights that the intestinal epithelium releases factors during acute inflammation that are responsible for fine-tuning the immune response. Exploration of these epithelial-mediated protective mechanisms will shed light on the complexity of the intestinal epithelial barrier in health and disease. PMID:24665394

More Than the Win: The Relation between Appetitive Competition Motivation, Socialization, and Gender Role Orientation in Women's Football.

PubMed

Meyer-Parlapanis, Danie; Siefert, Sabrina; Weierstall, Roland

2017-01-01

The ability to produce peak performance plays a decisive role in the success of athletes in competitive contest situations. Levels of appetitive competition motivation (ACM), i.e., the desire to defeat an opponent independent of secondary reinforcing factors, were assessed in professional female football/soccer players in the premier and regional leagues, using club level as the measurement of sport success. Furthermore, the influence of social environments predominantly encouraging masculine and competitive play behavior and the players' perceptions of their own gender role orientations were investigated. Ninety female football players from the German premier league (44) and regional leagues (46) participated (age: M = 24, SD = 5 years). Questionnaires ascertaining ACM and self-perceptions of gender via gender-role stereotypes, childhood play behavior and style of upbringing were utilized. Premier league athletes showed a significantly greater inclination toward direct sporting confrontations. Almost 50% of the variance in ACM between the premier and regional league athletes was determined by modern upbringing style and the development of gender roles not corresponding to classic female gender stereotypes. The results emphasize the significance of ACM as an important facet in competitive sports and illustrate the influence of socialization on athletic performance.

[The Role of Membrane-Bound Heat Shock Proteins Hsp90 in Migration of Tumor Cells in vitro and Involvement of Cell Surface Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in Protein Binding to Plasma Membrane].

PubMed

Snigireva, A V; Vrublevskaya, V V; Skarga, Y Y; Morenkov, O S

2016-01-01

Heat shock protein Hsp90, detected in the extracellular space and on the membrane of cells, plays an important role in cell motility, migration, invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. At present, the functional role and molecular mechanisms of Hsp90 binding to plasma membrane are not elucidated. Using isoform-specific antibodies against Hsp90, Hsp9α and Hsp90β, we showed that membrane-bound Hsp90α and Hsp90β play a significant role in migration of human fibrosarcoma (HT1080) and glioblastoma (A-172) cells in vitro. Disorders of sulfonation of cell heparan sulfates, cleavage of cell heparan. sulfates by heparinase I/III as well as treatment of cells with heparin lead to an abrupt reduction in the expression level of Hsp90 isoforms. Furthermore, heparin significantly inhibits tumor cell migration. The results obtained demonstrate that two isoforms of membrane-bound Hsp90 are involved in migration of tumor cells in vitro and that cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans play a pivotal role in the "anchoring" of Hsp90α and Hsp90β to the plasma membrane.

The liver in regulation of iron homeostasis.

PubMed

Rishi, Gautam; Subramaniam, V Nathan

2017-09-01

The liver is one of the largest and most functionally diverse organs in the human body. In addition to roles in detoxification of xenobiotics, digestion, synthesis of important plasma proteins, gluconeogenesis, lipid metabolism, and storage, the liver also plays a significant role in iron homeostasis. Apart from being the storage site for excess body iron, it also plays a vital role in regulating the amount of iron released into the blood by enterocytes and macrophages. Since iron is essential for many important physiological and molecular processes, it increases the importance of liver in the proper functioning of the body's metabolism. This hepatic iron-regulatory function can be attributed to the expression of many liver-specific or liver-enriched proteins, all of which play an important role in the regulation of iron homeostasis. This review focuses on these proteins and their known roles in the regulation of body iron metabolism. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Managers' roles in the professional growth of Iranian clinical nurses.

PubMed

Rahimaghaee, Flora; Nayeri, Nahid Dehghan; Mohammadi, Eesa

2010-12-01

Any progressive organization should consider investing in its clinical nurses' professional growth if it desires to survive and succeed in offering care. Managers play a significant role in facilitating clinical nurses' professional growth. A content analysis study was conducted with 20 clinical nurses and managers in Iran in order to describe how they experienced managers' roles in relation to their professional growth. They believed that managers played two major roles in their professional growth process: motivating and inhibiting. From the participants' point of view, managers, through supporting, encouraging, and valuing staff and creating opportunities for learning, played a facilitating role in their professional growth. But, whenever the staff did not receive this support, they became discouraged and did not make any progress. The results can be used to improve management and, consequently, to enhance the professional growth of staff. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Insulin: its Role in the Central Control of Reproduction

PubMed Central

Sliwowska, Joanna H.; Fergani, Chrysanthi; Gawałek, Monika; Skowronska, Bogda; Fichna, Piotr; Lehman, Michael N.

2014-01-01

Insulin has long been recognized as a key regulator of energy homeostasis via its actions at the level of the brain, but in addition, plays a role in regulating neural control of reproduction. In this review, we consider and compare evidence from animal models demonstrating a role for insulin for physiological control of reproduction by effects on GnRH/LH secretion. We also review the role that insulin plays in prenatal programming of adult reproduction, and consider specific candidate neurons in the adult hypothalamus by which insulin may act to regulate reproductive function. Finally, we review clinical evidence of the role that insulin may play in adult human fertility and reproductive disorders. Overall, while insulin appears to have a significant impact on reproductive neuroendocrine function, there are many unanswered questions regarding its precise sites and mechanisms of action, and their impact on developing and adult reproductive neuroendocrine function. PMID:24874777

Insulin: its role in the central control of reproduction.

PubMed

Sliwowska, Joanna H; Fergani, Chrysanthi; Gawałek, Monika; Skowronska, Bogda; Fichna, Piotr; Lehman, Michael N

2014-06-22

Insulin has long been recognized as a key regulator of energy homeostasis via its actions at the level of the brain, but in addition, plays a role in regulating neural control of reproduction. In this review, we consider and compare evidence from animal models demonstrating a role for insulin for physiological control of reproduction by effects on GnRH/LH secretion. We also review the role that insulin plays in prenatal programming of adult reproduction, and consider specific candidate neurons in the adult hypothalamus by which insulin may act to regulate reproductive function. Finally, we review clinical evidence of the role that insulin may play in adult human fertility and reproductive disorders. Overall, while insulin appears to have a significant impact on reproductive neuroendocrine function, there are many unanswered questions regarding its precise sites and mechanisms of action, and their impact on developing and adult reproductive neuroendocrine function. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender as a variable in the assessment of final year degree-level communication skills.

PubMed

Wiskin, Connie M D; Allan, Teresa F; Skelton, John R

2004-02-01

To investigate possible bias due to gender combination of students, role players and examiners in a high-stakes assessment. Valid oral interactive contextualized examinations (VOICEs) is a long-station OSCE-style exam in general practice (GP). At the time of writing it consisted of 65% of the student's final GP mark. In the VOICE, students undertake six tasks--four vivas and two role-plays. "Patient" roles are taken by professional role players who work regularly on the undergraduate curriculum. During the role-play, the student's clinical competence is assessed by an observing GP examiner. The communication skills marks are awarded by the role player and the examiner together, by negotiation. Data have been recorded detailing the role player's initial marks, the examiner's initial marks and their final (awarded) agreed marks for 1024 consultations. 512 final year medical students, 28 role players and 48 examiners. There were no inclusion or exclusion criteria. All those present on exam day became part of the data. There was a significant relationship between gender and performance for some, but not all, stations. Correlations for multiple comparisons removed the significance. Female students perform better across the board than male students. While not always significant, this did affect grading. There was no significant association between the genders of role players and examiners with the question choices. There has been a significant worsening of male results since 1999. Differences exist in the way that pairs of mixed or single genders score students.

Picture me playing: increasing pretend play dialogue of children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Murdock, Linda C; Hobbs, Jan Q

2011-07-01

This study examined the effectiveness of the Picture Me Playing intervention for increasing the play dialogue of preschool children with ASD during pretend play opportunities with typical peers. Picture Me Playing is a pictorially enhanced, script based intervention targeting character role play through a narrative vignette. A single-treatment counterbalanced design was utilized to contrast the performance of intervention and comparison groups, followed by within-subject analysis. Results indicated significant increases in play dialogue represented by both scripted and novel utterances. Results generalized to an unscripted play opportunity with novel toys.

Role of Bioreactors in Microbial Biomass and Energy Conversion

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

Zhang, Liang; Zhang, Biao; Zhu, Xun

Bioenergy is the world’s largest contributor to the renewable and sustainable energy sector, and it plays a significant role in various energy industries. A large amount of research has contributed to the rapidly evolving field of bioenergy and one of the most important topics is the use of the bioreactor. Bioreactors play a critical role in the successful development of technologies for microbial biomass cultivation and energy conversion. In this chapter, after a brief introduction to bioreactors (basic concepts, configurations, functions, and influencing factors), the applications of the bioreactor in microbial biomass, microbial biofuel conversion, and microbial electrochemical systems aremore » described. Importantly, the role and significance of the bioreactor in the bioenergy process are discussed to provide a better understanding of the use of bioreactors in managing microbial biomass and energy conversion.« less

Stone Cutters of the Crown Jewel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurst, James C.

1999-01-01

Essay focuses on the significance of the past 30 years of "The Counseling Psychologist" (TCP) and the work of its editors. Acknowledges the role that TCP has played and continues to play in defining what counseling psychology is as a specialty. (GCP)

Dietary gamma oryzanol plays a significant role in the anti-inflammatory activity of rice bran oil by decreasing pro-inflammatory mediators secreted by peritoneal macrophages of rats.

PubMed

Rao, Y Poorna Chandra; Sugasini, D; Lokesh, B R

2016-10-28

Ricebran oil (RBO) is promoted as heart friendly oil because of its ability to maintain serum lipids at desirable levels. Inflammation also plays an important role on cardiovascular health. The role of minor constituents present in unsaponifiable fraction (UF) of RBO on inflammatory markers is not well understood. To evaluate this, we have taken RBO with UF (RBO-N), RBO stripped of UF (RBO-MCR) and RBO-MCR supplemented with UF from RBO (UFRBO) or Gamma-Oryzanol (γ-ORY) were added in AIN-93 diets which was then fed to Wistar rats for a period of 60 days. Groundnut oil with UF (GNO-N), UF removed GNO (GNO-MCR) and GNO-MCR supplemented with UF from RBO or γ-ORY was also used for comparison. The peritoneal macrophages from the rats were activated and pro-inflammatory mediators such as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), eicosanoids, cytokines, hydrolytic enzymes of lysosomal origin were monitored. The results indicated that UF of RBO and γ-ORY supplemented in the dietary oils play a significant role in reducing the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators by macrophages. Hence γ-ORY in RBO significantly contributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of RBO. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of ROS and RNS Sources in Physiological and Pathological Conditions

PubMed Central

Victor, Victor Manuel

2016-01-01

There is significant evidence that, in living systems, free radicals and other reactive oxygen and nitrogen species play a double role, because they can cause oxidative damage and tissue dysfunction and serve as molecular signals activating stress responses that are beneficial to the organism. Mitochondria have been thought to both play a major role in tissue oxidative damage and dysfunction and provide protection against excessive tissue dysfunction through several mechanisms, including stimulation of opening of permeability transition pores. Until recently, the functional significance of ROS sources different from mitochondria has received lesser attention. However, the most recent data, besides confirming the mitochondrial role in tissue oxidative stress and protection, show interplay between mitochondria and other ROS cellular sources, so that activation of one can lead to activation of other sources. Thus, it is currently accepted that in various conditions all cellular sources of ROS provide significant contribution to processes that oxidatively damage tissues and assure their survival, through mechanisms such as autophagy and apoptosis. PMID:27478531

The microbial cell factory.

PubMed

Murphy, Cormac D

2012-03-14

Microorganisms have been used for decades as sources of antibiotics, vitamins and enzymes and for the production of fermented foods and chemicals. In the 21st century microorganisms will play a vital role in addressing some of the problems faced by mankind. In this article three of the current applications in which microbes have a significant role to play are highlighted: the discovery of new antibiotics, manufacture of biofuels and bioplastics, and production of fine chemicals via biotransformation.

Why poverty remains high: the role of income growth, economic inequality, and changes in family structure, 1949-1999.

PubMed

Iceland, John

2003-08-01

After dramatic declines in poverty from 1950 to the early 1970s in the United States, progress stalled. This article examines the association between trends in poverty and income growth, economic inequality, and changes in family structure using three measures of poverty: an absolute measure, a relative measure, and a quasi-relative one. I found that income growth explains most of the trend in absolute poverty, while inequality generally plays the most significant role in explaining trends in relative poverty. Rising inequality in the 1970s and 1980s was especially important in explaining increases in poverty among Hispanics, whereas changes in family structure played a significant role for children and African Americans through 1990. Notably, changes in family structure no longer had a significant association with trends in poverty for any group in the 1990s.

Role Playing for Improving Women’s Knowledge of Breast Cancer Screening and Performance of Breast Self-Examination

PubMed

Savabi-Esfahani, Mitra; Taleghani, Fariba; Noroozi, Mahnaz; Tabatabaeian, Maryam

2017-09-27

Background: To enhance knowledge and performance of screening as a strategy to control breast cancer, use of effective teaching methods is necessary. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of role-playing on knowledge of breast cancer screening and performance of breast self-examination (BSE). Methods: A quasi experimental design was used. Women enrolled in community cultural centers (n=314) were randomly divided into two educational groups: role playing (intervention) and lecture (control). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire before and after intervention. Reliability of the questionnaire was determined as 0.80 by Cronbach’s alpha. The women were followed up regarding performance of BSE one month later. Results: Of the 314 women, 113 (36%) and 132 (42%) had low and medium levels of knowledge, respectively. More than a third (38.2%) reported that TV and radio were the most important information sources for breast cancer and screening. There were significant differences between mean scores of knowledge before and after the intervention in both groups, but change was greater with role playing (31.3±1.9 as compared to 23.5±1.3) (P=0.001). After a month of educational intervention, 75.7% and 69.8% of those in role playing and control groups had undergone BSE. Conclusion: It appears that application of a role playing method by providers improves women’s knowledge and behavior with respect to breast cancer screening. Creative Commons Attribution License

Developing competency in post-graduate students of anaesthesiology for taking informed consent for elective caesarean section.

PubMed

Mehta, Kamla Harshad; Shah, Vandana Saurin; Patel, Kirti Dhirajlal

2017-02-01

Post-graduate medical students (residents) generally lack effective communication skills required to obtain informed consent. The aim of this study was to assess role play and group discussion as teaching/learning tools for improving residents' knowledge on informed consent and competency in communicating while taking informed consent. This prospective, observational study was conducted on 30 anaesthesia residents. They were first observed while obtaining informed consent and their basic knowledge regarding communication skills was checked with a pre-test questionnaire. Then, lecture and group discussion were carried out to increase the knowledge base, and their knowledge gain was checked by the same questionnaire as a post-test. Communication skills were demonstrated by role play and residents were assessed by direct unobtrusive observation using a checklist. Feedback regarding effectiveness of programme was taken from students. Statistical analyses were done using Microsoft Office Excel and SPSS software. Percentage gain was 122.37% for knowledge domain. For communication skills, mean ± standard deviation for checklist was 8.93 ± 1.43 before role play and it improved to 17.96 ± 1.29 after role play. Regarding effectiveness of role play as a teaching/learning tool, 76.66% of residents said they strongly agreed and 23.33% of residents said they agreed. Likert scale for evaluation of programme was graded 4 or 5 by all residents. The knowledge and communication skills required for obtaining informed consent was improved significantly after role playing.

Exploring the Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Addressing Adolescent Relationship Abuse.

PubMed

Li, Erica; Freedman, Lori R; Fernandez Y Garcia, Erik; Miller, Elizabeth

2016-04-01

Adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) is prevalent with significant health and social consequences. Faith-based organizations could play an important role in ARA prevention and intervention. Studies on the role of faith-based organizations in interpersonal violence have focused on adult survivor perspectives rather than adolescents. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with faith-based organization leaders, parents, and youth. Findings highlight that church leaders, parents, and youth all expect that faith-based organizations can play a role in educating teens about healthy relationships. Divergent perspectives about how faith-based organizations should address adolescent sexuality and privacy need to be addressed. © The Author(s) 2015.

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN ADDRESSING ADOLESCENT RELATIONSHIP ABUSE

PubMed Central

Li, Erica; Garcia, Erik Fernandez y; Freedman, Lori; Miller, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) is prevalent with significant health and social consequences. Faith based organizations could play an important role in ARA prevention and intervention. Studies on the role of faith based organizations in interpersonal violence have focused on adult survivor perspectives rather than adolescents. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with faith based organization leaders, parents, and youth. Findings highlight that church leaders, parents and youth all expect that faith based organizations can play a role in educating teens about healthy relationships. Divergent perspectives about how faith based organizations should address adolescent sexuality and privacy need to be addressed. PMID:26466975

No difference in learning retention in manikin-based simulation based on role

PubMed Central

Giuliano, Dominic; DC, Marion McGregor

2016-01-01

Objective: We evaluated learning retention in interns exposed to simulation. It was hypothesized that learning would degrade after 6 months and there would be a difference in retention between interns who played a critical role versus those who did not. Methods: A total of 23 groups of 5 to 9 interns underwent a cardiac scenario twice during 1 simulation experience and again 6 months later. We captured 69 recordings (23 before debrief at baseline [PrDV], 23 after debrief at baseline [PoDV], and 23 at 6-month follow-up [FUV]). Students were assigned different roles, including the critical role of “doctor” in a blinded, haphazard fashion. At 6-month follow-up, 12 interns who played the role of doctor initially were assigned that role again, while 11 interns who played noncritical roles initially were newly assigned to doctor. All videos of intern performance were scored independently and in a blinded fashion, by 3 judges using a 15-item check list. Results: Repeated-measures analysis of variance for interns completing all 3 time points indicated a significant difference between time points (F2,22 = 112, p = .00). Contrasts showed a statistically significant difference between PrDV and PoDV (p = .00), and PrDV and FUV (p = .00), but no difference between PoDV and FUV (p = .98). This was consistent with results including all data points. Checklist scores were more than double for PoDV recordings (16) and FUV (15), compared to PrDV recordings (6.6). Follow-up scores comparing old to new doctors showed no statistically significant difference (15.4 vs 15.2 respectively, t21 = 0.26, p = .80, d = .11). Conclusions: Learning retention was maintained regardless of role. PMID:26367345

Fungal histidine phosphotransferase plays a crucial role in photomorphogenesis and pathogenesis in Magnaporthe oryzae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohanan, Varsha C.; Chandarana, Pinal M.; Chattoo, Bharat. B.; Patkar, Rajesh N.; Manjrekar, Johannes

2017-05-01

Two-component signal transduction (TCST) pathways play crucial roles in many cellular functions such as stress responses, biofilm formation and sporulation. The histidine phosphotransferase (HPt), which is an intermediate phosphotransfer protein in a two-component system, transfers a phosphate group to a phosphorylatable aspartate residue in the target protein(s), and up-regulates stress-activated MAP kinase cascades. Most fungal genomes carry a single copy of the gene coding for HPt, which are potential antifungal targets. However, unlike the histidine kinases (HK) or the downstream response regulators (RR) in two-component system, the HPts have not been well studied in phytopathogenic fungi. In this study, we investigated the role of HPt in the model rice-blast fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. We found that in M. oryzae an additional isoform of the HPT gene YPD1 was expressed specifically in response to light. Further, the expression of light-regulated genes such as those encoding envoy and blue-light-harvesting protein, and PAS domain containing HKs was significantly reduced upon down-regulation of YPD1 in M. oryzae. Importantly, down-regulation of YPD1 led to a significant decrease in the ability to penetrate the host cuticle and in light-dependent conidiation in M. oryzae. Thus, our results indicate that Ypd1 plays an important role in asexual development and host invasion, and suggest that YPD1 isoforms likely have distinct roles to play in the rice-blast pathogen M. oryzae.

Acinetobacter baumannii universal stress protein A plays a pivotal role in stress response and is essential for pneumonia and sepsis pathogenesis.

PubMed

Elhosseiny, Noha M; Amin, Magdy A; Yassin, Aymen S; Attia, Ahmed S

2015-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most significant threats to global public health. This threat is compounded by the fact that A. baumannii is rapidly becoming resistant to all relevant antimicrobials. Identifying key microbial factors through which A. baumannii resists hostile host environment is paramount to the development of novel antimicrobials targeting infections caused by this emerging pathogen. An attractive target could be a molecule that plays a role in the pathogenesis and stress response of A. baumannii. Accordingly, the universal stress protein A (UspA) was chosen to be fully investigated in this study. A platform of A. baumannii constructs, expressing various levels of the uspA gene ranging from zero to thirteen folds of wild-type level, and a recombinant E. coli strain, were employed to investigate the role of UspA in vitro stress and in vivo pathogenesis. The UspA protein plays a significant role in protecting A. baumannii from H(2)O(2), low pH, and the respiratory toxin 2,4-DNP. A. baumannii UspA protein plays an essential role in two of the deadliest types of infection caused by A. baumannii; pneumonia and sepsis. This distinguishes A. baumannii UspA from its closely related homolog, the Staphylococcus aureus Usp2, as well as from the less similar Burkholderia glumae Usps. Heterologous and overexpression experiments suggest that UspA mediates its role via an indirect mechanism. Our study highlights the role of UspA as an important contributor to the A. baumannii stress and virulence machineries, and polishes it as a plausible target for new therapeutics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Role versatility among men who have sex with men in urban Peru.

PubMed

Goodreau, Steven M; Peinado, Jesus; Goicochea, Pedro; Vergara, Jorge; Ojeda, Nora; Casapia, Martin; Ortiz, Abner; Zamalloa, Victoria; Galvan, Rosa; Sanchez, Jorge R

2007-08-01

Role versatility refers to the practice in which individual men who have sex with men (MSM) play both insertive and receptive sexual roles over time. Versatility has been thought to be relatively uncommon among Latin American MSM but possibly rising. Versatility has also been shown to be a potentially large population-level risk factor for HIV infection. In this study we examine the correlates of versatile behavior and identity among 2,655 MSM in six Peruvian cities. Versatile behavior with recent male partners was found in 9% of men and versatile ("moderno") identity was reported by 16%. Significant predictors included high education, white-collar occupation, sex work, and residence in Lima. Age was not significant in any analysis. Since sex work is negatively correlated with other predictors, versatile men appear to comprise two distinct sub-populations. Insertive-only men appear to play a strong role in bridging the HIV epidemic between MSM and women.

Effects of two educational method of lecturing and role playing on knowledge and performance of high school students in first aid at emergency scene

PubMed Central

Hassanzadeh, Akbar; Vasili, Arezu; Zare, Zahra

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the effects of two educational methods on students' knowledge and performance regarding first aid at emergency scenes. METHODS: In this semi-experimental study, the sample was selected randomly among male and female public high school students of Isfahan. Each group included 60 students. At first the knowledge and performance of students in first aid at emergency scene was assessed using a researcher-made questionnaire. Then necessary education was provided to the students within 10 sessions of two hours by lecturing and role playing. The students' knowledge and performance was as-sessed again and the results were compared. RESULTS: It was no significant relationship between the frequency distribution of students' age, major and knowledge and performance before the educational course in the two groups. The score of knowledge in performing CPR, using proper way to bandage, immobilizing the injured area, and proper ways of carrying injured person after the education was significantly increased in both groups. Moreover, the performance in proper way to bandage, immobilizing injured area and proper ways of carrying injured person after educational course was significantly higher in playing role group compared to lecturing group after education. CONCLUSIONS: Iran is a developing country with a young generation and it is a country with high risk of natural disasters; so, providing necessary education with more effective methods can be effective in reducing mortality and morbidity due to lack of first aid care in crucial moments. Training with playing role is suggested for this purpose. PMID:21589743

Effects of two educational method of lecturing and role playing on knowledge and performance of high school students in first aid at emergency scene.

PubMed

Hassanzadeh, Akbar; Vasili, Arezu; Zare, Zahra

2010-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effects of two educational methods on students' knowledge and performance regarding first aid at emergency scenes. In this semi-experimental study, the sample was selected randomly among male and female public high school students of Isfahan. Each group included 60 students. At first the knowledge and performance of students in first aid at emergency scene was assessed using a researcher-made questionnaire. Then necessary education was provided to the students within 10 sessions of two hours by lecturing and role playing. The students' knowledge and performance was as-sessed again and the results were compared. It was no significant relationship between the frequency distribution of students' age, major and knowledge and performance before the educational course in the two groups. The score of knowledge in performing CPR, using proper way to bandage, immobilizing the injured area, and proper ways of carrying injured person after the education was significantly increased in both groups. Moreover, the performance in proper way to bandage, immobilizing injured area and proper ways of carrying injured person after educational course was significantly higher in playing role group compared to lecturing group after education. Iran is a developing country with a young generation and it is a country with high risk of natural disasters; so, providing necessary education with more effective methods can be effective in reducing mortality and morbidity due to lack of first aid care in crucial moments. Training with playing role is suggested for this purpose.

Infrared absorption study of neutron-transmutation-doped germanium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, I. S.; Haller, E. E.

1988-01-01

Using high-resolution far-infrared Fourier transform absorption spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements, the evolution of the shallow acceptor and donor impurity levels in germanium during and after the neutron transmutation doping process was studied. The results show unambiguously that the gallium acceptor level concentration equals the concentration of transmutated Ge-70 atoms during the whole process indicating that neither recoil during transmutation nor gallium-defect complex formation play significant roles. The arsenic donor levels appear at full concentration only after annealing for 1 h at 450 C. It is shown that this is due to donor-radiation-defect complex formation. Again, recoil does not play a significant role.

Working memory in children predicts performance on a gambling task.

PubMed

Audusseau, Jean; Juhel, Jacques

2015-01-01

The authors investigated whether working memory (WM) plays a significant role in the development of decision making in children, operationalized by the Children's Gambling Task (CGT). A total of 105 children aged 6-7, 8-9, and 10-11 years old carried out the CGT. Children aged 6-7 years old were found to have a lower performance than older children, which shows that the CGT is sensitive to participant's age. The hypothesis that WM plays a significant role in decision making was then tested following two approaches: (a) an experimental approach, comparing between groups the performance on the CGT in a control condition (the CGT only was administered) to that in a double task condition (participants had to carry out a recall task in addition to the CGT); (b) an interindividual approach, probing the relationship between CGT performance and performance on tasks measuring WM efficiency. The between-groups approach evidenced a better performance in the control group. Moreover, the interindividual approach showed that the higher the participants' WM efficiency was, the higher their performance in the CGT was. Taken together, these two approaches yield converging results that support the hypothesis that WM plays a significant role in decision making in children.

Father involvement and marital relationship during transition to parenthood: differences between dual and single-earner families.

PubMed

Menéndez, Susana; Hidalgo, M Victoria; Jiménez, Lucía; Moreno, M Carmen

2011-11-01

Research into the process of becoming mother or father shows very conclusively that this important life transition is accompanied by both a decrease in marital quality and a more traditional division of labour. In this paper these changes are analyzed with special emphasis on the relationships between them and exploring the role played in this process by the mother's work status. Results showed a significant link between the development of marital quality and violated expectations regarding father involvement on childrearing. Dual-earner families were characterized by a specific pattern of changes, with greater stability than single-earner families in marital and parental roles during transition to parenthood and a significant role played by spouse support as a partner, but not as a parent.

From "Mentor" to "Role Model": Scaling the Involvement of STEM Professionals through Role Model Videos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ware, Jennifer; Stein, Sarah

2013-01-01

Mentors and role models can play a significant role in high school students' motivation to pursue specific careers later in life. Although the use of role models in the classroom is an important research topic, little research has been conducted on scaling up STEM role models reach through the use of video vignettes. This essay outlines a series…

The Role of Habits in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Usage: Predicting Excessive and Problematic Gaming Through Players' Sensitivity to Situational Cues.

PubMed

Lukavská, Kateřina; Hrabec, Ondřej; Chrz, Vladimír

2016-04-01

We examined the effect of habitual regulation of massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) playing on the problematic (addictive) usage and excessiveness of gaming (time that user spent playing weekly, per session, and in relation to his other leisure activities). We developed the approach to assess the strength of habitual regulation that was based on sensitivity to situational cues. We defined cues as real-life or in-game conditions (e.g., work to be done, activities with friends or family, need to relax, new game expansion) that usually promote gaming (proplay cues) or prevent it (contraplay cues). Using a sample of 377 MMORPG players, we analyzed relationships between variables through partial least squares path modeling. We found that proplay cues sensitivity significantly positively affected the excessiveness of gaming (playing time) as well as the occurrence of problematic usage symptoms. Conversely, contraplay cues sensitivity functioned as a protective factor from these conditions; significant negative effects were found for playing time and problematic usage. Playing time was confirmed to be a mediating variable, affected by cues sensitivity and at the same time affecting problematic usage symptoms. We obtained moderately strong coefficients of determination for both endogenous variables (R(2) = 0.28 for playing time; R(2) = 0.31 for problematic usage) suggesting that the proposed variables possess good explanatory power. Based on our results, we argue that the strength of habitual regulation within MMORPG usage has both positive and negative effects on excessive and problematic usage, which is a new and important finding within the area of Internet gaming addiction.

Facebook Role Play Addiction - A Comorbidity with Multiple Compulsive-Impulsive Spectrum Disorders.

PubMed

Nathan, Deeepa; Shukla, Lekhansh; Kandasamy, Arun; Benegal, Vivek

2016-06-01

Background Problematic Internet use (PIU) is an emerging entity with varied contents. Behavioral addictions have high comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. Social networking site (SNS) addiction and role playing game (RPG) addiction are traditionally studied as separate entities. We present a case with excessive Internet use, with a particular focus on phenomenology and psychiatric comorbidities. Case presentation Fifteen-year-old girl with childhood onset attention deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, adolescent onset trichotillomania, and disturbed family environment presented with excessive Facebook use. Main online activity was creating profiles in names of mainstream fictional characters and assuming their identity (background, linguistic attributes, etc.). This was a group activity with significant socialization in the virtual world. Craving, salience, withdrawal, mood modification, and conflict were clearly elucidated and significant social and occupational dysfunction was evident. Discussion This case highlights various vulnerability and sociofamilial factors contributing to behavioral addiction. It also highlights the presence of untreated comorbidities in such cases. The difference from contemporary RPGs and uniqueness of role playing on SNS is discussed. SNS role playing as a separate genre of PIU and its potential to reach epidemic proportions are discussed. Conclusions Individuals with temperamental vulnerability are likely to develop behavioral addictions. Identification and management of comorbid conditions are important. The content of PIU continues to evolve and needs further study.

Facebook Role Play Addiction – A Comorbidity with Multiple Compulsive–Impulsive Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Nathan, Deeepa; Shukla, Lekhansh; Kandasamy, Arun; Benegal, Vivek

2016-01-01

Background Problematic Internet use (PIU) is an emerging entity with varied contents. Behavioral addictions have high comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive–compulsive spectrum disorders. Social networking site (SNS) addiction and role playing game (RPG) addiction are traditionally studied as separate entities. We present a case with excessive Internet use, with a particular focus on phenomenology and psychiatric comorbidities. Case presentation Fifteen-year-old girl with childhood onset attention deficit disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, adolescent onset trichotillomania, and disturbed family environment presented with excessive Facebook use. Main online activity was creating profiles in names of mainstream fictional characters and assuming their identity (background, linguistic attributes, etc.). This was a group activity with significant socialization in the virtual world. Craving, salience, withdrawal, mood modification, and conflict were clearly elucidated and significant social and occupational dysfunction was evident. Discussion This case highlights various vulnerability and sociofamilial factors contributing to behavioral addiction. It also highlights the presence of untreated comorbidities in such cases. The difference from contemporary RPGs and uniqueness of role playing on SNS is discussed. SNS role playing as a separate genre of PIU and its potential to reach epidemic proportions are discussed. Conclusions Individuals with temperamental vulnerability are likely to develop behavioral addictions. Identification and management of comorbid conditions are important. The content of PIU continues to evolve and needs further study. PMID:27156380

Transformational Leadership and Knowledge Sharing: Mediating Roles of Employee's Empowerment, Commitment, and Citizenship Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Seung Hyun; Seo, Gaeun; Yoon, Seung Won; Yoon, Dong-Yeol

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the fundamental process through which transformational leaders play a significant role in employees' knowledge sharing by investigating mediating roles of individual affects, particularly psychological empowerment, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).…

Roles of Macrophages and Neutrophils in the Early Host Response to Bacillus anthracis Spores in a Mouse Model of Infection

PubMed Central

Cote, Christopher K.; Van Rooijen, Nico; Welkos, Susan L.

2006-01-01

The development of new approaches to combat anthrax requires that the pathogenesis and host response to Bacillus anthracis spores be better understood. We investigated the roles that macrophages and neutrophils play in the progression of infection by B. anthracis in a mouse model. Mice were treated with a macrophage depletion agent (liposome-encapsulated clodronate) or with a neutrophil depletion agent (cyclophosphamide or the rat anti-mouse granulocyte monoclonal antibody RB6-8C5), and the animals were then infected intraperitoneally or by aerosol challenge with fully virulent, ungerminated B. anthracis strain Ames spores. The macrophage-depleted mice were significantly more susceptible to the ensuing infection than the saline-pretreated mice, whereas the differences observed between the neutropenic mice and the saline-pretreated controls were generally not significant. We also found that augmenting peritoneal neutrophil populations before spore challenge did not increase resistance of the mice to infection. In addition, the bacterial load in macrophage-depleted mice was significantly greater and appeared significantly sooner than that observed with the saline-pretreated mice. However, the bacterial load in the neutropenic mice was comparable to that of the saline-pretreated mice. These data suggest that, in our model, neutrophils play a relatively minor role in the early host response to spores, whereas macrophages play a more dominant role in early host defenses against infection by B. anthracis spores. PMID:16369003

More Than the Win: The Relation between Appetitive Competition Motivation, Socialization, and Gender Role Orientation in Women's Football

PubMed Central

Meyer-Parlapanis, Danie; Siefert, Sabrina; Weierstall, Roland

2017-01-01

The ability to produce peak performance plays a decisive role in the success of athletes in competitive contest situations. Levels of appetitive competition motivation (ACM), i.e., the desire to defeat an opponent independent of secondary reinforcing factors, were assessed in professional female football/soccer players in the premier and regional leagues, using club level as the measurement of sport success. Furthermore, the influence of social environments predominantly encouraging masculine and competitive play behavior and the players' perceptions of their own gender role orientations were investigated. Ninety female football players from the German premier league (44) and regional leagues (46) participated (age: M = 24, SD = 5 years). Questionnaires ascertaining ACM and self-perceptions of gender via gender-role stereotypes, childhood play behavior and style of upbringing were utilized. Premier league athletes showed a significantly greater inclination toward direct sporting confrontations. Almost 50% of the variance in ACM between the premier and regional league athletes was determined by modern upbringing style and the development of gender roles not corresponding to classic female gender stereotypes. The results emphasize the significance of ACM as an important facet in competitive sports and illustrate the influence of socialization on athletic performance. PMID:28450840

Fundamental concepts of problem-based learning for the new facilitator.

PubMed Central

Kanter, S L

1998-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a powerful small group learning tool that should be part of the armamentarium of every serious educator. Classic PBL uses ill-structured problems to simulate the conditions that occur in the real environment. Students play an active role and use an iterative process of seeking new information based on identified learning issues, restructuring the information in light of the new knowledge, gathering additional information, and so forth. Faculty play a facilitatory role, not a traditional instructional role, by posing metacognitive questions to students. These questions serve to assist in organizing, generalizing, and evaluating knowledge; to probe for supporting evidence; to explore faulty reasoning; to stimulate discussion of attitudes; and to develop self-directed learning and self-assessment skills. Professional librarians play significant roles in the PBL environment extending from traditional service provider to resource person to educator. Students and faculty usually find the learning experience productive and enjoyable. PMID:9681175

Aquaporins in the eye: Expression, function, and roles in ocular disease☆

PubMed Central

Schey, Kevin L.; Wang, Zhen; Wenke, Jamie L.; Qi, Ying

2015-01-01

Background All thirteen known mammalian aquaporins have been detected in the eye. Moreover, aquaporins have been identified as playing essential roles in ocular functions ranging from maintenance of lens and corneal transparency to production of aqueous humor to maintenance of cellular homeostasis and regulation of signal transduction in the retina. Scope of review This review summarizes the expression and known functions of ocular aquaporins and discusses their known and potential roles in ocular diseases. Major conclusions Aquaporins play essential roles in all ocular tissues. Remarkably, not all aquaporin function as a water permeable channel and the functions of many aquaporins in ocular tissues remain unknown. Given their vital roles in maintaining ocular function and their roles in disease, aquaporins represent potential targets for future therapeutic development. General significance Since aquaporins play key roles in ocular physiology, an understanding of these functions is important to improving ocular health and treating diseases of the eye. It is likely that future therapies for ocular diseases will rely on modulation of aquaporin expression and/or function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Aquaporins. PMID:24184915

Psychodrama: group psychotherapy through role playing.

PubMed

Kipper, D A

1992-10-01

The theory and the therapeutic procedure of classical psychodrama are described along with brief illustrations. Classical psychodrama and sociodrama stemmed from role theory, enactments, "tele," the reciprocity of choices, and the theory of spontaneity-robopathy and creativity. The discussion focuses on key concepts such as the therapeutic team, the structure of the session, transference and reality, countertransference, the here-and-now and the encounter, the group-as-a-whole, resistance and difficult clients, and affect and cognition. Also described are the neoclassical approaches of psychodrama, action methods, and clinical role playing, and the significance of the concept of behavioral simulation in group psychotherapy.

The role of dressings in the prevention of pressure ulcers.

PubMed

Brown, Julie

2016-08-11

Pressure ulceration is a significant global healthcare problem and represents a considerable burden on healthcare resources. Within the literature an increasing number of studies have examined the role prophylactic dressings play in redistributing pressure and helping to protect the skin from the effects of friction and shear. The use of dressings to prevent pressure ulcers may be considered a controversial issue, as previous opinion has been that dressings do not reduce the effects of pressure. This article will critically evaluate the literature to examine the role dressings play in the prevention of pressure ulceration.

Roles and applications of biomedical ontologies in experimental animal science.

PubMed

Masuya, Hiroshi

2012-01-01

A huge amount of experimental data from past studies has played a vital role in the development of new knowledge and technologies in biomedical science. The importance of computational technologies for the reuse of data, data integration, and knowledge discoveries has also increased, providing means of processing large amounts of data. In recent years, information technologies related to "ontologies" have played more significant roles in the standardization, integration, and knowledge representation of biomedical information. This review paper outlines the history of data integration in biomedical science and its recent trends in relation to the field of experimental animal science.

Economic impact analysis of short line railroads.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

This research project assesses the economic role and impact of short line railroads in the state of Louisiana. While relatively small in : scope, with 11 operators and approximately 500 miles of track, short line railroads play a significant role in ...

LSD1 is Required for Hair Cell Regeneration in Zebrafish.

PubMed

He, Yingzi; Tang, Dongmei; Cai, Chengfu; Chai, Renjie; Li, Huawei

2016-05-01

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1/KDM1A) plays an important role in complex cellular processes such as differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression. It has recently been demonstrated that during development, downregulation of LSD1 inhibits cell proliferation, modulates the expression of cell cycle regulators, and reduces hair cell formation in the zebrafish lateral line, which suggests that LSD1-mediated epigenetic regulation plays a key role in the development of hair cells. However, the role of LSD1 in hair cell regeneration after hair cell loss remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate the effect of LSD1 on hair cell regeneration following neomycin-induced hair cell loss. We show that the LSD1 inhibitor trans-2-phenylcyclopropylamine (2-PCPA) significantly decreases the regeneration of hair cells in zebrafish after neomycin damage. In addition, immunofluorescent staining demonstrates that 2-PCPA administration suppresses supporting cell proliferation and alters cell cycle progression. Finally, in situ hybridization shows that 2-PCPA significantly downregulates the expression of genes related to Wnt/β-catenin and Fgf activation. Altogether, our data suggest that downregulation of LSD1 significantly decreases hair cell regeneration after neomycin-induced hair cell loss through inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin and Fgf signaling pathways. Thus, LSD1 plays a critical role in hair cell regeneration and might represent a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of hearing loss.

Organizational Learning, Strategic Flexibility and Business Model Innovation: An Empirical Research Based on Logistics Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Yaodong; Cheng, Lin; Zhang, Jian

Using the data of 237 Jiangsu logistics firms, this paper empirically studies the relationship among organizational learning capability, business model innovation, strategic flexibility. The results show as follows; organizational learning capability has positive impacts on business model innovation performance; strategic flexibility plays mediating roles on the relationship between organizational learning capability and business model innovation; interaction among strategic flexibility, explorative learning and exploitative learning play significant roles in radical business model innovation and incremental business model innovation.

Receptor tyrosine kinases play a significant role in human oligodendrocyte inflammation and cell death associated with the Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.

PubMed

Parthasarathy, Geetha; Philipp, Mario T

2017-05-30

In previous studies, human oligodendrocytes were demonstrated to undergo apoptosis in the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi under an inflammatory milieu. Subsequently, we determined that the MEK/ERK pathway played a significant role in triggering downstream inflammation as well as apoptosis. However, the identity of receptors triggered by exposure to B. burgdorferi and initiating signaling events was unknown. In this study, we explored the role of several TLR and EGFR/FGFR/PDGFR tyrosine kinase pathways in inducing inflammation in the presence of B. burgdorferi, using siRNA and/or inhibitors, in MO3.13 human oligodendrocytes. Cell death and apoptosis assays were also carried out in the presence or absence of specific receptor inhibitors along with the bacteria to determine the role of these receptors in apoptosis induction. The expression pattern of specific receptors with or without B. burgdorferi was also determined. TLRs 2 and 5 had a minimal role in inducing inflammation, particularly IL-6 production. Rather, their effect was mostly inhibitory, with TLR2 downregulation significantly upregulating CXCL8, and CXCL (1,2,3) levels, and TLR5 likely having a similar role in CXCL8, CXCL(1,2,3), and CCL5 levels. TLR4 contributed mostly towards CCL5 production. On the other hand, inhibition of all three EGF/FGF/PDGF receptors significantly downregulated all five of the inflammatory mediators tested even in the presence of B. burgdorferi. Their inhibition also downregulated overall cell death and apoptosis levels. The expression pattern of these receptors, as assessed by immunohistochemistry indicated that the PDGFRβ receptor was the most predominantly expressed receptor, followed by FGFR, although no significant differences were discernible between presence and absence of bacteria. Interestingly, inhibition of individual EGFR, FGFR, or PDGFR receptors did not indicate an individual role for any of these receptors in the overall downregulation of pathogenesis. Contrarily, suppression of FGFR signaling alone in the presence of bacteria significantly upregulated inflammatory mediator levels indicating that it might control an inhibitory pathway when triggered individually. Unlike TLRs, EGF/FGF/PDGF receptors collectively play a significant role in the inflammation and apoptosis of human oligodendrocytes as mediated by B. burgdorferi. It is likely that these three receptors need to be triggered simultaneously to achieve this effect.

The Role of Goal Orientations in Students' Perceptions of Classroom Assessment in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaur, Amrita; Noman, Mohammad; Awang-Hashim, Rosna

2018-01-01

Students' perception of assessment methods plays a significant role in determining their effort towards learning and their assessment tasks. Similar to the role of goal orientation in predicting students' classroom learning, this study aims to examine how students' goal orientations influence their perception of classroom assessments. Using a…

Teaching in Two Tongues: Rethinking the Role of Language(s) in Teacher Education in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menon, Shailaja; Viswanatha, Vanamala; Sahi, Jane

2014-01-01

This article is a sharing of emergent ideas about the potential role of languages in teacher education (TE) programmes in multilingual contexts in India. Languages play a critical role in TE programmes where they shape both the learning as well as the future teaching of prospective teachers. This role acquires particular significance in…

What We Talk About When We Talk About Fat*

PubMed Central

Rosen, Evan D.; Spiegelman, Bruce M.

2014-01-01

There has been an upsurge of interest in the adipocyte coincident with the onset of the obesity epidemic and the realization that adipose tissue plays a major role in the regulation of metabolic function. The past few years in particular have seen significant changes in the way we classify adipocytes, and how we view adipose development and differentiation. We have new perspective on the roles played by adipocytes in a variety of homeostatic processes, and the mechanisms used by adipocytes to communicate with other tissues. Finally, there has been significant progress in understanding how these relationships are altered during metabolic disease, and how they might be manipulated to restore metabolic health. PMID:24439368

Some factors involved in alcohol consumption of first-year undergraduates.

PubMed

Leeman, R F; Wapner, S

2001-01-01

Three studies were conducted with samples of first-year undergraduates in order to assess relationships among college drinking, adjustment, recent life-changing events, interpersonal factors, self-control, and perceived risk. Significant correlations were found between alcohol use and life-change, but not between alcohol use and college adjustment. In addition, several significant findings linked alcohol use to social factors. Responses to open-ended interview questions suggest that self-control and risk may play a role in students' decisions regarding consumption, after initial experience with alcohol use. Non-social factors, namely stressful events, appear to play a role in consumption behavior; however, students more frequently report on social factors as motivating their decisions regarding alcohol intake.

Shedding the Ego: Drama-Based Role-Play and Identity in Distance Language Tuition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brash, Barbel; Warnecke, Sylvia

2009-01-01

In this article, the authors attempt to answer the following questions: How do we understand role-play? How are role-play and identity linked? What are the purposes, benefits and challenges of role-play as a teaching tool? What are the roles of students and teachers in role-play? What does role-play add to telephone tutorials and online…

Metallothionein plays a prominent role in the prevention of diabetic nephropathy by sulforaphane via up-regulation of Nrf2

PubMed Central

Wu, Hao; Kong, Lili; Cheng, Yanli; Zhang, Zhiguo; Wang, Yangwei; Lou, Manyu; Tan, Yi; Chen, Xiangmei; Miao, Lining; Cai, Lu

2015-01-01

Sulforaphane (SFN) prevents diabetic nephropathy (DN) in type 1 diabetes via up-regulation of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2). However, it has not been addressed whether SFN also prevents DN from type 2 diabetes or which Nrf2 downstream gene(s) play(s) the key role in SFN renal protection. Here we investigated whether Nrf2 is required for SFN protection against type 2 diabetes-induced DN and whether metallothionein (MT) is an Nrf2 downstream antioxidant using Nrf2 knockout (Nrf2-null) mice. In addition, MT knockout mice were used to further verify if MT is indispensable for SFN protection against DN. Diabetes-increased albuminuria, renal fibrosis, and inflammation were significantly prevented by SFN, and Nrf2 and MT expression was increased. However, SFN renal protection was completely lost in Nrf2-null diabetic mice, confirming the pivotal role of Nrf2 in SFN protection from type 2 diabetes-induced DN. Moreover, SFN failed to up-regulate MT in the absence of Nrf2, suggesting that MT is an Nrf2 downstream antioxidant. MT deletion resulted in a partial, but significant attenuation of SFN renal protection from type 2 diabetes, demonstrating a partial requirement for MT for SFN renal protection. Therefore, the present study demonstrates for the first time that as an Nrf2 downstream antioxidant, MT plays an important, though partial, role in mediating SFN renal protection from type 2 diabetes. PMID:26415026

The associations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and downstream inflammatory markers with risk of cardiovascular disease: the Caerphilly Study.

PubMed

Patterson, Christopher C; Smith, Anne E; Yarnell, John W G; Rumley, Ann; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Lowe, Gordon D O

2010-04-01

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine which mediates expression of several 'downstream' inflammatory markers and may play a role in atherothrombosis. However, it is not yet known whether IL-6 plays a role in mediating the associations of each marker with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) or ischaemic stroke (IS). We examined the role of IL-6 and several "downstream" markers of inflammation (leucocyte counts, plasma and serum viscosity, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, alpha1-antitrypsin and alpha2-macroglobulin) with risk of subsequent CHD, IS, and a combined endpoint (CHD/IS) in a population of British men. 2208 men aged 45-64 years were followed for a median of 13.4 years and 486 men had experienced a cardiovascular event. In age-adjusted analyses, most inflammatory markers were significantly associated with risk of CHD or CHD/IS, but for IS associations were weaker. On multivariable analyses, including conventional risk factors, associations of serum viscosity, alpha2-macroglobulin and leucocyte count became non-significant for CHD and CHD/IS, while no inflammatory marker retained a significant association with risk of IS. In contrast, IL-6 retained a significant association with CHD and CHD/IS and, after adjustment for IL-6, hazard ratios for downstream inflammatory markers were attenuated to non-significance. These findings suggest that IL-6 may play a role in mediating the associations of circulating inflammatory markers with risk of CHD in men. Further studies are required to assess whether this is also the case for risk of IS, and for CHD/IS in women. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aging alters mRNA expression of amyloid transporter genes at the blood-brain barrier.

PubMed

Osgood, Doreen; Miller, Miles C; Messier, Arthur A; Gonzalez, Liliana; Silverberg, Gerald D

2017-09-01

Decreased clearance of potentially toxic metabolites, due to aging changes, likely plays a significant role in the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides and other macromolecules in the brain of the elderly and in the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aging is the single most important risk factor for AD development. Aβ transport receptor proteins expressed at the blood-brain barrier are significantly altered with age: the efflux transporters lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 and P-glycoprotein are reduced, whereas the influx transporter receptor for advanced glycation end products is increased. These receptors play an important role in maintaining brain biochemical homeostasis. We now report that, in a rat model of aging, gene transcription is altered in aging, as measured by Aβ receptor gene messenger RNA (mRNA) at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 36 months. Gene mRNA expression from isolated cerebral microvessels was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 and P-glycoprotein mRNA were significantly reduced in aging, and receptor for advanced glycation end products was increased, in parallel with the changes seen in receptor protein expression. Transcriptional changes appear to play a role in aging alterations in blood-brain barrier receptor expression and Aβ accumulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vitamin D levels in acne vulgaris patients treated with oral isotretinoin.

PubMed

El-Hamd, Mohammed Abu; El Taieb, Moustafa A; Ibrahim, Hassan M; Aly, Sanaa S

2018-02-20

Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory skin disease. Vitamin D deficiency plays a role in many inflammatory skin diseases. It may play a role in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. This study aimed to assess serum levels of 25 hydroxy vitamin D in patients with acne vulgaris before and after treatment with isotretinoin and its relation with acne vulgaris severity. Ninety patients with acne vulgaris and 60 age-sex matched healthy subject as controls have been recruited in this study. Patients were treated with 0.75 mg/kg/d isotretinoin for 3 months. Serum level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D has been measured at baseline and after treatment. Serum levels of 25 hydroxy vitamin D were significantly higher in patients with acne vulgaris than healthy controls (P = .001). There was a significant inverse relation between level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D and severity of acne vulgaris before treatment (P = .001). Serum levels of 25 hydroxy vitamin D were significantly increased after isotretinoin treatment in patients with acne vulgaris (P = .001). This study concluded that vitamin D may play a potential role in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris or acne vulgaris may have a negative effect on vitamin D synthesis. Further studies are needed to confirm these potential relations. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The emerging role of MMP14 in brain tumorigenesis and future therapeutics.

PubMed

Ulasov, Ilya; Yi, Ruiyang; Guo, Donna; Sarvaiya, Purvaba; Cobbs, Charles

2014-08-01

Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor of glial origin. These tumors are thought to be derived from astrocytic cells that undergo malignant transformation. A growing body of evidence suggests that upregulation of MMP expression plays a significant role in promoting glioma pathogenesis. Elevated expression of MMP14 not only promotes glioma invasion and tumor cell proliferation but also plays a role in angiogenesis. Despite the fact that levels of MMP14 correlate with breast cancer progression, the controversial role of MMP14 in gliomagenesis needs to be elucidated. In the present review, we discuss the role of MMP14 in glioma progression as well as the mechanisms of MMP14 regulation in the context of future therapeutic manipulations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Targeting miR-21 enhances the sensitivity of human colon cancer HT-29 cells to chemoradiotherapy in vitro

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

Deng, Jun; Lei, Wan; Fu, Jian-Chun

2014-01-17

Highlight: •MiR-21 plays a significant role in 5-FU resistance. •This role might be attributed to targeting of hMSH2 as well as TP and DPD via miR-21 targeted hMSH2. •Indirectly targeted TP and DPD to influence 5-FU chemotherapy sensitivity. -- Abstract: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a classic chemotherapeutic drug that has been widely used for colorectal cancer treatment, but colorectal cancer cells are often resistant to primary or acquired 5-FU therapy. Several studies have shown that miR-21 is significantly elevated in colorectal cancer. This suggests that this miRNA might play a role in this resistance. In this study, we investigated this possibilitymore » and the possible mechanism underlying this role. We showed that forced expression of miR-21 significantly inhibited apoptosis, enhanced cell proliferation, invasion, and colony formation ability, promoted G1/S cell cycle transition and increased the resistance of tumor cells to 5-FU and X radiation in HT-29 colon cancer cells. Furthermore, knockdown of miR-21 reversed these effects on HT-29 cells and increased the sensitivity of HT-29/5-FU to 5-FU chemotherapy. Finally, we showed that miR-21 targeted the human mutS homolog2 (hMSH2), and indirectly regulated the expression of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). These results demonstrate that miR-21 may play an important role in the 5-FU resistance of colon cancer cells.« less

Psychiatrists' Perceptions of Role-Playing Games.

PubMed

Lis, Eric; Chiniara, Carl; Biskin, Robert; Montoro, Richard

2015-09-01

The literature has seen a surge in research on the mental health impacts of technologies such as Facebook, video games, and massively-multiplayer online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft, but little is known regarding the mental health impact of non-video role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons. The present study examines how psychiatrists' perceive role-playing games and whether they play them. Psychiatrists at a tertiary care centre in Canada completed a questionnaire assessing history of playing role-playing games and whether they associate them with psychopathology. Forty-eight psychiatrists responded. Twenty-three percent have played a role-playing game over their lifetimes. Twenty-two percent believed there was an association between psychopathology and role-playing games. A majority of psychiatrists who responded do not associate role-playing games with psychopathology. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

IRBIT plays an important role in NHE3-mediated pHi regulation in HSG cells.

PubMed

Tran, Tien Manh; Park, Moon-Yong; Lee, Jiyeon; Bae, Jun-Seok; Hwang, Sung-Min; Choi, Se-Young; Mikoshiba, Katsuhiko; Park, Kyungpyo

2013-07-19

Expression of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor-binding protein (IRBIT) has been reported in epithelial cells. However, its role in pHi regulation is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the role of IRBIT in pHi regulation, mediated by Na(+)/H(+) exchangers (NHEs), in salivary glands. We measured pHi recovery from cell acidification in BCECF-loaded salivary HSG cells. Western blot and co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) assays were also performed, showing that NHE1, 2 and 3 are expressed, and IRBIT binds to NHE3. HOE642, a specific NHE1 blocker, inhibited pHi recovery, but 40% pH(i) recovery was still observed even at the highest concentration of HOE642. Furthermore, pretreatment of the cells with siIRBIT significantly inhibited pHi recovery, indicating that NHE3 potentially plays a role in pHi recovery as well. The amount of membrane-localized NHE3 and its interaction with IRBIT are also significantly increased by cell acidification. In addition, we found that Ste20p-related proline alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) reverses the effect of IRBIT on membrane NHE3 translocation. Taken together, we conclude that IRBIT plays an important role in pHi regulation, mediated by NHE3, and further regulated by SPAK. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Online gaming addiction? Motives predict addictive play behavior in massively multiplayer online role-playing games.

PubMed

Kuss, Daria J; Louws, Jorik; Wiers, Reinout W

2012-09-01

Recently, there have been growing concerns about excessive online gaming. Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) appears to be particularly problematic, because these games require a high degree of commitment and time investment from the players to the detriment of occupational, social, and other recreational activities and relations. A number of gaming motives have been linked to excessive online gaming in adolescents and young adults. We assessed 175 current MMORPG players and 90 nonplayers using a Web-based questionnaire regarding their gaming behavior, problems as consequences of gaming, and game motivations and tested their statistical associations. Results indicated that (a) MMORPG players are significantly more likely to experience gaming-related problems relative to nonplayers, and that (b) the gaming motivations escapism and mechanics significantly predicted excessive gaming and appeared as stronger predictors than time investment in game. The findings support the necessity of using measures that distinguish between different types of online games. In addition, this study proves useful regarding the current discussion on establishing (online) gaming addiction as a diagnosis in future categorizations of psychopathology.

Role for chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan in NEDD9-mediated breast cancer cell growth.

PubMed

Iida, Joji; Dorchak, Jesse; Clancy, Rebecca; Slavik, Juliana; Ellsworth, Rachel; Katagiri, Yasuhiro; Pugacheva, Elena N; van Kuppevelt, Toin H; Mural, Richard J; Cutler, Mary Lou; Shriver, Craig D

2015-01-15

There are lines of evidence demonstrating that NEDD9 (Cas-L, HEF-1) plays a key role in the development, progression, and metastasis of breast cancer cells. We previously reported that NEDD9 plays a critical role for promoting migration and growth of MDA-MB-231. In order to further characterize the mechanisms of NEDD9-mediated cancer migration and growth, stable cells overexpressing NEDD9 were generated using HCC38 as a parental cell line which expresses low level of endogenous NEDD9. Microarray studies demonstrated that core proteins of CD44 and Serglycin were markedly upregulated in HCC38(NEDD9) cells compared to HCC38(Vector) cells, while those of Syndecan-1, Syndecan-2, and Versican were downregulated in HCC38(NEDD9). Importantly, enzymes generating chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans (CS) such as CHST11, CHST15, and CSGALNACT1 were upregulated in HCC38(NEDD9) compared to HCC38(Vector). Immunofluorescence studies using specific antibody, GD3G7, confirmed the enhanced expression of CS-E subunit in HCC38(NEDD9). Immunoprecipitation and western blotting analysis demonstrated that CS-E was attached to CD44 core protein. We demonstrated that removing CS by chondroitinase ABC significantly inhibited anchorage-independent colony formation of HCC38(NEDD9) in methylcellulose. Importantly, the fact that GD3G7 significantly inhibited colony formation of HCC38(NEDD9) cells suggests that CS-E subunit plays a key role in this process. Furthermore, treatment of HCC38(NEDD9) cells with chondroitinase ABC or GD3G7 significantly inhibited mammosphere formation. Exogenous addition of CS-E enhanced colony formation and mammosphere formation of HCC38 parental and HCC38(Vector) cells. These results suggest that NEDD9 regulates the synthesis and expression of tumor associated glycocalyx structures including CS-E, which plays a key role in promoting and regulating breast cancer progression and metastasis and possibly stem cell phenotypes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Role of School Principals in the Governorate of Ma'an in Promoting Intellectual Security among Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waswas, Dima; Gasaymeh, Al-Mothana M.

2017-01-01

This study aims at identifying the role played by school principals in the Governorate of Ma'an to strengthen intellectual security of the school students; and identifying whether there are statistically significant differences in the roles of principals attributed to the variables: gender, academic level, and years of experience in…

The Role and Use of Course Books in EFL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charalambous, Angeliki Constantinou

2011-01-01

Course books continue to play a significant role in EFL teaching and learning by providing useful ready-made material to both teachers and students. However, inappropriate use of course books may de-skill teachers and tire students. This paper explores the role of course books in EFL teaching and examines how teachers can make effective use of the…

Interactions in Virtual Learning Environments: New Roles for Digital Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borba, Marcelo C.; Chiari, Aparecida Santana de Souza; de Almeida, Helber Rangel Formiga Leite

2018-01-01

For the last 10 years, online pre-service teacher distance education has increased significantly in Brazil. As a result, research on this educational modality has also increased, in particular, research investigating the different roles students and teachers play in these courses. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of digital…

The Mediating Role of Textbooks in High-Stakes Assessment Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Ching Yin; Andrews, Stephen

2012-01-01

Whenever high-stakes assessment/curriculum reforms take place, new textbooks appear on the market. These textbooks inevitably play a significant mediating role in the implementation of any reform and on teaching and learning. This paper reports on a small-scale study which attempts to investigate the role of textbooks in the mediation of a…

ORD Technical Outreach and Support Activities on Sustainable Mining Applications

EPA Science Inventory

Hardrock mining has played a significant role in the development of economies, consumer products and defense in the United States from the start of industrialization. Currently, the industry continues to lay a critical role in the development of our country. Mining waste which ...

Role of Growth Hormone in Breast Cancer.

PubMed

Subramani, Ramadevi; Nandy, Sushmita B; Pedroza, Diego A; Lakshmanaswamy, Rajkumar

2017-06-01

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in women. Approximately two-thirds of all breast cancers diagnosed are classified as hormone dependent, which indicates that hormones are the key factors that drive the growth of these breast cancers. Ovarian and pituitary hormones play a major role in the growth and development of normal mammary glands and breast cancer. In particular, the effect of the ovarian hormone estrogen has received much attention in regard to breast cancer. Pituitary hormones prolactin and growth hormone have also been associated with breast cancer. Although the role of these pituitary hormones in breast cancers has been studied, it has not been investigated extensively. In this review, we attempt to compile basic information from most of the currently available literature to understand and demonstrate the significance of growth hormone in breast cancer. Based on the available literature, it is clear that growth hormone plays a significant role in the development, progression, and metastasis of breast cancer by influencing tumor angiogenesis, stemness, and chemoresistance. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society.

The influence of UV radiation on protistan evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothschild, L. J.

1999-01-01

Ultraviolet radiation has provided an evolutionary challenge to life on Earth. Recent increases in surficial ultraviolet B fluxes have focused attention on the role of UV radiation in protistan ecology, cancer, and DNA damage. Exploiting this new wealth of data, I examine the possibility that ultraviolet radiation may have played a significant role in the evolution of the first eukaryotes, that is, protists. Protists probably arose well before the formation of a significant ozone shield, and thus were probably subjected to substantial ultraviolet A, ultraviolet B, and ultraviolet C fluxes early in their evolution. Evolution consists of the generation of heritable variations and the subsequent selection of these variants. Ultraviolet radiation has played a role both as a mutagen and as a selective agent. In its role as a mutagen, it may have been crucial in the origin of sex and as a driver of molecular evolution. As a selective agent, its influence has been broad. Discussed in this paper are the influence of ultraviolet radiation on biogeography, photosynthesis, and desiccation resistance.

Overexpression of Jazf1 reduces body weight gain and regulates lipid metabolism in high fat diet

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

Jang, Woo Young; Bae, Ki Beom; Kim, Sung Hyun

Highlights: • The expression of Jazf1 in the liver suppressed lipid accumulation. • Jazf1 significantly increases transcription of fatty acid synthase. • Jazf1 plays a critical role in the regulation of energy and lipid homeostasis. • Jazf1 associates the development of metabolic disorder. • Jazf1 may provide a new therapeutic target in the management of metabolic disorder. - Abstract: Jazf1 is a 27 kDa nuclear protein containing three putative zinc finger motifs that is associated with diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer; however, little is known about the role that this gene plays in regulation of metabolism. Recent evidence indicates thatmore » Jazf1 transcription factors bind to the nuclear orphan receptor TR4. This receptor regulates PEPCK, the key enzyme involved in gluconeogenesis. To elucidate Jazf1’s role in metabolism, we fed a 60% fat diet for up to 15 weeks. In Jazf1 overexpression mice, weight gain was found to be significantly decreased. The expression of Jazf1 in the liver also suppressed lipid accumulation and decreased droplet size. These results suggest that Jazf1 plays a critical role in the regulation of lipid homeostasis. Finally, Jazf1 may provide a new therapeutic target in the management of obesity and diabetes.« less

Radial transport processes as a precursor to particle deposition in drinking water distribution systems.

PubMed

van Thienen, P; Vreeburg, J H G; Blokker, E J M

2011-02-01

Various particle transport mechanisms play a role in the build-up of discoloration potential in drinking water distribution networks. In order to enhance our understanding of and ability to predict this build-up, it is essential to recognize and understand their role. Gravitational settling with drag has primarily been considered in this context. However, since flow in water distribution pipes is nearly always in the turbulent regime, turbulent processes should be considered also. In addition to these, single particle effects and forces may affect radial particle transport. In this work, we present an application of a previously published turbulent particle deposition theory to conditions relevant for drinking water distribution systems. We predict quantitatively under which conditions turbophoresis, including the virtual mass effect, the Saffman lift force, and the Magnus force may contribute significantly to sediment transport in radial direction and compare these results to experimental observations. The contribution of turbophoresis is mostly limited to large particles (>50 μm) in transport mains, and not expected to play a major role in distribution mains. The Saffman lift force may enhance this process to some degree. The Magnus force is not expected to play any significant role in drinking water distribution systems. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97) plays a role in the replication of West Nile virus.

PubMed

Phongphaew, Wallaya; Kobayashi, Shintaro; Sasaki, Michihito; Carr, Michael; Hall, William W; Orba, Yasuko; Sawa, Hirofumi

2017-01-15

Valosin-containing protein (VCP) is classified as a member of the type II AAA + ATPase protein family. VCP functions in several cellular processes, including protein degradation, membrane fusion, vesicular trafficking and disassembly of stress granules. Moreover, VCP is considered to play a role in the replication of several viruses, albeit through different mechanisms. In the present study, we have investigated the role of VCP in West Nile virus (WNV) infection. Endogenous VCP expression was inhibited using either VCP inhibitors or by siRNA knockdown. It could be shown that the inhibition of endogenous VCP expression significantly inhibited WNV infection. The entry assay revealed that silencing of endogenous VCP caused a significant reduction in the expression levels of WNV-RNA compared to control siRNA-treated cells. This indicates that VCP may play a role in early steps either the binding or entry steps of the WNV life cycle. Using WNV virus like particles and WNV-DNA-based replicon, it could be demonstrated that perturbation of VCP expression decreased levels of newly synthesized WNV genomic RNA. These findings suggest that VCP is involved in early steps and during genome replication of the WNV life cycle. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prognostic significance of epithelial/stromal caveolin-1 expression in prostatic hyperplasia, high grade prostatic intraepithelial hyperplasia and prostatic carcinoma and its correlation with microvessel density.

PubMed

Mohammed, Dareen A; Helal, Duaa S

2017-03-01

Caveolin-1 may play a role in cancer development and progression. The aim was to record the expression and localization of caveolin-1 in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) and prostatic carcinoma (PCa). Microvessel density was evaluated with CD34 immunostain. Correlations with known prognostic factors of PCa were recorded. Immunohistochemical expression of caveolin-1 and the MVD was evaluated in 65 cases; BPH (25), HGPIN (20) and PCa (20). Stromal caveolin-1expression was significantly higher in BPH than HGPIN and PCca. There was significant inverse relation between stromal caveolin-1 expression and extension to lymph node and seminal vesicle in carcinoma cases. Epithelial caveolin-1 was significantly higher in carcinomas than in BPH and HGPIN. Epithelial expression in carcinoma was significantly associated with preoperative PSA, Gleason score and lymph node extension. MVD was significantly higher in PCa than in BPH and HGPIN. There were significant relations between MVD and preoperative PSA, Gleason score, lymph node and seminal vesicle extension. Stromal caveolin-1 was associated with low MVD while epithelial caveolin-1 with high MVD. Caveolin-1 plays an important role in prostatic carcinogenesis and metastasis. Stromal expression of caveolin-1 in PCa is lowered in relation to BPH and HGPIN. In PCa; stromal caveolin-1 was associated with good prognostic parameters. Epithelial caveolin-1 is significantly increased in PCa than BPH and HGPIN. It is associated with clinically aggressive disease. Caveolin-1 may play a role in angiogenesis. Copyright © 2017 National Cancer Institute, Cairo University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Children's Play and Culture Learning in an Egalitarian Foraging Society.

PubMed

Boyette, Adam H

2016-05-01

Few systematic studies of play in foragers exist despite their significance for understanding the breadth of contexts for human development and the ontogeny of cultural learning. Forager societies lack complex social hierarchies, avenues for prestige or wealth accumulation, and formal educational institutions, and thereby represent a contrast to the contexts of most play research. Analysis of systematic observations of children's play among Aka forest foragers (n = 50, ages 4-16, M = 9.5) and Ngandu subsistence farmers (n = 48, ages 4-16, M = 9.1) collected in 2010 illustrates that while play and work trade off during development in both groups, and consistent patterns in sex-role development are evident, Aka children engage in significantly less rough-and-tumble play and competitive games than children among their socially stratified farming neighbors. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

The orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 regulates decidual prolactin expression in human endometrial stromal cells

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

Jiang, Yue; Hu, Yali; Zhao, Jing

2011-01-14

Research highlights: {yields} Decidually produced PRL plays a key role during pregnancy. {yields} Overexpression of Nur77 increased PRL mRNA expression and enhanced decidual PRL promoter activity. {yields} Knockdown of Nur77 decreased decidual PRL secretion induced by 8-Br-cAMP and MPA. {yields} Nur77 is a novel transcription factor that plays an active role in decidual prolactin expression. -- Abstract: Prolactin (PRL) is synthesized and released by several extrapituitary tissues, including decidualized stromal cells. Despite the important role of decidual PRL during pregnancy, little is understood about the factors involved in the proper regulation of decidual PRL expression. Here we present evidence thatmore » the transcription factor Nur77 plays an active role in decidual prolactin expression in human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs). Nur77 mRNA expression in hESCs was significantly increased after decidualization stimulated by 8-Br-cAMP and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Nur77 in hESCs markedly increased PRL mRNA expression and enhanced decidual PRL promoter (dPRL/-332Luc) activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, knockdown of Nur77 in hESCs significantly decreased decidual PRL promoter activation and substantially attenuated PRL mRNA expression and PRL secretion (P < 0.01) induced by 8-Br-cAMP and MPA. These results demonstrate that Nur77 is a novel transcription factor that contributes significantly to the regulation of prolactin gene expression in human endometrial stromal cells.« less

Beyond self-selection in video game play: an experimental examination of the consequences of massively multiplayer online role-playing game play.

PubMed

Smyth, Joshua M

2007-10-01

There is burgeoning interest in the study of video games. Existing work is limited by the use of correlational designs and is thus unable to make causal inferences or remove self-selection biases from observed results. The recent development of online, socially integrated video games (massively multiplayer online role-playing games [MMORPGs]) has created a new experience for gamers. This randomized, longitudinal study examined the effects of being assigned to play different video game types on game usage, health, well-being, sleep, socializing, and academics. One hundred 18- to 20-year-old participants (73% male; 68% Caucasian) were randomly assigned to play arcade, console, solo computer, or MMORPG games for 1 month. The MMORPG group differed significantly from other groups after 1 month, reporting more hours spent playing, worse health, worse sleep quality, and greater interference in "real-life" socializing and academic work. In contrast, this group also reported greater enjoyment in playing, greater interest in continuing to play, and greater acquisition of new friendships. MMORPGs represent a different gaming experience with different consequences than other types of video games and appear to pose both unique risks and benefits from their use.

New fronts emerge in the influenza cytokine storm.

PubMed

Guo, Xi-Zhi J; Thomas, Paul G

2017-07-01

Influenza virus is a significant pathogen in humans and animals with the ability to cause extensive morbidity and mortality. Exuberant immune responses induced following infection have been described as a "cytokine storm," associated with excessive levels of proinflammatory cytokines and widespread tissue damage. Recent studies have painted a more complex picture of cytokine networks and their contributions to clinical outcomes. While many cytokines clearly inflict immunopathology, others have non-pathological delimited roles in sending alarm signals, facilitating viral clearance, and promoting tissue repair, such as the IL-33-amphiregulin axis, which plays a key role in resolving some types of lung damage. Recent literature suggests that type 2 cytokines, traditionally thought of as not involved in anti-influenza immunity, may play an important regulatory role. Here, we discuss the diverse roles played by cytokines after influenza infection and highlight new, serene features of the cytokine storm, while highlighting the specific functions of relevant cytokines that perform unique immune functions and may have applications for influenza therapy.

EG-03EXPRESSION OF PRMT5 CORRELATES WITH MALIGNANT GRADE IN GLIOMAS AND PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN TUMOR GROWTH

PubMed Central

Han, Xiaosi; Li, Rong; Zhang, Wenbin; Yang, Xiuhua; Fathallah-Shaykh, Hassan; Gillespie, Yancey; Nabors, Burt

2014-01-01

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) catalyzes the formation of ω-NG,N′G-symmetric dimethylarginine residues on histones as well as other proteins. The modification play an important role in cell differentiation and tumor cell growth. However, the role of PRMT5 in human glioma cells has not been characterized. In this study, we assessed protein expression profiles of PRMT5 in control brain, WHO grade II astrocytomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) by immunohistochemistry. PRMT5 was low in glial cells in control brain tissues and low grade astrocytomas. Its expression increased in parallel with malignant progression, and was highly expressed in GBM. Knockdown of PRMT5 by small hairpin RNA caused alterations of p-ERK1/2 and significantly repressed the clonogenic potential and viability of glioma cells. These findings indicate that PRMT5 is a marker of malignant progression in glioma tumors and plays a pivotal role in tumor growth.

Role of Achiral Nucleobases in Multicomponent Chiral Self-Assembly: Purine-Triggered Helix and Chirality Transfer.

PubMed

Deng, Ming; Zhang, Li; Jiang, Yuqian; Liu, Minghua

2016-11-21

Chiral self-assembly is a basic process in biological systems, where many chiral biomolecules such as amino acids and sugars play important roles. Achiral nucleobases usually covalently bond to saccharides and play a significant role in the formation of the double helix structure. However, it remains unclear how the achiral nucleobases can function in chiral self-assembly without the sugar modification. Herein, we have clarified that purine nucleobases could trigger N-(9-fluorenylmethox-ycarbonyl) (Fmoc)-protected glutamic acid to self-assemble into helical nanostructures. Moreover, the helical nanostructure could serve as a matrix and transfer the chirality to an achiral fluorescence probe, thioflavin T (ThT). Upon chirality transfer, the ThT showed not only supramolecular chirality but also circular polarized fluorescence (CPL). Without the nucleobase, the self-assembly processes cannot happen, thus providing an example where achiral molecules played an essential role in the expression and transfer of the chirality. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Do the repulsive and attractive pair forces play separate roles for the physics of liquids?

PubMed

Bøhling, Lasse; Veldhorst, Arno A; Ingebrigtsen, Trond S; Bailey, Nicholas P; Hansen, Jesper S; Toxvaerd, Søren; Schrøder, Thomas B; Dyre, Jeppe C

2013-01-23

According to standard liquid-state theory repulsive and attractive pair forces play distinct roles for the physics of liquids. This paradigm is put into perspective here by demonstrating a continuous series of pair potentials that have virtually the same structure and dynamics, although only some of them have attractive forces of significance. Our findings reflect the fact that the motion of a given particle is determined by the total force on it, whereas the quantity usually discussed in liquid-state theory is the individual pair force.

Mast cells in airway diseases and interstitial lung disease.

PubMed

Cruse, Glenn; Bradding, Peter

2016-05-05

Mast cells are major effector cells of inflammation and there is strong evidence that mast cells play a significant role in asthma pathophysiology. There is also a growing body of evidence that mast cells contribute to other inflammatory and fibrotic lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This review discusses the role that mast cells play in airway diseases and highlights how mast cell microlocalisation within specific lung compartments and their cellular interactions are likely to be critical for their effector function in disease. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The impact of sound in modern multiline video slot machine play.

PubMed

Dixon, Mike J; Harrigan, Kevin A; Santesso, Diane L; Graydon, Candice; Fugelsang, Jonathan A; Collins, Karen

2014-12-01

Slot machine wins and losses have distinctive, measurable, physiological effects on players. The contributing factors to these effects remain under-explored. We believe that sound is one of these key contributing factors. Sound plays an important role in reinforcement, and thus on arousal level and stress response of players. It is the use of sound for positive reinforcement in particular that we believe influences the player. In the current study, we investigate the role that sound plays in psychophysical responses to slot machine play. A total of 96 gamblers played a slot machine simulator with and without sound being paired with reinforcement. Skin conductance responses and heart rate, as well as subjective judgments about the gambling experience were examined. The results showed that the sound influenced the arousal of participants both psychophysically and psychologically. The sound also influenced players' preferences, with the majority of players preferring to play slot machines that were accompanied by winning sounds. The sounds also caused players to significantly overestimate the number of times they won while playing the slot machine.

How to Use (Not Abuse) Role Plays.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Van O.

1989-01-01

Discusses the use of role plays in training for human communication skills, sales skills, and management skills. Rules for the application of role plays are given, steps in designing role plays are described, typical role play structures are explained, and materials for instructors and participants are discussed. (LRW)

Nonprofit Housing and Neighborhood Spillovers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellen, Ingrid Gould; Voicu, Ioan

2006-01-01

Nonprofit organizations play a critical role in U.S. housing policy, a role typically justified by the claim that their housing investments produce significant neighbor-hood spillover benefits. However, little work has actually been done to measure these impacts on neighborhoods. This paper compares the neighborhood spillover effects of…

The Internationalization of Higher Education in China: The Role of Government

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Fuhui

2016-01-01

In the process of internationalizing higher education, national governments play their role differently, and the relationship between Chinese institutions and the government is significantly different from that experienced by Western institutions. A critical distinction is that Chinese institutions are both academic entities and government…

Military Contributions to Rescue and Relief During the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iversen, E. H.

2006-12-01

In both the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire and the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake the military has played a significant role in rescue and relief operations. This paper focuses on the work done by the Army at the Presidio of San Francisco and gives briefer accounts of the work done by other installations and services. The role the Army played in 1989 is compared and contrasted to the role it played in the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. One of the most striking points is that in both cases the city of San Francisco never included military aid in planning but also did not refuse it. Due to the reduction of the Department of Defense budget the Presidio of San Francisco was transferred to the National Park Service on October 1, 1994. Almost all other San Francisco Bay area military installations have been closed with the exception of those belonging to the Coast Guard. Considering the important role the military has played in the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes there is concern as to how the cities of the Bay Area will cope when the earth shakes the next time.

[Observation of the effects of warming-up and role-playing in psychodrama in terms of mood rating].

PubMed

Kawai, S

1993-04-01

The purpose is to make an appropriate list of terms that describe person's moment-to-moment changes in moods during psychodrama sessions. Seventy nurse students participated in a series of psychodrama sessions, consisting of a session of warming-up and two sessions of role playing. They rated their moods at the beginning of the sessions and after each session, on a five-point scale for each of the 55 terms, which were supposed to cover all kinds of moods during psychodrama sessions. After analyzing variations (using factor analyses) of subjects' ratings, three factors were found to be sufficient for describing their moods, and the terms in the list were eventually reduced to sixteen. Changes of moods analyzed through the ratings of sixteen scales were related significantly with subjects' performances of warming-up and role playing.

Interleukin 10 is an essential modulator of mucoid metaplasia in a mouse otitis media model

PubMed Central

Tsuchiya, Katsuyuki; Komori, Masahiro; Zheng, Qing Yin; Ferrieri, Patricia; Lin, Jizhen

2009-01-01

Inflammatory cytokines are involved in the development of mucus cell metaplasia/hyperplasia (MCM) in otitis media (OM). However, which cytokines play an essential role in MCM OM is not clear at the moment. In this study, we hypothesized that interleukin-10 (IL-10) played an indispensable role in MCM of bacterial OM and used IL-10 knockout mice to test this hypothesis. In wild-type mice, both S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae triggered the development of MCM in the middle ear mucosa. In IL-10 knockout mice, the number of goblet cells and mucin-producing cells in the middle ear was significantly reduced after bacterial middle ear infection compared with that in wild-type mice. We, therefore, concluded that IL-10 plays an essential role in MCM of bacterial OM. IL-10 is a potential target for the treatment of MCM in OM. PMID:18771082

Computational Fluid Dynamics at NASA Ames Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kutler, Paul

1994-01-01

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is beginning to play a major role in the aircraft industry of the United States because of the realization that CFD can be a new and effective design tool and thus could provide a company with a competitive advantage. It is also playing a significant role in research institutions, both governmental and academic, as a tool for researching new fluid physics, as well as supplementing and complementing experimental testing. In this presentation, some of the progress made to date in CFD at NASA Ames will be reviewed. The presentation addresses the status of CFD in terms of methods, examples of CFD solutions, and computer technology. In addition, the role CFD will play in supporting the revolutionary goals set forth by the Aeronautical Policy Review Committee established by the Office of Science and Technology Policy is noted. The need for validated CFD tools is also briefly discussed.

Imaginary Companions and Impersonated Characters: Sex Differences in Children's Fantasy Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Stephanie M.; Taylor, Marjorie

2005-01-01

We compared the incidence of imaginary companions and impersonated characters in 152 three and four year old children (75 males and 77 females). Children and their parents were interviewed about role play in two sessions. Although there were no sex differences in verbal ability or fantasy predisposition, there was a significant difference in the…

Reflections from the Lesson Study for the Development of Techno-Pedagogical Competencies in Teaching Fractal Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Avni; Baltaci, Serdal

2017-01-01

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a model that explains how teachers use technology more effectively in the context of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge. Teachers' TPACK competencies play great importance in this regard. Lesson study has also been playing significant roles in the development of teachers'…

On Moral Luck and Nonideal Moral Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinnery, Ann

2015-01-01

In contrast to the Kantian principle that we are morally accountable only for those actions over which we have control, Bernard Williams, Thomas Nagel, and others have argued that luck plays a significant role in the moral life. Put briefly, moral luck is at play when we are appropriately praised or blamed for our moral actions despite the fact…

Identification and Characterization of Pheasant and Quail Avian Beta Defensin 2

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peptides play significant roles in physiology as hormones, neurotransmitters, growth, antimicrobial, and signal transducing factors. Identification of their tissue specific occurrence and abundance may lead to a better understanding of their physiological significance. Previously, we identified matu...

The Role of Feedback in Implicit and Explicit Artificial Grammar Learning: A Comparison between Dyslexic and Non-Dyslexic Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiff, Rachel; Sasson, Ayelet; Star, Galit; Kahta, Shani

2017-01-01

The importance of feedback for learning has been firmly established over the past few decades. The question of whether feedback plays a significant role in the statistical learning abilities of adults with dyslexia, however, is currently unresolved. Here, we examined the role of feedback in grammaticality judgment, type of structural knowledge,…

PDGFRα plays a crucial role in connective tissue remodeling.

PubMed

Horikawa, Shinjiro; Ishii, Yoko; Hamashima, Takeru; Yamamoto, Seiji; Mori, Hisashi; Fujimori, Toshihiko; Shen, Jie; Inoue, Ran; Nishizono, Hirofumi; Itoh, Hiroshi; Majima, Masataka; Abraham, David; Miyawaki, Toshio; Sasahara, Masakiyo

2015-12-07

Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) plays a pivotal role in the remodeling of connective tissues. Emerging data indicate the distinctive role of PDGF receptor-α (PDGFRα) in this process. In the present study, the Pdgfra gene was systemically inactivated in adult mouse (α-KO mouse), and the role of PDGFRα was examined in the subcutaneously implanted sponge matrices. PDGFRα expressed in the fibroblasts of Pdgfra-preserving control mice (Flox mice), was significantly reduced in the sponges in α-KO mice. Neovascularized areas were largely suppressed in the α-KO mice than in the Flox mice, whereas the other parameters related to the blood vessels and endothelial cells were similar. The deposition of collagen and fibronectin and the expression of collagen 1a1 and 3a1 genes were significantly reduced in α-KO mice. There was a significantly decrease in the number and dividing fibroblasts in the α-KO mice, and those of macrophages were similar between the two genotypes. Hepatocyte growth factor (Hgf) gene expression was suppressed in Pdgfra-inactivated fibroblasts and connective tissue. The findings implicate the role of PDGFRα-dependent ECM and HGF production in fibroblasts that promotes the remodeling of connective tissue and suggest that PDGFRα may be a relevant target to regulate connective tissue remodeling.

PDGFRα plays a crucial role in connective tissue remodeling

PubMed Central

Horikawa, Shinjiro; Ishii, Yoko; Hamashima, Takeru; Yamamoto, Seiji; Mori, Hisashi; Fujimori, Toshihiko; Shen, Jie; Inoue, Ran; Nishizono, Hirofumi; Itoh, Hiroshi; Majima, Masataka; Abraham, David; Miyawaki, Toshio; Sasahara, Masakiyo

2015-01-01

Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) plays a pivotal role in the remodeling of connective tissues. Emerging data indicate the distinctive role of PDGF receptor-α (PDGFRα) in this process. In the present study, the Pdgfra gene was systemically inactivated in adult mouse (α-KO mouse), and the role of PDGFRα was examined in the subcutaneously implanted sponge matrices. PDGFRα expressed in the fibroblasts of Pdgfra-preserving control mice (Flox mice), was significantly reduced in the sponges in α-KO mice. Neovascularized areas were largely suppressed in the α-KO mice than in the Flox mice, whereas the other parameters related to the blood vessels and endothelial cells were similar. The deposition of collagen and fibronectin and the expression of collagen 1a1 and 3a1 genes were significantly reduced in α-KO mice. There was a significantly decrease in the number and dividing fibroblasts in the α-KO mice, and those of macrophages were similar between the two genotypes. Hepatocyte growth factor (Hgf) gene expression was suppressed in Pdgfra-inactivated fibroblasts and connective tissue. The findings implicate the role of PDGFRα-dependent ECM and HGF production in fibroblasts that promotes the remodeling of connective tissue and suggest that PDGFRα may be a relevant target to regulate connective tissue remodeling. PMID:26639755

Macrophage Depletion Impairs Skeletal Muscle Regeneration: the Roles of Pro-fibrotic Factors, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress.

PubMed

Xiao, Weihua; Liu, Yu; Chen, Peijie

2016-12-01

Muscle contusion is one of the most common muscle injuries in sports medicine. Macrophages play complex roles in the regeneration of skeletal muscle. However, the roles of macrophages, especially the mechanisms involved, in the regeneration of muscle contusion are still not fully understood. We hypothesize that the depletion of macrophages impairs skeletal muscle regeneration and that pro-fibrotic factors, inflammation, and oxidative stress may be involved in the process. To test these hypotheses, we constructed a muscle contusion injury and a macrophage depletion model and followed it up with morphological and gene expression analyses. The data showed that fibrotic scars were formed in the muscle of contusion injury, and they deteriorated in the mice of macrophage depletion. Furthermore, the sizes of regenerating myofibers were significantly reduced by macrophage depletion. Pro-fibrotic factors, inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and oxidative stress-related enzymes increased significantly after muscle injury. Moreover, the expression of these factors was delayed by macrophage depletion. Most of them were still significantly higher in the later stage of regeneration. These results suggest that macrophage depletion impairs skeletal muscle regeneration and that pro-fibrotic factors, inflammation, and oxidative stress may play important roles in the process.

Anxiety and selective attention in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Cohen, Yoav; Lachenmeyer, Juliana Rasic; Springer, Craig

2003-11-01

Recently, there has been increasing evidence for information-processing deficits in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). While impairments in selective attention have been identified to be central to the symptomatology of OCD, the role that situational anxiety plays in attentional processes has not been fully explored. Previous research findings were limited to tasks containing anxiety-relevant materials, only permitting for the evaluation of the impact of anxiety on simultaneous cognitive processing. Furthermore, it has not yet been determined whether the impact of anxiety is limited to selective attention or is indicative of a more general cognitive impairment. This study was designed to examine the role that situational anxiety plays in selective attention impairments. OCD participants and controls were presented with an anxiety producing statement and a neutral statement, followed by the Stroop Task. Results indicated that situational anxiety plays a significant role in the performance of tasks that require selective attention in OCD. A significant deterioration was detected in performance on selective attention tasks for the OCD participants after confronting anxiety-provoking scenarios, as compared to neutral scenarios. Anxiety did not impair performance on simple reading tasks. Possible explanations are discussed.

The virtues in their place: virtue ethics in medicine.

PubMed

Jansen, L A

2000-01-01

We are currently in the midst of a revival of interest in the virtues. A number of contemporary moral philosophers have defended a virtue-based approach to ethics. But does this renewal of interest in the virtues have much to contribute to medical ethics and medical practice? This paper critically discusses this question. It considers and rejects a number of important arguments that purport to establish the significance of the virtues for medical practice. Against these arguments, the paper seeks to show that while the virtues have a genuine role to play in medical ethics, it is a limited role, one that is subordinate to the role that other moral concepts such as rules and principles play.

The Role of the School Library: Reflections from Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avery, Helen

2014-01-01

Libraries are critical learning spaces and may play a significant role in intercultural education initiatives, particularly in Sweden where the national curriculum ascribes central functions to libraries for learning activities. Unfortunately, the ways in which teachers and librarians may collaborate to leverage mutual resources is not fully…

Composing Change: The Role of Graduate Education in Sustaining a Digital Scholarly Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blair, Kristine L.

2014-01-01

In "Reading the Archives: Ten Years on Nonlinear ("Kairos") History," James Kalmbach acknowledges the significant role graduate students have played as digital innovators in the field, particularly in the formation of "Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, Pedagogy" in 1996. Graduate students in the Rhetoric and…

The Role of a School Psychologist in Concussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewandowski, Lawrence J.; Rieger, Brian

2009-01-01

School psychologists historically have received little training on topics such as mild traumatic brain injury or concussion, yet they could play a significant role in assessment, consultation, and intervention with students who have sustained a concussion. The purpose of this article is to educate school psychologists with regard to definition,…

Metallothionein plays a prominent role in the prevention of diabetic nephropathy by sulforaphane via up-regulation of Nrf2.

PubMed

Wu, Hao; Kong, Lili; Cheng, Yanli; Zhang, Zhiguo; Wang, Yangwei; Luo, Manyu; Tan, Yi; Chen, Xiangmei; Miao, Lining; Cai, Lu

2015-12-01

Sulforaphane (SFN) prevents diabetic nephropathy (DN) in type 1 diabetes via up-regulation of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2). However, it has not been addressed whether SFN also prevents DN from type 2 diabetes or which Nrf2 downstream gene(s) play(s) the key role in SFN renal protection. Here we investigated whether Nrf2 is required for SFN protection against type 2 diabetes-induced DN and whether metallothionein (MT) is an Nrf2 downstream antioxidant using Nrf2 knockout (Nrf2-null) mice. In addition, MT knockout mice were used to further verify if MT is indispensable for SFN protection against DN. Diabetes-increased albuminuria, renal fibrosis, and inflammation were significantly prevented by SFN, and Nrf2 and MT expression was increased. However, SFN renal protection was completely lost in Nrf2-null diabetic mice, confirming the pivotal role of Nrf2 in SFN protection from type 2 diabetes-induced DN. Moreover, SFN failed to up-regulate MT in the absence of Nrf2, suggesting that MT is an Nrf2 downstream antioxidant. MT deletion resulted in a partial, but significant attenuation of SFN renal protection from type 2 diabetes, demonstrating a partial requirement for MT for SFN renal protection. Therefore, the present study demonstrates for the first time that as an Nrf2 downstream antioxidant, MT plays an important, though partial, role in mediating SFN renal protection from type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Is there a role for surgery in the treatment of type 2 diabetes?].

PubMed

Benedix, F; Meyer, F; Klose, S; Stroh, C; Lippert, H

2014-01-01

Typ 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can be regarded as a chronic and progressive disease which is rapidly increasing worldwide. There is a significant coincidence of T2DM and obesity, the latter playing a major role in the development of insulin resistance. Medical treatment comprises lifestyle counseling, weight management and an increased physical activity, frequently in combination with pharmacotherapy. However, especially in obese patients, metabolic aims are frequently not achieved which can be attributed to the lack of significant weight reduction. Currently, pancreas transplantation plays only a minor role in the treatment of patients with T2DM. Bariatric surgery has been proven to be a safe and effective therapeutic option in obese patients that leads to a significant weight loss. Moreover, in the majority of obese diabetics, a complete or partial remission of T2DM is observed. The significant weight loss is associated with improved insulin sensitivity. There is some evidence that alterations of gut hormones play an additional role in the amelioration of T2DM. However, little is known about the long-term effect of bariatric surgery on diabetes remission. Bariatric procedures should be considered in obese patients with T2DM (BMI > 35 kg/m²) and poorly controlled metabolic status. Despite the encouraging results in normal weight or overweight patients with T2DM, surgery can not yet be recommended in these patients. Intensive research about the impact of bariatric surgery on diabetes remission offers a unique opportunity to understand pathophysiology of T2DM. Furthermore, it may help to develop less invasive interventions and to identify new therapeutic targets for the treatment of T2DM. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Congruence between Preferred and Actual Participation Roles Increases Satisfaction with Treatment Decision Making among Japanese Women with Breast Cancer

PubMed

Yamauchi, Keiko; Nakao, Motoyuki; Nakashima, Mitsuyo; Ishihara, Yoko

2017-04-01

Objective: This study investigated the correlation between participation in the treatment decision-making process and satisfaction with the process among Japanese women with breast cancer. The influence of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on satisfaction with the treatment decision-making process was also examined. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, self-administered internet survey of 650 Japanese women with breast cancer in March 2016. Decisional role (active, collaborative, passive) in the treatment decision-making was elicited using the Japanese version of the Control Preference Scale. Satisfaction with the decision-making process was assessed. Result: About half of the participants preferred to play a collaborative role, while half of the participants perceived that they played an active role. Satisfaction among the participants who made their treatment choice collaboratively with their physicians was significantly higher than that of participants who made the choice by themselves or entrusted their physicians to make the decision. However, two-way ANOVA demonstrated that satisfaction level was associated with the congruence between the participants’ preferred and actual decisional roles, but not with the actual decisional roles that they played. This association had no interaction with sociodemographic and clinical status, except for education level. A majority of the participants who participated in the roles they preferred in choosing their treatment option indicated that they would participate in the same role if they were to face a similar decision-making situation in the future. Conclusion: Regardless of their role played in the cancer treatment decision-making process, and irrespective of their sociodemographic and clinical status, Japanese women with breast cancer are more satisfied with the treatment decision-making process when their participation in the process matches their preferred role in the process. Creative Commons Attribution License

Congruence between Preferred and Actual Participation Roles Increases Satisfaction with Treatment Decision Making among Japanese Women with Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Yamauchi, Keiko; Nakao, Motoyuki; Nakashima, Mitsuyo; Ishihara, Yoko

2017-01-01

Objective: This study investigated the correlation between participation in the treatment decision-making process and satisfaction with the process among Japanese women with breast cancer. The influence of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on satisfaction with the treatment decision-making process was also examined. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, self-administered internet survey of 650 Japanese women with breast cancer in March 2016. Decisional role (active, collaborative, passive) in the treatment decision-making was elicited using the Japanese version of the Control Preference Scale. Satisfaction with the decision-making process was assessed. Result: About half of the participants preferred to play a collaborative role, while half of the participants perceived that they played an active role. Satisfaction among the participants who made their treatment choice collaboratively with their physicians was significantly higher than that of participants who made the choice by themselves or entrusted their physicians to make the decision. However, two-way ANOVA demonstrated that satisfaction level was associated with the congruence between the participants’ preferred and actual decisional roles, but not with the actual decisional roles that they played. This association had no interaction with sociodemographic and clinical status, except for education level. A majority of the participants who participated in the roles they preferred in choosing their treatment option indicated that they would participate in the same role if they were to face a similar decision-making situation in the future. Conclusion: Regardless of their role played in the cancer treatment decision-making process, and irrespective of their sociodemographic and clinical status, Japanese women with breast cancer are more satisfied with the treatment decision-making process when their participation in the process matches their preferred role in the process. PMID:28545197

Does vitamin K2 play a role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis for postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Huang, Z-B; Wan, S-L; Lu, Y-J; Ning, L; Liu, C; Fan, S-W

2015-03-01

To identify the role of vitamin K2 for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, we conducted this meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials. Our results showed that vitamin K2 might play a role in maintaining the bone mineral density and in reducing the incidence of fractures for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Vitamin K2 has been revealed to be effective in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in Japan, which was not confirmed in western countries. Thus, we conduct this meta-analysis to verify the hypothesis that vitamin K2 plays a role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis for postmenopausal women. We searched the Cochrane Library, Pub Med, EMBASE, and ISI web of knowledge (until December 1, 2013) and reference lists of eligible articles. A meta-analysis of all-including randomized controlled trials was then performed. Nineteen randomized controlled trials encompassing 6759 participants have met the inclusion criteria. Subgroup analysis of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis revealed a significant improvement of vertebral BMD for both medium-term and long-term results favoring vitamin K2 group (p < 0.00001 and p = 0.0005). However, no significant difference in BMD changes was revealed for the non-osteoporosis subgroup analysis. As for the incidence of fractures, pooled analysis of the seven related studies demonstrated no significant difference in the incidence of fractures favoring vitamin K2 (RR = 0.63, p = 0.08). However, sensitivity analysis by rejecting the study inducing heterogeneity demonstrated a significant difference in the incidence of fractures favoring vitamin K2 (RR = 0.50, p = 0.0005). Significant differences were found in undercarboxylated osteocalcin reduction and osteocalcin increment. The result of adverse reaction analysis showed that vitamin K2 group seemed to have a higher adverse reaction rate (RR = 1.22, p = 0.06). This meta-analysis seemed to support the hypothesis that vitamin K2 plays kind of a role in the maintenance and improvement of vertebral BMD and the prevention of fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The reduction of undercarboxylated osteocalcin and increment of osteocalcin may have some relation to the process of bone mineralization. However, the effect of vitamin K2 for postmenopausal women without osteoporosis had not been identified. Further high-quality RCTs with large sample size are needed to confirm the role of vitamin K2 in osteoporosis for postmenopausal women.

Turkish Early Childhood Educators on Parental Involvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hakyemez, Sevcan

2015-01-01

Research conducted over recent decades show that parental involvement plays a significant role in children's academic achievement as well as their cognitive, social and emotional development. For effective parental involvement, understanding the conceptualization of early childhood educators should be significant. This research investigated the…

Early-life soy exposure and gender-role play behavior in children.

PubMed

Adgent, Margaret A; Daniels, Julie L; Edwards, Lloyd J; Siega-Riz, Anna Maria; Rogan, Walter J

2011-12-01

Soy-based infant formula contains high levels of isoflavones. These estrogen-like compounds have been shown to induce changes in sexually dimorphic behaviors in animals exposed in early development. We examined gender-role play behavior in relation to soy-based and non-soy-based infant feeding methods among children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We studied 3,664 boys and 3,412 girls. Four exposure categories were created using data from questionnaires administered at 6 and 15 months postpartum: primarily breast, early formula (referent), early soy, and late soy. Gender-role play behavior was assessed using the Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI). Associations between infant feeding and PSAI scores at 42 months of age were assessed using linear regression. Post hoc analyses of PSAI scores at 30 and 57 months were also conducted. Early-infancy soy use was reported for approximately 2% of participants. Mean [95% confidence interval (CI)] PSAI scores at 42 months were 62.3 (62.0, 62.6) and 36.9 (36.6, 37.2) for boys and girls, respectively. After adjustment, early soy (vs. early formula) feeding was associated with higher (less feminine) PSAI scores in girls (β = 2.66; 95% CI: 0.19, 5.12) but was not significantly associated with PSAI scores in boys. The association between soy exposure and PSAI scores in girls was substantially attenuated at 30 and 57 months. Although not consistent throughout childhood, early-life soy exposure was associated with less female-typical play behavior in girls at 42 months of age. Soy exposure was not significantly associated with play behavior in boys.

TRPC Channels and Epilepsy.

PubMed

Zheng, Fang

2017-01-01

Accumulating evidence suggest that TRPC channels play critical roles in various aspects of epileptogenesis. TRPC1/4 channels are major contributors to nonsynaptically derived epileptiform burst firing in the CA1 and the lateral septum. TRPC7 channels play a critical role in synaptically derived epileptiform burst firing. The reduction of spontaneous epileptiform bursting in the CA3 is correlated to a reduction in pilocarpine-induced SE in vivo in TRPC7 knockout mice. TRPC channels are also significant contributors to SE-induced neuronal cell death. Although the pilocarpine-induced SE itself is not significantly reduced, the SE-induced neuronal cell death is significantly reduced in the CA1 and the lateral septum, indicating that TRPC1/4 channels directly contribute to SE-induced neuronal cell death. Genetic ablation of TRPC5 also reduces SE-induced neuronal cell death in the CA1 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus.

A possible mechanism of maxillofacial abscess formation: involvement of Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide via the expression of inflammatory cytokines.

PubMed

Murakami, Y; Hanazawa, S; Tanaka, S; Iwahashi, H; Yamamoto, Y; Fujisawa, S

2001-12-01

In a previous study, we developed a specific monoclonal antibody against Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide, and demonstrated that this lipopolysaccharide was detected in bacterially infected root canal fluid. We suggest here that P. endodontalis lipopolysaccharide in the infectious materials plays a stimulatory role in maxillofacial abscess formation via the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Our epidemiological study showed that this lipopolysaccharide was detected in significant levels the infectious material of patients with periapical periodontitis and odontogenic abscesses. Interestingly, infectious material-induced expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta, or neutrophil chemoattractant KC genes in mouse macrophages, was significantly neutralized by monoclonal antibody against the lipopolysaccharide. In addition, we also detected a significant amount of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the infectious material. These results suggest that P. endodontalis lipopolysaccharide plays an important role in the pathogenic mechanism of maxillofacial abscess formation via the expression of inflammatory cytokines.

Jupiter Eruptions

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-25

NASA Hubble Space Telescope shows detailed analysis of two continent-sized storms that erupted in Jupiter atmosphere in March 2007 shows that Jupiter internal heat plays a significant role in generating atmospheric disturbances .

Photochemical Production of Singlet Oxygen from Dissolved Organic Matter in Ice.

PubMed

Fede, Alexis; Grannas, Amanda M

2015-11-03

Dissolved natural organic matter (DOM) is a ubiquitous component of natural waters and an important photosensitizer. A variety of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to be produced from DOM photochemistry, including singlet oxygen, 1O2. Recently, it has been determined that humic-like substances and unknown organic chromophores are significant contributors to sunlight absorption in snowpack; however, DOM photochemistry in snow/ice has received little attention in the literature. We recently showed that DOM plays an important role in indirect photolysis processes in ice, producing ROS and leading to the efficient photodegradation of a probe hydrophobic organic pollutant, aldrin.1 ROS scavenger experiments indicated that 1O2 played a significant role in the indirect photodegradation of aldrin. Here we quantitatively examine 1O2 photochemically produced from DOM in frozen and liquid aqueous solutions. Steady-state 1O2 production is enhanced up to nearly 1000 times in frozen DOM samples compared to liquid samples. 1O2 production is dependent on the concentration of DOM, but the nature of the DOM source (terrestrial vs microbial) does not have a significant effect on 1O2 production in liquid or frozen samples, with different source types producing similar steady-state concentrations of 1O2. The temperature of frozen samples also has a significant effect on steady-state 1O2 production in the range of 228-262 K, with colder samples producing more steady-state 1O2. The large enhancement in 1O2 in frozen samples suggests that it may play a significant role in the photochemical processes that occur in snow and ice, and DOM could be a significant, but to date poorly understood, oxidant source in snow and ice.

Biogeochemical Cycling of Methane in the Proterozoic and Its Role in the Carbon Isotope Budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrag, D. P.; Laakso, T.

2016-12-01

Various studies have proposed that the biogeochemical cycle of methane has played an important role throughout Earth history, both in contributing to greenhouse stability of climate in the Archean and producing carbon isotope variations and climate fluctuations in the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic. Using a simple box model that couples the geochemical cycles on carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, iron, and sulfur, combined with recent studies of methane cycling in anoxic environments, we reexamine the role of methane in both the Archean and Proterozoic, focusing on methane's role in the carbon isotope budget. We find that methane plays a much more modest role at all times of relative anoxia in the deep ocean, which requires an alternative explanation for the carbon isotope record, in particular the "boring billion" during the Mesoproterozoic. In particular, the high burial efficiency driven by lower oxygen levels drives primary production to much lower levels than has been previously described, resulting in relatively little organic matter available for methanogenesis. In addition, the anoxia in deep water results in a reduced role for methanotrophy at these times, and therefore a change in the mechanisms for production of authigenic carbonate, which may have played a significant role in the carbon isotope budget.

The presence and significance of polar meibum and tear lipids.

PubMed

Pucker, Andrew D; Haworth, Kristina M

2015-01-01

The ocular tear film is a complex structure composed of a number of elements. While all of these components serve valuable functional and structural roles, the external lipid layer has been a focus because it is known to play a critical role in dry eye. Traditionally, meibomian gland phospholipids have been considered to be the vital amphiphilic molecules needed to create an interphase between the outer nonpolar lipid layer and inner aqueous layers, yet recent work has called this theory into question. The purpose of this review is to clarify the current understanding of the origins, identity, and significance of polar tear lipids. Studies indicate that both phospholipids and ω-hydroxy fatty acids likely play a critical role in tear film stability. Studies also indicate that polar lipids likely originate from multiple sources and that they are integrally involved in ocular surface disease. Additional studies are needed to fully understand the origins and significance of polar tear lipids, because to date only correlational evidence has described their hypothesized origins and functions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research and Development Strategy for the 1990s, 1990 Summer Study. Volume 1 Executive Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-01

Technology Security Administration ( DTSA ), but recently, JCS has been given a significant role. Also the Services play a significant role, especially...international arena: the Defense Security Assistance Agency (DSAA), dealing with foreign military sales; the Defense Technology Security Administration ( DTSA ...in these organizations. DSAA and DTSA report indirectly to the USD(P) and DUSD(P) reports to USD(A). The DDR&E, also reporting to USD(A), is

The role of drebrin in glioma migration and invasion

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

Terakawa, Yuzo; Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka; Agnihotri, Sameer

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. Despite current advances in therapy consisting of surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation, the overall survival rate still remains poor. Therapeutic failures are partly attributable to the highly infiltrative nature of tumor adjacent to normal brain parenchyma. Recently, evidence is mounting to suggest that actin cytoskeleton dynamics are critical components of the cell invasion process. Drebrin is an actin-binding protein involved in the regulation of actin filament organization, and plays a significant role in cell motility; however, the role of drebrin in glioma cell invasiveness has not yet beenmore » fully elucidated. Therefore, this study was aimed to clarify the role of drebrin in glioma cell morphology and cell motility. Here we show that drebrin is expressed in glioma cell lines and in operative specimens of GBM. We demonstrate that stable overexpression of drebrin in U87 cells leads to alterations in cell morphology, and induces increased invasiveness in vitro while knockdown of drebrin in U87 cells by small interfering RNA (siRNA) decreases invasion and migration. In addition, we show that depletion of drebrin by siRNA alters glioma cell morphology in A172 GBM cell line. Our results suggest that drebrin contributes to the maintenance of cell shape, and may play an important role in glioma cell motility. - Highlights: ► Drebrin is an actin-binding protein aberrantly expressed in several cancers. ► Role of drebrin in glioma cell morphology and motility is previously unknown. ► We demonstrate that drebrin is expressed in 40% of glioblastoma specimens. ► Drebrin plays a significant role in modulating glioma cell migration and invasion.« less

The relationship of Chlamydophila pneumoniae with schizophrenia: The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in this relationship.

PubMed

Kalayci, Fatma; Ozdemir, Armagan; Saribas, Suat; Yuksel, Pelin; Ergin, Sevgi; Kuskucu, Ali Mert; Poyraz, Cana Aksoy; Balcioglu, Ibrahim; Alpay, Nihat; Kurt, Aykut; Sezgin, Zeynep; Kocak, Banu Tufan; Icel, Rana Sucu; Can, Gunay; Tokman, Hrisi Bahar; Kocazeybek, Bekir

Several pathogens have been suspected of playing a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Chronic inflammation has been proposed to occur as a result of persistent infection caused by Chlamydophila pneumoniae cells that reside in brain endothelial cells for many years. It was recently hypothesized that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) may play prominent roles in the development of schizophrenia. NT-3 and BDNF levels have been suggested to change in response to various manifestations of infection. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the roles of BDNF and NT3 in the schizophrenia-C. pneumoniae infection relationship. RT-PCR, immunofluorescence and ELISA methods were used. Fifty patients suffering from schizophrenia and 35 healthy individuals were included as the patient group (PG) and the healthy control group (HCG), respectively. We detected persistent infection in 14 of the 50 individuals in the PG and in 1 of the 35 individuals in the HCG. A significant difference was found between the two groups (p<0.05). Twenty-two individuals in the PG and 13 in the HCG showed seropositivity for past C. pneumoniae infection, and no difference was observed between the groups (p>0.05). C. pneumoniae DNA was not detected in any group. A significant difference in NT-3 levels was observed between the groups, with very low levels in the PG (p<0.001). A significant difference in BDNF levels was also found, with lower levels in the PG (p<0.05). The mean serum NT-3 level was higher in the PG cases with C. pneumoniae seropositivity than in seronegative cases; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). In conclusion, we suggest that NT-3 levels during persistent C. pneumoniae infection may play a role in this relationship. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of adaptive pretend play on affective expression and imagination of children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Hsieh, Hsieh-Chun

2012-01-01

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have difficulty participating in role-pretending activities. The concept of adaptive play makes play accessible by modifying play materials for different needs or treatment goals for children with CP. This study examines the affective expressions and imagination in children with CP as a function of ordinary versus adaptive pretend play. The Affect in Play Scale-Brief Rating measured the affective expression and imagination for 29 children with CP and 29 typically developing children (mean age=7.34 years). Two groups of children were observed while playing with a standard set of ordinary toys for ten times and with a standard procedure of adaptive pretend play for ten times. The results show significantly different affective expressions and imagination between the two groups. Typically developing children displayed much more affective expression and imagination. However, a more positive influence of affective expression and imagination occurred in children with CP than in typically developing children. In repeated measures analysis, the frequency of positive affective expression and imagination of children with CP was higher when pretending with adaptive toys. Adaptive pretend play can promote more role-pretending behaviors and a sense of environmental control during the manipulating process for children with CP. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serum matrix metalloproteinase-3 levels are elevated in myasthenia gravis.

PubMed

Romi, Fredrik R; Gilhus, Nils Erik; Luckman, Steven P

2008-03-01

MMP-3 is capable of degrading a variety of proteins, including agrin, which plays a critical role in neuromuscular signalling by controlling acetylcholine receptor clustering. The degradation of agrin by MMP-3 may disrupt the neuromuscular junction leading to a failure of neuromuscular transmission and muscle weakness. We have therefore examined the levels of MMP-3 in 116 patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and 90 healthy controls. A significant elevation in MMP-3 levels was observed in 10% of seronegative and 17% of seropositive MG patients, indicating that MMP-3 may play a pathogenic role in a proportion of MG patients.

Redefining success as significance through leadership in the new economy.

PubMed

De Jong, Steven A

2006-03-01

This review re-examines our current definition of success in the current economic system and challenges the surgeon to play a significant part in role modeling and mentoring surgical residents and other healthcare professionals. Leadership skills are presented and implementation strategies are suggested.

Negotiating identity at the intersection of paediatric and genetic medicine: the parent as facilitator, narrator and patient.

PubMed

Dimond, Rebecca

2014-01-01

This article identifies a significant transformation in the role and identity of parents accompanying their child to clinic. This shift is a product of the intersection between paediatric and genetic medicine, where parents play a critical role in providing information about their child, family and ultimately, about themselves. To provide a context for this matrix, two broad areas of sociological inquiry are highlighted. The first is explanations of the role a parent plays in paediatric medicine and the second is the diagnostic process in paediatric genetics and the implications for parent and child identities. Drawing from an ethnographic study of clinical consultations, attention is paid to the changing role of parenthood and the extended role of patienthood in paediatric genetic medicine. © 2013 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2013 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Role of p21 in Apoptosis, Proliferation, Cell Cycle Arrest, and Antioxidant Activity in UVB-Irradiated Human HaCaT Keratinocytes

PubMed Central

Chen, Aijun; Huang, Xin; Xue, Zhenan; Cao, Di; Huang, Kun; Chen, Jin; Pan, Yun; Gao, Yongliang

2015-01-01

Background Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation-induced DNA damage is the major environmental factor underlying skin cancer development. p21, a p53-inducible protein, plays a key role in the cellular response to UVB-induced DNA damage. Material/Methods Through p21 silencing and overexpression, we investigated the role of p21 in apoptosis, proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and oxidative stress in UVB-irradiated HaCaT keratinocytes. Results We found that UVB exposure induced significant p21 downregulation (p<0.05) and was associated with significantly increased apoptosis, significantly decreased proliferation, and significantly increased G2 phase arrest (p<0.05) in UVB-irradiated HaCaT keratinocytes. p21 silencing significantly promoted apoptosis, significantly inhibited G2 phase arrest, and significantly inhibited proliferation (p<0.05), but after UVB irradiation, p21 silencing demonstrated a less significant pro-apoptotic effect and a more significant inhibition of G2 phase arrest (p<0.05), which was reflected in significantly higher proliferative activity (p<0.05). p21 overexpression acted in an anti-apoptotic manner in the absence of UVB-induced DNA damage but acted in a pro-apoptotic manner in the presence of UVB-induced DNA damage, displaying an “antagonistic duality” similar to other growth-promoting oncoproteins. p53 expression mirrored p21 expression, suggesting a regulatory feedback mechanism between p21 and p53 expression. p21 overexpression significantly downregulated glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase antioxidant activity (p<0.05) while significantly upregulating hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde content (p<0.05), suggesting a role in decreasing antioxidant defense capabilities in UVB-irradiated HaCaT keratinocytes. Conclusions These findings reveal that p21 may play a key role in HaCaT keratinocytes’ response to UVB exposure. PMID:25925725

Leptin plays a catabolic role on articular cartilage.

PubMed

Bao, Jia-peng; Chen, Wei-ping; Feng, Jie; Hu, Peng-fei; Shi, Zhong-li; Wu, Li-dong

2010-10-01

Leptin has been shown to play a crucial role in the regulation of body weight. There is also evidence that this adipokine plays a key role in the process of osteoarthritis. However, the precise role of leptin on articular cartilage metabolism is not clear. We investigate the role of leptin on articular cartilage in vivo in this study. Recombinant rat leptin (100 μg) was injected into the knee joints of rats, 48 h later, messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and protein levels of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2, MMP-9), cathepsin D, and collagen II from articular cartilage were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot. Two important aggrecanases ADAMTS-4 and -5 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4 and 5) were also analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR. Besides, articular cartilage was also assessed for proteoglycan/GAG content by Safranin O staining. Leptin significantly increased both gene and protein levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, cathepsin D, and collagen II, while decreased bFGF markedly in cartilage. Moreover, the gene expression of ADAMTS-4 and -5 were markedly increased, and histologically assessed depletion of proteoglycan in articular cartilage was observed after treatment with leptin. These results strongly suggest that leptin plays a catabolic role on cartilage metabolism and may be a disadvantage factor involve in the pathological process of OA.

[Peer harassment in primary school: the role of peers and its relationship with sociometric status].

PubMed

Lucas Molina, Beatriz; Pulido Valero, Rosa; Solbes Canales, Irene

2011-04-01

During the last decade, there has been a change in peer harassment research from a focus on the characteristics of the Aggressor-Victim dyad to the recognition of peer harassment as a whole group process, with most of children playing some kind of role. This study uses a shortened adaptation of the Participant-Role Questionnaire approach to identify these roles in 2,050 Spanish children aged 8 to 13 years. These Participant Roles were related to belonging to one of the five sociometric status groups. Factor analysis revealed four different roles, indicating that the adapted scale remains a reliable way of distinguishing the Aggressor, Victim, Defender of the victim, and Outsider roles. Boys played the roles of Aggressor and Victim significantly more frequently. The children's Participant Role was found to be related to their sociometric status. Progress in the measurement of peer harassment as a group process and the success of intervention strategies may depend on finding clearer distinctions among the different peer roles, mobilizing peer pressure, and isolating aggressors from their social support.

How Does Anxiety Affect Second Language Learning? A Reply to Sparks and Ganschow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacIntyre, Peter D.

1995-01-01

Advocates that language anxiety can play a significant causal role in creating individual differences in both language learning and communication. This paper studies the role of anxiety in the language learning process and concludes that the linguistic coding deficit hypothesis errs in assigning epiphenomenal status to language anxiety. (57…

Contributing Knowledge and Knowledge Workers: The Role of Chinese Universities in the Knowledge Economy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Shuang-Ye

2012-01-01

As China has appeared only recently as an important knowledge producer with growing global economic significance, little is known internationally about how these processes develop and are managed within China. The rapidly expanding Chinese higher education system is playing an increasingly important role in China's knowledge economy and therefore…

The Role of Universities in Achieving Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Kai

2009-01-01

Social justice is not only a vital ethical principle of the human society but also the all-important value of the entire social system. As a public sphere, the university undertakes the purpose to achieve public interest. It plays a significant role in reflecting, defending, and fostering social justice. Nurturing people with social justice…

Impaired Emotion Recognition in Music in Parkinson's Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Tricht, Mirjam J.; Smeding, Harriet M. M.; Speelman, Johannes D.; Schmand, Ben A.

2010-01-01

Music has the potential to evoke strong emotions and plays a significant role in the lives of many people. Music might therefore be an ideal medium to assess emotion recognition. We investigated emotion recognition in music in 20 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and 20 matched healthy volunteers. The role of cognitive dysfunction…

Experimental Methodology in English Teaching and Learning: Method Features, Validity Issues, and Embedded Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jang Ho

2012-01-01

Experimental methods have played a significant role in the growth of English teaching and learning studies. The paper presented here outlines basic features of experimental design, including the manipulation of independent variables, the role and practicality of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in educational research, and alternative methods…

The Role of Skills-Based Interventions and Settings on the Engagement of Diverse Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latunde, Yvette

2017-01-01

Academic achievement for African American and Latino students is lower than for White and Asian students. To help overcome the achievement gap, policymakers and social scientists have focused on the relationships between student outcomes and family, community, and schools. Family, church, and community have always played significant roles in…

A Critical Review of the Postulated Role of the Cyanobacterial Metabolite, Beta-N-Methylamino-L-Alanine (BMAA) in Neurodegenerative Disease in Humans

EPA Science Inventory

The compound BMAA (β-N-methylamino-L-alanine) has been hypothesized to play a significant role in four serious neurological diseases in humans: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Parkinsonism Dementia Complex (ALS/PDC) found on Guam, and ALS, parkinsonism, and dementia that occur...

Standards of Practice for California Community College Library Faculty and Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, 2010

2010-01-01

Libraries and library faculty play a significant role in supporting college curriculum and helping students succeed academically. In particular, libraries are the primary location both physically and remotely for supporting faculty and students in their research and information needs. Over the years, this role of libraries and library faculty has…

Uniforms: Are They a Good Fit?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boutelle, Marsha

2008-01-01

In an era where some parents seem unwilling or unable to draw the "clothes" line with their children, where pop culture influences kids' clothing choices as never before, and school safety--including gang violence--is at the top of everyone's minds, school uniforms and dress codes can play a significant role. What that role should be,…

The Role of Social Class in English Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandrick, Stephanie

2014-01-01

English language educators are often advocates for social justice and often focus on learners' identities, such as their race, gender, and ethnicity; however, they tend not to employ a social class lens in analyzing students, teachers, classrooms, and institutions. Yet social class plays a significant, if unacknowledged, role in the field.…

The "Spring Bulbs for Schools" Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowell, Danielle; Watkins, Richard

2007-01-01

It is becoming clear that human influences are a significant factor driving climate change. Education is one of the main weapons in influencing patterns of behaviour and teachers inevitably have a crucial role to play. Teachers need to be fully aware of issues surrounding climate change in order to be positive role models for children and to…

The Role of Teacher Leaders in Scaling Up Standards-Based Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Judy; Snell, Jean; Koency, Gina; Berns, Barbara

This study examined 10 urban middle school teacher leaders who played significant roles in their districts' and states' large-scale standards reform efforts. Interviews, observations, and shadowing were conducted during the first year to examine the teachers' scope of work. Observations focused on teachers working with a range of students and with…

Design and Implementation of Technology Enabled Affective Learning Using Fusion of Bio-Physical and Facial Expression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, Arindam; Chakrabarti, Amlan

2016-01-01

Technology Enabled Learning is a cognitive, constructive, systematic, collaborative learning procedure, which transforms teaching-learning pedagogy where role of emotion is very often neglected. Emotion plays significant role in the cognitive process of human being, so the transformation is incomplete without capturing the learner's emotional…

Middle Leadership: A Key Role of Numeracy Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jorgensen, Robyn

2016-01-01

This paper reports on a large national project that explored successful numeracy practices in remote and very remote schools. While there have been a number of significant findings, the middle leader has been identified as a key role in the development of successful numeracy/mathematics practices in schools. The middle leader plays a critical role…

Zinc oxide nanoflowers make new blood vessels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barui, Ayan Kumar; Veeriah, Vimal; Mukherjee, Sudip; Manna, Joydeb; Patel, Ajay Kumar; Patra, Sujata; Pal, Krishnendu; Murali, Shruthi; Rana, Rohit K.; Chatterjee, Suvro; Patra, Chitta Ranjan

2012-11-01

It is well established that angiogenesis is the process of formation of new capillaries from pre-existing blood vessels. It is a complex process, involving both pro- and anti-angiogenic factors, and plays a significant role in physiological and pathophysiological processes such as embryonic development, atherosclerosis, post-ischemic vascularization of the myocardium, tumor growth and metastasis, rheumatoid arthritis etc. This is the first report of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflowers that show significant pro-angiogenic properties (formation of new capillaries from pre-existing blood vessels), observed by in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis assays. The egg yolk angiogenesis assay using ZnO nanoflowers indicates the presence of matured blood vessels formation. Additionally, it helps to promote endothelial cell (EA.hy926 cells) migration in wound healing assays. Formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)--a redox signaling molecule, might be the plausible mechanism for nanoflower-based angiogenesis. Angiogenesis by nanoflowers may provide the basis for the future development of new alternative therapeutic treatment strategies for cardiovascular and ischemic diseases, where angiogenesis plays a significant role.It is well established that angiogenesis is the process of formation of new capillaries from pre-existing blood vessels. It is a complex process, involving both pro- and anti-angiogenic factors, and plays a significant role in physiological and pathophysiological processes such as embryonic development, atherosclerosis, post-ischemic vascularization of the myocardium, tumor growth and metastasis, rheumatoid arthritis etc. This is the first report of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflowers that show significant pro-angiogenic properties (formation of new capillaries from pre-existing blood vessels), observed by in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis assays. The egg yolk angiogenesis assay using ZnO nanoflowers indicates the presence of matured blood vessels formation. Additionally, it helps to promote endothelial cell (EA.hy926 cells) migration in wound healing assays. Formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)--a redox signaling molecule, might be the plausible mechanism for nanoflower-based angiogenesis. Angiogenesis by nanoflowers may provide the basis for the future development of new alternative therapeutic treatment strategies for cardiovascular and ischemic diseases, where angiogenesis plays a significant role. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr32369a

Knockdown of mortalin within the medial prefrontal cortex impairs normal sensorimotor gating.

PubMed

Gabriele, Nicole; Pontoriero, Giuseppe F; Thomas, Nancy; Shethwala, Shazli K; Pristupa, Zdenek B; Gabriele, Joseph P

2010-11-01

The 70-kDa mitochondrial heat shock protein, mortalin, is a ubiquitously expressed, multifunctional protein that is capable of binding the neurotransmitter, dopamine, within the brain. Dopamine dysregulation has been implicated in many of the abnormal neurological behaviors. Although studies have indicated that mortalin is differentially regulated in response to dopaminergic modulation, research has yet to elucidate the role of mortalin in the regulation of dopaminergic activity. This study seeks to investigate the role of mortalin in the regulation of dopamine-dependent behavior, specifically as it pertains to schizophrenia (SCZ). Mortalin expression was knocked down through the infusion of antisense oligodeoxynucleotide molecules into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Rats infused with mortalin antisense oligodeoxynucleotide molecules exhibited significant prepulse inhibition deficits, suggestive of defects in normal sensorimotor gating. Furthermore, mortalin misexpression within the mPFC was coupled to a significant increase in mortalin protein expression within the nucleus accumbens at the molecular level. These findings demonstrate that mortalin plays an essential role in the regulation of dopamine-dependent behavior and plays an even greater role in the pathogenesis of SCZ.

Assessing disease-modifying effects of norepinephrine in Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Ponnusamy, Ravikumar; McNerney, M Windy; Moghadam, Shahrzad; Salehi, Ahmad

2017-11-08

Building upon the knowledge that a number of important brain circuits undergo significant degeneration in Alzheimer's disease, numerous recent studies suggest that the norepinephrine-ergic system in the brainstem undergoes significant alterations early in the course of both Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome. Massive projections from locus coeruleus neurons to almost the entire brain, extensive innervation of brain capillaries, and widespread distribution of noradrenergic receptors enable the norepinephrine-ergic system to play a crucial role in neural processes, including cognitive function. These anatomical and functional characteristics support the role of the norepinephrine-ergic system as an important target for developing new therapies for cognitive dysfunction. Careful neuropathological examinations using postmortem samples from individuals with Alzheimer's disease have implicated the role of the norepinephrine-ergic system in the etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, numerous studies have supported the existence of a strong interaction between norepinephrine-ergic and neuroimmune systems. We explore the interaction between the two systems that could play a role in the disease-modifying effects of norepinephrine in Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Using Online Role-Play to Promote Collaborative Argument and Collective Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doerr-Stevens, Candance; Beach, Richard; Boeser, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

This article discusses how students use online role-play to collaborate and change real school policy. Playing different characters in an online role-play, students explore controversial aspects of Internet filtering and adopt a plan to change their school's policy. Through engaging in collaborative argumentation during their role-play, students…

The pleasures of play: pharmacological insights into social reward mechanisms.

PubMed

Trezza, Viviana; Baarendse, Petra J J; Vanderschuren, Louk J M J

2010-10-01

Like human children, most young mammals devote a significant amount of time and energy playing together, and social play is fun. Although social play is very pleasurable, it is more than just a frivolous activity: it is crucial for the development of behavioral flexibility, the acquisition of social and cognitive competence, and the maintenance of group cohesion. Social play is a natural reinforcer, and the neurotransmitter systems intimately implicated in the motivational, pleasurable and cognitive aspects of natural and drug rewards, such as opioids, endocannabinoids, dopamine and norepinephrine, play an important modulatory role in the performance of social play. In this review, we address the notion that social play is rewarding, and discuss recent developments in the neuropharmacology of this behavior. This provides a framework to understand how the brain processes social emotions, to make young individuals enjoy social play.

78 FR 70630 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-26

... FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Assistant Director, Sanctions Compliance & Evaluation, Office of Foreign..., a person designated pursuant to the Kingpin Act; or (3) playing a significant role in international...

Is It Time for Entrustable Professional Activities for Residency Program Directors?

PubMed

Bing-You, Robert G; Holmboe, Eric; Varaklis, Kalli; Linder, Jo

2017-06-01

Residency program directors (PDs) play an important role in establishing and leading high-quality graduate medical education programs. However, medical educators have failed to codify the position on a national level, and PDs are often not recognized for the significant role they play. The authors of this Commentary argue that the core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) framework may be a mechanism to further this work and define the roles and responsibilities of the PD position. Based on personal observations as PDs and communications with others in the academic medicine community, the authors used work in competency-based medical education to define a list of potential EPAs for PDs. The benefits of developing these EPAs include being able to define competencies for PDs using a deconstructive process, highlighting the increasingly important role PDs play in leading high-quality graduate medical education programs, using EPAs as a framework to assess PD performance and provide feedback, allowing PDs to focus their professional development efforts on the most important areas for their work, and helping guide the PD recruitment and selection processes.

The First Call Note Plays a Crucial Role in Frog Vocal Communication.

PubMed

Yue, Xizi; Fan, Yanzhu; Xue, Fei; Brauth, Steven E; Tang, Yezhong; Fang, Guangzhan

2017-08-31

Vocal Communication plays a crucial role in survival and reproductive success in most amphibian species. Although amphibian communication sounds are often complex consisting of many temporal features, we know little about the biological significance of each temporal component. The present study examined the biological significance of notes of the male advertisement calls of the Emei music frog (Babina daunchina) using the optimized electroencephalogram (EEG) paradigm of mismatch negativity (MMN). Music frog calls generally contain four to six notes separated approximately by 150 millisecond intervals. A standard stimulus (white noise) and five deviant stimuli (five notes from one advertisement call) were played back to each subject while simultaneously recording multi-channel EEG signals. The results showed that the MMN amplitude for the first call note was significantly larger than for that of the others. Moreover, the MMN amplitudes evoked from the left forebrain and midbrain were typically larger than those from the right counterpart. These results are consistent with the ideas that the first call note conveys more information than the others for auditory recognition and that there is left-hemisphere dominance for processing information derived from conspecific calls in frogs.

The Core Subunit of A Chromatin-Remodeling Complex, ZmCHB101, Plays Essential Roles in Maize Growth and Development.

PubMed

Yu, Xiaoming; Jiang, Lili; Wu, Rui; Meng, Xinchao; Zhang, Ai; Li, Ning; Xia, Qiong; Qi, Xin; Pang, Jinsong; Xu, Zheng-Yi; Liu, Bao

2016-12-05

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes play essential roles in the regulation of diverse biological processes by formulating a DNA template that is accessible to the general transcription apparatus. Although the function of chromatin remodelers in plant development has been studied in A. thaliana, how it affects growth and development of major crops (e.g., maize) remains uninvestigated. Combining genetic, genomic and bioinformatic analyses, we show here that the maize core subunit of chromatin remodeling complex, ZmCHB101, plays essential roles in growth and development of maize at both vegetative and reproductive stages. Independent ZmCHB101 RNA interference plant lines displayed abaxially curling leaf phenotype due to increase of bulliform cell numbers, and showed impaired development of tassel and cob. RNA-seq-based transcriptome profiling revealed that ZmCHB101 dictated transcriptional reprogramming of a significant set of genes involved in plant development, photosynthesis, metabolic regulation, stress response and gene expressional regulation. Intriguingly, we found that ZmCHB101 was required for maintaining normal nucleosome density and 45 S rDNA compaction. Our findings suggest that the SWI3 protein, ZmCHB101, plays pivotal roles in maize normal growth and development via regulation of chromatin structure.

Grand challenges for biological engineering

PubMed Central

Yoon, Jeong-Yeol; Riley, Mark R

2009-01-01

Biological engineering will play a significant role in solving many of the world's problems in medicine, agriculture, and the environment. Recently the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) released a document "Grand Challenges in Engineering," covering broad realms of human concern from sustainability, health, vulnerability and the joy of living. Biological engineers, having tools and techniques at the interface between living and non-living entities, will play a prominent role in forging a better future. The 2010 Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) conference in Cambridge, MA, USA will address, in part, the roles of biological engineering in solving the challenges presented by the NAE. This letter presents a brief outline of how biological engineers are working to solve these large scale and integrated problems of our society. PMID:19772647

Play: early and eternal.

PubMed Central

Mears, C E; Harlow, H F

1975-01-01

A systematic 12-week investigation of development of play behavior was conducted with eight socially reared rhesus monkey infants. A new, basic and primary play form termed self-motion play or peragration was identified and examined. This behavior follows a human model which includes a wide range of pleasurable activities involving motion of the body through space, e.g., rocking, swinging, running, leaping, and water or snow skiing. It can be argued that self-motion play is the initial primate play form and because of its persistence constitutes a reinforcing agent for maintaining many complex patterns and even pastimes. Monkey self-motion play in the present study was divided into five separate patterns in order to compare the relative importance of social and individual peragration play, the role of apparatus and the overall developmental relationships between the different individual and social self-motion play patterns. The data showed that from 90 to 180 days of age self-motion play was independent of other forms of play, that individual self-motion play appeared earlier and with significantly greater increases in frequency than did social self-motion play, and that apparatus was a necessary component for significant increases in social self-motion play. Other findings were that self-motion play existed independent of locomotion and, though initiated by exploration, was separate from it. Therapeutic implications of self-motion play were discussed. Images PMID:1057178

Ecology and Biotechnology of Selenium-Respiring Bacteria

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

SUMMARY In nature, selenium is actively cycled between oxic and anoxic habitats, and this cycle plays an important role in carbon and nitrogen mineralization through bacterial anaerobic respiration. Selenium-respiring bacteria (SeRB) are found in geographically diverse, pristine or contaminated environments and play a pivotal role in the selenium cycle. Unlike its structural analogues oxygen and sulfur, the chalcogen selenium and its microbial cycling have received much less attention by the scientific community. This review focuses on microorganisms that use selenate and selenite as terminal electron acceptors, in parallel to the well-studied sulfate-reducing bacteria. It overviews the significant advancements made in recent years on the role of SeRB in the biological selenium cycle and their ecological role, phylogenetic characterization, and metabolism, as well as selenium biomineralization mechanisms and environmental biotechnological applications. PMID:25631289

Ecology and biotechnology of selenium-respiring bacteria.

PubMed

Nancharaiah, Y V; Lens, P N L

2015-03-01

In nature, selenium is actively cycled between oxic and anoxic habitats, and this cycle plays an important role in carbon and nitrogen mineralization through bacterial anaerobic respiration. Selenium-respiring bacteria (SeRB) are found in geographically diverse, pristine or contaminated environments and play a pivotal role in the selenium cycle. Unlike its structural analogues oxygen and sulfur, the chalcogen selenium and its microbial cycling have received much less attention by the scientific community. This review focuses on microorganisms that use selenate and selenite as terminal electron acceptors, in parallel to the well-studied sulfate-reducing bacteria. It overviews the significant advancements made in recent years on the role of SeRB in the biological selenium cycle and their ecological role, phylogenetic characterization, and metabolism, as well as selenium biomineralization mechanisms and environmental biotechnological applications. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Mediator Complex and Transcription Elongation

PubMed Central

Conaway, Ronald C.; Conaway, Joan Weliky

2013-01-01

Background Mediator is an evolutionarily conserved multisubunit RNA polymerase II (Pol II) coregulatory complex. Although Mediator was initially found to play a critical role in regulation of the initiation of Pol II transcription, recent studies have brought to light an expanded role for Mediator at post-initiation stages of transcription. Scope of review We provide a brief description of the structure of Mediator and its function in the regulation of Pol II transcription initiation, and we summarize recent findings implicating Mediator in the regulation of various stages of Pol II transcription elongation. Major conclusions Emerging evidence is revealing new roles for Mediator in nearly all stages of Pol II transcription, including initiation, promoter escape, elongation, pre-mRNA processing, and termination. General significance Mediator plays a central role in the regulation of gene expression by impacting nearly all stages of mRNA synthesis. PMID:22983086

Microglia: An Active Player in the Regulation of Synaptic Activity

PubMed Central

Ji, Kyungmin; Miyauchi, Jeremy; Tsirka, Stella E.

2013-01-01

Synaptic plasticity is critical for elaboration and adaptation in the developing and developed brain. It is well established that astrocytes play an important role in the maintenance of what has been dubbed “the tripartite synapse”. Increasing evidence shows that a fourth cell type, microglia, is critical to this maintenance as well. Microglia are the resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS). Because of their well-characterized inflammatory functions, research has primarily focused on their innate immune properties. The role of microglia in the maintenance of synapses in development and in homeostasis is not as well defined. A number of significant findings have shed light on the critical role of microglia at the synapse. It is becoming increasingly clear that microglia play a seminal role in proper synaptic development and elimination. PMID:24303218

Evaluation of Role of Myofibroblasts in Oral Cancer: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Sekhon, Harjeet K; Sircar, Keya; Kaur, Gurbani; Marwah, Muneet

2016-01-01

To conduct a systematic review on the role of myofibroblasts in progression of oral cancer. The myofibroblast is essential for the integrity of the mammalian body by virtue of its role in wound healing, but it also plays a negative role due to their role in promoting tumor development. Systematic review. Bibliographic searches were conducted in several electronic databases using all publications in PubMed, PubMed central, EMBASE, CancerLit, Google scholar, and Cochrane CCTR between 1990 and June 2015. The search of all publications from various electronic databases revealed 1,371 citations. The total number of studies considered for systematic review was 43. The total number of patients included in the studies was 990. Myofibroblasts are a significant component in stroma of oral cancer cases, though not identified in all cases. This systematic review shows that clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemistry tests have correlated the presence of high myofibroblast count in oral cancer cell stroma. Myofibroblasts play a significant role in oral cancer invasion and progression. Various studies have demonstrated their association with oral cancer. This review tends to highlight their role in the pathogenesis of oral cancer over the decade. Sekhon HK, Sircar K, Kaur G, Marwah M. Evaluation of Role of Myofibroblasts in Oral Cancer: A Systematic Review. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2016;9(3):233-239.

Optical Properties of Aeolian Dusts Common to West Texas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Both recent models and historical events such as the Dust Bowl and volcanic eruptions have illustrated aerosols can play a significant role in climate change through direct and indirect optical effects. Soil dust aerosols generated by Aeolian processes represent a significant fraction of the total ...

The Role of Silicon Limitation in Phytoplankton Phenology in a Sub-Arctic Fjord System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobbins, W.; Krause, J. W.; Agustí, S.; Duarte, C. M.; Schulz, I. K.; Winding, M.; Rowe, K. A.; Sejr, M.

2017-12-01

Bacillariophyceae (diatoms) are a significant driver of the biological pump and thus various chemical cycles in high latitude ecosystems. Diatoms have an obligate silicon requirement that has been established as a growth-limiting factor in a variety of ecosystems, and silicon availability likely plays an important role in the temporal evolution of high latitude phytoplankton blooms. However, no previous work has been done to assess the progression of this limitation across a full bloom cycle in the West Greenlandic Nuup Kangerlua fjord or equivalent systems with rapidly evolving land-sea-ice interfaces. Here we provide experimental evidence that the Nuup Kangerlua spring bloom is both diatom driven and strongly silicon constrained. Chlorophyll concentration and growth rates derived from biogenic silica measurements peaked contemporaneously; indicating diatoms were primary members of the phytoplankton assemblage. Moreover, incubation experiments revealed strong biomass increases in response to silicon additions during the bloom period. This work shows silicon availability may play a significant role in bloom phenology in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord.

Effects of video game playing on cerebral blood flow in young adults: a SPECT study.

PubMed

Chou, Yuan-Hwa; Yang, Bang-Hung; Hsu, Ju-Wei; Wang, Shyh-Jen; Lin, Chun-Lung; Huang, Kai-Lin; Chien Chang, Alice; Lee, Shin-Min

2013-04-30

To study the impact of video game playing on the human brain, the effects of two video games playing on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in young adults were determined. Thirty healthy subjects comprising 18 males and 12 females who were familiar with video game playing were recruited. Each subject underwent three sessions of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with a bolus injection of 20 mCi (99m)Tc ECD IV to measure their CBF. The first measurement was performed as baseline, the second and third measurements were performed after playing two different video games for 30 min, respectively. Statistic parametric mapping (SPM2) with Matlab 6.5 implemented on a personal computer was used for image analysis. CBF was significantly decreased in the prefrontal cortex and significantly increased in the temporal and occipital cortices after both video games playing. Furthermore, decreased CBF in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) which was significantly correlated with the number of killed characters was found after the violent game playing. The major finding of hypo-perfusion in prefrontal regions after video game playing is consistent with a previous study showing reduced or abnormal prefrontal cortex functions after video game playing. The second finding of decreased CBF in the ACC after playing the violent video game provides support for a previous hypothesis that the ACC might play a role in regulating violent behavior. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trehalose promotes Rhodococcus sp. strain YYL colonization in activated sludge under tetrahydrofuran (THF) stress

PubMed Central

He, Zhixing; Zhang, Kai; Wang, Haixia; Lv, Zhenmei

2015-01-01

Few studies have focused on the role of compatible solutes in changing the microbial community structure in bioaugmentation systems. In this study, we investigated the influence of trehalose as a biostimulant on the microbial community in tetrahydrofuran (THF)-treated wastewater bioaugmentation systems with Rhodococcus sp. YYL. Functional gene profile changes were used to study the variation in the microbial community. Soluble di-iron monooxygenases (SDIMO), particularly group-5 SDIMOs (i.e., tetrahydrofuran and propane monooxygenases), play a significant role in the initiation of the ring cleavage of tetrahydrofuran. Group-5 SDIMOs genes are enriched upon trehalose addition, and exogenous tetrahydrofuran monooxygenase (thmA) genes can successfully colonize bioaugmentation systems. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) have a significant role in catalyzing the region- and stereospecific oxidation of non-activated hydrocarbons, and THF was reported to inhibit P450s in the environment. The CYP153 family was chosen as a representative P450 to study the inhibitory effects of THF. The results demonstrated that CYP153 family genes exhibited significant changes upon THF treatment and that trehalose helped maintain a rich diversity and high abundance of CYP153 family genes. Biostimulation with trehalose could alleviate the negative effects of THF stress on microbial diversity in bioaugmentation systems. Our results indicated that trehalose as a compatible solute plays a significant role for environmental strains under extreme conditions. PMID:26029182

"You're being paged!" outcomes of a nursing home on-call role-playing and longitudinal curriculum.

PubMed

Yuasa, Misuzu; Bell, Christina L; Inaba, Michiko; Tamura, Bruce K; Ahsan, Samina; Saunders, Valisa; Masaki, Kamal

2013-11-01

Effectively handling telephone calls about nursing home (NH) residents is an important skill for healthcare professionals, but little formal training is typically provided. The objective of the current study was to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of a novel structured role-playing didactic session followed by an on-call NH longitudinal clinical experience. The effectiveness of the structured role-playing didactic session was compared in different learners, including geriatric medicine fellows (n = 10), family medicine residents and faculty (n = 14), nurse practitioner students (n = 31), and other learners (n = 7). The curriculum focused on common problems encountered while caring for NH residents during on-call periods. Learners rated themselves using an 18-item pre/post questionnaire including five attitude and 13 skills questions, using a 1-to-5 Likert scale. T-tests were used to compare means before and after sessions. Significant improvements were found in overall mean attitudes and skills scores. For all learners, the greatest improvements were seen in "comfort in managing residents at the NH," "managing feeding or gastrostomy tube dislodgement," "identifying different availability of medications, laboratory studies, and procedures in NH," and "describing steps to send NH residents to the emergency department." Geriatric medicine fellows' attitudes and skills improved significantly after the longitudinal clinical experience. The faculty survey demonstrated improved documentation, communication, and fellows' management of on-call problems after curriculum implementation. This novel curriculum used role-playing to provide training for on-call management of NH residents. This curriculum has been successfully disseminated on a national geriatrics educational resource website (POGOe) and is applicable to geriatric medicine fellowships, internal medicine and family medicine residency programs, and other training programs. © 2013, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2013, The American Geriatrics Society.

Acute Ketamine Administration Corrects Abnormal Inflammatory Bone Markers in Major Depressive Disorder

PubMed Central

Kadriu, Bashkim; Gold, Philip W; Luckenbaugh, David A; Lener, Marc S; Ballard, Elizabeth D; Niciu, Mark J; Henter, Ioline D; Park, Lawrence T; De Sousa, Rafael Teixeira; Yuan, Peixiong; Machado-Vieira, Rodrigo; Zarate, Carlos A

2017-01-01

Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have clinically relevant, significant decreases in bone mineral density (BMD). We sought to determine if predictive markers of bone inflammation—the osteoprotegerin (OPG)-RANK-RANKL system or osteopontin (OPN)—play a role in the bone abnormalities associated with MDD and, if so, whether ketamine treatment corrected the abnormalities. The OPG-RANK-RANKL system plays the principal role in determining the balance between bone resorption and bone formation. RANKL is the osteoclast differentiating factor and diminishes BMD. OPG is a decoy receptor for RANKL, thereby increasing BMD. OPN is the bone glue that acts as a scaffold between bone tissues matrix composition to bind them together and is an important component of bone strength and fracture resistance. Twenty-eight medication-free inpatients with treatment-resistant MDD and 16 healthy controls (HCs) participated in the study. Peripheral bone marker levels and their responses to IV ketamine infusion in MDD patients and HCs were measured at four time points: at baseline, and post-infusion at 230 minutes, Day 1, and Day 3. Patients with MDD had significant decreases in baseline OPG/RANKL ratio and in plasma OPN levels. Ketamine significantly increased both the OPG/RANKL ratio and plasma OPN levels and significantly decreased RANKL levels. Bone marker levels in HCs remained unaltered. We conclude that the OPG-RANK-RANKL system and the OPN system play important roles in the serious bone abnormalities associated with MDD. These data suggest that in addition to its antidepressant effects, ketamine also has a salutary effect on a major medical complication of depressive illness. PMID:28555075

The Medial Amygdala-Medullary PrRP-Synthesizing Neuron Pathway Mediates Neuroendocrine Responses to Contextual Conditioned Fear in Male Rodents

PubMed Central

Yoshida, Masahide; Takayanagi, Yuki

2014-01-01

Fear responses play evolutionarily beneficial roles, although excessive fear memory can induce inappropriate fear expression observed in posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and phobia. To understand the neural machineries that underlie these disorders, it is important to clarify the neural pathways of fear responses. Contextual conditioned fear induces freezing behavior and neuroendocrine responses. Considerable evidence indicates that the central amygdala plays an essential role in expression of freezing behavior after contextual conditioned fear. On the other hand, mechanisms of neuroendocrine responses remain to be clarified. The medial amygdala (MeA), which is activated after contextual conditioned fear, was lesioned bilaterally by infusion of N-methyl-d-aspartate after training of fear conditioning. Plasma oxytocin, ACTH, and prolactin concentrations were significantly increased after contextual conditioned fear in sham-lesioned rats. In MeA-lesioned rats, these neuroendocrine responses but not freezing behavior were significantly impaired compared with those in sham-lesioned rats. In contrast, the magnitudes of neuroendocrine responses after exposure to novel environmental stimuli were not significantly different in MeA-lesioned rats and sham-lesioned rats. Contextual conditioned fear activated prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP)-synthesizing neurons in the medulla oblongata. In MeA-lesioned rats, the percentage of PrRP-synthesizing neurons activated after contextual conditioned fear was significantly decreased. Furthermore, neuroendocrine responses after contextual conditioned fear disappeared in PrRP-deficient mice. Our findings suggest that the MeA-medullary PrRP-synthesizing neuron pathway plays an important role in neuroendocrine responses to contextual conditioned fear. PMID:24877622

The medial amygdala-medullary PrRP-synthesizing neuron pathway mediates neuroendocrine responses to contextual conditioned fear in male rodents.

PubMed

Yoshida, Masahide; Takayanagi, Yuki; Onaka, Tatsushi

2014-08-01

Fear responses play evolutionarily beneficial roles, although excessive fear memory can induce inappropriate fear expression observed in posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and phobia. To understand the neural machineries that underlie these disorders, it is important to clarify the neural pathways of fear responses. Contextual conditioned fear induces freezing behavior and neuroendocrine responses. Considerable evidence indicates that the central amygdala plays an essential role in expression of freezing behavior after contextual conditioned fear. On the other hand, mechanisms of neuroendocrine responses remain to be clarified. The medial amygdala (MeA), which is activated after contextual conditioned fear, was lesioned bilaterally by infusion of N-methyl-d-aspartate after training of fear conditioning. Plasma oxytocin, ACTH, and prolactin concentrations were significantly increased after contextual conditioned fear in sham-lesioned rats. In MeA-lesioned rats, these neuroendocrine responses but not freezing behavior were significantly impaired compared with those in sham-lesioned rats. In contrast, the magnitudes of neuroendocrine responses after exposure to novel environmental stimuli were not significantly different in MeA-lesioned rats and sham-lesioned rats. Contextual conditioned fear activated prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP)-synthesizing neurons in the medulla oblongata. In MeA-lesioned rats, the percentage of PrRP-synthesizing neurons activated after contextual conditioned fear was significantly decreased. Furthermore, neuroendocrine responses after contextual conditioned fear disappeared in PrRP-deficient mice. Our findings suggest that the MeA-medullary PrRP-synthesizing neuron pathway plays an important role in neuroendocrine responses to contextual conditioned fear.

"They See Us as Resource": The Role of a Community-Based Youth Center in Supporting the Academic Lives of Low-Income Chinese American Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Nga-Wing Anjela

2008-01-01

Based on a 15-week ethnographic-based research, this article examines the role of a community-based youth center in supporting the academic lives of Chinese American youth from low-income families in an east coast city I call "Harborview." This study demonstrates the significant role that community-based organizations play for low-income immigrant…

WNT/β-catenin pathway is modulated in asthma patients and LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cell line.

PubMed

Lee, Haeyong; Bae, Sungmin; Choi, Byoung Whui; Yoon, Yoosik

2012-02-01

In the present study, we investigated the possibility that the WNT/β-catenin pathway plays a role in inflammatory responses both in an human inflammatory condition and in an in vitro inflammation model. First, we analyzed gene expression patterns of the peripheral blood cells from asthma patients compared with those from normal subjects using microarray analyses. We found that intracellular signaling molecules of the WNT/β-catenin pathway were significantly changed in asthma patients compared with the levels in the controls. Next, we determined whether major components of the WNT/β-catenin pathway were involved in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response of the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line. Among the members of WNT/β-catenin pathway, the protein levels of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) 6, dishevelled (DVL) 2, and AXIN1, which were measured using western blotting, did not significantly change in the presence of LPS. In contrast, the LPS induced a rapid phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3β and accumulation of β-catenin protein. It was found that β-catenin plays a significant role in the LPS-induced inflammatory response through the performance of small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection experiments. The mRNA level of IL-6 was significantly elevated in β-catenin siRNA-transfected cells compared with that in control siRNA-transfected cells after LPS treatment. Furthermore, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity was also significantly increased in β-catenin siRNA-transfected cells compared with the level seen in control siRNA-transfected cells. Taken together, these results suggest that β-catenin plays a role as a negative regulator, preventing the overproduction of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 in LPS-induced inflammatory responses.

Phytochromes play a role in phototropism and gravitropism in Arabidopsis roots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correll, Melanie J.; Coveney, Katrina M.; Raines, Steven V.; Mullen, Jack L.; Hangarter, Roger P.; Kiss, John Z.

2003-05-01

Phototropism as well as gravitropism plays a role in the oriented growth of roots in flowering plants. In blue or white light, roots exhibit negative phototropism, but red light induces positive phototropism in Arabidopsis roots. Phytochrome A (phyA) and phyB mediate the positive red-light-based photoresponse in roots since single mutants (and the double phyAB mutant) were severely impaired in this response. In blue-light-based negative phototropism, phyA and phyAB (but not phyB) were inhibited in the response relative to the WT. In root gravitropism, phyB and phyAB (but not phyA) were inhibited in the response compared to the WT. The differences observed in tropistic responses were not due to growth limitations since the growth rates among all the mutants tested were not significantly different from that of the WT. Thus, our study shows that the blue-light and red-light systems interact in roots and that phytochrome plays a key role in plant development by integrating multiple environmental stimuli.

Involving consumers in product design through collaboration: the case of online role-playing games.

PubMed

Yeh, Shu-Yu

2010-12-01

The release of software attributes to users by software designers for the creation of user-designed forms is regarded as a producer-consumer collaboration, leading consumers to expend significant effort on a specific product. This article identifies such software/product attributes within online role-playing games and then explores how consumers' prior experience affects the evaluation of such attributes. In this article, product attributes comprise customized, content, and interactive externality-sensitive and complementary externality-sensitive attributes, with the value of each attribute being greater for experts than for novices. In Study 1, data were collected and analyzed for the purpose of identifying such features in online role-playing games. The results can also be generalized to convergent products, such as TV games that have been redesigned as online games or mobile games found in Study 2. For the introduction of a convergent product to be successful, our research suggests that the potential market-segment focus should be on knowledgeable consumers who accept such products more readily.

"Prey Play": Learning about Predators and Prey through an Interactive, Role-Play Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deaton, Cynthia C. M.; Dodd, Kristen; Drennon, Katherine; Nagle, Jack

2012-01-01

"Prey Play" is an interactive role-play activity that provides fifth-grade students with opportunities to examine predator-prey interactions. This four-part, role-play activity allows students to take on the role of a predator and prey as they reflect on the behaviors animals exhibit as they collect food and interact with one another, as well as…

Finite element analysis of chip formation usingale method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayaprakash, V.

2017-05-01

In recent times, many studies made in FEM on plain isotropic metal plate formulation. The stress analysis plays the significant role in the stability of structural safety and system. The stress and distortion estimation is very helpful for designing and manufacturing product well. Usually the residual stress and plastic strain determine the fatigue life of structure, it also plays the significant role in designing and choosing material. When the load magnitude increases the crack starts to form, decreasing the work load and the residual stress reduces the damage of the metal. The manufacturing process is a key parameter in process and forming the part of any system. However, machining operation involves complex thing like hot development, material property and other estimates based on transition of the plastic strain and residual stress. The reduction of residual stress plays the complexity role in the finite element study. This paper deals with the manufacturing process with less residual stress and strain. The results shows that, by applying the ALE method in machining we can reduce the load on the work piece hence the life type of the work piece can be increased. We also investigate the cutting tool wear and there efficiency since it is a essential machine member in fabrication technology. ABAQUS platform used to solve the machining operation

Early-Life Soy Exposure and Gender-Role Play Behavior in Children

PubMed Central

Daniels, Julie L.; Edwards, Lloyd J.; Siega-Riz, Anna Maria; Rogan, Walter J.

2011-01-01

Background: Soy-based infant formula contains high levels of isoflavones. These estrogen-like compounds have been shown to induce changes in sexually dimorphic behaviors in animals exposed in early development. Objective: We examined gender-role play behavior in relation to soy-based and non-soy-based infant feeding methods among children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Methods: We studied 3,664 boys and 3,412 girls. Four exposure categories were created using data from questionnaires administered at 6 and 15 months postpartum: primarily breast, early formula (referent), early soy, and late soy. Gender-role play behavior was assessed using the Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI). Associations between infant feeding and PSAI scores at 42 months of age were assessed using linear regression. Post hoc analyses of PSAI scores at 30 and 57 months were also conducted. Results: Early-infancy soy use was reported for approximately 2% of participants. Mean [95% confidence interval (CI)] PSAI scores at 42 months were 62.3 (62.0, 62.6) and 36.9 (36.6, 37.2) for boys and girls, respectively. After adjustment, early soy (vs. early formula) feeding was associated with higher (less feminine) PSAI scores in girls (® = 2.66; 95% CI: 0.19, 5.12) but was not significantly associated with PSAI scores in boys. The association between soy exposure and PSAI scores in girls was substantially attenuated at 30 and 57 months. Conclusions: Although not consistent throughout childhood, early-life soy exposure was associated with less female-typical play behavior in girls at 42 months of age. Soy exposure was not significantly associated with play behavior in boys. PMID:21813368

Undergraduate Laboratory Exercises Specific to Food Spoilage Microbiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Abigail B.; Worobo, Randy W.; Orta-Ramirez, Alicia

2016-01-01

Food spoilage has an enormous economic impact, and microbial food spoilage plays a significant role in food waste and loss; subsequently, an equally significant portion of undergraduate food microbiology instruction should be dedicated to spoilage microbiology. Here, we describe a set of undergraduate microbiology laboratory exercises that focus…

Is Giving Scholarship Worth the Effort? Loyalty among Scholarship Recipients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nurlida, Ismail

2015-01-01

To stay ahead of competition, a significant factor has now become of significance; student loyalty towards higher learning institutions. Hence, scholarship recipients have the expectation to demonstrate a certain degree of loyalty towards their education sponsor. In addition, they play an important role as opinion leaders and walking advertisement…

Comparing Teacher Dispositions in China and the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shao, Kun; Tamashiro, Roy

2013-01-01

In studies conducted in the USA, teacher dispositional factors such as enthusiasm, professional esteem and learning motivation often emerge as the most significant variables affecting student learning and achievement from the primary grades through higher education. Do these factors play as significant a role in student learning and achievement in…

Fast Mapping in Healthy Young Adults: The Influence of Metamemory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramachandra, Vijayachandra; Rickenbach, Bryna; Ruda, Marissa; LeCureux, Bethanie; Pope, Moira

2010-01-01

Several research studies suggest the significant role played by metamemory in lexical abilities of both adults and children. To our knowledge, there have been no studies to date that have explored the role of metamemory (Judgments of Learning) in fast mapping of novel words by adults. One hundred and twelve undergraduate students were given tasks…

Endomembrane Ca2+ -ATPases play significant role in virus-induced adaptation to oxidative stress

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In our recently published paper (Plant Cell Environ 34: 406-417) we have reported a phenomenon of Potato Virus X (PVX) - induced cross tolerance to oxidative stress in Nicotiana benthamiana plants and showed a critical role of plasma membrane Ca2+/H+ exchangers in this process. The current study fol...

Washington State Board of Education Strategic Plan, 2010-2011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Board of Education, 2011

2011-01-01

In 2005, the Washington State Legislature significantly changed the role of the State Board of Education (SBE). While the Board retains some administrative duties, SBE is now mandated to play a broad leadership role in strategic oversight and policy for K-12 education in the state. This paper presents the strategic plan of Washington State Board…

A critical review of the postulated role of the non-essential amino acid, β-N-methylamino-L-alanine, in neurodegenerative disease in humans

EPA Science Inventory

The compound BMAA (β-N-methylamino-L-alanine) has been hypothesized to play a significant role in four serious neurological diseases in humans: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Parkinsonism Dementia Complex (ALS/PDC) found on Guam, and ALS, parkinsonism, and dementia that occur glob...

Ideas about Occupational Roles and Inclusive Practices among Special Needs Educators and Support Teachers in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Göransson, Kerstin; Lindqvist, Gunilla; Möllås, Gunvie; Almqvist, Lena; Nilholm, Claes

2017-01-01

Special needs educators (SNEs) and their counterparts are expected to play a significant role in schools' work towards inclusive practices. Studies do, however, indicate a rather diversified picture regarding the occupational groups assigned to work with special support and their workroles, within and between different countries. In Sweden, one…

Users' Continuance Intention of Virtual Learning Community Services: The Moderating Role of Usage Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Min; Liu, Yupei; Yan, Weiwei; Zhang, Yan

2017-01-01

Users' continuance intention plays a significant role in the process of information system (IS) service, especially virtual learning community (VLC) services. Following the IS success model and IS post-acceptance model, this study explores the determinants of users' intention to continue using VLCs' service from the perspective of quality,…

What Knowledge and Conceptions Do Irish Primary Schoolteachers Hold on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Victoria Ann

2014-01-01

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis rates have increased significantly in recent times. A teacher's role is crucial in determining if a child will be referred for an ADHD assessment. Teachers' opinions and observations are also required for and play a huge role in the actual assessment process. For this reason, their…

Living Research: Oral History in the Black Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adesiyan, H. Rose

Both blacks and whites arriving in Hammond, Indiana in the late 1800s and early 1900s played significant roles in its development. The role of the early black settlers has been largely untold outside the black community and is thus unappreciated. The goal of this project was to change this historical neglect. Statistical data from traditional…

Learning to Attend and Observe: Parent-Child Meaning Making in the Natural World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marin, Ananda Maria

2013-01-01

Observation is a traditional form of learning and a scientific practice, and as such it plays a significant role in teaching and learning both inside and outside of schools. Recently, educational researchers and philosophers have called attention to the role of observation in scientific knowledge building (Brayboy & Castagno, 2008; Cajete,…

Rhetoric and Reality: The Role of the Teacher in Shaping a School Sport Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowles, Richard; O'Sullivan, Mary

2012-01-01

Background: Extra-curricular sport is an important aspect of life in Irish primary schools. Team invasion games hold a dominant position and, within this category, Gaelic games are extremely popular. Teachers have, historically, played a significant role in the promotion of Gaelic games through the organization of inter-school competitions. The…

University Student and Teacher Perceptions of Teacher Roles in Promoting Autonomous Language Learning with Technology outside the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Chun; Yeung, Yuk; Hu, Jingjing

2016-01-01

Helping students to become autonomous learners, who actively utilize technologies for learning outside the classroom, is important for successful language learning. Teachers, as significant social agents who shape students' intellectual and social experiences, have a critical role to play. This study examined students' and teachers' perceptions of…

"A Hedge against the Future": The Post-Cold War Rhetoric of Nuclear Weapons Modernization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Bryan C.

2010-01-01

Rhetoric has traditionally played an important role in constituting the nuclear future, yet that role has changed significantly since the declared end of the Cold War. Viewed from the perspectives of nuclear criticism and postmodern theories of risk and security, current rhetoric of US nuclear modernization demonstrates how contingencies of voice…

Self-Efficacy and Stress of Staff Managing Challenging Behaviours of People with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cudre-Mauroux, Annick

2011-01-01

Self-efficacy has been reported to play a significant role in stress levels of parents facing challenging behaviours of their children with learning disabilities. The role of self-efficacy has also been found to affect the stress levels of professional caregivers in such situations. To understand the implications of staff self-efficacy in…

Using Laboratory Experiments and Circuit Simulation IT Tools in an Undergraduate Course in Analog Electronics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baltzis, Konstantinos B.; Koukias, Konstantinos D.

2009-01-01

Laboratory-based courses play a significant role in engineering education. Given the role of electronics in engineering and technology, laboratory experiments and circuit simulation IT tools are used in their teaching in several academic institutions. This paper discusses the characteristics and benefits of both methods. The content and structure…

78 FR 13760 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-28

...: Assistant Director, Sanctions Compliance & Evaluation, Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of... pursuant to the Kingpin Act; or (3) playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking. On...

Local persistence and global dissemination play a significant role in the circulation of influenza B viruses in Leyte Island, Philippines.

PubMed

Furuse, Yuki; Odagiri, Takashi; Tamaki, Raita; Kamigaki, Taro; Otomaru, Hirono; Opinion, Jamie; Santo, Arlene; Dolina-Lacaba, Donna; Daya, Edgard; Okamoto, Michiko; Saito-Obata, Mariko; Inobaya, Marianette; Tan, Alvin; Tallo, Veronica; Lupisan, Socorro; Suzuki, Akira; Oshitani, Hitoshi

2016-05-01

The local and global transmission dynamics of influenza B virus is not completely understood mainly because of limited epidemiological and sequence data for influenza B virus. Here we report epidemiological and molecular characteristics of influenza B viruses from 2010 to 2013 in Leyte Island, Philippines. Phylogenetic analyses showed global dissemination of the virus among both neighboring and distant areas. The analyses also suggest that southeast Asia is not a distributor of influenza B virus and can introduce the virus from other areas. Furthermore, we found evidence on the local persistence of the virus over years in the Philippines. Taken together, both local persistence and global dissemination play a significant role in the circulation of influenza B virus. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of vascular endothelial dysfunction genes and related pathways in obesity through systematic bioinformatics.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui; Wang, Jing; Sun, Ling; Xu, Qiuqin; Hou, Miao; Ding, Yueyue; Huang, Jie; Chen, Ye; Cao, Lei; Zhang, Jianmin; Qian, Weiguo; Lv, Haitao

2015-01-01

Obesity has become an increasingly serious health problem and popular research topic. It is associated with many diseases, especially cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related endothelial dysfunction. This study analyzed genes related to endothelial dysfunction and obesity and then summarized their most significant signaling pathways. Genes related to vascular endothelial dysfunction and obesity were extracted from a PubMed database, and analyzed by STRING, DAVID, and Gene-Go Meta-Core software. 142 genes associated with obesity were found to play a role in endothelial dysfunction in PubMed. A significant pathway (Angiotensin system maturation in protein folding and maturation) associated with obesity and endothelial dysfunction was explored. The genes and the pathway explored may play an important role in obesity. Further studies about preventing vascular endothelial dysfunction obesity should be conducted through targeting these loci and pathways.

Sex differences in play behavior in juvenile tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella).

PubMed

Paukner, Annika; Suomi, Stephen J

2008-10-01

According to the motor training hypothesis, play behavior in juvenile primates improves motor skills that are required in later adult life. Sex differences in juvenile play behavior can therefore be expected when adult animals assume distinct sexually dimorphic roles. Tufted capuchin monkeys show sexually dimorphic levels of physical antagonism in both inter- and intra-group encounters. Accordingly, it can be predicted that juvenile capuchins also show sex differences in social play behavior. To test this hypothesis, the play behavior of nine juvenile and two infant capuchins was examined. As predicted, juvenile males showed significantly higher levels of social play (wrestle, chase) than juvenile females, but no differences were found in nonsocial play (arboreal, object). Levels of infant play behavior were comparable to that of juveniles. These results lend support to the motor training hypothesis and highlight the need for more detailed investigations of individual differences in play behavior.

Using role play to develop cultural competence.

PubMed

Shearer, Ruth; Davidhizar, Ruth

2003-06-01

Role play is a useful teaching strategy for nursing education. This strategy can simulate patient behaviors, as well as demonstrate nursing interventions that students must learn to be clinically competent. Role play is a dramatic technique that encourages participation to improvise behaviors that may be encountered in nurse-patient situations. Using this technique, participants may test behaviors and decisions in an experimental atmosphere without risk of negative effects in a relationship. Role play is useful in developing cultural competence because participants may experience diverse roles. Cultural competence is the ability to care for patients in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner. In role play, students may participate as culturally diverse patients or as nurses encountering patients from different cultures. Various teaching strategies facilitate successful use of role play in the classroom, including defining a time frame, selected roles, specific objectives, references, and grading criteria. To optimize learning, the importance of exploration and analysis must be emphasized. Many benefits and potential problems accompany use of role play.

"Reluctant Participants" in Role Play Simulations: Stage Fright or Bewilderment?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Danny

1985-01-01

Discusses factors contributing to participant reluctance in role playing--isolation of role play from the curriculum; lack of interest because of perceived irrelevance to social psychological themes; and acting anxiety. A two-step design which involves gradual role play introduction and observation by reluctant participants is suggested as a…

Mathematical Adventures in Role Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyce, Constance

2002-01-01

The provision of role play is vital in every early years setting. It provides opportunities for the development of all areas of learning. With careful thought and planning, all role play situations can provide children with mathematical adventures. Many examples of good quality role play had been observed in a variety of settings throughout…

Caring About Kids: The Importance of Play.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Mental Health (DHHS), Rockville, MD. Div. of Scientific and Public Information.

In several brief sections, this pamphlet defines play, discusses how play helps a child develop, and how play changes as a child grows older, indicates the role of toys and certain play activities in promoting sex stereotypes, and identifies the role of fantasy and imagination in children's play. A discussion of the role of parents in fostering…

Patient involvement in decision-making: a cross-sectional study in a Malaysian primary care clinic

PubMed Central

Ambigapathy, Ranjini; Ng, Chirk Jenn

2016-01-01

Objective Shared decision-making has been advocated as a useful model for patient management. In developing Asian countries such as Malaysia, there is a common belief that patients prefer a passive role in clinical consultation. As such, the objective of this study was to determine Malaysian patients’ role preference in decision-making and the associated factors. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Study was conducted at an urban primary care clinic in Malaysia in 2012. Participants Patients aged >21 years were chosen using systematic random sampling. Methods Consenting patients answered a self-administered questionnaire, which included demographic data and their preferred and actual role before and after consultation. Doctors were asked to determine patients’ role preference. The Control Preference Scale was used to assess patients’ role preference. Primary outcome Prevalence of patients’ preferred role in decision-making. Secondary outcomes (1) Actual role played by the patient in decision-making. (2) Sociodemographic factors associated with patients’ preferred role in decision-making. (3) Doctors’ perception of patients’ involvement in decision-making. Results The response rate was 95.1% (470/494). Shared decision-making was preferred by 51.9% of patients, followed by passive (26.3%) and active (21.8%) roles in decision-making. Higher household income was significantly associated with autonomous role preference (p=0.018). Doctors’ perception did not concur with patients’ preferred role. Among patients whom doctors perceived to prefer a passive role, 73.5% preferred an autonomous role (p=0.900, κ=0.006). Conclusions The majority of patients attending the primary care clinic preferred and played an autonomous role in decision-making. Doctors underestimated patients’ preference to play an autonomous role. PMID:26729393

Plasma E-selectin levels can play a role in the development of diabetic retinopathy.

PubMed

Kasza, Márta; Meleg, J; Vardai, J; Nagy, B; Szalai, E; Damjanovich, J; Csutak, A; Ujhelyi, B; Nagy, V

2017-01-01

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness. There are several risk factors, such as the duration of diabetes or glycemic control of the patient; however, several biochemical factors also alter the process. Our aim was to investigate the role of soluble E-selectin in the formation of diabetic retinopathy. Fifty-seven patients (37 female and 20 male, aged 61.71 ± 12.31 years) and 14 healthy control subjects (ten female and four male, aged 63.06 ± 10.46 years) were enrolled in the study. We measured the soluble E-selectin level in the plasma of patients by ELISA. All patients underwent careful ophthalmological examination, including ophthalmoscopy and color fundus photography, while diabetic retinopathy grading was performed in line with the 2012 classification of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The soluble E-selectin level was significantly higher in patients with diabetes compared to controls (32.95 ng/ml vs. 26.55 ng/ml, p = 0.03). Dividing patients into groups by the presence of retinopathy, the E-selectin level was also significantly higher in the retinopathy group (p < 0.05). When we examined diabetic patients by the severity of retinopathy (groups A, B, and C, by the guidelines of the AAO), however, we did not find any significant difference in soluble E-selectin levels, although it tended to be higher in group B. An elevated E-selectin level can play a role in the development of diabetic retinopathy, but it does not seem to alter disease severity. However, glycemic control and the reduction of cardiovascular risk factors may also alter the level of E-selectin that might play a role in the prevention of diabetic retinopathy.

A Novel Ras Effector Pathway Found to Play Significant Role in Tumor Suppression | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer; photo by Richard Frederickson, Staff Photographer Normal cells have mechanisms to prevent the development of cancer. Among these is a type of tumor suppressor mechanism known as oncogene-induced senescence, or OIS, which halts the uncontrolled growth of cells caused by mutations in oncogenes. The oncogene Ras plays a crucial role in inducing OIS through a specific cascade of proteins, as reported in a recent article in Molecular and Cellular Biology by Jacqueline Salotti, Ph.D., and colleagues in the Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Section of the Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research (CCR).

ARPES Studies on the substrate effect on monolayer FeSe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebec, Slavko; Jia, Tao; Lee, James; Li, Wei; Zhang, Chaofan; Moore, Robert; Shen, Z. X.

For 2D films, interface interactions can play a critical role in determining the prevailing physics of the system. In the case of FeSe on SrTiO3, reducing the FeSe thickness to 1 monolayer (ML) from bulk leads to a significantly increased superconducting transition temperature (Tc). To fully utilize and maximize this approach to increasing Tc in FeSe and potentially apply it to other superconducting materials, the role which the substrate plays in this system must be understood. Here we present recent in-situ angle-resolved photo emission studies of the substrate effect on MBE grown 1 ML FeSe films.

A role for the PDZ-binding domain of the coxsackie B virus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) in cell adhesion and growth.

PubMed

Excoffon, Katherine J D Ashbourne; Hruska-Hageman, Alesia; Klotz, Michael; Traver, Geri L; Zabner, Joseph

2004-09-01

The coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR) plays a role in viral infection, maintenance of the junction adhesion complex in polarized epithelia, and modulation of cellular growth properties. As a viral receptor, the C-terminus appears to play no role indicating that the major function of CAR is to tether the virus to the cell. By contrast, the C-terminus is known to play a role in cellular localization and probably has a significant function in CAR-mediated adhesion and cell growth properties. We hypothesized that the CAR PDZ (PSD-95/Disc-large/ZO-1) binding motif interacts with PDZ-domain-containing proteins to modulate the cellular phenotype. CAR was modified by deleting the last four amino acids (CARDeltaGSIV) and evaluated for cell-cell adhesion in polarized primary human airway epithelia and growth characteristics in stably transfected L-cells. Although ablation of the CAR PDZ-binding motif did not affect adenoviral infection, it did have a significant effect both on cell-cell adhesion and on cell growth. Expression of CARDeltaGSIV failed to increase the transepithelial resistance in polarized epithelia to the same degree as wild-type CAR and failed to act as a growth modulator in L-cells. Furthermore, we provide evidence for three new CAR interacting partners, including MAGI-1b, PICK1 and PSD-95. CAR appears to interact with several distinct PDZ-domain-containing proteins and may exert its biological function through these interactions.

Characterization of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus codon usage bias.

PubMed

Chen, Ye; Shi, Yuzhen; Deng, Hongjuan; Gu, Ting; Xu, Jian; Ou, Jinxin; Jiang, Zhiguo; Jiao, Yiren; Zou, Tan; Wang, Chong

2014-12-01

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has been responsible for several recent outbreaks of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) and has caused great economic loss in the swine-raising industry. Considering the significance of PEDV, a systemic analysis was performed to study its codon usage patterns. The relative synonymous codon usage value of each codon revealed that codon usage bias exists and that PEDV tends to use codons that end in T. The mean ENC value of 47.91 indicates that the codon usage bias is low. However, we still wanted to identify the cause of this codon usage bias. A correlation analysis between the codon compositions (A3s, T3s, G3s, C3s, and GC3s), the ENC values, and the nucleotide contents (A%, T%, G%, C%, and GC%) indicated that mutational bias plays role in shaping the PEDV codon usage bias. This was further confirmed by a principal component analysis between the codon compositions and the axis values. Using the Gravy, Aroma, and CAI values, a role of natural selection in the PEDV codon usage pattern was also identified. Neutral analysis indicated that natural selection pressure plays a more important role than mutational bias in codon usage bias. Natural selection also plays an increasingly significant role during PEDV evolution. Additionally, gene function and geographic distribution also influence the codon usage bias to a degree. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RUNX1 regulates phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT pathway: role in chemotherapy sensitivity in acute megakaryocytic leukemia.

PubMed

Edwards, Holly; Xie, Chengzhi; LaFiura, Katherine M; Dombkowski, Alan A; Buck, Steven A; Boerner, Julie L; Taub, Jeffrey W; Matherly, Larry H; Ge, Yubin

2009-09-24

RUNX1 (AML1) encodes the core binding factor alpha subunit of a heterodimeric transcription factor complex which plays critical roles in normal hematopoiesis. Translocations or down-regulation of RUNX1 have been linked to favorable clinical outcomes in acute leukemias, suggesting that RUNX1 may also play critical roles in chemotherapy responses in acute leukemias; however, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The median level of RUNX1b transcripts in Down syndrome (DS) children with acute megakaryocytic leukemia (AMkL) were 4.4-fold (P < .001) lower than that in non-DS AMkL cases. Short hairpin RNA knockdown of RUNX1 in a non-DS AMkL cell line, Meg-01, resulted in significantly increased sensitivity to cytosine arabinoside, accompanied by significantly decreased expression of PIK3CD, which encodes the delta catalytic subunit of the survival kinase, phosphoinositide 3 (PI3)-kinase. Transcriptional regulation of PIK3CD by RUNX1 was further confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation and promoter reporter gene assays. Further, a PI3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002, and cytosine arabinoside synergized in antileukemia effects on Meg-01 and primary pediatric AMkL cells. Our results suggest that RUNX1 may play a critical role in chemotherapy response in AMkL by regulating the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway. Thus, the treatment of AMkL may be improved by integrating PI3-kinase or Akt inhibitors into the chemotherapy of this disease.

Representation of Cultural Role-Play for Training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santarelli, Thomas; Pepe, Aaron; Rosenzweiz, Larry; Paulus, John; Yi, Ahn Na

2010-01-01

The Department of Defense (000) has successfully applied a number of methods for cultural familiarization training ranging from stand-up classroom training, to face-to-face live role-play, to so-called smart-cards. Recent interest has turned to the use of single and mUlti-player gaming technologies to augment these traditional methods of cultural familiarization. One such system, termed CulturePad, has been designed as a game-based role-play environment suitable for use in training and experimentation involving cultural roleplay scenarios. This paper describes the initial CulturePad effort focused on a literature review regarding the use of role-play for cultural training and a feasibility assessment of using a game-mediated environment for role-play. A small-scale pilot involving cultural experts was conducted to collect qualitative behavioral data comparing live role-play to game-mediated role-play in a multiplayer gaming engine.

Possible roles of platelet-derived microparticles in atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Wang, Zhi-Ting; Wang, Zi; Hu, Yan-Wei

2016-05-01

Platelets and platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs) play important roles in cardiovascular diseases, especially atherosclerosis. Continued research has revealed that PMPs have numerous functions in atherosclerosis, not only in thrombosis formation, but also by induction of inflammation. PMPs also induce formation of foam cells. Recent evidence strongly indicates a significant role of PMPs in atherosclerosis. Here, current research on the function of PMPs in atherosclerosis is reviewed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role-play for medical students learning about communication: Guidelines for maximising benefits

PubMed Central

Nestel, Debra; Tierney, Tanya

2007-01-01

Background Role-play is widely used as an educational method for learning about communication in medical education. Although educational theory provides a sound rationale for using this form of simulation, there is little published evidence for its effectiveness. Students' prior experiences of role-play may influence the way in which they engage in this method. This paper explores students' experiences with the aim of producing guidelines for maximising the benefits of role-play within this learning context. Methods First-year undergraduate medical students participated in a role-play session as part of their communication programme. Before and after the session, students completed questionnaires. In the pre-session questionnaire, students were asked about their experiences of role-play and asked to identify helpful and unhelpful elements. Immediately after the session, students answered similar questions in relation to the role-play activity they had just completed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data and qualitative data was thematically analysed. Results 284 students completed evaluation forms. Although 63 (22.2%) had prior unhelpful experiences, most students (n = 274; 96.5%) found this experience helpful. Summary findings were that students reported the key aspects of helpful role-play were opportunities for observation, rehearsal and discussion, realistic roles and alignment of roles with other aspects of the curriculum. Unhelpful aspects were those that evoked strong negative emotional responses and factors that contributed to a lack of realism. Conclusion Role-play was valued by students in the acquisition of communication skills even though some had prior unhelpful experiences. Guidelines for effective role-play include adequate preparation, alignment of roles and tasks with level of practice, structured feedback guidelines and acknowledgment of the importance of social interactions for learning. PMID:17335561

Role-play for medical students learning about communication: guidelines for maximising benefits.

PubMed

Nestel, Debra; Tierney, Tanya

2007-03-02

Role-play is widely used as an educational method for learning about communication in medical education. Although educational theory provides a sound rationale for using this form of simulation, there is little published evidence for its effectiveness. Students' prior experiences of role-play may influence the way in which they engage in this method. This paper explores students' experiences with the aim of producing guidelines for maximising the benefits of role-play within this learning context. First-year undergraduate medical students participated in a role-play session as part of their communication programme. Before and after the session, students completed questionnaires. In the pre-session questionnaire, students were asked about their experiences of role-play and asked to identify helpful and unhelpful elements. Immediately after the session, students answered similar questions in relation to the role-play activity they had just completed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data and qualitative data was thematically analysed. 284 students completed evaluation forms. Although 63 (22.2%) had prior unhelpful experiences, most students (n = 274; 96.5%) found this experience helpful. Summary findings were that students reported the key aspects of helpful role-play were opportunities for observation, rehearsal and discussion, realistic roles and alignment of roles with other aspects of the curriculum. Unhelpful aspects were those that evoked strong negative emotional responses and factors that contributed to a lack of realism. Role-play was valued by students in the acquisition of communication skills even though some had prior unhelpful experiences. Guidelines for effective role-play include adequate preparation, alignment of roles and tasks with level of practice, structured feedback guidelines and acknowledgment of the importance of social interactions for learning.

Using Role-Play for Expert Science Communication with Professional Stakeholders in Flood Risk Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEwen, Lindsey; Stokes, Alison; Crowley, Kate; Roberts, Carolyn

2014-01-01

This paper explores role-play pedagogies in learning and communicating about cutting-edge flood science by flood risk management professionals in local government. It outlines role-play process/structure and evaluates participant perceptions of their learning experiences. Issues were impacts of prior role-play experience on attitudes brought to…

The role of working memory in auditory selective attention.

PubMed

Dalton, Polly; Santangelo, Valerio; Spence, Charles

2009-11-01

A growing body of research now demonstrates that working memory plays an important role in controlling the extent to which irrelevant visual distractors are processed during visual selective attention tasks (e.g., Lavie, Hirst, De Fockert, & Viding, 2004). Recently, it has been shown that the successful selection of tactile information also depends on the availability of working memory (Dalton, Lavie, & Spence, 2009). Here, we investigate whether working memory plays a role in auditory selective attention. Participants focused their attention on short continuous bursts of white noise (targets) while attempting to ignore pulsed bursts of noise (distractors). Distractor interference in this auditory task, as measured in terms of the difference in performance between congruent and incongruent distractor trials, increased significantly under high (vs. low) load in a concurrent working-memory task. These results provide the first evidence demonstrating a causal role for working memory in reducing interference by irrelevant auditory distractors.

Gastroprotective role of glucocorticoids during NSAID-induced gastropathy.

PubMed

Filaretova, Ludmila

2013-01-01

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) make significant contributions to gastric ulcer disease which remains widespread. Although several factors have been postulated as pathogenic elements of the gastric injury induced by NSAIDs, it is, however believed that prostaglandin deficiency plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of this injury. During prostaglandin deficiency, other defensive mechanisms might operate to attenuate NSAID-induced gastropathy. According to our results, NSAIDs, similar to stress, induce an increase in glucocorticoid production that in turn helps the gastric mucosa to resist the harmful actions of these drugs. In this article, we review our experimental data suggesting that glucocorticoids may play a role as natural defensive factors in maintaining the integrity of the gastric mucosa during NSAID therapy and might operate to attenuate NSAID-induced gastropathy.

Mitophagy is increased during erythroid differentiation in β-thalassemia.

PubMed

Wu, Limei; Xu, Wei; Xu, Luhong; Kong, Qian; Fang, Jianpei

2017-02-01

Mitophagy is a selective degradation of mitochondria, which also plays a critical role in hematopoiesis. However, it is unclear what role, if any, this process plays in the pathogenesis of β-thalassemia. To determine the role of mitophagy in β-thalassemia, CD34 + hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) were isolated from peripheral blood of β-thalassemia patients and healthy controls and differentiated into erythrocytes. We found that the ratio of mitochondrial membrane depolarization was significantly increased, and that mitochondria co-localize with lysosomes at a higher level in β-thalassemia compared with control. Furthermore, the expression of LC3-II and Nix, as well as degradation of p62, in β-thalassemia was higher than in the control. In sum, our data suggest that selective mitophagy is enhanced during erythrocyte differentiation in β-thalassemia.

Foetal immune programming: hormones, cytokines, microbes and regulatory T cells.

PubMed

Hsu, Peter; Nanan, Ralph

2014-10-01

In addition to genetic factors, environmental cues play important roles in shaping the immune system. The first environment that the developing foetal immune system encounters is the uterus. Although physically the mother and the foetus are separated by the placental membranes, various factors such as hormones and cytokines may provide "environmental cues" to the foetal immune system. Additionally, increasing evidence suggests that prenatal maternal environmental factors, particularly microbial exposure, might significantly influence the foetal immune system, affecting long-term outcomes, a concept termed foetal immune programming. Here we discuss the potential mediators of foetal immune programming, focusing on the role of pregnancy-related hormones, cytokines and regulatory T cells, which play a critical role in immune tolerance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward heterogeneity in feedforward network with synaptic delays based on FitzHugh-Nagumo model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Ying-Mei; Men, Cong; Zhao, Jia; Han, Chun-Xiao; Che, Yan-Qiu

2018-01-01

We focus on the role of heterogeneity on the propagation of firing patterns in feedforward network (FFN). Effects of heterogeneities both in parameters of neuronal excitability and synaptic delays are investigated systematically. Neuronal heterogeneity is found to modulate firing rates and spiking regularity by changing the excitability of the network. Synaptic delays are strongly related with desynchronized and synchronized firing patterns of the FFN, which indicate that synaptic delays may play a significant role in bridging rate coding and temporal coding. Furthermore, quasi-coherence resonance (quasi-CR) phenomenon is observed in the parameter domain of connection probability and delay-heterogeneity. All these phenomena above enable a detailed characterization of neuronal heterogeneity in FFN, which may play an indispensable role in reproducing the important properties of in vivo experiments.

The Influence of Self-Efficacy, Fear-Avoidance Belief, and Coping Styles on Quality of Life for Chinese Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Multisite Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Du, Shizheng; Hu, Lingli; Bai, Yamei; Dong, Jianshu; Jin, Shengji; Zhang, Heng; Zhu, Ying

2017-11-23

As a bio-psycho-social issue, chronic low back pain (CLBP) has been a significant topic in health management, and patients' quality of life (QOL) is gaining extensive attention. Self-efficacy, pain fear-avoidance belief (FAB), and coping styles play important roles in the QOL of CLBP patients. However, it remains unclear how self-efficacy and FAB influence QOL through specific coping styles. This study aimed to explore the influencing paths of self-efficacy, FAB, and coping styles on the QOL of patients with CLBP. This study relies on a multisite, cross-sectional design involving 221 CLBP patients. Stepwise multiple regression and structural equation modeling were employed. CLBP patients lived with a poor global QOL. Self-efficacy played a direct, positive role in predicting QOL for patients with CLBP (β = 0.35), and it also played an indirect, positive role in predicting QOL (β = 0.19) through active coping styles (β = 0.31). FAB played a direct, negative role in predicting QOL (β = -0.33), and it also played an indirect, negative role in predicting QOL (β = -0.32) through passive coping styles (β = 0.32). Self-efficacy and FAB are both directly and indirectly related to global QOL, and coping styles are important mediating variables. Self-efficacy and active coping are protective factors for the QOL of CLBP patients, while FAB and passive coping are risk factors. Health education strategies are recommended by medical personnel to enhance CLBP patients' pain self-efficacy, decrease pain FAB, and modify pain coping styles, so that their global QOL can be improved. © 2017 World Institute of Pain.

The immediate and long-term effects of time perspective on Internet gaming disorder.

PubMed

Lukavská, Kateřina

2018-03-01

Backgrounds and aims This study focuses on the role of time perspective (TP) in Internet gaming disorder (IGD). An inventory-based study on 377 massive multiplayer online role playing game players was conducted, followed by a 3-year-follow-up in which 48 active players from the original sample participated. We proposed that TP factors (negative TP and future positive TP) will influence either the current presence of IGD symptoms or the further development of IGD over time. In other words, the effect of TP is stable. Finally, game usage patterns were analyzed in the sense of changes in playing time and IGD symptoms in gamers after 3 years. Methods To access the variables, two scales were administered through online inventory, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory-short, and Charlton and Danforths' Core Addiction Scale, both in 2012 (N = 377) and 2015 (N = 48). The amount of time that gamers usually spent playing were obtained through self-reports. Results The study's primary presumptions were confirmed. Both negative TP and future positive TP were confirmed as significant predictors of the presence of IGD symptoms, either immediately or in the following 3 years. Data on game usage showed a significant decrease in playing time and IGD symptoms between year 0 and year 3 of the study.

Cooperative learning with role play in Chinese pharmacology education.

PubMed

Wang, Jun; Hu, Xiamin; Xi, Jinglei

2012-03-01

Cooperative learning (CL) and role play are both efficient educational tools for enhancing Chinese student active learning and communication skills. This study was designed to obtain student feedback on the format of CL together with role play in the study of pharmacology in Chinese pharmaceutical undergraduates. CL was used in the self-study of new drugs used clinically but neglected in textbook and class teaching, so that groups of students were assigned to become "specialists" in one area of new drugs. Then, these "specialists" taught their new-found knowledge to other groups in role play approach involving an interaction between the pharmacist and a patient. Student perceptions of CL together with role play were examined using an eight-item survey instrument. Students were satisfied with CL together with role play. Majority of the students believed this teaching method enhanced their learning experience, made them gain more pharmacological expertise, increased the awareness of their career in future and self-educational abilities, and fostered their cooperation spirit and confidence. The materials on CL and role play were also believed pertinent. Only 63.4-76.5% and 63.1-37.3% of the students thought "CL and role-play were very funny" and "I felt very relaxed during CL together with role-play", respectively. CL together with role play is an efficient educational tool for enhancing student active-learning and communication skills. But Chinese students will take some time to adapt to this new teaching method.

Genetic basis in motor skill and hand preference for tool use in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

PubMed

Hopkins, William D; Reamer, Lisa; Mareno, Mary Catherine; Schapiro, Steven J

2015-02-07

Chimpanzees are well known for their tool using abilities. Numerous studies have documented variability in tool use among chimpanzees and the role that social learning and other factors play in their development. There are also findings on hand use in both captive and wild chimpanzees; however, less understood are the potential roles of genetic and non-genetic mechanisms in determining individual differences in tool use skill and laterality. Here, we examined heritability in tool use skill and handedness for a probing task in a sample of 243 captive chimpanzees. Quantitative genetic analysis, based on the extant pedigrees, showed that overall both tool use skill and handedness were significantly heritable. Significant heritability in motor skill was evident in two genetically distinct populations of apes, and between two cohorts that received different early social rearing experiences. We further found that motor skill decreased with age and that males were more commonly left-handed than females. Collectively, these data suggest that though non-genetic factors do influence tool use performance and handedness in chimpanzees, genetic factors also play a significant role, as has been reported in humans. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Review and meta-analysis of genetic polymorphisms associated with exceptional human longevity.

PubMed

Revelas, Mary; Thalamuthu, Anbupalam; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Evans, Tiffany-Jane; Armstrong, Nicola J; Kwok, John B; Brodaty, Henry; Schofield, Peter R; Scott, Rodney J; Sachdev, Perminder S; Attia, John R; Mather, Karen A

2018-06-08

Many factors contribute to exceptional longevity, with genetics playing a significant role. However, to date, genetic studies examining exceptional longevity have been inconclusive. This comprehensive review seeks to determine the genetic variants associated with exceptional longevity by undertaking meta-analyses. Meta-analyses of genetic polymorphisms previously associated with exceptional longevity (85+) were undertaken. For each variant, meta-analyses were performed if there were data from at least three independent studies available, including two unpublished additional cohorts. Five polymorphisms, ACE rs4340, APOE ε2/3/4, FOXO3A rs2802292, KLOTHO KL-VS and IL6 rs1800795 were significantly associated with exceptional longevity, with the pooled effect sizes (odds ratios) ranging from 0.42 (APOE ε4) to 1.45 (FOXO3A males). In general, the observed modest effect sizes of the significant variants suggest many genes of small influence play a role in exceptional longevity, which is consistent with results for other polygenic traits. Our results also suggest that genes related to cardiovascular health may be implicated in exceptional longevity. Future studies should examine the roles of gender and ethnicity and carefully consider study design, including the selection of appropriate controls. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A significant association between BDNF promoter methylation and the risk of drug addiction.

PubMed

Xu, Xuting; Ji, Huihui; Liu, Guili; Wang, Qinwen; Liu, Huifen; Shen, Wenwen; Li, Longhui; Xie, Xiaohu; Zhou, Wenhua; Duan, Shiwei

2016-06-10

As a member of the neurotrophic factor family, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in the survival and differentiation of neurons. The aim of our work was to evaluate the role of BDNF promoter methylation in drug addiction. A total of 60 drug abusers (30 heroin and 30 methylamphetamine addicts) and 52 healthy age- and gender-matched controls were recruited for the current case control study. Bisulfite pyrosequencing technology was used to determine the methylation levels of five CpGs (CpG1-5) on the BDNF promoter. Among the five CpGs, CpG5 methylation was significantly lower in drug abusers than controls. Moreover, significant associations were found between CpG5 methylation and addictive phenotypes including tension-anxiety, anger-hostility, fatigue-inertia, and depression-dejection. In addition, luciferase assay showed that the DNA fragment of BDNF promoter played a key role in the regulation of gene expression. Our results suggest that BDNF promoter methylation is associated with drug addiction, although further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms by which BDNF promoter methylation contributes to the pathophysiology of drug addiction. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Heterogeneous effects of tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases on cardiac fibroblasts.

PubMed

Lovelock, Joshua D; Baker, Andrew H; Gao, Feng; Dong, Jing-Fei; Bergeron, Angela L; McPheat, Willie; Sivasubramanian, Natarajan; Mann, Douglas L

2005-02-01

The balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their natural inhibitors, the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), plays a critical role in cardiac remodeling. Although a number of studies have characterized the pathophysiological role of MMPs in the heart, very little is known with respect to the role of TIMPs in the heart. To delineate the role of TIMPs in the heart we examined the effects of adenovirus-mediated overexpression of TIMP-1, -2, -3, and -4 in cardiac fibroblasts. Infection of cardiac fibroblasts with adenoviral constructs containing human recombinant TIMP (AdTIMP-1, -2, -3, and -4) provoked a significant (P < 0.0001) 1.3-fold in increase in bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. Similarly, treatment of cardiac fibroblasts with AdTIMP-1-, -2-, -3-, and -4-conditioned medium led to a 1.2-fold increase in BrdU incorporation (P < 0.0001) that was abolished by pretreatment with anti-TIMP-1, -2, -3, and -4 antibodies. The effects of TIMPs were not mimicked by treating the cells with RS-130830, a broad-based MMP inhibitor, suggesting that the effects of TIMPs were independent of their ability to inhibit MMPs. Infection with AdTIMP-1, -2, -3, and -4 led to a significant increase in alpha-smooth muscle actin staining, consistent with TIMP-induced phenotypic differentiation into myofibroblasts. Finally, infection with AdTIMP-2 resulted in a significant increase in collagen synthesis, whereas infection with AdTIMP-3 resulted in a significant increase in fibroblast apoptosis. TIMPs exert overlapping as well as diverse effects on isolated cardiac fibroblasts. The observation that TIMPs stimulate fibroblast proliferation as well as phenotypic differentiation into myofibroblasts suggests that TIMPs may play an important role in tissue repair in the heart that extends beyond their traditional role as MMP inhibitors.

CLEAN PRODUCTION WITH MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

Membrane processes, because of unique, specialized, and cost-effective applications, have the potential of playing a significant role in preventing pollution from occurring in manufacturing plans. Opportunities are seen in resource recovery, species purification, and energy sav...

Cross-Cultural Variations in the Phenomenological Experience of Depression: I. Word Association Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanaka-Matsumi, Junto; Marsella, Anthony J.

1976-01-01

Results indicate that nature plays a significant role in the emotional experience of the Japanese by providing concrete images which render impersonal ways of expressing feelings and emotions. (Author/AM)

75 FR 12000 - Unblocking of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

... alia, of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) (``IEEPA''), issued... of State: (a) To play a significant role in international narcotics trafficking centered in Colombia...

Visual attention and emotional memory: recall of aversive pictures is partially mediated by concurrent task performance.

PubMed

Pottage, Claire L; Schaefer, Alexandre

2012-02-01

The emotional enhancement of memory is often thought to be determined by attention. However, recent evidence using divided attention paradigms suggests that attention does not play a significant role in the formation of memories for aversive pictures. We report a study that investigated this question using a paradigm in which participants had to encode lists of randomly intermixed negative and neutral pictures under conditions of full attention and divided attention followed by a free recall test. Attention was divided by a highly demanding concurrent task tapping visual processing resources. Results showed that the advantage in recall for aversive pictures was still present in the DA condition. However, mediation analyses also revealed that concurrent task performance significantly mediated the emotional enhancement of memory under divided attention. This finding suggests that visual attentional processes play a significant role in the formation of emotional memories. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Recessions and health: the impact of economic trends on air pollution in California.

PubMed

Davis, Mary E

2012-10-01

I explored the hypothesis that economic activity has a significant impact on exposure to air pollution and ultimately human health. I used county-level employment statistics in California (1980-2000), along with major regulatory periods and other controlling factors, to estimate local concentrations of the coefficient of haze, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide using a mixed regression model approach. The model explained between 33% and 48% of the variability in air pollution levels as estimated by the overall R(2) values. The relationship between employment measures and air pollution was statistically significant, suggesting that air quality improves during economic downturns. Additionally, major air quality regulations played a significant role in reducing air pollution levels over the study period. This study provides important evidence of a role for the economy in understanding human exposure to environmental pollution. The evidence further suggests that the impact of environmental regulations are likely to be overstated when they occur during recessionary periods, and understated when they play out during periods of economic growth.

Psychological predictors of problematic involvement in massively multiplayer online role-playing games: illustration in a sample of male cybercafé players.

PubMed

Billieux, Joël; Chanal, Julien; Khazaal, Yasser; Rochat, Lucien; Gay, Philippe; Zullino, Daniele; Van der Linden, Martial

2011-01-01

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) are video games in which a large number of players interact with one another in a persistent virtual world. MMORPGs can become problematic and result in negative outcomes in daily living (e.g. loss of control on gaming behaviors, compromised social and individual quality of life). The aim of the present study is to investigate psychological predictors of problematic involvement in MMORPGs. Fifty-four males who played MMORPGs regularly were recruited in cybercafés and screened using the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale (which assesses 4 facets of impulsivity) and the Motivation to Play Online Questionnaire (which assesses personal motives to play online). Negative consequences due to excessive time spent on the Internet were assessed with the Internet Addiction Test. Multiple regression analysis showed that problematic use of MMORPGs is significantly predicted by: (1) high urgency (b = 0.45), and (2) a motivation to play for immersion (b = 0.35). This study showed that, for certain individuals (who are characterized by a proneness to act rashly in emotional contexts and motivated to play to be immersed in a virtual world), involvement in MMORPGs can become problematic and engender tangible negative consequences in daily life. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Development pathways from abusive parenting to delinquency: the mediating role of depression and aggression.

PubMed

You, Sukkyung; Lim, Sun Ah

2015-08-01

This study investigated the long-term relationship between abusive parenting and adolescent mental health, and the path to delinquent behavior. Longitudinal data from 5th through 7th graders from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) were analyzed to examine if abusive parenting was a predictor of early adolescent delinquency behavior, via aggression and depression as mediating factors. The results were as follows. First, parental abuse (both emotional and physical) was found to have significant effects on children's psychosocial factors (aggression and depression), while parental neglect (both emotional and physical) had significant effects on depression alone and not on aggression. Second, aggression exerted significant effects on both violent and non-violent delinquent behaviors, while depression had a significant effect on only non-violent delinquent behaviors. Third, children's psychosocial factors (aggression and depression) played significant mediating roles between earlier abusive parenting and delinquent behaviors. Fourth, for children living in a family with their grandparents, paths from abusive parenting, psychosocial adaptation, and later delinquent behaviors were not significant, implying that living with grandparents played a protective factor in these relationships. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased insulin sensitivity in intrauterine growth retarded newborns--do thyroid hormones play a role?

PubMed

Setia, Sajita; Sridhar, M G; Koner, B C; Bobby, Zachariah; Bhat, Vishnu; Chaturvedula, Lata

2007-02-01

Thyroid hormones are necessary for normal brain development. We studied thyroid hormone profile and insulin sensitivity in intrauterine growth retarded (IUGR) newborns to find correlation between insulin sensitivity and thyroid status in IUGR newborns. Fifty IUGR and fifty healthy control infants were studied at birth. Cord blood was collected for determination of T(3), T(4), TSH, glucose and insulin levels. IUGR newborns had significantly lower insulin, mean+/-S.D., 5.25+/-2.81 vs. 11.02+/-1.85microU/ml, but significantly higher insulin sensitivity measured as glucose to insulin ratio (G/I), 9.80+/-2.91 vs. 6.93+/-1.08 compared to healthy newborns. TSH was also significantly higher 6.0+/-2.70 vs. 2.99+/-1.05microU/ml with significantly lower T(4), 8.65+/-1.95 vs. 9.77+/-2.18microg/dl, but similar T(3) levels, 100.8+/-24.36 vs. 101.45+/-23.45ng/dl. On stepwise linear regression analysis in IUGR infants, insulin sensitivity was found to have a significant negative association with T(4) and significant positive association with TSH. Thyroid hormones may play a role in increased insulin sensitivity at birth in IUGR.

Computational Determination of the Effects of Bacteriophage Bacteriophage Interactions in Human body.

PubMed

Mostafa, Marwa Mostafa; Nassef, Mohammad; Badr, Amr

2017-10-19

Chronic diseases are becoming more serious and widely spreading and this carries a heavy burden on doctors to deal with such patients. Although many of these diseases can be treated by bacteriophages, the situation is significantly dangerous in patients having concomitant more than one chronic disease, where conflicts between phages used in treating these diseases are very closer to happen. This research paper presents a method to detecting the Bacteriophage-Bacteriophage Interaction. This method is implemented based on Domain-Domain Interactions model and it was used to infer Domain-Domain Interactions between the bacteriophages injected in the human body at the same time. By testing the method over bacteriophages that are used to treat tuberculosis, salmonella and virulent E.coli, many interactions have been inferred and detected between these bacteriophages. Several effects were detected for the resulted interactions such as: playing a role in DNA repair such as non-homologous end joining, playing a role in DNA replication, playing a role in the interaction between the immune system and the tumor cells and playing a role in the stiff man syndrome. We revised all patents relating to bacteriophage bacteriophage interactions and phage therapy. The proposed method is developed to help doctors to realize the effect of simultaneously injecting different bacteriophages into the human body to treat different diseases. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

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

Liao, Xiao-hui; Zhang, Ling, E-mail: lindazhang8508@hotmail.com; Chen, Guo-tao

Tubular epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in the progression of renal tubular interstitial fibrosis (TIF), which subsequently leads to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and eventually, end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We propose that augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR), a member of the newly discovered ALR/Erv1 protein family shown to ameliorate hepatic fibrosis, plays a similar protective role in renal tubular cells and has potential as a new treatment option for CKD. Here, we showed that recombinant human ALR (rhALR) inhibits EMT in renal tubular cells by antagonizing activation of the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signaling pathway. Further investigation revealedmore » that rhALR suppresses the expression of TGF-β receptor type II (TβR II) and significantly alleviates TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of Smad2 and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). No apparent adverse effects were observed upon the addition of rhALR alone to cells. These findings collectively suggest that ALR plays a role in inhibiting progression of renal tubular EMT, supporting its potential utility as an effective antifibrotic strategy to reverse TIF in CKD. - Highlights: • ALR is involved in the pathological progression of renal EMT in NRK-52E cells. • ALR suppresses the expression of TβRII and the phosphorylation of Smad2 and NF-κB. • ALR plays a role in inhibiting progression of renal tubular EMT.« less

Role-Playing Rhetoric of Science Pedagogy and the Study of Medical Ethics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Gordon

This essay blends practical reflection on current efforts to develop a role-playing curriculum at the University of Pittsburgh with a theoretical investigation of role-playing as a pedagogic technique. This paper examines educational literature on role-playing pedagogy as the topic is treated in a variety of academic fields including medicine,…

Role-Play and Student Engagement: Reflections from the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Rachel

2015-01-01

Role-play is viewed by scholars as an effective active learning strategy: it encourages participation among passive learners, adds dynamism to the classroom and promotes the retention of material. But what do students think of role-play? This study surveyed 144 students after a role-play activity in a history course and asked them to identify what…

"The Learning Sticks": Reflections on a Case Study of Role-Playing for Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Sue; Thomas, Ian

2018-01-01

Use of role-plays to develop deep student-learning has many advocates. Role-play is a powerful approach for learning that develops relevant skills in a range of disciplines and situations. In Higher Education, sustainability programmes role-play pedagogy appears to have great relevance for developing the competencies that these graduates will…

Assessing Women's Responses to Sexual Threat: Validity of a Virtual Role-Play Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jouriles, Ernest N.; Rowe, Lorelei Simpson; McDonald, Renee; Platt, Cora G.; Gomez, Gabriella S.

2011-01-01

This study evaluated the validity of a role-play procedure that uses virtual reality technology to assess women's responses to sexual threat. Forty-eight female undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either a standard, face-to-face role-play (RP) or a virtual role-play (VRP) of a sexually coercive situation. A multimethod assessment…

Designing and Evaluating an Online Role Play in Conflict Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hrastinski, Stefan; Watson, Jason

2009-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to identify, through a literature review, key issues regarding how online role plays can be designed and to apply them when designing a role play on conflict management. Design/methodology/approach: By drawing on the key issues identified in the literature review, a role play on conflict management was designed and…

Teaching clinical interviewing skills using role-playing: conveying empathy to performing a suicide assessment: a primer for individual role-playing and scripted group role-playing.

PubMed

Shea, Shawn Christopher; Barney, Christine

2015-03-01

This article provides a useful introduction to the art of role-playing in both the individual format and the group format using scripted group role-playing (SGRP). Role-playing can provide powerful learning opportunities, but to do so it must be done well. This article imparts guidance toward this goal. SGRP may greatly enhance the acquisition of critical complex interviewing skills, such as suicide assessment and uncovering domestic violence, in health care providers across all disciplines, an educational goal that has not been achievable to date. Although research is at an early stage of development, the hope represented by SGRP is tangible. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CXCL7 promotes proliferation and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells.

PubMed

Guo, Qian; Jian, Zhixiang; Jia, Baoqing; Chang, Liang

2017-02-01

CXCL7 is an important chemoattractant cytokine, which signals through binding to its receptor CXCR2. Recent studies have demonstrated that the CXCL7/CXCR2 signaling plays a promoting role in several common malignancies, including lung, renal, colon, and breast cancer. However, the regulatory role of CXCL7, in cholangiocarcinoma, as well as the underlying mechanism, has not been previously reported. Herein, we found more positive expression of CXCL7 in cholangiocarcinoma tissues compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues. High CXCL7 expression was significantly correlated with poor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion and advanced clinical stage, but was not associated with age, gender, or tumor size. Besides, the expression of CXCL7 was significantly associated with the Ki67 expression, but not associated with CA199, AFP, or P53 expression in cholangiocarcinoma. Moreover, the overall survival of cholangiocarcinoma patients with high CXCL7 expression was significantly shorter than those with low CXCL7 expression. In vitro study indicated that CXCL7 and CXCR2 were also positively expressed in several common cholangiocarcinoma cell lines, including HuCCT1, HuH28, QBC939, EGI-1, OZ and WITT. SiRNA-induced inhibition of CXCL7 significantly reduced the proliferation and invasion of QBC939 cells. On the contrary, overexpression of CXCL7 markedly promoted these malignant phenotypes of QBC939 cells. Of note, the conditioned medium of CXCL7-overexpresing human hepatic stellate cells could also promote the proliferation and invasion of QBC939 cells, suggesting that CXCL7 may also play an oncogenic role in cholangiocarcinoma in a paracrine-dependent manner, not only in an autocrine-dependent manner. Molecular assay data suggested that the AKT signaling pathway was involved in the CXCL7-mediated malignant phenotypes of QBC939 cells. In summary, our study suggests that CXCL7 plays a promoting role in regulating the growth and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma.

Language Maintenance or Language Shift? The Role of Religion in a Hakka Catholic Community in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Xiaomei

2016-01-01

The religious domain has been identified as an important domain for language maintenance (Fishman 1972; Gal 1979). However, the effect of religion in language maintenance is not always positive (Spolsky 2003). This paper attempts to explore whether religion, Catholicism for this study, plays a significant role in the maintenance of Hakka in a…

The Frankenstein Project: Examining Media's Role in Constructing Romantic Relationship Ideals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ribarsky, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Media have become ever-present factors in most college students' lives (Turan, Tinmaz, & Goktas, 2013). Despite this infiltration, students (and most of the public) remain remarkably unaware of the significant role the media can play in the construction of a social reality and, in turn, how individuals act and interact on a daily basis…

Enabling Roles to Reclaim Teacher Agency: Insights from the Advanced Certificate in Teaching (Foundation Phase)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebrahim, H. B.; Verbeek, D. C.; Mashiya, J. N.

2011-01-01

In developing the Advanced Certificate in Teaching (ACT) as a professional qualification for continuing teacher education for early schooling at the University of KwaZulu-Natal we asked the following: "What are the enabling roles foundation phase teachers need to play in order to reclaim their space as agents who significantly influence their…

The Role of Language Games in Children's Understanding of Mental States: A Training Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ornaghi, Veronica; Brockmeier, Jens; Grazzani Gavazzi, Ilaria

2011-01-01

In this study the authors investigated whether training preschool children in the use of mental state lexicon plays a significant role in bringing about advanced conceptual understanding of mental terms and improved performance on theory-of-mind tasks. A total of 70 participants belonging to two age groups (3 and 4 years old) were randomly…

Correlation of electronic monitoring and stylet pathways elucidate the role of sclerenchymatous ring as a barrier to phloem feeding on citrus leaves by Asian citrus psyllid

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina. citri) feeding behaviors play a significant role in the transmission of the phloem-limited Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) bacterium that causes the economically devastating citrus greening disease. Recent studies have shown a fibrous ring of thick-wal...

Examination of the Relationship Amongst Parenting Dimensions, Academic Achievement, Career Decision Making, and Commitment Anxiety among African American High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett-Garraway, Jocelyn M.

2011-01-01

Do parents play a significant role in the academic achievement and career decision making process of African American children? Studies have confirmed the importance of the role of parents and have even identified preferred parenting styles as having the best academic achievement (Dornbusch, Ritter, Leiderman, Roberts, & Fraleigh, 1987;…

Does Proactive Interference Play a Significant Role in Visual Working Memory Tasks?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makovski, Tal

2016-01-01

Visual working memory (VWM) is an online memory buffer that is typically assumed to be immune to source memory confusions. Accordingly, the few studies that have investigated the role of proactive interference (PI) in VWM tasks found only a modest PI effect at best. In contrast, a recent study has found a substantial PI effect in that performance…

The Impact of Color and Role on Retention of Knowledge: A Body-Painting Study within Undergraduate Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finn, Gabrielle M.; White, Pamela M.; Abdelbagi, Pamela M.

2011-01-01

Body painting as a tool for teaching anatomy is becoming increasingly popular as it is fun and diffuses the formal academic context. Students claim bright color plays a significant role in retention of knowledge from painting sessions. Medical students (n = 117) were divided into two conditions: block color (CLR) and black outlines (BLK). Students…

Written Artefacts in Post-Conference Feedback Sessions: The Running Commentary as a Support for Teacher Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engin, Marion

2015-01-01

Written artefacts often form a significant part of teacher education activities and play a crucial role in the dialogue between tutor and student teacher in a post-observation feedback session. However, although the dialogue of feedback sessions has been extensively researched, the role of the artefact has been less explored. This research…

Suicide Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes by Cyclopropylamines via a Ring-opening Mechanism: Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Makes a Difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaoqian; Li, Xiao-Xi; Liu, Yufang; Wang, Yong

2017-01-01

N-benzyl-N-cyclopropylamine (BCA) has been attracting great interests for decades for its partial suicide inactivation role to cytochrome P450 (P450) via a ring-opening mechanism besides acting as a role of normal substrates. Understanding the mechanism of such partial inactivation is vital to the clinical drug design. Thus, density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations were carried out on such P450-catalyzed reactions, not only on the metabolic pathway, but on the ring-opening inactivation one. Our theoretical results demonstrated that, in the metabolic pathway, besides the normal carbinolamine, an unexpected enamine was formed via the dual hydrogen abstraction (DHA) process, in which the competition between rotation of the H-abstracted substrate radical and the rotation of hydroxyl group of the protonated Cpd II moiety plays a significant role in product branch; In the inactivation pathway, the well-noted single electron transfer (SET) mechanism-involved process was invalidated for its high energy barrier, a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET(ET)) mechanism plays a role. Our results are consistent with other related theoretical works on heteroatom-hydrogen (X-H, X = O, N) activation and revealed new features. The revealed mechanisms will play a positive role in relative drug design.

Experimental infection of highly and low pathogenic avian influenza viruses to chickens, ducks, tree sparrows, jungle crows, and black rats for the evaluation of their roles in virus transmission.

PubMed

Hiono, Takahiro; Okamatsu, Masatoshi; Yamamoto, Naoki; Ogasawara, Kohei; Endo, Mayumi; Kuribayashi, Saya; Shichinohe, Shintaro; Motohashi, Yurie; Chu, Duc-Huy; Suzuki, Mizuho; Ichikawa, Takaya; Nishi, Tatsuya; Abe, Yuri; Matsuno, Keita; Tanaka, Kazuyuki; Tanigawa, Tsutomu; Kida, Hiroshi; Sakoda, Yoshihiro

2016-01-01

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) have spread in both poultry and wild birds. Determining transmission routes of these viruses during an outbreak is essential for the control of avian influenza. It has been widely postulated that migratory ducks play crucial roles in the widespread dissemination of HPAIVs in poultry by carrying viruses along with their migrations; however close contacts between wild migratory ducks and poultry are less likely in modern industrial poultry farming settings. Therefore, we conducted experimental infections of HPAIVs and low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) to chickens, domestic ducks, tree sparrows, jungle crows, and black rats to evaluate their roles in virus transmission. The results showed that chickens, ducks, sparrows, and crows were highly susceptible to HPAIV infection. Significant titers of virus were recovered from the sparrows and crows infected with HPAIVs, which suggests that they potentially play roles of transmission of HPAIVs to poultry. In contrast, the growth of LPAIVs was limited in each of the animals tested compared with that of HPAIVs. The present results indicate that these common synanthropes play some roles in influenza virus transmission from wild birds to poultry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SNP analyses of growth factor genes EGF, TGF{beta}-1, and HGF reveal haplotypic association of EGF with autism

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

Toyoda, Takao; Thanseem, Ismail; Kawai, Masayoshi

Autism is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed in early childhood. Growth factors have been found to play a key role in the cellular differentiation and proliferation of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is detected in several regions of the developing and adult brain, where, it enhances the differentiation, maturation, and survival of a variety of neurons. Transforming growth factor-{beta} (TGF{beta}) isoforms play an important role in neuronal survival, and the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to exhibit neurotrophic activity. We examined the association of EGF, TGF{beta}1, and HGF genes with autism, in amore » trio association study, using DNA samples from families recruited to the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange; 252 trios with a male offspring scored for autism were selected for the study. Transmission disequilibrium test revealed significant haplotypic association of EGF with autism. No significant SNP or haplotypic associations were observed for TGF{beta}1 or HGF. Given the role of EGF in brain and neuronal development, we suggest a possible role of EGF in the pathogenesis of autism.« less

Induced conductivity in sol-gel ZnO films by passivation or elimination of Zn vacancies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winarski, D. J.; Anwand, W.; Wagner, A.; Saadatkia, P.; Selim, F. A.; Allen, M.; Wenner, B.; Leedy, K.; Allen, J.; Tetlak, S.; Look, D. C.

2016-09-01

Undoped and Ga- and Al- doped ZnO films were synthesized using sol-gel and spin coating methods and characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical spectroscopy and Hall-effect measurements. SEM measurements reveal an average grain size of 20 nm and distinct individual layer structure. Measurable conductivity was not detected in the unprocessed films; however, annealing in hydrogen or zinc environment induced significant conductivity (˜10-2 Ω .cm) in most films. Positron annihilation spectroscopy measurements provided strong evidence that the significant enhancement in conductivity was due to hydrogen passivation of Zn vacancy related defects or elimination of Zn vacancies by Zn interstitials which suppress their role as deep acceptors. Hydrogen passivation of cation vacancies is shown to play an important role in tuning the electrical conductivity of ZnO, similar to its role in passivation of defects at the Si/SiO2 interface that has been essential for the successful development of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices. By comparison with hydrogen effect on other oxides, we suggest that hydrogen may play a universal role in oxides passivating cation vacancies and modifying their electronic properties.

Sequential roles of primary somatosensory cortex and posterior parietal cortex in tactile-visual cross-modal working memory: a single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS) study.

PubMed

Ku, Yixuan; Zhao, Di; Hao, Ning; Hu, Yi; Bodner, Mark; Zhou, Yong-Di

2015-01-01

Both monkey neurophysiological and human EEG studies have shown that association cortices, as well as primary sensory cortical areas, play an essential role in sequential neural processes underlying cross-modal working memory. The present study aims to further examine causal and sequential roles of the primary sensory cortex and association cortex in cross-modal working memory. Individual MRI-based single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS) was applied to bilateral primary somatosensory cortices (SI) and the contralateral posterior parietal cortex (PPC), while participants were performing a tactile-visual cross-modal delayed matching-to-sample task. Time points of spTMS were 300 ms, 600 ms, 900 ms after the onset of the tactile sample stimulus in the task. The accuracy of task performance and reaction time were significantly impaired when spTMS was applied to the contralateral SI at 300 ms. Significant impairment on performance accuracy was also observed when the contralateral PPC was stimulated at 600 ms. SI and PPC play sequential and distinct roles in neural processes of cross-modal associations and working memory. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pokemon proto-oncogene in oral cancer: potential role in the early phase of tumorigenesis.

PubMed

Sartini, D; Lo Muzio, L; Morganti, S; Pozzi, V; Di Ruscio, G; Rocchetti, R; Rubini, C; Santarelli, A; Emanuelli, M

2015-05-01

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represents about 90% of all oral neoplasms with a poor clinical prognosis. To improve survival of OSCC patients, it is fundamental to understand the basic molecular mechanisms characterizing oral carcinogenesis. Dysregulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes seems to play a central role in tumorigenesis, including malignant transformation of the oral cavity. We analyzed the expression levels of the pro-oncogenic transcription factor Pokemon through real-time PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry in tumor, and normal oral tissue samples obtained from 22 patients with OSCC. The relationship between tumor characteristics and the level of Pokemon intratumor expression was also analyzed. Pokemon was significantly downregulated in OSCC. In particular, both mRNA and protein levels (tumor vs normal tissue) inversely correlated with histological grading, suggesting its potential role as a prognostic factor for OSCC. Moreover, a significant inverse correlation was found between Pokemon protein expression levels (OSCC vs normal oral mucosa) and tumor size, supporting the hypothesis that Pokemon could play an important role in the early phase of tumor expansion. This work shows that reduced expression of Pokemon is a peculiar feature of OSCC. Additional studies may establish the effective role of Pokemon in oral tumorigenesis. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of fire on cultural resources

Treesearch

Kevin C. Ryan

2010-01-01

Cultural resources (CR) refer to the physical evidence of human occupations which archaeologist use to reconstruct the past. This includes the objects, locations, and landscapes that play a significant role in the history or cultural traditions of a group of people. CR include artifacts left by prehistoric aboriginal peoples and those of historical significance....

Women's Declining Employment with Access to Higher Education: Issues and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sangar, Sunita

2014-01-01

Access to higher education opened up avenues for more women workforce in decent employment contributing to the national economy. Government policies/schemes played a significant role in improving this significant indicator of women empowerment. This access also had an impact on their enrolment and choice of subjects but was accompanied by several…

AERIS : Assessment and Fusion of Commercial Vehicle Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Data for Real-Time Emission Modeling

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

Heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) play a significant role in the freight transportation sector in the U.S. However, they consume a vast amount of fuel and are a significant source of both greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions. In order to properly d...

NHE8 plays important roles in gastric mucosal protection

PubMed Central

Xu, Hua; Li, Jing; Chen, Huacong; Wang, Chunhui

2013-01-01

Sodium/hydrogen exchanger (NHE) 8 is an apically expressed membrane protein in the intestinal epithelial cells. It plays important roles in sodium absorption and bicarbonate secretion in the intestine. Although NHE8 mRNA has been detected in the stomach, the precise location and physiological role of NHE8 in the gastric glands remain unclear. In the current study, we successfully detected the expression of NHE8 in the glandular region of the stomach by Western blotting and located NHE8 protein at the apical membrane in the surface mucous cells by a confocal microscopic method. We also identified the expression of downregulated-in-adenoma (DRA) in the surface mucous cells in the stomach. Using NHE8−/− mice, we found that NHE8 plays little or no role in basal gastric acid production, yet NHE8−/− mice have reduced gastric mucosal surface pH and higher incidence of developing gastric ulcer. DRA expression was reduced significantly in the stomach in NHE8−/− mice. The propensity for gastric ulcer, reduced mucosal surface pH, and low DRA expression suggest that NHE8 is indirectly involved in gastric bicarbonate secretion and gastric mucosal protection. PMID:23220221

Role of theory of mind and executive function in explaining social intelligence: a structural equation modeling approach.

PubMed

Yeh, Zai-Ting

2013-01-01

Social intelligence is the ability to understand others and the social context effectively and thus to interact with people successfully. Research has suggested that the theory of mind (ToM) and executive function may play important roles in explaining social intelligence. The specific aim of the present study was to test with structural equation modeling (SEM) the hypothesis that performance on ToM tasks is more associated with social intelligence in the elderly than is performance on executive functions. One hundred and seventy-seven participants (age 56-96) completed ToM, executive function, and other basic cognition tasks, and were rated with social intelligence scales. The SEM results showed that ToM and executive function were strongly correlated (0.54); however, only the path coefficient from ToM to social intelligence, and not from executive function, was significant (0.37). ToM performance, but not executive function, was strongly correlated with social intelligence among elderly individuals. ToM and executive function might play different roles in social behavior during normal aging; however, based on the present results, it is possible that ToM might play an important role in social intelligence.

The role of pelvis-thorax coupling in controlling within-golf club swing speed.

PubMed

Lamb, Peter F; Pataky, Todd C

2018-02-23

Pelvis-thorax coordination has been recognised to be associated with swing speed. Increasing angular separation between the pelvis and thorax has been thought to initiate the stretch shortening cycle and lead to increased clubhead speed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether pelvis-thorax coupling played a significant role in regulating clubhead speed, in a group of low-handicap golfers (mean handicap = 4.1). Sixteen participants played shots to target distances determined based on their typical 5- and 6-iron shot distances. Half the difference between median 5- and 6-iron distance for each participant was used to create three swing effort conditions: "minus", "norm", and "plus". Ten shots were played under each swing effort condition using both the 5-iron and 6-iron, resulting in six shot categories and 60 shots per participant. No significant differences were found for X-factor for club or swing effort. X-factor stretch showed significant differences for club and swing effort. Continuous relative phase (CRP) results mainly showed evidence of the stretch shortening cycle in the downswing and that it was more pronounced late in the downswing as swing effort increased. Substantial inter-individual CRP variability demonstrated the need for individual analyses when investigating coordination in the golf swing.

Acute ketamine administration corrects abnormal inflammatory bone markers in major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Kadriu, B; Gold, P W; Luckenbaugh, D A; Lener, M S; Ballard, E D; Niciu, M J; Henter, I D; Park, L T; De Sousa, R T; Yuan, P; Machado-Vieira, R; Zarate, C A

2017-05-30

Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have clinically relevant, significant decreases in bone mineral density (BMD). We sought to determine if predictive markers of bone inflammation-the osteoprotegerin (OPG)-RANK-RANKL system or osteopontin (OPN)-play a role in the bone abnormalities associated with MDD and, if so, whether ketamine treatment corrected the abnormalities. The OPG-RANK-RANKL system plays the principal role in determining the balance between bone resorption and bone formation. RANKL is the osteoclast differentiating factor and diminishes BMD. OPG is a decoy receptor for RANKL, thereby increasing BMD. OPN is the bone glue that acts as a scaffold between bone tissues matrix composition to bind them together and is an important component of bone strength and fracture resistance. Twenty-eight medication-free inpatients with treatment-resistant MDD and 16 healthy controls (HCs) participated in the study. Peripheral bone marker levels and their responses to IV ketamine infusion in MDD patients and HCs were measured at four time points: at baseline, and post-infusion at 230 min, Day 1, and Day 3. Patients with MDD had significant decreases in baseline OPG/RANKL ratio and in plasma OPN levels. Ketamine significantly increased both the OPG/RANKL ratio and plasma OPN levels, and significantly decreased RANKL levels. Bone marker levels in HCs remained unaltered. We conclude that the OPG-RANK-RANKL system and the OPN system play important roles in the serious bone abnormalities associated with MDD. These data suggest that, in addition to its antidepressant effects, ketamine also has a salutary effect on a major medical complication of depressive illness.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 30 May 2017; doi:10.1038/mp.2017.109.

Prognostic Significance of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Her-2 Protein in the Genesis of Cervical Carcinoma.

PubMed

Rahmani, Arshad H; Babiker, Ali Yousif; Alsahli, Mohammed A; Almatroodi, Saleh A; Husain, Nazik Elmalaika O S

2018-02-15

Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in the progression of tumours through the formation of new blood vessels. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a chief factor responsible for inducing and regulating angiogenesis. Additionally, the human epidermal growth factor receptor family of receptors also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of tumours. This study aimed to examine the association between VEGF and Her-2 protein expression and its correlation with clinic-pathological characteristics; in particular, prognosis. A total of 65 cases of cervical carcinoma and 10 samples of inflammatory lesions were evaluated for VEGF and Her-2 protein expression. Expression of VEGF and Her-2 was detected in 63.07% and 43.07% in cervical carcinoma cases respectively whereas control cases did not show any expression. The difference in the expression pattern of both markers comparing cancer and control cases was statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference in the expression pattern of VEGF protein was observed among the different grades and stages of tumours (p > 0.05). Comparing different grades of a tumour, expression of Her-2 was detected in 31.8% of well-differentiated tumours, 36.0 % in moderately differentiated tumours and 66.66 % in poorly differentiated cancers. The expression of Her-2 was increased in high-grade tumours, and the difference of expression level between tumour grades was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The expression level of Her-2 protein was not correlated with the stage of a tumour (p > 0.05). The present study supports earlier findings that over-expression / up-regulation of VEGF and Her - 2 is linked with poor prognosis and may play a vital role in the development and progression of cervical cancer.

Prognostic Significance of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Her-2 Protein in the Genesis of Cervical Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Rahmani, Arshad H.; Babiker, Ali Yousif; Alsahli, Mohammed A.; Almatroodi, Saleh A.; Husain, Nazik Elmalaika O. S.

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in the progression of tumours through the formation of new blood vessels. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a chief factor responsible for inducing and regulating angiogenesis. Additionally, the human epidermal growth factor receptor family of receptors also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of tumours. AIM: This study aimed to examine the association between VEGF and Her-2 protein expression and its correlation with clinic-pathological characteristics; in particular, prognosis. METHODS: A total of 65 cases of cervical carcinoma and 10 samples of inflammatory lesions were evaluated for VEGF and Her-2 protein expression. RESULTS: Expression of VEGF and Her-2 was detected in 63.07% and 43.07% in cervical carcinoma cases respectively whereas control cases did not show any expression. The difference in the expression pattern of both markers comparing cancer and control cases was statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference in the expression pattern of VEGF protein was observed among the different grades and stages of tumours (p > 0.05). Comparing different grades of a tumour, expression of Her-2 was detected in 31.8% of well-differentiated tumours, 36.0 % in moderately differentiated tumours and 66.66 % in poorly differentiated cancers. The expression of Her-2 was increased in high-grade tumours, and the difference of expression level between tumour grades was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The expression level of Her-2 protein was not correlated with the stage of a tumour (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study supports earlier findings that over-expression / up-regulation of VEGF and Her - 2 is linked with poor prognosis and may play a vital role in the development and progression of cervical cancer. PMID:29531585

Cathepsin D plays a role in endothelial-pericyte interactions during alteration of the blood-retinal barrier in diabetic retinopathy.

PubMed

Monickaraj, Finny; McGuire, Paul; Das, Arup

2018-05-01

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. We have previously demonstrated the effect of cathepsin D (CD) on the mechanical disruption of retinal endothelial cell junctions and increased vasopermeability, as well as increased levels of CD in retinas of diabetic mice. Here, we have also examined the effect of CD on endothelial-pericyte interactions, as well as the effect of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor on CD in endothelial-pericyte interactions in vitro and in vivo. Cocultured cells that were treated with pro-CD demonstrated a significant decrease in the expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β, a tyrosine kinase receptor that is required for pericyte cell survival; N-cadherin, the key adherens junction protein between endothelium and pericytes; and increases in the vessel destabilizing agent, angiopoietin-2. The effect was reversed in cells that were treated with DPP4 inhibitor along with pro-CD. With pro-CD treatment, there was a significant increase in the phosphorylation of the downstream signaling protein, PKC-α, and Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in endothelial cells and pericytes, which disrupts adherens junction structure and function, and this was significantly reduced with DPP4 inhibitor treatment. Increased CD levels, vasopermeability, and alteration in junctional-related proteins were observed in the retinas of diabetic rats, which were significantly changed with DPP4 inhibitor treatment. Thus, DPP4 inhibitors may be used as potential adjuvant therapeutic agents to treat increased vascular leakage observed in patients with diabetic macular edema.-Monickaraj, F., McGuire, P., Das, A. Cathepsin D plays a role in endothelial-pericyte interactions during alteration of the blood-retinal barrier in diabetic retinopathy.

The role of cyclooxygenase-2 and inflammatory cytokines in pain induction of herniated lumbar intervertebral disc.

PubMed

Miyamoto, H; Saura, R; Harada, T; Doita, M; Mizuno, K

2000-04-01

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is the disease which is the major cause of radiculopathy. In terms of the pathogenesis of disease, it is reported that prostaglandinE2 (PGE2) plays an important role to induce radiculopathy. Arachidonate cascade, which is the process of PGE2 synthesis, is mainly regulated by two kinds of enzymes, phospholipaseA2 (PLA2) and cyclooxy genase (COX). Previously, PLA2 was recognized as the rate-limiting enzyme of this cascade, and some authors reported the clinical significance of PLA2 at the site of LDH concerning the radicular pain. Recently, COX was elucidated to consist of 2 types of isoform, a constitutive form of COX-1 and an inducible form of COX-2. COX-2 has been focused as a key enzyme to regulate PGE2 synthesis and plays an important role in inflammation, because COX-2 was induced in many types of cells by the stimulation of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha). However, it is not fully discussed whether or not, COX-2 is induced in lumbar disc tissue and if it plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of LDH. To clarify the role of COX-2 in the pathomechanism of radiculopathy of LDH, we have investigated the expression of COX-2, IL-1 beta and TNF alpha in herniated lumbar disc tissue. Immunohistologically, they were detected in the cytosol of chondrocytes constituting the disc tissue. RT-PCR showed that herniated lumbar disc-derived cells expressed mRNA of COX-2, IL-1 beta and TNF alpha in the presence of inflammatory cytokines in vitro. The disc-derived cells also produced much PGE2 by stimulating of inflammatory cytokines at the same time and this PGE2 production was distinctly suppressed by a selective inhibitor of COX-2, 6-methoxy-2-naphtyl acetic acids (6MNA). These results suggest that COX-2 and inflammatory cytokines might play a causative role in the radiculopathy of LDH through upregulating PGE2 synthesis.

Improving the interpersonal competences of head nurses through Peplau's theoretical active learning approach.

PubMed

Suhariyanto; Hariyati, Rr Tutik Sri; Ungsianik, Titin

2018-02-01

Effective interpersonal skills are essential for head nurses in governing and managing their work units. Therefore, an active learning strategy could be the key to enhance the interpersonal competences of head nurses. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Peplau's theoretical approach of active learning on the improvement of head nurses' interpersonal skills. This study used a pre-experimental design with one group having pretests and posttests, without control group. A total sample of 25 head nurses from inpatient units of a wellknown private hospital in Jakarta was involved in the study. Data were analyzed using the paired t-test. The results showed a significant increase in head nurses' knowledge following the training to strengthen their interpersonal roles (P=.003). The results also revealed significant increases in the head nurses' skills in playing the roles of leader (P=.006), guardian (P=.014), and teacher/speaker (P=.015). Nonetheless, the results showed no significant increases in the head nurses' skills in playing the roles of counselor (P=.092) and stranger (P=.182). Training in strengthening the interpersonal roles of head nurses significantly increased the head nurses' knowledge and skills. The results of the study suggested the continuation of active learning strategies to improve the interpersonal abilities of head nurses. Furthermore, these strategies could be used to build the abilities of head nurses in other managerial fields. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Active Learning in the Classroom: The Use of Group Role Plays.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitzerow, Phyllis

1990-01-01

Describes group role-playing activities that have been used to teach about education, criminology, and sex roles. Suggests that role play helps students to absorb and retain many of the insights about the issues involved. (DB)

Androgen and psychosexual development: core gender identity, sexual orientation and recalled childhood gender role behavior in women and men with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).

PubMed

Hines, Melissa; Brook, Charles; Conway, Gerard S

2004-02-01

We assessed core gender identity, sexual orientation, and recalled childhood gender role behavior in 16 women and 9 men with CAH and in 15 unaffected female and 10 unaffected male relatives, all between the ages of 18 and 44 years. Women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) recalled significantly more male-typical play behavior as children than did unaffected women, whereas men with and without CAH did not differ. Women with CAH also reported significantly less satisfaction with the female sex of assignment and less heterosexual interest than did unaffected women. Again, men with CAH did not differ significantly from unaffected men in these respects. Our results for women with CAH are consistent with numerous prior reports indicating that girls with CAH show increased male-typical play behavior. They also support the hypotheses that these women show reduced heterosexual interest and reduced satisfaction with the female sex of assignment. Our results for males are consistent with most prior reports that boys with CAH do not show a general alteration in childhood play behavior. In addition, they provide initial evidence that core gender identity and sexual orientation are unaffected in men with CAH. Finally, among women with CAH, we found that recalled male-typical play in childhood correlated with reduced satisfaction with the female gender and reduced heterosexual interest in adulthood. Although prospective studies are needed, these results suggest that those girls with CAH who show the greatest alterations in childhood play behavior may be the most likely to develop a bisexual or homosexual orientation as adults and to be dissatisfied with the female sex of assignment.

Characterization, expression patterns of molt-inhibiting hormone gene of Macrobrachium nipponense and its roles in molting and growth.

PubMed

Qiao, Hui; Jiang, Fengwei; Xiong, Yiwei; Jiang, Sufei; Fu, Hongtuo; Li, Fei; Zhang, Wenyi; Sun, Shengming; Jin, Shubo; Gong, Yongsheng; Wu, Yan

2018-01-01

The oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense, is an important commercial aquaculture resource in China. In order to overwinter, M. nipponense displays decreased physiological activity and less consumption of energy. Sudden warming would trigger molting and cause an extensive death, resulting in huge economic losses. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to study the molting mechanism of oriental river prawns. Molt-inhibiting hormone gene (MIH) plays a major role in regulating molting in crustaceans. In this study, a full length MIH cDNA of M. nipponense (Mn-MIH) was cloned from the eyestalk. The total length of the Mn-MIH was 925 bp, encoding a protein of 119 amino acids. Tissue distribution analysis showed that Mn-MIH was highly expressed in the eyestalk, and that it had relatively low expression in gill, ovary, and abdominal ganglion. Mn-MIH was detected in all developmental stages, and changed regularly in line with the molting cycle of the embryo and larva. Mn-MIH varied in response to the molting cycle, suggesting that Mn-MIH negatively regulates ecdysteroidogenesis. Mn-MIH inhibition by RNAi resulted in a significant acceleration of molting cycles in both males and females, confirming the inhibitory role of MIH in molting. After long-term RNAi males, but not females had significant weight gain, confirming that Mn-MIH plays an important role in growth of M. nipponense. Our work contributes to a better understanding of the role of Mn-MIH in crustacean molting and growth.

Characterization, expression patterns of molt-inhibiting hormone gene of Macrobrachium nipponense and its roles in molting and growth

PubMed Central

Jiang, Fengwei; Xiong, Yiwei; Jiang, Sufei; Fu, Hongtuo; Li, Fei; Zhang, Wenyi; Sun, Shengming; Jin, Shubo; Gong, Yongsheng; Wu, Yan

2018-01-01

The oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense, is an important commercial aquaculture resource in China. In order to overwinter, M. nipponense displays decreased physiological activity and less consumption of energy. Sudden warming would trigger molting and cause an extensive death, resulting in huge economic losses. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to study the molting mechanism of oriental river prawns. Molt-inhibiting hormone gene (MIH) plays a major role in regulating molting in crustaceans. In this study, a full length MIH cDNA of M. nipponense (Mn-MIH) was cloned from the eyestalk. The total length of the Mn-MIH was 925 bp, encoding a protein of 119 amino acids. Tissue distribution analysis showed that Mn-MIH was highly expressed in the eyestalk, and that it had relatively low expression in gill, ovary, and abdominal ganglion. Mn-MIH was detected in all developmental stages, and changed regularly in line with the molting cycle of the embryo and larva. Mn-MIH varied in response to the molting cycle, suggesting that Mn-MIH negatively regulates ecdysteroidogenesis. Mn-MIH inhibition by RNAi resulted in a significant acceleration of molting cycles in both males and females, confirming the inhibitory role of MIH in molting. After long-term RNAi males, but not females had significant weight gain, confirming that Mn-MIH plays an important role in growth of M. nipponense. Our work contributes to a better understanding of the role of Mn-MIH in crustacean molting and growth. PMID:29889902

Reality and Second-Language Role-Play.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piper, David; Piper, Terry

1983-01-01

Although role playing is a well-established and useful method of second language instruction, its success is often undermined by assignment of roles alien to the students' needs and experience. Redefinition of role playing to include the roles an individual assumes in everyday life will help the teacher plan more appropriate activities. (MSE)

STEM and our future transportation leaders.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-10

Between 2012 to 2022, 40 to 50 percent of the transportation workforce is expected to : retire taking valuable knowledge with them. State Departments of Transportation (DOT) : are expected to play a significant role in replenishing the workforce pipe...

Sustainability, Ecojustice, and Adult Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griswold, Wendy

2017-01-01

Adult education has a significant role to play in creating a just and sustainable world. This chapter explores a continuum of perspectives related to the environment and education and highlights sustainability and ecojustice education theory and practices in this volume.

PARTICLE-ASSOCIATED MICROORGANISMS IN STORMWATER RUNOFF

EPA Science Inventory

This research investigated the effects of blending and chemical addition before analysis of the concentration of microorganisms in stormwater runoff to determine whether clumped or particle-associated organisms play a significant role. All organisms, except for Escherichia coli, ...

The formation of stellar systems from interstellar molecular clouds.

PubMed

Gehrz, R D; Black, D C; Solomon, P M

1984-05-25

Star formation, a crucial link in the chain of events that led from the early expansion of the universe to the formation of the solar system, continues to play a major role in the evolution of many galaxies. Observational and theoretical studies of regions of ongoing star formation provide insight into the physical conditions and events that must have attended the formation of the solar system. Such investigations also elucidate the role played by star formation in the evolutionary cycle which appears to dominate the chemical processing of interstellar material by successive generations of stars in spiral galaxies like our own. New astronomical facilities planned for development during the 1980's could lead to significant advances in our understanding of the star formation process. Efforts to identify and examine both the elusive protostellar collapse phase of star formation and planetary systems around nearby stars will be especially significant.

Methodologies in the modeling of combined chemo-radiation treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grassberger, C.; Paganetti, H.

2016-11-01

The variety of treatment options for cancer patients has increased significantly in recent years. Not only do we combine radiation with surgery and chemotherapy, new therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies are starting to play a bigger role. Physics has made significant contributions to radiation therapy treatment planning and delivery. In particular, treatment plan optimization using inverse planning techniques has improved dose conformity considerably. Furthermore, medical physics is often the driving force behind tumor control and normal tissue complication modeling. While treatment optimization and outcome modeling does focus mainly on the effects of radiation, treatment modalities such as chemotherapy are treated independently or are even neglected entirely. This review summarizes the published efforts to model combined modality treatments combining radiation and chemotherapy. These models will play an increasing role in optimizing cancer therapy not only from a radiation and drug dosage standpoint, but also in terms of spatial and temporal optimization of treatment schedules.

Emotion Dysregulation and Anxiety in Adults with ASD: Does Social Motivation Play a Role?

PubMed

Swain, Deanna; Scarpa, Angela; White, Susan; Laugeson, Elizabeth

2015-12-01

Young adults with ASD and no intellectual impairment are more likely to exhibit clinical levels of anxiety than typically developing peers (DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This study tests a mechanistic model in which anxiety culminates via emotion dysregulation and social motivation. Adults with ASD (49 males, 20 females) completed self-report measures on emotion regulation, caregivers completed measures on ASD severity and both on social anxiety. Results indicated that emotion dysregulation (p < .001; p < .05) and social motivation (p < .05, p < .001) significantly predicted social anxiety as reported by caregivers and young adults respectively. However, social motivation did not appear to play a moderating role in the relationship between emotion regulation and anxiety, even when controlling for social awareness. Significant predictor variables of social anxiety varied based on reporter (i.e. caregiver versus young adult), with difficulty engaging in goal-directed behaviors during negative emotions serving as the only shared predictor.

Does Islam play a role in anti-immigrant sentiment? An experimental approach.

PubMed

Creighton, Mathew J; Jamal, Amaney

2015-09-01

Are Muslim immigrants subjected to targeted opposition (i.e., Islamophobia) on their pathway to US citizenship? Using a list experiment and a representative sample of the US population, we compare explicit and implicit opposition to Muslim and Christian immigrants. We find that Muslim immigrants, relative to Christian immigrants, experience greater explicit resistance. However, when social desirability bias is taken into account via the list experiment, we find that opposition to Christian and Muslim immigrants is the same. The explanation is that respondents conceal a significant amount of opposition to Christian immigrants. Muslim immigrants, on the other hand, are afforded no such protection. We find that religiosity or denomination do not play a significant role in determining implicit or explicit opposition. We conclude that Islamophobia, which is only explicitly expressed, is best understood as reflective of social desirability bias from which Muslim immigrants do not benefit. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statistical Simulation of the Performance and Degradation of a PEMFC Membrane Electrode Assembly

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

Harvey, David; Bellemare-Davis, Alexander; Karan, Kunal

2012-07-01

A 1-D MEA Performance model was developed that considered transport of liquid water, agglomerate catalyst structure, and the statistical variation of the MEA characteristic parameters. The model was validated against a low surface area carbon supported catalyst across various platinum loadings and operational conditions. The statistical variation was found to play a significant role in creating noise in the validation data and that there was a coupling effect between movement in material properties with liquid water transport. Further, in studying the low platinum loaded catalyst layers it was found that liquid water played a significant role in the increasing themore » overall transport losses. The model was then further applied to study platinum dissolution via potential cycling accelerated stress tests, in which the platinum was found to dissolve nearest the membrane effectively resulting in reaction distribution shifts within the layer.« less

The need for lumbar-pelvic assessment in the resolution of chronic hamstring strain.

PubMed

Panayi, Stephanie

2010-07-01

A lumbar-pelvic assessment and treatment model based on a review of clinical and anatomical research is presented for consideration in the treatment of chronic hamstring strain. The origin of the biceps femoris muscle attaches to the pelvis at the ischial tuberosity and to the sacrum via the sacrotuberous ligament. The biomechanics of the sacroiliac joint and hip, along with lumbar-pelvic stability, therefore play a significant role in hamstring function. Pelvic asymmetry and/or excessive anterior tilt can lead to increased tension at the biceps origin and increase functional demands on the hamstring group by inhibiting its synergists. Joint proprioceptive mechanisms may play a significant role in re-establishing balance between agonists and antagonists. An appreciation of neuromuscular connections as well as overall lumbar-pelvic structural assessment is recommended in conjunction with lumbar-pelvic strengthening exercises to help resolve chronic hamstring strain. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mobile genetic elements of Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Malachowa, Natalia; DeLeo, Frank R

2010-09-01

Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus are successful as commensal organisms or pathogens in part because they adapt rapidly to selective pressures imparted by the human host. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) play a central role in this adaptation process and are a means to transfer genetic information (DNA) among and within bacterial species. Importantly, MGEs encode putative virulence factors and molecules that confer resistance to antibiotics, including the gene that confers resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Inasmuch as MRSA infections are a significant problem worldwide and continue to emerge in epidemic waves, there has been significant effort to improve diagnostic assays and to develop new antimicrobial agents for treatment of disease. Our understanding of S. aureus MGEs and the molecules they encode has played an important role toward these ends and has provided detailed insight into the evolution of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and virulence.

Exploring the Impact of Role-Playing on Peer Feedback in an Online Case-Based Learning Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ching, Yu-Hui

2014-01-01

This study explored the impact of role-playing on the quality of peer feedback and learners' perception of this strategy in a case-based learning activity with VoiceThread in an online course. The findings revealed potential positive impact of role-playing on learners' generation of constructive feedback as role-playing was associated with higher…

A Case Study of an Online Role Play for Academic Staff.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Maureen

Role play is a powerful technique for skills and attitude development. It is now possible to combine the advantages of face-to-face role play with the potential of the online environment. This paper reports on a case study of an asynchronous, anonymous, online role play conducted within a teaching course for academic staff. The following key…

Experiencing the Elicitation of User Requirements and Recording Them in Use Case Diagrams through Role-Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costain, Gay; McKenna, Brad

2011-01-01

This paper describes a role-play exercise used in a second-year tertiary Systems Analysis and Design course, and the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the students' responses to a survey that solicited their perceptions of that role-play experience. The role-play involved students in eliciting user requirements from customers during a Joint…

Oh, Garbage! Decisions about Waste Disposal. Creative Role-Playing Exercises in Science and Technology Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parisi, Lynn; Pearson, Janice

This document is one of a series of role plays that focus on science-related social issues of concern in contemporary public policy formation. The role plays are designed to help students develop information-processing and decision making skills needed to deal effectively with such issues. The role plays guide students in analyzing science related…

"I Used to Copy What the Teachers at School Would Do". Cross-Cultural Fusion: The Role of Older Children in Community Literacy Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosowsky, Andrey

2006-01-01

This paper is derived from a wider study of literacy practice that examines and explores the role played by Qur'anic literacy in the lives of men, women and children in a UK Muslim community. It also draws on the significant body of theoretical work being developed by Gregory and others on the role of siblings and older children in literacy…

Using and developing role plays in teaching aimed at preparing for social responsibility.

PubMed

Doorn, Neelke; Kroesen, J Otto

2013-12-01

In this paper, we discuss the use of role plays in ethics education for engineering students. After presenting a rough taxonomy of different objectives, we illustrate how role plays can be used to broaden students' perspectives. We do this on the basis of our experiences with a newly developed role play about a Dutch political controversy concerning pig transport. The role play is special in that the discussion is about setting up an institutional framework for responsible action that goes beyond individual action. In that sense, the role play serves a double purpose. It not only aims at teaching students to become aware of the different dimensions in decision making, it also encourages students to think about what such an institutional framework for responsible action might possibly look like.

The polygalacturonase FaPG1 gene plays a key role in strawberry fruit softening

PubMed Central

García-Gago, Juan A; Posé, Sara; Muñoz-Blanco, Juan; Quesada, Miguel A

2009-01-01

The loss of firm texture is one of the most characteristic physiological processes that occur during the ripening of fleshy fruits. It is generally accepted that the disassembly of primary cell wall and middle lamella is the main factor involved in fruit softening. In this process, polygalacturonase (PG) has been implicated in the degradation of the polyuronide network in several fruits. However, the minor effect of PG downregulation on tomato softening, reported during the nineties, minimized the role of this enzyme in softening. Further works in other fruits are challenging this general assumption, as is occurring in strawberry. The strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) fruit undergoes an extensive and fast softening that limit its shelf life and postharvest. Traditionally, it has also been considered that PG plays a minor role on this process, due to the low PG activity found in ripened strawberry fruits. Transgenic strawberry plants expressing an antisense sequence of the ripening-specific PG gene FaPG1 have been generated to get an insight into the role of this gene in softening. Half of the transgenic lines analyzed yielded fruits significantly firmer than control, without being affected other fruit parameters such as weight, color or soluble solids. The increase on firmness was maintained after several days of posharvest. In these firmer lines, FaPG1 was silenced to 95%, but total PG activity was only minor reduced. At the cell wall level, transgenic fruits contained a higher amount of covalently bound pectins whereas the soluble fraction was diminished. A microarray analysis of genes expressed in ripened receptacle did not show any significant change between control and transgenic fruits. Thus, contrary to the most accepted view, it is concluded that PG plays a key role on pectin metabolism and softening of strawberry fruit. PMID:19820312

The polygalacturonase FaPG1 gene plays a key role in strawberry fruit softening.

PubMed

García-Gago, Juan A; Posé, Sara; Muñoz-Blanco, Juan; Quesada, Miguel A; Mercado, José A

2009-08-01

The loss of firm texture is one of the most characteristic physiological processes that occur during the ripening of fleshy fruits. It is generally accepted that the disassembly of primary cell wall and middle lamella is the main factor involved in fruit softening. In this process, polygalacturonase (PG) has been implicated in the degradation of the polyuronide network in several fruits. However, the minor effect of PG downregulation on tomato softening, reported during the nineties, minimized the role of this enzyme in softening. Further works in other fruits are challenging this general assumption, as is occurring in strawberry. The strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) fruit undergoes an extensive and fast softening that limit its shelf life and postharvest. Traditionally, it has also been considered that PG plays a minor role on this process, due to the low PG activity found in ripened strawberry fruits. Transgenic strawberry plants expressing an antisense sequence of the ripening-specific PG gene FaPG1 have been generated to get an insight into the role of this gene in softening. Half of the transgenic lines analyzed yielded fruits significantly firmer than control, without being affected other fruit parameters such as weight, color or soluble solids. The increase on firmness was maintained after several days of posharvest. In these firmer lines, FaPG1 was silenced to 95%, but total PG activity was only minor reduced. At the cell wall level, transgenic fruits contained a higher amount of covalently bound pectins whereas the soluble fraction was diminished. A microarray analysis of genes expressed in ripened receptacle did not show any significant change between control and transgenic fruits. Thus, contrary to the most accepted view, it is concluded that PG plays a key role on pectin metabolism and softening of strawberry fruit.

Critical role of canonical transient receptor potential channel 7 in initiation of seizures.

PubMed

Phelan, Kevin D; Shwe, U Thaung; Abramowitz, Joel; Birnbaumer, Lutz; Zheng, Fang

2014-08-05

Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening disease that has been recognized since antiquity but still causes over 50,000 deaths annually in the United States. The prevailing view on the pathophysiology of SE is that it is sustained by a loss of normal inhibitory mechanisms of neuronal activity. However, the early process leading to the initiation of SE is not well understood. Here, we show that, as seen in electroencephalograms, SE induced by the muscarinic agonist pilocarpine in mice is preceded by a specific increase in the gamma wave, and genetic ablation of canonical transient receptor potential channel (TRPC) 7 significantly reduces this pilocarpine-induced increase of gamma wave activity, preventing the occurrence of SE. At the cellular level, TRPC7 plays a critical role in the generation of spontaneous epileptiform burst firing in cornu ammonis (CA) 3 pyramidal neurons in brain slices. At the synaptic level, TRPC7 plays a significant role in the long-term potentiation at the CA3 recurrent collateral synapses and Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses, but not at the mossy fiber-CA3 synapses. Taken together, our data suggest that epileptiform burst firing generated in the CA3 region by activity-dependent enhancement of recurrent collateral synapses may be an early event in the initiation process of SE and that TRPC7 plays a critical role in this cellular event. Our findings reveal that TRPC7 is intimately involved in the initiation of seizures both in vitro and in vivo. To our knowledge, this contribution to initiation of seizures is the first identified functional role for the TRPC7 ion channel.

TmCactin plays an important role in Gram-negative and -positive bacterial infection by regulating expression of 7 AMP genes in Tenebrio molitor

PubMed Central

Jo, Yong Hun; Jung Kim, Yu; Beom Park, Ki; Hwan Seong, Jeong; Gon Kim, Soo; Park, Soyi; Young Noh, Mi; Seok Lee, Yong; Soo Han, Yeon

2017-01-01

Cactin was originally identified as an interactor of the Drosophila IκB factor Cactus and shown to play a role in controlling embryonic polarity and regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway. While subsequent studies have identified the roles for Cactin in the mammalian immune response, the immune function of Cactin in insects has not been described yet. Here, we identified a Cactin gene from the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (TmCactin) and characterized its functional role in innate immunity. TmCactin was highly expressed in prepupa to last instar stages, and its expression was high in the integument and Malpighian tubules of last instar larvae and adults. TmCactin was induced in larvae after infection with different pathogens and detectable within 3 hours of infection. The highest levels of TmCactin expression were detected at 9 hours post infection. TmCactin RNAi significantly decreased the survival rates of larvae after challenge with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, but had no significant effect after challenge with Candida albicans. Furthermore, TmCactin RNAi significantly reduced the expression of seven antimicrobial peptide genes (AMPs) after bacterial challenge. Our results suggest that TmCactin may serve as an important regulator of innate immunity, mediating AMP responses against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in T. molitor. PMID:28418029

Play Therapy: Role in Reading Improvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carmichael, Karla

1991-01-01

Reviews the literature concerning the role of play therapy (particularly sandplay and nondirected play therapy) in the improvement of reading. Suggests that the role of play therapy is to support the child, encourage the child, and build self-esteem thus creating the optimal learning environment for reading improvement. (RS)

Abscisic-acid-induced cellular apoptosis and differentiation in glioma via the retinoid acid signaling pathway.

PubMed

Zhou, Nan; Yao, Yu; Ye, Hongxing; Zhu, Wei; Chen, Liang; Mao, Ying

2016-04-15

Retinoid acid (RA) plays critical roles in regulating differentiation and apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. Abscisic acid (ABA) and RA are direct derivatives of carotenoids and share structural similarities. Here we proposed that ABA may also play a role in cellular differentiation and apoptosis by sharing a similar signaling pathway with RA that may be involved in glioma pathogenesis. We reported for the first time that the ABA levels were twofold higher in low-grade gliomas compared with high-grade gliomas. In glioma tissues, there was a positive correlation between the ABA levels and the transcription of cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 2 (CRABP2) and a negative correlation between the ABA levels and transcription of fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5). ABA treatment induced a significant increase in the expression of CRABP2 and a decrease in the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) in glioblastoma cells. Remarkably, both cellular apoptosis and differentiation were increased in the glioblastoma cells after ABA treatment. ABA-induced cellular apoptosis and differentiation were significantly reduced by selectively silencing RAR-α, while RAR-α overexpression exaggerated the ABA-induced effects. These results suggest that ABA may play a role in the pathogenesis of glioma by promoting cellular apoptosis and differentiation through the RA signaling pathway. © 2015 UICC.

Focal Adhesion Kinase Regulates Fibroblast Migration via Integrin beta-1 and Plays a Central Role in Fibrosis

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xue-Ke; Cheng, Yiju; Liang Cheng, Ming; Yu, Lei; Mu, Mao; Li, Hong; Liu, Yang; Zhang, Baofang; Yao, Yumei; Guo, Hui; Wang, Rong; Zhang, Quan

2016-01-01

Lung fibrosis is a major medical problem for the aging population worldwide. Fibroblast migration plays an important role in fibrosis. Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) senses the extracellular stimuli and initiates signaling cascades that promote cell migration. This study first examined the dose and time responses of FAK activation in human lung fibroblasts treated with platelet derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB). The data indicate that FAK is directly recruited by integrin β1 and the subsequent FAK activation is required for fibroblast migration on fibronectin. In addition, the study has identified that α5β1 and α4β1 are the major integrins for FAK-mediated fibroblast migration on fibronect. In contrast, integrins αvβ3, αvβ6, and αvβ8 play a minor but distinct role in fibroblast migration on fibronectin. FAK inhibitor significantly reduces PDGF-BB stimulated fibroblast migration. Importantly, FAK inhibitor protects bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice. FAK inhibitor blocks FAK activation and significantly reduces signaling cascade of fibroblast migration in bleomycin-challenged mice. Furthermore, FAK inhibitor decreases lung fibrotic score, collagen accumulation, fibronectin production, and myofibroblast differentiation in in bleomycin-challenged mice. These data demonstrate that FAK mediates fibroblast migration mainly via integrin β1. Furthermore, the findings suggest that targeting FAK signaling is an effective therapeutic strategy against fibrosis. PMID:26763945

Patients Perception of Community Pharmacist in Bosnia and Herzegovina

PubMed Central

Catic, Tarik; Jusufovic, Fatima Insanic; Tabakovic, Vedad

2013-01-01

Community pharmacists play a significant role in patient/disease management and perception by patients is increasingly important. A self-administered questionnaire was developed consisted of sociodemographic part and 15 questions. Patients have a positive overall perception of community pharmacists that is comparable to most studies in Europe. Community pharmacists’ beyond dispensing drugs play a significant role in patient and disease management. This role of the pharmacist is performed through pharmaceutical care. Patient’s opinion is increasingly considered to be a useful component in the determination of care outcomes and consumer satisfaction is an integral component of the quality of primary health care. For the purpose of this study we developed self-administered questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic part, and 15 questions. Survey has been conducted in 10 pharmacies. Results are presented in tables and figures and descriptive statistics has been used. We found that patients in Bosnia and Herzegovina have a positive overall perception of community pharmacists and of the services offered from community pharmacies that is comparable to most studies in Europe, but there is still room for improvement of relationships and pharmaceutical services. PMID:24167438

Proteus mirabilis uroepithelial cell adhesin (UCA) fimbria plays a role in the colonization of the urinary tract.

PubMed

Pellegrino, Rafael; Scavone, Paola; Umpiérrez, Ana; Maskell, Duncan J; Zunino, Pablo

2013-03-01

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in humans. Proteus mirabilis is an opportunistic pathogen, capable of causing severe UTIs, with serious kidney damage that may even lead to death. Several virulence factors are involved in the pathogenicity of this bacterium. Among these, adherence to the uroepithelium mediated by fimbriae appears to be a significant bacterial attribute related to urovirulence. Proteus mirabilis expresses several types of fimbriae that could be involved in the pathogenesis of UTI, including uroepithelial cell adhesin (UCA). In this report, we used an uropathogenic P. mirabilis wild-type strain and an isogenic ucaA mutant unable to express UCA to study the pathogenic role of this fimbria in UTI. Ability of the mutant to adhere to desquamated uroepithelial cells and to infect mice using different experimental UTI models was significantly impaired. These results allow us to conclude that P. mirabilis UCA plays an important role in the colonization of the urinary tract. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 in Parkinson's Disease: Updated from Pathogenesis to Potential Therapeutic Target.

PubMed

Chen, Jinhua; Chen, Ying; Pu, Jiali

2018-04-27

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. The pathogenesis of PD is not fully understood but is likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Several genes are associated with the onset and progression of familial PD. There is increasing evidence that leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) plays a significant role in PD pathophysiology. Many studies have been conducted to elucidate the functions of LRRK2 and identify effective LRRK2 inhibitors for PD treatment. In this review, we discuss the role of LRRK2 in PD and recent progress in the use of LRRK2 inhibitors as therapeutic agents. Key Messages: LRRK2 plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of PD, and pharmacological inhibition of LRRK2 has become one of the most promising potential therapies for PD. Further research is warranted to determine the functions of LRRK2 and expand the applications of LRRK2 inhibitors in PD treatment. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Preterm birth and inflammation-The role of genetic polymorphisms.

PubMed

Holst, Daniela; Garnier, Yves

2008-11-01

Spontaneous preterm labour and preterm births are still the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Previous efforts to prevent preterm birth have been hampered by a poor understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, inadequate diagnostic tools and generally ineffective therapies. Clinical, epidemiological and experimental studies indicate that genito-urinary tract infections play a critical role in the pathogenesis of preterm birth. Moreover, intrauterine infection increases perinatal mortality and morbidity, such as cerebral palsy and chronic lung disease, significantly. It has recently been suggested that gene-environment interactions play a significant role in determining the risk of preterm birth. Polymorphisms of certain critical genes may be responsible for a harmful inflammatory response in those who possess them. Accordingly, polymorphisms that increase the magnitude or the duration of the inflammatory response were associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. In contrast polymorphisms that decrease the inflammatory response were associated with a lower risk of preterm birth. This article will review the current understanding of pathogenetic pathways in the aetiology of preterm birth.

Role of Endogenous Sulfur Dioxide in Regulating Vascular Structural Remodeling in Hypertension

PubMed Central

Chen, Selena; Tang, Chaoshu

2016-01-01

Sulfur dioxide (SO2), an emerging gasotransmitter, was discovered to be endogenously generated in the cardiovascular system. Recently, the physiological effects of endogenous SO2 were confirmed. Vascular structural remodeling (VSR), an important pathological change in many cardiovascular diseases, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of the diseases. Here, the authors reviewed the research progress of endogenous SO2 in regulating VSR by searching the relevant data from PubMed and Medline. In spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and pulmonary hypertensive rats, SO2/aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) pathway was significantly altered. SO2 inhibited vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, promoted apoptosis, inhibited the synthesis of extracellular collagen but promoted its degradation, and enhanced antioxidative capacity, thereby playing a significant role in attenuating VSR. However, the detailed mechanisms needed to be further explored. Further studies in this field would be important for the better understanding of the pathogenesis of systemic hypertension and pulmonary hypertension. Also, clinical trials are needed to demonstrate if SO2 would be a potential therapeutic target in cardiovascular diseases. PMID:27721913

Short term exposure to elevated levels of leptin reduces proximal tubule cell metabolic activity.

PubMed

Briffa, Jessica F; Grinfeld, Esther; McAinch, Andrew J; Poronnik, Philip; Hryciw, Deanne H

2014-01-25

Leptin plays a pathophysiological role in the kidney, however, its acute effects on the proximal tubule cells (PTCs) are unknown. In opossum kidney (OK) cells in vitro, Western blot analysis identified that exposure to leptin increases the phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p44/42 and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Importantly leptin (0.05, 0.10, 0.25 and 0.50 μg/ml) significantly reduced the metabolic activity of PTCs, and significantly decreased protein content per cell. Investigation of the role of p44/42 and mTOR on metabolic activity and protein content per cell, demonstrated that in the presence of MAPK inhibitor U0126 and mTOR inhibitor Ku-63794, that the mTOR pathway is responsible for the reduction in PTC metabolic activity in response to leptin. However, p44/42 and mTOR play no role the reduced protein content per cell in OKs exposed to leptin. Therefore, leptin modulates metabolic activity in PTCs via an mTOR regulated pathway. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional Analyses of a Novel CITED2 Nonsynonymous Mutation in Chinese Tibetan Patients with Congenital Heart Disease.

PubMed

Liu, Shiming; Su, Zhaobing; Tan, Sainan; Ni, Bin; Pan, Hong; Liu, Beihong; Wang, Jing; Xiao, Jianmin; Chen, Qiuhong

2017-08-01

CITED2 gene is an important cardiac transcription factor that plays a fundamental role in the formation and development of embryonic cardiovascular. Previous studies have showed that knock-out of CITED2 in mice might result in various cardiac malformations. However, the mechanisms of CITED2 mutation on congenital heart disease (CHD) in Chinese Tibetan population are still poorly understood. In the present study, 187 unrelated Tibetan patients with CHD and 200 unrelated Tibetan healthy controls were screened for variants in the CITED2 gene; we subsequently identified one potential disease-causing mutation p.G143A in a 6-year-old girl with PDA and functional analyses of the mutation were carried out. Our study showed that the novel mutation of CITED2 significantly enhanced the expression activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) under the role of co-receptor hypoxia inducible factor 1-aipha (HIF-1A), which is closely related with embryonic cardiac development. As a result, CITED2 gene mutation may play a significant role in the development of pediatric congenital heart disease.

The role of Fenton reaction in ROS-induced toxicity underlying atherosclerosis - modeled and analyzed using a Petri net-based approach.

PubMed

Formanowicz, Dorota; Radom, Marcin; Rybarczyk, Agnieszka; Formanowicz, Piotr

2018-03-01

The superoxide-driven Fenton reaction plays an important role in the transformation of poorly reactive radicals into highly reactive ones. These highly reactive species (ROS), especially hydroxyl radicals can lead to many disturbances contributing to the endothelial dysfunction being a starting point for atherosclerosis. Although, iron has been identified as a possible culprit influencing formation of ROS, its significance in this process is still debatable. To better understand this phenomenon, the influence of blockade of Fenton reaction in a proposed Petri net-based model of the selected aspects of the iron ROS-induced toxicity in atherosclerosis has been evaluated. As a result of the blockade of iron ions formation in the model, even up to 70% of the paths leading to the progression of atherosclerosis in this model has been blocked. In addition, after adding to the model, the blockade of the lipids peroxidation paths, progression of atherosclerotic plaque has been not observed. This allowed to conclude that the superoxide-driven Fenton reaction plays a significant role in the atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Might astrocytes play a role in maintaining the seizure-prone state?

PubMed

Vessal, Mani; Dugani, Chandrasagar B; Solomon, Dianand A; McIntyre Burnham, W; Ivy, Gwen O

2005-05-24

The amygdala-kindling model is used to study complex partial epilepsy with secondary generalization. The present study was designed to (A) quantify astrocytic changes in the piriform cortex of amygdala-kindled subjects over time and (B) investigate the role that astrocytes might play in maintaining the seizure-prone state. In Study A, once the experimental subjects reached five stage 5 seizures, stimulation was stopped, and both kindled and control rats were allowed to survive for the interval appropriate to their group (7, 18, 30, or 90 days). Following each interval, the kindled and control animals were given 10 intraperitoneal injections of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and sacrificed 24 h following the last injection. Significantly higher numbers of dividing astrocytes (identified by co-labeling for BrdU and to one of the astrocytic intermediate filament proteins glial fibrillary acidic protein or vimentin) were found in the kindled brains. All kindled groups had significantly higher numbers of double-labeled cells on the side contralateral to the stimulation site, except for those in the 90 day survival group. In Study B, rats were implanted with chemotrodes, were kindled as in Study A, and were subsequently infused with either saline or with L alpha-AA (to lesion astrocytes) during a further 25 stimulations (1/day). L alpha-AA infused rats had significantly diminished levels of behavioral seizures, higher after discharge thresholds, lower after discharge durations, and decreased numbers of double-labeled astrocytes in piriform cortex than did saline infused rats. Together, the data indicate that astrocytes may play a role in maintaining the seizure-prone state.

NMR Hole-Burning Experiments on Superionic Conductor Glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamura, J.; Kuwata, N.; Hattori, T.

2004-04-01

Inhomogeneity is an inherent nature of glass, which is the density and concentration fluctuation frozen at glass transition temperature. The inhomogeneity of the glass plays significant role in so called superionic conductor glasses (SIG), since the mobile ions seek to move through energetically favorable paths. The localization of mobile ions in SIG near the 2nd glass transition is a remaining issue, where the trapping, percolation and many-body interactions are playing the roles. In order to investigate the trapping process in SIG, the authors have applied 109Ag NMR Hole-Burning technique to AgI containing SIG glasses. By using this technique, the slowing down process of the site-exchange rates between different sites were evaluated.

Virulence-Associated Enzymes of Cryptococcus neoformans

PubMed Central

Almeida, Fausto; Wolf, Julie M.

2015-01-01

Enzymes play key roles in fungal pathogenesis. Manipulation of enzyme expression or activity can significantly alter the infection process, and enzyme expression profiles can be a hallmark of disease. Hence, enzymes are worthy targets for better understanding pathogenesis and identifying new options for combatting fungal infections. Advances in genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and mass spectrometry have enabled the identification and characterization of new fungal enzymes. This review focuses on recent developments in the virulence-associated enzymes from Cryptococcus neoformans. The enzymatic suite of C. neoformans has evolved for environmental survival, but several of these enzymes play a dual role in colonizing the mammalian host. We also discuss new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies that could be based on the underlying enzymology. PMID:26453651

The role of cognitive and emotional perspective taking in economic decision making in the ultimatum game.

PubMed

Takagishi, Haruto; Koizumi, Michiko; Fujii, Takayuki; Schug, Joanna; Kameshima, Shinya; Yamagishi, Toshio

2014-01-01

We conducted a simple resource allocation game known as the ultimatum game (UG) with preschoolers to examine the role of cognitive and emotional perspective-taking ability on allocation and rejection behavior. A total of 146 preschoolers played the UG and completed a false belief task and an emotional perspective-taking test. Results showed that cognitive perspective taking ability had a significant positive effect on the proposer's offer and a negative effect on the responder's rejection behavior, whereas emotional perspective taking ability did not impact either the proposer's or responder's behavior. These results imply that the ability to anticipate the responder's beliefs, but not their emotional state, plays an important role in the proposer's choice of a fair allocation in an UG, and that children who have not acquired theory of mind still reject unfair offers.

Spirited dispute: the secret split between Wallace and Romanes.

PubMed

Elsdon-Baker, Fern

2008-06-01

Alfred Russel Wallace's role in prompting the original publication of "On the Origin of Species" is now generally acknowledged. Wallace is now widely recognised as 'Darwin's co-discoverer', but the role that he played in the development and promotion of Darwinism is more often overlooked. From the very beginning of their collaboration in 1858, there were important differences between the works of Wallace and Darwin. Within Darwin's lifetime, the two men also disagreed over several significant evolutionary debates, most notably the role that Natural Selection might play in evolution. Following Darwin's death in 1882, Wallace set about promoting his own version of 'Darwinism', but not without opposition. A rather ungentlemanly debate between Wallace and Darwin's chief disciple George John Romanes throws light on the contested nature of what it meant to be a Darwinian in the late nineteenth century.

Role of Hsp-70 responses in cold acclimation of HUVEC-12 cells.

PubMed

Guan, Hao; Hu, Dahai; Zhao, Zhijing; Cai, Weixia; Zhou, Qin; Yang, Ximing; Yan, Ying; Zhu, Xiongxiang

2015-01-01

Endothelial recovery is a central feature of tissues after frostbite injuries. Thermo tolerance plays an important role in protecting cells against injury after frozen and thawing. The present study aimed to quantitatively assess the injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells HUVEC-12 after repeated low temperature. Pretreatments (HUVEC-12) cells were repeatedly exposed to cold (1°C/min decrement to -20°C). Their proliferation, death, apoptosis, and protein and mRNA expressions of HSP70 were determined. Endothelial cells after repeated cold exposures were more resistant to apoptosis and necrosis than normal cells. The expressions of HSP70 in cells after repeated cold exposures were significantly higher than in normal HUVEC-12 cells (P < 0.05). Cold acclimation may induce the expression of HSP-70 which plays a protective role in the temperature tolerance.

Uncovering the popularity mechanisms for Facebook applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Sheng-Nan; Guo, Qiang; Yang, Kai; Liu, Jian-Guo; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2018-03-01

Understanding the popularity dynamics of online application(App) is significant for the online social systems. In this paper, by dividing the Facebook Apps into different groups in terms of their popularities, we empirically investigate the popularity dynamics for different kinds of Facebook Apps. Then, taking into account the influence of cumulative and recent popularities on the user choice, we present a model to regenerate the growth of popularity for different App groups. The experimental results of 917 Facebook Apps show that as the popularities of Facebook Apps increase, the recent popularity plays more important role. Specifically, the recent popularity plays more important role in regenerating the popularity dynamics for more popular Apps, and the cumulative popularity plays more important role for unpopular Apps. We also conduct temporal analysis on the growth characteristic of individual App by comparing the increment at each time with the average of historical records. The results show that the growth of more popular App tends to fluctuate more greatly. Our work may shed some lights for deeply understanding the popularity mechanism for online applications.

Impact of a communication skills audiovisual package on medical students' knowledge.

PubMed

Saab, Bassem R; Usta, Jinan; Major, Stella; Antoun, Jumana

2009-01-01

Over the last decade more emphasis is being put on teaching communication skills (CS). Use of videos and role-play was suggested to improve CS. This article will present the impact of an audiovisual package on promoting the knowledge of medical students in CS. Seventy-five second year medical students--distributed into eight groups led by four facilitators--critiqued a video clip immediately before and after the introduction of a communication skills audiovisual package. The skills taught included opening the interview, questioning, facilitation, clarification, reflection, confrontation, summarizing, and preparation of the patient for the physical exam. The students, also, role-played the reviewed scenario. The students' pre- and post-intervention responses were analyzed using a standardized grading form. There was a significant improvement in students' knowledge (p < 0.000) after the introduction of the intervention in all the CS taught except closed ended questioning. This improvement was consistent among the four facilitators. Reviewing video scenarios and role-playing improved the knowledge in core communication skills among second-year medical students assessed by a video-based written examination.

Phytochromes play a role in phototropism and gravitropism in Arabidopsis roots.

PubMed

Correll, Melanie J; Coveney, Katrina M; Raines, Steven V; Mullen, Jack L; Hangarter, Roger P; Kiss, John Z

2003-01-01

Phototropism as well as gravitropism plays a role in the oriented growth of roots in flowering plants. In blue or white light, roots exhibit negative phototropism, but red light induces positive phototropism in Arabidopsis roots. Phytochrome A (phyA) and phyB mediate the positive red-light-based photoresponse in roots since single mutants (and the double phyAB mutant) were severely impaired in this response. In blue-light-based negative phototropism, phyA and phyAB (but not phyB) were inhibited in the response relative to the WT. In root gravitropism, phyB and phyAB (but not phyA) were inhibited in the response compared to the WT. The differences observed in tropistic responses were not due to growth limitations since the growth rates among all the mutants tested were not significantly different from that of the WT. Thus, our study shows that the blue-light and red-light systems interact in roots and that phytochrome plays a key role in plant development by integrating multiple environmental stimuli. c2003 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phytochromes play a role in phototropism and gravitropism in Arabidopsis roots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Correll, Melanie J.; Coveney, Katrina M.; Raines, Steven V.; Mullen, Jack L.; Hangarter, Roger P.; Kiss, John Z.

2003-01-01

Phototropism as well as gravitropism plays a role in the oriented growth of roots in flowering plants. In blue or white light, roots exhibit negative phototropism, but red light induces positive phototropism in Arabidopsis roots. Phytochrome A (phyA) and phyB mediate the positive red-light-based photoresponse in roots since single mutants (and the double phyAB mutant) were severely impaired in this response. In blue-light-based negative phototropism, phyA and phyAB (but not phyB) were inhibited in the response relative to the WT. In root gravitropism, phyB and phyAB (but not phyA) were inhibited in the response compared to the WT. The differences observed in tropistic responses were not due to growth limitations since the growth rates among all the mutants tested were not significantly different from that of the WT. Thus, our study shows that the blue-light and red-light systems interact in roots and that phytochrome plays a key role in plant development by integrating multiple environmental stimuli. c2003 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunoexcitatory mechanisms in glioma proliferation, invasion and occasional metastasis

PubMed Central

Blaylock, Russell L.

2013-01-01

There is increasing evidence of an interaction between inflammatory cytokines and glutamate receptors among a number of neurological diseases including traumatic brain injuries, neurodegenerative diseases and central nervous system (CNS) infections. A number of recent studies have now suggested a strong relation between inflammatory mechanisms and excitatory cascades and these may play a role in glioma invasiveness and proliferation. Chronic inflammation appears to be a major initiating mechanism in most human cancers, involving cell-signaling pathways, which are responsible for cell cycling, cancer cell migration, invasion, tumor aggressiveness, and angiogenesis. It is less well appreciated that glutamate receptors also play a significant role in both proliferation and especially glioma invasion. There is some evidence that sustained elevations in glutamate may play a role in initiating certain cancers and new studies demonstrate an interaction between inflammation and glutamate receptors that may enhance tumor invasion and metastasis by affecting a number of cell-signaling mechanisms. These mechanisms are discussed in this paper as well as novel treatment options for reducing immune-glutamate promotion of cancer growth and invasion. PMID:23493580

Novel pathogenetic mechanisms and structural adaptations in ischemic mitral regurgitation.

PubMed

Silbiger, Jeffrey J

2013-10-01

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common complication of myocardial infarction thought to result from leaflet tethering caused by displacement of the papillary muscles that occurs as the left ventricle remodels. The author explores the possibility that left atrial remodeling may also play a role in the pathogenesis of ischemic MR, through a novel mechanism: atriogenic leaflet tethering. When ischemic MR is hemodynamically significant, the left ventricle compensates by dilating to preserve forward output using the Starling mechanism. Left ventricular dilatation, however, worsens MR by increasing the mitral valve regurgitant orifice, leading to a vicious cycle in which MR begets more MR. The author proposes that several structural adaptations play a role in reducing ischemic MR. In contrast to the compensatory effects of left ventricular enlargement, these may reduce, rather than increase, its severity. The suggested adaptations involve the mitral valve leaflets, the papillary muscles, the mitral annulus, and the left ventricular false tendons. This review describes the potential role each may play in reducing ischemic MR. Therapies that exploit these adaptations are also discussed. Copyright © 2013 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Moderating role of marital quality in older adults' depressed affect: beyond the main-effects model.

PubMed

Bookwala, Jamila; Franks, Melissa M

2005-11-01

We examine the role of three indicators of marital quality (marital disagreement, marital happiness, and time spent together) as moderators of the association between physical disability and depressed affect among married older individuals (N=1,044). We found support for the moderating role of marital disagreement wherein the detrimental effect of disability on depressed affect was significantly heightened among older adults with more disagreements with their spouse; a moderating effect was not detected for marital happiness or time spent together. We conclude that, in addition to its main effect on older adults' depressed affect, marital quality (as indicated by marital disagreement) plays a significant stress-moderating role in the physical disability-depressed affect link.

High Frequency Monitoring for Harmful Algal Blooms

EPA Science Inventory

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasingly becoming a significant ecologic, economic, and social driver in the use of water resources. Cyanobacteria and their toxins play an important role in management decisions for drinking water utilities and public health officials. Online ...

Remembrance of Things Past

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heckel, Robert V.; Heckel, Nancy W.

1976-01-01

An attempt was undertaken to demonstrate a relationship between earliest memories and a perception of significant future events. Relevance here was in the role that early memories play in the theoretical bases and treatment processes of all dynamically oriented therapies. (Author/RK)

"The Power of Being Seen": An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of How Experienced Counselling Psychologists Describe the Meaning and Significance of Personal Therapy in Clinical Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rizq, Rosemary; Target, Mary

2008-01-01

There is a widely acknowledged lack of clarity in psychotherapeutic training about the role of personal therapy in developing practitioner competence. This paper presents part of a wider ongoing qualitative study exploring the role that personal therapy plays in the clinical practice and training of experienced counselling psychologists. Results…

Role of Women in Schooling and Child Labour Decision: The Case of Urban Boys in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Das, Saswati; Mukherjee, Diganta

2007-01-01

This paper uses household level data from National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) of India, the 55th round (1999-2000), to show that for urban male children there exists significant wage incentive for schooling, though school dropout rate and child labour incidence are not so small. The parents' level of education plays an important role in…

Learning How to be a Woman in the Canadian Forces/Unlearning it Through Feminism: An Autoethnography of My Learning Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taber, Nancy

2005-01-01

Gender plays a significant role in the experiences of workers within organizations. This is particularly true for women in non-traditional roles as they constantly struggle with gender barriers that are so ensconced in certain organizations and in society as to be accepted without question. Using an autoethnographical account, I explore the…

The Role of Reflection in the Pedagogical Thinking and Practice of the MPA Programme at Copenhagen Business School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ry Nielsen, J. C.

2013-01-01

Reflection plays a significant role in the pedagogical thinking and practice at the Copenhagen Business School Master of Public Administration Programme. It is thus embedded in one of the pedagogical models we have developed based on ideas from Argyris, Schön, Vygotsky, Senge, Lave and Wenger, and Schein. The model has four interrelated…

Nutrient dynamics in streams and the role of J-NABS

Treesearch

Patrick J. Mulholland; Jackson R. Webster

2010-01-01

Nutrient dynamics in streams has been an important topic of research since the 1960s. Here we review this topic and the significant role played by J-NABS in its development. We limit this review almost exclusively to studies of N and P because these elements have been shown to limit productivity in streams. We use the expression nutrient dynamics for studies that...

Glycine mineralization in situ closely correlates with soil carbon availability across six North American forest ecosystems

Treesearch

Jack W. McFarland; Roger W. Ruess; Knut Kielland; Kurt Pregitzer; Ronald Hendrick

2010-01-01

Free amino acids (FAA) constitute a significant fraction of dissolved organic nitrogen (N) in forest soils and play an important role in the N cycle of these ecosystems. However, comparatively little attention has been given to their role as labile carbon (C) substrates that might influence the metabolic status of resident microbial populations. We hypothesized that...

Systematic review building a preceptor support system.

PubMed

Goss, Carol R

2015-01-01

This systematic review identifies the significance of the preceptor role in affecting new graduate nurse retention. Findings from 20 research studies provide support that nurse preceptors receiving continuing education and perceiving reward and recognition from the preceptor position positively affect new graduate nurse retention. Hospital administration, nurse managers, nurse educators, preceptors, and new graduate nurses each play a role in the successful implementation of a preceptor support system.

The Role of Language and Education in Eradicating HIV/AIDS in Africa: Evidence from Parents, Teachers, and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okebukola, Foluso O.; Adegbite, Hassan H.; Owolabi, Tunde

2013-01-01

The study focuses on the eradication and reversal of the spread of HIV/AIDS (human immune virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome) as one of the main thrusts of Africa's 21st Century Development Goals. It investigates the significant role which language and education can play in fast tracking the attainment of this goal using a three-pronged…

Response to Commentary on Cheng, Broome, Feng, and Hu (2017) Leadership behaviours play a significant role in implementing evidence-based practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2018;27:e1684-e1685.

PubMed

Cheng, Lei; Feng, Sheng; Hu, Yan; Broome, Marion E

2018-06-12

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Hu and Gifford's comments(Hu & Gifford, 2018). We appreciated their acknowledgement of our findings about the factors influencing the successful implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP). The authors described leadership behaviors as having a significant role in implementing evidence-based practice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The Academic Development of Education Faculty: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wimmer, Randolph; da Costa, Jose

2007-01-01

A 2003 study about the lives of retired leaders in teacher education reminds us of the significant role that others play in the academic development of professors of education. That study also reveals significant changes in the nature of our work as teacher educators. The authors stress the need for universities to pay greater attention to the…

Review of Opinions of Math Teachers Concerning the Learning Environment That They Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydin, Bünyamin; Yavuz, Ayse

2016-01-01

Design of appropriate learning environment has a significant importance in creation of aims of the math teaching. In the design of learning environments, teachers play a significant role. The aim of this study is determination of opinions of the math teachers concerning the learning environment that they design. In accordance with this aim, an…

Career Motivation in Newly Licensed Registered Nurses: What Makes Them Remain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Zarata Mann; Bailey, Jessica H.

2010-01-01

Despite vast research on newly licensed registered nurses (RNs), we don't know why some newly licensed registered nurses remain in their current jobs and others leave the nursing profession early in their career. Job satisfaction, the most significant factor emerging from the literature, plays a significant role in nurses' decisions to remain in…

An Analyses of Federal Initiatives To Support Women's Upward Mobility in Educational Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupton, Sandra Lee; Del Rosario, Rose Marie

The most significant role played by the federal government in advancing the state of sex equity in educational administration, as well as in most other issues involving social change, has been through legislation. This paper describes a few of the more significant federally funded initiatives related to increasing sex equity (with particular…

Can Virtual Reality Increase the Realism of Role Plays Used to Teach College Women Sexual Coercion and Rape-Resistance Skills?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jouriles, Ernest N.; McDonald, Renee; Kullowatz, Antje; Rosenfield, David; Gomez, Gabriella S.; Cuevas, Anthony

2009-01-01

The present study evaluated whether virtual reality (VR) can enhance the realism of role plays designed to help college women resist sexual attacks. Sixty-two female undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either the Role Play (RP) or Virtual Role Play (VRP) conditions, which were differentiated only by the use of VR technology in the VRP…

Role-play and the Industrial Revolution: an STS approach to the teaching of steam engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabka, Diego; Pereira de Pereira, Alexsandro; Lima Junior, Paulo

2016-11-01

Role-play is an interesting, although underexplored, way of teaching physics in high school. This paper presents a science-technology-society (STS) approach to the teaching of heat engines based on a role-play of the Industrial Revolution. Enacting the role-play, students are presented not only to scientific concepts, but also to the social and technological controversies of industrial development.

Practice other than playing games apparently has only a modest role in the development of chess expertise.

PubMed

Howard, Robert W

2013-02-01

Evidence that chess expertise rests on practice alone mostly comes from studies using a correlational retrospective recall paradigm, which confounds amount of study with number of games played and possible innate talent. Researchers also often use latest performance rating and include participants who play and study little. Study 1 partially replicated such studies with improvements such as use of peak rating and a large, skilled sample. Number of internationally-rated games played was the strongest predictor of peak rating. Total study hours was a significant but weaker predictor. Study 2 controlled for sampling confounds by including only very well-practiced players who had played at least 350 internationally-rated games. Total study hours did not predict rating at 350 games. Study 3 found that the subjective phenomenon of reaching a performance ceiling and undertaking specific practice to get beyond it does occur but does not distinguish between stronger and weaker players. Study 4 found that many players play relatively few internationally-rated games mostly because of other commitments, such as work and education. Extensive study may go along with great interest in and persistence at chess but apparently lacks a major causative role in chess performance level. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

The role of calsenilin/DREAM/KChIP3 in contextual fear conditioning.

PubMed

Alexander, Jon C; McDermott, Carmel M; Tunur, Tumay; Rands, Vicky; Stelly, Claire; Karhson, Debra; Bowlby, Mark R; An, W Frank; Sweatt, J David; Schrader, Laura A

2009-03-01

Potassium channel interacting proteins (KChIPs) are members of a family of calcium binding proteins that interact with Kv4 potassium (K(+)) channel primary subunits and also act as transcription factors. The Kv4 subunit is a primary K(+) channel pore-forming subunit, which contributes to the somatic and dendritic A-type currents throughout the nervous system. These A-type currents play a key role in the regulation of neuronal excitability and dendritic processing of incoming synaptic information. KChIP3 is also known as calsenilin and as the transcription factor, downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (DREAM), which regulates a number of genes including prodynorphin. KChIP3 and Kv4 primary channel subunits are highly expressed in hippocampus, an area of the brain important for learning and memory. Through its various functions, KChIP3 may play a role in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. We evaluated the role of KChIP3 in a hippocampus-dependent memory task, contextual fear conditioning. Male KChIP3 knockout (KO) mice showed significantly enhanced memory 24 hours after training as measured by percent freezing. In addition, we found that membrane association and interaction with Kv4.2 of KChIP3 protein was significantly decreased and nuclear KChIP3 expression was increased six hours after the fear conditioning training paradigm with no significant change in KChIP3 mRNA. In addition, prodynorphin mRNA expression was significantly decreased six hours after fear conditioning training in wild-type (WT) but not in KO animals. These data suggest a role for regulation of gene expression by KChIP3/DREAM/calsenilin in consolidation of contextual fear conditioning memories.

The Role of Structural Characteristics in Problematic Video Game Play: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Daniel L.; Delfabbro, Paul H.; Griffiths, Mark D.

2011-01-01

The research literature suggests that the structural characteristics of video games may play a considerable role in the initiation, development and maintenance of problematic video game playing. The present study investigated the role of structural characteristics in video game playing behaviour within a sample of 421 video game players aged…

Science and Superheroes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolenc, Nathan; Wood, Aja; Washburn, Megan; Batson, Yarden; Fan, Brittany; Dickens, Victoria; Armstrong, Shannon

2016-01-01

Role-play has been shown to increase student engagement and improve the overall classroom environment. When used effectively, role-play can transform a task or assignment to appear more like play than work. In this four-part lesson, role-play was used as a teaching strategy to engage students in learning the science and application of several…

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game-induced seizures: a neglected health problem in Internet addiction.

PubMed

Chuang, Yao-Chung

2006-08-01

As the Internet has become rapidly and widely integrated into society, Internet addiction has become a growing psychosocial problem. However, epileptic seizure, another out-of-the-ordinary health problem, is often neglected in this regard. Ten patients who experienced epileptic seizures while playing the newest genre of electronic games -- Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) -- were investigated. Patients were predominantly male young adults, and most of the events were generalized tonic-clonic seizures, myoclonic seizures, and absences. These patients should be categorized into idiopathic generalized epilepsies. Even though photosensitivity was an important factor, behavioral and higher mental activities also seemed to be significant seizure precipitants. Results demonstrated that MMORPG-induced seizures were not analogous to the ordinary video game-induced seizures. Significantly, an epileptic seizure warning did not always appear on the websites of MMORPGs and instructions for the software. While the prevalence of MMORPG-induced seizures remains unknown, it may exceed our expectations and impact our society. Not only for clinical neurologists but also for the primary physicians, educators, sociologists, and global online game publishers, there should be an awareness of this special form of reflex seizures in order to provide an appropriate health warning to MMORPG players.

The case of "Miss Jacobs": adolescent simulated patients and the quality of their role playing, feedback, and personal impact.

PubMed

Bokken, Lonneke; van Dalen, Jan; Rethans, Jan-Joost

2010-12-01

Adolescents as standardized patients are relatively new in medical education. Studies have mostly explored the impact of role playing on adolescents trained to perform standardized patient roles for assessment purposes. No studies were found with regard to the quality of adolescents' role playing. We evaluated the effects of performing a patient role on adolescents trained as simulated patients (SPs) for teaching purposes (in contrast to standardized patients) and evaluated the quality of adolescent SPs' role playing and feedback. Nine young women, aged 16 to 18 years, were trained to portray roles of adolescents asking their general practitioner for an oral contraceptive. Three adolescent men were trained to portray roles of some of the girls' boyfriends. Each role was developed in consultation with the individual adolescent and was largely based on her own personal experience. Students rated the quality of the adolescent SP's role playing and feedback after each SP encounter on a previously validated questionnaire (the Maastricht Assessment of Simulated Patients). Both the adolescent SPs and faculty teachers both completed questionnaires on their experiences. Three hundred forty-one students rated the quality of the SPs' role playing and feedback with a mean score of 7.5 of 10. The faculty teachers were also generally positive about the role playing and feedback. Nevertheless, there were some concerns about the quality of the feedback. Adolescent SPs reported no negative effects because of their performance. Generally, students and teachers were satisfied with the quality of the role playing and feedback provided by the adolescent SPs. The adolescent SPs experienced no negative effects related to their performance, which confirms earlier findings among adolescent standardized patients.

Effects of Metabolic Programming on Juvenile Play Behavior and Gene Expression in the Prefrontal Cortex of Rats.

PubMed

Hehar, Harleen; Ma, Irene; Mychasiuk, Richelle

2016-01-01

Early developmental processes, such as metabolic programming, can provide cues to an organism, which allow it to make modifications that are predicted to be beneficial for survival. Similarly, social play has a multifaceted role in promoting survival and fitness of animals. Play is a complex behavior that is greatly influenced by motivational and reward circuits, as well as the energy reserves and metabolism of an organism. This study examined the association between metabolic programming and juvenile play behavior in an effort to further elucidate insight into the consequences that early adaptions have on developmental trajectories. The study also examined changes in expression of four genes (Drd2, IGF1, Opa1, and OxyR) in the prefrontal cortex known to play significant roles in reward, bioenergetics, and social-emotional functioning. Using four distinct variations in developmental programming (high-fat diet, caloric restriction, exercise, or high-fat diet combined with exercise), we found that dietary programming (high-fat diet vs. caloric restriction) had the greatest impact on play behavior and gene expression. However, exercise also induced changes in both measures. This study demonstrates that metabolic programming can alter neural circuits and bioenergetics involved in play behavior, thus providing new insights into mechanisms that allow programming to influence the evolutionary success of an organism. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Leisure Today--the Many Faces of Play.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Susan D.; And Others

1995-01-01

This series of papers examines the role of play from various angles, discussing play as an essential human function and universal experience, the role of play in developing cultural values and awareness, a symbolic interactionist view of play, early therapeutic recreation specialists, and the direction of commercialized play. (SM)

FmvB: A Francisella tularensis Magnesium-Responsive Outer Membrane Protein that Plays a Role in Virulence

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiaojun; Ren, Guoping; Gunning, William T.; Weaver, David A.; Kalinoski, Andrea L.; Khuder, Sadik A.; Huntley, Jason F.

2016-01-01

Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of the lethal disease tularemia. Despite decades of research, little is understood about why F. tularensis is so virulent. Bacterial outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are involved in various virulence processes, including protein secretion, host cell attachment, and intracellular survival. Many pathogenic bacteria require metals for intracellular survival and OMPs often play important roles in metal uptake. Previous studies identified three F. tularensis OMPs that play roles in iron acquisition. In this study, we examined two previously uncharacterized proteins, FTT0267 (named fmvA, for Francisella metal and virulence) and FTT0602c (fmvB), which are homologs of the previously studied F. tularensis iron acquisition genes and are predicted OMPs. To study the potential roles of FmvA and FmvB in metal acquisition and virulence, we first examined fmvA and fmvB expression following pulmonary infection of mice, finding that fmvB was upregulated up to 5-fold during F. tularensis infection of mice. Despite sequence homology to previously-characterized iron-acquisition genes, FmvA and FmvB do not appear to be involved iron uptake, as neither fmvA nor fmvB were upregulated in iron-limiting media and neither ΔfmvA nor ΔfmvB exhibited growth defects in iron limitation. However, when other metals were examined in this study, magnesium-limitation significantly induced fmvB expression, ΔfmvB was found to express significantly higher levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in magnesium-limiting medium, and increased numbers of surface protrusions were observed on ΔfmvB in magnesium-limiting medium, compared to wild-type F. tularensis grown in magnesium-limiting medium. RNA sequencing analysis of ΔfmvB revealed the potential mechanism for increased LPS expression, as LPS synthesis genes kdtA and wbtA were significantly upregulated in ΔfmvB, compared with wild-type F. tularensis. To provide further evidence for the potential role of FmvB in magnesium uptake, we demonstrated that FmvB was outer membrane-localized. Finally, ΔfmvB was found to be attenuated in mice and cytokine analyses revealed that ΔfmvB-infected mice produced lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including GM-CSF, IL-3, and IL-10, compared with mice infected with wild-type F. tularensis. Taken together, although the function of FmvA remains unknown, FmvB appears to play a role in magnesium uptake and F. tularensis virulence. These results may provide new insights into the importance of magnesium for intracellular pathogens. PMID:27513341

Association between anti-beta2 glycoprotein I antibodies and renal glomerular C4d deposition in lupus nephritis patients with glomerular microthrombosis: a prospective study of 155 cases.

PubMed

Shen, Y; Chen, X-W; Sun, C-Y; Dai, M; Yan, Y-C; Yang, C-D

2010-09-01

Glomerular microthrombosis (GMT) is a common vascular change in patients with lupus nephritis (LN). The mechanism underlying GMT is still unknown. In our previous study, we found that the level of IgG anti-beta2 glycoprotein I (beta2GPI) antibodies was higher in the LN-GMT group than in the LN-non-GMT group, which indicated that anti-beta2GPI antibodies may play a role in GMT formation. Many studies have demonstrated that the activation of the classical complement pathway may play a critical role in fetal loss and aPL-induced thrombosis formation. To investigate whether complement activation plays a role in GMT formation and to evaluate its relationship with aPL, we prospectively investigated deposition of C4d in 155 renal biopsy specimens of LN patients. The results revealed a strong relationship between the intensity of glomerular C4d staining and the presence of microthrombi (p < 0.001). The detection rate of IgG anti-beta2GPI antibodies was higher in the LN-GMT group than in the LN-non-GMT group (p < 0.05). Further, the intensity of glomerular C4d staining was significantly related with IgG anti-beta2GPI antibodies (p < 0.05). The results of our study suggest that anti-beta2GPI antibodies may play a role in GMT formation, and this process might involve complement activation.

Dynamic Right Triangles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koyunkaya, Melike Yigit; Kastberg, Signe; Quinlan, James; Edwards, Michael Todd; Keiser, Jane

2015-01-01

Right triangles play a significant role in mathematics. In this favorite lesson, the authors help students understand variant and invariant properties by considering relationships among angle measures and side lengths in right triangles. Students explore these relationships using interactive mathematics software, changing one angle and observing…

Green Cleaning Label Power

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balek, Bill

2012-01-01

Green cleaning plays a significant and supportive role in helping education institutions meet their sustainability goals. However, identifying cleaning products, supplies and equipment that truly are environmentally preferable can be daunting. The marketplace is inundated with products and services purporting to be "green" or environmentally…

Decision Analysis for a Sustainable Environment, Economy & Society

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental decisions are often made without consideration of the roles that ecosystem services play. Most decision-makers do not currently have access to useful or usable methods and approaches when they are presented with choices that will have significant ecosystem impacts. ...

Decision Analysis For A Sustainable Environment, Economy, & Society

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental decisions are often made without consideration of the roles that ecosystem services play. Most decision-makers do not currently have access to useful or usable methods and approaches when they are presented with choices that will have significant ecosystem impacts....

Sun Grant Initiative : great strides toward a sustainable and more energy-independent future

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

The Sun Grant Initiative publication, developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, offers a glimpse of how the Sun Grant Initiative Centers are advancing alternative fuels research. Transportation plays a significant role in biofuels research,...

Fenton-like initiation of a toluene transformation mechanism

EPA Science Inventory

In Fenton-driven oxidation treatment systems, reaction intermediates derived from parent compounds can play a significant role in the overall treatment process. Fenton-like reactions in the presence of toluene or benzene, involved a transformation mechanism that was highly effici...

Supported Ruthenium Catalysts for Sustainable Flow Chemistry

EPA Science Inventory

Continuous flow processes play a significant role in the process intensification of organic transformations, as is evident from the multitude of flow reactors that have been developed for various specific needs. These flow processes are deemed more sustainable due to the advantag...

75 FR 30110 - Unblocking of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons Pursuant to Executive Order 12978

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-28

..., invoking the authority, inter alia, of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706... Attorney General and Secretary of State: (a) To play a significant role in international narcotics...

The gut microbiota, obesity and insulin resistance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The human gut is densely populated by commensal and symbiotic microbes (the "gut microbiota"), with the majority of the constituent microorganisms being bacteria. Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiota plays a significant role in the development of obesity, obesity-associated inflam...

Carrots, Sticks and Fog During Insurgencies

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-21

an asymmetrical counterinsur- gency situation where the civilian population plays a major role. Consequently, legacy warfare and combat models (e.g... Lanchester models (Washburn and Kress, 2009)) must be updated to reflect this significant shift in conflict paradigm. In particular, the increasingly

Stress plays provoking role in hypertension-related stroke: injuries of blood-brain barrier function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya, O.; Shirokov, A.; Gekalyuk, A.; Abakumov, M.; Navolokin, N.; Abdurashitov, A.; Pavlov, A.; Ulanova, M.; Fedorova, V.; Razubaeva, V.; Saranceva, E.; Li, P.; Huang, Q.; Zhu, D.; Luo, Q.; Tuchin, V.; Kurths, J.

2017-02-01

Chronic hypertension itself does not cause stroke but significantly decreases the resistant to stroke induced by stress due to exhausting of adaptive capacity of cerebral endothelium and decrease resistance of blood-brain barrier to stress.

Psychological assessment for adults and children

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Psychological factors play a significant role in many nutritional abnormalities. These factors include mood (e.g., depression, anger, and anxiety), emotional eating, distorted body image, low self-esteem, poor self-efficacy and quality of life, dietary restraint, stress, susceptibility to external c...

Relationship between speed and lateral position on curves.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-09-01

Excessive speed is often cited as a primary driver factor in crashes, particularly rural two-lane crashes. It has also been suggested that speed plays a significant role in crashes on curves. : However, the relationship between speed and crashes on c...

The effects of focal adhesion kinase on the motility, proliferation and apoptosis of Caco2 and SMMC-7721 cells.

PubMed

Gao, Ning; He, Huimin; Xiao, Li; Gao, Xiaojie; Shi, Hongyan; Wu, Qiong; Xu, Nan; Lei, Yuqing; Song, Xigui; Hou, Yingchun

2015-04-01

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) plays important roles in cancer development. However, the significance of FAK expression in colorectal carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma has not been clarified. This study aims to explore the roles FAK played in the progression of colorectal carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. RNAi method was used to inhibit the expression of FAK in Caco2 and SMMC-7721 cells. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis and Western blot analysis were used to examine mRNA and protein expression of FAK. Then, the proliferation, motility and apoptosis of both types of cells were detected using MTT assay, wound healing/transwell assay and nuclear staining assay. The microstructure changes (F-actin, β-tubulin and lamin B1) of SMMC-7721 cells were visualized by immunofluorescence. FAK was overexpressed in both cell lines and down-regulation of FAK resulted in suppression of cell proliferation, inhibition of cell migration and invasion. The apoptosis of cells was increased significantly following the FAK expression inhibition. Moreover, actin polymerization, β-tubulin and lamin B1 expression of cells were significantly decreased. The results highlight the role of FAK in the progression of cancers. These findings suggest FAK serve as a potential therapeutic target for cancer therapy.

The Roles of Dyadic Appraisal and Coping in Couples with Lung Cancer

PubMed Central

Lyons, Karen S.; Miller, Lyndsey M.; McCarthy, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Given the high symptom burden and low survivability of lung cancer, patients and their spouses have been found to experience worse mental health. The current study examined the roles of dyadic appraisal and dyadic coping on the mental health of 78 couples living with non-small cell lung cancer. Multilevel modeling revealed that spouses, on average, reported significantly worse mental health than patients. Dyadic appraisal and dyadic coping played important roles in predicting mental health, controlling for known developmental and contextual covariates. Dyadic appraisal of the patient’s pain and fatigue was significantly associated with spouse mental health, albeit in opposite directions. Dyadic coping significantly predicted patient mental health. The study underlines the need to incorporate routine screening of both patient and spouse mental health and highlights the complex role of appraisal within the couple in a life-threatening context. PMID:27803239

Advanced Glycation End-Products Induce Connective Tissue Growth Factor-Mediated Renal Fibrosis Predominantly through Transforming Growth Factor β-Independent Pathway

PubMed Central

Zhou, Guihua; Li, Cai; Cai, Lu

2004-01-01

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) play a critical role in diabetic nephropathy by stimulating extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a potent inducer of ECM synthesis and increases in the diabetic kidneys. To determine the critical role of CTGF in AGE-induced ECM accumulation leading to diabetic nephropathy, rats were given AGEs by intravenous injection for 6 weeks. AGE treatment induced a significant renal ECM accumulation, as shown by increases in periodic acid-Schiff-positive materials, fibronectin, and type IV collagen (Col IV) accumulation in glomeruli, and a mild renal dysfunction, as shown by increases in urinary volume and protein content. AGE treatment also caused significant increases in renal CTGF and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 mRNA and protein expression. Direct exposure of rat mesangial cells to AGEs in vitro significantly induced increases in fibronectin and Col IV production, which could be completely prevented by pretreatment with anti-CTGF antibody. AGE treatment also significantly increased both TGF-β1 and CTGF mRNA expression; however, inhibition of TGF-β1 mRNA expression by shRNA or neutralization of TGF-β1 protein by anti-TGF-β1 antibody did not significantly prevent AGE-increased expression of CTGF mRNA and protein. These results suggest that AGE-induced CTGF expression, predominantly through a TGF-β1-independent pathway, plays a critical role in renal ECM accumulation leading to diabetic nephropathy. PMID:15579446

Procedures Used in Narcotics Airbridge Denial Program in Peru, 1995-2001

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-25

success that played a key role in the significant decline in coca cultivation in Peru and as the linchpin of a successful strategy to disrupt the export...the US and Peruvian aircraft and their respective commands. Additionally, significant US resources were used to establish and maintain infrastructure...internal examination of the ABDP (unrelated to this OIG review) was documenting sustained and significant violations of the required intercept procedures

A Critical Role for Ubiquitination in the Endocytosis of Glutamate Receptors.

PubMed

Gulia, Ravinder; Sharma, Rohan; Bhattacharyya, Samarjit

2017-01-27

Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) play important roles in various neuronal processes and elicit changes in synaptic efficacy through AMPA receptor (AMPAR) endocytosis. Trafficking of mGluRs plays an important role in controlling the precise localization of these receptors at specific region of the cell; it also regulates the activity of these receptors. Despite this obvious significance, we know very little about the cellular mechanisms that control the trafficking of group I mGluRs. We show here that ligand-mediated internalization of group I mGluRs is ubiquitination-dependent. A lysine residue (Lys 1112 ) at the C-terminal tail of mGluR1 (a member of the group I mGluR family) plays crucial role in this process. Our data suggest that Lys 63 -linked polyubiquitination is involved in the ligand-mediated endocytosis of mGluR1. We also show here that the mGluR1 internalization is dependent on a specific E3 ubiquitin ligase, Siah-1A. Furthermore, acute knockdown of Siah-1A enhances the mGluR-mediated AMPAR endocytosis. These studies reveal a novel function of ubiquitination in the regulation of group I mGluRs, as well as its role in mGluR-dependent AMPAR endocytosis. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Emotional contagion of dental fear to children: the fathers' mediating role in parental transfer of fear.

PubMed

Lara, America; Crego, Antonio; Romero-Maroto, Martin

2012-09-01

Dental fear is considered to be one of the most frequent problems in paediatric dentistry. According to literature, parents' levels of dental fear play a key role in the development of child's dental anxiety. HYPOTHESIS OR AIM: We have tried to identify the presence of emotional transmission of dental fear among family members and to analyse the different roles that mothers and fathers might play concerning the contagion of dental fear to children. We have hypothesized a key role of the father in the transfer of dental fear from mother to child. A questionnaire-based survey (Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale) has been distributed among 183 schoolchildren and their parents in Madrid (Spain). Inferential statistical analyses, i.e. correlation and hierarchical multiple regression, were carried out and possible mediating effects between variables have been tested. Our results support the hypothesis that family members' levels of dental fear are significantly correlated, and they also allow us to affirm that fathers' dental fear is a mediating variable in the relationship between mothers and children's fear scores. Together with the presence of emotional transmission of dental fear among family members, we identified the relevant role that fathers play as regards the transfer of dental fear from parents to children. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry © 2011 BSPD, IAPD and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A ROle-Oriented Filtering (ROOF) approach for collaborative recommendation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghani, Imran; Jeong, Seung Ryul

2016-09-01

In collaborative filtering (CF) recommender systems, existing techniques frequently focus on determining similarities among users' historical interests. This generally refers to situations in which each user normally plays a single role and his/her taste remains consistent over the long term. However, we note that existing techniques have not been significantly employed in a role-oriented context. This is especially so in situations where users may change their roles over time or play multiple roles simultaneously, while still expecting to access relevant information resources accordingly. Such systems include enterprise architecture management systems, e-commerce sites or journal management systems. In scenarios involving existing techniques, each user needs to build up very different profiles (preferences and interests) based on multiple roles which change over time. Should this not occur to a satisfactory degree, their previous information will either be lost or not utilised at all. To limit the occurrence of such issues, we propose a ROle-Oriented Filtering (ROOF) approach focusing on the manner in which multiple user profiles are obtained and maintained over time. We conducted a number of experiments using an enterprise architecture management scenario. In so doing, we observed that the ROOF approach performs better in comparison with other existing collaborative filtering-based techniques.

The role of mycorrhizal fungi and microsites in primary succession on Mount St. Helens.

PubMed

Titus, J; Del Moral, R

1998-03-01

This study was designed to examine the role of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) and microsites on the growth of pioneer species. Flat, rill, near-rock, and dead lupine microsites were created in plots in barren areas of the Pumice Plain of Mount St. Helens. VAM propagules were added to the soil in half of the plots. Six pioneer species were planted into both VAM and non-VAM inoculated microsites. Plants in dead lupine microsites were greater in biomass than those in flat, rill, and near-rock microsites. Significant effects of VAM on plant biomass did not occur. Microsites continue to be important to plant colonization on the Pumice Plain, but VAM do not yet appear to play an important role. This may be due to limited nutrient availability and the facultatively mycotrophic nature of the colonizing plant species. It is unlikely that VAM play an important role in successional processes in newly emplaced nutrient-poor surfaces.

Autophagy, programmed cell death and reactive oxygen species in sexual reproduction in plants.

PubMed

Kurusu, Takamitsu; Kuchitsu, Kazuyuki

2017-05-01

Autophagy is one of the major cellular processes of recycling of proteins, metabolites and intracellular organelles, and plays crucial roles in the regulation of innate immunity, stress responses and programmed cell death (PCD) in many eukaryotes. It is also essential in development and sexual reproduction in many animals. In plants, although autophagy-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana show phenotypes in abiotic and biotic stress responses, their life cycle seems normal and thus little had been known until recently about the roles of autophagy in development and reproduction. Rice mutants defective in autophagy show sporophytic male sterility and immature pollens, indicating crucial roles of autophagy during pollen maturation. Enzymatic production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by respiratory burst oxidase homologues (Rbohs) play multiple roles in regulating anther development, pollen tube elongation and fertilization. Significance of autophagy and ROS in the regulation of PCD of transient cells during plant sexual reproduction is discussed in comparison with animals.

Membrane cholesterol plays an important role in enteropathogen adhesion and the activation of innate immunity via flagellin-TLR5 signaling.

PubMed

Zhou, Mingxu; Duan, Qiangde; Li, Yinchau; Yang, Yang; Hardwidge, Philip R; Zhu, Guoqiang

2015-08-01

Lipid rafts are cholesterol- and sphingolipid-rich ordered microdomains distributed in the plasma membrane that participates in mammalian signal transduction pathways. To determine the role of lipid rafts in mediating interactions between enteropathogens and intestinal epithelial cells, membrane cholesterol was depleted from Caco-2 and IPEC-J2 cells using methyl-β-cyclodextrin. Cholesterol depletion significantly reduced Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis adhesion and invasion into intestinal epithelial cells. Complementation with exogenous cholesterol restored bacterial adhesion to basal levels. We also evaluated the role of lipid rafts in the activation of Toll-like receptor 5 signaling by bacterial flagellin. Depleting membrane cholesterol reduced the ability of purified recombinant E. coli flagellin to activate TLR5 signaling in intestinal cells. These data suggest that both membrane cholesterol and lipid rafts play important roles in enteropathogen adhesion and contribute to the activation of innate immunity via flagellin-TLR5 signaling.

Creativity and technical innovation: spatial ability's unique role.

PubMed

Kell, Harrison J; Lubinski, David; Benbow, Camilla P; Steiger, James H

2013-09-01

In the late 1970s, 563 intellectually talented 13-year-olds (identified by the SAT as in the top 0.5% of ability) were assessed on spatial ability. More than 30 years later, the present study evaluated whether spatial ability provided incremental validity (beyond the SAT's mathematical and verbal reasoning subtests) for differentially predicting which of these individuals had patents and three classes of refereed publications. A two-step discriminant-function analysis revealed that the SAT subtests jointly accounted for 10.8% of the variance among these outcomes (p < .01); when spatial ability was added, an additional 7.6% was accounted for--a statistically significant increase (p < .01). The findings indicate that spatial ability has a unique role in the development of creativity, beyond the roles played by the abilities traditionally measured in educational selection, counseling, and industrial-organizational psychology. Spatial ability plays a key and unique role in structuring many important psychological phenomena and should be examined more broadly across the applied and basic psychological sciences.

NREL Describes to U.S. Senate Role National Labs Play in Sustainable

Science.gov Websites

Transportation Innovation | News | NREL Describes to U.S. Senate Role National Labs Play in Sustainable Transportation Innovation NREL Describes to U.S. Senate Role National Labs Play in Sustainable industry through public and private partnerships. Gearhart's testimony stressed the role of innovation and

Educational Adventure Games.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Fred D.

An adventure game is a role-playing game that usually, but not always, has some fantasy aspect. The role-playing aspect is the key element because players become personally involved when they assume a role, and defeat becomes personal and less acceptable than in other types of games. Computer-based role-playing games are extremely popular because…

A Role Play for Revising Style and Applying Management Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griggs, Karen

2005-01-01

Role-playing is a well regarded learning activity. By participating in this activity, students can apply their knowledge through their assigned roles in a realistic but risk-free situation. The role play stimulates class discussion, dramatizes rhetorical principles about purpose, shows how to adapt a text to an audience of employees in a…

Case studies and role play: learning strategies in nursing.

PubMed

Cogo, Ana Luísa Petersen; Pai, Daiane Dal; Aliti, Graziella Badin; Hoefel, Heloísa Karnas; Azzolin, Karina de Oliveira; Busin, Lurdes; Unicovsky, Margarita Ana Rubin; Kruse, Maria Henriqueta Luce

2016-01-01

to report professors' experience in a public university of Southern region of Brazil using case studies and role play as learning strategies for nursing care of hospitalized adults. learning experience report from the Nursing Care of Adults I class of nursing undergraduate course. the development of case studies and role play considered health care needs from epidemiological profile of chronic noncommunicable diseases morbidity and mortality, nursing as an assisting method, and social aspects of hospitalized individuals. Role play planning was made by creating a stage in laboratory of practices and dialogues comprising students and professors interaction. case studies and role play encouraged students to active search for learning and brought theory closer to real health care situations.

The Role of Blood Lead, Cadmium, Zinc and Copper in Development and Severity of Acne Vulgaris in a Nigerian Population.

PubMed

Ikaraoha, C I; Mbadiwe, N C; Anyanwu, C J; Odekhian, J; Nwadike, C N; Amah, H C

2017-04-01

Acne vulgaris is a very common skin disorder affecting human beings. There is a paucity of report on the role of heavy metals-lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd)-globally, and trace metals-zinc (Zn) and copper (Cd)-particularly in Nigeria in the development/severity of acne vulgaris. This study is aimed to determine the blood levels of some heavy metals-cadmium and lead-and trace metals-zinc and copper-in acne vulgaris sufferers in a Nigerian population. Venous blood samples were collected from a total number of 90 non-obese female subjects consisting of 30 mild, 30 moderate and 30 severe acne vulgaris sufferers for blood Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn determination. They were age-matched with 60 females without acne vulgaris who served as the control subjects. Acne sufferers had significantly higher blood Cd and Pb (P = 0.0143 and P = 0.0001 respectively) and non-significantly different blood levels of Cu and Zn (P = 0.910 and P = 0.2140 respectively) compared to controls. There were significant progressive increases in blood levels of Cd and Pb (P = 0.0330 and P = 0.0001 respectively) and non-significant differences in the mean blood level of Cu and Zn (P = 0.1821 and P = 0.2728 respectively) from mild to moderate and severe acne vulgaris sufferers. Increases in blood Cd and Pb may play critical roles in the pathogenesis/severity of acne vulgaris, while Cu and Zn seem to play less significant roles in the development of this disorder in this environment.

Using Role-plays as an Empathy Education Tool for Ophthalmology Postgraduate.

PubMed

Singh, Kirti; Bhattacharyya, Mainak; Veerwal, Vikas; Singh, Arshi

2017-12-01

To assess the role of an "empathy sensitizing module" (ESM) in ophthalmology postgraduates in promoting effective empathetic communication. Thirty-nine ophthalmology postgraduates were taught effective empathetic communication using specially designed module, comprising of five illustrative role-plays. We evaluated the impact of the training by (a) self-assessment of empathy quotient by residents using Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE scale) before and 6 weeks after ESM training and (b) nonparticipant observation (NPO) by trained faculty in real-life settings over the next 4 months. A peer-validated, self-designed checklist was used for NPO. The change in score was analyzed using Student's paired t -test. The faculty observed the use of empathy in real-life patient encounters of the trainees over the next 6 months. In addition, secondary qualitative data were collected and analyzed to assess the impact of the module on other stakeholders such as the role-playing undergraduate students and core faculty. Pretraining assessment revealed that concept of empathy during patient communication was understood by only 10% students. PostESM training, the self-rated mean empathy score, on JSE, significantly increased from 95.9 to 106.7 (of a maximum of 140). This was also confirmed by a significant improvement in externally rated empathy and soft skills scores (from 29.3 to 39.1; of a maximum of 55) using the NPO tool. Focus group discussion was done on the continued display of empathy by the trainees in real-life situation over 6 months of observation by the faculty. The group agreed that there was a gradual attrition of initial gain in empathy behavior over the observation period of 6 months. The spillover benefits of the training process were observed among the role-playing undergraduates as well. A thematic analysis of their reflections on the process revealed a substantial change with an improved understanding of effective communication. There is a definite scope for introducing empathetic communication in medical training. Empathetic communication can be improved by effective training in a contextual manner with a need for regular reinforcement. Sensitization at all levels including the faculty is required to implement effective communication skills in medical profession.

Do I dare? Using role-play as a teaching strategy.

PubMed

Kuipers, J C; Clemens, D L

1998-07-01

Role-play is a teaching strategy that models patient behaviors and nursing interventions that students need to learn in psychiatric nursing. Applications of this strategy can be used in both classroom and clinical settings. Benefits of using role-play range from cost effectiveness and active learning to modeling expected performance/skill levels and increasing self-confidence and assertiveness. Perceived drawbacks can be minimized by using the planning steps prior to the use of role-play.

The role of lithium batteries in modern health care

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, Curtis F.

Since the implantation of the first lithium-powered pacemaker in 1972, biomedical devices powered by lithium batteries have played a significant role in saving lives and providing health-improving therapy. Today a wide variety of devices performing functions from managing cardiac rhythm to relieving pain and administering drugs is available to clinicians. Newer devices such as ventricular assist devices and implantable hearing devices are powered by lithium ion secondary batteries.

Integrated CAD/CAM: Problems, prognosis, and role of IPAD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nilson, E. N.

1980-01-01

Major technology problems impede the development and evolution of totally integrated interactive CAD/CAM systems. IPAD is playing an important role in the identification of these problems and is contributing significantly to their solution. It is the purpose of this presentation to examine some of these issues, look at the prognosis of obtaining effective solutions, and point up some of the past and expected contributions of IPAD to this technology.

Understanding the Emergence of Disruptive Innovation in Air Force Science and Technology Organizations

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

respect to various key attributes. Although the principles of low-end and new market disruption play the most significant role in the fluid and...crucial role in the emergence of breakthrough and game changing ideas. By examining these key elements with regard to industry innovation, a base...that help define the key characteristics of an innovative culture: strong customer focus, collaboration, effective processes , creative people

[The psychosocial challenges of epilepsy and the role of the clinical nurse specialist].

PubMed

Chartrand, Dominic

2015-01-01

Epilepsy in children is a complex disease with significant psychosocial consequences for the child and their family. The intervention of a multidisciplinary team enables the care to be adapted and provides support for the families. At Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal, Canada, the nurse clinician specialised in epilepsy plays a key role in this team. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Loss of M5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors leads to cerebrovascular and neuronal abnormalities and cognitive deficits in mice.

PubMed

Araya, Runa; Noguchi, Takanori; Yuhki, Munehiro; Kitamura, Naohito; Higuchi, Makoto; Saido, Takaomi C; Seki, Kenjiro; Itohara, Shigeyoshi; Kawano, Masako; Tanemura, Kentaro; Takashima, Akihiko; Yamada, Kazuyuki; Kondoh, Yasushi; Kanno, Iwao; Wess, Jürgen; Yamada, Masahisa

2006-11-01

The M5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M5R) has been shown to play a crucial role in mediating acetylcholine-dependent dilation of cerebral blood vessels. We show that male M5R-/- mice displayed constitutive constriction of cerebral arteries using magnetic resonance angiography in vivo. Male M5R-/- mice exhibited a significantly reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Cortical and hippocampal pyramidal neurons from M5R-/- mice showed neuronal atrophy. Hippocampus-dependent spatial and nonspatial memory was also impaired in M5R-/- mice. In M5R-/- mice, CA3 pyramidal cells displayed a significantly attenuated frequency of the spontaneous postsynaptic current and long-term potentiation was significantly impaired at the mossy fiber-CA3 synapse. Our findings suggest that impaired M5R signaling may play a role in the pathophysiology of cerebrovascular deficits. The M5 receptor may represent an attractive novel therapeutic target to ameliorate memory deficits caused by impaired cerebrovascular function.

Recessions and Health: The Impact of Economic Trends on Air Pollution in California

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Objectives. I explored the hypothesis that economic activity has a significant impact on exposure to air pollution and ultimately human health. Methods. I used county-level employment statistics in California (1980–2000), along with major regulatory periods and other controlling factors, to estimate local concentrations of the coefficient of haze, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide using a mixed regression model approach. Results. The model explained between 33% and 48% of the variability in air pollution levels as estimated by the overall R2 values. The relationship between employment measures and air pollution was statistically significant, suggesting that air quality improves during economic downturns. Additionally, major air quality regulations played a significant role in reducing air pollution levels over the study period. Conclusions. This study provides important evidence of a role for the economy in understanding human exposure to environmental pollution. The evidence further suggests that the impact of environmental regulations are likely to be overstated when they occur during recessionary periods, and understated when they play out during periods of economic growth. PMID:22897522

NO involvement in the inhibition of ghrelin on voltage-dependent potassium currents in rat hippocampal cells.

PubMed

Lu, Yong; Dang, Shaokang; Wang, Xu; Zhang, Junli; Zhang, Lin; Su, Qian; Zhang, Huiping; Lin, Tianwei; Zhang, Xiaoxiao; Zhang, Yurong; Sun, Hongli; Zhu, Zhongliang; Li, Hui

2018-01-01

Ghrelin is a peptide hormone that plays an important role in promoting appetite, regulating distribution and rate of use of energy, cognition, and mood disorders, but the relevant neural mechanisms of these function are still not clear. In this study, we examined the effect of ghrelin on voltage-dependent potassium (K + ) currents in hippocampal cells of 1-3 days SD rats by whole-cell patch-clamp technique, and discussed whether NO was involved in this process. The results showed that ghrelin significantly inhibited the voltage-dependent K + currents in hippocampal cells, and the inhibitory effect was more significant when l-arginine was co-administered. In contrast, N-nitro- l-arginine methyl ester increased the ghrelin inhibited K + currents and attenuated the inhibitory effect of ghrelin. While d-arginine (D-AA) showed no significant impact on the ghrelin-induced decrease in K + current. These results show that ghrelin may play a physiological role by inhibiting hippocampal voltage dependent K + currents, and the NO pathway may be involved in this process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automating individualized coaching and authentic role-play practice for brief intervention training.

PubMed

Hayes-Roth, B; Saker, R; Amano, K

2010-01-01

Brief intervention helps to reduce alcohol abuse, but there is a need for accessible, cost-effective training of clinicians. This study evaluated STAR Workshop , a web-based training system that automates efficacious techniques for individualized coaching and authentic role-play practice. We compared STAR Workshop to a web-based, self-guided e-book and a no-treatment control, for training the Engage for Change (E4C) brief intervention protocol. Subjects were medical and nursing students. Brief written skill probes tested subjects' performance of individual protocol steps, in different clinical scenarios, at three test times: pre-training, post-training, and post-delay (two weeks). Subjects also did live phone interviews with a standardized patient, post-delay. STAR subjects performed significantly better than both other groups. They showed significantly greater improvement from pre-training probes to post-training and post-delay probes. They scored significantly higher on post-delay phone interviews. STAR Workshop appears to be an accessible, cost-effective approach for training students to use the E4C protocol for brief intervention in alcohol abuse. It may also be useful for training other clinical interviewing protocols.

Serum paraoxonase activity and oxidative stress levels in patients with cutaneous anthrax.

PubMed

Karadas, S; Aslan, M; Ceylan, M R; Sunnetcioglu, M; Bozan, N; Kara, H; Demir, H

2017-07-01

Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by the aerobic sporeforming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. It has been suggested that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of B. anthracis. The aim of this study was to investigate serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity, catalase activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in patients with cutaneous anthrax. Fifteen patients with cutaneous anthrax and 15 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The serum MDA levels, SOD levels, paraoxonase, arylesterase, and catalase activities were measured using a spectrophotometer. The serum SOD levels, paraoxonase, arylesterase, and catalase activities were significantly lower in patients with cutaneous anthrax than in controls (for all, p < 0.001), whereas MDA levels were significantly higher ( p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between serum paraoxonase activity, arylesterase activity, SOD levels, and MDA levels (all, p > 0.05) in patients with cutaneous anthrax. The current study was the first to show decreased antioxidant levels and increased oxidant levels in patients with cutaneous anthrax. Therefore, decreased PON1 activity may play a role in the pathogenesis of cutaneous anthrax.

Insight into litter decomposition driven by nutrient demands of symbiosis system through the hypha bridge of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

PubMed

Kong, Xiangshi; Jia, Yanyan; Song, Fuqiang; Tian, Kai; Lin, Hong; Bei, Zhanlin; Jia, Xiuqin; Yao, Bei; Guo, Peng; Tian, Xingjun

2018-02-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in litter decomposition. This study investigated how soil nutrient level affected the process. Results showed that AMF colonization had no significant effect on litter decomposition under normal soil nutrient conditions. However, litter decomposition was accelerated significantly under lower nutrient conditions. Soil microbial biomass in decomposition system was significantly increased. Especially, in moderate lower nutrient treatment (condition of half-normal soil nutrient), litters exhibited the highest decomposition rate, AMF hypha revealed the greatest density, and enzymes (especially nitrate reductase) showed the highest activities as well. Meanwhile, the immobilization of nitrogen (N) in the decomposing litter remarkably decreased. Our results suggested that the roles AMF played in ecosystem were largely affected by soil nutrient levels. At normal soil nutrient level, AMF exhibited limited effects in promoting decomposition. When soil nutrient level decreased, the promoting effect of AMF on litter decomposition began to appear, especially on N mobilization. However, under extremely low nutrient conditions, AMF showed less influence on decomposition and may even compete with decomposer microorganisms for nutrients.

Characterization of Bacteria Associated with Pinewood Nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

PubMed Central

Vicente, Claudia S. L.; Nascimento, Francisco; Espada, Margarida; Barbosa, Pedro; Mota, Manuel; Glick, Bernard R.; Oliveira, Solange

2012-01-01

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is a complex disease integrating three major agents: the pathogenic agent, the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus; the insect-vector Monochamus spp.; and the host pine tree, Pinus sp. Since the early 80's, the notion that another pathogenic agent, namely bacteria, may play a role in PWD has been gaining traction, however the role of bacteria in PWD is still unknown. The present work supports the possibility that some B. xylophilus-associated bacteria may play a significant role in the development of this disease. This is inferred as a consequence of: (i) the phenotypic characterization of a collection of 35 isolates of B. xylophilus-associated bacteria, in different tests broadly used to test plant pathogenic and plant growth promoting bacteria, and (ii) greenhouse experiments that infer the pathogenicity of these bacteria in maritime pine, Pinus pinaster. The results illustrate the presence of a heterogeneous microbial community associated with B. xylophilus and the traits exhibited by at least, some of these bacteria, appear to be related to PWD symptoms. The inoculation of four specific B. xylophilus-associated bacteria isolates in P. pinaster seedlings resulted in the development of some PWD symptoms suggesting that these bacteria likely play an active role with B. xylophilus in PWD. PMID:23091599

Plant community, geographic distance and abiotic factors play different roles in predicting AMF biogeography at the regional scale in northern China.

PubMed

Xu, Tianle; Veresoglou, Stavros D; Chen, Yongliang; Rillig, Matthias C; Xiang, Dan; Ondřej, Daniel; Hao, Zhipeng; Liu, Lei; Deng, Ye; Hu, Yajun; Chen, Weiping; Wang, Juntao; He, Jizheng; Chen, Baodong

2016-12-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous mutualists of terrestrial plants and play key roles in regulating various ecosystem processes, but little is known about AMF biogeography at regional scale. This study aims at exploring the key predictors of AMF communities across a 5000-km transect in northern China. We determined the soil AMF species richness and community composition at 47 sites representative of four vegetation types (meadow steppe, typical steppe, desert steppe and desert) and related them to plant community characteristics, abiotic factors and geographic distance. The results showed that soil pH was the strongest predictor of AMF richness and phylogenetic diversity. However, abiotic factors only have a low predictive effect on AMF community composition or phylogenetic patterns. By contrast, we found a significant relationship between community composition of AMF and plants, which was a surprising result given the extent of heterogeneity in the plant community across this transect. Moreover, the geographic distance predominantly explained the AMF phylogenetic structure, implying that history evolutionary may play a role in shaping AMF biogeographic patterns. This study highlighted the different roles of main factors in predicting AMF biogeography, and bridge landscape-scale studies to more recent global-scale efforts. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Plays Protective Roles against High Fat Diet (HFD)-induced Hepatic Steatosis and the Subsequent Lipotoxicity via Direct Transcriptional Regulation of Socs3 Gene Expression*

PubMed Central

Wada, Taira; Sunaga, Hiroshi; Miyata, Kazuki; Shirasaki, Haruno; Uchiyama, Yuki; Shimba, Shigeki

2016-01-01

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor regulating the expression of genes involved in xenobiotic response. Recent studies have suggested that AhR plays essential roles not only in xenobiotic detoxification but also energy metabolism. Thus, in this study, we studied the roles of AhR in lipid metabolism. Under high fat diet (HFD) challenge, liver-specific AhR knock-out (AhR LKO) mice exhibited severe steatosis, inflammation, and injury in the liver. Gene expression analysis and biochemical study revealed that de novo lipogenesis activity was significantly increased in AhR LKO mice. In contrast, induction of suppressor of cytokine signal 3 (Socs3) expression by HFD was attenuated in the livers of AhR LKO mice. Rescue of the Socs3 gene in the liver of AhR LKO mice cancelled the HFD-induced hepatic lipotoxicities. Promoter analysis established Socs3 as novel transcriptional target of AhR. These results indicated that AhR plays a protective role against HFD-induced hepatic steatosis and the subsequent lipotoxicity effects, such as inflammation, and that the mechanism of protection involves the direct transcriptional regulation of Socs3 expression by AhR. PMID:26865635

The Athenæum Club, the Royal Society and the reform of dentistry in nineteenth-century Britain: A research report

PubMed Central

Bishop, Malcolm G. H.

2017-01-01

In 1978 M. J. Peterson examined the role played by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) in nineteenth-century dental reform, noting the establishment of its Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) in 1859. In a paper published in Notes and Records in 2010, the present author described the influential role played by Fellows of the Royal Society during the nineteenth-century campaign for dental reform led by Sir John Tomes. Key players in this campaign, including the dentists Samuel Cartwright, Thomas Bell and James Salter, were, as well as being Fellows of the Royal Society, members of the Athenæum Club. The present research report indicates the roles played by those members of the Athenæum Club who were also Fellows of the Royal Society in the scientific and professional reform of nineteenth-century dentistry. Although it does not attempt to document meetings at the Club, it suggests the potential for a symbiotic effect between the Royal Society and the Athenæum. Where the previous paper proposed an active scientific role for the Royal Society in reforming dentistry, this paper presents the Athenæum as a significant extension of the sphere of influence into the cultural realm for those who did enjoy membership of both organizations.

A role for glucocorticoids in stress-impaired reproduction: beyond the hypothalamus and pituitary.

PubMed

Whirledge, Shannon; Cidlowski, John A

2013-12-01

In addition to the well-characterized role of the sex steroid receptors in regulating fertility and reproduction, reproductive events are also mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to an individual's environment. Glucocorticoid secretion in response to stress contributes to the well-characterized suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis through central actions in the hypothalamus and pituitary. However, both animal and in vitro studies indicate that other components of the reproductive system are also regulated by glucocorticoids. Furthermore, in the absence of stress, it appears that homeostatic glucocorticoid signaling plays a significant role in reproduction and fertility in all tissues comprising the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Indeed, as central regulators of the immune response, glucocorticoids are uniquely poised to integrate an individual's infectious, inflammatory, stress, nutritional, and metabolic status through glucocorticoid receptor signaling in target tissues. Endocrine signaling between tissues regulating the immune and stress response and those determining reproductive status provides an evolutionary advantage, facilitating the trade-off between reproductive investment and offspring fitness. This review focuses on the actions of glucocorticoids in tissues important for fertility and reproduction, highlighting recent studies that show glucocorticoid signaling plays a significant role throughout the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and characterizing these effects as permissive or inhibitory in terms of facilitating reproductive success.

Long term changes in flooding and heavy rainfall associated with North Atlantic tropical cyclones: Roles of the North Atlantic Oscillation and El Niño-Southern Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aryal, Yog N.; Villarini, Gabriele; Zhang, Wei; Vecchi, Gabriel A.

2018-04-01

The aim of this study is to examine the contribution of North Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) to flooding and heavy rainfall across the continental United States. Analyses highlight the spatial variability in these hazards, their temporal changes in terms of frequency and magnitude, and their connection to large-scale climate, in particular to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We use long-term stream and rain gage measurements, and our analyses are based on annual maxima (AMs) and peaks-over-threshold (POTs). TCs contribute to ∼20-30% of AMs and POTs over Florida and coastal areas of the eastern United States, and the contribution decreases as we move inland. We do not detect statistically significant trends in the magnitude or frequency of TC floods. Regarding the role of climate, NAO and ENSO do not play a large role in controlling the frequency and magnitude of TC flooding. The connection between heavy rainfall and TCs is comparable to what observed in terms of flooding. Unlike flooding, NAO plays a significant role in TC-related extreme rainfall along the U.S. East Coast, while ENSO is most strongly linked to the TC precipitation in Texas.

Role of RGM coreceptors in bone morphogenetic protein signaling

PubMed Central

Halbrooks, Peter J; Ding, Ru; Wozney, John M; Bain, Gerard

2007-01-01

Background The repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) proteins, originally discovered for their roles in neuronal development, have been recently identified as co-receptors in the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway. BMPs are members of the TGFβ superfamily of signaling cytokines, and serve to regulate many aspects of cellular growth and differentiation. Results Here, we investigate whether RGMa, RGMb, and RGMc play required roles in BMP and TGFβ signaling in the mouse myoblast C2C12 cell line. These cells are responsive to BMPs and are frequently used to study BMP/TGFβ signaling pathways. Using siRNA reagents to specifically knock down each RGM protein, we show that the RGM co-receptors are required for significant BMP signaling as reported by two cell-based BMP activity assays: endogenous alkaline phosphatase activity and a luciferase-based BMP reporter assay. Similar cell-based assays using a TGFβ-induced luciferase reporter show that the RGM co-receptors are not required for TGFβ signaling. The binding interaction of each RGM co-receptor to each of BMP2 and BMP12 is observed and quantified, and equilibrium dissociation constants in the low nanomolar range are reported. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the RGMs play a significant role in BMP signaling and reveal that these molecules cannot functionally compensate for one another. PMID:17615080

Regulatory T cells control HIV replication in activated T cells through a cAMP-dependent mechanism

PubMed Central

Moreno-Fernandez, Maria E.; Rueda, Cesar Mauricio; Rusie, Laura K.

2011-01-01

We hypothesized that regulatory T cells (Tregs) could play a beneficial role during HIV infection by controlling HIV replication in conventional T cells (Tcons). Purified Tregs and Tcons from healthy donors were activated separately. Tcons were infected with the X4 or R5 HIV strains and cultured with or without autologous Tregs. Coculture of Tcons and Tregs resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of Tcon infection, which was significant when a 1:1 Treg:Tcon ratio was used. Treg suppression of HIV infection was largely mediated by contact-dependent mechanisms. Blockage of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated antigen-4 did not significantly reduce Treg function. In contrast, Tregs acted through cAMP-dependent mechanisms, because the decrease of cAMP levels in Tregs, the blockade of gap junction formation between Tregs and Tcons, the blockage of CD39 activity, and the blockage of protein kinase A in Tcons all abolished Treg-mediated suppression of HIV replication. Our data suggest a complex role for Tregs during HIV infection. Although Tregs inhibit specific immune responses, their inhibition of HIV replication in Tcons may play a beneficial role, particularly during early HIV infection, when the effector immune cells are not yet activated. Such a protective role of Tregs could have a profound impact on infection outcome. PMID:21436067

A Role for Glucocorticoids in Stress-Impaired Reproduction: Beyond the Hypothalamus and Pituitary

PubMed Central

Whirledge, Shannon

2013-01-01

In addition to the well-characterized role of the sex steroid receptors in regulating fertility and reproduction, reproductive events are also mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to an individual's environment. Glucocorticoid secretion in response to stress contributes to the well-characterized suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis through central actions in the hypothalamus and pituitary. However, both animal and in vitro studies indicate that other components of the reproductive system are also regulated by glucocorticoids. Furthermore, in the absence of stress, it appears that homeostatic glucocorticoid signaling plays a significant role in reproduction and fertility in all tissues comprising the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Indeed, as central regulators of the immune response, glucocorticoids are uniquely poised to integrate an individual's infectious, inflammatory, stress, nutritional, and metabolic status through glucocorticoid receptor signaling in target tissues. Endocrine signaling between tissues regulating the immune and stress response and those determining reproductive status provides an evolutionary advantage, facilitating the trade-off between reproductive investment and offspring fitness. This review focuses on the actions of glucocorticoids in tissues important for fertility and reproduction, highlighting recent studies that show glucocorticoid signaling plays a significant role throughout the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and characterizing these effects as permissive or inhibitory in terms of facilitating reproductive success. PMID:24064362

Specific cytoarchitectureal changes in hippocampal subareas in daDREAM mice.

PubMed

Mellström, Britt; Kastanauskaite, Asta; Knafo, Shira; Gonzalez, Paz; Dopazo, Xose M; Ruiz-Nuño, Ana; Jefferys, John G R; Zhuo, Min; Bliss, Tim V P; Naranjo, Jose R; DeFelipe, Javier

2016-02-29

Transcriptional repressor DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator) is a Ca(2+)-binding protein that regulates Ca(2+) homeostasis through gene regulation and protein-protein interactions. It has been shown that a dominant active form (daDREAM) is implicated in learning-related synaptic plasticity such as LTP and LTD in the hippocampus. Neuronal spines are reported to play important roles in plasticity and memory. However, the possible role of DREAM in spine plasticity has not been reported. Here we show that potentiating DREAM activity, by overexpressing daDREAM, reduced dendritic basal arborization and spine density in CA1 pyramidal neurons and increased spine density in dendrites in dentate gyrus granule cells. These microanatomical changes are accompanied by significant modifications in the expression of specific genes encoding the cytoskeletal proteins Arc, Formin 1 and Gelsolin in daDREAM hippocampus. Our results strongly suggest that DREAM plays an important role in structural plasticity in the hippocampus.

Melatonin delays clutch initiation in a wild songbird

PubMed Central

Greives, Timothy J.; Kingma, Sjouke A.; Beltrami, Giulia; Hau, Michaela

2012-01-01

The hormone melatonin is known to play an important role in regulating many seasonal changes in physiology, morphology and behaviour. In birds, unlike in mammals, melatonin has thus far been thought to play little role in timing seasonal reproductive processes. This view is mainly derived from laboratory experiments on male birds. This study tests whether melatonin is capable of influencing the timing of clutch initiation in wild female songbirds. Free-living female great tits (Parus major) treated with melatonin-filled implants prior to the breeding season initiated their first clutch of the season significantly later than females carrying an empty implant. Melatonin treatment did not affect clutch size. Further, melatonin treatment did not delay the onset of daily activity in the wild nor adversely affect body mass in captivity compared with controls. These data suggest a previously unknown role for this hormone in regulating the timing of clutch initiation in the wild. PMID:22171024

What is the role of amnioinfusion in modern day obstetrics?

PubMed

Dad, Nimra; Abushama, Mandy; Konje, Justin C; Ahmed, Badreldeen

2016-09-01

Amniotic fluid (AF) is a dynamic medium that plays a significant role in fetal well-being. It is production and amount varies with gestational age. It plays a vital role in fetal life as it contains antimicrobial factors, growth factors and it help the fetal lung to grow and expand. Amnioinfusion can be performed either transabdominally or transvaginal. Amnioinfuion can be done antenatally and during labor. Aminoinfusion can be used for diagnostic purposes to enable better visualization of the fetus as liquor is very important acoustic widow for better fetal examination. Amnioinfusion have some therapeutic benefits in conditions like early premature rupture of membrane and may help cases of external cephalic version for breech presentation at term. Amnioinfusion has been shown to reduce the incidence of variable deceleration due to cord compression, reduces the risk of meconium aspiration and it will help reduce cesarean delivery.

[c-MET Oncogene in Renal Cell Carcinomas].

PubMed

Erlmeier, F; Weichert, W; Autenrieth, M; Ivanyi, P; Hartmann, A; Steffens, S

2016-12-01

c-Met plays a significant role in multiple cellular processes. Being encoded by a proto-oncogene, tyrosine kinase supports aggressive tumour behaviour such as tumour invasiveness and formation of metastases. For some subtypes of renal cell carcinoma studies have shown a association between c-Met expression and clinical outcome or prognosis. Therefore, c-Met represents a prognostic marker in renal cell carcinoma.Furthermore, c-MET will play a decisive role as a possible target for targeted therapies in the era of personalised medicine. Especially for RCC, the dual inhibition of VEGF and c-MET tyrosine kinase in cases of metastatic, treatment-resistant tumours is gaining clinical relevance. The role of c-Met has not been fully elucidated for all subtypes of renal cell carcinomas. The relevance of c-Met for the remaining subtypes of renal tumours has yet to be clarified. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[English as a foreign language (EFL) homework diaries: evaluating gains and constraints for self-regulated learning and achievement].

PubMed

Rosário, Pedro; Mourão, Rosa; Trigo, Luisa; Suárez, Natalia; Fernández, Estrella; Tuero-Herrero, Ellián

2011-11-01

Although homework completion is said to be rather important to achievement, nowadays there is a growing concern of educators about the increasing number of students who do not engage properly on doing the homework tasks and the subsequent impact on school failure rates. Focusing on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and using a sample of 591 Portuguese fifth and sixth graders, the present study analyses the role played by a number of homework variables on students' achievement (proximal and distal), and their mediating role on the use of self-regulated learning strategies and perceived self-efficacy in the domain. Data confirm the indirect effect of homework on school achievement, by means of the referred cognitive and motivational variables (use of self-regulated learning strategies and self-efficacy). These findings are further discussed in order to highlight the significant role homework completion can play on fighting school failure.

Characterizing tradeoffs between water and food under different climate regimes across the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troy, T.; Zhu, X.; Kipgen, C.; Li, X.; Pal, I.

2015-12-01

As water demand approaches or exceeds the available water supply in many regions of the globe, water stress will become increasingly prevalent with potentially necessary tradeoffs required between water prioritization amongst sectors. Agriculture is the largest consumptive water user in the US, and irrigation plays a vital role in ensuring a stable food supply by buffering against climate extremes. However, it also plays a negative role in inducing water stress in many regions. Much research has focused on reducing agricultural water use, but this needs to be complemented by better quantifying the benefit of irrigation on crop yields under a range of climate conditions. Regions are identified with significant irrigation benefits with and without water stress to parse apart the role of climate, crop choice, and water usage to then evaluate tradeoffs with food production in a climate-water-food nexus.

The Role of Cytokine PF4 in the Antiviral Immune Response of Shrimp

PubMed Central

Chen, Yulei; Cao, Jiao; Zhang, Xiaobo

2016-01-01

During viral infection in vertebrates, cytokines play important roles in the host defense against the virus. However, the function of cytokines in invertebrates has not been well characterized. In this study, shrimp cytokines involved in viral infection were screened using a cytokine antibody microarray. The results showed that three cytokines, the Fas receptor (Fas), platelet factor 4 (PF4) and interleukin-22 (IL-22), were significantly upregulated in the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV)-challenged shrimp, suggesting that these cytokines played positive regulatory roles in the immune response of shrimp against the virus. Further experiments revealed that PF4 had positive effects on the antiviral immunity of shrimp by enhancing the shrimp phagocytic activity and inhibiting the apoptotic activity of virus-infected hemocytes. Therefore, our study presented a novel mechanism of cytokines in the innate immunity of invertebrates. PMID:27631372

Neurobiographies: writing lives in the history of neurology and the neurosciences.

PubMed

Söderqvist, Thomas

2002-03-01

This essay surveys the present state of biographical writing in the history of neurology and neuroscience. Individual lives play a significant role in practitioner-historians' narratives, whereas academic historians tend to be more nonindividualistic and a-biographical. Autobiographies by neurologists and neuroscientists, and particularly autobiographical collections, are problematic as an historical genre. Neurobiographies proper are published with several aims in mind: some are written as literary entertainment, others as contributions to a cultural and social history of the neurosciences. Eulogy, panegyrics and commemoration play a great role in neurobiographical writing. Some biographies, finally, are written to provide role-models for young neuroscientists, thus reviving the classical, Plutarchian biographical tradition. Finally, a recent cooperative biography of Charcot is mentioned as an example of how the biographical genre can help overcome the alleged dichotomy between the historiographies of practitioner-historians and academic historians.

The Role of Positron Emission Tomography With (68)Gallium (Ga)-Labeled Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) in the Management of Patients With Organ-confined and Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer Prior to Radical Treatment and After Radical Prostatectomy.

PubMed

Rai, Bhavan Prasad; Baum, Richard Paul; Patel, Amit; Hughes, Robert; Alonzi, Roberto; Lane, Tim; Adshead, Jim; Vasdev, Nikhil

2016-09-01

The role of positron emission tomography (PET) with (68)Gallium (Ga)-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) imaging for prostate cancer is gaining prominence. Current imaging strategies, despite having progressed significantly, have limitations, in particular their ability to diagnose metastatic lymph node involvement. Preliminary results of PET with (68)Ga-labeled PSMA have shown encouraging results, particularly in the recurrent prostate cancer setting. Furthermore, the ability of PET with (68)Ga-labeled PSMA of playing a dual diagnostic and therapeutic setting (theranostics) is currently being investigated as well. PET with (68)Ga-labeled PSMA certainly has a role to play in bridging some of the voids in contemporary prostate cancer imaging tools. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nano-objects as biomaterials: immense opportunities, significant challenges and the important use of surface analytical methods

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

Baer, Donald R.; Shutthanandan, Vaithiyalingam

Nano-sized objects are increasingly important as biomaterials and their surfaces play critical roles in determining their beneficial or deleterious behaviors in biological systems. Important characteristics of nanomaterials that impact their application in many areas are described with a strong focus on the importance of particle surfaces and surface characterization. Understanding aspects of the inherent nature of nano-objects and the important role that surfaces play in these applications is a universal need for any research or product development using such materials in biological applications. The role of surface analysis methods in collecting critical information about the nature of particle surfaces andmore » physicochemical properties of nano-objects is described along with the importance of including sample history and analysis results in a record of provenance information regarding specific batches of nano-objects.« less

Relationship between gut and sepsis: Role of ghrelin

PubMed Central

Das, Undurti N

2011-01-01

Ghrelin is a growth hormone secretagogue produced by the gut, and is expressed in the hypothalamus and other tissues as well. Ghrelin not only plays an important role in the regulation of appetite, energy balance and glucose homeostasis, but also shows anti-bacterial activity, suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine production and restores gut barrier function. In experimental animals, ghrelin has shown significant beneficial actions in preventing mortality from sepsis. In the critically ill, corticosteroid insufficiency as a result of dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is known to occur. It is therefore possible that both gut and hypothalamus play an important role in the pathogenesis of sepsis by virtue of their ability to produce ghrelin, which, in turn, could be a protective phenomenon to suppress inflammation. It remains to be seen whether ghrelin and its analogues are of benefit in treating patients with sepsis. PMID:21537444

Genotype-by-sequencing facilitates genetic mapping of a stem rust resistance locus in Aegilops umbellulata, a wild relative of cultivated wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Wild relatives of wheat play a significant role in wheat improvement as a source of genetic diversity. Stem rust disease of wheat causes significant yield losses at the global level and stem rust pathogen race TTKSK (Ug99) is virulent to most previously deployed resistance genes. Therefo...

[Biopharmaceutical importance of pharmaceutical aids in drug prescribing with special reference to rectal administration].

PubMed

Regdon, G; Regdon, G

1991-03-24

Based on literary sources, the medical and pharmaceutical significance of vehicles and additives, which play an ever-increasing role in the production of all drug forms, is discussed. Then the groups of additives used in the production of suppositories are described partly on the basis of our own experiences, and their biopharmaceutical significance is evaluated.

The Significance of Post-Racial Ideology, Black Political Struggle, and Racial Literacy for Brazilian Anti-Racist Education Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Da Costa, Alexandre Emboaba

2016-01-01

This paper furthers current analysis of anti-racist, critical multicultural, and decolonial educational reforms in Brazil through a focus on the significant role played by post-racial ideology, black politics, and racial literacy in policy design and implementation. The paper first details the ways in which post-racial commonsense and anti-black…

Moral Education at the Movies: On the Cinematic Treatment of Morally Significant Story and Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, David

2006-01-01

Much contemporary social theory has emphasised the key role that cultural and other narrative plays in any human understanding of moral self and agency. However, in those modern social contexts in which literacy has been widespread, such access to narrative has also been largely via the written word: those significantly educated in cultural…

Iranian Language Teachers' and Students' Perspectives on Top Notch Series (2nd Edition) at Intermediate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azadsarv, Mehdi; Tahriri, Abdorreza

2014-01-01

As the means of transferring knowledge between teachers and students, coursebooks play a significant role in educational practices all over the world. Evaluation of coursebooks is also of great significance as it manages to a better understanding of the nature of a specific teaching/learning situation. The present study is an attempt to evaluate…

Character, mass, distribution, and origin of tephra-fall deposits from the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska: highlighting the significance of particle aggregation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wallace, Kristi; Coombs, Michelle L; Schaefer, Janet R.

2013-01-01

Particle size data showing a preponderance of fine ash, even in the most proximal locations, along with the abundance of aggregate lapilli documented in most samples, confirms that particle aggregation played a significant role in the 2009 eruption and induced premature fallout of fine ash.

Higher Frequency of CD4+CXCR5+ICOS+PD1+ T Follicular Helper Cells in Patients With Infectious Mononucleosis.

PubMed

Liu, Jinlin; Zhou, Yonglie; Yu, Qinghua; Zhao, Zhao; Wang, Huan; Luo, Xiaoming; Chen, Yanxia; Zhu, Zhongliang; Chen, Guoqing; Wu, Mao; Qiu, Liannv

2015-11-01

Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells are recognized as a distinct CD4helper T cell subset, and mainly dysregulated in the autoimmune disease, whether it plays a role in the infectious mononucleosis (IM) diseases is unknown. In this study, we found that the CD4CXCR5 Tfh cells were not significantly changed, but the CD4CXCR5ICOS and CD4CXCR5ICOSPD1 Tfh subsets were significantly increased in the IM patients, and all these cells were significantly changed after antiviral therapy. Second, only the numbers of CD4CXCR5ICOSPD1 Tfh cells correlated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load, negatively correlated with the numbers of naive B cells and amount of IL-21, and positively correlated with the numbers of plasma cells, memory B cells, and atypical lymphocytes. Third, the frequency of CD4CXCR5ICOSPD1 Tfh subset was significantly higher in lymphadenectasis or hepatosplenomegaly patients, and associated with the level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT). All together, our findings discovered this CD4CXCR5ICOSPD1 Tfh cell subset might play an important role in the pathogenesis of IM.

Effect of thiram on chicken growth plate cartilage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Thiram is a general use dithiocarbamate pesticide. It causes tibial dyschondroplasia, a growth plate cartilage defect in poultry characterized by growth plate broadening due to the accumulation of nonviable chondrocytes which lead to lameness. Since proteins play significant roles in all aspects cel...

Atmospheric waves on Venus as seen by the Venus Express Radio Science Experiment VeRa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tellmann, S.; Häusler, B.; Hinson, D. P.; Tyler, G. L.; Andert, T. P.; Bird, M. K.; Imamura, T.; Pätzold, M.; Remus, S.

2013-09-01

Next to quasi-horizontal waves and eddies on near planetary scales, diurnally forced eddies and thermal tides, small-scale gravity waves and turbulence play a significant role in the development and maintenance of atmospheric super rotation.

The Federal Aviation Administration : a historical perspective, 1903-2008. Introduction.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

Aviation has played a key role in the world we live in today. This document highlights the parts that have had significant influence in aviation history. Photographs and a compelling storytelling bring to live the history of the Federal Aviation Admi...

75 FR 42833 - Unblocking of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons Pursuant to Executive Order 12978

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-22

... Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) (``IEEPA''), issued Executive Order 12978 (60 FR 54579... Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General and Secretary of State: (a) to play a significant role...

75 FR 34216 - Unblocking of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons Pursuant to Executive Order 12978

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-16

... Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) (``IEEPA''), issued Executive Order 12978 (60 FR 54579... Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General and Secretary of State: (a) To play a significant role...

Computed parameters : moisture content for unbound materials at seasonal monitoring program sites

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-01-01

Moisture content plays a significant role in the performance of pavements. Variation in the amount of moisture in the subgrade can change the volume of swelling soil, which may result in detrimental deformation of the pavement structure. An increase ...

Laughing through Rereadings: Using Joke Books to Build Fluency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ness, Molly

2009-01-01

The author explores how the use of joke books can promote fluency in young readers. One young girl's fluency improved measurably, and her engagement and motivation to read the particular kind of text involved played a significant role. (Contains 2 tables.)

Multicultural Awareness and Technology in Higher Education: Global Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Issa, Tomayess, Ed.; Isaias, Pedro, Ed.; Kommers, Piet, Ed.

2014-01-01

Diversity among university students plays a significant role in raising awareness of numerous issues surrounding cultural heritage, language differences, cross-cultural collaboration, and international education. The integration of technological tools can assist students in cooperating nationally and internationally both in their current…

Gendered Construction: A Portfolio Extravaganza

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goins, Terilyn J.

2007-01-01

Even through simplistic nursery rhymes, communication provides a powerful medium through which people formulate and create impressions, images, and ideologies. Communication, verbal and nonverbal, clearly plays a significant role in individual gender construction. Through words and action, people create meaning for others and themselves. One's…

The First Weighing of Plutonium

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Seaborg, Glenn T.

1967-09-10

Recollections and reminiscences at the 25th Anniversary of the First Weighing of Plutonium, Chicago, IL, September 10, 1967, tell an important part of the story of this fascinating new element that is destined to play an increasingly significant role in the future of man.

Education and Social Cohesion for Economic Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camilleri, Mark A.; Camilleri, Adriana

2016-01-01

Relevant theoretical underpinnings suggest that higher education, continuous professional development and training provide numerous opportunities for societal advancement. This contribution posits that interventions in the realms of education can play a significant role in shaping key performance indicators for laudable social outcomes. It…

The role of pleiotrophin in bone repair.

PubMed

Lamprou, Margarita; Kaspiris, Angelos; Panagiotopoulos, Elias; Giannoudis, Peter V; Papadimitriou, Evangelia

2014-12-01

Bone has an enormous capacity for growth, regeneration, and remodelling, largely due to induction of osteoblasts that are recruited to the site of bone formation. Although the pathways involved have not been fully elucidated, it is well accepted that the immediate environment of the cells is likely to play a role via cell–matrix interactions, mediated by several growth factors. Formation of new blood vessels is also significant and interdependent to bone formation, suggesting that enhancement of angiogenesis could be beneficial during the process of bone repair. Pleiotrophin (PTN), also called osteoblast-specific factor 1, is a heparin-binding angiogenic growth factor, with a well-defined and significant role in both physiological and pathological angiogenesis. In this review we summarise the existing evidence on the role of PTN in bone repair.

Cutaneous infectious diseases: Kids are not just little people.

PubMed

Admani, Shehla; Jinna, Sphoorthi; Friedlander, Sheila Fallon; Sloan, Brett

2015-01-01

The changes in immune response that occur with age play a significant role in disease presentation and patient management. Evolution of the innate and adaptive immune systems throughout life, influenced partly by hormonal changes associated with puberty, plays a role in the differences between pediatric and adult response to disease. We review a series of manifestations of dermatologic infectious diseases spanning bacterial, viral, and fungal origins that can be seen in both pediatric and adult age groups and highlight similarities and differences in presentation and disease course. Therapeutic options are also discussed for these infectious diseases, with particular attention to variations in management between these population subgroups, given differences in pharmacokinetics and side effect profiles. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Eastern Boundary Upwelling Ecosystems: Review and Observing Needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavez, F.; Garçon, V. C.; Dewitte, B.; Montes, I.

2015-12-01

Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS) cover less than 3% of the world ocean surface but play a significant role in the climate system, and contribute disproportionately to ocean biological productivity with up to 40% of the reported global fish catch. Coupled with the vast coastal human populations, these regions play key socio-economic roles. Human pressure on these productive ecosystems and their services is increasing, requiring new and evolving scientific approaches to collect information and use it in management. Here we review and compare the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the four major EBUS: Benguela, California, Northwest Africa and Peru/Chile. Long-term trends and climate variability are emphasized. Technologies and systems for observing and understanding the changing marine ecosystems of EBUS are discussed.

The implementation of role play in education of pre-service vocational teacher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayati, L.; Pardjono, P.

2018-01-01

This article aims to: 1) explain the enhancement of students’ understanding about models of learning through role-play approach, and 2) find out the students’ response to the implementation of role-playing. Role-play is a technique that allows students to explore realistic situations by interacting with other people in a managed way in order to develop experience and trial different strategies in a supported environment. This is a Classroom Action Research consisting 2 cycles, held in the Apparel Pre-service Teacher Education Programs, Universitas Negeri Surabaya in 2016, in the subject of Teaching and Learning Strategy. The number of research subject is 54 students. Data collected by giving test and questionnaire. The data analyzed by descriptive analysis. The result states that:1) Role-play succeeds to improve student understanding of learning models; 2) The student’s’ response shows that the role-play is an exciting activity, provide an opportunity for students to be creative, and easy to be applied. Role-play has flexibility for implemented at the university level, accelerates the student’s understanding of learning materials, trains the students’ independence, responsibility, awareness to others as important provisions to become a teacher.

A combined gene expression and functional study reveals the crosstalk between N-Myc and differentiation-inducing microRNAs in neuroblastoma cells

PubMed Central

Zhao, Zhenze; Ma, Xiuye; Shelton, Spencer D.; Sung, Derek C.; Li, Monica; Hernandez, Daniel; Zhang, Maggie; Losiewicz, Michael D.; Chen, Yidong; Pertsemlidis, Alexander; Yu, Xiaojie; Liu, Yuanhang; Du, Liqin

2016-01-01

MYCN amplification is the most common genetic alteration in neuroblastoma and plays a critical role in neuroblastoma tumorigenesis. MYCN regulates neuroblastoma cell differentiation, which is one of the mechanisms underlying its oncogenic function. We recently identified a group of differentiation-inducing microRNAs. Given the demonstrated inter-regulation between MYCN and microRNAs, we speculated that MYCN and the differentiation-inducing microRNAs might form an interaction network to control the differentiation of neuroblastoma cells. In this study, we found that eight of the thirteen differentiation-inducing microRNAs, miR-506-3p, miR-124-3p, miR-449a, miR-34a-5p, miR-449b-5p, miR-103a-3p, miR-2110 and miR-34b-5p, inhibit N-Myc expression by either directly targeting the MYCN 3′UTR or through indirect regulations. Further investigation showed that both MYCN-dependent and MYCN-independent pathways play roles in mediating the differentiation-inducing function of miR-506-3p and miR-449a, two microRNAs that dramatically down-regulate MYCN expression. On the other hand, we found that N-Myc inhibits the expression of multiple differentiation-inducing microRNAs, suggesting that these miRNAs play a role in mediating the function of MYCN. In examining the published dataset collected from clinical neuroblastoma specimens, we found that expressions of two miRNAs, miR-137 and miR-2110, were significantly anti-correlated with MYCN mRNA levels, suggesting their interactions with MYCN play a clinically-relevant role in maintaining the MYCN and miRNA expression levels in neuroblastoma. Our findings altogether suggest that MYCN and differentiation-inducing miRNAs form an interaction network that play an important role in neuroblastoma tumorigenesis through regulating cell differentiation. PMID:27764804

A combined gene expression and functional study reveals the crosstalk between N-Myc and differentiation-inducing microRNAs in neuroblastoma cells.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhenze; Ma, Xiuye; Shelton, Spencer D; Sung, Derek C; Li, Monica; Hernandez, Daniel; Zhang, Maggie; Losiewicz, Michael D; Chen, Yidong; Pertsemlidis, Alexander; Yu, Xiaojie; Liu, Yuanhang; Du, Liqin

2016-11-29

MYCN amplification is the most common genetic alteration in neuroblastoma and plays a critical role in neuroblastoma tumorigenesis. MYCN regulates neuroblastoma cell differentiation, which is one of the mechanisms underlying its oncogenic function. We recently identified a group of differentiation-inducing microRNAs. Given the demonstrated inter-regulation between MYCN and microRNAs, we speculated that MYCN and the differentiation-inducing microRNAs might form an interaction network to control the differentiation of neuroblastoma cells. In this study, we found that eight of the thirteen differentiation-inducing microRNAs, miR-506-3p, miR-124-3p, miR-449a, miR-34a-5p, miR-449b-5p, miR-103a-3p, miR-2110 and miR-34b-5p, inhibit N-Myc expression by either directly targeting the MYCN 3'UTR or through indirect regulations. Further investigation showed that both MYCN-dependent and MYCN-independent pathways play roles in mediating the differentiation-inducing function of miR-506-3p and miR-449a, two microRNAs that dramatically down-regulate MYCN expression. On the other hand, we found that N-Myc inhibits the expression of multiple differentiation-inducing microRNAs, suggesting that these miRNAs play a role in mediating the function of MYCN. In examining the published dataset collected from clinical neuroblastoma specimens, we found that expressions of two miRNAs, miR-137 and miR-2110, were significantly anti-correlated with MYCN mRNA levels, suggesting their interactions with MYCN play a clinically-relevant role in maintaining the MYCN and miRNA expression levels in neuroblastoma. Our findings altogether suggest that MYCN and differentiation-inducing miRNAs form an interaction network that play an important role in neuroblastoma tumorigenesis through regulating cell differentiation.

Evaluation of tight junction protein 1 encoding zona occludens 1 as a candidate gene for albuminuria in a Mexican American population.

PubMed

Lehman, D M; Leach, R J; Johnson-Pais, T; Hamlington, J; Fowler, S; Almasy, L; Duggirala, R; Stern, M P; Abboud, H E

2006-09-01

Albuminuria, a hallmark of diabetic nephropathy, has been shown to be significantly heritable in multiple studies. Therefore, the identification of genes that affect susceptibility to albuminuria may lead to novel avenues of intervention. Current evidence suggests that the podocyte and slit diaphragm play a key role in controlling the selective sieve of the glomerular filtration barrier, and podocyte-specific genes have been identified that are necessary for maintaining its integrity. We therefore investigated the role of gene variants of tight junction protein (TJP1) which encodes another slit diaphragm-associated protein zona occludens 1 as risk factors for albuminuria in the San Antonio Family Diabetes/Gallbladder Study (SAFDGS), which consists of extended Mexican-American families with a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Albuminuria, defined as an albumin (mg/dl) to creatinine (mg/dl) ratio (ACR) of 0.03, which is approximately equivalent to a urinary albumin excretion (UAE) >30 mg/day, was present in a total of 14.9% of participants, and 31% had type 2 diabetes. The TJP1 exons, flanking intronic sequence, and putative proximal promoter regions were investigated in this population. Twentynine polymorphisms, including 7 nonsynonymous SNPs, were identified and genotyped in all subjects of this study for association analysis. Three sets of correlated SNPs, which include 3 exonic SNPs, were nominally associated with ACR (p value range 0.007-0.049); however, the association with the discrete trait albuminuria was not significant (p value range 0.094-0.338). We conclude that these variants in TJP1 do not appear to be major determinants for albuminuria in the SAFDGS; however, they may play a minor role in its severity in this Mexican-American population. Further examination of the TJP1 gene region in this and other cohorts will be useful to determine whether ZO-1 plays a significant role in glomerular permselectivity.

Interleukin-6 and lung inflammation: evidence for a causative role in inducing respiratory system resistance increments.

PubMed

Rubini, Alessandro

2013-10-01

Interleukin-6 is a multifunctional cytokine that has been shown to be increased in some pathological conditions involving the respiratory system such as those experimentally induced in animals or spontaneously occurring in humans. Experimental data demonstrating that interleukin-6 plays a significant role in commonly occurring respiratory system inflammatory diseases are reviewed here. Those diseases, i.e. asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are characterised by mechanical derangements of the respiratory system, for the most part due to increased elastance and airway resistance. Recent findings showing that interleukin-6 has a causative role in determining an increase in airway resistance are reviewed. The end-inflation occlusion method was used to study the mechanical properties of the respiratory system before and after interleukin-6 administration. The cytokine was shown to induce significant, dose-dependent increments in both the resistive pressure dissipation due to frictional forces opposing the airflow in the airway (ohmic resistance) and the additional resistive pressure dissipation due to the visco-elastic properties of the system, i.e. stress relaxation (visco-elastic resistance). There were no alterations in respiratory system elastance. Even when administered to healthy mammals, interleukin-6 determines a significant effect on respiratory system resistance causing an increase in the mechanical work of breathing during inspiration. IL-6 hypothetically plays an active role in the pathogenesis of respiratory system diseases and the mechanisms that may be involved are discussed here.

Knocking-out matrix metalloproteinase-13 exacerbates rotator cuff muscle fatty infiltration.

PubMed

Liu, Xuhui; Ravishankar, Bharat; Ning, Anne; Liu, Mengyao; Kim, Hubert T; Feeley, Brian T

2017-01-01

Rotator cuff (RC) tears are common tendon injuries. Clinically, both muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration have generally been attributed to poor functional outcomes. Matrix metalloproteinase-13 plays a crucial role in extracellular matrix remodeling in many physiological and pathological processes. Nevertheless, its role in rotator cuff muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to define the functional role of MMP-13 in rotator cuff muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration using a mouse RC tears model. Unilateral complete supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendon transection and suprascapular nerve transection was performed on nine of MMP-13 (-/-) knockout and nine of MMP-13 (+/+) wildtype mice at 3 months old. Mice were sacrificed 6 weeks after surgery. Supraspinatus (SS) and infraspinatus (IS) muscles were harvested for histology and gene expression analysis with RT-PCR. Six weeks after RC surgery, no significant difference in muscle atrophy and fibrosis between MMP-13 knockout and wild type mice was observed. However, there was a significant increase in the amount of fatty infiltration in MMP-13 knockout mice compared to the wild types. Muscles from MMP-13 knockout mice have significantly higher expression of fatty infiltration related genes. Results from this study suggest that MMP-13 plays a crucial role in rotator cuff muscle fatty degeneration. This novel finding suggests a new molecular mechanism that governs RC muscle FI and MMP-13 may serve as a target for therapeutics to treat muscle FI after RC tears.

Motivation within Role-Playing as a Means to Intensify College Students' Educational Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burenkova, Olga Mikhailovna; Arkhipova, Irina Vladimirovna; Semenov, Sergei Aleksandrovich; Samarenkina, Saniya Zakirzyanovna

2015-01-01

This article covers college students' educational activity issues while studying a foreign language; analyzes special aspects of motivation introduction, their specific features. It also defines role and structure of role-playing. The authors come to the conclusion that introduction of role-playing in an educational process will bring it closer to…

NGA East | Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER)

Science.gov Websites

the Geotechnical and Vertical WGs shown in Figure 1. The role of the different groups and participants essentially play the role of Resource Experts and the sub-award researchers and contractors play the role of Specialty Contractors. Some individuals from these two groups will also play a Proponent Expert role at

Drama and Role Playing in Teaching Practice: The Role of Group Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çerkez, Yagmur; Altinay, Zehra; Altinay, Fahriye; Bashirova, Elnara

2012-01-01

The research study aims to explore the essence of group work in drama and role playing for teaching practice inline with the nature of collaborative learning process. This research study has qualitative nature by capturing experiences of volunteer ninety pre-service teachers about group works, gained skills from drama and role playing in their…

Restaurant Role-Play in Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borya, Anthony

2013-01-01

Research methods is perceived as a technical and difficult topic by some students. Using role-play to teach it can make it more accessible, meaningful and engaging. Role-playing the familiar roles of customer and waiting staff at a restaurant and discussing the variables that may affect the size of tips can help students to learn some of the key…

Heroes of Resiliency and Reciprocity: Teachers' Supporting Role for Reconceptualizing Superhero Play in Early Childhood Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Kathleen I.

2016-01-01

Superhero play is a specialised form of fantasy play with considerable appeal to young children. During superhero play, children have opportunities to pretend and often to play different types of roles within a safe and caring environment. When guided appropriately in an early childhood classroom, superhero play gives young children opportunities…

From Togetherness to Equal Partnership in Role Play.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hannikainen, Maritta

1998-01-01

Explored different kinds of participation in play and development of joint role play. Observed games and play sessions of a 2-year-old girl in a day care group. Found that the girl proceeded from a feeling of togetherness in a shared space through parallel and successive play actions to reciprocity and equal exchange of play actions. (JPB)

Playing with Mathematics: Play in Early Childhood as a Context for Mathematical Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 2010

2010-01-01

Play is an essential part of young children's lives. This symposium highlights the integral role of play in young children's mathematics learning and examines the teacher's role in facilitating and extending this. Papers examine key tenets of play, contributing to theoretical understandings and presenting data on teacher's perceptions of play and…

Virtual Playgrounds? Assessing the Playfulness of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Kerrie Lewis

2010-01-01

Millions of children and adults devote much of their leisure time to playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Most observers commonly categorize computer games as a play activity, but this article asks whether MMORPGs contain activities that might not be play. The author examines the phenomenon of online gaming and…