Morningness-Eveningness and Satisfaction with Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randler, Christoph

2008-01-01

Individual differences in diurnal preferences and circadian rhythms are viewed as an interesting dimension of human personality. Previous research has examined various psychological correlates of diurnal preference. Evening types reported psychological and psychosomatic disturbances more frequently and intensively than morning types and morning…

Factors Associated With Pharmacy Student Interest in International Study

PubMed Central

Owen, Chelsea; Breheny, Patrick; Ingram, Richard; Pfeifle, William; Cain, Jeff

2013-01-01

Objectives. To examine the interest of pharmacy students in international study, the demographic factors and involvement characteristics associated with that interest, and the perceived advantages and barriers of engaging in international opportunities during pharmacy school. Methods. A self-administered electronic survey instrument was distributed to first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. Results. There were 192 total respondents, for a response rate of 50.9%. Seventy-two percent reported interest in international study. Previous international study experience (p=0.001), previous international travel experience (p=0.002), year in pharmacy school (p=0.03), level of academic involvement (p<0.001), and level of diversity involvement (p<0.001) were associated with international study interest. Positive influences to international study included desire to travel and availability of scholarships. Perceived barriers included an inability to pay expenses and lack of foreign language knowledge. Conclusions. The needs and interests of pharmacy students should be considered in the development and expansion of internationalization programs in order to effectively optimize global partnerships and available international experiences. Colleges and schools of pharmacy should engage students early in the curriculum when interest in study-abroad opportunities is highest and seek to alleviate concerns about expenses as a primary influence on study-abroad decisions through provision of financial assistance. PMID:23610472

Factors associated with pharmacy student interest in international study.

PubMed

Owen, Chelsea; Breheny, Patrick; Ingram, Richard; Pfeifle, William; Cain, Jeff; Ryan, Melody

2013-04-12

OBJECTIVES. To examine the interest of pharmacy students in international study, the demographic factors and involvement characteristics associated with that interest, and the perceived advantages and barriers of engaging in international opportunities during pharmacy school. METHODS. A self-administered electronic survey instrument was distributed to first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. RESULTS. There were 192 total respondents, for a response rate of 50.9%. Seventy-two percent reported interest in international study. Previous international study experience (p=0.001), previous international travel experience (p=0.002), year in pharmacy school (p=0.03), level of academic involvement (p<0.001), and level of diversity involvement (p<0.001) were associated with international study interest. Positive influences to international study included desire to travel and availability of scholarships. Perceived barriers included an inability to pay expenses and lack of foreign language knowledge. CONCLUSIONS. The needs and interests of pharmacy students should be considered in the development and expansion of internationalization programs in order to effectively optimize global partnerships and available international experiences. Colleges and schools of pharmacy should engage students early in the curriculum when interest in study-abroad opportunities is highest and seek to alleviate concerns about expenses as a primary influence on study-abroad decisions through provision of financial assistance.

Interest in STEM is contagious for students in biology, chemistry, and physics classes

PubMed Central

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Cribbs, Jennifer D.; Godwin, Allison; Scott, Tyler D.; Klotz, Leidy

2017-01-01

We report on a study of the effect of peers’ interest in high school biology, chemistry, and physics classes on students’ STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)–related career intentions and course achievement. We define an interest quorum as a science class where students perceive a high level of interest for the subject matter from their classmates. We hypothesized that students who experience such an interest quorum are more likely to choose STEM careers. Using data from a national survey study of students‘ experiences in high school science, we compared the effect of five levels of peer interest reported in biology, chemistry, and physics courses on students‘ STEM career intentions. The results support our hypothesis, showing a strong, positive effect of an interest quorum even after controlling for differences between students that pose competing hypotheses such as previous STEM career interest, academic achievement, family support for mathematics and science, and gender. Smaller positive effects of interest quorums were observed for course performance in some cases, with no detrimental effects observed across the study. Last, significant effects persisted even after controlling for differences in teaching quality. This work emphasizes the likely importance of interest quorums for creating classroom environments that increase students’ intentions toward STEM careers while enhancing or maintaining course performance. PMID:28808678

Interest in STEM is contagious for students in biology, chemistry, and physics classes.

PubMed

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Cribbs, Jennifer D; Godwin, Allison; Scott, Tyler D; Klotz, Leidy

2017-08-01

We report on a study of the effect of peers' interest in high school biology, chemistry, and physics classes on students' STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-related career intentions and course achievement. We define an interest quorum as a science class where students perceive a high level of interest for the subject matter from their classmates. We hypothesized that students who experience such an interest quorum are more likely to choose STEM careers. Using data from a national survey study of students' experiences in high school science, we compared the effect of five levels of peer interest reported in biology, chemistry, and physics courses on students' STEM career intentions. The results support our hypothesis, showing a strong, positive effect of an interest quorum even after controlling for differences between students that pose competing hypotheses such as previous STEM career interest, academic achievement, family support for mathematics and science, and gender. Smaller positive effects of interest quorums were observed for course performance in some cases, with no detrimental effects observed across the study. Last, significant effects persisted even after controlling for differences in teaching quality. This work emphasizes the likely importance of interest quorums for creating classroom environments that increase students' intentions toward STEM careers while enhancing or maintaining course performance.

Relations of children's proactive and reactive assertiveness to peer acceptance: moderating effects of social interest.

PubMed

Lee, Han-Jong

2014-06-01

Previous studies on the social outcome of assertiveness reported mixed findings, failing to support the assumption that assertiveness promotes peer acceptance. In an attempt to provide explanations for the inconsistencies in prior findings, this study proposed making a distinction between proactive and reactive assertiveness and examined the moderating effects of social interest. A total of 441 fifth and sixth graders (232 boys, 209 girls; M age = 10.6 yr., SD = 0.6) participated in the study. Results indicated that proactive assertiveness was positively related to peer acceptance regardless of social interest. By contrast, reactive assertiveness was positively related to peer acceptance but only when social interest is high. When social interest is low, it was negatively associated with peer acceptance.

Wirelessly Interrogated Wear or Temperature Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodard, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.

2010-01-01

Sensors for monitoring surface wear and/or temperature without need for wire connections have been developed. Excitation and interrogation of these sensors are accomplished by means of a magnetic-field-response recorder. In a sensor of the present type as in the previously reported ones, the capacitance and, thus, the resonance frequency, varies as a known function of the quantity of interest that one seeks to determine. Hence, the resonance frequency is measured and used to calculate the quantity of interest.

What pollutes more: Burning logging scraps on-site or hauling them to boilers?

Treesearch

Greg Jones; Dan Loeffler

2008-01-01

Publicity and debate about global climate change has fueled interest in the role forests and forest management activities play in carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. Our previous ECO-Report contained an article on greenhouse gas emissions released when woody biomass from forest residues are used for energy (see page 9 of 2007 ECO-Report at www.fs.fed.us/...

Teaching Generation Me

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Twenge, Jean M.

2013-01-01

Today's college students are significantly different from previous generations. On average, they are overconfident, have high expectations, report higher narcissism, are lower in creativity, are less interested in civic issues, and are less inclined to read long passages of text. They are highly confident of their abilities and received…

Are narcissists more attracted to people in relationships than to people not in relationships?

PubMed Central

Okdie, Bradley M.

2018-01-01

Does grandiose narcissism predict greater attraction for others in relationships? We examined this question by replicating previous work implicating grandiose narcissists as mate poachers (Studies 1 and 2). We then used an experimental paradigm (Studies 3 and 4) to assess the extent to which grandiose narcissists indicate a greater interest in someone who is already in a relationship compared to someone who is single. Results suggest that although grandiose narcissism related to reports of more frequent mate poaching attempts, grandiose narcissists did not appear to be more interested in taking someone away from an existing relationship. Instead, participants took their own relationship status into consideration (rather than the relationship status of a target) when evaluating their interest in a target for a short-term fling or a long-term relationship. Thus, although grandiose narcissists report more frequent mate poaching attempts, they do not appear to be more interested in people in relationships compared to those who are single. PMID:29584747

Are narcissists more attracted to people in relationships than to people not in relationships?

PubMed

Brunell, Amy B; Robison, Joshua; Deems, Nicholas P; Okdie, Bradley M

2018-01-01

Does grandiose narcissism predict greater attraction for others in relationships? We examined this question by replicating previous work implicating grandiose narcissists as mate poachers (Studies 1 and 2). We then used an experimental paradigm (Studies 3 and 4) to assess the extent to which grandiose narcissists indicate a greater interest in someone who is already in a relationship compared to someone who is single. Results suggest that although grandiose narcissism related to reports of more frequent mate poaching attempts, grandiose narcissists did not appear to be more interested in taking someone away from an existing relationship. Instead, participants took their own relationship status into consideration (rather than the relationship status of a target) when evaluating their interest in a target for a short-term fling or a long-term relationship. Thus, although grandiose narcissists report more frequent mate poaching attempts, they do not appear to be more interested in people in relationships compared to those who are single.

Evidence of Construct Validity in the Assessment of Hebephilia.

PubMed

Stephens, Skye; Seto, Michael C; Goodwill, Alasdair M; Cantor, James M

2017-01-01

Hebephilia refers to a persistent intense sexual interest in pubescent children. Although not as widely studied as pedophilia, studies of hebephilia have indicated convergence in self-report and sexual arousal. The present study expanded on previous work by examining convergent and divergent validity across indicators of hebephilia that included self-report, sexual behavior, and sexual arousal in a sample of 2238 men who had sexually offended. We included men who denied such interest and specifically examined the overlap between hebephilia and pedophilia and examined pedohebephilia (i.e., sexual interests in both prepubescent and pubescent children). Results indicated that there was considerable convergence across indicators of hebephilia. The results suggested poor divergent validity between hebephilia and pedophilia, as there was substantial overlap between the two constructs across analyses. Finally, a distinct pattern of sexual arousal was found in offenders with pedohebephilia. The results of the present study were discussed with a focus on implications for the assessment of sexual interest in children and the conceptualization of pedohebephilia.

Interest in cosmetic improvement as a marker for tanning behavior: a survey of 1602 respondents

PubMed Central

Cathcart, Shelley; DeCoster, Jamie; Northington, Marian; Cantrell, Wendy; Elmets, Craig A.; Elewski, Boni E.

2011-01-01

Dermatologists see many patients interested in improving their physical appearance through cosmetic procedures or medical means. Dermatologists frequently counsel patients on sun protection as well, particularly those with a personal or family history of skin cancer, sun-sensitive dermatoses or those with obvious sun damage. Our objective in this study was to identify novel markers of skin cancer risk which may aid dermatologists in targeting extra sun protection counseling for certain groups. A sixteen-question survey was distributed to subjects nineteen years of age and older in public areas of downtown Birmingham, Alabama in August and September of 2008. Overall, about 40% of both genders reported that they were highly concerned that current sun exposure could cause skin cancer. Participants interested in at least one appearance-related questionnaire item were significantly more likely than those not interested to rate tanned skin as highly important (31.6% vs 17.5%, p<0.001), and to report regret for previous sun exposure (12.5% vs 3.6%, p<0.001). Subjects who thought tanned skin was important were significantly more likely to report interest in improving their appearance through cosmetic procedures and medical means. We conclude that individuals with an interest in improving their physical appearance through cosmetic procedures or medical means may be especially in need of sun protection counseling. PMID:21332909

Interest in cosmetic improvement as a marker for tanning behavior: a survey of 1602 respondents.

PubMed

Cathcart, Shelley; DeCoster, Jamie; Northington, Marian; Cantrell, Wendy; Elmets, Craig A; Elewski, Boni E

2011-03-01

Dermatologists see many patients interested in improving their physical appearance through cosmetic procedures or medical means. Dermatologists frequently counsel patients on sun protection as well, particularly those with a personal or family history of skin cancer, sun-sensitive dermatoses or those with obvious sun damage. Our objective in this study was to identify novel markers of skin cancer risk, which may aid dermatologists in targeting extra sun protection counseling for certain groups. A 16-question survey was distributed to subjects 19 years of age and older in public areas of downtown Birmingham, Alabama in August and September of 2008. Overall, about 40% of both genders reported that they were highly concerned that current sun exposure could cause skin cancer. Participants interested in at least one appearance-related questionnaire item were significantly more likely than those not interested to rate tanned skin as highly important (31.6%vs. 17.5%, P<0.001), and to report regret for previous sun exposure (12.5%vs. 3.6%, P<0.001). Subjects who thought tanned skin was important were significantly more likely to report interest in improving their appearance through cosmetic procedures and medical means. We conclude that individuals with an interest in improving their physical appearance through cosmetic procedures or medical means may be especially in need of sun protection counseling. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Interest in a Mobile App for Two-Way Risk Communication: A Survey Study Among European Healthcare Professionals and Patients.

PubMed

de Vries, Sieta T; Denig, Petra; Lasheras Ruiz, Carmen; Houÿez, François; Wong, Lisa; Sutcliffe, Alastair; Mol, Peter G M

2018-07-01

Previously, an app has been developed for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients to report adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to national medicines agencies and to receive drug safety information. This study aimed to assess (1) European HCPs' and patients' interest in an app for this two-way risk communication; (2) their preferences and perceptions towards specific app characteristics; and (3) which HCPs and patients are particularly interested in the app. In addition, these aspects were studied specifically for the countries where such an app was already available, i.e. Croatia, The Netherlands, and The UK. European HCPs and patients were asked to complete a web-based survey developed in the context of the Web-Recognizing Adverse Drug Reactions (Web-RADR) project. Data on app interest and preferences and perceptions towards app characteristics were analysed descriptively. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association of HCP characteristics and patient characteristics on the level of interest in the app (i.e. very interested vs. not/somewhat interested). In total, 399 HCPs and 656 patients completed the survey. About half of the patients (48%; ranging from 38% from The Netherlands to 54% from The UK), and 61% of the HCPs (ranging from 42% from The Netherlands to 54% from The UK) were very interested in the app. A faster means of reporting ADRs and easier access to the reporting form were the main perceived benefits. HCPs and patients who already use a health app were particularly interested in the app (HCPs: odds ratio [OR] 3.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.96-6.30, patients: OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.19-2.27). An app is positively perceived by HCPs and patients for reporting ADRs quickly and for receiving drug safety information from national medicines agencies. In particular, HCPs and patients who already use other health apps were interested in the app.

12 CFR 5.50 - Change in bank control; reporting of stock loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... of the acquisition of voting shares of a national bank in satisfaction of a debt previously... can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the OCC that the voting securities are not the anticipated... stability or management resources, the interests of the bank's customers, the Federal deposit insurance fund...

Trends in Children's Video Game Play: Practical but Not Creative Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamlen, Karla R.

2013-01-01

Prior research has found common trends among children's video game play as related to gender, age, interests, creativity, and other descriptors. This study re-examined the previously reported trends by utilizing principal components analysis with variables such as creativity, general characteristics, and problem-solving methods to determine…

Attitudes and Beliefs of Prekindergarten Teachers toward Teaching Science to Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pendergast, Evelaine; Lieberman-Betz, Rebecca G.; Vail, Cynthia O.

2017-01-01

This study explored infield prekindergarten teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward teaching science to young children. In addition, prekindergarten teachers' previous and future interests in science-related professional development were assessed. Data were collected through a self-report measure, the preschool teacher attitudes and beliefs toward…

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

Kurtz, S.

This report summarizes the current status of the CPV industry and is updated from previous versions to include information from the last year. New information presented at the CPV-8 conference is included along with the addition of new companies that have announced their interest in CPV, and estimates of production volumes for 2011 and 2012.

Special interests and subjective wellbeing in autistic adults.

PubMed

Grove, Rachel; Hoekstra, Rosa A; Wierda, Marlies; Begeer, Sander

2018-05-01

Special interests form part of the core features of autism. However, to date there has been limited research focusing on the role of special interests in the lives of autistic adults. This study surveyed autistic adults on their special interest topics, intensity, and motivation. It also assessed the relationship between special interests and a range of quality of life measures including subjective wellbeing and domain specific life satisfaction. About two thirds of the sample reported having a special interest, with relatively more males reporting a special interest than females. Special interest topics included computers, autism, music, nature and gardening. Most autistic adults engaged in more than one special interest, highlighting that these interests may not be as narrow as previously described. There were no differences in subjective wellbeing between autistic adults with and without special interests. However, for autistic adults who did have special interests, motivation for engaging in special interests was associated with increased subjective wellbeing. This indicates that motivation may play an important role in our understanding of special interests in autism. Special interests had a positive impact on autistic adults and were associated with higher subjective wellbeing and satisfaction across specific life domains including social contact and leisure. However, a very high intensity of engagement with special interests was negatively related to wellbeing. Combined, these findings have important implications for the role of special interests in the lives of autistic adults. Autism Res 2018, 11: 766-775. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autistic adults reported having special interests in a range of topics, including computers, music, autism, nature and gardening. Special interests were associated with a number of positive outcomes for autistic adults. They were also related to subjective wellbeing and satisfaction across specific life domains including social contact and leisure. Very high intensity of engagement with special interests was related to lower levels of wellbeing. This highlights the important role that special interests play in the lives of autistic adults. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Incoming resident interest in global health: occasional travel versus a future career abroad?

PubMed

Birnberg, Jonathan M; Lypson, Monica; Anderson, R Andy; Theodosis, Christian; Kim, Jimin; Olopade, Olufunmilayo I; Arora, Vineet M

2011-09-01

While there is growing interest among residents in participating in international health experiences, it is unclear whether this interest will translate into intentions to pursue a global health career. We aimed to describe overall interest in and career intentions toward global health among interns. We administered an anonymous survey to incoming interns in all specializations during graduate medical education orientation at 3 teaching hospitals affiliated with 2 Midwestern US medical schools in June 2009. Survey domains included demographics, previous global health experiences, interest in and barriers to participating in global health experiences during residency, and plans to pursue a future global health career. Response rate was 87% (299 of 345 residents). The most commonly reported barriers to participating in global health experiences were scheduling (82%) and financial (80%) concerns. Two-thirds of interns (65%) reported they were likely to focus on global health in their future career. Of those envisioning a global health career, 77% of interns reported interest in participating in short, occasional trips in the future; and 23% of interns intended to pursue a part-time or full-time career abroad. Interns committed to a career abroad were more willing to use vacation time (73% vs. 40% of all others, respectively; P < .001) or to personally finance the trip (58% vs. 27% of all others, respectively; P  =  < .001), and were less concerned about personal safety than interns not committed (9% vs. 26% of all others, respectively; P  =  .01). Although a large proportion of incoming interns report interest in global health careers, few are committed to a global health career. Medical educators could acknowledge career plans in global health when developing global health curricula.

Rainbow Trapping in Hyperbolic Metamaterial Waveguide

PubMed Central

Hu, Haifeng; Ji, Dengxin; Zeng, Xie; Liu, Kai; Gan, Qiaoqiang

2013-01-01

The recent reported trapped “rainbow” storage of light using metamaterials and plasmonic graded surface gratings has generated considerable interest for on-chip slow light. The potential for controlling the velocity of broadband light in guided photonic structures opens up tremendous opportunities to manipulate light for optical modulation, switching, communication and light-matter interactions. However, previously reported designs for rainbow trapping are generally constrained by inherent difficulties resulting in the limited experimental realization of this intriguing effect. Here we propose a hyperbolic metamaterial structure to realize a highly efficient rainbow trapping effect, which, importantly, is not limited by those severe theoretical constraints required in previously reported insulator-negative-index-insulator, insulator-metal-insulator and metal-insulator-metal waveguide tapers, and therefore representing a significant promise to realize the rainbow trapping structure practically. PMID:23409240

Annual Surveillance Summary: Clostridium difficile Infections in the Military Health System (MHS), 2016

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

factors related to CD. Health Level 7 (HL7)-formatted microbiology and chemistry data identified CDI. These infections were matched to HL7-formatted...resistant organisms . iii C. difficile in the MHS: Annual Summary 2016 Prepared June 2017 EpiData Center Department NMCPHC-EDC-TR-364...been discussed in a previous report (CY 2015 CDI annual report 1 ). The EDC also monitors other multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) of interest

Self-Reported Sexual Behavioral Interests and Polymorphisms in the Dopamine Receptor D4 (DRD4) Exon III VNTR in Heterosexual Young Adults.

PubMed

Halley, Andrew C; Boretsky, Melanie; Puts, David A; Shriver, Mark

2016-11-01

Polymorphisms in the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) have previously been shown to associate with a variety of human behavioral phenotypes, including ADHD pathology, alcohol and tobacco craving, financial risk-taking in males, and broader personality traits such as novelty seeking. Recent research has linked the presence of a 7-repeat (7R) allele in a 48-bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) along exon III of DRD4 to age at first sexual intercourse, sexual desire, arousal and function, and infidelity and promiscuity. We hypothesized that carriers of longer DRD4 alleles may report interest in a wider variety of sexual behaviors and experiences than noncarriers. Participants completed a 37-item questionnaire measuring sexual interests as well as Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory, and were genotyped for the 48-bp VNTR on exon III of DRD4. Based on our final genotyped sample of female (n = 139) and male (n = 115) participants, we found that 7R carriers reported interest in a wider variety of sexual behaviors (r = 0.16) within a young adult heterosexual sample of European descent. To our knowledge, this is the first reported association between DRD4 exon III VNTR genotype and interest in a variety of sexual behaviors. We discuss these findings within the context of DRD4 research and broader trends in human evolutionary history.

Knowledge discovery from structured mammography reports using inductive logic programming.

PubMed

Burnside, Elizabeth S; Davis, Jesse; Costa, Victor Santos; Dutra, Inês de Castro; Kahn, Charles E; Fine, Jason; Page, David

2005-01-01

The development of large mammography databases provides an opportunity for knowledge discovery and data mining techniques to recognize patterns not previously appreciated. Using a database from a breast imaging practice containing patient risk factors, imaging findings, and biopsy results, we tested whether inductive logic programming (ILP) could discover interesting hypotheses that could subsequently be tested and validated. The ILP algorithm discovered two hypotheses from the data that were 1) judged as interesting by a subspecialty trained mammographer and 2) validated by analysis of the data itself.

Complete genome sequence of the Antarctic Halorubrum lacusprofundi type strain ACAM 34

DOE PAGES

Anderson, Iain J.; DasSarma, Priya; Lucas, Susan; ...

2016-09-10

Halorubrum lacusprofundi is an extreme halophile within the archaeal phylum Euryarchaeota. The type strain ACAM 34 was isolated from Deep Lake, Antarctica. H. lacusprofundi is of phylogenetic interest because it is distantly related to the haloarchaea that have previously been sequenced. It is also of interest because of its psychrotolerance. We report here the complete genome sequence of H. lacusprofundi type strain ACAM 34 and its annotation. In conclusion, this genome is part of a 2006 Joint Genome Institute Community Sequencing Program project to sequence genomes of diverse Archaea.

Complete genome sequence of the Antarctic Halorubrum lacusprofundi type strain ACAM 34

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

Anderson, Iain J.; DasSarma, Priya; Lucas, Susan

Halorubrum lacusprofundi is an extreme halophile within the archaeal phylum Euryarchaeota. The type strain ACAM 34 was isolated from Deep Lake, Antarctica. H. lacusprofundi is of phylogenetic interest because it is distantly related to the haloarchaea that have previously been sequenced. It is also of interest because of its psychrotolerance. We report here the complete genome sequence of H. lacusprofundi type strain ACAM 34 and its annotation. In conclusion, this genome is part of a 2006 Joint Genome Institute Community Sequencing Program project to sequence genomes of diverse Archaea.

Revascularization of a thrombosed, previously stented aorto-renal graft using combined directional atherectomy and AngioJet thrombectomy.

PubMed

Seth, A; Mathur, A; Chandra, P; Aggarwal, P; Khanna, N

1999-01-01

We report an interesting case with bilateral PTFE aorto-renal grafts of which one graft underwent balloon angioplasty and stenting for proximal stenosis. Combined debulking by AngioJet thrombectomy and Simpsons directional atherectomy was performed within the stent following reocclusion of the graft 9 months later.

What Public Media Reveals about MOOCs: A Systematic Analysis of News Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kovanovic, Vitomir; Joksimovic, Srecko; Gaševic, Dragan; Siemens, George; Hatala, Marek

2015-01-01

One of the striking differences between massive open online courses (MOOCs) and previous innovations in the education technology field is the unprecedented interest and involvement of the general public. As MOOCs address pressing problems in higher education and the broader educational practice, awareness of the general public debate around MOOCs…

Implementation and Assessment of Food Safety Educational Materials for Secondary and Postsecondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shearer, Adrienne E. H.; Snider, O. Sue; Kniel, Kalmia E.

2014-01-01

Previous studies have reported on the inadequacy of youth knowledge and practice of food safety principles. The formal high school science classroom environment presents an opportunity to stimulate interest and increase knowledge in food safety with potential benefits to students in improved science literacy, development of life skills, and…

Coconut Allergy Revisited

PubMed Central

Anagnostou, Katherine

2017-01-01

Despite concerns voiced often by food-allergic patients, allergy to coconut is rare, not directly associated with nut allergy and few cases are reported so far in the literature. We present an interesting case of coconut allergy in a child that was previously tolerant to coconut and regularly exposed via both the skin and gastrointestinal route. PMID:28961189

Homologous recombination within the capsid gene of porcine circovirus type 2 subgroup viruses via natural co-infection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Several studies had reported homologous recombination between porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2)-group 1 (Gp1) and -group 2 (Gp2) viruses. Interestingly, the recombination events described thus far mapped either within the Rep gene sequences or the sequences flanking the Rep gene region. Previously, ...

Correlation of Self-Assessment with Attendance in an Evidence-Based Medicine Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramirez, Beatriz U.

2015-01-01

In previous studies, correlations between attendance and grades in lectures have given variable results and, when statistically significant, the correlation has been weak. In some studies, a sex effect has been reported. Lectures are a teacher-centered learning activity. Therefore, it appeared interesting to evaluate if a stronger correlation…

Reading Motivation and Engagement at a Rural Georgia High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winfree, Linda

2013-01-01

As college and workplace success becomes increasingly dependent on reading, parents and educators have become more interested in how to engage students in reading. Teachers at a rural Georgia high school have reported that students are reluctant to engage in academic reading. Guided by previous research on the factors that promote or discourage…

Do vulnerable populations consume adequate amounts of dietary protein?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the previous year there has been a renewed interest in the adequacy of protein intake to maintain optimal health and to promote normal growth and development (1, 2). In this issue of the Journal there is an excellent report on protein consumption among children aged 6–36 mo from low-income countr...

Clinical Characteristics of Men Interested in Seeking Treatment for Use of Pornography

PubMed Central

Kraus, Shane W.; Martino, Steve; Potenza, Marc N.

2016-01-01

Background and aims This study examined the prevalence of, and factors associated with, men’s interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography. Methods Using an Internet-based data-collection procedure, we recruited 1,298 male pornography users to complete questionnaires assessing demographic and sexual behaviors, hypersexuality, pornography-use characteristics, and current interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography. Results Approximately 14% of men reported an interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography, whereas only 6.4% of men had previously sought treatment for use of pornography. Treatment-interested men were 9.5 times more likely to report clinically significant levels of hypersexuality compared with treatment-disinterested men (OR = 9.52, 95% CI = 6.72–13.49). Bivariate analyses indicated that interest-in-seeking-treatment status was associated with being single/unmarried, viewing more pornography per week, engaging in more solitary masturbation in the past month, having had less dyadic oral sex in the past month, reporting a history of seeking treatment for use of pornography, and having had more past attempts to either “cut back” or quit using pornography completely. Results from a binary logistic regression analysis indicated that more frequent cut back/quit attempts with pornography and scores on the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory – Control subscale were significant predictors of interest-in-seeking-treatment status. Discussion and conclusions Study findings could be used to inform current screening practices aimed at identifying specific aspects of sexual self-control, impulsivity, and/or compulsivity associated with problematic use of pornography among treatment-seeking individuals. PMID:27348557

Clinical Characteristics of Men Interested in Seeking Treatment for Use of Pornography.

PubMed

Kraus, Shane W; Martino, Steve; Potenza, Marc N

2016-06-01

Background and aims This study examined the prevalence of, and factors associated with, men's interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography. Methods Using an Internet-based data-collection procedure, we recruited 1,298 male pornography users to complete questionnaires assessing demographic and sexual behaviors, hypersexuality, pornography-use characteristics, and current interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography. Results Approximately 14% of men reported an interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography, whereas only 6.4% of men had previously sought treatment for use of pornography. Treatment-interested men were 9.5 times more likely to report clinically significant levels of hypersexuality compared with treatment-disinterested men (OR = 9.52, 95% CI = 6.72-13.49). Bivariate analyses indicated that interest-in-seeking-treatment status was associated with being single/unmarried, viewing more pornography per week, engaging in more solitary masturbation in the past month, having had less dyadic oral sex in the past month, reporting a history of seeking treatment for use of pornography, and having had more past attempts to either "cut back" or quit using pornography completely. Results from a binary logistic regression analysis indicated that more frequent cut back/quit attempts with pornography and scores on the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory - Control subscale were significant predictors of interest-in-seeking-treatment status. Discussion and conclusions Study findings could be used to inform current screening practices aimed at identifying specific aspects of sexual self-control, impulsivity, and/or compulsivity associated with problematic use of pornography among treatment-seeking individuals.

Why do some adolescents encounter everyday events that increase their civic interest whereas others do not?

PubMed

Stattin, Håkan; Hussein, Oula; Özdemir, Metin; Russo, Silvia

2017-02-01

Using a longitudinal design, we asked 2 age cohorts of adolescents (15- and 18-year-olds) whether they, during the last year, had experienced events that had increased their civic interest and about details of their experiences. Based on self-determination theory, we predicted that the adolescents who reported having experienced events of this kind had already been more interested and had had more positive feelings about politics much earlier in time, and that this original interest would have increased more over time, than that of other adolescents. Second, we proposed that the adolescents who had encountered events that triggered their civic interest would have been engaged in behaviors that reflected their needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence, much earlier in time, and that, over time, they would have increased these behaviors more than other adolescents. These 2 predictions were largely confirmed. As for the content of the events the adolescents reported, many of them concerned national and international issues experienced as threatening, and that challenged the adolescents' beliefs and morality. Overall, a previous interest in politics and engagement in exploratory behaviors that reflect the adolescents' psychological needs seem to play crucial roles in understanding why adolescents in their everyday life encounter events that trigger their civic interest. Further, the findings show that having had everyday experiences that trigger the adolescents' civic interests are associated with a later increase in political interest more broadly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Specificity of sexual arousal for sexual activities in men and women with conventional and masochistic sexual interests.

PubMed

Chivers, Meredith L; Roy, Carolyn; Grimbos, Teresa; Cantor, James M; Seto, Michael C

2014-07-01

Prior studies consistently report that men's genital responses correspond to their sexual activity interests (consenting vs. coercive sex) whereas women's responses do not. For women, however, these results may be confounded by the sexual activities studied and lack of suitable controls. We examined the subjective and genital arousal responses of men and women with conventional (22 men and 15 women) or masochistic sexual interests (16 men and 17 women) to narratives describing conventional sex or masochistic sex. The aims of the studies were twofold: (1) to examine whether gender differences in the specificity of sexual arousal previously observed for gender also exist for sexual activity interests; and (2) to examine whether men and women with masochistic sexual interests demonstrate specificity of sexual response for their preferred sexual activities. Surprisingly, the pattern of results was very similar for men and women. Both men and women with conventional sexual interests (WCI) reported more sexual arousal, and responded more genitally, to conventional than to masochistic sex, demonstrating specificity of sexual arousal for their preferred sexual activities. Despite showing specificity for conventional sexual activities, the genital responses of WCI were still gender nonspecific. In contrast, women and men with masochistic sexual interests demonstrated nonspecific subjective and genital responses to conventional and masochistic sex. Indices of genital and subjective sexual arousal to masochistic versus conventional stimuli were positively and significantly correlated with self-reported thoughts, fantasies, interests, and behaviors involving masochism. The results suggest that gender similarities in the specificity of sexual arousal for sexual activity exist despite consistent gender differences in the specificity of sexual arousal for gender.

Chiropractic Name techniques in Canada: a continued look at demographic trends and their impact on issues of jurisprudence

PubMed Central

Gleberzon, Brain J

2002-01-01

In a previous article, the author reported on the recommendations gathered from student projects between 1996 and 1999 investigating their preferences for including certain chiropractic Name technique systems into the curriculum at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC). These results were found to be congruent with the professional treatment technique used by Canadian chiropractors. This article reports on the data obtained during the 2000 and 2001 academic years, comparing these results to those previously gathered. In addition, because of the implementation of a new curriculum during this time period, there was unique opportunity to observe whether or not student perceptions differed between those students in the `old' curricular program, and those students in the `new' curricular program. The results gathered indicate that students in both curricular programs show an interest in learning Thompson Terminal Point, Activator Methods, Gonstead, and Active Release Therapy techniques in the core curriculum, as an elective, or during continuing educational programs provided by the college. Students continue to show less interest in learning CranioSacral Therapy, SacroOccipital Technique, Logan Basic, Applied Kinesiology and Chiropractic BioPhysics. Over time, student interest has moved away from Palmer HIO and other upper cervical techniques, and students show a declining interest in being offered instruction in either Network Spinal Analysis or Torque Release Techniques. Since these findings reflect the practice activities of Canadian chiropractors they may have implications not only towards pedagogical decision-making processes at CMCC, but they may also influence professional standards of care.

The motivation for special interests in individuals with autism and controls: Development and validation of the special interest motivation scale.

PubMed

Grove, Rachel; Roth, Ilona; Hoekstra, Rosa A

2016-06-01

Clinical observations and first person accounts of living with autism suggest that individuals with autism are highly motivated to engage in special interests, and that these interests remain important throughout life. Previous research assessing special interests has mainly focused on parental reports of children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). To better understand the significance of and motivations for engaging in special interests it is essential to use self-report ratings. This paper aims to systematically explore the motivations for engagement in special interests, and whether these differ in adults with ASC, first-degree relatives and general population controls. The Special Interest Motivation Scale (SIMS) was developed to assess motivation to engage in special interests. The internal structure of this scale was evaluated using factor analysis, and mean scores on the SIMS factors were subsequently compared across individuals with autism, parents and general population controls. Factor analysis indicated a 20-item SIMS containing five factors assessing Personal life values and goals; Intrinsic interest and knowledge; Prestige; Engagement and "flow" and Achievement. Individuals with autism were more motivated by Intrinsic interest and knowledge and by Engagement and flow than controls. The 20-item SIMS is a quick to administer measure that provides a reliable description of motivation to engage in special interests. This study indicates that individuals with ASC are highly motivated to engage in their special interest, and are more motivated than controls by intrinsic motivational factors, some of which are associated with positive affect. This has implications for research and clinical practice. Autism Res 2016, 9: 677-688. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prospective Primary Teachers' Understanding of Climate Change, Greenhouse Effect, and Ozone Layer Depletion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadimitriou, Vasiliki

2004-01-01

Climate change is one of the most serious global environmental problems and for that reason there has been lately a great interest in educating pupils, the future citizens, about it. Previous research has shown that pupils of all ages and teachers hold many misconceptions and misunderstandings concerning this issue. This paper reports on research…

Reinforcement and the Organization of Behavior in Golden Hamsters: Pavlovian Conditioning with Food and Shock Unconditioned Stimuli

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shettleworth, Sara J.

1978-01-01

There has been considerable interest lately in cases where instrumental conditionability appears to depend on the reinforcer used. Here the effects of Pavlovian conditioned stimuli (CSs)on golden hamster behaviors was observed. The intent was to see whether previously reported differences among the behaviors produced by food reinforcement and…

Model-Based Weighting and Comparisons: Research Report. ETS RR-08-17

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qian, Jiahe

2008-01-01

In survey research, sometimes the formation of groupings, or aggregations of cases on which to make an inference, are of importance. Of particular interest are the situations where the cases aggregated carry useful information that has been transferred from a sample employed in a previous study. For example, a school to be included in the sample…

County-Level Estimates of the Effects of a Universal Preschool Program in California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karoly, Lynn A.

2005-01-01

Growing interest in universal preschool education has prompted researchers to examine the potential costs and benefits of making high-quality preschool available for all children one or two years before kindergarten entry. The analysis reported in this document builds on a previous RAND study which estimated that a high-quality, one-year,…

Assessment for returning to work after spinal cord injuries and patient's vocational preferences.

PubMed

Ullah, Mohammad Mosayed; Sarker, Amit; Chowdhury, Suman Kanti

2015-01-01

Returning to work after spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex process due to the nature of injury and its devastating effect on all aspects of patients. This case study report is based on a spinal cord injury centre of Bangladesh. The evaluation examined vocational assessment process and vocational interest of persons with SCI undergoing rehabilitation program in the center. Occupational Therapists were interviewed to understand the existing vocational assessment services. This study also used data from 183 vocational assessment forms to find out the association of vocational interests and other demographic factors. The vocational assessment conducted to gathered information on the physical capacity of the patient and physical environment of patients living area only. The most preferred vocational interest was shop management 39%, and returning to previous job 38%. Vocational trades with the lowest level of interest were computer (2%) and electronics (3%), and 10% of patients at the time of assessment were undecided. A statistically significant association between interest to return to previous job and gender, age, occupation before injury and living area were found. Patients go through a complex process to adapt to a new life after experiencing SCI which is significantly influenced by the rehabilitation professionals around him/her. A comprehensive assessment including psychosocial information and therapist's expertise on facilitations making vocational decision based on the variables can optimize the rehabilitation outcome.

Haemophilus influenzae serotype e meningitis in an adult.

PubMed

Ulu-Kilic, Ayşegül; Kiliç, Ayşegül Ulu; Altay, Fatma Aybala; Gürbüz, Yunus; Otgun, Selin Nar; Sencan, Irfan

2010-05-01

The incidence of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) invasive disease has declined significantly in countries with routine infant Hib immunization. Accordingly, infections caused by other H. influenzae serotypes or by encapsulated H. influenzae strains are of growing interest. H. influenzae serotype e (Hie) is a rare cause of infection. Invasive Hie infections reported in adults are generally in individuals who had previous underlying conditions, in contrast to infections in childhood. We present the first report of Hie meningitis in Turkey. It is of interest that meningitis due to this organism occured as a complication of transsphenoidal hypophysectomy, which to our knowledge has never been documented. Further identification of H. influenzae strains isolated from patients with invasive disease, especially those with predisposing factors and/or who have been vaccinated, is essential.

A dual small-molecule rheostat for precise control of protein concentration in Mammalian cells.

PubMed

Lin, Yu Hsuan; Pratt, Matthew R

2014-04-14

One of the most successful strategies for controlling protein concentrations in living cells relies on protein destabilization domains (DD). Under normal conditions, a DD will be rapidly degraded by the proteasome. However, the same DD can be stabilized or "shielded" in a stoichiometric complex with a small molecule, enabling dose-dependent control of its concentration. This process has been exploited by several labs to post-translationally control the expression levels of proteins in vitro as well as in vivo, although the previous technologies resulted in permanent fusion of the protein of interest to the DD, which can affect biological activity and complicate results. We previously reported a complementary strategy, termed traceless shielding (TShld), in which the protein of interest is released in its native form. Here, we describe an optimized protein concentration control system, TTShld, which retains the traceless features of TShld but utilizes two tiers of small molecule control to set protein concentrations in living cells. These experiments provide the first protein concentration control system that results in both a wide range of protein concentrations and proteins free from engineered fusion constructs. The TTShld system has a greatly improved dynamic range compared to our previously reported system, and the traceless feature is attractive for elucidation of the consequences of protein concentration in cell biology. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pediatric advance directives: parents' knowledge, experience, and preferences.

PubMed

Liberman, Danica B; Pham, Phung K; Nager, Alan L

2014-08-01

To explore parents' and caregivers' experience, knowledge, and preferences regarding advance directives (ADs) for children who have chronic illness. We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional survey of parents and caregivers of children who have chronic illness. During ambulatory medical visits, participants were asked about previous AD experience and knowledge, future preferences regarding AD discussions, their child's past and current health status, and family demographics. Among 307 participants surveyed, previous AD experience was low, with 117 (38.1%) having heard of an AD, 54 (17.6%) having discussed one, and 77 (25.1%) having known someone who had an AD. Furthermore, 27 (8.8%) participants had an AD or living will of their own, and 8 (2.6%) reported that their chronically ill child had an AD. Previous AD knowledge was significantly more likely among parents and caregivers who had a college degree than those who did not have a high school diploma, yet significantly less likely among primarily Spanish-speaking parents and caregivers than those primarily English-speaking. Interest in creating an AD for the child was reported by 151 (49.2%) participants, and was significantly more likely among families who had more frequent emergency department visits over the previous year. The limited AD experience and knowledge of parents and caregivers of children who have chronic illness and their interest in creating an AD suggest an unmet need among families of children who have chronic illness, and an opportunity to enhance communication between families and medical teams regarding ADs and end-of-life care. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Online depression communities: members' interests and perceived benefits.

PubMed

Nimrod, Galit

2013-01-01

Most previous studies on online communities (peer-to-peer support groups) dedicated to people with depression related to members as a homogeneous group, and none examined differences between segments based on psychographic measures. Such segmentation may be most helpful in understanding members' participation patterns and explaining the benefits members gain from participation. This study aimed to explore whether members of online depression communities vary in their interests in issues discussed in the communities, and if so, whether groups with different interests also differ with regard to the benefits gained from participation. The study was based on an online survey of 793 members of 16 online depression communities. Results identified four member groups: concerned about daily living, information seekers, interested in all topics, and relatively less involved. There were very few differences between the groups in background characteristics, participation patterns, and level of depression. However, results indicated significant differences between the groups in perceived benefits, as the interested in all topics reported more "online support" and "offline improvement" than the information seekers and the relatively less involved, and more "offline improvement" than the concerned about daily living. Assuming that the reported interests reflected actual involvement in discussions of different issues, the findings suggest that combining supportive and informative discussions is more beneficial than attending to only one type of discussion, and stress the importance of informative discussions.

A Crosslinker Based on a Tethered Electrophile for Mapping Kinase-Substrate Networks

PubMed Central

Riel-Mehan, Megan M; Shokat, Kevan M

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Despite the continuing progress made towards mapping kinase signaling networks, there are still many phosphorylation events for which the responsible kinase has not yet been identified. We are interested in addressing this problem through forming covalent crosslinks between a peptide substrate and the corresponding phosphorylating kinase. Previously we reported a dialdehyde-based kinase binding probe capable of such a reaction with a peptide containing a cysteine substituted for the phosphorylatable ser/thr/tyr residue. Here, we examine the yield of a previously reported dialdehyde-based probe, and report that the dialdehyde based probes possesses a significant limitation in terms of crosslinked kinase-substrate product yield. To address this limitation, we develop a crosslinking scheme based on a kinase activity-based probe, and this new cross-linker provides an increase in efficiency and substrate specificity, including in the context of cell lysate. PMID:24746561

Carolina bays of the Savannah River Plant

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

Schalles, J.F.; Sharitz, R.R.; Gibbons, J.W.

1989-01-01

Much of the research to date on the Carolina bays of the Savannah River Plant and elsewhere has focused on certain species or on environmental features. Different levels of detail exist for different groups of organisms and reflect the diverse interests of previous investigators. This report summarizes aspects of research to date and presents data from numerous studies. 70 refs., 14 figs., 12 tabs.

Avian Schistosomes and Outbreaks of Cercarial Dermatitis

PubMed Central

Mikeš, Libor; Lichtenbergová, Lucie; Skála, Vladimír; Soldánová, Miroslava; Brant, Sara Vanessa

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Cercarial dermatitis (swimmer's itch) is a condition caused by infective larvae (cercariae) of a species-rich group of mammalian and avian schistosomes. Over the last decade, it has been reported in areas that previously had few or no cases of dermatitis and is thus considered an emerging disease. It is obvious that avian schistosomes are responsible for the majority of reported dermatitis outbreaks around the world, and thus they are the primary focus of this review. Although they infect humans, they do not mature and usually die in the skin. Experimental infections of avian schistosomes in mice show that in previously exposed hosts, there is a strong skin immune reaction that kills the schistosome. However, penetration of larvae into naive mice can result in temporary migration from the skin. This is of particular interest because the worms are able to migrate to different organs, for example, the lungs in the case of visceral schistosomes and the central nervous system in the case of nasal schistosomes. The risk of such migration and accompanying disorders needs to be clarified for humans and animals of interest (e.g., dogs). Herein we compiled the most comprehensive review of the diversity, immunology, and epidemiology of avian schistosomes causing cercarial dermatitis. PMID:25567226

The Extraordinary Nature of Barney's Drumming: A Complementary Study of Ordinary Noise Making in Chimpanzees.

PubMed

Dufour, Valérie; Pasquaretta, Cristian; Gayet, Pierre; Sterck, Elisabeth H M

2017-01-01

In a previous study (Dufour et al., 2015) we reported the unusual characteristics of the drumming performance of a chimpanzee named Barney. His sound production, several sequences of repeated drumming on an up-turned plastic barrel, shared features typical for human musical drumming: it was rhythmical, decontextualized, and well controlled by the chimpanzee. This type of performance raises questions about the origins of our musicality. Here we recorded spontaneously occurring events of sound production with objects in Barney's colony. First we collected data on the duration of sound making. Here we examined whether (i) the context in which objects were used for sound production, (ii) the sex of the producer, (iii) the medium, and (iv) the technique used for sound production had any effect on the duration of sound making. Interestingly, duration of drumming differed across contexts, sex, and techniques. Then we filmed as many events as possible to increase our chances of recording sequences that would be musically similar to Barney's performance in the original study. We filmed several long productions that were rhythmically interesting. However, none fully met the criteria of musical sound production, as previously reported for Barney.

The Extraordinary Nature of Barney's Drumming: A Complementary Study of Ordinary Noise Making in Chimpanzees

PubMed Central

Dufour, Valérie; Pasquaretta, Cristian; Gayet, Pierre; Sterck, Elisabeth H. M.

2017-01-01

In a previous study (Dufour et al., 2015) we reported the unusual characteristics of the drumming performance of a chimpanzee named Barney. His sound production, several sequences of repeated drumming on an up-turned plastic barrel, shared features typical for human musical drumming: it was rhythmical, decontextualized, and well controlled by the chimpanzee. This type of performance raises questions about the origins of our musicality. Here we recorded spontaneously occurring events of sound production with objects in Barney's colony. First we collected data on the duration of sound making. Here we examined whether (i) the context in which objects were used for sound production, (ii) the sex of the producer, (iii) the medium, and (iv) the technique used for sound production had any effect on the duration of sound making. Interestingly, duration of drumming differed across contexts, sex, and techniques. Then we filmed as many events as possible to increase our chances of recording sequences that would be musically similar to Barney's performance in the original study. We filmed several long productions that were rhythmically interesting. However, none fully met the criteria of musical sound production, as previously reported for Barney. PMID:28154521

Vocational interests and career indecision among psychosis-prone college students.

PubMed

Poreh, A M; Schullen, C

1998-10-01

This study investigated the relationship between scores on scales that purport to measure psychosis-proneness and scores on vocational interests, identity, and differentiation scales in a sample of 233 college students who completed the Perceptual Aberration and Magical Ideation scales, the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory, and the Career Decision Scale. The present findings are consistent with prior work indicating a sex-related association of scores on measures of psychosis-proneness and vocational interests. A positive correlation between scores on vocational indecision and measures of psychosis-proneness was also found, suggesting that both men and women who score high on psychosis-proneness find it difficult to formulate long-term career goals. Finally, there was no significant correlation between scores on measures of psychosis-proneness and Holland's Vocational Differentiation Index. Present results are discussed in light of previously reported sex differences among psychosis-prone adults and diagnosed schizophrenics. The implications of the findings for vocational counselors are also addressed.

Intramuscular Lipoma-Induced Occipital Neuralgia on the Lesser Occipital Nerve.

PubMed

Han, Hyun Ho; Kim, Hak Soo; Rhie, Jong Won; Moon, Suk Ho

2016-06-01

Occipital neuralgia (ON) is commonly characterized by a neuralgiform headache accompanied by a paroxysmal burning sensation in the dermatome area of the greater, lesser, or third occipital nerve. The authors report a rare case of ON caused by an intramuscular lipoma originating from the lesser occipital nerve.A 52-year-old man presented with sharp pain in the left postauricular area with a 3 × 2-cm palpable mass. Computed tomography revealed a mass suspiciously resembling an intramuscular lipoma within splenius muscle. In the operation field, a protruding mass causing stretching of the lesser occipital nerve was found. After complete resection, the neuralgiform headache symptom had resolved and the intramuscular lipoma was confirmed through histopathology.Previous studies on the causes of ON have reported that variation in normal anatomic structures results in nerve compression. Occipital neuralgia, however, caused by intramuscular lipomas in splenius muscles have not been previously reported, and the dramatic resolution following surgery makes it an interesting case worth reporting.

Presence of Li Clusters in Molten LiCl-Li

PubMed Central

Merwin, Augustus; Phillips, William C.; Williamson, Mark A.; Willit, James L.; Motsegood, Perry N.; Chidambaram, Dev

2016-01-01

Molten mixtures of lithium chloride and metallic lithium are of significant interest in various metal oxide reduction processes. These solutions have been reported to exhibit seemingly anomalous physical characteristics that lack a comprehensive explanation. In the current work, the physical chemistry of molten solutions of lithium chloride and metallic lithium, with and without lithium oxide, was investigated using in situ Raman spectroscopy. The Raman spectra obtained from these solutions were in agreement with the previously reported spectrum of the lithium cluster, Li8. This observation is indicative of a nanofluid type colloidal suspension of Li8 in a molten salt matrix. It is suggested that the formation and suspension of lithium clusters in lithium chloride is the cause of various phenomena exhibited by these solutions that were previously unexplainable. PMID:27145895

Fullerenes in Allende Meteorite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becker, L.; Bada, J. L.; Winans, R. E.; Bunch, T. E.

1994-01-01

The detection of fullerenes in deposits from meteor impacts has led to renewed interest in the possibility that fullerenes are present in meteorites. Although fullerenes have not previously been detected in the Murchison and Allende meteorites, the Allende meteorite is known to contain several well-ordered graphite particles which are remarkably similar in size and appearance to the fullerene-related structures carbon onions and nanotubes. We report that fullerenes are in fact present in trace amounts in the Allende meteorite. In addition to fullerenes, we detected many polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Allende meteorite, consistent with previous reports. In particular, we detected benzofluoranthene and corannulene (C20H10), five-membered ring structures which have been proposed as precursors to the formation of fullerene synthesis, perhaps within circumstellar envelopes or other sites in the interstellar medium.

Sex Differences in General Knowledge: Meta-Analysis and New Data on the Contribution of School-Related Moderators among High-School Students

PubMed Central

Tran, Ulrich S.; Hofer, Agnes A.; Voracek, Martin

2014-01-01

Research from various countries consistently reported an advantage of boys over girls in general knowledge and was also suggestive of some overall trends regarding specific domains of general knowledge that were speculated to stem from biologically differentiated interests. However, results were heterogeneous and, as of yet, had not been evaluated meta-analytically. Moreover, previous research drew on overly homogeneous high-school or undergraduate samples whose representativeness appears problematic; mostly, likely moderators, such as school type, student age or parental education, were also not directly investigated or controlled for. We provide a meta-analytical aggregation of available results regarding sex differences in general knowledge and present new data, investigating the psychometric properties of the General Knowledge Test (GKT), on which previous research primarily relied, and explored sex differences in a large and heterogeneous Austrian high-school student sample (N = 1088). The aggregated sex effect in general knowledge was of medium size in previous research, but differences in specific domains were heterogeneous across countries and only modest at best. Large sex differences in our data could be explained to a large part by school-related moderators (school type, school, student age, parental education) and selection processes. Boys had a remaining advantage over girls that was only small in size and that was consistent with the magnitude of sex differences in general intelligence. Analysis of the GKT yielded no evidence of biologically differentiated interests, but of a specific interest in the humanities among girls. In conclusion, previous research likely overestimated sex differences in general knowledge. PMID:25347190

Sex differences in general knowledge: meta-analysis and new data on the contribution of school-related moderators among high-school students.

PubMed

Tran, Ulrich S; Hofer, Agnes A; Voracek, Martin

2014-01-01

Research from various countries consistently reported an advantage of boys over girls in general knowledge and was also suggestive of some overall trends regarding specific domains of general knowledge that were speculated to stem from biologically differentiated interests. However, results were heterogeneous and, as of yet, had not been evaluated meta-analytically. Moreover, previous research drew on overly homogeneous high-school or undergraduate samples whose representativeness appears problematic; mostly, likely moderators, such as school type, student age or parental education, were also not directly investigated or controlled for. We provide a meta-analytical aggregation of available results regarding sex differences in general knowledge and present new data, investigating the psychometric properties of the General Knowledge Test (GKT), on which previous research primarily relied, and explored sex differences in a large and heterogeneous Austrian high-school student sample (N = 1088). The aggregated sex effect in general knowledge was of medium size in previous research, but differences in specific domains were heterogeneous across countries and only modest at best. Large sex differences in our data could be explained to a large part by school-related moderators (school type, school, student age, parental education) and selection processes. Boys had a remaining advantage over girls that was only small in size and that was consistent with the magnitude of sex differences in general intelligence. Analysis of the GKT yielded no evidence of biologically differentiated interests, but of a specific interest in the humanities among girls. In conclusion, previous research likely overestimated sex differences in general knowledge.

An Interesting Case of Oral Inverted Ductal Papilloma.

PubMed

Berridge, Natasha; Kumar, Mahesh

2016-12-01

Ductal papillomas are rare benign papillary tumours of the minor salivary glands. Previously they have been classified into three subtypes: inverted ductal papilloma (IDP), sialadenoma papilliferum and intraductal papilloma. The oral inverted ductal papilloma is the least common of these lesions, with 48 cases reported to date in a search of the English-language literature. We describe an interesting case of oral IDP and highlight the pertinent clinical and histopathological features. Importantly, unlike the histologically similar inverted papilloma (IP) of the nose and paranasal sinuses, oral IDP is a completely benign lesion and is not associated with malignant change. Clinical relevance: This case report aims to raise awareness of the lesion, oral inverted ductal papilloma (IDP). We outline the clinical features and unique histopathology of oral IDP so that clinicians may correctly diagnose such a lesion and implement appropriate treatment.

Factors influencing the choice of a career in food-animal practice among recent graduates and current students of Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine.

PubMed

Lenarduzzi, Roland; Sheppard, Guy A; Slater, Margaret R

2009-01-01

Concerns about a shortage of large and mixed-animal veterinarians have been discussed in the profession. To better understand veterinary career choices among currently enrolled veterinary students (classes of 2007-2010) and recent graduate veterinarians in Texas (classes of 2002-2006), an online survey was developed. The objectives were to examine: (1) the respondents' backgrounds, demographic data, and experiences; (2) the respondents' working conditions and rural lifestyle considerations; (3) the respondents' perceptions of large/mixed-animal practice; and (4) the factors that have influenced respondents' career choices. The response rate was 37% (390/1,042). Overall, 72% of students and 55% of recent graduates were interested in large/mixed-animal practice. More than 70% of respondents indicated that veterinary practitioners had the strongest personal influence on career choices. Respondents who were no longer interested in large/mixed-animal practice, or who had never been interested, reported no experience with large animals (42% and 64%, respectively) as the most common reason for their lack of interest. Previous and current interest in large/mixed-animal practice were associated with working in a large/mixed-animal practice, any agricultural experience, and working for at least 6 months on a farm or ranch. Any 4-H experience increased the likelihood of previous interest, while being married decreased the likelihood of current interest. Student contact with practitioners (82%) and financial considerations (77%) were most commonly cited as factors that would make a career in large/mixed-animal practice more attractive. Rural lifestyle drawbacks influenced respondents' career choices. Many forms of agricultural experience may expose and encourage students to consider large/mixed-animal practice.

The COMET Initiative database: progress and activities update (2015).

PubMed

Gargon, E; Williamson, P R; Altman, D G; Blazeby, J M; Tunis, S; Clarke, M

2017-02-03

This letter describes the substantial activity on the Core Outcome Measure in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) website in 2015, updating our earlier progress reports for the period from the launch of the COMET website and database in August 2011 to December 2014. As in previous years, 2015 saw further increases in the annual number of visits to the website, the number of pages viewed and the number of searches undertaken. The sustained growth in use of the website and database suggests that COMET is continuing to gain interest and prominence, and that the resources are useful to people interested in the development of core outcome sets.

Reward Size Informs Repeat-Switch Decisions and Strongly Modulates the Activity of Neurons in Parietal Cortex

PubMed Central

Kubanek, Jan; Snyder, Lawrence H.

2017-01-01

Abstract Behavior is guided by previous experience. Good, positive outcomes drive a repetition of a previous behavior or choice, whereas poor or bad outcomes lead to an avoidance. How these basic drives are implemented by the brain has been of primary interest to psychology and neuroscience. We engaged animals in a choice task in which the size of a reward outcome strongly governed the animals' subsequent decision whether to repeat or switch the previous choice. We recorded the discharge activity of neurons implicated in reward-based choice in 2 regions of parietal cortex. We found that the tendency to retain previous choice following a large (small) reward was paralleled by a marked decrease (increase) in the activity of parietal neurons. This neural effect is independent of, and of sign opposite to, value-based modulations reported in parietal cortex previously. This effect shares the same basic properties with signals previously reported in the limbic system that detect the size of the recently obtained reward to mediate proper repeat-switch decisions. We conclude that the size of the obtained reward is a decision variable that guides the decision between retaining a choice or switching, and neurons in parietal cortex strongly respond to this novel decision variable. PMID:26491065

Mg-perovskite/silicate melt and magnesiowuestite/silicate melt partition coefficients for KLB-1 at 250 Kbars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Michael J.; Rubie, David C.; Mcfarlane, Elisabeth A.

1992-01-01

The partitioning of elements amongst lower mantle phases and silicate melts is of interest in unraveling the early thermal history of the Earth. Because of the technical difficulty in carrying out such measurements, only one direct set of measurements was reported previously, and these results as well as interpretations based on them have generated controversy. Here we report what are to our knowledge only the second set of directly measured trace element partition coefficients for a natural system (KLB-1).

2013 Center for Army Leadership Annual Survey of Army Leadership (CASAL): Army Civilian Leaders

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-30

Army civilian workforce with regard to gender and ethnic origin (Office of the Assistant G-1 for Civilian Personnel, 2013). The reported education...climates of perceived inequality . Civilian leader comments frequently referenced favoritism as reflecting cronyism, unfair personnel actions, and...interests of others, unequal enforcement of standards and discipline, and use of discretion in workplace justice. As demonstrated in previous CASAL

The Effect of Written Corrective Feedback on Grammatical Accuracy of EFL Students: An Improvement over Previous Unfocused Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khanlarzadeh, Mobin; Nemati, Majid

2016-01-01

The effectiveness of written corrective feedback (WCF) in the improvement of language learners' grammatical accuracy has been a topic of interest in SLA studies for the past couple of decades. The present study reports the findings of a three-month study investigating the effect of direct unfocused WCF on the grammatical accuracy of elementary…

Biodiversity and hypervirulence of Listeria monocytogenes.

PubMed

Grad, Yonatan H; Fortune, Sarah M

2016-03-01

The integration of large, well-sampled collections of bacterial isolates with genomics and experimental methods provides opportunities for 'top-down' discovery of the genetic basis of phenotypes of interest. In a new report, the authors apply this approach to investigate the heterogeneity in manifestations of disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes and demonstrate that a previously uncharacterized cellobiose PTS system is involved in central nervous system infection.

Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Director of the United States Geological Survey, 1900-1901: Part I - Director's report and a paper on asphalt and bituminous rock deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walcott, Charles D.

1902-01-01

The work of the Geological Survey during the fiscal year 1900-01 was mainly a continuation of that of previous years, described in former reports. The organization was changed somewhat (see p. 48), but in a general way similar results were reached, which added materially to the sum of geologic and geographic knowledge. The detailed record of accomplishment, both in field and in office, will be found on later pages, under the heading " Work of the year" (p. 53). In this introduction some subjects of special interest will receive consideration.

Acceptability of an "on-demand" pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis trial among men who have sex with men living in France.

PubMed

Lorente, Nicolas; Fugon, Lionel; Carrieri, Maria Patrizia; Andreo, Christian; Le Gall, Jean-Marie; Cook, Emmanuel; Aboulker, Jean-Pierre; Capitant, Catherine; Molina, Jean-Michel; Spire, Bruno

2012-01-01

Although predictors of willingness to take daily, self-administered pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis (PrEP) for men who have sex with men (MSM) have been studied in the context of several PrEP trials internationally, little is known about MSM interested in participating in a trial on the use of PrEP on an "on -demand" basis, i.e., taking a first dose of combined tenofovir/emtricitabine a few hours before possible HIV sexual exposure and a second dose a few hours afterwards. A double-blind placebo randomized PrEP trial will soon begin in France to evaluate the effectiveness of PrEP in terms of reducing HIV infection rates, among MSM self-administering "on-demand" PrEP. To assess potential participants' characteristics associated with willingness to participate in the trial and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation, MSM completed a self-administered questionnaire, distributed via gay venues and community websites. Among the 443 respondents who reported being HIV-negative, 40% reported being interested in participating. Factors independently associated with interest included: reporting lower educational level, more than 20 male sexual partners in the previous year, reporting unprotected anal sex with casual partners and preferring PrEP follow-up visits in a devoted area within a hospital. There is great interest in participating in a future "on-demand" PrEP trial among HIV-negative MSM and particularly in those at potentially high risk of HIV exposure. Providing confidentiality and tailored counseling during PrEP follow-up are important issues.

[Revisiting the chemical diversity in prostatic calculi: a SEM and FT-IR investigation].

PubMed

Dessombz, A; Méria, P; Bazin, D; Foy, E; Rouzière, S; Weil, R; Daudon, M

2011-12-01

Revisiting the chemical diversity of the crystalline phases of prostatic calculi by means of SEM and FT-IR analysis. A set of 32 prostatic calculi has been studied by FT-IR and SEM. FT-IR analysis has determined the chemical composition of each prostatic calculus and the SEM observation has described the morphology of the calculi surfaces and layers. Infrared analysis revealed that 90.7% of the stones were mainly composed of calcium phosphates. However, several mineral phases previously not reported in prostatic calculi were observed, as brushite or octocalcium phosphate pentahydrate. Prostatic calculi exhibited a diversity of crystalline composition and morphology. As previously reported for urinary calculi, relationships between composition and morphology of prostatic stones and étiopathogenic conditions could be of interest in clinical practice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Presence of Li clusters in molten LiCl-Li

DOE PAGES

Merwin, Augustus; Phillips, William C.; Williamson, Mark A.; ...

2016-05-05

Molten mixtures of lithium chloride and metallic lithium are of significant interest in various metal oxide reduction processes. These solutions have been reported to exhibit seemingly anomalous physical characteristics that lack a comprehensive explanation. ln the current work, the physical chemistry of molten solutions of lithium chloride and metallic lithium, with and without lithium oxide, was investigated using in situ Raman spectroscopy. The Raman spectra obtained from these solutions were in agreement with the previously reported spectrum of the lithium cluster, Li 8. Furthermore, this observation is indicative of a nanofluid type colloidal suspension of Li 8, in a moltenmore » salt matrix. It is suggested that the formation and suspension of lithium clusters in lithium chloride is the cause of various phenomena exhibited by these solutions that were previously unexplainable.« less

Reaching out, inviting back: using Interactive voice response (IVR) technology to recycle relapsed smokers back to Quitline treatment – a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Tobacco dependence is a chronic, relapsing condition that typically requires multiple quit attempts and extended treatment. When offered the opportunity, relapsed smokers are interested in recycling back into treatment for a new, assisted quit attempt. This manuscript presents the results of a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of interactive voice response (IVR) in recycling low income smokers who had previously used quitline (QL) support back to QL support for a new quit attempt. Methods A sample of 2985 previous QL callers were randomized to either receive IVR screening for current smoking (control group) or IVR screening plus an IVR intervention. The IVR intervention consists of automated questions to identify and address barriers to re-cycling in QL support, followed by an offer to be transferred to the QL and reinitiate treatment. Re-enrollment in QL services for both groups was documented. Results The IVR system successfully reached 715 (23.9%) former QL participants. Of those, 27% (194/715) reported to the IVR system that they had quit smoking and were therefore excluded from the study and analysis. The trial’s final sample was composed of 521 current smokers. The re-enrollment rate was 3.3% for the control group and 28.2% for the intervention group (p < .001). Logistic regression results indicated an 11.2 times higher odds for re-enrollment of the intervention group than the control group (p < .001). Results did not vary by gender, race, ethnicity, or level of education, however recycled smokers were older (Mean =45.2; SD = 11.7) than smokers who declined a new treatment cycle (Mean = 41.8; SD = 13.2); (p = 0.013). The main barriers reported for not engaging in a new treatment cycle were low self-efficacy and lack of interest in quitting. After delivering IVR messages targeting these reported barriers, 32% of the smokers reporting low self-efficacy and 4.8% of those reporting lack of interest in quitting re-engaged in a new QL treatment cycle. Conclusion Proactive IVR outreach is a promising tool to engage low income, relapsed smokers back into a new cycle of treatment. Integration of IVR intervention for recycling smokers with previous QL treatment has the potential to decrease tobacco-related disparities. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01260597 PMID:22768793

Factors influencing anesthesia residency selection: impact of global health opportunities.

PubMed

Evans, Faye M; Mallepally, Niharika R; Dubowitz, Gerald; Vasilopoulos, Terrie; McClain, Craig D; Enneking, Kayser

2016-06-01

There is growing evidence to suggest that the current generation of medical students and young physicians is interested in global health. However, there are few data on the interest in global health by students pursuing a career in anesthesiology. The objective of this survey was to evaluate the importance of global health opportunities in regard to applicants' choice of anesthesiology residency programs. Anesthesiology residency program directors in the United States were invited to distribute an online survey to recently matched residents. To reduce study bias, the survey included a wide selection of reasons for program choices in addition to global health. Participants were asked to rate independently, on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = least important, 10 = most important), the importance that each factor had on their selection of an anesthesiology residency program. Of the 117 U.S. anesthesiology programs contacted, 87 (74%) distributed the survey. Completed surveys were obtained from 582 of 1,092 (53%) polled participants. All factors assessed were rated between 5 and 9 and the global health median [interquartile range] rating was 6 [3-7]. Nearly half of the survey respondents were interested in incorporating global health into future careers. More than three-quarters reported being interested in participating in, or reading about, global health activities during their residency. Responders with previous global health experience, or who were interested in an "in-country" experience, were more likely to choose programs that had global health opportunities available during residency. Anesthesia residency program applicants are interested in global health. Having a global health opportunity was an important reason for choosing a residency program, comparable to some more traditional factors. Regardless of previous global health experience, the majority of future anesthesia residents are either planning or considering participation in global health activities during or after training.

Extended Hellmann-Feynman theorem for degenerate eigenstates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, G. P.; George, Thomas F.

2004-04-01

In a previous paper, we reported a failure of the traditional Hellmann-Feynman theorem (HFT) for degenerate eigenstates. This has generated enormous interest among different groups. In four independent papers by Fernandez, by Balawender, Hola, and March, by Vatsya, and by Alon and Cederbaum, an elegant method to solve the problem was devised. The main idea is that one has to construct and diagonalize the force matrix for the degenerate case, and only the eigenforces are well defined. We believe this is an important extension to HFT. Using our previous example for an energy level of fivefold degeneracy, we find that those eigenforces correctly reflect the symmetry of the molecule.

JPRS Report, West Europe.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-03

hint interestingly at current moods, especially if the data are combined with other surveys conducted by Economy Research, Inc., for UUSI SUOMI in...likewise a problem, especially if a long time has elapsed since the previous election. Comparison is also made difficult by different-sized samples... especially , for worse; all of them are awaiting their chance. And that fact—that is, the existence of a majority composed of men who are constantly

Avian schistosomes and outbreaks of cercarial dermatitis.

PubMed

Horák, Petr; Mikeš, Libor; Lichtenbergová, Lucie; Skála, Vladimír; Soldánová, Miroslava; Brant, Sara Vanessa

2015-01-01

Cercarial dermatitis (swimmer's itch) is a condition caused by infective larvae (cercariae) of a species-rich group of mammalian and avian schistosomes. Over the last decade, it has been reported in areas that previously had few or no cases of dermatitis and is thus considered an emerging disease. It is obvious that avian schistosomes are responsible for the majority of reported dermatitis outbreaks around the world, and thus they are the primary focus of this review. Although they infect humans, they do not mature and usually die in the skin. Experimental infections of avian schistosomes in mice show that in previously exposed hosts, there is a strong skin immune reaction that kills the schistosome. However, penetration of larvae into naive mice can result in temporary migration from the skin. This is of particular interest because the worms are able to migrate to different organs, for example, the lungs in the case of visceral schistosomes and the central nervous system in the case of nasal schistosomes. The risk of such migration and accompanying disorders needs to be clarified for humans and animals of interest (e.g., dogs). Herein we compiled the most comprehensive review of the diversity, immunology, and epidemiology of avian schistosomes causing cercarial dermatitis. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Urban Indians' smoking patterns and interest in quitting.

PubMed Central

Lando, H A; Johnson, K M; Graham-Tomasi, R P; McGovern, P G; Solberg, L

1992-01-01

Little is known about smoking patterns of urban American Indians and their interest in quitting. Most published research has focused upon American Indians who live on rural reservations. In this study, personal interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of patients at Urban Indian Health Clinics in four geographically diverse sites: Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis, MN, and Seattle and Spokane, WA. A total of 419 current smokers and 173 ex-smokers completed interviews. Current smokers reported a median cigarette consumption of 11 per day. Smokers indicated both a moderate desire to quit (mean 5.97, on a scale 0-10) and moderate confidence in their ability to do so (mean 5.56, on a scale 0-10). More than 70 percent of current smokers indicated having previously tried to quit. The most common reasons cited for relapse included craving, social situations, stress, and nervousness. The most common reasons for quitting given by ex-smokers included being "sick" of smoking, health concerns, respiratory problems, and pregnancy. The estimated quit-ratio (former smokers divided by current+former smokers) was 29.7 percent. This quit-ratio, although substantial, is lower than the 45 percent quit-ratio reported for the general U.S. population. Perhaps the most striking findings are the similarities between American Indians and the overall population in both interest in quitting and reasons for doing so. Smoking cessation previously has been viewed as a low priority for this population. The current results suggest the viability of systematic efforts to encourage urban American Indians to quit smoking. PMID:1594745

A Case Report of Gender Dysphoria with Morbid Jealousy in a Natal Female

PubMed Central

Rao, G. Prasad; Aparna, B.

2017-01-01

Gender dysphoria is a new entity introduced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder V to address the distress of the previously labeled gender identity disorder patients. It is less commonly seen in natal females, often starting in their childhood. Adults and adolescent natal females with early-onset gender dysphoria are almost always gynephilic. This case report is presented to discuss the interesting evolution of the symptoms in gender dysphoria case with difficulties in adjusting to the assigned sexual role, relationship problems, morbid jealousy, and severe depressive features with suicidal ideations. PMID:29284816

Values of the phase space factors for double beta decay

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

Stoica, Sabin, E-mail: stoica@theory.nipne.ro; Mirea, Mihai; Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului street, P.O. Box MG6, Magurele

2015-10-28

We report an up-date list of the experimentally most interesting phase space factors for double beta decay (DBD). The electron/positron wave functions are obtained by solving the Dirac equations with a Coulomb potential derived from a realistic proton density distribution in nucleus and with inclusion of the finite nuclear size (FNS) and electron screening (ES) effects. We build up new numerical routines which allow us a good control of the accuracy of calculations. We found several notable differences as compared with previous results reported in literature and possible sources of these discrepancies are discussed.

Summary of Epidemiology Studies or Activities Involving Workers at the Savannah River Site or the Surrounding Public: An Update

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

Brown, K.T.

2002-10-18

There have been numerous health studies or related activities over time that have involved workers at the Savannah River Site (SRS) or the surrounding public. While most of these epidemiology studies or activities have been performed by external agencies, it has proved useful to provide interested parties an overall summary of such activities. The first such summary was provided in an October 1998 report. The 1998 summary was updated in a February 2000 report. This report provides an update on the status or findings of epidemiology studies or activities involving SRS workers or the surrounding public, as an update tomore » the previous summaries.« less

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in Monozygotic Female Twins: Intracranial Pressure Dynamics and Treatment Outcome.

PubMed

Polemikos, Manolis; Heissler, Hans E; Hermann, Elvis J; Krauss, Joachim K

2017-05-01

Familial cases of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) are exceedingly rare, and its occurrence in monozygotic twins has not been reported previously. We report monozygotic female twins who developed IIH, one at age 25 years and the other at age 28 years. Continuous intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring confirmed elevated ICP as measured initially by lumbar puncture. In both cases, successful treatment with resolution of papilledema and symptoms relief was achieved after ventriculoperitoneal shunting. This report documents the first case of IIH in monozygotic twins and the associated changes in ICP dynamics. Interestingly, almost equivalent alterations in ICP dynamics were found in the 2 patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acceptability of, and Information Needs Regarding, Next-Generation Sequencing in People Tested for Hereditary Cancer: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Meiser, Bettina; Storey, Ben; Quinn, Veronica; Rahman, Belinda; Andrews, Lesley

2016-04-01

Next generation sequencing (NGS) for patients at risk of hereditary cancer syndromes can also identify non-cancer related mutations, as well as variants of unknown significance. This study aimed to determine what benefits and shortcomings patients perceive in relation to NGS, as well as their interest and information preferences in regards to such testing. Eligible patients had previously received inconclusive results from clinical mutation testing for cancer susceptibility. Semi-structured telephone interviews were subjected to qualitative analysis guided by the approach developed by Miles and Huberman. The majority of the 19 participants reported they would be interested in panel/genomic testing. Advantages identified included that it would enable better preparation and allow implementation of individualized preventative strategies, with few disadvantages mentioned. Almost all participants said they would want all results, not just those related to their previous diagnosis. Participants felt that a face-to-face discussion supplemented by an information booklet would be the best way to convey information and achieve informed consent. All participants wanted their information stored and reviewed in accordance with new developments. Although the findings indicate strong interest among these individuals, it seems that the consent process, and the interpretation and communication of results will be areas that will require revision to meet the needs of patients.

Foundational Report Series: Advanced Distribution Management Systems for Grid Modernization, DMS Industry Survey

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

Singh, Ravindra; Uluski, Robert; Reilly, James T.

The objective of this survey is to benchmark current practices for DMS implementation to serve as a guide for future system implementations. The survey sought information on current plans to implement DMS, DMS functions of interest, implementation challenges, functional benefits achieved, and other relevant information. These survey results were combined (where possible) with results of similar surveys conducted in the previous four years to observe trends over time.

Janthinocins A, B and C, novel peptide lactone antibiotics produced by Janthinobacterium lividum. II. Structure elucidation.

PubMed

Johnson, J H; Tymiak, A A; Bolgar, M S

1990-08-01

The structures of janthinocins A, B and C, three novel macrocyclic peptide lactone antibiotics isolated from fermentations of Janthinobacterium lividum, were determined. The janthinocins are of particular interest because they contain three amino acid residues that have not previously been reported in natural products: Each contains erythro-beta-hydroxy-D-leucine while janthinocins A and B also contain beta-hydroxytryptophan and beta-ketotryptophan, respectively.

Best interests decisions: professional practices in health and social care.

PubMed

Williams, Val; Boyle, Geraldine; Jepson, Marcus; Swift, Paul; Williamson, Toby; Heslop, Pauline

2014-01-01

This paper reports on data collected in 2011 from a national study about the operation of the best interests principle, a key feature of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 for England and Wales. The objective was to provide a picture of current professional practices in best interests decision-making. Four contrasting sample sites were selected, in which National Health Service trusts, social care and other organisations were recruited to participate. A multimethod design was followed, including an online survey with 385 participants, followed by qualitative research through a telephone survey of 68 participants, and face-to-face semi-structured interviews following up 25 best interests cases, with different perspectives on the process in 12 of those cases. The current paper reports only on the qualitative findings. The findings indicate that the MCA was successful in providing a structure for these practitioners, and that the five principles of the MCA were in general adhered to. A variety of perceived risks led to best interests processes being undertaken, and a typical scenario was for a period of hospitalisation or ill health to trigger a best interests decision process about a social care and or a life decision. The study supported previous research in finding the notion of capacity the most difficult aspect of the MCA, and it provides evidence of some specific capacity assessment practices, including problematic ones relating to 'insight'. Best interests decisions were often made by consensus, with practitioners taking on different roles within the process. Meetings played a key part, but other ways of involving people lacking capacity and significant others were also important. It was recommended that the issues highlighted in this research could be clarified further in the Code of Practice, or within risk guidance. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Intensive care medicine on medical undergraduation: student's perspective].

PubMed

Almeida, Alessandro de Moura; Albuquerque, Ligia Carvalho; Bitencourt, Almir Galvão Vieira; Rolim, Carlos Eduardo Cerqueira; Godinho, Tiana Mascarenhas; Liberato, Maurício Valverde; Oliveira Filho, Fernando Cezar Cabral; Azevedo, Ana Bárbara Galvão de; Neves, Ana Paula Soares da Silva; Martins, Marcelo de Jesus; Silva, João Paulo Maciel; Jesuíno, Paulo André; Souza Filho, Sydney Agareno de

2007-12-01

There are deficiencies on Intensive Medicine (IM) teaching in most of medical undergraduate schools. Those deficiencies may imply damages on their clinical competence. The objective of this study was to analyze current status of IM teaching and the medical undergraduate student interest in this speciality. A cross-sectional study was performed in 2005. We applied a self-reported questionnaire to enrolled students between the sixth and the last semesters of two medical schools from Salvador-Bahia. The questionnaire contained questions about students' interest and knowledge on IM, and opinion on IM teaching in their schools. We studied 570 students. Most of them (57.5%) had never realized a clerkship in intensive care unit (ICU) despite classifying its usefulness as high (mean of 4.14 ± 1.05, in a scale from 1 to 5). IM interest was high or very high in 53.7% of sample. Almost all students (97%) thought that IM topics should be more explored at their curriculum. Only 42.1% reported to be able to assess a critical care patient and this assurance was higher among students with previous clerkship in ICU (p < 0.001). Shock, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and sepsis were the most interesting topics in ICU for students' opinion. This study revealed a high interest in IM among medical undergraduate students. However, most had never practice a clerkship in ICU, demonstrating to be an important factor on undergraduate student performance faced to a critical care patient.

Particle-Laden Leidenfrost Droplets: Final-Stage Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Zecong; Xu, Jie

2015-03-01

Little interest has been paid to the final stage of a Leidenfrost droplet until a recent study by Celestini et al [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 034501 (2012)] reporting an unexpected take-off phenomenon of micrometer sized pure liquid droplets (Rl < R Ri), which behave quite differently from the previous study. While an originally micrometer sized Leidenfrost droplet takes off due to breakdown of lubrication regime, and hovers above its vapor layer until disappearing in the final stage of evaporation, an originally millimetric Leidenfrost drop is observed to hover and oscillate, taking off and falling back consecutively. We further report another interesting observation on water droplets containing micrometric glass beads. These droplets spontaneously organize and buckle together during evaporation. In addition to oscillation just like pure droplets, these particle-laden drops create an unexpected explosive shoot-up at the end of evaporation.

Short report: factors that affect specialty choice and career plans of Wisconsin's medical students.

PubMed

Knox, Kjersti E; Getzin, Anne; Bergum, Alison; McBride, Patrick; Rieselbach, Richard; Friedsam, Donna

2008-12-01

To identify factors that influence specialty choice among Wisconsin medical students and provide insight into approaches to encourage more students to pursue careers in primary care. The importance of several factors in medical student career choice was surveyed using a Web survey convenience sample of all Wisconsin medical students. Students intending to pursue a career in primary care and in other specialties were compared. Respondents, regardless of specialty choice or gender, identified a similar group of factors as highly influential, and similar group of factors as non-influential in their decision-making. However, significantly more primary care students than other specialty students considered interest in underserved populations, relationships with patients, scope of practice, and role models important in their career choice. Significantly more primary care students than other specialty students responded that salary and competitiveness were "not at all" important. A greater number of other specialty students than primary care students stated that interest in scope of practice, role models, and training years were "not at all" important. Debt-related factors were reported as "not at all" important by nearly one-third of respondents. Although primary care and other specialty students report making their career plans based on the impact of similar factors, significant differences between primary care and other specialty students were reported in key areas. These results validate many previously reported factors, and indicate that salary and years of training may have been overemphasized in understanding student career choice. The results of this survey may be useful for Wisconsin medical schools in order to sustain, support, and foster student interest in primary care.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October--December 1994. Volume 17, No. 4

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

NONE

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence (AO) as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such occurrences to be made to Congress. This report provides a description of those incidents and events that have been determined to be AOs during the period of October 1 through December 31, 1994. This report addresses four AOs at NRC-licensed facilities. These occurrences involved the following: a generic concern relating to core shroud cracking in boilingmore » water reactors; recurring incidents of administering higher doses than procedurally allowed for diagnostic imaging at a single facility; one medical teletherapy misadministration; and one medical brachytherapy misadministration. Agreement States submitted four AO reports. These four occurrences involved the following: one major contamination at a commercial facility; two medical brachytherapy misadministrations; and one medical teletherapy misadministration. The report also contains updates of seven AOs previously reported by NRC licensees and four AOs previously reported by the Agreement States. Two ``Other Events of Interest`` are also being reported. These occurrences involved the operability of safety relief valves at a nuclear power plant, and an error in the installation process of a Leksell Gamma KnifeR teletherapy unit that resulted in an operational failure.« less

Paraphilic Sexual Interests and Sexually Coercive Behavior: A Population-Based Twin Study.

PubMed

Baur, Elena; Forsman, Mats; Santtila, Pekka; Johansson, Ada; Sandnabba, Kenneth; Långström, Niklas

2016-07-01

Prior research with selected clinical and forensic samples suggests associations between paraphilic sexual interests (e.g., exhibitionism and sexual sadism) and sexually coercive behavior. However, no study to date used a large, representative and genetically informative population sample to address the potential causal nature of this association. We used self-report data on paraphilic and sexually coercive behavior from 5990 18- to 32-year-old male and female twins from a contemporary Finnish population cohort. Logistic regression and co-twin control models were employed to examine if paraphilic behaviors were causally related to coercive behavior or if suggested links were confounded by familial (genetic or common family environment) risk factors. Results indicated that associations between four out of five tested paraphilic behaviors (exhibitionism, masochism, sadism, and voyeurism, respectively) and sexually coercive behavior were moderate to strong. Transvestic fetishism was not independently associated with sexual coercion. Comparisons of twins reporting paraphilic behavior with their paraphilic behavior-discordant twin further suggested that associations were largely independent of shared genetic and environmental confounds, consistent with a causal association. In conclusion, similar to previously reported predictive effects of paraphilias on sexual crime recidivism, paraphilic behavior among young adults in the general population increases sexual offending risk. Further, early identification of paraphilic interest and preventive interventions with at-risk individuals might also reduce perpetration of first-time sexual violence.

Global Health Interest Among Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellows.

PubMed

Mishra, Kavita; Lopes, Vrishali V; Hampton, B Star

2015-01-01

To determine interest in global health (GH) work among Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS)fellows. An anonymous, online survey was sent to FPMRS fellows in March 2012. All fellows at accredited and nonaccredited U.S. FPMRS programs were eligible. Of at least 123 fellows, 58 (47%) completed the survey and met inclusion criteria. Survey questions included demographics, GH interest and experience, barriers to GH experience, and career goals. Of those 58 fellows, 79% of respondents graduated from Ob-Gyn residencies, 41% were first year fellows, 45% spoke another language fluently, and 62% had previously worked and/or studied in a developing country. Of the respondents 74% desired GH experience during fellowship, 78% desired GH experience after fellowship, and 40% reported seeing themselves integrating GH into their career. Top barriers to GH work in fellowship were lack of elective time (74%), cost (70%), and personal commitments (67%). A total of 39% of respondents said the ability to work in GH somewhat or strongly affected their decision to pursue FPMRS, and 26% said the availability of GH opportunities affected their fellowship rank list. Family (88%), clinical commitments (78%), and cost (67%) were the biggest reported hurdles to future GH work. Nearly three-quarters of FPMRS fellows are interested in GH work in fellowship. Almost half would like to include it in future practice. Barriers in fellowship include elective time, cost, and personal commitments.

Piscine mycobacteriosis - Involvement of bacterial species and reflection in pathology.

PubMed

Keller, C; Wenker, C; Jermann, T; Hirschi, R; Schildger, B; Meier, R; Schmidt-Posthaus, H

2018-06-01

Piscine mycobacteriosis is a lethal disease with zoonotic potential, found worldwide in both fresh and marine fish. More than 20 strains of Mycobacterium spp. are known to persist in fish so far, but the pathogenicity is currently unknown for most of them. However, M. marinum is reported as one of the most pathogenic agents for fish and is involved in zoonotic cases. We examined 47 different cases from two zoological gardens, where fish tuberculosis was identified or previously suspected during the last ten years. We collected PCR and sequencing data, which were then compared to previously collected clinical data and pathology. The clinical signs caused by Mycobacterium spp. were similar in all the cases, except for cases infected by M. marinum, which lacked the presence of skin lesions. Lesions seen in histology caused by M. marinum tended to be more acute and severe compared lesions caused by other Mycobacterium spp. The majority of M. marinum cases have been reported within marine fish. In contrast to previous studies we detected this species to be the predominant bacteria present within freshwater fish. Interestingly, we detected M. holsaticum in one of the seawater systems used in this project, being the first report of this Mycobacterium species shown to be present in a fish.

Neutrinos and the age of the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Symbalisty, E. M. D.; Yang, J.; Schramm, D. N.

1980-01-01

The age of the universe should be calculable by independent methods with similar results. Previous calculations using nucleochronometers, globular clusters and dynamical measurements coupled with Friedmann models and nucleosynthesis constraints have given different values of the age. A consistent age is reported, whose implications for the constituent mass density are very interesting and are affected by the existence of a third neutrino flavor, and by allowing the possibility that neutrinos may have a non-zero rest mass.

Complaint Regarding the Use of Audit Results on a $1 Billion Missile Defense Agency Contract

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-12

None of the applicable FAR/DFARS clauses in the contract required withholds, nor did the PCO determine such was in the best interest of the...which PCO defaulted back to the previous report, 1201-2006L24010001, dated June 27, 2007 which states the Estimating System and internal control...Leonard, DCAA requested an extension to March 15, 2010. The PCO acknowledged and thanked DCAA for the update. While MDA acknowledged the request

Neutron-scattering spectrum of cesium hydrogen dinitrate

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

Roziere, J.; Berney, C.V.

1976-03-17

The neutron-scattering spectrum of cesium hydrogen dinitrate was obtained in order to complete previously reported structural chemical studies obtained by x-ray diffraction and infrared-Raman spectra. The proton position was of particular interest. Satellite peak intensities suggested proton coupling to motions of the NO/sub 3//sup -/ groups, and therefore not located at the center of the distorted tetrahedron formed by four of the oxygen groups. The precise position of the proton was not established. (DDA)

Turkey’s Strategic Position at the Crossroads of World Affairs

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-03

particular the Kurdish insurgency in its southeast, pose for Turkey’s overall security relationship with its Near Eastern neighbors: Syria, Iran, and...leadership role in Central Asia that was previously expected. Finally, there are strains growing in the relationship with Washington. U.S. aid is being cut and...their interests. Thus the report concludes with suggestions for improving the relationship and calls for a clear U.S. strategy and concept of U.S. and

Visualization of Solution Gas Drive in Viscous Oil, SUPRI TR-126

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

George, D.S.; Kovscek, A.R.

Several experimental studies of solution gas drive are available in this report. Almost all of the studies have used light oil. Solution gas drive behavior, especially in heavy oil reservoirs, is poorly understood. Experiments were performed in which pore-scale solution gas drive phenomena were viewed in water/carbon dioxide and viscous oil/carbon dioxide systems. A new pressure vessel was designed and constructed to house silicon-wafer micromodels that previously operated at low (<3 atm) pressure. The new apparatus is used for the visual studies. Several interesting phenomena were viewed. The repeated nucleation of gas bubbles was observed at a gas-wet site occupiedmore » by dirt. Interestingly, the dissolution of a gas bubble into the liquid phase was previously recorded at the same nucleation site. Gas bubbles in both systems grew to span one ore more pore bodies before mobilization. Liquid viscosity affected the ease with which gas bubbles coalesced. More viscous solutions result in slower rates of coalescence. The transport of solid particles on gas-liquid interfaces was also observed.« less

Laboratory studies of low temperature rate coefficients: The atmospheric chemistry of the outer planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leone, Stephen R.

1992-01-01

The purpose of the project is to perform laboratory measurements of reaction rate coefficients at low temperature. The reactions and temperatures of interest are those that are important in the chemistry of the hydrocarbon rich atmospheres of the outer planets and their satellites. In this stage of the study we are investigating reactions of ethynyl radicals, C2H, with acetylene (C2H2), methane (CH4), and hydrogen (H2). In the previous status report from 24 Jan. 1992, we reported on the development of the experimental apparatus and the first, preliminary data for the C2H + C2H2 reaction.

Strengthening the reporting of genetic risk prediction studies (GRIPS): explanation and elaboration

PubMed Central

Janssens, A Cecile JW; Ioannidis, John PA; Bedrosian, Sara; Boffetta, Paolo; Dolan, Siobhan M; Dowling, Nicole; Fortier, Isabel; Freedman, Andrew N; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Gulcher, Jeffrey; Gwinn, Marta; Hlatky, Mark A; Janes, Holly; Kraft, Peter; Melillo, Stephanie; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Pencina, Michael J; Ransohoff, David; Schully, Sheri D; Seminara, Daniela; Winn, Deborah M; Wright, Caroline F; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Little, Julian; Khoury, Muin J

2011-01-01

The rapid and continuing progress in gene discovery for complex diseases is fueling interest in the potential application of genetic risk models for clinical and public health practice. The number of studies assessing the predictive ability is steadily increasing, but they vary widely in completeness of reporting and apparent quality. Transparent reporting of the strengths and weaknesses of these studies is important to facilitate the accumulation of evidence on genetic risk prediction. A multidisciplinary workshop sponsored by the Human Genome Epidemiology Network developed a checklist of 25 items recommended for strengthening the reporting of Genetic RIsk Prediction Studies (GRIPS), building on the principles established by previous reporting guidelines. These recommendations aim to enhance the transparency, quality and completeness of study reporting, and thereby to improve the synthesis and application of information from multiple studies that might differ in design, conduct or analysis. PMID:21407270

A chronometric exploration of high-resolution 'sensitive TMS masking' effects on subjective and objective measures of vision.

PubMed

de Graaf, Tom A; Herring, Jim; Sack, Alexander T

2011-03-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can induce masking by interfering with ongoing neural activity in early visual cortex. Previous work has explored the chronometry of occipital involvement in vision by using single pulses of TMS with high temporal resolution. However, conventionally TMS intensities have been high and the only measure used to evaluate masking was objective in nature. Recent studies have begun to incorporate subjective measures of vision, alongside objective ones. The current study goes beyond previous work in two regards. First, we explored both objective vision (an orientation discrimination task) and subjective vision (a stimulus visibility rating on a four-point scale), across a wide range of time windows with high temporal resolution. Second, we used a very sensitive TMS-masking paradigm: stimulation was at relatively low TMS intensities, with a figure-8 coil, and the small stimulus was difficult to discriminate already at baseline level. We hypothesized that this should increase the effective temporal resolution of our paradigm. Perhaps for this reason, we are able to report a rather interesting masking curve. Within the classical-masking time window, previously reported to encompass broad SOAs anywhere between 60 and 120 ms, we report not one, but at least two dips in objective performance, with no masking in-between. The subjective measure of vision did not mirror this pattern. These preliminary data from our exploratory design suggest that, with sensitive TMS masking, we might be able to reveal visual processes in early visual cortex previously unreported.

High-Throughput Identification of Antimicrobial Peptides from Amphibious Mudskippers

PubMed Central

You, Xinxin; Bian, Chao; Chen, Shixi; Lv, Zhao; Qiu, Limei; Shi, Qiong

2017-01-01

Widespread existence of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has been reported in various animals with comprehensive biological activities, which is consistent with the important roles of AMPs as the first line of host defense system. However, no big-data-based analysis on AMPs from any fish species is available. In this study, we identified 507 AMP transcripts on the basis of our previously reported genomes and transcriptomes of two representative amphibious mudskippers, Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (BP) and Periophthalmus magnuspinnatus (PM). The former is predominantly aquatic with less time out of water, while the latter is primarily terrestrial with extended periods of time on land. Within these identified AMPs, 449 sequences are novel; 15 were reported in BP previously; 48 are identically overlapped between BP and PM; 94 were validated by mass spectrometry. Moreover, most AMPs presented differential tissue transcription patterns in the two mudskippers. Interestingly, we discovered two AMPs, hemoglobin β1 and amylin, with high inhibitions on Micrococcus luteus. In conclusion, our high-throughput screening strategy based on genomic and transcriptomic data opens an efficient pathway to discover new antimicrobial peptides for ongoing development of marine drugs. PMID:29165344

High-Throughput Identification of Antimicrobial Peptides from Amphibious Mudskippers.

PubMed

Yi, Yunhai; You, Xinxin; Bian, Chao; Chen, Shixi; Lv, Zhao; Qiu, Limei; Shi, Qiong

2017-11-22

Widespread existence of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has been reported in various animals with comprehensive biological activities, which is consistent with the important roles of AMPs as the first line of host defense system. However, no big-data-based analysis on AMPs from any fish species is available. In this study, we identified 507 AMP transcripts on the basis of our previously reported genomes and transcriptomes of two representative amphibious mudskippers, Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (BP) and Periophthalmus magnuspinnatus (PM). The former is predominantly aquatic with less time out of water, while the latter is primarily terrestrial with extended periods of time on land. Within these identified AMPs, 449 sequences are novel; 15 were reported in BP previously; 48 are identically overlapped between BP and PM; 94 were validated by mass spectrometry. Moreover, most AMPs presented differential tissue transcription patterns in the two mudskippers. Interestingly, we discovered two AMPs, hemoglobin β1 and amylin, with high inhibitions on Micrococcus luteus . In conclusion, our high-throughput screening strategy based on genomic and transcriptomic data opens an efficient pathway to discover new antimicrobial peptides for ongoing development of marine drugs.

Correlates of men's sexual interest: a cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Carvalheira, Ana; Traeen, Bente; Štulhofer, Aleksandar

2014-01-01

Low sexual desire has been studied more extensively in women than in men. The study aims to analyze the correlates of distressing lack of sexual interest and the self-assessed reasons for the lack of sexual interest among heterosexual men from three countries. A web-based survey was completed by 5,255 men aged 18-75 years from Portugal, Croatia, and Norway. We used an item that assesses lack of sexual interest from the British NATSAL 2000. Anxiety and depression were measured with the SCL-ANX4 and SCL-DEP6. Relationship intimacy was measured using a five-item version of the Emotional Intimacy Scale. A shortened version of the Sexual Boredom Scale was used to assess proneness to sexual boredom in relation to the duration of relationship, and personal distress was evaluated using an item created for this study. Distressing lack of sexual interest lasting at least 2 months in the previous year was reported by 14.4% of the participants. The most prevalent comorbidity among these men was erectile difficulty (48.7%). Men with low confidence levels in erectile function, not feeling attracted to the partner, and those in long-term relationships were more likely to have experienced lack of sexual interest than were men with high confidence levels and those who felt attracted to their partner and those in shorter-term relationships. Professional stress was the most frequently reported reason for lack of sexual interest. Sexual boredom as a result of a long-term relationship was significantly and negatively correlated with the level of intimacy (r = -0.351, P < 0.001) and sexual satisfaction (r = -0.497, P < 0.001). Distressing lack of sexual interest in heterosexual men was associated with a number of intrapersonal (self-confidence in erectile function, stress), interpersonal (relationship duration, partner attractiveness), and sociocultural variables. © 2013 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Reporting of financial and non-financial conflicts of interest by authors of systematic reviews: a methodological survey

PubMed Central

Anouti, Sirine; Al-Gibbawi, Mounir; Abou-Jaoude, Elias A; Hasbani, Divina Justina; Guyatt, Gordon; Akl, Elie A

2016-01-01

Background Conflicts of interest may bias the findings of systematic reviews. The objective of this methodological survey was to assess the frequency and different types of conflicts of interest that authors of Cochrane and non-Cochrane systematic reviews report. Methods We searched for systematic reviews using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Ovid MEDLINE (limited to the 119 Core Clinical Journals and the year 2015). We defined a conflict of interest disclosure as the reporting of whether a conflict of interest exists or not, and used a framework to classify conflicts of interest into individual (financial, professional and intellectual) and institutional (financial and advocatory) conflicts of interest. We conducted descriptive and regression analyses. Results Of the 200 systematic reviews, 194 (97%) reported authors' conflicts of interest disclosures, typically in the main document, and in a few cases either online (2%) or on request (5%). Of the 194 Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews, 49% and 33%, respectively, had at least one author reporting any type of conflict of interest (p=0.023). Institutional conflicts of interest were less frequently reported than individual conflicts of interest, and Cochrane reviews were more likely to report individual intellectual conflicts of interest compared with non-Cochrane reviews (19% and 5%, respectively, p=0.004). Regression analyses showed a positive association between reporting of conflicts of interest (at least one type of conflict of interest, individual financial conflict of interest, institutional financial conflict of interest) and journal impact factor and between reporting individual financial conflicts of interest and pharmacological versus non-pharmacological intervention. Conclusions Although close to half of the published systematic reviews report that authors (typically many) have conflicts of interest, more than half report that they do not. Authors reported individual conflicts of interest more frequently than institutional and non-financial conflicts of interest. PMID:27515760

Attitudes about high school physics in relationship to gender and ethnicity: A mixed method analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafza, Rabieh Jamal

There is an achievement gap and lack of participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by minority females. The number of minority females majoring in STEM related fields and earning advanced degrees in these fields has not significantly increased over the past 40 years. Previous research has evaluated the relationship between self-identity concept and factors that promote the academic achievement as well the motivation of students to study different subject areas. This study examined the interaction between gender and ethnicity in terms of physics attitudes in the context of real world connections, personal interest, sense making/effort, problem solving confidence, and problem solving sophistication. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) was given to 131 students enrolled in physics classes. There was a statistically significant Gender*Ethnicity interaction for attitude in the context of Real World Connections, Personal Interest, Sense Making/Effort, Problem Solving Confidence, and Problem Solving Sophistication as a whole. There was also a statistically significant Gender*Ethnicity interaction for attitude in the context of Real World Connections, Personal Interest, and Sense Making/Effort individually. Five Black females were interviewed to triangulate the quantitative results and to describe the experiences of minority females taking physics classes. There were four themes that emerged from the interviews and supported the findings from the quantitative results. The data supported previous research done on attitudes about STEM. The results reported that Real World Connections and Personal Interest could be possible factors that explain the lack of participation and achievement gaps that exists among minority females.

A Matter of Interest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Paul

2009-01-01

In these days of financial turmoil, there is greater interest in depositing one's money in the bank--at least one might hope for greater interest. Banks and various trusts pay compound interest at regular intervals: this means that interest is paid not only on the original sum deposited, but also on previous interest payments. This article…

Application of Multi-Frequency Modulation (MFM) for High-Speed Data Communications to a Voice Frequency Channel

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

reader is cautioned that computer programs developed in this research may not have been exercised for all cases of interest. While every effort has been...Source of Funding Numbers _. Program Element No Project No I Task No I Work Unit Accession No 11 Title (Include security classflcation) APPLICATION OF...formats. Previous applications of these encoding formats were on industry standard computers (PC) over a 16-20 klIz channel. This report discusses the

Rate constant for reaction of atomic hydrogen with germane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nava, David F.; Payne, Walter A.; Marston, George; Stief, Louis J.

1990-01-01

Due to the interest in the chemistry of germane in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, and because previously reported kinetic reaction rate studies at 298 K gave results differing by a factor of 200, laboratory measurements were performed to determine the reaction rate constant for H + GeH4. Results of the study at 298 K, obtained via the direct technique of flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence, yield the reaction rate constant, k = (4.08 + or - 0.22) x 10(exp -12) cu cm/s.

Cavity Detection and Delineation Research. Report 5. Electromagnetic (Radar) Techniques Applied to Cavity Detection.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-01

tranverse lines, all of which overlapped test areas previously investigated by Technos. The lines were chosen to be representative of cavity areas and...cavities and may be con- sidered as competent rock for this site. It is interesting to note that amplitude perturbations do appear in the zone 95 to 100 ft...tunnels are man-made (regular in shape) and are in reasonably competent rock (not heavily fractured), the tunnel signature wiil be quite evident and

Colloidosome like structures: self-assembly of silica microrods

DOE PAGES

Datskos, P.; Polizos, G.; Bhandari, M.; ...

2016-03-07

Self-assembly of one-dimensional structures is attracting a great deal of interest because assembled structures can provide better properties compared to individual building blocks. We demonstrate silica microrod self-assembly by exploiting Pickering emulsion based strategy. Micron-sized silica rods were synthesized employing previously reported methods based on polyvinylpyrrolidone/ pentanol emulsion droplets. Moreover, rods self-assembled to make structures in the range of z10 40 mm. Smooth rods assembled better than segmented rods. Finally, the assembled structures were bonded by weak van der Waals forces.

High Power Density Electrochemical Thermocells for Inexpensively Harvesting Low-Grade Thermal Energy.

PubMed

Zhang, Long; Kim, Taewoo; Li, Na; Kang, Tae June; Chen, Jun; Pringle, Jennifer M; Zhang, Mei; Kazim, Ali H; Fang, Shaoli; Haines, Carter; Al-Masri, Danah; Cola, Baratunde A; Razal, Joselito M; Di, Jiangtao; Beirne, Stephen; MacFarlane, Douglas R; Gonzalez-Martin, Anuncia; Mathew, Sibi; Kim, Yong Hyup; Wallace, Gordon; Baughman, Ray H

2017-03-01

Continuously operating thermo-electrochemical cells (thermocells) are of interest for harvesting low-grade waste thermal energy because of their potentially low cost compared with conventional thermoelectrics. Pt-free thermocells devised here provide an output power of 12 W m -2 for an interelectrode temperature difference (ΔT) of 81 °C, which is sixfold higher power than previously reported for planar thermocells operating at ambient pressure. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Transport Test Problems for Hybrid Methods Development

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

Shaver, Mark W.; Miller, Erin A.; Wittman, Richard S.

2011-12-28

This report presents 9 test problems to guide testing and development of hybrid calculations for the ADVANTG code at ORNL. These test cases can be used for comparing different types of radiation transport calculations, as well as for guiding the development of variance reduction methods. Cases are drawn primarily from existing or previous calculations with a preference for cases which include experimental data, or otherwise have results with a high level of confidence, are non-sensitive, and represent problem sets of interest to NA-22.

Improving the throughput of batch photochemical reactions using flow: Dual photoredox and nickel catalysis in flow for C(sp2)C(sp3) cross-coupling.

PubMed

Abdiaj, Irini; Alcázar, Jesús

2017-12-01

We report herein the transfer of dual photoredox and nickel catalysis for C(sp 2 )C(sp 3 ) cross coupling form batch to flow. This new procedure clearly improves the scalability of the previous batch reaction by the reactor's size and operating time reduction, and allows the preparation of interesting compounds for drug discovery in multigram amounts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Business Schools Win Some, Lose Some from the Fall of the Dot-Com Economy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangan, Katherine S.

2001-01-01

Explores how the collapse of dot-coms has produced an increase in applications to business schools. Students previously interested in start-up companies, along with recruiters previously interested in young, non-traditionally educated employees, are rethinking the value of a business degree. (EV)

Health researcher views on comparative effectiveness research and research engagement.

PubMed

Forsythe, Laura P; Frank, Lori B; Workman, Thomas A; Borsky, Amanda; Hilliard, Tandrea; Harwell, Daniel; Fayish, Lauren

2017-05-01

To understand researcher capability for and interest in patient-centered comparative effectiveness research (PC-CER), particularly related to engaging with patients/caregivers. Web-based survey of 508 health researchers recruited via professional health research organizations. Most respondents (94%) were familiar with CER and many (69%) reported having previously conducting some form of CER. Most respondents were familiar with (81%) and interested in (87%) partnering with patients and/or caregivers in research. Resources to assist in training, coordination of partners, guidance in apply for funding and improved infrastructure were commonly cited factors that would help researchers conduct PC-CER. There is a significant opportunity for researchers to engage patients and caregivers as partners in CER. Researchers recognize the need for additional training and expertise to leverage those opportunities.

The impact of outcome orientation and justice concerns on tax compliance: the role of taxpayers' identity.

PubMed

Wenzel, Michael

2002-08-01

Previous research has yielded inconsistent evidence for the impact of justice perceptions on tax compliance. This article suggests a more differentiated view on the basis of 2 congenial theories of procedural and distributive justice. The group-value model and a categorization approach argue that taxpayers are more concerned about justice and less about personal outcomes when they identify strongly with the inclusive category within which procedures and distributions apply. Regression analyses of survey data from 2,040 Australian citizens showed that 2 forms of tax compliance (pay-income reporting and tax minimization) were determined by self-interest variables. For 2 other forms (nonpay income and deductions), inclusive identification had an additional effect and moderated the effects of self-interest and justice variables as predicted.

Marketing Strategy Research

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

None

This report documents the research that has been undertaken as background for preparation of a marketing campaign for middle and high school students to increase interest in national security careers at the National Nuclear Security Administration. This work is a part of the National Security Preparedness Project (NSPP), being performed under a Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) grant. Previous research on the development of a properly trained and skilled national security workforce has identified a lack of interest by k-12 students in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Further, participation in these careers by womenmore » and minority populations is limited and is not increasing. Added to this are low educational achievement levels in New Mexico, where the marketing campaign will be deployed.« less

Gender differences in self-reported anxiety, depression, and somatization among ecstasy/MDMA polydrug users, alcohol/tobacco users, and nondrug users.

PubMed

Milani, Raffaella M; Parrott, Andy C; Turner, John J D; Fox, Helen C

2004-07-01

Previous research has found gender differences in both psychological and physiological responses to drugs. The present investigation explores gender variability in patterns of drug use in relation to self-reported depression, anxiety, and somatization. The current study confirms that heavy illegal drug users are represented by a preponderance of males than females. However, within each drug group category, females generally reported higher psychopathology scores than males. This was significant for all three subscales in the alcohol/tobacco group, for depression scores in the alcohol/tobacco, cannabis/alcohol, and light Ecstasy users group, and for depression scores for the alcohol group. Interestingly, in the male sample, drug users reported higher symptom ratings than nondrug users, whereas women's scores remained constant across drug groups. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Suicidal Imagery in a Previously Depressed Community Sample

PubMed Central

Crane, Catherine; Shah, Dhruvi; Barnhofer, Thorsten; Holmes, Emily A.

2015-01-01

This study sought to replicate previous findings of vivid suicide-related imagery in previously suicidal patients in a community sample of adults with a history of depression. Twenty-seven participants were interviewed regarding suicidal imagery. Seventeen participants reported prior suicidal ideation or behaviour in the clinical assessment, and the vast majority of these also reported experiencing suicide-related imagery when at their most depressed and despairing, in many cases in the form of flash-forwards to imagined future suicidal acts. Interestingly, five of the 10 participants who did not report suicidal ideation or behaviour in the clinical interview also described prominent imagery related to themes of death and suicide, but in several cases, these images were associated with meanings that seemed to act to reduce the likelihood of subsequent suicidal acts. Severity of prior suicidality was associated with lower levels of imagery-related distress and higher levels of imagery-related comfort. These findings support the idea that suicide-related imagery is an important component in the phenomenology of depression and despair and hint at potentially important differences in the meaning associated with such imagery between those individuals who report experiencing suicidal ideation or behaviour when depressed and those who do not. The findings are consistent with Joiner’s model of acquired capability for suicide through habituation to pain and fear of suicide and suggest that it may be useful to tackle such imagery directly in the treatment of suicidal patients. PMID:21254309

UPLC-MSE Profiling of Phytoplankton Metabolites: Application to the Identification of Pigments and Structural Analysis of Metabolites in Porphyridium purpureum

PubMed Central

Juin, Camille; Bonnet, Antoine; Nicolau, Elodie; Bérard, Jean-Baptiste; Devillers, Romain; Thiéry, Valérie; Cadoret, Jean-Paul; Picot, Laurent

2015-01-01

A fast and high-resolution UPLC-MSE analysis was used to identify phytoplankton pigments in an ethanol extract of Porphyridium purpureum (Pp) devoid of phycobiliproteins. In a first step, 22 standard pigments were analyzed by UPLC-MSE to build a database including retention time and accurate masses of parent and fragment ions. Using this database, seven pigments or derivatives previously reported in Pp were unequivocally identified: β,β-carotene, chlorophyll a, zeaxanthin, chlorophyllide a, pheophorbide a, pheophytin a, and cryptoxanthin. Minor amounts of Divinyl chlorophyll a, a chemotaxonomic pigment marker for prochlorophytes, were also unequivocally identified using the database. Additional analysis of ionization and fragmentation patterns indicated the presence of ions that could correspond to hydroxylated derivatives of chlorophyll a and pheophytin a, produced during the ethanolic extraction, as well as previously described galactosyldiacylglycerols, the thylakoid coenzyme plastoquinone, and gracilamide B, a molecule previously reported in the red seaweed Gracillaria asiatica. These data point to UPLC-MSE as an efficient technique to identify phytoplankton pigments for which standards are available, and demonstrate its major interest as a complementary method for the structural elucidation of ionizable marine molecules. PMID:25913708

Reporting of financial and non-financial conflicts of interest by authors of systematic reviews: a methodological survey.

PubMed

Hakoum, Maram B; Anouti, Sirine; Al-Gibbawi, Mounir; Abou-Jaoude, Elias A; Hasbani, Divina Justina; Lopes, Luciane Cruz; Agarwal, Arnav; Guyatt, Gordon; Akl, Elie A

2016-08-10

Conflicts of interest may bias the findings of systematic reviews. The objective of this methodological survey was to assess the frequency and different types of conflicts of interest that authors of Cochrane and non-Cochrane systematic reviews report. We searched for systematic reviews using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Ovid MEDLINE (limited to the 119 Core Clinical Journals and the year 2015). We defined a conflict of interest disclosure as the reporting of whether a conflict of interest exists or not, and used a framework to classify conflicts of interest into individual (financial, professional and intellectual) and institutional (financial and advocatory) conflicts of interest. We conducted descriptive and regression analyses. Of the 200 systematic reviews, 194 (97%) reported authors' conflicts of interest disclosures, typically in the main document, and in a few cases either online (2%) or on request (5%). Of the 194 Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews, 49% and 33%, respectively, had at least one author reporting any type of conflict of interest (p=0.023). Institutional conflicts of interest were less frequently reported than individual conflicts of interest, and Cochrane reviews were more likely to report individual intellectual conflicts of interest compared with non-Cochrane reviews (19% and 5%, respectively, p=0.004). Regression analyses showed a positive association between reporting of conflicts of interest (at least one type of conflict of interest, individual financial conflict of interest, institutional financial conflict of interest) and journal impact factor and between reporting individual financial conflicts of interest and pharmacological versus non-pharmacological intervention. Although close to half of the published systematic reviews report that authors (typically many) have conflicts of interest, more than half report that they do not. Authors reported individual conflicts of interest more frequently than institutional and non-financial conflicts of interest. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Vocational interests after recent spinal cord injury: comparisons related to sex and race.

PubMed

Krause, James S; Saunders, Lee L; Staten, David; Rohe, Daniel E

2011-04-01

To compare vocational interests as a function of sex and race among persons with recent spinal cord injury (SCI), because previous research used almost exclusively white men. Limited research from nearly 2 decades ago suggested SCI selectively occurs to men whose vocational interests are consistent with the Realistic theme of the Holland typology, indicative of a preference for activities and occupations requiring physical strength and dexterity. The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) was completed an average of 50 days after SCI onset. Data were collected at a specialty hospital and analyzed at a medical university. Adults with traumatic SCI (N=500) were assessed during inpatient rehabilitation. Not applicable. The SII, a 317-item measure of vocational interests. Although the findings for white men were consistent with elevation of the Realistic theme when compared with the reference group, the interests of women and black participants were substantially different. Women scored highest on Social, Enterprising, and Conventional themes compared with the reference group. Black participants reported significantly higher elevations than whites on 5 themes (all except Realistic), with elevations on the Social, Enterprising, and Conventional themes exceeding standardized norms. The Artistic and Investigative themes were least descriptive of the overall sample. Rehabilitation professionals should be aware of likely differences in patterns of vocational interests as a function of race and sex, and use vocational interests as a means of facilitating postinjury adaptation. Copyright © 2011 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-reported attitudes, skills and use of evidence-based practice among Canadian doctors of chiropractic: a national survey

PubMed Central

Bussières, André E.; Terhorst, Lauren; Leach, Matthew; Stuber, Kent; Evans, Roni; Schneider, Michael J.

2015-01-01

Objectives: To identify Canadian chiropractors’ attitudes, skills and use of evidence based practice (EBP), as well as their level of awareness of previously published chiropractic clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Methods: 7,200 members of the Canadian Chiropractic Association were invited by e-mail to complete an online version of the Evidence Based practice Attitude & utilisation SurvEy (EBASE); a valid and reliable measure of participant attitudes, skills and use of EBP. Results: Questionnaires were completed by 554 respondents. Most respondents (>75%) held positive attitudes toward EBP. Over half indicated a high level of self-reported skills in EBP, and over 90% expressed an interest in improving these skills. A majority of respondents (65%) reported over half of their practice was based on evidence from clinical research, and only half (52%) agreed that chiropractic CPGs significantly impacted on their practice. Conclusions: While most Canadian chiropractors held positive attitudes towards EBP, believed EBP was useful, and were interested in improving their skills in EBP, many did not use research evidence or CPGs to guide clinical decision making. Our findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the low response rate. PMID:26816412

Descriptive features and causal attributions of headache in an Australian community.

PubMed

Fernandez, E; Sheffield, J

1996-04-01

The reported characteristics and causes of headache differ across individuals and between groups. Such differences are of interest from an epidemiological point of view. This study set out to identify the main descriptive features and causal attributions of headache within an Australian urban community. A sample of 261 subjects reporting headache volunteered to participate in the survey. Subjects completed a self-report questionnaire for assessing demographic variables, headache parameters (intensity, duration, etc), headache medication habits, and perceived causes of one's headache (as in the UK headache survey by Blau, 1990). Results revealed that the typical headache sufferer was a middle-aged employed individual. Migraine versus tension headache were equivalent in number, and on the average, subjects experienced moderate intensity, day-long headaches that recurred about nine times per month. With regard to causal attributions, the prevalence of headaches due to mental stress was higher than that due to any other single stimulus (eg, noise, exercise), and alcohol was the most frequent dietary cause of headache. These findings are generally consistent with those from previous surveys, although some interesting departures emerge which may be accounted for by demographic differences in the populations studied.

A third case of amelia in Morelet's crocodile from the Yucatan Peninsula.

PubMed

Charruau, Pierre; Niño-Torres, Carlos A

2014-07-03

Congenital defects in crocodilians have received little interest. In the context of global change and increasing threats to biodiversity, data on birth defects occurring in wildlife could be of importance for estimating the health of species populations and their ecosystems. Herein, we report the first case of amelia (i.e. absence of limbs) in Morelet's crocodiles Crocodylus moreletii from Mexico and the third on the southern Yucatan Peninsula. The crocodile in question was a juvenile (41 cm total length) captured in July 2012 in the Río Hondo, the river that forms the border between Mexico and Belize south of the state of Quintana Roo. The prevalence of this malformation in the C. moreletii population of Río Hondo (0.35%) is similar to that reported in 2 previous cases in Belize. Several causes of birth defects in crocodilians have previously been cited in the literature. Although we do not have relevant information to elucidate this case, we discuss some plausible explanations for this birth defect.

Tissue classification using depth-dependent ultrasound time series analysis: in-vitro animal study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imani, Farhad; Daoud, Mohammad; Moradi, Mehdi; Abolmaesumi, Purang; Mousavi, Parvin

2011-03-01

Time series analysis of ultrasound radio-frequency (RF) signals has been shown to be an effective tissue classification method. Previous studies of this method for tissue differentiation at high and clinical-frequencies have been reported. In this paper, analysis of RF time series is extended to improve tissue classification at the clinical frequencies by including novel features extracted from the time series spectrum. The primary feature examined is the Mean Central Frequency (MCF) computed for regions of interest (ROIs) in the tissue extending along the axial axis of the transducer. In addition, the intercept and slope of a line fitted to the MCF-values of the RF time series as a function of depth have been included. To evaluate the accuracy of the new features, an in vitro animal study is performed using three tissue types: bovine muscle, bovine liver, and chicken breast, where perfect two-way classification is achieved. The results show statistically significant improvements over the classification accuracies with previously reported features.

Calcium oxalate syntheses in a solution containing glucose by the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurake, Naoyuki; Tanaka, Hiromasa; Ishikawa, Kenji; Nakamura, Kae; Kajiyama, Hiroaki; Kikkawa, Fumitaka; Mizuno, Masaaki; Yamanishi, Yoko; Hori, Masaru

2016-09-01

The non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma (NEAPP) has been attracted attention because of its characteristic high reactivity even in a low temperature so that various phenomena by the NEAPP such as a sterilization, growth promotion and so forth have been reported around the world. Previously, we reported the NEAPP irradiation generated the calcium oxalate crystals in the medium, which contains 31 kinds of organics and inorganics. The Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) which was used in previous study is composed of no oxalate. Interestingly, not only crystallization but also synthesis of the oxalate was occurred by the NEAPP irradiation. Also the crystallization details were analyzed with the X-ray diffraction (XRD). In this study, we have clarified the mechanism on the crystallization due that D-glucose, calcium ion and bicarbonate ions are minimum essential components. The oxalate synthesis was proved by the gas chromatography and mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Finally, we conclude that a supersaturation of oxalic acid synthesized in those 3 species by the NEAPP.

Follow-up of participants in the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Scholars' Program, 2006 to 2012.

PubMed

Lam, Mindy Ching Wan; Sey, Michael Sl; Gregor, Jamie; Wong, Clarence

2014-02-01

The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) Scholars' Program (previously known as the Bright Lights Course) is designed to encourage trainees to consider a subspecialty career in gastroenterology. A formal analysis of the Scholars' Program performed in 2007 revealed that 82% of participants invited to the program pursued or were planning to pursue a career in gastroenterology. The positive results are consistent with the CAG's strategic plan of developing "the next generation of gastroenterology clinical practitioners, researchers, educators, and leaders" and to "attract, train, and retain the best and the brightest to gastroenterology". The present study was a follow-up analysis of participants in the Scholars' Program between 2006 and 2012. Although 93.1% of participants had an interest in gastroenterology before attending the Scholars' Program, the majority (68.7%) reported a greater interest in gastroenterology after the program. Similar to the study from 2007, the present study again illustrates the importance and success of the Scholars' Program in generating interest and retaining candidates in gastroenterology.

Hyperspectral imaging of polymer banknotes for building and analysis of spectral library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Hoong-Ta; Murukeshan, Vadakke Matham

2017-11-01

The use of counterfeit banknotes increases crime rates and cripples the economy. New countermeasures are required to stop counterfeiters who use advancing technologies with criminal intent. Many countries started adopting polymer banknotes to replace paper notes, as polymer notes are more durable and have better quality. The research on authenticating such banknotes is of much interest to the forensic investigators. Hyperspectral imaging can be employed to build a spectral library of polymer notes, which can then be used for classification to authenticate these notes. This is however not widely reported and has become a research interest in forensic identification. This paper focuses on the use of hyperspectral imaging on polymer notes to build spectral libraries, using a pushbroom hyperspectral imager which has been previously reported. As an initial study, a spectral library will be built from three arbitrarily chosen regions of interest of five circulated genuine polymer notes. Principal component analysis is used for dimension reduction and to convert the information in the spectral library to principal components. A 99% confidence ellipse is formed around the cluster of principal component scores of each class and then used as classification criteria. The potential of the adopted methodology is demonstrated by the classification of the imaged regions as training samples.

Developing a Social, Cultural and Economic Report Card for a Regional Industrial Harbour.

PubMed

Pascoe, Sean; Tobin, Renae; Windle, Jill; Cannard, Toni; Marshall, Nadine; Kabir, Zobaidul; Flint, Nicole

2016-01-01

Report cards are increasingly used to provide ongoing snap-shots of progress towards specific ecosystem health goals, particularly in coastal regions where planners need to balance competing demands for coastal resources from a range of industries. While most previous report cards focus on the biophysical components of the system, there is a growing interest in including the social and economic implications of ecosystem management to provide a greater social-ecological system understanding. Such a report card was requested on the Gladstone Harbour area in central Queensland, Australia. Gladstone Harbour adjoins the southern Great Barrier Reef, and is also a major industrial and shipping port. Balancing social, economic and environmental interests is therefore of great concern to the regional managers. While environmental benchmarking procedures are well established within Australia (and elsewhere), a method for assessing social and economic performance of coastal management is generally lacking. The key aim of this study was to develop and pilot a system for the development of a report card relating to appropriate cultural, social and economic objectives. The approach developed uses a range of multicriteria decision analysis methods to assess and combine different qualitative and quantitative measures, including the use of Bayesian Belief Networks to combine the different measures and provide an overall quantitative score for each of the key management objectives. The approach developed is readily transferable for purposes of similar assessments in other regions.

Developing a Social, Cultural and Economic Report Card for a Regional Industrial Harbour

PubMed Central

Pascoe, Sean; Tobin, Renae; Windle, Jill; Cannard, Toni; Marshall, Nadine; Kabir, Zobaidul; Flint, Nicole

2016-01-01

Report cards are increasingly used to provide ongoing snap-shots of progress towards specific ecosystem health goals, particularly in coastal regions where planners need to balance competing demands for coastal resources from a range of industries. While most previous report cards focus on the biophysical components of the system, there is a growing interest in including the social and economic implications of ecosystem management to provide a greater social-ecological system understanding. Such a report card was requested on the Gladstone Harbour area in central Queensland, Australia. Gladstone Harbour adjoins the southern Great Barrier Reef, and is also a major industrial and shipping port. Balancing social, economic and environmental interests is therefore of great concern to the regional managers. While environmental benchmarking procedures are well established within Australia (and elsewhere), a method for assessing social and economic performance of coastal management is generally lacking. The key aim of this study was to develop and pilot a system for the development of a report card relating to appropriate cultural, social and economic objectives. The approach developed uses a range of multicriteria decision analysis methods to assess and combine different qualitative and quantitative measures, including the use of Bayesian Belief Networks to combine the different measures and provide an overall quantitative score for each of the key management objectives. The approach developed is readily transferable for purposes of similar assessments in other regions. PMID:26839949

Dynamic adjustments of cognitive control during economic decision making.

PubMed

Soutschek, Alexander; Schubert, Torsten

2014-10-01

Decision making in the Ultimatum game requires the resolution of conflicts between economic self-interest and fairness intuitions. Since cognitive control processes play an important role in conflict resolution, the present study examined how control processes that are triggered by conflicts between fairness and self-interest in unfair offers affect subsequent decisions in the Ultimatum game. Our results revealed that more unfair offers were accepted following previously unfair, compared to previously fair offers. Interestingly, the magnitude of this conflict adaptation effect correlated with the individual subjects' focus on economic self-interest. We concluded that conflicts between fairness and self-interest trigger cognitive control processes, which reinforce the focus on the current task goal. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bibliography of work on the heterogeneous photocatalytic removal of hazardous compounds from water and air, Update Number 2 to October 1996

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

Blake, D.M.

1997-01-01

The Solar Industrial Program has developed processes that destroy hazardous substances in or remove them from water and air. The processes of interest in this report are based on the application of heterogeneous photocatalysts, principally titanium dioxide or modifications thereof, but work on other heterogeneous catalysts is included in this compilation. This report continues bibliographies that were published in May, 1994, and October, 1995. The previous reports included 663 and 574 citations, respectively. This update contains an additional 518 references. These were published during the period from June 1995 to October 1996, or are references from prior years that weremore » not included in the previous reports. The work generally focuses on removing hazardous contaminants from air or water to meet environmental or health regulations. This report also references work on properties of semiconductor photocatalysts and applications of photocatalytic chemistry in organic synthesis. This report follows the same organization as the previous publications. The first part provides citations for work done in a few broad categories that are generic to the process. Three tables provide references to work on specific substances. The first table lists organic compounds that are included in various lists of hazardous substances identified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The second table lists compounds not included in those categories, but which have been treated in a photocatalytic process. The third table covers inorganic compounds that are on EPA lists of hazardous materials or that have been treated by a photocatalytic process. A short update on companies that are active in providing products or services based on photocatalytic processes is provided.« less

Carotid body tumor imitator: An interesting case of Castleman's disease.

PubMed

Shakir, Hakeem J; Diletti, Sara M; Hart, Alexandra M; Meyers, Joshua E; Dumont, Travis M; Siddiqui, Adnan H

2015-01-01

There are very few reports in the literature of Castleman's disease affecting the carotid artery and a single previous report of a case of Castleman's disease of the neck originally mistaken as a carotid body tumor. We describe a rare case of Castleman's disease, manifesting with classic radiographic hallmarks of a carotid body tumor. The postoperative pathologic examination identified the resected mass as Castleman's lymphadenopathy. The management of this particular case is discussed, and the findings are highlighted. We present a unique case of a tumor initially and incorrectly diagnosed as a carotid body tumor. However, after comprehensive treatment with endovascular and surgical modalities and subsequent pathologic examination, the diagnosis of this rare entity was made.

Molecular carbon isotopic evidence for the origin of geothermal hydrocarbons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Des Marais, D.J.; Donchin, J.H.; Nehring, N.L.; Truesdell, A.H.

1981-01-01

Previous interest in light hydrocarbons from geothermal systems has focused principally on the origin of the methane1 and the estimation of subsurface temperatures from the carbon isotopic content of coexisting methane and carbon dioxide1-3. Higher molecular weight hydrocarbons were first reported in gases from Yellowstone National Park4, and have since been found to occur commonly in geothermal emanations in the western United States5. Isotopic measurements of individual geothermal hydrocarbons are now reported which help to explain the origin of these hydrocarbons. The thermal decomposition of sedimentary or groundwater organic matter is a principal source of hydrocarbons in four geothermal areas in western North America. ?? 1981 Nature Publishing Group.

Spectra and Photochemistry of Relevance to Icy Outer Solar System Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernstein, M. P.; Sandford, S. A.; Allamandola, L. J.; Fonda, Mark (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The Astrochemistry Lab at NASA Ames (www.astrochem.org) has an interest in the organic photochemistry of extraterrestrial ices, having traditionally performed experiments under interstellar conditions. We have recently embarked on projects for PG\\&G to measure spectra and elucidate the photochemistry of ices relevant to outer Solar System objects. 1) We will report on the determination of real and imaginary indicies of refraction of H2O and N2 dominated ices containing simple, common, extraterrestrial molecules such as NH3, HCN, formaldehyde, \\& methanol. 2) We will compare and contrast the photochemistry of H2O ices containing organic molecules at 100 K with previously reported work at 15 K.

Isolation of a new dual-functional caffeine synthase gene encoding an enzyme for the conversion of 7-methylxanthine to caffeine from coffee (Coffea arabica L.).

PubMed

Mizuno, Kouichi; Okuda, Akira; Kato, Misako; Yoneyama, Naho; Tanaka, Hiromi; Ashihara, Hiroshi; Fujimura, Tatsuhito

2003-01-16

In coffee and tea plants, caffeine is synthesized from xanthosine via a pathway that includes three methylation steps. We report the isolation of a bifunctional coffee caffeine synthase (CCS1) clone from coffee endosperm by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique using previously reported sequence information for theobromine synthases (CTSs). The predicted amino acid sequences of CCS1 are more than 80% identical to CTSs and are about 40% similar to those of tea caffeine synthase (TCS1). Interestingly, CCS1 has dual methylation activity like tea TCS1.

The development and psychometric properties of an informant-report form of the personality inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5).

PubMed

Markon, Kristian E; Quilty, Lena C; Bagby, R Michael; Krueger, Robert F

2013-06-01

The current article reports on the development, psychometric properties, and external validity of an informant-report form of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (the PID-5-IRF). Using data from two nationally representative samples, as well as an elevated-risk community sample, we report on the PID-5-IRF item characteristics, scale properties, superordinate factor structure, and correlations with other measures. The PID-5-IRF replicates the factor structure of the self-report form and has relationships with other measures (including the PID-5 self-report form and a widely used Big Five measure) that are consistent with previous research and theory. We believe that the PID-5-IRF is a useful measure for a number of scenarios, such as when additional sources of information are desired, where informant measures are expected to provide incremental validity over self-report, where relationships or social perception is a focal interest, or when response bias is a salient concern. Areas for future research are also discussed.

Impact of Vocational Interests, Previous Academic Experience, Gender and Age on Situational Judgement Test Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schripsema, Nienke R.; van Trigt, Anke M.; Borleffs, Jan C. C.; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke

2017-01-01

Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) are increasingly implemented in medical school admissions. In this paper, we investigate the effects of vocational interests, previous academic experience, gender and age on SJT performance. The SJT was part of the selection process for the Bachelor's degree programme in Medicine at University of Groningen, the…

One-step direct-laser metal writing of sub-100 nm 3D silver nanostructures in a gelatin matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, SeungYeon; Vora, Kevin; Mazur, Eric

2015-03-01

Developing an ability to fabricate high-resolution, 3D metal nanostructures in a stretchable 3D matrix is a critical step to realizing novel optoelectronic devices such as tunable bulk metal-dielectric optical devices and THz metamaterial devices that are not feasible with alternative techniques. We report a new chemistry method to fabricate high-resolution, 3D silver nanostructures using a femtosecond-laser direct metal writing technique. Previously, only fabrication of 3D polymeric structures or single-/few-layer metal structures was possible. Our method takes advantage of unique gelatin properties to overcome such previous limitations as limited freedom in 3D material design and short sample lifetime. We fabricate more than 15 layers of 3D silver nanostructures with a resolution of less than 100 nm in a stable dielectric matrix that is flexible and has high large transparency that is well-matched for potential applications in the optical and THz metamaterial regimes. This is a single-step process that does not require any further processing. This work will be of interest to those interested in fabrication methods that utilize nonlinear light-matter interactions and the realization of future metamaterials.

Pedophilic sexual interests and psychopathy in child sexual abusers working with children.

PubMed

Turner, Daniel; Rettenberger, Martin; Lohmann, Lena; Eher, Reinhard; Briken, Peer

2014-02-01

Research has identified stable and dynamic characteristics in child sexual abusers working with children (CSA-W) that may distinguish them from other child sexual abusers (CSA). However, in previous research CSA-W have usually been included in the group of extra-familial CSA (CSA-E). Two hundred and forty-eight forensic-sexological reports about CSA conducted by the Federal Evaluation Centre for Violent and Sexual Offenders in the Austrian Prison System were evaluated retrospectively. One hundred and nineteen intra-familial CSA (CSA-I), 66 CSA-E, and 38 CSA-W were compared with regard to static risk factors, indicators of psychopathy, and pedophilic sexual interests. CSA-E had the highest risk of recidivism as measured by the Static-99 total score, followed by CSA-W. Furthermore, CSA-E had more previous convictions than CSA-W. Both CSA-E and CSA-I had higher total scores on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised than CSA-W. CSA-W had the highest prevalence of pedophilia diagnoses according to DSM-IV-TR criteria, as well as the highest rate of pedophilia with an orientation toward male children, and the highest frequency of male victims. CSA-W also had the highest total scores in the Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interests. CSA-W seem to constitute a group with particular risk factors and criminogenic needs, that is, they show more indicators of pedophilic sexual interests but less general antisociality and psychopathy, and would thus seem to be distinguishable from other CSA. Future research should focus in particular on evaluating differences in the grooming strategies used by CSA-W to commit and disclose child sexual abuse, as well as on the resources of this particular offender group. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Active and Passive Sport Interests of Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stensaasen, Svein

1980-01-01

A study dealing with the sport interests of adolescents reveals significant relationships between different passive sport interests, and a relationship of active and passive sport interests which decreases with age and depends to some degree on social background. The study upholds previously determined relationships between sex and sport activity.…

77 FR 5832 - Conveyance of Federally-Owned Mineral Interests; Renewal of OMB Control Number

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-06

...] Conveyance of Federally-Owned Mineral Interests; Renewal of OMB Control Number AGENCY: Bureau of Land... Federally-owned mineral interests. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved this...: Title: Conveyance of Federally-Owned Mineral Interests (43 CFR Part 2720). OMB Control Number: 1004-0153...

48 CFR 2009.570-4 - Representation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... type required by the organizational conflicts of interest representation provisions has previously been... ACQUISITION PLANNING CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Organizational Conflicts of Interest 2009.570-4 Representation... whether situations or relationships exist which may constitute organizational conflicts of interest with...

A Data Model and Task Space for Data of Interest (DOI) Eye-Tracking Analyses.

PubMed

Jianu, Radu; Alam, Sayeed Safayet

2018-03-01

Eye-tracking data is traditionally analyzed by looking at where on a visual stimulus subjects fixate, or, to facilitate more advanced analyses, by using area-of-interests (AOI) defined onto visual stimuli. Recently, there is increasing interest in methods that capture what users are looking at rather than where they are looking. By instrumenting visualization code that transforms a data model into visual content, gaze coordinates reported by an eye-tracker can be mapped directly to granular data shown on the screen, producing temporal sequences of data objects that subjects viewed in an experiment. Such data collection, which is called gaze to object mapping (GTOM) or data-of-interest analysis (DOI), can be done reliably with limited overhead and can facilitate research workflows not previously possible. Our paper contributes to establishing a foundation of DOI analyses by defining a DOI data model and highlighting its differences to AOI data in structure and scale; by defining and exemplifying a space of DOI enabled tasks; by describing three concrete examples of DOI experimentation in three different domains; and by discussing immediate research challenges in creating a framework of visual support for DOI experimentation and analysis.

Radiative data for highly excited 3d84d levels in Ni II from laboratory measurements and atomic calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, H.; Engström, L.; Lundberg, H.; Nilsson, H.; Quinet, P.; Fivet, V.; Palmeri, P.; Malcheva, G.; Blagoev, K.

2017-04-01

Aims: This work reports new experimental radiative lifetimes and calculated oscillator strengths for transitions from 3d84d levels of astrophysical interest in singly ionized nickel. Methods: Radiative lifetimes of seven high-lying levels of even parity in Ni II (98 400-100 600 cm-1) have been measured using the time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence method. Two-step photon excitation of ions produced by laser ablation has been utilized to populate the levels. Theoretical calculations of the radiative lifetimes of the measured levels and transition probabilities from these levels are reported. The calculations have been performed using a pseudo-relativistic Hartree-Fock method, taking into account core polarization effects. Results: A new set of transition probabilities and oscillator strengths has been deduced for 477 Ni II transitions of astrophysical interest in the spectral range 194-520 nm depopulating even parity 3d84d levels. The new calculated gf-values are, on the average, about 20% higher than a previous calculation and yield lifetimes within 5% of the experimental values.

Novel Fe3+-Based 1H MRI β-Galactosidase Reporter Molecules**

PubMed Central

Yu, Jian-Xin; Gulaka, Praveen K.; Liu, Li; Kodibagkar, Vikram D.; Mason, Ralph P.

2012-01-01

There is increasing interest in the development of reporter agents to reveal enzyme activity in vivo using small animal imaging. We have previously demonstrated the feasibility of detecting lacZ gene activity using the commercially available 3,4-cyclohexenoesculetin-β-D-galactopyranoside (S-Gal™) as a 1H MRI reporter. Specifically, β-galactosidase (β-gal) releases the aglycone, which forms an MR contrast-inducing paramagnetic precipitate in the presence of Fe3+. Contrast was primarily T2-weighted signal loss, but T1 effects were also observed. Since T1-contrast generally provides signal enhancement as opposed to loss, it appeared attractive to explore whether analogues could be generated with enhanced characteristics. We now report the design and successful synthesis of novel analogues together with characterization of 1H MRI contrast based on both T1 and T2 response to β-gal activity in vitro for the lead agent. PMID:23807909

Medicinal and useful plants in the tradition of Rotonda, Pollino National Park, Southern Italy

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background This paper reports an ethnobotanical survey of the traditional uses of medicinal and useful plants in an area of the Pollino National Park, Basilicata, Southern Italy. The study, conducted between 2009 and 2010, gathered information on the medicinal plants traditionally used in the neighbourhood of town of Rotonda, in the Pollino National Park, that appears have very rich and interesting ethnopharmacological traditions. Methods In all, we interviewed 120 key informants, whose age ranged between 50 and 95 years. Results The research resulted to the identification of 78 medicinal plants belonging to 46 families. Among the species reported, 59 are used in human medicine, 18 for domestic use, 8 in veterinary medicine. Several plants have been reported in previous studies, but with different uses, or never reported. Conclusions Data obtained showed that in the studied area the folk use of plants is alive and still derives from daily practice. PMID:23522331

[Pneumomediastinum, giant subcutaneous emphysema and pneumoperitoneum revealed by jaw pain. Uncommon physiopathology of pneumomediastinum].

PubMed

Le Loch, J-B; Freymond, N; Khettab, F; Pacheco, Y; Devouassoux, G

2008-02-01

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare entity, predominantly described in young man. The association of acute dyspnea, chest pains and subcutaneous emphysema is usually reported. We report the observation of a pneumomediastinum, fortuitously discovered in front of an isolated giant subcutaneous emphysema in a 59 year old man. The recent clinical history was only marked by the presence of intense and acute dental pains. Associated with a pneumoperitoneum, a retro-pneumoperitoneum, this clinical presentation is uncommon and differs from previous published case reports. Despite a complete evaluation of classical risk factors, its origin remains uncertain. However, the presence of huge dental injuries led to consider such local origin, facilitating air diffusion. This case report allows to reconsider spontaneous pneumomediastinum entity and to propose additional physiopathological mechanisms. This original description underlines the interest to systematically perform dental examination in the presence of unexplained pneumomediastinum.

Radiolarian biostratigraphic data from the Casiguran Ophiolite, Northern Sierra Madre, Luzon, Philippines: Stratigraphic and tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Queano, Karlo L.; Marquez, Edanjarlo J.; Aitchison, Jonathan C.; Ali, Jason R.

2013-03-01

Results from the first detailed radiolarian biostratigraphic study conducted in Luzon are reported. The data were obtained from cherts associated with the Casiguran Ophiolite, a dismembered ophiolite mass consisting of serpentinized peridotites, gabbros, dolerite dikes and pillow basalts exposed along the eastern coast of the Northern Sierra Madre, Luzon, Philippines. Cherts and limestone interbeds conformably overlie the ophiolite. The radiolarian assemblages from the cherts constrain the stratigraphic range of the cherts to the Lower Cretaceous (upper Barremian-lower Aptian to Albian). This new biostratigraphic result is in contrast with the Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic range previously reported in the region. Radiolarian biostratigraphic results from the Casiguran Ophiolite provide additional evidence for the existence of Mesozoic oceanic substratum upon which Luzon and neighboring regions within the Philippine archipelago were likely built. Interestingly, the result closely resembles those reported for the ophiolite in southeastern Luzon as well as the oceanic crust of the Huatung Basin situated east of Taiwan and the ophiolites in eastern Indonesia. In light of this, along with previously gathered geochemical data from the ophiolites, a common provenance is being looked into for these crust-upper mantle sequences in the western Pacific region.

Child sexual abuse and mandatory reporting intervention preservice content preferred by student teachers.

PubMed

Goldman, Juliette D G; Grimbeek, Peter

2014-01-01

The importance of preservice university teacher training about child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting intervention is addressed in educational literature, although very little is known about student teachers' learning interests and preferences in this area. In this article, student teachers refer to students in university who are training to become teachers whose training includes teaching experiences in schools. This study examines the content about child sexual abuse and its intervention that student teachers believe they should learn. Results based on quantitative analyses show the relative importance of gender in determining responses to questions about university training and, to a lesser extent, the importance of a previous acquaintance with victims of sexual abuse, previous employment, and the length of the university course. Results based on qualitative data show that content knowledge preferred by elementary/primary and secondary school student teachers includes the teacher's role in mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse and signs, experiences, and responses to student disclosure. Student teachers prefer content examples of school professionals' responses and procedures after disclosure and prefer direct learning content from intervening school professionals. These outcomes could usefully guide teachers and educators who design intervention curricula on child sexual abuse for preservice teachers.

Cultural anthropology approach to psychopathology of Muslim murderer.

PubMed

Okada, T; Satoh, S; Morita, N; Konishi, T; Nakamura, T; Tanaka, H; Oda, S

1994-03-01

We report a case involving a 31-year-old Islamic male who murdered his associate under particular circumstances. We took the opportunity to test psychiatrically this man who has been diagnosed in his mother country as a schizophrenic. He came to Japan and was working as a laborer. He is an earnest practicing Muslim. We took an interest in this case because of his bizarre behavior previous to the actual crime. We are interested in the actual method of the murder in relation to Mr. A's cultural and religious background. We demonstrated the significance of the religious cultural knowledge relative to the indigenous ritual for expelling satan and the Islamic pilgrimage to Mekka (Hajj). We conclude that a cultural anthropological and religious viewpoint is necessary in objectively understanding the sources of suffering in patients with mental illness who are from foreign countries.

Neoplastic Fever: All who Shiver are not Infected.

PubMed

Sharma, Yogesh B; More, Aparna Vishal

2017-03-01

We report the case of previously healthy 14 years old male who presented high grade fever and headache. There was a history of convulsion at age of 7 years, so MRI Brain was done. It was suggestive of a central nervous system neoplasm. Our patient had only two days of fever which is an unusual presentation of a neoplasm. The paper should be of interest to the clinicians as neoplastic fever as cause of acute febrile illness is considered as a remote possibility. © Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.

Effects of catalyst pore structure and acid properties on the dehydration of glycerol.

PubMed

Choi, Youngbo; Park, Hongseok; Yun, Yang Sik; Yi, Jongheop

2015-03-01

Hierarchical porous catalysts have recently attracted increasing interest because of the enhanced accessibility to active sites on such materials. In this context, previously reported hierarchically mesoporous ASN and ASPN materials are evaluated by applying them to the dehydration of glycerol, and demonstrate excellent catalytic performance. In addition, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of pore structures and the acid properties on the reaction through comparative studies with microporous HZSM-5 and mesoporous AlMCM-41 is provided. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Prevalence and characteristics of smokers interested in internet-based smoking cessation interventions: cross-sectional findings from a national household survey.

PubMed

Brown, Jamie; Michie, Susan; Raupach, Tobias; West, Robert

2013-03-18

An accurate and up-to-date estimate of the potential reach of Internet-based smoking cessation interventions (ISCIs) would improve calculations of impact while an understanding of the characteristics of potential users would facilitate the design of interventions. This study reports the prevalence and the sociodemographic, smoking, and Internet-use characteristics of smokers interested in using ISCIs in a nationally representative sample. Data were collected using cross-sectional household surveys of representative samples of adults in England. Interest in trying an Internet site or "app" that was proven to help with stopping smoking was assessed in 1128 adult smokers in addition to sociodemographic characteristics, dependence, motivation to quit, previous attempts to quit smoking, Internet and handheld computer access, and recent types of information searched online. Of a representative sample of current smokers, 46.6% (95% CI 43.5%-49.6%) were interested in using an Internet-based smoking cessation intervention. In contrast, only 0.3% (95% CI 0%-0.7%) of smokers reported having used such an intervention to support their most recent quit attempt within the past year. After adjusting for all other background characteristics, interested smokers were younger (OR=0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99), reported stronger urges (OR=1.29, 95% CI 1.10-1.51), were more motivated to quit within 3 months (OR=2.16, 95% CI 1.54-3.02), and were more likely to have made a quit attempt in the past year (OR=1.76, 95% CI 1.30-2.37), access the Internet at least weekly (OR=2.17, 95% CI 1.40-3.36), have handheld computer access (OR=1.65, 95% CI 1.22-2.24), and have used the Internet to search for online smoking cessation information or support in past 3 months (OR=2.82, 95% CI 1.20-6.62). There was no association with social grade. Almost half of all smokers in England are interested in using online smoking cessation interventions, yet fewer than 1% have used them to support a quit attempt in the past year. Interest is not associated with social grade but is associated with being younger, more highly motivated, more cigarette dependent, having attempted to quit recently, having regular Internet and handheld computer access, and having recently searched for online smoking cessation information and support.

Iron oxide nanozyme catalyzed synthesis of fluorescent polydopamine for light-up Zn2+ detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Biwu; Han, Xiao; Liu, Juewen

2016-07-01

Fluorescent polydopamine (FPD) is an interesting material with excellent biocompatibility. However, its preparation is currently a lengthy and potentially dangerous process. We herein employ magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles as a peroxidase-mimicking nanozyme to produce FPD under mild conditions. Different from previous protocols using multiple steps with up to 6% (~2 M) H2O2, this preparation takes place in a single step with just 5 mM H2O2 at room temperature. The oxidized product shows excitation-wavelength-dependent emission peaks, similar to previous reports. The reaction kinetics, pH, temperature, and ionic strength are individually optimized. Among a diverse range of other nanomaterials tested, including Fe2O3, CeO2, CoO, Co3O4, NiO, TiO2, gold nanoparticles, and graphene oxide, Fe2O3 and graphene oxide yielded relatively weak emission, while the rest of the materials failed to produce FPD. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles retained ~90% catalytic activity even after ten cycles of synthesis. Finally, Zn2+ can enhance the fluorescence of FPD under 360 nm excitation but not under 480 nm excitation, leading to a sensitive light-up sensor with a detection limit of 60 nM Zn2+. Therefore, this work has demonstrated not only a novel use of nanozymes, but also an interesting application of FPD.Fluorescent polydopamine (FPD) is an interesting material with excellent biocompatibility. However, its preparation is currently a lengthy and potentially dangerous process. We herein employ magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles as a peroxidase-mimicking nanozyme to produce FPD under mild conditions. Different from previous protocols using multiple steps with up to 6% (~2 M) H2O2, this preparation takes place in a single step with just 5 mM H2O2 at room temperature. The oxidized product shows excitation-wavelength-dependent emission peaks, similar to previous reports. The reaction kinetics, pH, temperature, and ionic strength are individually optimized. Among a diverse range of other nanomaterials tested, including Fe2O3, CeO2, CoO, Co3O4, NiO, TiO2, gold nanoparticles, and graphene oxide, Fe2O3 and graphene oxide yielded relatively weak emission, while the rest of the materials failed to produce FPD. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles retained ~90% catalytic activity even after ten cycles of synthesis. Finally, Zn2+ can enhance the fluorescence of FPD under 360 nm excitation but not under 480 nm excitation, leading to a sensitive light-up sensor with a detection limit of 60 nM Zn2+. Therefore, this work has demonstrated not only a novel use of nanozymes, but also an interesting application of FPD. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Methods, TEM, ζ-potential, and original fluorescence spectra. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02584f

Conflict of interest reporting in dentistry meta-analyses: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Beyari, Mohammed M.; Strain, Dan; Lamfon, Hanadi A.

2014-01-01

Objectives: The issue of reporting conflicts of interest (COI) in medical research has come under scrutiny over the past decade. Absolute transparency is important when dealing with conflicts of interest to provide readers with all essential information required to make an informative decision of the results. The key objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of reporting conflicts of interest in therapeutic dental meta-analyses of Randomized Control Trials (RCTs), and to investigate possible associations with other categorical variables. Study Design: We conducted an extensive literature search across multiple databases to search for relevant review articles for this study. We utilized pre-determined key words, and relied on three reviewers to test and review the use of a data extraction form that was used for the meta-analyses. Data regarding study characteristics, direction of results, and the significance of the results from each meta-analysis were extracted. Results: There were 129 meta-analyses used in this review, and the reporting on conflict of interest was low with only 50 (38.8%) of the articles possessing a conflict of interest statement (either confirming of denying COI). Of these 50 articles, there were only 4 (8%) studies that reported an actual conflict of interest. A statement of conflicts of interest was found in 29 (35.3%) of the papers that reported significant findings, whereas 35% of the papers that reported positive results reported on conflict of interest. Prior to 2009, only 17 (25%) papers reported conflicts of interest, but since 2009, 54.1% of papers collected had a conflict of interest statement. Conclusions: Meta-analyses published in the field of dentistry do not routinely report author conflicts of interest. Although few conflicts appear to exist, the field of dentistry should continue to ensure that best evidence reports provide clear and transparent reporting of potential conflicts of interest in academic journals. Key words:Dentistry, dentition, meta-analysis, quantitative review. PMID:25136431

Optimization of fermentation conditions for the production of curcumin by engineered Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Couto, Márcia R; Rodrigues, Joana L; Rodrigues, Lígia R

2017-08-01

Curcumin is a plant secondary metabolite with outstanding therapeutic effects. Therefore, there is a great interest in developing new strategies to produce this high-value compound in a cheaper and environmentally friendly way. Curcumin heterologous production in Escherichia coli using artificial biosynthetic pathways was previously demonstrated using synthetic biology approaches. However, the culturing conditions to produce this compound were not optimized and so far only a two-step fermentation process involving the exchange of culture medium allowed high concentrations of curcumin to be obtained, which limits its production at an industrial scale. In this study, the culturing conditions to produce curcumin were evaluated and optimized. In addition, it was concluded that E. coli BL21 allows higher concentrations of curcumin to be produced than E. coli K-12 strains. Different isopropyl β-d-thiogalactopyranoside concentrations, time of protein expression induction and substrate type and concentration were also evaluated. The highest curcumin production obtained was 959.3 µM (95.93% of per cent yield), which was 3.1-fold higher than the highest concentration previously reported. This concentration was obtained using a two-stage fermentation with lysogeny broth (LB) and M9. Moreover, terrific broth was also demonstrated to be a very interesting alternative medium to produce curcumin because it also led to high concentrations (817.7 µM). The use of this single fermentation medium represents an advantage at industrial scale and, although the final production is lower than that obtained with the LB-M9 combination, it leads to a significantly higher production of curcumin in the first 24 h of fermentation. This study allowed obtaining the highest concentrations of curcumin reported so far in a heterologous organism and is of interest for all of those working with the heterologous production of curcuminoids, other complex polyphenolic compounds or plant secondary metabolites. © 2017 The Author(s).

WAVE2 serves a functional partner of IRSp53 by regulating its interaction with Rac.

PubMed

Miki, Hiroaki; Takenawa, Tadaomi

2002-04-26

We previously reported that IRSp53 binds both Rac and WAVE2, inducing formation of Rac/IRSp53/WAVE2 complex that is important for membrane ruffling. However, recent reports noted a specific interaction between IRSp53 and Cdc42 but not Rac, which led us to re-examine the binding of IRSp53 to Rac. Immunoprecipitation analysis and pull-down assay reveal that full-length IRSp53 binds Rac much less efficiently than the N-terminal fragment, which may be caused by intramolecular interaction. Interestingly, the intramolecular interaction is interrupted by the binding of WAVE2 and full-length IRSp53 associates with Rac in the presence of WAVE2. We also report that IRSp53 induces spreading and neurite formation of N1E-115 cells, which presumably reflect functional cooperation with Rac.

Psychosocial and contextual correlates of opioid overdose risk among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia.

PubMed

Grau, Lauretta E; Green, Traci C; Torban, Mikhail; Blinnikova, Ksenia; Krupitsky, Evgeny; Ilyuk, Ruslan; Kozlov, Andrei P; Heimer, Robert

2009-07-24

Opioid overdose in Russia is a problem that has grown more severe as heroin abuse expanded over the past decade, yet few studies have explored it in detail. In order to gain a clearer understanding of the situation, 60 drug users, both in and out of drug treatment in St. Petersburg, were interviewed concerning their overdose experience and knowledge about overdose recognition and prevention. Using a semi-structured interview, we sought to identify and describe local attitudes, knowledge and experience (both self-sustained and witnessed) of opioid overdose. Bi-variate and multiple logistic regressions were performed in order to identify the relationship between overdose experience and sociodemographic factors, risk behaviors, and clinical psychiatric measures. We found that having experienced or witnessed an opioid overdose within the previous year was common, overdose knowledge was generally high, but nearly half the participants reported low self-efficacy for effectively intervening in an overdose situation. In bivariate analyses, self-reported family problems (i.e., perceived problematic family interactions) were positively associated with both experiencing (t56 = 2.49; p < 0.05) and with witnessing a greater number of overdoses in the previous year (rhos = 0.31; p < 0.05). Having previously overdosed [Adjusted Risk Ratio (ARR) 1.7, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.1-2.6] and higher SCL-90-R somatization scores (ARR 1.2, 95% CI 0.96 - 1.5) were independently associated in multivariable analyses with self-sustained overdose experience in the past year. Greater perceived likelihood of experiencing a future overdose and concern about medical problems were independently associated with witnessing a higher number of overdoses within the previous year. Over two thirds of the participants expressed interest in receiving training in overdose prevention and response. Opioid overdose experience is very common among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia, and interest in receiving training for overdose recognition and prevention was high. Future research should target the development of effective overdose recognition and prevention interventions, especially ones that include naloxone distribution and involve drug users' families.

Psychosocial and contextual correlates of opioid overdose risk among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia

PubMed Central

Grau, Lauretta E; Green, Traci C; Torban, Mikhail; Blinnikova, Ksenia; Krupitsky, Evgeny; Ilyuk, Ruslan; Kozlov, Andrei P; Heimer, Robert

2009-01-01

Background Opioid overdose in Russia is a problem that has grown more severe as heroin abuse expanded over the past decade, yet few studies have explored it in detail. In order to gain a clearer understanding of the situation, 60 drug users, both in and out of drug treatment in St. Petersburg, were interviewed concerning their overdose experience and knowledge about overdose recognition and prevention. Methods Using a semi-structured interview, we sought to identify and describe local attitudes, knowledge and experience (both self-sustained and witnessed) of opioid overdose. Bi-variate and multiple logistic regressions were performed in order to identify the relationship between overdose experience and sociodemographic factors, risk behaviors, and clinical psychiatric measures. Results We found that having experienced or witnessed an opioid overdose within the previous year was common, overdose knowledge was generally high, but nearly half the participants reported low self-efficacy for effectively intervening in an overdose situation. In bivariate analyses, self-reported family problems (i.e., perceived problematic family interactions) were positively associated with both experiencing (t56 = 2.49; p < 0.05) and with witnessing a greater number of overdoses in the previous year (rhos = 0.31; p < 0.05). Having previously overdosed [Adjusted Risk Ratio (ARR) 1.7, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.1–2.6] and higher SCL-90-R somatization scores (ARR 1.2, 95% CI 0.96 – 1.5) were independently associated in multivariable analyses with self-sustained overdose experience in the past year. Greater perceived likelihood of experiencing a future overdose and concern about medical problems were independently associated with witnessing a higher number of overdoses within the previous year. Over two thirds of the participants expressed interest in receiving training in overdose prevention and response. Conclusion Opioid overdose experience is very common among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia, and interest in receiving training for overdose recognition and prevention was high. Future research should target the development of effective overdose recognition and prevention interventions, especially ones that include naloxone distribution and involve drug users' families. PMID:19630963

Transmission of Rift Valley fever virus from European-breed lambs to Culex pipiens mosquitoes.

PubMed

Vloet, Rianka P M; Vogels, Chantal B F; Koenraadt, Constantianus J M; Pijlman, Gorben P; Eiden, Martin; Gonzales, Jose L; van Keulen, Lucien J M; Wichgers Schreur, Paul J; Kortekaas, Jeroen

2017-12-01

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne bunyavirus of the genus Phlebovirus that is highly pathogenic to ruminants and humans. The disease is currently confined to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, but globalization and climate change may facilitate introductions of the virus into currently unaffected areas via infected animals or mosquitoes. The consequences of such an introduction will depend on environmental factors, the availability of susceptible ruminants and the capacity of local mosquitoes to transmit the virus. We have previously demonstrated that lambs native to the Netherlands are highly susceptible to RVFV and we here report the vector competence of Culex (Cx.) pipiens, the most abundant and widespread mosquito species in the country. Vector competence was first determined after artificial blood feeding of laboratory-reared mosquitoes using the attenuated Clone 13 strain. Subsequently, experiments with wild-type RVFV and mosquitoes hatched from field-collected eggs were performed. Finally, the transmission of RVFV from viremic lambs to mosquitoes was studied. Artificial feeding experiments using Clone 13 demonstrated that indigenous, laboratory-reared Cx. pipiens mosquitoes are susceptible to RVFV and that the virus can be transmitted via their saliva. Experiments with wild-type RVFV and mosquitoes hatched from field-collected eggs confirmed the vector competence of Cx. pipiens mosquitoes from the Netherlands. To subsequently investigate transmission of the virus under more natural conditions, mosquitoes were allowed to feed on RVFV-infected lambs during the viremic period. We found that RVFV is efficiently transmitted from lambs to mosquitoes, although transmission was restricted to peak viremia. Interestingly, in the mosquito-exposed skin samples, replication of RVFV was detected in previously unrecognized target cells. We here report the vector competence of Cx. pipiens mosquitoes from the Netherlands for RVFV. Both laboratory-reared mosquitoes and well as those hatched from field-collected eggs were found to be competent vectors. Moreover, RVFV was transmitted efficiently from indigenous lambs to mosquitoes, although the duration of host infectivity was found to be shorter than previously assumed. Interestingly, analysis of mosquito-exposed skin samples revealed previously unidentified target cells of the virus. Our findings underscore the value of including natural target species in vector competence experiments.

Interest in spiritually integrated psychotherapy among acute psychiatric patients.

PubMed

Rosmarin, David H; Forester, Brent P; Shassian, Daniel M; Webb, Christian A; Björgvinsson, Thröstur

2015-12-01

Spiritually integrated psychotherapy (SIP) is increasingly common, though systematic assessment of interest in such treatments, and predictors of such interest, has not yet been conducted among acute psychiatric patients. We conducted a survey with 253 acute psychiatric patients (95-99% response rate) at a private psychiatric hospital in Eastern Massachusetts to assess for interest in SIP, religious affiliation, and general spiritual or religious involvement alongside clinical and demographic factors. More than half (58.2%) of patients reported "fairly" or greater interest in SIP, and 17.4% reported "very much" interest. Demographic and clinical factors were not significant predictors except that current depression predicted greater interest. Religious affiliation and general spiritual or religious involvement were associated with more interest; however, many affiliated patients reported low or no interest (42%), and conversely many unaffiliated patients reported "fairly" or greater interest (37%). Many acute psychiatric patients, particularly individuals with major depression, report interest in integrating spirituality into their mental health care. Assessment of interest in SIP should be considered in the context of clinical care. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Palliative sedation and moral distress: A qualitative study of nurses.

PubMed

Lokker, M E; Swart, S J; Rietjens, J A C; van Zuylen, L; Perez, R S G M; van der Heide, A

2018-04-01

Clinical nursing practice may involve moral distress, which has been reported to occur frequently when nurses care for dying patients. Palliative sedation is a practice that is used to alleviate unbearable and refractory suffering in the last phase of life and has been linked to distress in nurses. The aim of this study was to explore nurses' reports on the practice of palliative sedation focusing on their experiences with pressure, dilemmas and morally distressing situations. In-depth interviews with 36 nurses working in hospital, nursing home or primary care. Several nurses described situations in which they felt that administration of palliative sedation was in the patient's best interest, but where they were constrained from taking action. Nurses also reported on situations where they experienced pressure to be actively involved in the provision of palliative sedation, while they felt this was not in the patient's best interest. The latter situation related to (1) starting palliative sedation when the nurse felt not all options to relieve suffering had been explored yet; (2) family requesting an increase of the sedation level where the nurse felt that this may involve unjustified hastening of death; (3) a decision by the physician to start palliative sedation where the patient had previously expressed an explicit wish for euthanasia. Nurses experienced moral distress in situations where they were not able to act in what they believed is the patient's best interest. Situations involving moral distress require nurses to be well informed and able to adequately communicate with suffering patients, distressed family and physicians. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hypersensitivity reaction to β-lactam antibiotics in patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma treated with mogamulizumab
.

PubMed

Yasu, Takeo; Imai, Yoichi; Ohno, Nobuhiro; Uchimaru, Kaoru; Kurokawa, Yosuke; Tojo, Arinobu

2017-10-01

Mogamulizumab (MOG) is a humanized anti-CCR4 monoclonal antibody that is highly cytotoxic for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) cells. Most non-hematological adverse events are cutaneous adverse reactions in ATL patients. We reviewed the medical records of 24 patients with CCR4-positive aggressive ATL who had received MOG treatment. The incidence of MOG-induced cutaneous adverse reactions (MCARs) was 25% (6 patients). Four patients with MCAR had an interesting clinical course, compared with MCARs reported in previous reports. The factors causing MCAR were suspected to be cefepime, cefozopran, and piperacillin/tazobactam. We consider that hypersensitivity reaction to β-lactam antibiotics is involved in a significant proportion of MCARs.
.

[Professional image of anesthetists in the general public. Influence of provision of information and previous experience with the discipline].

PubMed

Baja, J; Welker, A S; Beck, G; Schleppers, A; Fischer, M; Weiß, C

2014-02-01

The profession of the anesthetist in Germany includes the disciplines anesthesia, intensive care, emergency and pain medicine. Despite the versatility and competence of the profession, patients do not appear to have recognized anesthesiology as a medical discipline or anesthetists as medical doctors. This study was conducted with the aim of estimating how previous experience and information gathered before contact with the anesthetist for premedication have influenced and changed the perception of patients with regards to the professional fields and the characteristics of anesthetists. A total of 3,950 patients from 3 German hospitals were asked to answer a questionnaire handed out by the assistance nurse in the premedication area prior to the medical consultation with the duty anesthetist. The questions involved the patient perception of the discipline, the characteristics of anesthetists and also evaluated the patient previous experience and provision of information. According to the answers 1,753 patients were considered eligible for the study and were categorized into subgroups I-IV (group I interested and experienced with operations, group II interested but inexperienced, group III uninterested but experienced and group IV neither interested nor experienced) for statistical analysis. Of the respondents 56.2 % had obtained previous information from a general practitioner followed by acquaintances (21.4 %) and the internet (19.9 %), which significantly differed with age. Interested and experienced patients showed the best perception of the profession. Often, the knowledge of interested and uninterested persons did not significantly differ. Interested patients and those with experience of anesthesiology had the best knowledge of anesthesiology. Performing anesthesia was most often identified by all groups (50.9-95.3 %) as a function of anesthetists while the other professional fields were recognized correctly by only 5.8-26.6 %. Depending on the group 41.0-84.4 % regarded anesthetists as medical doctors. Only 15.0-78.3 % of other attributes were associated with anesthetists. Unfortunately, the perception of patients on the versatility and characteristics of anesthetists are poorly developed. However, the knowledge differs significantly depending on previous experience and gathered information. Interestingly patients with previous experience mostly showed better knowledge compared to interested patients. Results suggest that personal interaction, patient-physician communication in general and improved collaboration between general practitioners and anesthetists are the key elements for better patient knowledge, which could lead to increased patient satisfaction.

NuSTAR Results and Future Plans for Magnetar and Rotation-Powered Pulsar Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

An, H.; Kaspi, V. M.; Archibald, R.; Bachetti, M.; Bhalerao, V.; Bellm, E. C.; Beloborodov, A. M.; Boggs, S. E.; Chakrabarty, D.; Christensen, F. E.;

India Energy Outlook: End Use Demand in India to 2020

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

de la Rue du Can, Stephane; McNeil, Michael; Sathaye, Jayant

Integrated economic models have been used to project both baseline and mitigation greenhouse gas emissions scenarios at the country and the global level. Results of these scenarios are typically presented at the sectoral level such as industry, transport, and buildings without further disaggregation. Recently, a keen interest has emerged on constructing bottom up scenarios where technical energy saving potentials can be displayed in detail (IEA, 2006b; IPCC, 2007; McKinsey, 2007). Analysts interested in particular technologies and policies, require detailed information to understand specific mitigation options in relation to business-as-usual trends. However, the limit of information available for developing countries oftenmore » poses a problem. In this report, we have focus on analyzing energy use in India in greater detail. Results shown for the residential and transport sectors are taken from a previous report (de la Rue du Can, 2008). A complete picture of energy use with disaggregated levels is drawn to understand how energy is used in India and to offer the possibility to put in perspective the different sources of end use energy consumption. For each sector, drivers of energy and technology are indentified. Trends are then analyzed and used to project future growth. Results of this report provide valuable inputs to the elaboration of realistic energy efficiency scenarios.« less

TRENCADIS--a WSRF grid MiddleWare for managing DICOM structured reporting objects.

PubMed

Blanquer, Ignacio; Hernandez, Vicente; Segrelles, Damià

2006-01-01

The adoption of the digital processing of medical data, especially on radiology, has leaded to the availability of millions of records (images and reports). However, this information is mainly used at patient level, being the extraction of information, organised according to administrative criteria, which make the extraction of knowledge difficult. Moreover, legal constraints make the direct integration of information systems complex or even impossible. On the other side, the widespread of the DICOM format has leaded to the inclusion of other information different from just radiological images. The possibility of coding radiology reports in a structured form, adding semantic information about the data contained in the DICOM objects, eases the process of structuring images according to content. DICOM Structured Reporting (DICOM-SR) is a specification of tags and sections to code and integrate radiology reports, with seamless references to findings and regions of interests of the associated images, movies, waveforms, signals, etc. The work presented in this paper aims at developing of a framework to efficiently and securely share medical images and radiology reports, as well as to provide high throughput processing services. This system is based on a previously developed architecture in the framework of the TRENCADIS project, and uses other components such as the security system and the Grid processing service developed in previous activities. The work presented here introduces a semantic structuring and an ontology framework, to organise medical images considering standard terminology and disease coding formats (SNOMED, ICD9, LOINC..).

Reporting of funding sources and conflict of interest in the supportive and palliative oncology literature.

PubMed

Hui, David; Reddy, Akhila; Parsons, Henrique A; Bruera, Eduardo

2012-09-01

The reporting of funding support and conflict of interest has not been examined in the supportive/palliative oncology literature. We examined the frequency of funding and conflict of interest reporting and various study characteristics associated with such reporting. We systematically searched MEDLINE PubMed, PsycInfo, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, and CINAHL for original studies related to palliative care and cancer in the first six months of 2004 and 2009. For each article, we reviewed the study design, research topic, journal type, and reporting of funding and conflict of interest. Three hundred forty-four (41%) and 504 (59%) of 848 articles were from 2004 and 2009, respectively. Five hundred two of 848 (59%) studies reported no funding sources, whereas 216 (26%), 70 (8%), 34 (4%), and 26 (3%) reported one, two, three, and four or more sources, respectively. Key funding sources included governmental agencies (n=182/848, 21%), philanthropic foundations (n=163/848, 19%), university departments (n=76/848, 9%), and industry (n=27/848, 3%). Conflict of interest was not reported in 436 of 848 (51%) studies, and only 94 of 848 (11%) explicitly stated no conflict of interest. Other than extramural funding, conflict of interest reporting of any kind was extremely rare (mostly less than 1%). Conflict of interest reporting increased between 2004 and 2009 (39% vs. 55%, P<0.001). Both funding and conflict of interest reporting were associated with prospective studies, larger sample sizes, nontherapeutic studies, North American authors, and publication in palliative care/oncology journals (P≤0.008 for all comparisons). A majority of supportive/palliative oncology studies did not report funding sources and conflict of interest, raising the need for standardization. Copyright © 2012 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of community based-academic partnerships on student knowledge about plastic surgery and interest in medicine.

PubMed

Sillah, Nyama M; Miller, Hannah J; Weis Sadoski, Tahlia L; Larson, Jeffrey D; Bentz, Michael L; King, Timothy W

2015-06-01

Programs specific to plastic surgery are necessary to dispel common myths and increase interest in the field. In a previous publication by the authors, a community outreach program was developed for these reasons for middle school students. In the current study, we expanded on the previous research and collected objective data to assess students' initial interest in medicine and knowledge about plastic surgery, compared to their interest and knowledge afterward. The program previously developed by the authors was modified and performed for the students at various community outreach events and included a PowerPoint presentation, case didactics, and hands-on activities. A test about plastic surgery and questionnaire about interest in the medical field and becoming a doctor was given to each student before and after the program. One hundred seventy-nine students participated in the program from 2009 to 2013. The pretest mean score was 6.50 of 12 questions whereas the posttest mean score was 9.72 (P = <0.001). After participation in the program, 27% of students that answered "no" or "unsure" about interest in the medical field on the pretest changed their answer to "yes," on the posttest, and 17% of students that answered "no" or "unsure" about interest in becoming a doctor on the pretest changed their answer to "yes," on the posttest (P = <0.001). A plastic surgery community outreach program is beneficial in increasing students' interest in the field of medicine as a whole, and more specifically in the field of plastic surgery.

Validation of mega-environment universal and specific QTL associated with seed yield and agronomic traits in soybeans.

PubMed

Palomeque, Laura; Liu, Li-Jun; Li, Wenbin; Hedges, Bradley R; Cober, Elroy R; Smid, Mathew P; Lukens, Lewis; Rajcan, Istvan

2010-03-01

The value of quantitative trait loci (QTL) is dependent on the strength of association with the traits of interest, allelic diversity at the QTL and the effect of the genetic background on the expression of the QTL. A number of recent studies have identified QTL associated with traits of interest that appear to be independent of the environment but dependent on the genetic background in which they are found. Therefore, the objective of this study was to validate universal and/or mega-environment-specific seed yield QTL that have been previously reported in an independent recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the cross between an elite Chinese and Canadian parent. The population was evaluated at two field environments in China and in five environments in Canada in 2005 and 2006. Of the seven markers linked to seed yield QTL reported by our group in a previous study, four were polymorphic between the two parents. No association between seed yield and QTL was observed. The result could imply that seed yield QTL were either not stable in this particular genetic background or harboured different alleles than the ones in the original mapping population. QTL(U) Satt162 was associated with several agronomic traits of which lodging was validated. Both the non-adapted and adapted parent contributed favourable alleles to the progeny. Therefore, plant introductions have been validated as a source of favourable alleles that could increase the genetic variability of the soybean germplasm pool and lead to further improvements in seed yield and other agronomic traits.

Characterization and evolution of an activator-independent methanol dehydrogenase from Cupriavidus necator N-1.

PubMed

Wu, Tung-Yun; Chen, Chang-Ting; Liu, Jessica Tse-Jin; Bogorad, Igor W; Damoiseaux, Robert; Liao, James C

2016-06-01

Methanol utilization by methylotrophic or non-methylotrophic organisms is the first step toward methanol bioconversion to higher carbon-chain chemicals. Methanol oxidation using NAD-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (Mdh) is of particular interest because it uses NAD(+) as the electron carrier. To our knowledge, only a limited number of NAD-dependent Mdhs have been reported. The most studied is the Bacillus methanolicus Mdh, which exhibits low enzyme specificity to methanol and is dependent on an endogenous activator protein (ACT). In this work, we characterized and engineered a group III NAD-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (Mdh2) from Cupriavidus necator N-1 (previously designated as Ralstonia eutropha). This enzyme is the first NAD-dependent Mdh characterized from a Gram-negative, mesophilic, non-methylotrophic organism with a significant activity towards methanol. Interestingly, unlike previously reported Mdhs, Mdh2 does not require activation by known activators such as B. methanolicus ACT and Escherichia coli Nudix hydrolase NudF, or putative native C. necator activators in the Nudix family under mesophilic conditions. This enzyme exhibited higher or comparable activity and affinity toward methanol relative to the B. methanolicus Mdh with or without ACT in a wide range of temperatures. Furthermore, using directed molecular evolution, we engineered a variant (CT4-1) of Mdh2 that showed a 6-fold higher K cat/K m for methanol and 10-fold lower K cat/K m for n-butanol. Thus, CT4-1 represents an NAD-dependent Mdh with much improved catalytic efficiency and specificity toward methanol compared with the existing NAD-dependent Mdhs with or without ACT activation.

Marketing Strategy and Implementation

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

None

This report documents the marketing campaign that has been designed for middle and high school students in New Mexico to increase interest in participation in national security careers at the National Nuclear Security Administration. This marketing campaign builds on the research that was previously conducted, as well as the focus groups that were conducted. This work is a part of the National Nuclear Security Preparedness Project (NSPP) being performed under a Department of Energy (DOE) / National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) grant. Outcome analysis was performed to determine appropriate marketing strategies. The analysis was based upon focus groups with middlemore » school and high school students, student interactions, and surveys completed by students to understand and gauge student interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects, interest in careers at NNSA, future job considerations, and student desire to pursue post-secondary education. Further, through the focus groups, students were asked to attend a presentation on NNSA job opportunities and employee requirements. The feedback received from the students was utilized to develop the focus and components of the marketing campaign.« less

Follow-up of participants in the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Scholars’ Program, 2006 to 2012

PubMed Central

Lam, Mindy CW; Sey, Michael SL; Gregor, Jamie; Wong, Clarence

2014-01-01

The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) Scholars’ Program (previously known as the Bright Lights Course) is designed to encourage trainees to consider a subspecialty career in gastroenterology. A formal analysis of the Scholars’ Program performed in 2007 revealed that 82% of participants invited to the program pursued or were planning to pursue a career in gastroenterology. The positive results are consistent with the CAG’s strategic plan of developing “the next generation of gastroenterology clinical practitioners, researchers, educators, and leaders” and to “attract, train, and retain the best and the brightest to gastroenterology”. The present study was a follow-up analysis of participants in the Scholars’ Program between 2006 and 2012. Although 93.1% of participants had an interest in gastroenterology before attending the Scholars’ Program, the majority (68.7%) reported a greater interest in gastroenterology after the program. Similar to the study from 2007, the present study again illustrates the importance and success of the Scholars’ Program in generating interest and retaining candidates in gastroenterology. PMID:24288694

Patterns of Word Reading Skill, Interest and Self-Concept of Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viljaranta, Jaana; Kiuru, Noona; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Silinskas, Gintautas; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2017-01-01

The majority of previous research on academic skills, self-concept of ability and interest has deployed the variable-oriented approach and focused on self-concept, or ability, or interest only. This study examined the patterns and dynamics of pattern change in Finnish children's word reading skill, self-concept of ability and interest from…

Identifying Underlying Causes of Situational Interest in a Science Course for Preservice Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, David H.; Dixon, Jeanette; Archer, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Situational interest is short-term interest that is linked to environmental factors in a particular situation. Previous studies have found that some science teaching techniques can be very effective in generating situational interest among students, but the reasons why these are effective remain unclear: Hands-on activities, for example, are known…

Gender Nonconformity and Butch-Femme Identity Among Lesbians in China.

PubMed

Zheng, Lijun; Zheng, Yong

2016-01-01

Previous studies have indicated that the butch-femme identities of lesbian women are related to gender roles (e.g., instrumentality and expressiveness). This study examined the association between butch and femme lesbian identities and gender nonconformity in both childhood (Study 1: 434 lesbian women and 230 heterosexual women) and adulthood (Study 2: 207 lesbian women and 342 heterosexual women) among women in China. In Study 1 (97 femmes, 76 androgynous women, and 264 butches), butches recalled more childhood gender nonconformity (CGN) than did femmes, androgynous, and heterosexual women, and androgynous women recalled more CGN than did heterosexual women. In Study 2 (43 femmes, 44 androgynous women, and 120 butches), butches reported more adulthood gender nonconformity (AGN) based on a "people-thing" dimension of interests than did femmes and heterosexual women, and androgynous women reported preferring more masculine hobbies than did femmes or heterosexual women. There was no significant difference in CGN and AGN between femmes and heterosexual women. These results indicate that femmes are quite similar to heterosexual women with regard to CGN and AGN, thus providing an important extension of previous studies based on a Chinese sample.

Safety Evaluation of Trastuzumab Emtansine in Japanese Patients with HER2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

WATANABE, JUNICHIRO; ITO, YOSHINORI; SAEKI, TOSHIAKI; MASUDA, NORIKAZU; TAKANO, TOSHIMI; TAKAO, SHINTARO; NAKAGAMI, KAZUHIKO; TSUGAWA, KOICHIRO; NAKAGAWA, SHINTARO; KANATANI, KAZUMITSU; NAKAYAMA, TAKAHIRO

2017-01-01

Background/Aim: Tolerability and safety of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) was investigated in Japanese patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer who were previously treated with chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Patients and Methods: Patients with inoperable or recurrent breast cancer who were previously treated with chemotherapy and trastuzumab in adjuvant and/or metastatic disease were included. T-DM1 3.6 mg/kg was administered intravenously every 21 days. The administration dosage or schedule of T-DM1 was modified based on laboratory tests on the administration day. Results: Among 232 patients analyzed, adverse events were reported in 228 patients (98.3%); five patients (2.2%) discontinued due to adverse events and twenty patients (8.6%) had serious adverse events. The most commonly reported grade ≥3 adverse event of special interest was thrombocytopenia (69 patients; 29.7%), followed by hepatotoxicity (26 patients; 11.2%). Conclusion: T-DM1 was well tolerated in Japanese patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer and no new safety signals were observed. PMID:28438884

Singlet Oxygen and Free Radical Reactions of Retinoids and Carotenoids—A Review

PubMed Central

Truscott, T. George

2018-01-01

We report on studies of reactions of singlet oxygen with carotenoids and retinoids and a range of free radical studies on carotenoids and retinoids with emphasis on recent work, dietary carotenoids and the role of oxygen in biological processes. Many previous reviews are cited and updated together with new data not previously reviewed. The review does not deal with computational studies but the emphasis is on laboratory-based results. We contrast the ease of study of both singlet oxygen and polyene radical cations compared to neutral radicals. Of particular interest is the switch from anti- to pro-oxidant behavior of a carotenoid with change of oxygen concentration: results for lycopene in a cellular model system show total protection of the human cells studied at zero oxygen concentration, but zero protection at 100% oxygen concentration. PMID:29301252

The role of health literacy and communication habits on previous colorectal cancer screening among low-income and uninsured patients.

PubMed

Ojinnaka, Chinedum O; Bolin, Jane N; McClellan, David A; Helduser, Janet W; Nash, Philip; Ory, Marcia G

2015-01-01

To determine the association between health literacy, communication habits and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among low-income patients. Survey responses of patients who received financial assistance for colonoscopy between 2011 and 2014 at a family medicine residency clinic were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression (n = 456). There were two dependent variables: (1) previous CRC screening and (2) CRC screening adherence. Our independent variables of interest were health literacy and communication habits. Over two-thirds (67.13%) of respondents had not been previously screened for CRC. Multivariate analysis showed a decreased likelihood of previous CRC screening among those who had marginal (OR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.29-0.92) or inadequate health literacy (OR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.27-0.87) compared to those with adequate health literacy. Controlling for health literacy, the significant association between educational attainment and previous CRC screening was eliminated. Thus, health literacy mediated the relationship between educational attainment and previous CRC screening. There was no significant association between communication habits and previous CRC screening. There was no significant association between screening guideline adherence, and health literacy or communication. Limited health literacy is a potential barrier to CRC screening. Suboptimal CRC screening rates reported among those with lower educational attainment may be mediated by limited health literacy.

Health problems awareness during travel among faculty members of a large university in Latin America: preliminary report.

PubMed

Tome, Ana Cristina Nakamura; Canello, Thaís Brandi; Luna, Expedito José de Albuquerque; Andrade Junior, Heitor Franco de

2013-01-01

Health safety during trips is based on previous counseling, vaccination and prevention of infections, previous diseases or specific problems related to the destination. Our aim was to assess two aspects, incidence of health problems related to travel and the traveler's awareness of health safety. To this end we phone-interviewed faculty members of a large public University, randomly selected from humanities, engineering and health schools. Out of 520 attempts, we were able to contact 67 (12.9%) and 46 (68.6%) agreed to participate in the study. There was a large male proportion (37/44, 84.1%), mature adults mostly in their forties and fifties (32/44, 72.7%), all of them with higher education, as you would expect of faculty members. Most described themselves as being sedentary or as taking occasional exercise, with only 15.9% (7/44) taking regular exercise. Preexisting diseases were reported by 15 travelers. Most trips lasted usually one week or less. Duration of the travel was related to the destination, with (12h) or longer trips being taken by 68.2% (30/44) of travelers, and the others taking shorter (3h) domestic trips. Most travelling was made by air (41/44) and only 31.8% (14/44) of the trips were motivated by leisure. Field research trips were not reported. Specific health counseling previous to travel was reported only by two (4.5%). Twenty seven of them (61.4%) reported updated immunization, but 11/30 reported unchecked immunizations. 30% (9/30) reported travel without any health insurance coverage. As a whole group, 6 (13.6%) travelers reported at least one health problem attributed to the trip. All of them were males travelling abroad. Five presented respiratory infections, such as influenza and common cold, one neurological, one orthopedic, one social and one hypertension. There were no gender differences regarding age groups, destination, type of transport, previous health counseling, leisure travel motivation or pre-existing diseases. Interestingly, the two cases of previous health counseling were made by domestic travelers. Our data clearly shows that despite a significant number of travel related health problems, these highly educated faculty members, had a low awareness of those risks, and a significant number of travels are made without prior counseling or health insurance. A counseling program conducted by a tourism and health professional must be implemented for faculty members in order to increase the awareness of travel related health problems.

Industry sponsorship and financial conflict of interest in the reporting of clinical trials in psychiatry.

PubMed

Perlis, Roy H; Perlis, Clifford S; Wu, Yelena; Hwang, Cindy; Joseph, Megan; Nierenberg, Andrew A

2005-10-01

Financial conflict of interest has been reported to be prevalent in clinical trials in general medicine and associated with a greater likelihood of reporting results favorable to the intervention being studied. The extent and implications of industry sponsorship and financial conflict of interest in psychiatric clinical trials have not been investigated, to the authors' knowledge. The authors examined funding source and author financial conflict of interest in all clinical trials published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the Archives of General Psychiatry, the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, and the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry between 2001 and 2003. Among 397 clinical trials identified, 239 (60%) reported receiving funding from a pharmaceutical company or other interested party, and 187 studies (47%) included at least one author with a reported financial conflict of interest. Among the 162 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies examined, those that reported conflict of interest were 4.9 times more likely to report positive results; this association was significant only among the subset of pharmaceutical industry-funded studies. Author conflict of interest appears to be prevalent among psychiatric clinical trials and to be associated with a greater likelihood of reporting a drug to be superior to placebo.

Gold Raspberry-Like Colloidosomes Prepared at the Water-Nitromethane Interface.

PubMed

Smirnov, Evgeny; Peljo, Pekka; Girault, Hubert H

2018-02-27

In this study, we propose a simple shake-flask method to produce micron-size colloidosomes from a liquid-liquid interface functionalized with a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) film. A step-by-step extraction process of an organic phase partially miscible with water led to the formation of raspberry-like structures covered and protected by a gold nanofilm. The distinctive feature of the prepared colloidosomes is a very thin shell consisting of small AuNPs of 12 or 38 nm in diameter instead of several hundred nanometers reported previously. The interesting and remarkable property of the proposed approach is their reversibility: the colloidosomes may be easily transformed back to a nanofilm state simply by adding pure organic solvent. The obtained colloidosomes have a broadband absorbance spectrum, which makes them of great interest in applications such as photothermal therapy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy studies, and microreactor vesicles for interfacial electrocatalysis.

Velopharyngeal closure and the longus capitis muscle.

PubMed

Yamawaki, Y; Nishimura, Y; Suzuki, Y

1996-09-01

The dynamic mechanism of velopharyngeal function not only in normal individuals but also in patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency, which is mainly related to cleft palate, has been the subject of considerable interest and controversy. Recently, in order to clarify velopharyngeal movement in the valvular action on phonation we examined dynamic MR images of this area taken in the transverse plane in parallel with the muscle sling of levator veli palatini. In cases in whom the closure pattern in that plane is circular, detailed observation revealed a very interesting result; that is, the longus capitis muscle, one of the group of anterior vertebral muscles, is directly involved in velopharyngeal valving function. It has not previously been reported that the longus capitis muscle acts as one of the velopharyngeal closure muscles, in addition to levator veli palatini. The present study demonstrated that contraction of the muscle contributed to velopharyngeal closure by forward movement of the pharyngeal wall.

Past Actions as Self-Signals: How Acting in a Self-Interested Way Influences Environmental Decision Making.

PubMed

Lee, Chang-Yuan; Hochman, Guy; Prince, Steven E; Ariely, Dan

2016-01-01

In the last few decades, awareness of environmental issues has increased significantly. Little has changed, however, in human activities contributing to environmental damage. Why is it so difficult for us to change our behavior in a domain that is clearly so important to the future of humanity? Here we propose and test the possibility that self-signaling, the way we view ourselves based on our past behaviors, is one of the factors contributing to the difficulty of taking environmental action. In three experiments, we show that previous self-interested thoughts or behaviors serve as important signals that hinder the likelihood of acting in line with an individual's reported concern for the environment. This study not only helps explain the gap between environmental awareness and action, but also suggests alternative strategies for policymakers and environmental agencies to promote proenvironmental behavior.

Taxometric analyses of pedophilia utilizing self-report, behavioral, and sexual arousal indicators.

PubMed

Stephens, Skye; Leroux, Elisabeth; Skilling, Tracey; Cantor, James M; Seto, Michael C

2017-11-01

Pedophilia refers to the recurrent, intense sexual interest in prepubescent children who, by definition, have not developed any secondary sex characteristics. Researchers have begun to investigate whether persons with pedophilia are qualitatively different from those without pedophilia (pedophilia is a taxon) or if people vary in their level of sexual interest toward children (pedophilia is dimensional). Two relatively small studies have previously attempted to address this question, but produced conflicting results. The present study built on these studies with a substantially larger sample of 2,227 men who committed sexual offenses and were assessed at a sexual behavior clinic. The present study also examined a broader range of measures more closely approximating the diagnostic criteria for pedophilic disorder, including phallometric assessment of sexual arousal patterns. The results of 3 taxometric analyses did not find support for the assertion that pedophilia is a taxon. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Past Actions as Self-Signals: How Acting in a Self-Interested Way Influences Environmental Decision Making

PubMed Central

Lee, Chang-Yuan; Hochman, Guy; Prince, Steven E.; Ariely, Dan

2016-01-01

In the last few decades, awareness of environmental issues has increased significantly. Little has changed, however, in human activities contributing to environmental damage. Why is it so difficult for us to change our behavior in a domain that is clearly so important to the future of humanity? Here we propose and test the possibility that self-signaling, the way we view ourselves based on our past behaviors, is one of the factors contributing to the difficulty of taking environmental action. In three experiments, we show that previous self-interested thoughts or behaviors serve as important signals that hinder the likelihood of acting in line with an individual’s reported concern for the environment. This study not only helps explain the gap between environmental awareness and action, but also suggests alternative strategies for policymakers and environmental agencies to promote proenvironmental behavior. PMID:27447822

Recent advances on prebiotic lactulose production.

PubMed

Sitanggang, Azis Boing; Drews, Anja; Kraume, Matthias

2016-09-01

Lactulose, a synthetic disaccharide, has received increasing interest due to its role as a prebiotic. The production of lactulose is important in the dairy industry, as it is regarded as a high value-added derivative of whey or lactose. The industrial production of lactulose is still mainly done by chemical isomerization. Due to concerns on the environmental and tedious separation processes, the enzymatic-based lactulose synthesis has been regarded as an interesting alternative. This work aims at comparing chemical and enzyme-catalyzed lactulose synthesis. With an emphasis on the latter one, this review discusses the influences of the critical operating conditions and the suited operation mode on the transgalactosylation of lactulose using microbial enzymes. As an update and supplement to other previous reviews, this work also summarizes the recent reports that highlighted the enzymatic isomerization of lactose using cellobiose 2-epimerase to produce lactulose at elevated yields.

Kinetic and microbial community analysis of methyl ethyl ketone biodegradation in aquifer sediments.

PubMed

Fahrenfeld, N; Pruden, A; Widdowson, M

2017-02-01

Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is a common groundwater contaminant often present with more toxic compounds of primary interest. Because of this, few studies have been performed to determine the effect of microbial community structure on MEK biodegradation rates in aquifer sediments. Here, microcosms were prepared with aquifer sediments containing MEK following a massive spill event and compared to laboratory-spiked sediments, with MEK biodegradation rates quantified under mixed aerobic/anaerobic conditions. Biodegradation was achieved in MEK-contaminated site sediment microcosms at about half of the solubility (356 mg/L) with largely Firmicutes population under iron-reducing conditions. MEK was biodegraded at a higher rate [4.0 ± 0.74 mg/(L days)] in previously exposed site samples compared to previously uncontaminated sediments [0.51 ± 0.14 mg/(L days)]. Amplicon sequencing and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA genes were combined to understand the relationship between contamination levels, biodegradation, and community structure across the plume. More heavily contaminated sediments collected from an MEK-contaminated field site had the most similar communities than less contaminated sediments from the same site despite differences in sediment texture. The more diverse microbial community observed in the laboratory-spiked sediments reduced MEK concentration 47 % over 92 days. Results of this study suggest lower rates of MEK biodegradation in iron-reducing aquifer sediments than previously reported for methanogenic conditions and biodegradation rates comparable to previously reported nitrate- and sulfate-reducing conditions.

Factors influencing research engagement: research interest, confidence and experience in an Australian speech-language pathology workforce.

PubMed

Finch, Emma; Cornwell, Petrea; Ward, Elizabeth C; McPhail, Steven M

2013-04-19

Recent initiatives within an Australia public healthcare service have seen a focus on increasing the research capacity of their workforce. One of the key initiatives involves encouraging clinicians to be research generators rather than solely research consumers. As a result, baseline data of current research capacity are essential to determine whether initiatives encouraging clinicians to undertake research have been effective. Speech pathologists have previously been shown to be interested in conducting research within their clinical role; therefore they are well positioned to benefit from such initiatives. The present study examined the current research interest, confidence and experience of speech language pathologists (SLPs) in a public healthcare workforce, as well as factors that predicted clinician research engagement. Data were collected via an online survey emailed to an estimated 330 SLPs working within Queensland, Australia. The survey consisted of 30 questions relating to current levels of interest, confidence and experience performing specific research tasks, as well as how frequently SLPs had performed these tasks in the last 5 years. Although 158 SLPs responded to the survey, complete data were available for only 137. Respondents were more confident and experienced with basic research tasks (e.g., finding literature) and less confident and experienced with complex research tasks (e.g., analysing and interpreting results, publishing results). For most tasks, SLPs displayed higher levels of interest in the task than confidence and experience. Research engagement was predicted by highest qualification obtained, current job classification level and overall interest in research. Respondents generally reported levels of interest in research higher than their confidence and experience, with many respondents reporting limited experience in most research tasks. Therefore SLPs have potential to benefit from research capacity building activities to increase their research skills in order to meet organisational research engagement objectives. However, these findings must be interpreted with the caveats that a relatively low response rate occurred and participants were recruited from a single state-wide health service, and therefore may not be representative of the wider SLP workforce.

Neuroimaging findings in the at-risk mental state: a review of recent literature.

PubMed

Wood, Stephen J; Reniers, Renate L E P; Heinze, Kareen

2013-01-01

The at-risk mental state (ARMS) has been the subject of much interest during the past 15 years. A great deal of effort has been expended to identify neuroimaging markers that can inform our understanding of the risk state and to help predict who will transition to frank psychotic illness. Recently, there has been an explosion of neuroimaging literature from people with an ARMS, which has meant that reviews and meta-analyses lack currency. Here we review papers published in the past 2 years, and contrast their findings with previous reports. While it is clear that people in the ARMS do show brain alterations when compared with healthy control subjects, there is an overall lack of consistency as to which of these alterations predict the development of psychosis. This problem arises because of variations in methodology (in patient recruitment, region of interest, method of analysis, and functional task employed), but there has also been too little effort put into replicating previous research. Nonetheless, there are areas of promise, notably that activation of the stress system and increased striatal dopamine synthesis seem to mark out patients in the ARMS most at risk for later transition. Future studies should focus on these areas, and on network-level analysis, incorporating graph theoretical approaches and intrinsic connectivity networks.

Determination of geographic variance in stroke prevalence using Internet search engine analytics.

PubMed

Walcott, Brian P; Nahed, Brian V; Kahle, Kristopher T; Redjal, Navid; Coumans, Jean-Valery

2011-06-01

Previous methods to determine stroke prevalence, such as nationwide surveys, are labor-intensive endeavors. Recent advances in search engine query analytics have led to a new metric for disease surveillance to evaluate symptomatic phenomenon, such as influenza. The authors hypothesized that the use of search engine query data can determine the prevalence of stroke. The Google Insights for Search database was accessed to analyze anonymized search engine query data. The authors' search strategy utilized common search queries used when attempting either to identify the signs and symptoms of a stroke or to perform stroke education. The search logic was as follows: (stroke signs + stroke symptoms + mini stroke--heat) from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2010. The relative number of searches performed (the interest level) for this search logic was established for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was calculated from the statespecific stroke prevalence data previously reported. Web search engine interest level was available for all 50 states and the District of Columbia over the time period for January 1, 2005-December 31, 2010. The interest level was highest in Alabama and Tennessee (100 and 96, respectively) and lowest in California and Virginia (58 and 53, respectively). The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was calculated to be 0.47 (p = 0.0005, 2-tailed). Search engine query data analysis allows for the determination of relative stroke prevalence. Further investigation will reveal the reliability of this metric to determine temporal pattern analysis and prevalence in this and other symptomatic diseases.

Emotion Recognition and Perspective Taking: A Comparison between Typical and Incarcerated Male Adolescents

PubMed Central

Morosan, Larisa; Badoud, Deborah; Zaharia, Alexandra; Brosch, Tobias; Eliez, Stephan; Bateman, Anthony; Heller, Patrick; Debbané, Martin

2017-01-01

Background Previous research suggests that antisocial individuals present impairment in social cognitive processing, more specifically in emotion recognition (ER) and perspective taking (PT). The first aim of the present study was to investigate the recognition of a wide range of emotional expressions and visual PT capacities in a group of incarcerated male adolescents in comparison to a matched group of community adolescents. Secondly, we sought to explore the relationship between these two mechanisms in relation to psychopathic traits. Methods Forty-five male adolescents (22 incarcerated adolescents (Mage = 16.52, SD = 0.96) and 23 community adolescents (Mage = 16.43, SD = 1.41)) participated in the study. ER abilities were measured using a dynamic and multimodal task that requires the participants to watch short videos in which trained actors express 14 emotions. PT capacities were examined using a task recognized and proven to be sensitive to adolescent development, where participants had to follow the directions of another person whilst taking into consideration his perspective. Results We found a main effect of group on emotion recognition scores. In comparison to the community adolescents, the incarcerated adolescents presented lower recognition of three emotions: interest, anxiety and amusement. Analyses also revealed significant impairments in PT capacities in incarcerated adolescents. In addition, incarcerated adolescents’ PT scores were uniquely correlated to their scores on recognition of interest. Conclusions The results corroborate previously reported impairments in ER and PT capacities, in the incarcerated adolescents. The study also indicates an association between impairments in the recognition of interest and impairments in PT. PMID:28122048

Symmetrical primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Yildirim, Fatma Elif; Karaduman, Ayşen; Hürmüz, Pervin; Ozyar, Enis; Barişta, Ibrahim; Sağlam, Arzu

2010-05-01

Primary cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (PCMZL) is an indolent low grade B cell lymphoma of the skin, with lack of extracutaneous involvement at the time of diagnosis. Herein we report the case of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who developed symmetrical PCMZL lesions on both ear lobes. Lesions occurring symmetrically on ear lobes are more specific for cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia (CLH) and this kind of symmetrical localization hasn't been reported for PCMZL before. PCMZL is considered to arise from a background of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia and this case point out the concept of CLH and PCMZL spectrum. Association of marginal zone lymphoma with rheumatoid arthritis and resolution of lesions together with the resolution of symptoms due to rheumatoid arthritis after rituximab therapy is another interesting point for this case. To the best of our knowledge PCMZL associated with RA has not been reported previously.

The impact of work-limiting disability on labor force participation.

PubMed

Webber, Douglas A; Bjelland, Melissa J

2015-03-01

According to the justification hypothesis, non-employed individuals may over-report their level of work limitation, leading to biased census/survey estimates of the prevalence of severe disabilities and the associated labor force participation rate. For researchers studying policies which impact the disabled or elderly (e.g., Supplemental Security Income, Disability Insurance, and Early Retirement), this could lead to significant bias in key parameters of interest. Using the American Community Survey, we examine the potential for both inflated and deflated reported disability status and generate a general index of disability, which can be used to reduce the bias of these self-reports in other studies. We find that at least 4.8 million individuals have left the labor force because of a work-limiting disability, at least four times greater than the impact implied by our replication of previous models. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Synchronous Adenocarcinoma and Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor in the Stomach

PubMed Central

Narasimhamurthy, Mohana S.; Vallachira, Gopinathan P.; Mahadev, Praveen S.

2010-01-01

In recent years, the synchronous occurrence of tumors of different histotypes arising in the same organ has been reported more frequently in the literature. In the stomach, adenocarcinoma has been described with coexisting primary rhabdomyosarcoma, carcinoid, and low-grade B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. The simultaneous development of adenocarcinoma and gastric mesenchymal tumor has been documented rarely. We report one such case. A 65-year-old male was diagnosed with a proximal gastric adenocarcinoma and underwent subtotal gastrectomy. Subsequent histopathological examination revealed the presence of another tumor at the gastric antrum. This was a gastrointestinal stromal tumor of low risk category (GIST). The literature has only a few previous reports of this very rare association. It is not known whether this synchronicity is incidental or there is a causative factor inducing the development of tumors of different histotypes in the same organ. Pathologists, oncologists and surgeons should be aware of this interesting condition. PMID:20616420

Conn syndrome and Crohn disease in a pediatric case: an interesting parallel.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Manuel A; Alkhoury, Fuad; Malvezzi, Leopoldo; Diaz, Alejandro

2013-01-01

Conn syndrome is characterized by surreptitious secretion of aldosterone in which patients are found to have hypertension, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis. Although rare, the most common presentation in the pediatric population is bilateral hyperplasia of the adrenal glands as opposed to an adenoma. Crohn disease is part of the spectrum of inflammatory bowel disease, which manifests in children as flare-ups of bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. The association of concurrent Conn syndrome and Crohn disease has been previously presented in two cases in adults. This is the first pediatric case to be reported in the literature.

Sequential, solid-phase assay for biotin in physiologic fluids that correlates with expected biotin status

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

Mock, D.M.; DuBois, D.B.

1986-03-01

Interest in accurate measurement of biotin concentrations in plasma and urine has been stimulated by recent advances in the understanding of biotin-responsive inborn errors of metabolism and by several reports describing acquired biotin deficiency during parenteral alimentation. This paper presents a biotin assay utilizing radiolabeled avidin in a sequential, solid-phase method; the assay has increased sensitivity compared to previous methods (greater than or equal to 10 fmol/tube), correlates with expected trends in biotin concentrations in blood and urine in a rat model of biotin deficiency, and can utilize commercially available radiolabeled avidin.

An overview of the synthetic routes to the best selling drugs containing 6-membered heterocycles

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Summary This review which is the second in this series summarises the most common synthetic routes as applied to the preparation of many modern pharmaceutical compounds categorised as containing a six-membered heterocyclic ring. The reported examples are based on the top retailing drug molecules combining synthetic information from both scientific journals and the wider patent literature. It is hoped that this compilation, in combination with the previously published review on five-membered rings, will form a comprehensive foundation and reference source for individuals interested in medicinal, synthetic and preparative chemistry. PMID:24204439

Shot-noise-limited measurement of sub-parts-per-trillion birefringence phase shift in a high-finesse cavity

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

Durand, Mathieu; Morville, Jerome; Romanini, Daniele

2010-09-15

We report on a promising approach to high-sensitivity anisotropy measurements using a high-finesse cavity locked by optical feedback to a diode laser. We provide a simple and effective way to decouple the weak anisotropy of interest from the inherent mirror's birefringence whose drift may be identified as the key limiting parameter in cavity-based techniques. We demonstrate a shot-noise-limited phase shift resolution previously inaccessible in an optical cavity, readily achieving the state-of-the-art level of 3x10{sup -13} rad.

The Economic, Energy, and Environmental Impacts of the Energy-Related Inventions Program

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Brown, M.A.; Wilson, C.R.; Franchuk, C.A.; Cohn, S.M.; Jones, D.

1994-07-01

This report provides information on the economic, energy, and environmental impacts of inventions supported by the Energy-Related Inventions Program (ERIP) -- a program jointly operated by the US Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It describes the results of the latest in a series of ERIP evaluation projects that have been completed since 1980. The period of interest is 1980 through 1992. The evaluation is based on data collected in 1993 through mail and telephone surveys of 253 program participants, and historical data collected during previous evaluations for an additional 189 participants.

Features of polar cusp electron precipitation associated with a large magnetic storm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berko, F. W.

1974-01-01

Measurements of precipitating electrons made by the OGO-4 satellite reveal several interesting phenomena in the polar cusp. Extremely high fluxes of 0.7 keV electrons were observed in the polar cusp ninety minutes following the sudden commencement of a very large magnetic storm. Structured, fairly high fluxes of 7.3 keV electrons were also observed in the cusp region, accompanied by very strong search coil magnetometer fluctuations, indicative of strong field-aligned currents. The observations confirm previously reported latitudinal shifts in the location of the polar cusp in response to southward interplanetary magnetic fields.

An overview of the synthetic routes to the best selling drugs containing 6-membered heterocycles.

PubMed

Baumann, Marcus; Baxendale, Ian R

2013-10-30

This review which is the second in this series summarises the most common synthetic routes as applied to the preparation of many modern pharmaceutical compounds categorised as containing a six-membered heterocyclic ring. The reported examples are based on the top retailing drug molecules combining synthetic information from both scientific journals and the wider patent literature. It is hoped that this compilation, in combination with the previously published review on five-membered rings, will form a comprehensive foundation and reference source for individuals interested in medicinal, synthetic and preparative chemistry.

Final Technical Report for grant entitled "New Horizons in C-F Activation by Main Group Electrophiles"

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

Ozerov, Oleg V; Ozerov, Oleg V.

2014-01-16

We became interested in developing new methods for hydrodefluorination (HDF) and other types of C-F bond conversion in polyfluoroalkanes under mild conditions. We were attracted to an approach to C-F activation, where the key C-F cleavage proceeds by a Lewis acid abstraction of fluoride rather than a redox event. The efforts during the previous period were aimed at a) advancing the HDF reactivity with improvement in scope and catalyst longevity; b) extending C-F activation beyond HDF; c) generating insight about the elementary steps of the reaction and potential intermediates.

Cyclodepsipeptides, sesquiterpenoids, and other cytotoxic metabolites from the filamentous fungus Trichothecium sp. (MSX 51320).

PubMed

Sy-Cordero, Arlene A; Graf, Tyler N; Adcock, Audrey F; Kroll, David J; Shen, Qi; Swanson, Steven M; Wani, Mansukh C; Pearce, Cedric J; Oberlies, Nicholas H

2011-10-28

Two new cyclodepsipeptides (1 and 2), two new sesquiterpenoids (3 and 4), and the known compounds guangomide A (5), roseotoxin S, and three simple trichothecenes were isolated from the cytotoxic organic extract of a terrestrial filamentous fungus, Trichothecium sp. The structures were determined using NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Absolute configurations of the cyclodepsipeptides were established by employing chiral HPLC, while the relative configurations of 3 and 4 were determined via NOESY data. The isolation of guangomide A was of particular interest, since it was reported previously from a marine-derived fungus.

Knee and Ankle Arthroplasty in Hemophilia

PubMed Central

Solimeno, Luigi Piero; Pasta, Gianluigi

2017-01-01

Today, major surgical procedures can be safely performed in hemophilic patients with chronic arthropathy, using available factor concentrates. In this setting, total knee replacement is considered the “gold standard”, while the use of total ankle replacement is still debated. Indeed, the unsatisfactory results obtained with the previous available design of implants did not raise enthusiasm as knee or hip replacement. Recently, the introduction of new implant designs and better reported outcomes have renewed the interest in total ankle replacement in people with hemophilia. In this review, the role of replacement surgery in the treatment of chronic hemophilic arthropathy will be described. PMID:29165342

The Relations of Vocational Interests and Mathematical Literacy: On the Predictive Power of Interest Profiles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warwas, Jasmin; Nagy, Gabriel; Watermann, Rainer; Hasselhorn, Marcus

2009-01-01

This study examines the relationships of vocational interests and mathematical literacy both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Extending previous research, the results of Holland's RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional) scale scores are compared with results from a reductionist approach using…

Can Natural Language Processing Improve the Efficiency of Vaccine Adverse Event Report Review?

PubMed

Baer, B; Nguyen, M; Woo, E J; Winiecki, S; Scott, J; Martin, D; Botsis, T; Ball, R

2016-01-01

Individual case review of spontaneous adverse event (AE) reports remains a cornerstone of medical product safety surveillance for industry and regulators. Previously we developed the Vaccine Adverse Event Text Miner (VaeTM) to offer automated information extraction and potentially accelerate the evaluation of large volumes of unstructured data and facilitate signal detection. To assess how the information extraction performed by VaeTM impacts the accuracy of a medical expert's review of the vaccine adverse event report. The "outcome of interest" (diagnosis, cause of death, second level diagnosis), "onset time," and "alternative explanations" (drug, medical and family history) for the adverse event were extracted from 1000 reports from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) using the VaeTM system. We compared the human interpretation, by medical experts, of the VaeTM extracted data with their interpretation of the traditional full text reports for these three variables. Two experienced clinicians alternately reviewed text miner output and full text. A third clinician scored the match rate using a predefined algorithm; the proportion of matches and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Review time per report was analyzed. Proportion of matches between the interpretation of the VaeTM extracted data, compared to the interpretation of the full text: 93% for outcome of interest (95% CI: 91-94%) and 78% for alternative explanation (95% CI: 75-81%). Extracted data on the time to onset was used in 14% of cases and was a match in 54% (95% CI: 46-63%) of those cases. When supported by structured time data from reports, the match for time to onset was 79% (95% CI: 76-81%). The extracted text averaged 136 (74%) fewer words, resulting in a mean reduction in review time of 50 (58%) seconds per report. Despite a 74% reduction in words, the clinical conclusion from VaeTM extracted data agreed with the full text in 93% and 78% of reports for the outcome of interest and alternative explanation, respectively. The limited amount of extracted time interval data indicates the need for further development of this feature. VaeTM may improve review efficiency, but further study is needed to determine if this level of agreement is sufficient for routine use.

Sleep and its association with aggression among prisoners: Quantity or quality?

PubMed

Barker, Lyndsie Fiona; Ireland, Jane L; Chu, Simon; Ireland, Carol A

2016-01-01

The current paper aims to examine the association between self-reported sleep quality and quantity and how these relate to aggression motivation and hostile cognition in a male prisoner sample. The cognitive component of sleep, namely perception, is consequently a variable of particular interest and one neglected by previous research. Two independent studies are presented. The first comprised 95 adult male prisoners who completed a sleep quality index along with measures of implicit and explicit aggression. The second study extended this to consider aggression motivation and hostile attribution biases using a sample of 141 young male adult prisoners. In study one, sleep quantity and indicators of sleep quality were found not to associate with aggression whereas the perception of poor sleep did; those perceiving poor sleep quality were more likely than those perceiving good sleep to report they had perpetrated aggression in the previous week and to report higher levels of implicit aggression. Study two found that while increased indicators of poor sleep quality were associated with lower prosocial attribution tendencies and higher levels of reactive and proactive aggression, sleep quantity was not associated. The perception of poor quality sleep was important; those perceiving poor sleep were more likely to report higher levels of reactive and proactive aggression than those reporting good sleep. Collectively the studies highlight the importance of accounting for the perception of sleep quality as an important cognitive component in understanding the association between sleep and aggression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant capacity of BM-21, a bioactive extract rich in polyphenolic metabolites from the sea Grass Thalassia testudinum.

PubMed

Regalado, Erik L; Menendez, Roberto; Valdés, Olga; Morales, Ruth A; Laguna, Abilio; Thomas, Olivier P; Hernandez, Yasnay; Nogueiras, Clara; Kijjoa, Anake

2012-01-01

The aqueous ethanol extract of Thalassia testudinum leaves (BM-21) is now being developed in Cuba as an herbal medicine due to its promising pharmacological properties. Although some interesting biological activities of BM-21 have already been reported, its chemical composition remains mostly unknown. Thus, we now describe the qualitative and quantitative analyzes of BM-21 using standard phytochemical screening techniques, including colorimetric quantification, TLC and HPLC analyses. Phytochemical investigation of BM-21 resulted in the isolation and identification of a new phenolic sulfate ester (1), along with ten previously described phenolic derivatives (2-11), seven of which have never been previously reported from the genus Thalassia. The structures of these compounds were established by analysis of their spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR) and spectrometric (HRMS) data, as well as by comparison of these with those reported in the literature. Furthermore, BM-21 was found to exhibit strong antioxidant activity in four different free radical scavenging assays (HO*, RO2*, O2-* and DPPH*). Consequently, this is the first study which highlights the phytochemical composition of BM-21 and demonstrates that this product is a rich source of natural antioxidants with potential applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.

MicroRNAs as biomarkers for graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Tomuleasa, Ciprian; Fuji, Shigeo; Cucuianu, Andrei; Kapp, Markus; Pileczki, Valentina; Petrushev, Bobe; Selicean, Sonia; Tanase, Alina; Dima, Delia; Berindan-Neagoe, Ioana; Irimie, Alexandru; Einsele, Hermann

2015-07-01

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is a well-established treatment for many malignant and non-malignant hematological disorders. As frequent complication in up to 50 % of all patients, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is still the main cause for morbidity and non-relapse mortality. Diagnosis of GVHD is usually done clinically, even though confirmation by pathology is often used to support the clinical findings. Effective treatment requires intensified immunosuppression as early as possible. Although several promising biomarkers have been proposed for an early diagnosis, no internationally recognized consensus has yet been established. Here, microRNAs (miRs) represent an interesting tool since miRs have been recently reported to be an important regulator of various cells, including immune cells such as T cells. Therefore, we could assume that miRs play a key role in the pathogenesis of acute GVHD, and their detection might be an interesting possibility in the early diagnosis and monitoring of acute GVHD. Recent studies additionally demonstrated the implication of miRs in the pathogenesis of acute GVHD. In this review, we aim to summarize the previous reports of miRs, focusing on the pathogenesis of acute GVHD and possible implications in diagnostic approaches.

Alkali and alkaline earth metal salts of tetrazolone: structurally interesting and excellently thermostable.

PubMed

He, Piao; Wu, Le; Wu, Jin-Ting; Yin, Xin; Gozin, Michael; Zhang, Jian-Guo

2017-07-04

Tetrazolone (5-oxotetrazole) was synthesized by a moderate strategy through three steps (addition, cyclization and catalytic hydrogenation) avoiding the unstable intermediate diazonium, as reported during the previous preparation. Alkali and alkaline earth metal salts with lithium (1), sodium (2), potassium (3), rubidium (4) caesium (5), magnesium (6), calcium (7), strontium (8) and barium (9) were prepared and fully characterized using elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy, DSC and TG analysis. All metal salts were characterized via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. They crystallize in common space groups with high densities ranging from 1.479 (1) to 3.060 g cm -3 (5). Furthermore, the crystal structures of 7, 8 and 9 reveal interesting porous energetic coordination polymers with strong hydrogen bond interactions. All new salts have good thermal stabilities with decomposition temperature between 215.0 °C (4) and 328.2 °C (7), significantly higher than that of the reported nitrogen-rich salt neutral tetrazolone. The sensitivities towards impact and friction were tested using standard methods, and all the tetrazolone-based compounds investigated can be classified into insensitive. The flame test of these metal salts supports their potential use as perchlorate-free pyrotechnics or eco-friendly insensitive energetic materials.

Al-Awadi/Raas-Rothschild Syndrome in a Newborn with Additional Anomalies

PubMed Central

Alp, Esma; Atabek, Mehmet Emre; Pirgon, Özgür

2010-01-01

Al-Awadi/Raas-Rothschild (AARR) syndrome is a rare phocomelia syndrome characterized by limb/pelvic hypoplasia/aplasia, renal anomalies such as horseshoe and polycystic kidney, and abnormal facial features including cleft palate, hypertelorism and micro-retrognatia. Autosomal recessive inheritance has been proposed for AARR syndrome. In this report a boy affected with AARR syndrome is presented. The previous pregnancy of the mother was terminated because of lower limb agenesis detected at 14th week of gestation. This report emphasizes the importance of recognizing severe pelvic and limb deficiencies in newborns with AARR syndrome and differentiating the syndrome from other multiple malformation syndromes. Fetal ultrasonography at 15th week of gestation is helpful in diagnosing the major extremity anomalies in the fetus. Conflict of interest:None declared. PMID:21274338

Complications of orbital floor repair with silastic sheet: the skin fistula.

PubMed

Aboh, Ikenna Valentine; Chisci, Glauco; Gennaro, Paolo; Giovannetti, Filippo; Bartoli, Davina; Priore, Paolo; Anelli, Andrea; Iannetti, Giorgio

2013-07-01

Treatment of orbital floor fracture is a subject of great interest in maxillofacial surgery. Many materials have been described for its reconstruction.In this article, the authors report a case of a patient who, 7 years from a previous orbital floor fracture and treatment with silastic sheet, presented herself to their clinic for the failure of the material used for its reconstruction and a skin fistula.Orbital floor repair with silastic sheet is an old method that no one uses anymore, but we still observe cases of late complications with this material. So a fine knowledge of silastic sheet complications is needed for young surgeons.The authors report the case and perform a literature review about the use of more modern biomaterials for orbital floor reconstruction.

Morin-like spin canting in the magnetic CaFe5O7 ferrite: A combined neutron and Mössbauer study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delacotte, C.; Bréard, Y.; Caignaert, V.; Hardy, V.; Greneche, J. M.; Hébert, S.; Suard, E.; Pelloquin, D.

2017-03-01

Magnetic structure of CaFe5O7 ferrite has been studied jointly from neutron powder diffraction data and spectroscopic Mössbauer measurements in the thermal range from 5 to 500 K. This coupled work highlights three distinct magnetic domains around two specific temperatures: TM=125 K and TN=360 K. The latter corroborates the structural monoclinic-orthorhombic transition previously reported by transmission electron microscopy techniques and X-ray thermodiffractometry. Complementary heat capacity measurements have confirmed this first order transition with a sharp peak at 360 K. Interestingly, this large study has revealed a second magnetic transition associated to a spin rotation at 125 K similar to this one reported by Morin in α-Fe2O3 hematite at TM=260 K.

Results on the Performance of a Broad Band Focussing Cherenkov Counter

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Cester, R.; Fitch, V. L.; Montag, A.; Sherman, S.; Webb, R. C.; Witherell, M. S.

1980-01-01

The field of ring imaging (broad band differential) Cherenkov detectors has become a very active area of interest in detector development at several high energy physics laboratories. Our group has previously reported on a method of Cherenkov ring imaging for a counter with large momentum and angular acceptance using standard photo multipliers. Recently, we have applied this technique to the design of a set of Cherenkov counters for use in a particle search experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). This new detector operates over the range 0.998 < ..beta.. < 1.000 in velocity with a delta..beta.. approx. 2 x 10{sup -4}. The acceptance in angle is +- 14 mrad in the horizontal and +- 28 mrad in the vertical. We report here on the performance of this counter.

Effects of stochastic interest rates in decision making under risk: A Markov decision process model for forest management

Treesearch

Mo Zhou; Joseph Buongiorno

2011-01-01

Most economic studies of forest decision making under risk assume a fixed interest rate. This paper investigated some implications of this stochastic nature of interest rates. Markov decision process (MDP) models, used previously to integrate stochastic stand growth and prices, can be extended to include variable interest rates as well. This method was applied to...

A model-based correction for outcome reporting bias in meta-analysis.

PubMed

Copas, John; Dwan, Kerry; Kirkham, Jamie; Williamson, Paula

2014-04-01

It is often suspected (or known) that outcomes published in medical trials are selectively reported. A systematic review for a particular outcome of interest can only include studies where that outcome was reported and so may omit, for example, a study that has considered several outcome measures but only reports those giving significant results. Using the methodology of the Outcome Reporting Bias (ORB) in Trials study of (Kirkham and others, 2010. The impact of outcome reporting bias in randomised controlled trials on a cohort of systematic reviews. British Medical Journal 340, c365), we suggest a likelihood-based model for estimating the effect of ORB on confidence intervals and p-values in meta-analysis. Correcting for bias has the effect of moving estimated treatment effects toward the null and hence more cautious assessments of significance. The bias can be very substantial, sometimes sufficient to completely overturn previous claims of significance. We re-analyze two contrasting examples, and derive a simple fixed effects approximation that can be used to give an initial estimate of the effect of ORB in practice.

Social participation and perceived depression among elderly population in South Africa.

PubMed

Hao, Gang; Bishwajit, Ghose; Tang, Shangfeng; Nie, Changping; Ji, Lu; Huang, Rui

2017-01-01

There is a growing consensus regarding the influence of various psychosocial factors such as degree of social participation on health and disease outcomes, quality of life, and general well-being. Older individuals with diminished motor and physical functionality suffer a heightened risk of social exclusion and loneliness. Previous studies have demonstrated the association between social exclusion and loneliness with mental health among the older population. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether or not difficulty in social participation has any relationship with perceived depression among older individuals in South Africa. We collected cross-sectional data from the SAGE Well-Being of Older People Study 2010 on 422 men and women aged 50 years and above. Perceived depression and loss of interest in things (eg, personal relationships, hobbies) during the last 12 months were used as outcome variables with difficulty in joining community activities, relationships/community participation, friendships, and visiting family/friends as the main explanatory variables. Findings indicated that the prevalence of self-reported depression and the feeling of reduced interest in most things were respectively 51.9% and 43.8%. In the multivariate analysis, those who reported difficulty in joining community activities had respectively 64% (OR =1.639; 95% CI =1.081-2.583) and 69% (OR =1.685; 95% CI) higher odds of depression and loss of interest in things compared with those who did not report any difficulty. The study concludes that addressing the barriers to engaging in community activities may help minimize burden of depression among the elderly population in South Africa. Furthermore, large-scale studies are warranted to explore the social and structural barriers which constrain community participation among the elderly population.

HS3 Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maskey, M.; Conover, H.; Ramachandran, R.; Kulkarni, A.; Mceniry, M.; Stone, B.

2015-12-01

The Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC) is developing an enterprise information system to manage and better serve data for Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3), a NASA airborne field campaign. HS3 is a multiyear campaign aimed at helping scientists understand the physical processes that contribute to hurricane intensification. For in-depth analysis, HS3 encompasses not only airborne data but also variety of in-situ, satellite, simulation, and flight report data. Thus, HS3 provides a unique challenge in information system design. The GHRC team is experienced with previous airborne campaigns to handle such challenge. Many supplementary information and reports collected during the mission include information rich contents that provide mission snapshots. In particular, flight information, instrument status, weather reports, and summary statistics offer vital knowledge about the corresponding science data. Furthermore, such information help narrow the science data of interest. Therefore, the GHRC team is building HS3 information system that augments the current GHRC data management framework to support search and discover of airborne science data with interactive visual exploration. Specifically, the HS3 information system is developing a tool to visually playback mission flights along with other traditional search and discover interfaces. This playback capability allows the users to follow the flight in time and visualize collected data. The flight summary and analyzed information are also presented during the playback. If the observed data is of interest, then they can order the data from GHRC using the interface. The users will be able to order just the data for the part of the flight that they are interested in. This presentation will demonstrate use of visual exploration to data download along with other components that comprise the HS3 information system.

Energy data sourcebook for the US residential sector

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

Wenzel, T.P.; Koomey, J.G.; Sanchez, M.

Analysts assessing policies and programs to improve energy efficiency in the residential sector require disparate input data from a variety of sources. This sourcebook, which updates a previous report, compiles these input data into a single location. The data provided include information on end-use unit energy consumption (UEC) values of appliances and equipment efficiency; historical and current appliance and equipment market shares; appliances and equipment efficiency and sales trends; appliance and equipment efficiency standards; cost vs. efficiency data for appliances and equipment; product lifetime estimates; thermal shell characteristics of buildings; heating and cooling loads; shell measure cost data for newmore » and retrofit buildings; baseline housing stocks; forecasts of housing starts; and forecasts of energy prices and other economic drivers. This report is the essential sourcebook for policy analysts interested in residential sector energy use. The report can be downloaded from the Web at http://enduse.lbl. gov/Projects/RED.html. Future updates to the report, errata, and related links, will also be posted at this address.« less

Cypriot nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards alternative medicine.

PubMed

Zoe, Roupa; Charalambous, Charalambos; Popi, Sotiropoulou; Maria, Rekleiti; Aris, Vasilopoulos; Agoritsa, Koulouri; Evangelia, Kotrotsiou

2014-02-01

To investigate Cypriot nurses' knowledge and attitude towards alternative treatments. Two hundred randomly selected registered Nurses from public hospitals in Cyprus were administered an anonymous self-report questionnaire with closed-type questions. The particular questionnaire has previously been used in similar surveys. Six questions referred to demographic data and 14 questions to attitudes and knowledge towards alternative medicine. One hundred and thirty-eight questionnaires were adequately completed and evaluated. Descriptive and inferential statistics was performed. SPSS 17.0 was used. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Over 1/3 of our sample nurses reported that they had turned to some form of alternative treatment at some point in their lives in order to deal with a certain medical situation. Most of these nurses who reported some knowledge on specific alternative treatment methods, (75.9%) also reported using such methods within their clinical practice. The nurses who had received some form of alternative treatment reported using them more often in their clinical practice, in comparison to those who had never received such treatment (Mann-Whitney U = 1137, p = 0.006). The more frequently nurses used alternative treatment in their clinical practice, the more interested they got in expanding their knowledge on the subject (Pearson's r = 0.250, p = 0.006). Most nurses are familiar with alternative medicine and interested in expanding their knowledge on subject, despite the fact that they do not usually practice it. Special education and training as well as legislative actions are necessary for alternative medicine to be broadly accepted. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Robin Hood effects on motivation in math: Family interest moderates the effects of relevance interventions.

PubMed

Häfner, Isabelle; Flunger, Barbara; Dicke, Anna-Lena; Gaspard, Hanna; Brisson, Brigitte M; Nagengast, Benjamin; Trautwein, Ulrich

2017-08-01

Using a cluster randomized field trial, the present study tested whether 2 relevance interventions affected students' value beliefs, self-concept, and effort in math differently depending on family background (socioeconomic status, family interest (FI), and parental utility value). Eighty-two classrooms were randomly assigned to either 1 of 2 intervention conditions or a control group. Data from 1,916 students (M age = 14.62, SD age = 0.47) and their predominantly Caucasian middle-class parents were obtained via separate questionnaires. Multilevel regression analyses with cross-level interactions were used to investigate differential intervention effects on students' motivational beliefs 6 weeks and 5 months after the intervention. Socioeconomic status, FI, and parental utility values were investigated as moderators of the intervention effects. The intervention conditions were especially effective in promoting students' utility, attainment, intrinsic value beliefs, and effort 5 months after the intervention for students whose parents reported lower levels of math interest. Furthermore, students whose parents reported low math utility values especially profited in terms of their utility and attainment math values 5 months after the intervention. No systematic differential intervention effects were found for socioeconomic status. These results highlight the effectiveness of relevance interventions in decreasing motivational gaps between students from families with fewer or more motivational resources. Findings point to the substantial importance of motivational family resources, which have been neglected in previous research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Metabolomics - the complementary field in systems biology: a review on obesity and type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Abu Bakar, Mohamad Hafizi; Sarmidi, Mohamad Roji; Cheng, Kian-Kai; Ali Khan, Abid; Suan, Chua Lee; Zaman Huri, Hasniza; Yaakob, Harisun

2015-07-01

Metabolomic studies on obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus have led to a number of mechanistic insights into biomarker discovery and comprehension of disease progression at metabolic levels. This article reviews a series of metabolomic studies carried out in previous and recent years on obesity and type 2 diabetes, which have shown potential metabolic biomarkers for further evaluation of the diseases. Literature including journals and books from Web of Science, Pubmed and related databases reporting on the metabolomics in these particular disorders are reviewed. We herein discuss the potential of reported metabolic biomarkers for a novel understanding of disease processes. These biomarkers include fatty acids, TCA cycle intermediates, carbohydrates, amino acids, choline and bile acids. The biological activities and aetiological pathways of metabolites of interest in driving these intricate processes are explained. The data from various publications supported metabolomics as an effective strategy in the identification of novel biomarkers for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Accelerating interest in the perspective of metabolomics to complement other fields in systems biology towards the in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the diseases is also well appreciated. In conclusion, metabolomics can be used as one of the alternative approaches in biomarker discovery and the novel understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms in obesity and type 2 diabetes. It can be foreseen that there will be an increasing research interest to combine metabolomics with other omics platforms towards the establishment of detailed mechanistic evidence associated with the disease processes.

Ka-Band Wide-Bandgap Solid-State Power Amplifier: Hardware Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Epp, L.; Khan, P.; Silva, A.

2005-01-01

Motivated by recent advances in wide-bandgap (WBG) gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology, there is considerable interest in developing efficient solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) as an alternative to the traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA) for space applications. This article documents proof-of-concept hardware used to validate power-combining technologies that may enable a 120-W, 40 percent power-added efficiency (PAE) SSPA. Results in previous articles [1-3] indicate that architectures based on at least three power combiner designs are likely to enable the target SSPA. Previous architecture performance analyses and estimates indicate that the proposed architectures can power combine 16 to 32 individual monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) with >80 percent combining efficiency. This combining efficiency would correspond to MMIC requirements of 5- to 10-W output power and >48 percent PAE. In order to validate the performance estimates of the three proposed architectures, measurements of proof-of-concept hardware are reported here.

Elderly sexual offenders: two unusual cases.

PubMed

Carabellese, Felice; Candelli, Chiara; Vinci, Francesco; Tamma, Manuela; Catanesi, Roberto

2012-09-01

The aim of this case report is to describe two cases of sexual abuse by elderly subjects for which the Judge commissioned an expert psychiatric-forensic opinion. The elderly are generally believed to commit nonviolent crimes, whereas the two cases we observed feature forcible rape committed by elderly offenders, who showed no form of mental disease and had rationally planned their offense. They had never previously committed similar acts and had no history of homosexuality; both had been married for many years before the death of their wives and had adult children. Finally, no previous episodes of rape emerged in their personal histories during interrogations. The sociocultural context in which the crimes were committed was identical and arouses interest as regards both the method employed and how the crimes were discovered. The legal authorities then commissioned accurate investigations including medicolegal and psychiatric-forensic evaluations of the offenders and their victims. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

20 CFR 345.122 - Interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2014-04-01 2012-04-01 true Interest. 345.122 Section 345.122 Employees...' CONTRIBUTIONS AND CONTRIBUTION REPORTS Reporting and Collecting Contributions § 345.122 Interest. (a) Rate. If... this part, interest accrues at the rate of 1 percent per month, or fraction of a month. Interest on...

20 CFR 345.122 - Interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Interest. 345.122 Section 345.122 Employees...' CONTRIBUTIONS AND CONTRIBUTION REPORTS Reporting and Collecting Contributions § 345.122 Interest. (a) Rate. If... this part, interest accrues at the rate of 1 percent per month, or fraction of a month. Interest on...

Factorial Validity of the Vocational Interest Scales of the Holland Vocational Preference Inventory for Australian High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasou, James A.; And Others

1981-01-01

The structure of the six vocational interests measured by the Holland Vocational Preference Inventory was identified. Results of two separate analyses showed that a general factor accounted for much of the total variance. Remaining bipolar factors supported previous classifications of interests. (Author/GK)

You Get to Choose! Motivating Students to Read through Differentiated Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Servilio, Kathryn L.

2009-01-01

One way to improve motivation and engagement for students with disabilities in academic areas is to teach at their level and increase their interest in the instruction and activities. Embedding these interests through offering students options within the curriculum can motivate students who were previously having difficulty or not interested in…

Considering Cognitive Factors in Interest Research: Context Personalization and Illustrations in Math Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Candace, Walkington; Clinton, Virginia; Mingle, Leigh

2016-01-01

This paper examines two factors that have been shown in previous literature to enhance students' interest in learning mathematics--personalization of problems to students' interest areas, and the addition of visual representations such as decorative illustrations. In two studies taking place within an online curriculum for middle school…

A Funds of Knowledge Approach to Examining Play Interests: Listening to Children's and Parents' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chesworth, Liz

2016-01-01

Children's interests are widely recognised as pivotal to meaningful learning and play in the early years. However, less is known about how children's diverse interests may contribute to relationships and interactions within peer cultures. This article builds upon previous studies to argue that participation in sociocultural activity generates…

Comprehensive characterization of evolutionary conserved breakpoints in four New World Monkey karyotypes compared to Chlorocebus aethiops and Homo sapiens.

PubMed

Fan, Xiaobo; Supiwong, Weerayuth; Weise, Anja; Mrasek, Kristin; Kosyakova, Nadezda; Tanomtong, Alongkoad; Pinthong, Krit; Trifonov, Vladimir A; Cioffi, Marcelo de Bello; Grothmann, Pierre; Liehr, Thomas; Oliveira, Edivaldo H C de

2015-11-01

Comparative cytogenetic analysis in New World Monkeys (NWMs) using human multicolor banding (MCB) probe sets were not previously done. Here we report on an MCB based FISH-banding study complemented with selected locus-specific and heterochromatin specific probes in four NWMs and one Old World Monkey (OWM) species, i.e. in Alouatta caraya (ACA), Callithrix jacchus (CJA), Cebus apella (CAP), Saimiri sciureus (SSC), and Chlorocebus aethiops (CAE), respectively. 107 individual evolutionary conserved breakpoints (ECBs) among those species were identified and compared with those of other species in previous reports. Especially for chromosomal regions being syntenic to human chromosomes 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16 previously cryptic rearrangements could be observed. 50.4% (54/107) NWM-ECBs were colocalized with those of OWMs, 62.6% (62/99) NWM-ECBs were related with those of Hylobates lar (HLA) and 66.3% (71/107) NWM-ECBs corresponded with those known from other mammalians. Furthermore, human fragile sites were aligned with the ECBs found in the five studied species and interestingly 66.3% ECBs colocalized with those fragile sites (FS). Overall, this study presents detailed chromosomal maps of one OWM and four NWM species. This data will be helpful to further investigation on chromosome evolution in NWM and hominoids in general and is prerequisite for correct interpretation of future sequencing based genomic studies in those species.

45 CFR 73.735-1006 - Reporting financial interests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reporting financial interests. 73.735-1006 Section... Reporting financial interests. (a) Consultants who will work more than 60 days in a calendar year are... equal to or greater than the basic rate for GS-16, Step 1. Such consultants are covered by the reporting...

A meta-analysis of risk of pregnancy loss and caffeine and coffee consumption during pregnancy.

PubMed

Li, Ji; Zhao, Hong; Song, Ju-Min; Zhang, Jing; Tang, Yin-Lan; Xin, Chang-Mao

2015-08-01

Previous reports of the relationship between pregnancy loss and caffeine/coffee consumption have been inconsistent. To evaluate the association between pregnancy loss and caffeine and coffee consumption. PubMed was searched for reports published before September 2014, with the keywords "caffeine," "coffee," "beverage," "miscarriage," "spontaneous abortion," and "fetal loss." Case-control and cohort studies were included when they had been reported in English, the exposure of interest was caffeine/coffee consumption during pregnancy, the outcome of interest was spontaneous abortion or fetal death, and multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) or risk ratios were provided or could be calculated. Data were extracted and combined ORs calculated. Overall, 26 studies were included (20 of caffeine and eight of coffee). After adjustment for heterogeneity, caffeine consumption was associated with an increased risk of pregnancy loss (OR 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-1.40), as was coffee consumption (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.02-1.21). A dose-response analysis suggested that risk of pregnancy loss rose by 19% for every increase in caffeine intake of 150 mg/day and by 8% for every increase in coffee intake of two cups per day. Consumption of caffeine and coffee during pregnancy seems to increase the risk of pregnancy loss. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowing when to trust others: An ERP study of decision making after receiving information from unknown people

PubMed Central

McCubbins, Mathew D.; Coulson, Seana

2009-01-01

To address the neurocognitive mechanisms that underlie choices made after receiving information from an anonymous individual, reaction times (Experiment 1) and event-related brain potentials (Experiment 2) were recorded as participants played three variants of the coin toss game. In this game, participants guess the outcomes of unseen coin tosses after a person in another room (dubbed 'the reporter’) observes the coin toss outcomes and then sends reports (which may or may not be truthful) to participants about whether the coins landed on heads or tails. Participants knew that the reporter's interests were aligned with their own (common interests), opposed to their own (conflicting interests) or opposed to their own, but that the reporter was penalized every time he or she sent a false report about the coin toss outcome (penalty for lying). In the common interests and penalty for lying conditions, participants followed the reporter's reports over 90% of the time, in contrast to <59% of the time in the conflicting interests condition. Reaction time results indicated that participants took similar amounts of time to respond in the common interests and penalty for lying conditions and that they were reliably faster than in the conflicting interests condition. Event-related potentials timelocked to the reporter's reports revealed a larger P2, P3 and late positive complex response in the common interests condition than in the other two, suggesting that participants’ brains processed the reporter's reports differently in the common interests condition relative to the other two conditions. Results suggest that even when people behave as if they trust information, they consider communicative efforts of individuals whose interests are aligned with their own to be slightly more informative than those of individuals who are made trustworthy by an institution, such as a penalty for lying. PMID:19015085

Dyslexic children lack word selectivity gradients in occipito-temporal and inferior frontal cortex.

PubMed

Olulade, O A; Flowers, D L; Napoliello, E M; Eden, G F

2015-01-01

fMRI studies using a region-of-interest approach have revealed that the ventral portion of the left occipito-temporal cortex, which is specialized for orthographic processing of visually presented words (and includes the so-called "visual word form area", VWFA), is characterized by a posterior-to-anterior gradient of increasing selectivity for words in typically reading adults, adolescents, and children (e.g. Brem et al., 2006, 2009). Similarly, the left inferior frontal cortex (IFC) has been shown to exhibit a medial-to-lateral gradient of print selectivity in typically reading adults (Vinckier et al., 2007). Functional brain imaging studies of dyslexia have reported relative underactivity in left hemisphere occipito-temporal and inferior frontal regions using whole-brain analyses during word processing tasks. Hence, the question arises whether gradient sensitivities in these regions are altered in dyslexia. Indeed, a region-of-interest analysis revealed the gradient-specific functional specialization in the occipito-temporal cortex to be disrupted in dyslexic children (van der Mark et al., 2009). Building on these studies, we here (1) investigate if a word-selective gradient exists in the inferior frontal cortex in addition to the occipito-temporal cortex in normally reading children, (2) compare typically reading with dyslexic children, and (3) examine functional connections between these regions in both groups. We replicated the previously reported anterior-to-posterior gradient of increasing selectivity for words in the left occipito-temporal cortex in typically reading children, and its absence in the dyslexic children. Our novel finding is the detection of a pattern of increasing selectivity for words along the medial-to-lateral axis of the left inferior frontal cortex in typically reading children and evidence of functional connectivity between the most lateral aspect of this area and the anterior aspects of the occipito-temporal cortex. We report absence of an IFC gradient and connectivity between the lateral aspect of the IFC and the anterior occipito-temporal cortex in the dyslexic children. Together, our results provide insights into the source of the anomalies reported in previous studies of dyslexia and add to the growing evidence of an orthographic role of IFC in reading.

Volvulus of the liver with intrathoracic herniation.

PubMed

Moussa, G; Thomson, P M; Bohra, A

2014-10-01

We present a rare case of a liver volvulus, stomach and transverse colon herniating through the diaphragm. This scenario has not been reported previously. We discuss the presentation and management of this interesting case. A 65-year-old woman with a history of sarcoidosis and recurrent pericardial effusions, treated previously with a subxiphoid pericardial oval window fenestration, presented with acute upper abdominal pain radiating to the chest. High contrast computed tomography showed a volvulus of the liver with consequent venous congestion, and herniation of the liver, stomach and transverse colon through an anterior diaphragmatic defect. With liver perfusion threatened, an urgent laparoscopic repair was performed. The stomach and transverse colon were reduced, and the twisted left lobe of the liver was unrotated and reduced into the abdominal cavity. A double-sided synthetic mesh was used to repair the defect. The patient made an uneventful recovery. This is a novel complication of a patient presenting with abdominal pain with a previous history of pericardial window fenestration. A laparoscopic reduction and repair can be performed safely with excellent postoperative results.

Finnish women and men who self-report no sexual attraction in the past 12 months: prevalence, relationship status, and sexual behavior history.

PubMed

Höglund, Jannike; Jern, Patrick; Sandnabba, N Kenneth; Santtila, Pekka

2014-07-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of not reporting sexual attraction in the past year and its associations with factors related to partner relations as well as sexuality-related characteristics in a population-based sample of Finnish twins. The present study was based on a total of 3,540 participants (1,304 men and 2,236 women) aged 33-43 years. A total of 19 men and 73 women reported complete absence of sexual interest in women or men during the past year. Older age was associated with absence of sexual interest in the past year in women, but not men. Individuals who reported absence of sexual interest in the past year were more likely than individuals who reported sexual interest to be single, but those who were in a relationship did not express more dissatisfaction with their relationships. Individuals who reported absence of sexual interest in the past year had had fewer sexual partners and reported less experience of sexual behavior in childhood. Women who reported no sexual interest in the past year, but who were nevertheless sexually active, reported higher frequencies of sexual dysfunctions than matched controls. No significant differences regarding the tendency to fake orgasm were found between the sexually active individuals who reported absence of sexual interest in the past year and the group of matched controls. The present study suggests that absence of sexual interest may be a lifelong phenomenon which does not necessarily affect relationship satisfaction, but is associated with variation in sexual behaviors.

Tobacco Industry Influence on the American Law Institute’s Restatements of Torts and Implications for Its Conflict of Interest Policies†

PubMed Central

Laposata, Elizabeth; Barnes, Richard; Glantz, Stanton

2012-01-01

The American Law Institute (“ALI”) is a prestigious and influential organization that creates treatises on the current state of the law, including “Restatements” of case law that guide judicial decisions and legislation. This paper uses previously secret tobacco industry documents made available as the result of state and federal litigation against the industry to describe how the tobacco companies, acting both indirectly through their trade organization, the Tobacco Institute, and directly, using influential lawyers, quietly influenced the ALI’s writing of the Restatements. The tobacco industry’s ease of access to the ALI calls into question the Institute’s independence, the preparation of major policy documents such as the Restatements, as well as the Institute’s ability to monitor and control conflicts of interest. The ALI’s conflict of interest policies lag behind comparable organizations such as the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine, and are insufficient to protect Institute projects from significant outside influence. Because of the undisclosed influence of the tobacco industry over the ALI, courts and legislatures should not apply the principles embodied in the Restatements in tort cases against the tobacco companies for injuries suffered from tobacco use. Until the ALI implements strong conflict of interest policies to ensure independence from private-interest manipulation, courts and legislatures should not rely on Institute reports and recommendations as neutral scholarly summaries of the law that should guide judicial and legislative decision-making. PMID:23633723

Data-driven approach to detect common copy-number variations and frequency profiles in a population-based Korean cohort.

PubMed

Moon, Sanghoon; Kim, Young Jin; Hong, Chang Bum; Kim, Dong-Joon; Lee, Jong-Young; Kim, Bong-Jo

2011-11-01

To date, hundreds of thousands of copy-number variation (CNV) data have been reported using various platforms. The proportion of Asians in these data is, however, relatively small as compared with that of other ethnic groups, such as Caucasians and Yorubas. Because of limitations in platform resolution and the high noise level in signal intensity, in most CNV studies (particularly those using single nucleotide polymorphism arrays), the average number of CNVs in an individual is less than the number of known CNVs. In this study, we ascertained reliable, common CNV regions (CNVRs) and identified actual frequency rates in the Korean population to provide more CNV information. We performed two-stage analyses for detecting structural variations with two platforms. We discovered 576 common CNVRs (88 CNV segments on average in an individual), and 87% (501 of 576) of these CNVRs overlapped by ≥1 bp with previously validated CNV events. Interestingly, from the frequency analysis of CNV profiles, 52 of 576 CNVRs had a frequency rate of <1% in the 8842 individuals. Compared with other common CNV studies, this study found six common CNVRs that were not reported in previous CNV studies. In conclusion, we propose the data-driven detection approach to discover common CNVRs including those of unreported in the previous Korean CNV study while minimizing false positives. Through our approach, we successfully discovered more common CNVRs than previous Korean CNV study and conducted frequency analysis. These results will be a valuable resource for the effective level of CNVs in the Korean population.

Unusual association of non-anaplastic Wilms tumor and Cornelia de Lange syndrome: case report.

PubMed

Santoro, Claudia; Apicella, Andrea; Casale, Fiorina; La Manna, Angela; Di Martino, Martina; Di Pinto, Daniela; Indolfi, Cristiana; Perrotta, Silverio

2016-06-13

Cornelia de Lange syndrome is the prototype for cohesinopathy disorders, which are characterized by defects in chromosome segregation. Kidney malformations, including nephrogenic rests, are common in Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Only one post-mortem case report has described an association between Wilms tumor and Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Here, we describe the first case of a living child with both diseases. Non-anaplastic triphasic nephroblastoma was diagnosed in a patient carrying a not yet reported mutation in NIPBL (c.4920 G > A). The patient had the typical facial appearance and intellectual disability associated with Cornelia de Lange syndrome in absence of limb involvement. The child's kidneys were examined by ultrasound at 2 years of age to exclude kidney abnormalities associated with the syndrome. She underwent pre-operative chemotherapy and nephrectomy. Seven months later she was healthy and without residual detectable disease. The previous report of such co-occurrence, together with our report and previous reports of nephrogenic rests, led us to wonder if there may be any causal relationship between these two rare entities. The wingless/integrated (Wnt) pathway, which is implicated in kidney development, is constitutively activated in approximately 15-20 % of all non-anaplastic Wilms tumors. Interestingly, the Wnt pathway was recently found to be perturbed in a zebrafish model of Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Mutations in cohesin complex genes and regulators have also been identified in several types of cancers. On the other hand, there is no clear evidence of an increased risk of cancer in Cornelia de Lange syndrome, and no other similar cases have been published since the fist one reported by Cohen, and this prompts to think Wilms tumor and Cornelia de Lange syndrome occurred together in our patient by chance.

Tailoring indium oxide nanocrystal synthesis conditions for air-stable high-performance solution-processed thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Swisher, Sarah L; Volkman, Steven K; Subramanian, Vivek

2015-05-20

Semiconducting metal oxides (ZnO, SnO2, In2O3, and combinations thereof) are a uniquely interesting family of materials because of their high carrier mobilities in the amorphous and generally disordered states, and solution-processed routes to these materials are of particular interest to the printed electronics community. Colloidal nanocrystal routes to these materials are particularly interesting, because nanocrystals may be formulated with tunable surface properties into stable inks, and printed to form devices in an additive manner. We report our investigation of an In2O3 nanocrystal synthesis for high-performance solution-deposited semiconductor layers for thin-film transistors (TFTs). We studied the effects of various synthesis parameters on the nanocrystals themselves, and how those changes ultimately impacted the performance of TFTs. Using a sintered film of solution-deposited In2O3 nanocrystals as the TFT channel material, we fabricated devices that exhibit field effect mobility of 10 cm(2)/(V s) and an on/off current ratio greater than 1 × 10(6). These results outperform previous air-stable nanocrystal TFTs, and demonstrate the suitability of colloidal nanocrystal inks for high-performance printed electronics.

The Nature of Experiences Responsible for the Generation and Maintenance of Interest in STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maltese, Adam V.; Melki, Christina S.; Wiebke, Heidi L.

2014-01-01

Previous research has established the importance of early interest in STEM as a key factor in persistence. Our current research builds on this foundation and extends it to add more detail to understanding the types of experiences that trigger and maintain interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Using survey data from…

Interest Inventory Items as Reinforcing Stimuli: A Test of the A-R-D Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staats, Arthur W.; And Others

An experiement was conducted to test the hypothesis that interest inventory items would function as reinforcing stimuli in a visual discrimination task. When previously rated liked and disliked items from the Strong Vocational Interest Blank were differentially presented following one of two responses, subjects learned to respond to the stimulus…

26 CFR 20.2044-1 - Certain property for which marital deduction was previously allowed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... decedent had a qualifying income interest for life and for which a deduction was allowed under section 2056... reduced by the amount of any section 2503(b) exclusion that applied to the transfer creating the interest.... Similarly, the executor could establish that the transfer creating the decedent's qualifying income interest...

CSL encodes a leucine-rich-repeat protein implicated in red/violet light signaling to the circadian clock in Chlamydomonas

PubMed Central

Kinoshita, Ayumi; Niwa, Yoshimi; Onai, Kiyoshi; Fukuzawa, Hideya; Ishiura, Masahiro

2017-01-01

The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii shows various light responses in behavior and physiology. One such photoresponse is the circadian clock, which can be reset by external light signals to entrain its oscillation to daily environmental cycles. In a previous report, we suggested that a light-induced degradation of the clock protein ROC15 is a trigger to reset the circadian clock in Chlamydomonas. However, light signaling pathways of this process remained unclear. Here, we screened for mutants that show abnormal ROC15 diurnal rhythms, including the light-induced protein degradation at dawn, using a luciferase fusion reporter. In one mutant, ROC15 degradation and phase resetting of the circadian clock by light were impaired. Interestingly, the impairments were observed in response to red and violet light, but not to blue light. We revealed that an uncharacterized gene encoding a protein similar to RAS-signaling-related leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins is responsible for the mutant phenotypes. Our results indicate that a previously uncharacterized red/violet light signaling pathway is involved in the phase resetting of circadian clock in Chlamydomonas. PMID:28333924

Comparison of Surfactants Used to Prepare Aqueous Perfluoropentane Emulsions for Pharmaceutical Applications

PubMed Central

Kandadai, Madhuvanthi A.; Mohan, Praveena; Lin, Genyao; Butterfield, Anthony; Skliar, Mikhail; Magda, Jules J.

2010-01-01

Perfluoropentane (PFP), a highly hydrophobic, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic fluoroalkane, has generated much interest in biomedical applications, including occlusion therapy and controlled drug delivery. For most of these applications, the dispersion within aqueous media of a large quantity of PFP droplets of the proper size is critically important. Surprisingly, the interfacial tension of PFP against water in the presence of surfactants used to stabilize the emulsion has rarely, if ever, been measured. In this study, we report the interfacial tension of PFP in the presence of surfactants used in previous studies to produce emulsions for biomedical applications: polyethylene oxide-co-polylactic acid (PEO-PLA, and polyethylene oxide-co-poly-ε-caprolactone (PEO-PCL). Since both of these surfactants are uncharged diblock copolymers that rely on the mechanism of steric stabilization, we also investigate for comparison’s sake use of the small molecule cationic surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), and the much larger protein surfactant bovine serum albumin (BSA). The results presented here complement previous reports of the PFP droplet size distribution, and will be useful for determining to what extent the interfacial tension value can be used to control the mean PFP droplet size. PMID:20218695

Marketing Strategy and Implementation

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

None, None

This report documents the preparation of materials for the marketing campaign that has been designed for middle and high school students in New Mexico to increase interest in participation in national security careers at the National Nuclear Security Administration. The materials and the marketing campaign build on the research that was previously completed, as well as the focus groups that were conducted. This work is a part of the National Nuclear Security Preparedness Project (NSPP). Previous research included outcome analysis to determine appropriate marketing strategies. The analysis was based upon focus groups with middle school and high school students, studentmore » interactions, and surveys completed by students to understand and gauge student interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects, interest in careers at NNSA, future job considerations, and student desire to pursue post-secondary education. Further, through the focus groups, students were asked to attend a presentation on NNSA job opportunities and employee requirements. The feedback received from the students was utilized to develop the focus and components of a marketing campaign divided into DISCO (Discovering Intelligence and Security Career Opportunities) for the middle school age group and DISCO…..Your Way! for high school age groups. Both campaigns have an intertwined message that focuses on the education of students in the various national security career opportunities at NNSA using the STEM concepts and the notion that almost any career they can think of has a fit within NNSA. Further, a special emphasis has been placed on the importance of obtaining a national security clearance when working at NNSA and the steps that will need to be taken during middle school, high school, and college to be allowed this opportunity.« less

Men's sexual interest in children: one-year incidence and correlates in a population-based sample of Finnish male twins.

PubMed

Santtila, Pekka; Antfolk, Jan; Räfså, Anna; Hartwig, Maria; Sariola, Heikki; Sandnabba, N Kenneth; Mokros, Andreas

2015-01-01

In a study of 1,310 Finnish adult male twins we found that sexual interest in children aged 12 or younger was reported by 0.2% of the sample. Sexual interest in children aged 15 or younger was reported by 3.3%. Participants reporting sexual interest in children aged 15 or younger were younger, reported stronger sexual desire, and had experienced more childhood sexual and nonsexual abuse. The present study is the first to give a population-based estimate of the incidence of sexual interest in children among adult men. The 12-month incidence of sexual interest in children below the age of 16 years is roughly comparable to the one-year incidence of major depression or the lifetime prevalence of transvestitic fetishism.

Novel ZnO-binding peptides obtained by the screening of a phage display peptide library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golec, Piotr; Karczewska-Golec, Joanna; Łoś, Marcin; Węgrzyn, Grzegorz

2012-11-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a semiconductor compound with a potential for wide use in various applications, including biomaterials and biosensors, particularly as nanoparticles (the size range of ZnO nanoparticles is from 2 to 100 nm, with an average of about 35 nm). Here, we report isolation of novel ZnO-binding peptides, by screening of a phage display library. Interestingly, amino acid sequences of the ZnO-binding peptides reported in this paper and those described previously are significantly different. This suggests that there is a high variability in sequences of peptides which can bind particular inorganic molecules, indicating that different approaches may lead to discovery of different peptides of generally the same activity (e.g., binding of ZnO) but having various detailed properties, perhaps crucial under specific conditions of different applications.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a 2-year-old girl whose mother was previously diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome: a case report.

PubMed

Castro-Jiménez, Miguel Ángel; Cortés-Sánchez, Carlos Efraín; Rueda-Arenas, Ernesto; Tibaduiza-Buitrago, Lucy Adela

2015-04-15

The role of maternal exposures and conditions in the origin of childhood cancer has been a subject of growing interest, but current evidence is inconclusive. We present a case detected in a multicenter case-control study evaluating the association between parental risk factors and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The patient is a Colombian girl who was diagnosed with ALL-L1 when she was 2 years old. Her mother had been diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome before pregnancy and had also been treated with subcutaneous injections of heparin. Other potentially relevant maternal and patient exposures are also reported in this paper. We hypothesize that the maternal autoimmune disease could be a contributor in the causality network of the daughter's leukemia. However, the role of other exposures cannot be excluded.

Revision to flood hazard evaluation for the Savannah River Site

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

Buckley, R.; Werth, D.

Requirements for the Natural Phenomena Hazard (NPH) mitigation for new and existing Department of Energy (DOE) facilities are outlined in DOE Order 420.1. This report examines the hazards posed by potential flooding and represents an update to two previous reports. The facility-specific probabilistic flood hazard curve is defined as the water elevation for each annual probability of precipitation occurrence (or inversely, the return period in years). New design hyetographs for both 6-hr and 24-hr precipitation distributions were used in conjunction with hydrological models of various basins within the Savannah River Site (SRS). For numerous locations of interest, peak flow dischargemore » and flood water elevation were determined. In all cases, the probability of flooding of these facilities for a 100,000 year precipitation event is negligible.« less

Photoresist Design for Elastomeric Light Tunable Photonic Devices

PubMed Central

Nocentini, Sara; Martella, Daniele; Parmeggiani, Camilla; Wiersma, Diederik S.

2016-01-01

An increasing interest in tunable photonic structures is growing within the photonic community. The usage of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer (LCE) structures in the micro-scale has been motivated by the potential to remotely control their properties. In order to design elastic photonic structures with a three-dimensional lithographic technique, an analysis of the different mixtures used in the micro-printing process is required. Previously reported LCE microstructures suffer damage and strong swelling as a limiting factor of resolution. In this article, we reported a detailed study on the writing process with four liquid crystalline photoresists, in which the percentage of crosslinker is gradually increased. The experiments reveal that exploiting the crosslinking degree is a possible means in which to obtain suspended lines with good resolution, quite good rigidity, and good elasticity, thereby preserving the possibility of deformation by light irradiation. PMID:28773646

Photoresist Design for Elastomeric Light Tunable Photonic Devices.

PubMed

Nocentini, Sara; Martella, Daniele; Parmeggiani, Camilla; Wiersma, Diederik S

2016-06-29

An increasing interest in tunable photonic structures is growing within the photonic community. The usage of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer (LCE) structures in the micro-scale has been motivated by the potential to remotely control their properties. In order to design elastic photonic structures with a three-dimensional lithographic technique, an analysis of the different mixtures used in the micro-printing process is required. Previously reported LCE microstructures suffer damage and strong swelling as a limiting factor of resolution. In this article, we reported a detailed study on the writing process with four liquid crystalline photoresists, in which the percentage of crosslinker is gradually increased. The experiments reveal that exploiting the crosslinking degree is a possible means in which to obtain suspended lines with good resolution, quite good rigidity, and good elasticity, thereby preserving the possibility of deformation by light irradiation.

Trends, Frequency, and Nature of Surgeon-Reported Conflicts of Interest in Plastic Surgery.

PubMed

Lopez, Joseph; Musavi, Leila; Quan, Amy; Calotta, Nicholas; Juan, Ilona; Park, Angela; Tufaro, Anthony P; May, James W; Dorafshar, Amir H

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to identify types and trends in industry sponsorship of plastic surgery research since the establishment of conflict-of-interest reporting policies in plastic surgery. The authors analyzed the frequency and types of self-reported conflicts of interest in the plastic surgery literature since the adoption of reporting policies in 2007. All original articles that met the authors' inclusion criteria and were published in the following three journals from 2008 to 2013 were included: Annals of Plastic Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine what study-specific variables were associated with conflict-of-interest disclosures. A total of 3722 articles were analyzed. The incidence of conflicts of interest increased from 14 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2009. However, thereafter, the incidence of conflicts of interest decreased steadily from 21 percent in 2010 to 9 percent in 2013. Furthermore, the authors' analysis revealed that from 2008 to 2013, industry decreased direct research support but steadily increased the rate of consultantships (p < 0.001). A multivariate regression analysis revealed that, after adjusting for potential confounders, self-reported conflicts of interest have decreased since 2008 (p = 0.03) and the prevalence of conflicts of interest differs by plastic surgery subspecialty (p < 0.0001), country of origin (p < 0.0001), and journal of publication (p = 0.05). If self-reporting of conflicts of interest is assumed to be accurate, the number of surgeon-reported conflicts of interest in plastic surgery declined overall. Although the absolute number of consultantships did not change, the rate of consultantships rather than direct research support increased over this period.

Superhydrophobic powder additives to enhance chemical agent resistant coating systems for military equipment for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPAC) Program

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

Pawel, Steven J.; Armstrong, Beth L.; Haynes, James A.

The primary goal of the CPAC program at ORNL was to explore the feasibility of introducing various silica-based superhydrophobic (SH) powder additives as a way to improve the corrosion resistance of US Department of Defense (DOD) military-grade chemical agent resistant coating (CARC) systems. ORNL had previously developed and patented several SH technologies of interest to the USMC, and one of the objectives of this program was to identify methods to incorporate these technologies into the USMC’s corrosion-resistance strategy. This report discusses findings of the CPAC and their application.

[Cristóbal de Vega (1510-1573), physician to prince Don Carlos (1545-1568)].

PubMed

Hernández, J

2001-01-01

This paper represents biographical aspects concerning the always-delicate health of Prince Don Carlos (1545-1568), first-born son of the King Felipe II of Spain (1527-1598). The main conditions and circumstances of his pathobiography were drawn from interesting data offered by one of his royal doctors, the former professor of the University of Alcalá, Cristóbal de Vega (1510-1573), throughout his significant medical career. In particular, the report on the quartan fevers suffered by Don Carlos in Doctor Vega's Commentaria in librum Aphorismorum (1568), provides considerable and previously unknown clinical data on the disease.

76 FR 1105 - Guidance on Reporting Interest Paid to Nonresident Aliens

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-07

...-BJ01 Guidance on Reporting Interest Paid to Nonresident Aliens AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS... and paid to nonresident alien individuals. These proposed regulations affect persons making payments.... bank deposit interest paid to any nonresident alien individual must be reported annually to the IRS. On...

National Randomized Controlled Trial of Virtual House Calls for People with Parkinson's Disease: Interest and Barriers

PubMed Central

Achey, Meredith A.; Beck, Christopher A.; Beran, Denise B.; Biglan, Kevin M.; Boyd, Cynthia M.; Schmidt, Peter N.; Simone, Richard; Willis, Allison W.; Galifianakis, Nicholas B.; Katz, Maya; Tanner, Caroline M.; Dodenhoff, Kristen; Ziman, Nathan; Aldred, Jason; Carter, Julie; Jimenez-Shahed, Joohi; Hunter, Christine; Spindler, Meredith; Mari, Zoltan; Morgan, John C.; McLane, Dedi; Hickey, Patrick; Gauger, Lisa; Richard, Irene Hegeman; Bull, Michael T.; Mejia, Nicte I.; Bwala, Grace; Nance, Martha; Shih, Ludy; Anderson, Lauren; Singer, Carlos; Zadikoff, Cindy; Okon, Natalia; Feigin, Andrew; Ayan, Jean; Vaughan, Christina; Pahwa, Rajesh; Cooper, Jessica; Webb, Sydney; Dhall, Rohit; Hassan, Anhar; Weis, Delana; DeMello, Steven; Riggare, Sara S.; Wicks, Paul; Smith, Joseph; Keenan, H. Tait; Korn, Ryan; Schwarz, Heidi; Sharma, Saloni; Stevenson, E. Anna; Zhu, William

2016-01-01

Abstract Background: Delivering specialty care remotely directly into people's homes can enhance access for and improve the healthcare of individuals with chronic conditions. However, evidence supporting this approach is limited. Materials and Methods: Connect.Parkinson is a randomized comparative effectiveness study that compares usual care of individuals with Parkinson's disease in the community with usual care augmented by virtual house calls with a Parkinson's disease specialist from 1 of 18 centers nationally. Individuals in the intervention arm receive four virtual visits from a Parkinson's disease specialist over 1 year via secure, Web-based videoconferencing directly into their homes. All study activities, including recruitment, enrollment, and assessments, are conducted remotely. Here we report on interest, feasibility, and barriers to enrollment in this ongoing study. Results: During recruitment, 11,734 individuals visited the study's Web site, and 927 unique individuals submitted electronic interest forms. Two hundred ten individuals from 18 states enrolled in the study from March 2014 to June 2015, and 195 were randomized. Most participants were white (96%) and college educated (73%). Of the randomized participants, 73% had seen a Parkinson's disease specialist within the previous year. Conclusions: Among individuals with Parkinson's disease, national interest in receiving remote specialty care directly into the home is high. Remote enrollment in this care model is feasible but is likely affected by differential access to the Internet. PMID:26886406

Pervasive negative effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation: The myth continues

PubMed Central

Cameron, Judy; Banko, Katherine M.; Pierce, W. David

2001-01-01

A major concern in psychology and education is that rewards decrease intrinsic motivation to perform activities. Over the past 30 years, more than 100 experimental studies have been conducted on this topic. In 1994, Cameron and Pierce conducted a meta-analysis of this literature and concluded that negative effects of reward were limited and could be easily prevented in applied settings. A more recent meta-analysis of the literature by Deci, Koestner, and Ryan (1999) shows pervasive negative effects of reward. The purpose of the present article is to resolve differences in previous meta-analytic findings and to provide a meta-analysis of rewards and intrinsic motivation that permits tests of competing theoretical explanations. Our results suggest that in general, rewards are not harmful to motivation to perform a task. Rewards given for low-interest tasks enhance free-choice intrinsic motivation. On high-interest tasks, verbal rewards produce positive effects on free-choice motivation and self-reported task interest. Negative effects are found on high-interest tasks when the rewards are tangible, expected (offered beforehand), and loosely tied to level of performance. When rewards are linked to level of performance, measures of intrinsic motivation increase or do not differ from a nonrewarded control group. Overall, the pattern of results indicates that reward contingencies do not have pervasive negative effects on intrinsic motivation. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are addressed. PMID:22478353

Pervasive negative effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation: The myth continues.

PubMed

Cameron, J; Banko, K M; Pierce, W D

2001-01-01

A major concern in psychology and education is that rewards decrease intrinsic motivation to perform activities. Over the past 30 years, more than 100 experimental studies have been conducted on this topic. In 1994, Cameron and Pierce conducted a meta-analysis of this literature and concluded that negative effects of reward were limited and could be easily prevented in applied settings. A more recent meta-analysis of the literature by Deci, Koestner, and Ryan (1999) shows pervasive negative effects of reward. The purpose of the present article is to resolve differences in previous meta-analytic findings and to provide a meta-analysis of rewards and intrinsic motivation that permits tests of competing theoretical explanations. Our results suggest that in general, rewards are not harmful to motivation to perform a task. Rewards given for low-interest tasks enhance free-choice intrinsic motivation. On high-interest tasks, verbal rewards produce positive effects on free-choice motivation and self-reported task interest. Negative effects are found on high-interest tasks when the rewards are tangible, expected (offered beforehand), and loosely tied to level of performance. When rewards are linked to level of performance, measures of intrinsic motivation increase or do not differ from a nonrewarded control group. Overall, the pattern of results indicates that reward contingencies do not have pervasive negative effects on intrinsic motivation. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are addressed.

Effects of Individual Differences and Situational Features on Age Differences in Mindless Reading.

PubMed

Shake, Matthew C; Shulley, Leah J; Soto-Freita, Angelica M

2016-09-01

Mindless reading occurs when an individual shifts their attention away from the text and toward other off-task thoughts. This study examined whether previously reported age-related declines in mindless reading episodes are due primarily to (a) situational features related to the text itself (e.g., text genre or interest in the text) and/or (b) individual differences in cognitive ability. Participants read 2 texts written in different genres but about the same topic. During reading, they were randomly probed to indicate whether they were on-task or mind-wandering. They also indicated their perceptions regarding the interest and difficulty of the text, and completed a battery of cognitive ability measures. The results showed that (a) text genre may engender some age differences in mindless reading and (b) greater age and perceived interest in the text were each uniquely predictive of reduced mindless reading for both text genres. Individual differences in cognitive abilities (e.g., working memory, vocabulary) did not account for additional significant variance in mindless reading after interest and age were taken into account. Our findings are discussed in terms of implications for age differences in lapses of attention during reading and predictors of mind-wandering generally. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

High-pressure behavior of CaMo O4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panchal, V.; Garg, N.; Poswal, H. K.; Errandonea, D.; Rodríguez-Hernández, P.; Muñoz, A.; Cavalli, E.

2017-09-01

We report a high-pressure study of tetragonal scheelite-type CaMo O4 up to 29 GPa. In order to characterize its high-pressure behavior, we have combined Raman and optical-absorption measurements with density functional theory calculations. We have found evidence of a pressure-induced phase transition near 15 GPa. Experiments and calculations agree in assigning the high-pressure phase to a monoclinic fergusonite-type structure. The reported results are consistent with previous powder x-ray-diffraction experiments, but are in contradiction with the conclusions obtained from earlier Raman measurements, which support the existence of more than one phase transition in the pressure range covered by our studies. The observed scheelite-fergusonite transition induces significant changes in the electronic band gap and phonon spectrum of CaMo O4 . We have determined the pressure evolution of the band gap for the low- and high-pressure phases as well as the frequencies and pressure dependencies of the Raman-active and infrared-active modes. In addition, based on calculations of the phonon dispersion of the scheelite phase, carried out at a pressure higher than the transition pressure, we propose a possible mechanism for the reported phase transition. Furthermore, from the calculations we determined the pressure dependence of the unit-cell parameters and atomic positions of the different phases and their room-temperature equations of state. These results are compared with previous experiments showing a very good agreement. Finally, information on bond compressibility is reported and correlated with the macroscopic compressibility of CaMo O4 . The reported results are of interest for the many technological applications of this oxide.

Genetic Polymorphisms Associated with Hearing Threshold Shift in Subjects during First Encounter with Occupational Impulse Noise

PubMed Central

Grondin, Yohann; Bortoni, Magda E.; Sepulveda, Rosalinda; Ghelfi, Elisa; Bartos, Adam; Cotanche, Douglas; Clifford, Royce E.; Rogers, Rick A.

2015-01-01

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most significant occupational health issue worldwide. We conducted a genome-wide association study to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with hearing threshold shift in young males undergoing their first encounter with occupational impulse noise. We report a significant association of SNP rs7598759 (p < 5 x 10-7; p = 0.01 after permutation and correction; Odds Ratio = 12.75) in the gene coding for nucleolin, a multifunctional phosphoprotein involved in the control of senescence and protection against apoptosis. Interestingly, nucleolin has been shown to mediate the anti-apoptotic effect of HSP70, a protein found to prevent ototoxicity and whose polymorphisms have been associated with susceptibility to NIHL. Increase in nucleolin expression has also been associated with the prevention of apoptosis in cells undergoing oxidative stress, a well-known metabolic sequela of noise exposure. To assess the potential role of nucleolin in hearing loss, we tested down-regulation of nucleolin in cochlear sensory cells HEI-OC1 under oxidative stress conditions and report increased sensitivity to cisplatin, a chemotherapeutic drug with ototoxic side effects. Additional SNPs were found with suggestive association (p < 5 x 10-4), of which 7 SNPs were located in genes previously reported to be related to NIHL and 43 of them were observed in 36 other genes previously not reported to be associated with NIHL. Taken together, our GWAS data and in vitro studies reported herein suggest that nucleolin is a potential candidate associated with NIHL in this population. PMID:26121033

Middle School Engagement with Mathematics Software and Later Interest and Self-Efficacy for STEM Careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocumpaugh, Jaclyn; San Pedro, Maria Ofelia; Lai, Huei-yi; Baker, Ryan S.; Borgen, Fred

2016-12-01

Research suggests that trajectories toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emerge early and are influenced by multiple factors. This paper presents a longitudinal study, which uses data from 76 high school students to explore how a student's vocational self-efficacy and interest are related to his or her middle school behavioral and affective engagement. Measures of vocational self-efficacy and interest are drawn from STEM-related scales in CAPAExplore, while measures of middle school performance and engagement in mathematics are drawn from several previously validated automated indicators extracted from logs of student interaction with ASSISTments, an online learning platform. Results indicate that vocational self-efficacy correlates negatively with confusion, but positively with engaged concentration and carelessness. Interest, which also correlates negatively with confusion, correlates positively with correctness and carelessness. Other disengaged behaviors, such as gaming the system, were not correlated with vocational self-efficacy or interest, despite previous studies indicating that they are associated with future college attendance. We discuss implications for these findings, which have the potential to assist educators or counselors in developing strategies to sustain students' interest in STEM-related careers.

Reducing Stigma and Punitive Attitudes Toward Pedophiles Through Narrative Humanization.

PubMed

Harper, Craig A; Bartels, Ross M; Hogue, Todd E

2016-12-01

Stigmatization and societal punitiveness about pedophilia have a range of potential consequences, such as the social isolation of people with sexual interest in children, and the formation of policies that are not consistent with empirical research findings. Previous research has shown that people with pedophilic sexual interests use societal thinking to self-stigmatize, which in turn may actually serve to increase their risk of committing a sexual offense. In this study, we compared two attitudinal interventions (first-person narrative vs. expert opinion) using a student sample ( N = 100). It was hypothesized that both interventions would lead to reductions in stigmatization and punitive attitudes about pedophiles on an explicit (self-report) level but that only the narrative intervention would lead to reductions of these constructs at the implicit level. Our findings supported both hypotheses. We further discuss the role of narrative humanization in this area and offer suggestions for further research based upon the theoretical and methodological implications of the findings.

Selecting A Landing Site Of Astrobiological Interest For Mars Landers And Sample Return Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wills, Danielle; Monaghan, E.; Foing, B.

2008-09-01

The landscape of Mars, despite its apparent hostility to life, is riddled with geological and mineralogical signs of past or present hydrological activity. As such, it is a key target for astrobiological exploration. The aim of this work is to combine data and studies to select top priority landing locations for in-situ landers and sample return missions to Mars. We report in particular on science and technical criteria and our data analysis for sites of astrobiological interest. This includes information from previous missions (such as Mars Express, MGS, Odyssey, MRO and MER rovers) on mineralogical composition, geomorphology, evidence from past water history from imaging and spectroscopic data, and existence of in-situ prior information from landers and rovers (concerning evidence for volatiles, organics and habitability conditions). We discuss key mission objectives, and consider the accessibility of chosen locations. We describe what additional measurements are needed, and outline the technical and scientific operations requirements of in-situ landers and sample return missions to Mars.

Chromosomal abnormalities, meiotic behavior and fertility in domestic animals.

PubMed

Villagómez, D A F; Pinton, A

2008-01-01

Since the advent of the surface microspreading technique for synaptonemal complex analysis, increasing interest in describing the synapsis patterns of chromosome abnormalities associated with fertility of domestic animals has been noticed during the past three decades. In spite of the number of scientific reports describing the occurrence of structural chromosome abnormalities, their meiotic behavior and gametic products, little is known in domestic animal species about the functional effects of such chromosome aberrations in the germ cell line of carriers. However, some interesting facts gained from recent and previous studies on the meiotic behavior of chromosome abnormalities of domestic animals permit us to discuss, in the frame of recent knowledge emerging from mouse and human investigations, the possible mechanism implicated in the well known association between meiotic disruption and chromosome pairing failure. New cytogenetic techniques, based on molecular and immunofluorescent analyses, are allowing a better description of meiotic processes, including gamete production. The present communication reviews the knowledge of the meiotic consequences of chromosome abnormalities in domestic animals. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Returns from banded birds: Some longevity records of wild birds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooke, May Thacher

1942-01-01

Records indicating the possible life-span of birds in the wild are accumulating in the return file for banded birds. In Bird-Banding, vol. viii, 1937, p. 52-65, a number of these were published. The expressed interest in this phase of bird life, together with the increased amount of material, seem to justify further publication on this subject. These papers by no means exhaust the subject; probably as many more equally interesting records could be found.As in the previous article, a bird must have been at least five years old at its latest report to be included in the list. In the case of Common Terns, the minimum has had to be made ten years, and few ducks less than ten years old have been included. No special effort has been made to 'dig out' the complete records of birds that have returned several times to the banding station, but when the record has been supplied on the return card by the operator it has been used.

Fornix deep brain stimulation enhances acetylcholine levels in the hippocampus.

PubMed

Hescham, Sarah; Jahanshahi, Ali; Schweimer, Judith V; Mitchell, Stephen N; Carter, Guy; Blokland, Arjan; Sharp, Trevor; Temel, Yasin

2016-11-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the fornix has gained interest as a potential therapy for advanced treatment-resistant dementia, yet the mechanism of action remains widely unknown. Previously, we have reported beneficial memory effects of fornix DBS in a scopolamine-induced rat model of dementia, which is dependent on various brain structures including hippocampus. To elucidate mechanisms of action of fornix DBS with regard to memory restoration, we performed c-Fos immunohistochemistry in the hippocampus. We found that fornix DBS induced a selective activation of cells in the CA1 and CA3 subfields of the dorsal hippocampus. In addition, hippocampal neurotransmitter levels were measured using microdialysis before, during and after 60 min of fornix DBS in a next experiment. We observed a substantial increase in the levels of extracellular hippocampal acetylcholine, which peaked 20 min after stimulus onset. Interestingly, hippocampal glutamate levels did not change compared to baseline. Therefore, our findings provide first experimental evidence that fornix DBS activates the hippocampus and induces the release of acetylcholine in this region.

Approach and Avoidance Tendencies Toward Picture Stimuli of (Pre-)Pubescent Children and Adults: An Investigation in Pedophilic and Nonpedophilic Samples.

PubMed

Weidacker, K; Kärgel, C; Massau, C; Weiß, S; Kneer, J; Krueger, T H C; Schiffer, B

2017-03-01

The presence of pedophilic sexual interests is considered of high importance for predicting recidivism among individuals who have committed sexual offenses. However, objective and valid assessment methods that are robust against confounding issues such as cognitive capacity and manipulation are sparse. We applied the Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) for detecting sexual interests in 38 pedophilic men (18 primarily attracted to boys) and 27 male nonpedophilic (11 gay) participants. The AAT relies on automatic approach and avoidance tendencies, independent of cognitive abilities such as memory capacity and intelligence. Approach-avoidance tendencies toward stimuli depicting seminude prepubescent boys and girls as well as men and women are reported. The results were consistent with previous research on the utility of the AAT: Except for pedophiles attracted to girls, the mean AAT scores (approach minus avoidance reaction time for each stimulus category) were positive only for stimuli of the preferred category. A multivariate binary logistic regression approach revealed 80% overall accuracy in differentiating pedophilic from nonpedophilic participants.

A resettable and reprogrammable DNA-based security system to identify multiple users with hierarchy.

PubMed

Li, Hailong; Hong, Wei; Dong, Shaojun; Liu, Yaqing; Wang, Erkang

2014-03-25

Molecular-level security devices have raised ever-increasing interest in recent years to protect data and information from illegal invasion. Prior molecular keypad locks have an output signal dependent upon not only the appropriate combination but also the exact sequence of inputs, but it cannot be reset or reprogrammed. Here, a DNA-based security system with reset and never-reported reprogram function is successfully developed in proof-of-principle, with which one can change the password in case that the system is cracked. The previous password becomes invalid in the reprogrammed security system. Interestingly, more than one password is designed to permit multiple users to access. By harnessing the intrinsic merit of the different passwords, the system can distinguish different user who is endowed with prior authority. The intelligent device is addressed on solid support and facilitates electronic processes, avoiding chemical accumulation in the system by simple removal of the electrode from the input solution and indicating a main avenue for its further development.

Public Interest Law: Five Years Later.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaffe, Sanford

This report provides an account of public-interest law firm activities supported by the Ford Foundation. Public interest law is a phrase that describes efforts aimed at providing legal representation for underrepresented interests in the legal process. The report is arranged into four major sections. The first section, on the evolution of the…

20 CFR 345.122 - Interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...' CONTRIBUTIONS AND CONTRIBUTION REPORTS Reporting and Collecting Contributions § 345.122 Interest. (a) Rate. If... this part, interest accrues at the rate of 1 percent per month, or fraction of a month. Interest on... filing, late payment or underpayment, such as: the serious illness or death of an individual with the...

20 CFR 345.122 - Interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...' CONTRIBUTIONS AND CONTRIBUTION REPORTS Reporting and Collecting Contributions § 345.122 Interest. (a) Rate. If... this part, interest accrues at the rate of 1 percent per month, or fraction of a month. Interest on... filing, late payment or underpayment, such as: the serious illness or death of an individual with the...

20 CFR 345.122 - Interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...' CONTRIBUTIONS AND CONTRIBUTION REPORTS Reporting and Collecting Contributions § 345.122 Interest. (a) Rate. If... this part, interest accrues at the rate of 1 percent per month, or fraction of a month. Interest on... filing, late payment or underpayment, such as: the serious illness or death of an individual with the...

Funding source and conflict of interest disclosures by authors and editors in gastroenterology specialty journals revisited.

PubMed

Qureshi, J; Sud, A; Vakil, N

2012-03-01

A survey of journals published in the field of Gastroenterology conducted 5 years ago showed marked variability in reporting of conflicts of interest or funding sources in these journals. To re-examine reporting of conflicts of interest and funding sources for original articles and editorials in Gastroenterology and Hepatology journals. We evaluated all original articles and editorials in 15 leading journals (determined by impact factor-Thomson Reuter Science Citation Index) devoted to Gastroenterology and Hepatology for disclosures of conflicts and for editor's self disclosures. We examined each journal's editorial policy by contacting the journal directly if the information was not revealed on the Web site or print versions of the journal. Of the 1574 articles evaluated, a total of 1207 (77%) reported the presence or absence of a potential conflict of interest and 1047 (67%) reported the presence or absence of funding sources. A total of 3 of the 15 (20%) journals (American Journal of Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology, and Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics reported the presence or absence of funding sources in all their published original articles. Only 5 of 15 (33%) journals (Gut, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Neurogastroenterology & Motility and Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics) publicly disclosed the conflicts of interest of the editors. (i) Funding sources and conflicts of interest are still reported variably in the GI literature. (ii) Editorials and review articles are influential, but have poor reporting of conflicts of interest. (iii) Editors of many journals still do not report their conflicts of interest. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Reading Rate and Comprehension for Text Presented on Tablet and Paper: Evidence from Arabic.

PubMed

Hermena, Ehab W; Sheen, Mercedes; AlJassmi, Maryam; AlFalasi, Khulood; AlMatroushi, Maha; Jordan, Timothy R

2017-01-01

The effectiveness of tablet computers to supplement or replace paper-based text in everyday life has yet to be fully revealed. Previous investigations comparing reading performance using tablets and paper have, however, reported inconsistent results. Furthermore, the interpretability of some previous findings is limited by lack of experimental control over variables like text display conditions. In the current study, we investigated reading performance for text presented on tablet and paper. Crucially, the levels of luminance and contrast were matched precisely across tablet and paper. The study used Arabic text which differs substantially from the languages used previously to investigate effects of tablet and paper on reading, thus offering a distinctive test of the influence of these two media on reading performance. The results suggest that when text display conditions are well-matched, there is no reliable difference in reading performance between the two media. Also, neither the order of medium (reading from tablet or paper first), nor familiarity with using a tablet significantly influence reading performance. These results call into question previous suggestions that reading from tablets is linked to poorer reading performance, and demonstrate the benefits of controlling text display conditions. These findings are of interest to reading scientists and educators.

Reading Rate and Comprehension for Text Presented on Tablet and Paper: Evidence from Arabic

PubMed Central

Hermena, Ehab W.; Sheen, Mercedes; AlJassmi, Maryam; AlFalasi, Khulood; AlMatroushi, Maha; Jordan, Timothy R.

2017-01-01

The effectiveness of tablet computers to supplement or replace paper-based text in everyday life has yet to be fully revealed. Previous investigations comparing reading performance using tablets and paper have, however, reported inconsistent results. Furthermore, the interpretability of some previous findings is limited by lack of experimental control over variables like text display conditions. In the current study, we investigated reading performance for text presented on tablet and paper. Crucially, the levels of luminance and contrast were matched precisely across tablet and paper. The study used Arabic text which differs substantially from the languages used previously to investigate effects of tablet and paper on reading, thus offering a distinctive test of the influence of these two media on reading performance. The results suggest that when text display conditions are well-matched, there is no reliable difference in reading performance between the two media. Also, neither the order of medium (reading from tablet or paper first), nor familiarity with using a tablet significantly influence reading performance. These results call into question previous suggestions that reading from tablets is linked to poorer reading performance, and demonstrate the benefits of controlling text display conditions. These findings are of interest to reading scientists and educators. PMID:28270791

A historical reconstruction of ships' fuel consumption and emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endresen, Øyvind; Sørgârd, Eirik; Behrens, Hanna Lee; Brett, Per Olaf; Isaksen, Ivar S. A.

2007-06-01

Shipping activity has increased considerably over the last century and currently represents a significant contribution to the global emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Despite this, information about the historical development of fuel consumption and emissions is generally limited, with little data published pre-1950 and large deviations reported for estimates covering the last 3 decades. To better understand the historical development in ship emissions and the uncertainties associated with the estimates, we present fuel-based CO2 and SO2 emission inventories from 1925 up to 2002 and activity-based estimates from 1970 up to 2000. The global CO2 emissions from ships in 1925 have been estimated to 229 Tg (CO2), growing to about 634 Tg (CO2) in 2002. The corresponding SO2 emissions are about 2.5 Tg (SO2) and 8.5 Tg (SO2), respectively. Our activity-based estimates of fuel consumption from 1970 to 2000, covering all oceangoing civil ships above or equal to 100 gross tonnage (GT), are lower compared to previous activity-based studies. We have applied a more detailed model approach, which includes variation in the demand for sea transport, as well as operational and technological changes of the past. This study concludes that the main reason for the large deviations found in reported inventories is the applied number of days at sea. Moreover, our modeling indicates that the ship size and the degree of utilization of the fleet, combined with the shift to diesel engines, have been the major factors determining yearly fuel consumption. Interestingly, the model results from around 1973 suggest that the fleet growth is not necessarily followed by increased fuel consumption, as technical and operational characteristics have changed. Results from this study indicate that reported sales over the last 3 decades seems not to be significantly underreported as previous simplified activity-based studies have suggested. The results confirm our previously reported modeling estimates for year 2000. Previous activity-based studies have not considered ships less than 100 GT (e.g., today some 1.3 million fishing vessels), and we suggest that this fleet could account for an important part of the total fuel consumption (˜10%).

Balancing commercial and public interests

PubMed Central

Furberg, Curt D; Hall, Mark A; Sevick, Mary Ann

2004-01-01

A large number of randomized clinical trials with important health outcomes are completed each year. Those with favorable findings are typically reported and published rapidly, while the publication of those with unfavorable results is often delayed or given a positive "spin." This observation applies primarily to industry-sponsored trials. Our objectives are to discuss the responsibility of pharmaceutical firms to the public with respect to timely, complete, and unbiased information from all randomized clinical trials and to propose solutions for improvements. We believe that in addition to financial obligations to their shareholders, pharmaceutical companies have social responsibilities to the public and to health care providers. However, private markets do not reward or compel optimal disclosure of drug safety or inferiority information on a voluntary basis. A problem which has not previously been identified relates to non-comparability of drugs. A case report from the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT) illustrates how public interests may be violated due to failure to inform about drug inferiority. The current system for dissemination of relevant medical information could be improved if all involved parties collaborated fully. However, full disclosure of trial results is unlikely when research results are unfavorable to the firm. We conclude that expanded government regulations will be required for a satisfactory solution to the problem. PMID:15239846

Comments on gravitoelectromagnetism of Ummarino and Gallerati in "Superconductor in a weak static gravitational field" vs other versions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behera, Harihar

2017-12-01

Recently reported [Eur. Phys. J. C., 77, 549 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-017-5116-y] gravitoelectromagnetic equations of Ummarino and Gallerati (UG) in their linearized version of general relativity (GR) are shown to match with (a) our previously reported special relativistic Maxwellian Gravity equations in the non-relativistic limit and with (b) the non-relativistic equations derived here, when the speed of gravity c_g (an undetermined parameter of the theory here) is set equal to c (the speed of light in vacuum). Seen in the light of our new results, the UG equations satisfy the Correspondence Principle (cp), while many other versions of linearized GR equations that are being (or may be) used to interpret the experimental data defy the cp. Such new findings assume significance and relevance in the contexts of recent detection of gravitational waves and the gravitomagnetic field of the spinning earth and their interpretations. Being well-founded and self-consistent, the equations may be of interest and useful to researchers exploring the phenomenology of gravitomagnetism, gravitational waves and the novel interplay of gravity with different states of matter in flat space-time like UG's interesting work on superconductors in weak gravitational fields.

Screening mail for powders using terahertz technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemp, Mike

2011-11-01

Following the 2001 Anthrax letter attacks in the USA, there has been a continuing interest in techniques that can detect or identify so-called 'white powder' concealed in envelopes. Electromagnetic waves (wavelengths 100-500 μm) in the terahertz frequency range penetrate paper and have short enough wavelengths to provide good resolution images; some materials also have spectroscopic signatures in the terahertz region. We report on an experimental study into the use of terahertz imaging and spectroscopy for mail screening. Spectroscopic signatures of target powders were measured and, using a specially designed test rig, a number of imaging methods based on reflection, transmission and scattering were investigated. It was found that, contrary to some previous reports, bacterial spores do not appear to have any strong spectroscopic signatures which would enable them to be identified. Imaging techniques based on reflection imaging and scattering are ineffective in this application, due to the similarities in optical properties between powders of interest and paper. However, transmission imaging using time-of-flight of terahertz pulses was found to be a very simple and sensitive method of detecting small quantities (25 mg) of powder, even in quite thick envelopes. An initial feasibility study indicates that this method could be used as the basis of a practical mail screening system.

Combined electronic and thermodynamic approaches for enhancing the thermoelectric properties of Ti-doped PbTe.

PubMed

Komisarchik, G; Gelbstein, Y; Fuks, D

2016-11-30

Lead telluride based compounds are of great interest due to their enhanced thermoelectric transport properties. Nevertheless, the donor type impurities in this class of materials are currently mainly limited and alternative types of donor impurities are still required for optimizing the thermoelectric performance. In the current research titanium as a donor impurity in PbTe is examined. Although titanium is known to form resonant levels above the conduction band in PbTe, it does not enhance the thermo-power beyond the classical predictions. Recent experiments showed that alloying with a small amount of Ti (∼0.1 at%) gives a significant increase in the figure of merit. In the current research ab initio calculations were applied in order to correlate the reported experimental results with a thermoelectric optimization model. It was found that a Ti concentration of ∼1.4 at% in the Pb sublattice is expected to maximize the thermoelectric power factor. Using a statistical thermodynamic approach and in agreement with the previously reported appearance of a secondary intermetallic phase, the actual Ti solubility limit in PbTe is found to be ∼0.3 at%. Based on the proposed model, the mechanism for the formation of the previously observed secondary phase is attributed to phase separation reactions, characterized by a positive enthalpy of formation in the system. With extrapolation of the obtained ab initio results, it is demonstrated that lower Ti-doping concentrations than previously experimentally reported ones are expected to provide power factor values close to the maximal one, making doping with Ti a promising opportunity for the generation of highly efficient n-type PbTe-based thermoelectric materials.

On the orientation of pre-islamic temples of north Africa: a re-appraisal (new data in Africa proconsularis)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belmonte, J. A.; Gaspar, A. T.; Betancort, A. P.; Marrero, R.

Since the late 1990s, our research group has embarked on a systematic archaeoastronomical study of archaeological sites in the Maghreb. Earlier campaigns were devoted to Tunisia, Morocco and Libya (see e.g. Belmonte et. Al.1998, 1999 and 2002). In this short report we will present part of the data obtained in a field campaign carried out in winter 2002, analyzing the results yielded on early 50 ancient sacred structures (temples, churches, earlier mosques and mausoleums) of an extended area in Northern Tunisia (ancient Africa Proconsularis). These data were not discussed in previous reports on similar structures (e.g. Esteban at.al.2001) , although in a previous paper (Belmonte et.al.2003) we reported our results on the contemporary measured megalithic monuments. This paper will present the data of more than 30 temples and mausoleums of Roman era, 10 pre-Islamic Christian churches and a few earlier mosques. These new data will be discussed together with those obtained in previous campaigns in an attempt to shed some light on the possibility of astronomical alignments within this extended set of monuments (more than a hundred). Our results show that some astronomical patterns could be interpreted as solar ones. Interestingly, this solar tendency was continued by Christian churches until the arrival of Islam. This is a common feature to the other regions of early Christianity (see e.g. Romano 1992). Other curious patterns, including the planning of important cities could presumably be associated to the brightest stars of the sky, Sirius and Canopus. Finally, we will analyse how this astronomical tendencies managed to survive within the first Islamic orienting traditions.

77 FR 37886 - Notice of Public Meetings for the Barry M. Goldwater Range, Arizona

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-25

... remediation of the lands during the previous five years. Two public meetings are scheduled to familiarize the... cultural resources and environmental remediation of the lands during the previous five years. Interested...

Radioisotope studies of the farmville meteorite using γγ-coincidence spectrometry.

PubMed

Howard, Chris; Ferm, Megan; Cesaratto, John; Daigle, Stephen; Iliadis, Christian

2014-12-01

Radionuclides are cosmogenically produced in meteorites before they fall to the surface of the Earth. Measurement of the radioactive decay of such nuclides provides a wealth of information on the irradiation conditions of the meteorite fragment, the intensity of cosmic rays in the inner solar system, and the magnetic activity of the Sun. We report here on the detection of (26)Al using a sophisticated spectrometer consisting of a HPGe detector and a NaI(Tl) annulus. It is shown that modern γ-ray spectrometers represent an interesting alternative to other detection techniques. Data are obtained for a fragment of the Farmville meteorite and compared to results from Geant4 simulations. In particular, we report on optimizing the detection sensitivity by using suitable coincidence gates for deposited energy and event multiplicity. We measured an (26)Al activity of 48.5±3.5dpm/kg for the Farmville meteorite, in agreement with previously reported values for other H chondrites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applications of Augmented Reality in Informal Science Learning Sites: a Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goff, Eric E.; Mulvey, Kelly Lynn; Irvin, Matthew J.; Hartstone-Rose, Adam

2018-05-01

The importance of increasing interest in the STEM disciplines has been noted in a number of recent national reports. While many previous studies have focused on such efforts inside of the formal classroom, comparatively few have looked closely at informal learning environments. We investigate the innovative use of technology in informal learning by reviewing research on the incorporation of augmented reality (AR) at exhibit-based informal science education (ISE) settings in the literature. We report on the common STEM-focused topics that are covered by current AR applications for ISE learning, as well as the different devices used to support these applications. Additionally, we report on the prevalence of positive learning outcomes and engagement factors commonly associated with the use AR applications in informal environments. This review aims to foster continued development and implementation of AR technology in exhibit-based ISE settings by informing the community of recent findings and promoting additional rigorous research for the future.

Novel mutation of Endothelin-B receptor gene in Waardenburg-Hirschsprung disease.

PubMed

Sangkhathat, Surasak; Chiengkriwate, Piyawan; Kusafuka, Takeshi; Patrapinyokul, Sakda; Fukuzawa, Masahiro

2005-12-01

Homozygous mutations of EDNRB in human have been reported to result in Waardenburg-Hirschsprung disease (WS4), while mutated heterozygotes manifested isolated Hirschsprung disease in lower penetrance. We investigated a case of WS4 together with all members of her nuclear family for the alteration of the EDNRB gene by using PCR-SSCP and direct sequencing technique. The index patient, who was born to a family with no history of Hirschsprung disease, presented total colonic aganglionosis with small bowel extension, sensorineural hearing loss and generalized cutaneous pigmentary defects. Interestingly, both irides were normally black. The study detected a homozygous missense mutation at codon 196 in exon 2 (Ser196Asn), which has not been reported. Both parents and four in six siblings harbored heterozygous mutation without any clinical manifestation. Our findings were consistent with previous observations that full spectrum of WS4 occurred to the mutate homozygotes. Moreover, the non-penetrance of heterozygotes in our pedigree, which differs from other reports, demonstrates the high pleiotropic effect of EDNRB mutations in human.

Proteomic analysis of synaptoneurosomes highlights the relevant role of local translation in the hippocampus.

PubMed

Benito, Itziar; Casañas, Juan José; Montesinos, María Luz

2018-06-19

Several proteomic analyses have been performed on synaptic fractions isolated from cortex or even total brain, resulting in preparations with a high synaptic heterogeneity and complexity. Synaptoneurosomes (SNs) are subcellular membranous elements that contain sealed pre- and post-synaptic components. They are obtained by subcellular fractionation of brain homogenates and serve as a suitable model to study many aspects of the synapse physiology. Here we report the proteomic content of SNs isolated from hippocampus of adult mice, a brain region involved in memory that presents lower synaptic heterogeneity than cortex. Interestingly, in addition to pre- and post-synaptic proteins, we found that proteins involved in RNA binding and translation were overrepresented in our preparation. These results validate the protocol we previously reported for SNs isolation, and, as reported by other authors, highlight the relevance of local synaptic translation for hippocampal physiology. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

First palaeoparasitological record of a dioctophymatid egg in an archaeological sample from Patagonia.

PubMed

Fugassa, Martín H; Gonzalez Olivera, Elvira A; Petrigh, Romina S

2013-10-01

The collection of parasitological information from ancient material requires an exhaustive study of samples. In 2005, cestode and nematode eggs were found in a coprolite sample tentatively assigned to a canid. The sample was obtained from the layer of the archaeological site located in Cerro Casa de Piedra, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, and dated from 6540±110 years before present. The aim of the present work was to reexamine this fixed sample in order to confirm the presence of these parasites. The palaeoparasitological results support our previous findings. Interestingly, another parasite was also confirmed: a dioctophymatid nematode. Dioctophyma renale has been reported in several modern carnivores in the Southern Hemisphere but in ancient materials, it has only been reported in human coprolites from Switzerland. This report constitutes the first evidence of the presence of a dioctophymatid nematode parasite dioctophymatid nematode in American pre-Columbian times. The results obtained in this work show the importance of revising earlier palaeoparasitological results. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlates of self-harm and suicide attempts in justice-involved young people.

PubMed

Shepherd, Stephane; Spivak, Benjamin; Borschmann, Rohan; Kinner, Stuart A; Hachtel, Henning

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the prevalence and correlates of self-harm among young people in detention in Australia. The sample included 215 (177 male; 38 female) young people who were in youth detention in the state of Victoria, Australia. Participants were administered a series of questionnaires related to self-harm, mental health, socio-environmental experiences and behaviours. Overall, one-third (33%) of the sample reported previous self-harm and 12% reported at least one suicide attempt. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, a history of childhood trauma, contact with mental health services, and low educational interest significantly increased the likelihood of self-harm. Young people who reported a suicide attempt scored significantly higher on the measure of childhood trauma than did youth who had engaged in non-suicidal self-harm. Findings demonstrate a strong connection between childhood traumatic experiences and suicidal behaviours for youth in detention. Trauma histories and mental health concerns must be considered when identifying youth at increased risk of self-harm.

Correlates of self-harm and suicide attempts in justice-involved young people

PubMed Central

Spivak, Benjamin; Borschmann, Rohan; Kinner, Stuart A.; Hachtel, Henning

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the prevalence and correlates of self-harm among young people in detention in Australia. The sample included 215 (177 male; 38 female) young people who were in youth detention in the state of Victoria, Australia. Participants were administered a series of questionnaires related to self-harm, mental health, socio-environmental experiences and behaviours. Overall, one-third (33%) of the sample reported previous self-harm and 12% reported at least one suicide attempt. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, a history of childhood trauma, contact with mental health services, and low educational interest significantly increased the likelihood of self-harm. Young people who reported a suicide attempt scored significantly higher on the measure of childhood trauma than did youth who had engaged in non-suicidal self-harm. Findings demonstrate a strong connection between childhood traumatic experiences and suicidal behaviours for youth in detention. Trauma histories and mental health concerns must be considered when identifying youth at increased risk of self-harm. PMID:29447289

Cross-domain generality of achievement motivation across sport and the classroom: the case of Spanish adolescents.

PubMed

Castillo, Isabel; Duda, Joan L; Balaguer, Isabel; Tomás, Inés

2009-01-01

Drawing from contemporary social cognitive theories of achievement motivation, the relationship of personal theories of achievement (ego and task theory) with perceived ability and reported satisfaction with school and sport was examined. The cross-domain generality of these relationships in these contexts, in the case of a representative sample of adolescents between 11 and 15 years of age (N = 967, M age = 13.5, SD = 1.80; 492 girls and 475 boys) from the Valencian Community (Spain) also was examined. According to previous research in the United States (Duda & Nicholls, 1992), the findings of this study indicate a cross-domain consistency with regard to how adolescents tend to define success and their views of how achievement activities operate across sport and the classroom. However, little cross-domain generality was found for perceptions of ability and reported satisfaction. In the sport and classroom domains, a task theory was related to greater satisfaction, while an ego theory was related to greater reported boredom and low interest in the activity.

Nevada Test Site Wetlands Assessment

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

D. J. Hansen

1997-05-01

This report identifies 16 Nevada Test Site (NTS) natural water sources that may be classified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as jurisdictional wetlands and identifies eight water sources that may be classified as waters of the United States. These water sources are rare, localized habitats on the NTS that are important to regional wildlife and to isolated populations of water tolerant plants and aquatic organisms. No field investigations on the NTS have been conducted in the past to identify those natural water sources which would be protected as rare habitats and which may fall under regulatory authoritymore » of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1997. This report identifies and summarizes previous studies of NTS natural water sources, and identifies the current DOE management practices related to the protection of NTS wetlands. This report also presents management goals specific for NTS wetlands that incorporate the intent of existing wetlands legislation, the principles of ecosystem management, and the interests of regional land managers and other stakeholders.« less

Motivations and sexual attitudes, experiences, and behavior of sexuality professionals.

PubMed

Luria, Mijal; Byers, E Sandra; Voyer, Susan D; Mock, Moshe

2013-01-01

This study examined the motivations for entering the field and sexual attitudes, experiences, and behavior of an international group of sexuality professionals. Participants were 252 individuals attending the XVII World Congress of Sexology who completed a questionnaire in English, Spanish or French. Most participants' reported professional rather than personal motivations for entering the field in addition to interest. On average, participants reported little sexual communication with their parents as children. About one-third had experienced unwanted sexual activity as a child. Participants were mostly accepting of a range of sexual activities, although they were less accepting of some behaviors than of others. Twelve of the participants who had engaged in sexual activity with a casual or anonymous partner in the previous 2 years had not used a condom consistently. Participants reported high sexual satisfaction and good sexual communication with their partner. Nevertheless, 45% of the women and 35% of the men reported regularly experiencing one or more sexual problems. Few participants reported that their profession affected their sexual functioning negatively; in contrast most reported that it had positive effects on their sexual functioning. These results suggest that there are few differences between sexuality professionals and the general public.

Developing a state water plan: Ground-water conditions in Utah, spring of 1964

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arnow, Ted; Butler, R.G.; Mower, R.W.; Gates, Joseph S.; Cordova, R.M.; Carpenter, C.H.; Bjorklund, L.J.; Feltis, R.D.; Robinson, G.B. Jr.; Sandberg, G.W.

1964-01-01

This report is the first in a series of annual reports which will describe ground-water conditions in Utah. It was prepared cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Utah Water and Power Board and was designed to provide the data for interested parties, such as legislators, administrators, and planners to keep abreast of changing ground-water conditions in the state. Because this report is the first of the series, it necessarily includes certain background and descriptive information which gives a broad general picture of ground-water conditions. Subsequent reports will discuss only changes that have taken place during the previous year.Many of the data used in the preparation of the report were collected by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah State Engineer during past and continuing programs. The well-location map and some statistical information about numbers of wells in the State were prepared by digital computer from the Utah Resources Information System, University of Utah, utilizing records which were compiled largely from the files of the Utah State Engineer. R.E. Marsell, geological consultant to the Utah Water and Power Board, first suggested that this report be prepared.

Deterministic protein inference for shotgun proteomics data provides new insights into Arabidopsis pollen development and function

PubMed Central

Grobei, Monica A.; Qeli, Ermir; Brunner, Erich; Rehrauer, Hubert; Zhang, Runxuan; Roschitzki, Bernd; Basler, Konrad; Ahrens, Christian H.; Grossniklaus, Ueli

2009-01-01

Pollen, the male gametophyte of flowering plants, represents an ideal biological system to study developmental processes, such as cell polarity, tip growth, and morphogenesis. Upon hydration, the metabolically quiescent pollen rapidly switches to an active state, exhibiting extremely fast growth. This rapid switch requires relevant proteins to be stored in the mature pollen, where they have to retain functionality in a desiccated environment. Using a shotgun proteomics approach, we unambiguously identified ∼3500 proteins in Arabidopsis pollen, including 537 proteins that were not identified in genetic or transcriptomic studies. To generate this comprehensive reference data set, which extends the previously reported pollen proteome by a factor of 13, we developed a novel deterministic peptide classification scheme for protein inference. This generally applicable approach considers the gene model–protein sequence–protein accession relationships. It allowed us to classify and eliminate ambiguities inherently associated with any shotgun proteomics data set, to report a conservative list of protein identifications, and to seamlessly integrate data from previous transcriptomics studies. Manual validation of proteins unambiguously identified by a single, information-rich peptide enabled us to significantly reduce the false discovery rate, while keeping valuable identifications of shorter and lower abundant proteins. Bioinformatic analyses revealed a higher stability of pollen proteins compared to those of other tissues and implied a protein family of previously unknown function in vesicle trafficking. Interestingly, the pollen proteome is most similar to that of seeds, indicating physiological similarities between these developmentally distinct tissues. PMID:19546170

Does a "Norm of Self-Interest" Discourage Prosocial Behavior? Rationality and Quid Pro Quo in Charitable Giving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Brent; Irwin, Kyle; Lawrence, Peter

2006-01-01

Previous studies by Holmes, Miller, and Lerner (2002) support the norm of self-interest and exchange fiction hypotheses. Together these arguments state that people want to act on compassionate feelings (e.g., by donating to charities) but are reluctant to do so if they cannot justify their behavior as being in line with their own self-interest.…

Repeated Judgements of Interest in Vocational Education: A Lens Model Analysis. Occasional Paper Number 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasou, James A.

The topic of repeated judgments of interest in vocational education was examined in a study in which 10 female full-time technical and further education (TAFE) students (aged 15-60 years) were handed 120 randomly selected real profiles of TAFE students who had completed subject interest surveys in a previous study. The 10 TAFE students judged how…

Decline in Interest in Biology among Elementary School Pupils during a Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randler, Christoph; Osti, Janina; Hummel, Eberhard

2012-01-01

A decline in biology interest has often been claimed but seldom with an empirically substantiation. This study was based on a sample of 3rd and 4th grade pupils within the same geographical area as Lowe's (1987, 1992) previous results from southwest Germany from the year 1983. We used a four-point Likert-type questionnaire to assess interest with…

Student treatment on clerkships based on their specialty interests.

PubMed

Woolley, Douglas C; Paolo, Anthony M; Bonaminio, Giulia A; Moser, Scott E

2006-01-01

Student clerkship experiences may suffer if teachers are not sympathetic to students' clinical interests. In this study, we quantified these experiences, compared reports of primary care and focused specialty students, and identified clerkships and teachers that posed special problems. Students starting their 4th year at 6 schools completed a survey. The response rate was 75%. Students reported that these experiences, which were provoked by their clinical interests, were common: hearing deprecating comments about their interests, being denied learning opportunities, receiving lower evaluations, being discouraged from pursing their interests, and needing to be evasive for self-protection. Primary care students reported less mistreatment than focused specialty students. Students identified some clerkships and types of teachers as special problem sources. Students reported mistreatment triggered by clinical interests at twice the national rates for mistreatment triggered by race or sex. Such mistreatment is common and challenges medical schools to ensure that students are treated well regardless of their career aspirations.

Political ideology and health in Japan: a disaggregated analysis.

PubMed

Subramanian, S V; Hamano, Tsuyoshi; Perkins, Jessica M; Koyabu, Akio; Fujisawa, Yoshikazu

2010-09-01

Recent studies from the USA and Europe suggest an association between an individual's political ideology and their health status, with those claiming to be conservatives reporting better health. The presence of this association is examined in Japan. Individual-level data from the 2000-3, 2005 and 2006 Japan General Social Survey were analysed. The outcomes of interest were self-rated poor health and smoking status. The independent variable of interest was reported political beliefs on a 5-point 'left'-to-'right' scale. Covariates included age, sex, education, income, occupational status and fixed effects for survey periods. Logistic regression models were estimated. There was an inverse association between political ideology (left to right) and self-rated poor health as well as between ideology and smoking status even after adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status and fixed effects for survey periods. Compared with those who identified as 'left', the OR for reporting poor health and smoking among those who identified as 'right' was 0.86 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.99) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.91), respectively. Health differences by political ideology have typically been interpreted as reflecting socioeconomic differences. The results from Japan corroborate the previous findings from the USA and Europe that socioeconomic differences do not account for health differences by political ideologies. Political ideology is likely to be a marker of several latent values and attitudes (eg, religiosity, individual responsibility and/or community participation) that might be beneficial for health at the individual level.

Morin-like spin canting in the magnetic CaFe{sub 5}O{sub 7} ferrite: A combined neutron and Mössbauer study

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

Delacotte, C.; Bréard, Y.; Caignaert, V.

2017-03-15

Magnetic structure of CaFe{sub 5}O{sub 7} ferrite has been studied jointly from neutron powder diffraction data and spectroscopic Mössbauer measurements in the thermal range from 5 to 500 K. This coupled work highlights three distinct magnetic domains around two specific temperatures: T{sub M}=125 K and T{sub N}=360 K. The latter corroborates the structural monoclinic-orthorhombic transition previously reported by transmission electron microscopy techniques and X-ray thermodiffractometry. Complementary heat capacity measurements have confirmed this first order transition with a sharp peak at 360 K. Interestingly, this large study has revealed a second magnetic transition associated to a spin rotation at 125 Kmore » similar to this one reported by Morin in α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} hematite at T{sub M}=260 K. - Graphical abstract: Magnetic structure of CaFe{sub 5}O{sub 7} ferrite has been studied jointly from neutron powder diffraction data and spectroscopic Mössbauer measurements in the thermal range from 5 to 500 K. This coupled work highlights three distinct magnetic domains around two specific temperatures: T{sub M}=125 K and T{sub N}=360 K. Interestingly, this large study has revealed a magnetic transition associated to a spin rotation at 125 K similar to this one reported by Morin in α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} hematite at T{sub M}=260 K.« less

Eye Care Professionals' Perspectives on Eye Donation and an Eye Donation Registry for Research: A Single-Institution, Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Williams, Andrew M; Allingham, R Rand; Stamer, W Daniel; Muir, Kelly W

2016-06-01

A centralized eye donation registry for research could help to bridge the gap between patients interested in donating their eyes to science and scientists who conduct research on human eye tissue. Previous research has demonstrated patient and family support for such a registry. In this study, we assessed the views that eye care professionals have toward an eye donation registry for research. Surveys were distributed to all 46 clinical faculty members of the Duke University Eye Center. In addition to collecting demographic information, the surveys assessed clinicians' experience with discussing eye donation with patients, described the proposed eye donation registry for research and asked how the registry would affect the clinicians' practice. A total of 21 eye care professionals returned the survey. Thirty-three percent reported discussing eye donation with patients, and 43% reported that a patient has asked about donating their eyes for research on their disease. Eighty-six percent of eye care professionals reported that a centralized registry would improve the way they work with patients who express a desire to donate their eyes for research. The majority of eye care professionals at our academic institution indicated that an eye donation registry for research would improve how they work with patients who are interested in donating their eyes for research on their disease. Future research should examine how best to communicate this registry to ophthalmic patients.

Correlation of Chemical and Physical Test Data for the Environmental Ageing of Tefzel (ETFE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, G. J.; Campion, R. P.

1996-01-01

In a similar approach to that used for the previously issued correlation report for Coflon (CAPP/M.10), this report aims to identify any correlations between mechanical property changes and chemical/morphological changes for Tefzel, using information supplied in other MERL and TRI project reports (plus latest data which will be included in final reports for Phase 1). Differences identified with Coflon behaviour will be of scientific interest as well as appropriate to project applications, as Tefzel and Coflon are chemical isomers. Owing to the considerable chemical resistance of Tefzel, much of its testing so far has been based on mechanical properties. Where changes have occurred, chemical analysis can now be targeted more effectively. Relevant test data collated here include: tensile modulus and related properties, permeation coefficients, % crystallinity, and other observations where significant. Fluids based on methanol and amine (Fluid G), a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide gases plus an aqueous amine solution (Fluid F), and an aromatic oil mix of heptane, cyclohexane, toluene and I-propanol (Fluid 1) have affected Tefzel to varying degrees, and are discussed in some detail herein.

Role of Microglia Disturbances and Immune-Related Marker Abnormalities in Cortical Circuitry Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Volk, David W.

2017-01-01

Studies of genetics, serum cytokines, and autoimmune illnesses suggest that immune-related abnormalities are involved in the disease process of schizophrenia. Furthermore, direct evidence of cortical immune activation, including markedly elevated levels of many immune-related markers, have been reported in the prefrontal cortex in multiple cohorts of schizophrenia subjects. Within the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, deficits in the basilar dendritic spines of layer 3 pyramidal neurons and disturbances in inhibitory inputs to pyramidal neurons have also been commonly reported. Interestingly, microglia, the resident immune-related cells of the brain, also regulate excitatory and inhibitory input to pyramidal neurons. Consequently, in this review, we describe the cytological and molecular evidence of immune activation that has been reported in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia and the potential links between these immune-related disturbances with previously reported disturbances in pyramidal and inhibitory neurons in the disorder. Finally, we discuss the role that activated microglia may play in connecting these observations and as potential therapeutic treatment targets in schizophrenia. PMID:28007586

The reporting of functional outcome instruments in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma over a 5-year period.

PubMed

Horwitz, Daniel S; Richard, Raveesh D; Suk, Michael

2014-01-01

Orthopaedic journals, such as the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, frequently publish studies reporting functional outcome instruments, but little information has been provided regarding the validity and overall strength of these instruments. This study analyzes the trends in reported functional outcome instruments in articles published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma over a 5-year period and examines the utilization rate, "overall" strength, and validity of these functional outcome instruments for the populations being studied. Articles that were published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma from January 2006 to December 2010 were reviewed, and each article was assigned to 1 of 4 different categories, based on the subspecialty focus and body region. The total number of articles reporting the use of functional outcome instruments, articles with at least 1 functional outcome instrument found in the AO Handbook, and the total number of functional outcome instruments reported were recorded. Each functional outcome instrument was assigned to 1 of 3 categories (generic, nonvalidated, validated), and each validated instrument was also examined to determine whether the category of interest for which it was used was one in which it was previously validated in. A total of 171 articles (34%) of the articles initially reviewed met the inclusion criteria. The average number of articles per year that reported functional outcome instruments was 56% (range, 47%-65%), and the average number of articles that reported at least 1 validated outcome instrument was 51% (range, 44%-61%). The average percentage of validated scores that were appropriately used within the category of interest was 23% (range, 13%-41%). Even though the 56% utilization rate of functional outcome instruments in The Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma is much higher than other journals, it is still low given the importance of measuring and attaining excellent functional outcomes. It is clear that future effort should be given to validating outcome measures for correct evaluation of orthopaedic trauma patients.

Hubble space telescope observations and geometric models of compact multipolar planetary nebulae

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

Hsia, Chih-Hao; Chau, Wayne; Zhang, Yong

2014-05-20

We report high angular resolution Hubble Space Telescope observations of 10 compact planetary nebulae (PNs). Many interesting internal structures, including multipolar lobes, arcs, two-dimensional rings, tori, and halos, are revealed for the first time. These results suggest that multipolar structures are common among PNs, and these structures develop early in their evolution. From three-dimensional geometric models, we have determined the intrinsic dimensions of the lobes. Assuming the lobes are the result of interactions between later-developed fast winds and previously ejected asymptotic giant branch winds, the geometric structures of these PNs suggest that there are multiple phases of fast winds separatedmore » by temporal variations and/or directional changes. A scenario of evolution from lobe-dominated to cavity-dominated stages is presented. The results reported here will provide serious constraints on any dynamical models of PNs.« less

Lithium Sulfur Primary Battery with Super High Energy Density: Based on the Cauliflower-like Structured C/S Cathode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yiwen; Zhang, Hongzhang; Wu, Baoshan; Wang, Meiri; Li, Xianfeng; Zhang, Huamin

2015-10-01

The lithium-sulfur primary batteries, as seldom reported in the previous literatures, were developed in this work. In order to maximize its practical energy density, a novel cauliflower-like hierarchical porous C/S cathode was designed, for facilitating the lithium-ions transport and sulfur accommodation. This kind of cathode could release about 1300 mAh g-1 (S) capacity at sulfur loading of 6 ~ 14 mg cm-2, and showed excellent shelf stability during a month test at room temperature. As a result, the assembled Li-S soft package battery achieved an energy density of 504 Wh kg-1 (654 Wh L-1), which was the highest value ever reported to the best of our knowledge. This work might arouse the interests on developing primary Li-S batteries, with great potential for practical application.

First biological measurements of deep-sea corals from the Red Sea

PubMed Central

Roder, C.; Berumen, M. L.; Bouwmeester, J.; Papathanassiou, E.; Al-Suwailem, A.; Voolstra, C. R.

2013-01-01

It is usually assumed that metabolic constraints restrict deep-sea corals to cold-water habitats, with ‘deep-sea’ and ‘cold-water’ corals often used as synonymous. Here we report on the first measurements of biological characters of deep-sea corals from the central Red Sea, where they occur at temperatures exceeding 20°C in highly oligotrophic and oxygen-limited waters. Low respiration rates, low calcification rates, and minimized tissue cover indicate that a reduced metabolism is one of the key adaptations to prevailing environmental conditions. We investigated four sites and encountered six species of which at least two appear to be undescribed. One species is previously reported from the Red Sea but occurs in deep cold waters outside the Red Sea raising interesting questions about presumed environmental constraints for other deep-sea corals. Our findings suggest that the present understanding of deep-sea coral persistence and resilience needs to be revisited. PMID:24091830

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION High mobility and low operating voltage ZnGaO and ZnGaLiO transistors with spin-coated Al2O3 as gate dielectric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, D. X.; Xu, J. B.

2010-11-01

Spin-coated alumina serving as a gate dielectric in thin film transistors shows interesting dielectric properties for low-voltage applications, despite a moderate capacitance. With Ga singly doped and Ga, Li co-doped ZnO as the active channel layers, typical mobilities of 4.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2.1 cm2 V-1 s-1 are achieved, respectively. At a given gate bias, the operation current is much smaller than the previously reported values in low-voltage thin film transistors, primarily relying on the giant-capacitive dielectric. The reported devices combine advantages of high mobility, low power consumption, low cost and ease of fabrication. In addition to the transparent nature of both the dielectric and semiconducting active channels, the superior electrical properties of the devices may provide a new avenue for future transparent electronics.

Population-based study of food insecurity and HIV transmission risk behaviors and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections among linked couples in Nepal

PubMed Central

Tsai, Alexander C.; Weiser, Sheri D.

2014-01-01

Food insecurity has recently emerged as an important risk factor for HIV acquisition among women worldwide. No previous studies have used linked data that would permit investigation of the extent to which food insecurity may have differential associations with HIV transmission risk behaviors or symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men and women in the same households. We used nationally representative data on linked couples from the Nepal 2011 Demographic and Health Survey. The primary explanatory variable of interest was food insecurity, measured with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. In multivariable logistic regression models, women in food insecure householdswere less likely to report recent condom use and more likely to report symptoms consistent with STIs. These patterns were absent among men. Interventions targeting food insecurity may have beneficial implications for both HIV prevention and gender equity in Nepal. PMID:24833522

Giant right coronary artery aneurysm in an adult male patient with non-ST myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Halapas, Antonios; Lausberg, Henning; Gehrig, Thomas; Friedrich, Ivar; Hauptmann, Karl E

2013-01-01

The combination of a giant coronary aneurysm with multiple coronary aneurysms in adults is an extremely rare entity--especially in atherosclerotic patients, since it is most commonly associated with Kawasaki disease in children. We report an interesting case of a 59-year-old male patient with multiple atherosclerotic aneurysms of the left coronary system and a giant aneurysm of the right coronary artery. The patient was admitted to our hospital because of a non-ST myocardial infarction. Diagnosis was established by echocardiography, computed tomography angiogram, and coronary angiography. In view of the clinical symptoms and the extent of the giant right coronary aneurysm, with the associated risk of rupture, the patient was successfully treated with urgent surgical intervention. We also present a review of the current literature on this anomaly and a statistical analysis of all atherosclerotic giant coronary artery aneurysms previously reported.

Electronic and total energy properties of ternary and quaternary semiconductor compounds, alloys and superlattices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambrecht, Walter R. L.

1992-01-01

This proposal was mainly concerned with the theoretical study of semiconductor compounds, alloys, and superlattices of interest for photovoltaic applications. In the last year (1991) a study was devoted to metal/graphite bonding in relation to use of graphite fiber reinforcement of Cu for high thermal conductivity applications. The main research topics addressed during the full period of the grant are briefly described: studies of the In-Ga-As ternary system; band-offsets at common anion and InAs/GaSb/AlSb heterojunctions; alloy theory (cluster variation method); and Cu/graphite bonding. Most of the work was described more extensively in previous yearly reports and renewal applications and in publications. The last topic is described more fully in a separate report attached. A list of publications resulting directly from this grant or from other grants but related to this work and of conference presentations is given at the end.

Lithium Sulfur Primary Battery with Super High Energy Density: Based on the Cauliflower-like Structured C/S Cathode.

PubMed

Ma, Yiwen; Zhang, Hongzhang; Wu, Baoshan; Wang, Meiri; Li, Xianfeng; Zhang, Huamin

2015-10-12

The lithium-sulfur primary batteries, as seldom reported in the previous literatures, were developed in this work. In order to maximize its practical energy density, a novel cauliflower-like hierarchical porous C/S cathode was designed, for facilitating the lithium-ions transport and sulfur accommodation. This kind of cathode could release about 1300 mAh g(-1) (S) capacity at sulfur loading of 6 ~ 14 mg cm(-2), and showed excellent shelf stability during a month test at room temperature. As a result, the assembled Li-S soft package battery achieved an energy density of 504 Wh kg(-1) (654 Wh L(-1)), which was the highest value ever reported to the best of our knowledge. This work might arouse the interests on developing primary Li-S batteries, with great potential for practical application.

Lithium Sulfur Primary Battery with Super High Energy Density: Based on the Cauliflower-like Structured C/S Cathode

PubMed Central

Ma, Yiwen; Zhang, Hongzhang; Wu, Baoshan; Wang, Meiri; Li, Xianfeng; Zhang, Huamin

2015-01-01

The lithium-sulfur primary batteries, as seldom reported in the previous literatures, were developed in this work. In order to maximize its practical energy density, a novel cauliflower-like hierarchical porous C/S cathode was designed, for facilitating the lithium-ions transport and sulfur accommodation. This kind of cathode could release about 1300 mAh g−1 (S) capacity at sulfur loading of 6 ~ 14 mg cm−2, and showed excellent shelf stability during a month test at room temperature. As a result, the assembled Li-S soft package battery achieved an energy density of 504 Wh kg−1 (654 Wh L−1), which was the highest value ever reported to the best of our knowledge. This work might arouse the interests on developing primary Li-S batteries, with great potential for practical application. PMID:26456914

First biological measurements of deep-sea corals from the Red Sea.

PubMed

Roder, C; Berumen, M L; Bouwmeester, J; Papathanassiou, E; Al-Suwailem, A; Voolstra, C R

2013-10-03

It is usually assumed that metabolic constraints restrict deep-sea corals to cold-water habitats, with 'deep-sea' and 'cold-water' corals often used as synonymous. Here we report on the first measurements of biological characters of deep-sea corals from the central Red Sea, where they occur at temperatures exceeding 20°C in highly oligotrophic and oxygen-limited waters. Low respiration rates, low calcification rates, and minimized tissue cover indicate that a reduced metabolism is one of the key adaptations to prevailing environmental conditions. We investigated four sites and encountered six species of which at least two appear to be undescribed. One species is previously reported from the Red Sea but occurs in deep cold waters outside the Red Sea raising interesting questions about presumed environmental constraints for other deep-sea corals. Our findings suggest that the present understanding of deep-sea coral persistence and resilience needs to be revisited.

LC-MSn study of the chemical transformations of hydroxycinnamates during yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) tea brewing.

PubMed

Matei, Marius Febi; Jaiswal, Rakesh; Patras, Maria A; Kuhnert, Nikolai

2016-12-01

Yerba maté is one of the most popular beverages in South American countries and its consumption is associated with a wide array of health effects. In this study, we used advanced HPLC-ESI-MS n and HPLC-ESI-HRMS methods for the identification and characterization of hydroxycinnamates and their derivatives formed during the brewing process of yerba maté. We report on the hydroxylation of the hydroxycinnamates cinnamoyl substituent by conjugate addition of water to form 3-hydroxy-dihydrocinnamic acid derivatives using a series of model compounds, including caffeoylglucoses, dicaffeoylquinic acids, methyl caffeoylquinate and mono caffeoylquinic acids. The regiochemistry of conjugate addition was determined by targeted tandem MS experiments performed on authentic standards. It was interesting to note that hydroxylation of hydroxycinnamates produced cis and acyl-migration isomers, which is in line with previously reported data. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Autism Spectrum Disorder in Anorexia Nervosa: An Updated Literature Review.

PubMed

Westwood, Heather; Tchanturia, Kate

2017-07-01

There is growing interest in the relationship between anorexia nervosa (AN) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This review aimed to synthesise the most recent research on this topic to identify gaps in current knowledge, directions for future research and reflect on implications for treatment. Eight studies assessing the presence of ASD in AN were identified in the literature along with three studies examining the impact of symptoms of ASD on treatment outcome. Research with young people and using parental-report measures suggest lower rates of co-morbidity than previous adult studies. The wide range of diagnostic tools, methodologies and populations studied make it difficult to determine the prevalence of ASD in AN. Despite this, studies consistently report over-representation of symptoms of ASD in AN. Co-morbid AN and ASD may require more intensive treatment or specifically tailored interventions. Future longitudinal research and female-specific diagnostic tools would help elucidate the relationship between these two disorders.

Electronic and total energy properties of ternary and quaternary semiconductor compounds, alloys and superlattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambrecht, Walter R. L.

1992-08-01

This proposal was mainly concerned with the theoretical study of semiconductor compounds, alloys, and superlattices of interest for photovoltaic applications. In the last year (1991) a study was devoted to metal/graphite bonding in relation to use of graphite fiber reinforcement of Cu for high thermal conductivity applications. The main research topics addressed during the full period of the grant are briefly described: studies of the In-Ga-As ternary system; band-offsets at common anion and InAs/GaSb/AlSb heterojunctions; alloy theory (cluster variation method); and Cu/graphite bonding. Most of the work was described more extensively in previous yearly reports and renewal applications and in publications. The last topic is described more fully in a separate report attached. A list of publications resulting directly from this grant or from other grants but related to this work and of conference presentations is given at the end.

Reconnaissance of the chemical quality of water in western Utah, Part I: Sink Valley area, drainage basins of Skull, Rush, and Government Creek Valleys, and the Dugway Valley-Old River Bed area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddell, K.M.

1967-01-01

This report presents data collected during the first part of an investigation that was started in 1963 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey. The investigation has the purpose of providing information about the chemical quality of water in western Utah that will help interested parties to evaluate the suitability of the water for various uses in a broad area of Utah where little information of this type previously has been available. The area studied includes the Sink Valley area, the drainage basins of Skull, Rush, and Government Creek Valleys, and the Dugway Valley-Old River Bed area (fig. 1). Osamu Hattori and G. L. Hewitt started the investigation, and the author completed it and prepared the report.

Survey of Microbial Enzymes in Soil, Water, and Plant Microenvironments

PubMed Central

Alves, Priscila Divina Diniz; Siqueira, Flávia de Faria; Facchin, Susanne; Horta, Carolina Campolina Rebello; Victória, Júnia Maria Netto; Kalapothakis, Evanguedes

2014-01-01

Detection of microbial enzymes in natural environments is important to understand biochemical activities and to verify the biotechnological potential of the microorganisms. In the present report, 346 isolates from soil, water, and plants were screened for enzyme production (caseinase, gelatinase, amylase, carboxymethyl cellulase, and esterase). Our results showed that 89.6% of isolates produced at least one tested enzyme. A predominance of amylase in soil samples, carboxymethyl cellulase in plants, as well as esterase and gelatinase in water was observed. Interesting enzymatic profiles were found in some microenvironments, suggesting specificity of available nutrients and/or natural selection. This study revealed the potential of microorganisms present in water, soil, and plant to produce important enzymes for biotechnological exploration. A predominance of certain enzymes was found, depending on the type of environmental sample. The distribution of microbial enzymes in soil, water and plants has been little exploited in previous reports. PMID:24847390

Roadway lighting and safety : phase II--monitoring quality, durability and efficiency.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-01

This Phase II project follows a previous project titled Strategies to Address Nighttime Crashes at Rural, Unsignalized Intersections. Based on the results of the previous study, the Iowa Highway Research Board (IHRB) indicated interest in pursuing fu...

First- and second-order Raman scattering from MoTe2 single crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caramazza, Simone; Collina, Arianna; Stellino, Elena; Ripanti, Francesca; Dore, Paolo; Postorino, Paolo

2018-02-01

We report on Raman experiments performed on a MoTe2 single crystal. The system belongs to the wide family of transition metal dichalcogenides which includes several of the most interesting two-dimensional materials for both basic and applied physics. Measurements were performed in the standard basal plane configuration, by placing the ab plane of the crystal perpendicular to the wave vector k i of the incident beam to explore the in-plane vibrational modes, and in the edge plane configuration with k i perpendicular to the crystal c axis, thus mainly exciting out-of-plane modes. For both configurations we performed a polarization-dependent study of the first-order Raman components and detailed computation of the corresponding selection rules. We were thus able to provide a complete assignment of the observed first-order Raman peaks, in agreement with previous literature results. A thorough analysis of the second-order Raman bands, as observed in both basal and edge plane configurations, provides new information and allows a precise assignment of these spectral structures. In particular, we have observed and assigned Raman active modes of the M point of the Brillouin zone previously predicted by ab initio calculations but never previously measured.

Intrusion-based reasoning and depression: cross-sectional and prospective relationships.

PubMed

Berle, David; Moulds, Michelle L

2014-01-01

Intrusion-based reasoning refers to the tendency to form interpretations about oneself or a situation based on the occurrence of a negative intrusive autobiographical memory. Intrusion-based reasoning characterises post-traumatic stress disorder, but has not yet been investigated in depression. We report two studies that aimed to investigate this. In Study 1 both high (n = 42) and low (n = 28) dysphoric participants demonstrated intrusion-based reasoning. High-dysphoric individuals engaged in self-referent intrusion-based reasoning to a greater extent than did low-dysphoric participants. In Study 2 there were no significant differences in intrusion-based reasoning between currently depressed (n = 27) and non-depressed (n = 51) participants, and intrusion-based reasoning did not predict depressive symptoms at 6-month follow-up. Interestingly, previously (n = 26) but not currently (n = 27) depressed participants engaged in intrusion-based reasoning to a greater extent than never-depressed participants (n = 25), indicating the possibility that intrusion-based reasoning may serve as a "scar" from previous episodes. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Design of a serotonin 4 receptor radiotracer with decreased lipophilicity for single photon emission computed tomography.

PubMed

Fresneau, Nathalie; Dumas, Noé; Tournier, Benjamin B; Fossey, Christine; Ballandonne, Céline; Lesnard, Aurélien; Millet, Philippe; Charnay, Yves; Cailly, Thomas; Bouillon, Jean-Philippe; Fabis, Frédéric

2015-04-13

With the aim to develop a suitable radiotracer for the brain imaging of the serotonin 4 receptor subtype (5-HT4R) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), we synthesized and evaluated a library of di- and triazaphenanthridines with lipophilicity values which were in the range expected to favour brain penetration, and which demonstrated specific binding to the target of interest. Adding additional nitrogen atoms to previously described phenanthridine ligands exhibiting a high unspecific binding, we were able to design a radioiodinated compound [(125)I]14. This compound exhibited a binding affinity value of 0.094 nM toward human 5-HT4R and a high selectivity over other serotonin receptor subtypes (5-HTR). In vivo SPECT imaging studies and competition experiments demonstrated that the decreased lipophilicity (in comparison with our previously reported compounds 4 and 5) allowed a more specific labelling of the 5-HT4R brain-containing regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The near-infrared counterpart of a variable galactic plane radio source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Margon, Bruce; Phillips, Andrew C.; Ciardullo, Robin; Jacoby, George H.

1992-01-01

A near-infrared counterpart to the highly variable, unresolved galactic plane radio source GT 0116 + 622 is identified. This source is of particular interest, as it has been previously suggested to be the counterpart of the gamma-ray source Cas gamma-l. The present NIR and red images detect a faint, spatially extended (3 arcsec FWHM), very red object coincident with the radio position. There is complex spatial structure which may be due in part to an unrelated superposed foreground object. Observations on multiple nights show no evidence for flux variability, despite the high amplitude variability on a time-scale of days reported for the radio source. The data are consistent with an interpretation of GT 0116 + 622 as an unusually variable, obscured active galaxy at a distance of several hundred megaparsecs, although more exotic, and in particular galactic, interpretations cannot yet be ruled out. If the object is extragalactic, the previously suggested identification with the gamma-ray source would seem unlikely.

Host records for Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) from birds of North America (Canada, United States, and Mexico).

PubMed

Knee, Wayne; Proctor, Heather

2007-07-01

The northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1877) (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) is a broadly distributed blood-feeding parasite that has been collected from many birds of temperate regions. Previously, the most complete host list was published in 1938, and it included 15 North American (Canada, United States, and Mexico) host species. In the process of a general survey of bird-associated mites in Alberta, Canada, we recovered many O. sylviarum specimens. Herein, we update the previous host list with these observations and records published since 1938. We collected mites by washing the bodies of salvaged birds and examining the filtrate. Northern fowl mites were collected from 26 host species, with 16 of these species being the first host records for North America. Including results from the current study, O. sylviarum has been reported from 72 species of North American birds from 26 families. This updated host list will be useful to anyone interested in the role of O. sylviarum in transmission of avian disease.

Using Huygens Multipole Arrays to Realize Unidirectional Needle-Like Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziolkowski, Richard W.

2017-07-01

For nearly a century, the concept of needle radiation has captured the attention of the electromagnetics communities in both physics and engineering, with various types of contributions reoccurring every decade. With the near-term needs for highly directive, electrically small radiators and scatterers for a variety of communications and sensor applications, superdirectivity has again become a topic of interest. While it is well known that superdirective solutions exist and suffer ill-posedness issues in principle, a detailed needle solution has not been reported previously. We demonstrate explicitly, for the first time, how needle radiation can be obtained theoretically from currents driven on an arbitrary spherical surface, and we explain why such a result can only be attained in practice with electrically large spheres. On the other hand, we also demonstrate, more practically, how broadside radiating Huygens source multipoles can be combined into an end-fire array configuration to achieve needle-like radiation performance without suffering the traditional problems that have previously plagued superdirectivity.

Sigma- versus Pi-Dimerization Modes of Triangulene.

PubMed

Mou, Zhongyu; Kertesz, Miklos

2018-04-20

We show that the diradicaloid triangulene, a graphene nano-flake molecule, can aggregate in a variety of dimerization modes. We found by density functional theory modeling a number of triangulene dimers including six doubly bonded σ-dimers in addition to the previously reported six pancake bonded π-dimer isomers. The σ-dimers display a wide range of stabilities: the interaction energy of the most stable σ-dimer is -25.17 kcal mol -1 . Besides the doubly bonded σ-dimers with closed shell ground states, we also found an open-shell singly σ-bonded diradicaloid dimer. We found an interesting isomerization route between a doubly bonded σ-dimer, a singly bonded σ-dimer with a low-lying triplet state and two π-bonded dimers with low-lying quintet states. Derivatives of triangulene, trioxo-triangulenes (TOTs) have been previously characterized experimentally. Here, we show the reasons why so far only the π-dimer but not the σ-dimer was experimentally observed for all TOTs. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Emissions and accumulation of metals in the atmosphere due to crackers and sparkles during Diwali festival in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulshrestha, U. C.; Nageswara Rao, T.; Azhaguvel, S.; Kulshrestha, M. J.

In India, Diwali is known as one of the most famous festivals. On the occasion of this festival, people burn crackers and sparkles to express their happiness. The burning of these fireworks leads to metal pollution in air. In this study, metal concentrations in ambient air were observed to be very high as compared to background values on previous days. For some metals the concentrations were observed to be higher than reported at industrial sites. The order of concentration of metals on the day of festival was observed to be in the order—K>Al>Ba>Mg>Fe>Sr>Na>Ca>Cu>Mn>As>V>Ni>Bi. Interestingly, the concentrations of Ba, K, Al and Sr went up to 1091, 25, 18 and 15 times higher than the previous day of Diwali. This study indicated that burning of crackers and sparkles on Diwali is a very strong source of air pollution which contributes significantly high amount of metals in air.

Measurement of replication structures at the nanometer scale using super-resolution light microscopy

PubMed Central

Baddeley, D.; Chagin, V. O.; Schermelleh, L.; Martin, S.; Pombo, A.; Carlton, P. M.; Gahl, A.; Domaing, P.; Birk, U.; Leonhardt, H.; Cremer, C.; Cardoso, M. C.

2010-01-01

DNA replication, similar to other cellular processes, occurs within dynamic macromolecular structures. Any comprehensive understanding ultimately requires quantitative data to establish and test models of genome duplication. We used two different super-resolution light microscopy techniques to directly measure and compare the size and numbers of replication foci in mammalian cells. This analysis showed that replication foci vary in size from 210 nm down to 40 nm. Remarkably, spatially modulated illumination (SMI) and 3D-structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) both showed an average size of 125 nm that was conserved throughout S-phase and independent of the labeling method, suggesting a basic unit of genome duplication. Interestingly, the improved optical 3D resolution identified 3- to 5-fold more distinct replication foci than previously reported. These results show that optical nanoscopy techniques enable accurate measurements of cellular structures at a level previously achieved only by electron microscopy and highlight the possibility of high-throughput, multispectral 3D analyses. PMID:19864256

A novel mechatronic system for measuring end-point stiffness: mechanical design and preliminary tests.

PubMed

Masia, L; Sandini, G; Morasso, P G

2011-01-01

Measuring arm stiffness is of great interest for many disciplines from biomechanics to medicine especially because modulation of impedance represents one of the main mechanism underlying control of movement and interaction with external environment. Previous works have proposed different methods to identify multijoint hand stiffness by using planar or even tridimensional haptic devices, but the associated computational burden makes them not easy to implement. We present a novel mechanism conceived for measuring multijoint planar stiffness by a single measurement and in a reduced execution time. A novel mechanical rotary device applies cyclic radial perturbation to human arm of a known displacement and the force is acquired by means of a 6-axes commercial load cell. The outcomes suggest that the system is not only reliable but allows obtaining a bi-dimensional estimation of arm stiffness in reduced amount of time and the results are comparable with those reported in previous researches. © 2011 IEEE

Poorly Differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in Tattooed Skin

PubMed Central

Sarma, Deba P.; Dentlinger, Renee B.; Forystek, Amanda M.; Stevens, Todd; Huerter, Christopher

2010-01-01

Introduction. Tattoos have increasingly become accepted by mainstream Western society. As a result, the incidence of tattoo-associated dermatoses is on the rise. The presence of a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma in an old tattooed skin is of interest as it has not been previously documented. Case Presentation. A 79-year-old white homeless man of European descent presented to the dermatology clinic with a painless raised nodule on his left forearm arising in a tattooed area. A biopsy of the lesion revealed a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma infiltrating into a tattoo. The lesion was completely excised and the patient remains disease-free one year later. Conclusion. All previous reports of squamous cell carcinomas arising in tattoos have been well-differentiated low-grade type or keratoacanthoma-type and are considered to be coincidental rather than related to any carcinogenic effect of the tattoo pigments. Tattoo-associated poorly differentiated invasive carcinoma appears to be extremely rare. PMID:21274289

Boronic acid-modified lipid nanocapsules: a novel platform for the highly efficient inhibition of hepatitis C viral entry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khanal, Manakamana; Barras, Alexandre; Vausselin, Thibaut; Fénéant, Lucie; Boukherroub, Rabah; Siriwardena, Aloysius; Dubuisson, Jean; Szunerits, Sabine

2015-01-01

The search for viral entry inhibitors that selectively target viral envelope glycoproteins has attracted increasing interest in recent years. Amongst the handful of molecules reported to show activity as hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry inhibitors are a variety of glycan-binding proteins including the lectins, cyanovirin-N (CV-N) and griffithsin. We recently demonstrated that boronic acid-modified nanoparticles are able to reduce HCV entry through a similar mechanism to that of lectins. A major obstacle to any further development of these nanostructures as viral entry inhibitors is their only moderate maximal inhibition potential. In the present study, we report that lipid nanocapsules (LNCs), surface-functionalized with amphiphilic boronic acid (BA) through their post-insertion into the semi-rigid shell of the LNCs, are indeed far superior as HCV entry inhibitors when compared with previously reported nanostructures. These 2nd generation particles (BA-LNCs) are shown to prevent HCV infection in the micromolar range (IC50 = 5.4 μM of BA moieties), whereas the corresponding BA monomers show no significant effects even at the highest analyzed concentration (20 μM). The new BA-LNCs are the most promising boronolectin-based HCV entry inhibitors reported to date and are thus observed to show great promise in the development of a pseudolectin-based therapeutic agent.The search for viral entry inhibitors that selectively target viral envelope glycoproteins has attracted increasing interest in recent years. Amongst the handful of molecules reported to show activity as hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry inhibitors are a variety of glycan-binding proteins including the lectins, cyanovirin-N (CV-N) and griffithsin. We recently demonstrated that boronic acid-modified nanoparticles are able to reduce HCV entry through a similar mechanism to that of lectins. A major obstacle to any further development of these nanostructures as viral entry inhibitors is their only moderate maximal inhibition potential. In the present study, we report that lipid nanocapsules (LNCs), surface-functionalized with amphiphilic boronic acid (BA) through their post-insertion into the semi-rigid shell of the LNCs, are indeed far superior as HCV entry inhibitors when compared with previously reported nanostructures. These 2nd generation particles (BA-LNCs) are shown to prevent HCV infection in the micromolar range (IC50 = 5.4 μM of BA moieties), whereas the corresponding BA monomers show no significant effects even at the highest analyzed concentration (20 μM). The new BA-LNCs are the most promising boronolectin-based HCV entry inhibitors reported to date and are thus observed to show great promise in the development of a pseudolectin-based therapeutic agent. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr03875d

Impact of vocational interests, previous academic experience, gender and age on Situational Judgement Test performance.

PubMed

Schripsema, Nienke R; van Trigt, Anke M; Borleffs, Jan C C; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke

2017-05-01

Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) are increasingly implemented in medical school admissions. In this paper, we investigate the effects of vocational interests, previous academic experience, gender and age on SJT performance. The SJT was part of the selection process for the Bachelor's degree programme in Medicine at University of Groningen, the Netherlands. All applicants for the academic year 2015-2016 were included and had to choose between learning communities Global Health (n = 126), Sustainable Care (n = 149), Intramural Care (n = 225), or Molecular Medicine (n = 116). This choice was used as a proxy for vocational interest. In addition, all graduate-entry applicants for academic year 2015-2016 (n = 213) were included to examine the effect of previous academic experience on performance. We used MANCOVA analyses with Bonferroni post hoc multiple comparisons tests for applicant performance on a six-scenario SJT. The MANCOVA analyses showed that for all scenarios, the independent variables were significantly related to performance (Pillai's Trace: 0.02-0.47, p < .01). Vocational interest was related to performance on three scenarios (p < .01). Graduate-entry applicants outperformed all other groups on three scenarios (p < .01) and at least one other group on the other three scenarios (p < .01). Female applicants outperformed male applicants on three scenarios (p < .01) and age was positively related to performance on two scenarios (p < .05). A good fit between applicants' vocational interests and SJT scenario was related to better performance, as was previous academic experience. Gender and age were related to performance on SJT scenarios in different settings. Especially the first effect might be helpful in selecting appropriate candidates for areas of health care in which more professionals are needed.

Guided exploration in virtual environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckhaus, Steffi; Eckel, Gerhard; Strothotte, Thomas

2001-06-01

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

The effect of interval tubal sterilization on sexual interest and pleasure.

PubMed

Costello, Caroline; Hillis, Susan D; Marchbanks, Polly A; Jamieson, Denise J; Peterson, Herbert B

2002-09-01

To determine if interval tubal sterilization leads to a change in female sexual interest or pleasure and to identify predictors of a positive or negative effect. Our study population comprised 4576 women enrolled in a prospective, multicenter cohort study between 1978 and 1983. Potential demographic, clinical, and surgical predictors of sexual outcome were tested for significant variation from the overall pattern of unchanged, increased, and decreased sexual interest and pleasure. Over 80% of the 4576 study women reported no consistent change in either sexual interest (80.0%) or pleasure (81.7%) after interval tubal sterilization. Among women with consistent change, positive effects were reported ten and 15 times more often than negative effects for sexual interest and pleasure, respectively. All subgroups of women, except for those with poststerilization regret, were significantly (P <.05) more likely to experience increased rather than decreased interest or pleasure. Women with poststerilization regret were the subgroup most likely to have a negative effect; in multivariate analyses, poststerilization regret was the only factor to be a predictor for decreased interest (odds ratio 4.0) and decreased pleasure (odds ratio 5.1). Similarly, women reporting regret were significantly less likely to report increased interest or pleasure. Whether the regret or the decreased sexual interest or pleasure occurred first is unclear. Interval tubal ligation is unlikely to result in changed sexual interest or pleasure. Among those with change, the majority experienced positive sexual effects.

The uncertain trajectory of a pilot-wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nachbin, Andre

2015-11-01

Yves Couder (Paris 7) and coworkers reported on walking droplets on the surface of a vibrating bath. John Bush (MIT) and coworkers also produced laboratory experiments which were compared to theoretical predictions. Both groups discussed the pilot-wave properties previously thought to be peculiar to the microscopic, quantum realm. Of particular interest is the wavelike statistics for pilot-wave dynamics in a confined domain. We present a one dimensional water wave model for a droplet bouncing in a confined domain. The mathematical model makes use of conformal mapping which allows for the presence of submerged barriers. The computational simulations produce tunneling events. Work supported by CNPq grant 454027/2008-7 and by FAPERJ Cientistas do Nosso Estado grant 102917/2011.

Oxidation of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol. The structure of C14H22O3

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yohe, G.R.; Dunbar, J.E.; Lansford, M.W.; Pedrotti, R.L.; Scheidt, F.M.; Lee, F.G.H.; Smith, E.C.

1959-01-01

The acidic compound C14H22O3, previously reported without assignment of structure as an oxidation product of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol, is now believed to be DL-trans-5,6-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-1,4-diketo-2-cyclohexene (I). Chemical properties are described and infrared spectra are presented in support of this structure. This structure is of interest in relation to the problem of the existence of o-di-tert-alkylbenzene derivatives. The relatively easy racemization of optically active I suggests that its completely enolized form, 5,6-di-tert-butyl-1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene, is capable of transitory existence.

Rapamycin restores BDNF-LTP and the persistence of long-term memory in a model of Down's syndrome.

PubMed

Andrade-Talavera, Yuniesky; Benito, Itziar; Casañas, Juan José; Rodríguez-Moreno, Antonio; Montesinos, María Luz

2015-10-01

Down's syndrome (DS) is the most prevalent genetic intellectual disability. Memory deficits significantly contribute to the cognitive dysfunction in DS. Previously, we discovered that mTOR-dependent local translation, a pivotal process for some forms of synaptic plasticity, is deregulated in a DS mouse model. Here, we report that these mice exhibit deficits in both synaptic plasticity (i.e., BDNF-long term potentiation) and the persistence of spatial long-term memory. Interestingly, these deficits were fully reversible using rapamycin, a Food and Drug Administration-approved specific mTOR inhibitor; therefore, rapamycin may be a novel pharmacotherapy to improve cognition in DS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The hazards of honey: infantile botulism

PubMed Central

Smith, Jennifer K; Burns, Sarah; Cunningham, Steve; Freeman, Julie; McLellan, Ailsa; McWilliam, Kenneth

2010-01-01

Infantile botulism is a rare cause of neuromuscular weakness resulting from ingestion of Clostridium botulinum—an anaerobic Gram-positive bacillus found universally in soil. The only definite food source known to cause infantile botulism is honey; previously, links to formula milk have been postulated but not definitely sourced. We present an interesting case report of a 2-month-old infant with this rare condition, including the diagnostic difficulties that ensued. A brief overview of the condition follows. This is the first case in the UK in which C botulinum was successfully isolated from both the patient and the suspected source—a jar of honey. The importance of food labelling as a public health message is highlighted. PMID:22778374

Tuberculin skin test, Interferon gamma release assays or just chest X-ray to study latent tuberculosis before solid organ transplantation?

PubMed

Guirao-Arrabal, Emilio; Torre-Cisneros, Julián

2018-05-24

We have read with great interest the article entitled 'Tuberculosis (TB) after liver transplantation in a large center in New York City: QuantiFERON ® -TB Gold-based pre-transplant screening performance and active TB post transplant' by Hand et al. 1 The authors' results are in accordance with our previously published data in lung transplantation, in which we reported that radiologic findings in pretransplant chest computed tomography (CT) compatible with residual TB are an independent risk factor for post-transplant TB. 2 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

An assessment of faculty and dental student decision-making in ethics.

PubMed

Behar-Horenstein, Linda S; Catalanotto, Frank A; Garvan, Cynthia Wilson; Hudson-Vassell, Charisse

2014-01-01

This study reports and compares dental student and dental faculty scores to national norms for the Defining Issues Test 2, a measure of ethical decision-making competency. The findings showed that dental students and faculty tend to make decisions that promote self-interest, paralleling the ethical orientation of business professionals. Differences associated with gender, language, and norms from previous studies were observed. The findings underscore the importance of raising dental faculty and student awareness of their own ethical decision-making approaches. More importantly, the findings highlight the need to ensure that dental faculty have both the knowledge and skills to train dental students about the central role that ethical decision-making must play in patient care.

Occupational impact of internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and anxiety: reanalysis of data from five Australian randomised controlled trials.

PubMed

Mackenzie, Anna; Harvey, Samuel; Mewton, Louise; Andrews, Gavin

2014-10-06

To determine whether internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (iCBT) for depression and anxiety reduces self-reported absenteeism in employed individuals. We reanalysed data from five randomised controlled trials of iCBT: two for depression (conducted from September 2008 to February 2009 and from June 2009 to January 2010), two for generalised anxiety disorder (conducted from March 2009 to June 2009 and from July 2009 to January 2010) and one for social phobia (conducted from May 2008 to July 2008). Participants across Australia were recruited via a website. The inclusion criteria were: (i) meets criteria for the disorder of interest; (ii) aged 18 years or over; (iii) no previous history of a psychotic disorder or drug or alcohol misuse; (iv) not actively suicidal. The iCBT courses each consisted of six online lessons (to be completed within 11 weeks), homework assignments, automatic emails and resource documents. The number of days absent (self-reported absenteeism) in the previous week. We included 284 participants in our analysis. When data for the three disorders were combined, participants who received iCBT had significant reductions in self-reported absenteeism compared with those in the control groups (who were on a waitlist) (P = 0.03). When data for the three disorders were analysed separately, reductions in self-reported absenteeism for participants who received iCBT were not significantly different to those for participants in the control groups. Using data from five RCTs, we showed that iCBT was associated with reductions in self-reported absenteeism. Future research should focus on replicating these findings in other contexts, such as other disorders and other iCBT courses.

Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals 2014: A new format, and hopefully a new era of diminishing animal experimentation?

PubMed

Hudson-Shore, Michelle

2016-03-01

The Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2014 reports a welcome decline in animal experimentation in the UK. However, caution has to be exercised when interpreting these most recent figures, due to the significant changes made to satisfy the requirements of Directive 2010/63/EU as to what information is reported and how it is reported. Comparisons to the figures and trends reported in previous years is difficult, so this paper focuses on the specifics of the current report, providing information on overall animal use and highlighting specific issues associated with genetically-altered animals, fish and primates. There is a detailed discussion of the extent of the changes, commenting on the benefits and disadvantages of the new format, in areas such as severity of procedures, legislation and techniques of special interest. It also considers the consequences of the changes on the effective monitoring of laboratory animal use, the openness and transparency regarding the impacts of animal use, and the implementation of Three Rs initiatives. In addition, suggestions for further improvements to the new format are made to the Home Office. 2016 FRAME.

Randomized controlled trials in pediatric complementary and alternative medicine: Where can they be found?

PubMed Central

Sampson, Margaret; Campbell, Kaitryn; Ajiferuke, Isola; Moher, David

2003-01-01

Background The safety and effectiveness of CAM interventions are of great relevance to pediatric health care providers. The objective of this study is to identify sources of reported randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the field of pediatric complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Methods Reports of RCTs were identified by searching Medline and 12 additional bibliographic databases and by reviewing the reference lists of previously identified pediatric CAM systematic reviews. Results We identified 908 reports of RCTs that included children under 18 and investigated a CAM therapy. Since 1965, there has been a steady growth in the number of these trials that are being published. The four journals that published the most reported RCTs are The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Pediatrics, Journal of Pediatrics, and Lancet. Medline, CAB Health, and Embase were the best database sources for identifying these studies; they indexed 93.2%, 58.4% and 42.2 % respectively of the journals publishing reports of pediatric CAM RCTs. Conclusions Those working or interested in the field of pediatric CAM should routinely search Medline, CAB Health and Embase for literature in the field. The four core journals identified above should be included in their collection. PMID:12589711

Reasons behind the increase in research activities among medical students of Karachi, Pakistan, a low-income country.

PubMed

Baig, Shoukat Ali; Hasan, Syed Askari; Ahmed, Syed Mustajab; Ejaz, Kiran; Aziz, Sina; Dohadhwala, Nava Asad

2013-01-01

Previously, in a low-income country with limited resources like Pakistan, biomedical research was conducted mostly by individuals working in private organizations. Recently, there has been an upsurge in the number of medical students conducting research in both private and public medical colleges of Karachi, Pakistan. We investigated student perceptions of the reasons behind the increase in biomedical research among medical students of private and public medical colleges in Karachi, Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted at four medical universities of Karachi, using structured data collection tool. Participants included medical students who stated that they were interested in medical research. We assessed how many had been involved in research or stated that they intended to be, and tallied students' stated reasons why they were involved in research. Chi-square analyses were used to assess if year of training, institution, and other factors were associated with the likelihood of past or current actual research involvement. Out of the 398 students with research interest who participated in the study, 349 (88%) stated that they intended to do research projects in their undergraduate years. At the time of the study, only 202 (51%) reported that they had actually conducted research. The reasons given for engaging in research for a minority included personal interest (n = 136; 34%), while majority stated that their motivation was to improve their curriculum vitae (75%) and/or to be more competitive for a residency in the United States (43%). The reasons students gave for involvement in research were related to whether their schools were public versus private and to their year of study. According to students' reports, improving one's curriculum vitae to get a strong residency in the USA appeared to be a principal reason for the increase in biomedical research in Karachi. The challenges of research, such as lack of good mentors and increased work-load were reported to affect few students' ability to engage in research.

Connecting plug-in vehicles with green electricity through consumer demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Axsen, Jonn; Kurani, Kenneth S.

2013-03-01

The environmental benefits of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) increase if the vehicles are powered by electricity from ‘green’ sources such as solar, wind or small-scale hydroelectricity. Here, we explore the potential to build a market that pairs consumer purchases of PEVs with purchases of green electricity. We implement a web-based survey with three US samples defined by vehicle purchases: conventional new vehicle buyers (n = 1064), hybrid vehicle buyers (n = 364) and PEV buyers (n = 74). Respondents state their interest in a PEV as their next vehicle, in purchasing green electricity in one of three ways, i.e., monthly subscription, two-year lease or solar panel purchase, and in combining the two products. Although we find that a link between PEVs and green electricity is not presently strong in the consciousness of most consumers, the combination is attractive to some consumers when presented. Across all three respondent segments, pairing a PEV with a green electricity program increased interest in PEVs—with a 23% demand increase among buyers of conventional vehicles. Overall, about one-third of respondents presently value the combination of a PEV with green electricity; the proportion is much higher among previous HEV and PEV buyers. Respondents’ reported motives for interest in both products and their combination include financial savings (particularly among conventional buyers), concerns about air pollution and the environment, and interest in new technology (particularly among PEV buyers). The results provide guidance regarding policy and marketing strategies to advance PEVs and green electricity demand.

Quantitative Description of Medical Student Interest in Neurology and Psychiatry.

PubMed

Ramos, Raddy L; Cuoco, Joshua A; Guercio, Erik; Levitan, Thomas

2016-07-01

Given the well-documented shortage of physicians in primary care and several other specialties, quantitative understanding of residency application and matching data among osteopathic and allopathic medical students has implications for predicting trends in the physician workforce. To estimate medical student interest in neurology and psychiatry based on numbers of applicants and matches to neurology and psychiatry osteopathic and allopathic residency programs. Also, to gauge students' previous academic experience with brain and cognitive sciences. The number of available postgraduate year 1 positions, applicants, and matches from graduating years 2011 through 2015 were collected from the National Matching Services Inc and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine for osteopathic programs and the National Resident Matching Program and the Association of American Medical Colleges for allopathic programs. To determine and compare osteopathic and allopathic medical students' interest in neurology and psychiatry, the number of positions, applicants, and matches were analyzed considering the number of total osteopathic and allopathic graduates in the given year using 2-tailed χ2 analyses with Yates correction. In addition, osteopathic and allopathic medical schools' websites were reviewed to determine whether neurology and psychiatry rotations were required. Osteopathic medical students' reported undergraduate majors were also gathered. Compared with allopathic medical students, osteopathic medical students had significantly greater interest (as measured by applicants) in neurology (χ21=11.85, P<.001) and psychiatry (χ21=39.07, P<.001), and an equal proportion of osteopathic and allopathic medical students matched in neurology and psychiatry residency programs. Approximately 6% of osteopathic vs nearly 85% of allopathic medical schools had required neurology rotations. Nearly 10% of osteopathic applicants and matriculants had undergraduate coursework in brain and cognitive sciences. Osteopathic medical students demonstrated greater interest than allopathic medical students in neurology and psychiatry based on the proportion of residency program applicants but similar interests as measured by matches. Required rotations did not appear to influence students' interests.

Sponges-Cyanobacteria associations: Global diversity overview and new data from the Eastern Mediterranean

PubMed Central

Konstantinou, Despoina; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Voultsiadou, Eleni

2018-01-01

Sponge-cyanobacteria associations have attracted research interest from an ecological, evolutionary and biotechnological perspective. Current knowledge is, in its majority, “hidden” in metagenomics research studying the entire microbial communities of sponges, while knowledge on these associations is totally missing for certain geographic areas. In this study, we (a) investigated the occurrence of cyanobacteria in 18 sponge species, several of which are studied for the first time for their cyanobionts, from a previously unexplored eastern Mediterranean ecoregion, the Aegean Sea, (b) isolated sponge-associated cyanobacteria, and characterized them based on a polyphasic (morphological-morphometric and molecular phylogenetic analysis) approach, and (c) conducted a meta-analysis on the global diversity of sponge species hosting cyanobacteria, as well as the diversity of cyanobacterial symbionts. Our research provided new records for nine sponge species, previously unknown for this association, while the isolated cyanobacteria were found to form novel clades within Synechococcus, Leptolyngbyaceae, Pseudanabaenaceae, and Schizotrichaceae, whose taxonomic status requires further investigation; this is the first report of a Schizotrichaceae cyanobacterium associated with sponges. The extensive evaluation of the literature along with the new data from the Aegean Sea raised the number of sponge species known for hosting cyanobacteria to 320 and showed that the cyanobacterial diversity reported from sponges is yet underestimated. PMID:29596453

High-pressure structural parameters and equation of state of osmium to 207 GPa

DOE PAGES

Perreault, Christopher S.; Velisavljevic, Nenad; Vohra, Yogesh K.; ...

2017-09-08

We studied the most incompressible transition metal osmium (Os) under high pressure. There is significant interest in Os because of the structural anomalies attributed to topological transitions in the Fermi surface for valence electrons in the hexagonal close-packed phase. We report on measurements of structural parameters and equation of state on Os metal to a pressure of 207 GPa at ambient temperature using platinum as a pressure standard. We also obtained angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction data at a synchrotron source with closely spaced pressure intervals to observe any discontinuities or anomalies in the axial c/a ratio at high pressures. Rietveld refinementsmore » of X-ray diffraction data show a slowly varying axial ratio (c/a) with a broad minimum at 75 GPa. Our data do not provide any evidence of anomalous behavior in the c/a ratio in Os at 25 or 150 GPa as have been reported in previous studies. These experimental results are in agreement with theoretical calculations that do not predict any anomalous behavior in c/a ratio in Os under extreme conditions. We present an equation of state for Os to 207 GPa (V/V 0 = 0.761) at ambient temperature and compare our results with the previously published data.« less

An fMRI investigation of responses to peer rejection in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Masten, Carrie L; Colich, Natalie L; Rudie, Jeffrey D; Bookheimer, Susan Y; Eisenberger, Naomi I; Dapretto, Mirella

2011-07-01

Peer rejection is particularly pervasive among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, how adolescents with ASD differ from typically developing adolescents in their responses to peer rejection is poorly understood. The goal of the current investigation was to examine neural responses to peer exclusion among adolescents with ASD compared to typically developing adolescents. Nineteen adolescents with ASD and 17 typically developing controls underwent fMRI as they were ostensibly excluded by peers during an online game called Cyberball. Afterwards, participants reported their distress about the exclusion. Compared to typically developing adolescents, those with ASD displayed less activity in regions previously linked with the distressing aspect of peer exclusion, including the subgenual anterior cingulate and anterior insula, as well as less activity in regions previously linked with the regulation of distress responses during peer exclusion, including the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum. Interestingly, however, both groups self-reported equivalent levels of distress. This suggests that adolescents with ASD may engage in differential processing of social experiences at the neural level, but be equally aware of, and concerned about, peer rejection. Overall, these findings contribute new insights about how this population may differentially experience negative social events in their daily lives.

High-pressure structural parameters and equation of state of osmium to 207 GPa

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

Perreault, Christopher S.; Velisavljevic, Nenad; Vohra, Yogesh K.

We studied the most incompressible transition metal osmium (Os) under high pressure. There is significant interest in Os because of the structural anomalies attributed to topological transitions in the Fermi surface for valence electrons in the hexagonal close-packed phase. We report on measurements of structural parameters and equation of state on Os metal to a pressure of 207 GPa at ambient temperature using platinum as a pressure standard. We also obtained angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction data at a synchrotron source with closely spaced pressure intervals to observe any discontinuities or anomalies in the axial c/a ratio at high pressures. Rietveld refinementsmore » of X-ray diffraction data show a slowly varying axial ratio (c/a) with a broad minimum at 75 GPa. Our data do not provide any evidence of anomalous behavior in the c/a ratio in Os at 25 or 150 GPa as have been reported in previous studies. These experimental results are in agreement with theoretical calculations that do not predict any anomalous behavior in c/a ratio in Os under extreme conditions. We present an equation of state for Os to 207 GPa (V/V 0 = 0.761) at ambient temperature and compare our results with the previously published data.« less

An fMRI investigation of responses to peer rejection in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders

PubMed Central

Masten, Carrie L.; Colich, Natalie L.; Rudie, Jeffrey D.; Bookheimer, Susan Y.; Eisenberger, Naomi I.; Dapretto, Mirella

2011-01-01

Peer rejection is particularly pervasive among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, how adolescents with ASD differ from typically developing adolescents in their responses to peer rejection is poorly understood. The goal of the current investigation was to examine neural responses to peer exclusion among adolescents with ASD compared to typically developing adolescents. Nineteen adolescents with ASD and 17 typically developing controls underwent fMRI as they were ostensibly excluded by peers during an online game called Cyberball. Afterwards, participants reported their distress about the exclusion. Compared to typically developing adolescents, those with ASD displayed less activity in regions previously linked with the distressing aspect of peer exclusion, including the subgenual anterior cingulate and anterior insula, as well as less activity in regions previously linked with the regulation of distress responses during peer exclusion, including the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum. Interestingly, however, both groups self-reported equivalent levels of distress. This suggests that adolescents with ASD may engage in differential processing of social experiences at the neural level, but be equally aware of, and concerned about, peer rejection. Overall, these findings contribute new insights about how this population may differentially experience negative social events in their daily lives. PMID:22318914

Psychotic-like experiences in esoterism: A twilight zone?

PubMed

Hinterbuchinger, Barbara; Litvan, Zsuzsa; Meyer, Elias Laurin; Friedrich, Fabian; Kaltenboeck, Alexander; Gruber, Maria; König, Daniel; Sueßenbacher, Stefanie; Mossaheb, Nilufar

2018-03-01

Over the past decades, research has suggested the existence of a psychosis continuum ranging from psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in the general population to psychotic symptoms in patients with affective and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Especially individuals interested in esoterism were more often reported having experienced PLEs. However, there is little information on the extent of PLEs in this subculture. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of PLEs in a non-clinical population with interest in esoterism by means of an anonymized clinically used screening questionnaire. The 16-item version of the Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ-16), a self-report screening questionnaire assessing the presence of PLEs was administered to individuals with interest in esoterism (IE) and a control group without interest in esoterism (NI). The sample included 402 individuals. 224 subjects (55.7%) reported interest in esoterism and 178 subjects (44.3%) showed no such interest. In an ANCOVA, interest in esoterism was shown to have a significant impact on the PQ-16 score (<0.001). Also, age (p=0.022) and the interaction between age and interest in esoterism had a significant impact on the PQ-16 score (p=0.004). Specifically, younger individuals interested in esoterism showed increased PQ-16 scores, whereas scores decreased with increasing age. In individuals without interest in esoterism, age had no relevant impact on the score. Younger individuals interested in esoterism seem to be more prone to reporting psychotic-like experiences compared to individuals without interest in esoterism and compared to their older counterparts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Use and Evaluation of Interest Inventories and Simulations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, John L.

This paper provides a general perspective for evaluating interest inventories and simulations and outlines some activities to stimulate the development of more useful inventories. Previous evaluations have been primarily instrument-specific; have relied generally on opinion rather than evidence; and have focused only on possible sex, age, race, or…

26 CFR 25.2701-4 - Accumulated qualified payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... compound interest from the due date of the payment at a rate not less than the appropriate discount rate is... retained interest conferring a distribution right that was previously valued as a qualified payment right (a “qualified payment interest”), the taxable estate or taxable gifts of the individual holding the...

78 FR 33076 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-03

... Career and Technical Education Grant Application (NHCTEP) (1894-0001) AGENCY: Office of Vocational and... previously approved information collection. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or... (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment...

Comprehensive molecular diagnosis of 67 Chinese Usher syndrome probands: high rate of ethnicity specific mutations in Chinese USH patients.

PubMed

Jiang, Lichun; Liang, Xiaofang; Li, Yumei; Wang, Jing; Zaneveld, Jacques Eric; Wang, Hui; Xu, Shan; Wang, Keqing; Wang, Binbin; Chen, Rui; Sui, Ruifang

2015-09-04

Usher syndrome (USH) is the most common disease causing combined deafness and blindness. It is predominantly an autosomal recessive genetic disorder with occasionally digenic cases. Molecular diagnosis of USH patients is important for disease management. Few studies have tried to find the genetic cause of USH in Chinese patients. This study was designed to determine the mutation spectrum of Chinese USH patients. We applied next generation sequencing to characterize the mutation spectrum in 67 independent Chinese families with at least one member diagnosed with USH. Blood was collected at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. This cohort is one of the largest USH cohorts reported. We utilized customized panel and whole exome sequencing, variant analysis, Sanger validation and segregation tests to find disease causing mutations in these families. We identified biallelic disease causing mutations in known USH genes in 70 % (49) of our patients. As has been previously reported, MYO7A is the most frequently mutated gene in our USH type I patients while USH2A is the most mutated gene in our USH type II patients. In addition, we identify mutations in CLRN1, DFNB31, GPR98 and PCDH15 for the first time in Chinese USH patients. Together, mutations in CLRN1, DNFB31, GPR98 and PCDH15 account for 11.4 % of disease in our cohort. Interestingly, although the spectrum of disease genes is quite similar between our Chinese patient cohort and other patient cohorts from different (and primarily Caucasian) ethnic backgrounds, the mutations themselves are dramatically different. In particular, 76 % (52/68) of alleles found in this study have never been previously reported. Interestingly, we observed a strong enrichment for severe protein truncating mutations expected to have severe functional consequence on the protein in USH II patients compared to the reported mutation spectrum in RP patients, who often carry partial protein truncating mutations. Our study provides the first comprehensive genetic characterization of a large collection of Chinese USH patients. Up to 90 % of USH patients have disease caused by mutations in known USH disease genes. By combining NGS-based molecular diagnosis and patient clinical information, a more accurate diagnosis, prognosis and personalized treatment of USH patients can be achieved.

Whole-genome copy number variation analysis in anophthalmia and microphthalmia.

PubMed

Schilter, K F; Reis, L M; Schneider, A; Bardakjian, T M; Abdul-Rahman, O; Kozel, B A; Zimmerman, H H; Broeckel, U; Semina, E V

2013-11-01

Anophthalmia/microphthalmia (A/M) represent severe developmental ocular malformations. Currently, mutations in known genes explain less than 40% of A/M cases. We performed whole-genome copy number variation analysis in 60 patients affected with isolated or syndromic A/M. Pathogenic deletions of 3q26 (SOX2) were identified in four independent patients with syndromic microphthalmia. Other variants of interest included regions with a known role in human disease (likely pathogenic) as well as novel rearrangements (uncertain significance). A 2.2-Mb duplication of 3q29 in a patient with non-syndromic anophthalmia and an 877-kb duplication of 11p13 (PAX6) and a 1.4-Mb deletion of 17q11.2 (NF1) in two independent probands with syndromic microphthalmia and other ocular defects were identified; while ocular anomalies have been previously associated with 3q29 duplications, PAX6 duplications, and NF1 mutations in some cases, the ocular phenotypes observed here are more severe than previously reported. Three novel regions of possible interest included a 2q14.2 duplication which cosegregated with microphthalmia/microcornea and congenital cataracts in one family, and 2q21 and 15q26 duplications in two additional cases; each of these regions contains genes that are active during vertebrate ocular development. Overall, this study identified causative copy number mutations and regions with a possible role in ocular disease in 17% of A/M cases. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Whole-genome copy number variation analysis in anophthalmia and microphthalmia

PubMed Central

Schilter, Kala F.; Reis, Linda M.; Schneider, Adele; Bardakjian, Tanya M.; Abdul-Rahman, Omar; Kozel, Beth A.; Zimmerman, Holly H.; Broeckel, Ulrich; Semina, Elena V.

2014-01-01

Anophthalmia and microphthalmia (A/M) represent severe developmental ocular malformations. Currently, mutations in known genes explain less than 40% of A/M cases. We performed whole genome copy number variation analysis in sixty patients affected with isolated or syndromic A/M. Pathogenic deletions of 3q26 (SOX2) were identified in four independent patients with syndromic microphthalmia. Other variants of interest included regions with a known role in human disease (likely pathogenic) as well as novel rearrangements (uncertain significance). A 2.2-Mb duplication of 3q29 in a patient with nonsyndromic anophthalmia and an 877-kb duplication of 11p13 (PAX6) and a 1.4-Mb deletion of 17q11.2 (NF1) in two independent probands with syndromic microphthalmia and other ocular defects were identified; while ocular anomalies have been previously associated with 3q29 duplications, PAX6 duplications, and NF1 mutations in some cases, the ocular phenotypes observed here are more severe than previously reported. Three novel regions of possible interest included a 2q14.2 duplication which cosegregated with microphthalmia/microcornea and congenital cataracts in one family, and 2q21 and 15q26 duplications in two additional cases; each of these regions contains genes that are active during vertebrate ocular development. Overall, this study identified causative copy number mutations and regions with a possible role in ocular disease in 17% of A/M cases. PMID:23701296

Influence of boundary on the effect of double-layer polarization and the electrophoretic behavior of soft biocolloids.

PubMed

Yeh, Li-Hsien; Fang, Kuo-Ying; Hsu, Jyh-Ping; Tseng, Shiojenn

2011-12-01

The electrophoresis of a soft particle comprising a rigid core and a charged porous membrane layer in a narrow space is modeled. This simulates, for example, the capillary electrophoresis of biocolloids such as cells and microorganisms, and biosensor types of device. We show that, in addition to the boundary effect, the effects of double-layer polarization (DLP) and the electroosmotic retardation flow can be significant, yielding interesting electrophoretic behaviors. For example, if the friction coefficient of the membrane layer and/or the boundary is large, then the DLP effect can be offset by the electroosmotic retardation flow, making the particle mobility to decrease with increasing double layer thickness, which is qualitatively consistent with many experimental observations in the literature, but has not been explained clearly in previous analyses. In addition, depending upon the thickness of double layer, the friction of the membrane layer of a particle can either retard or accelerate its movement, an interesting result which has not been reported previously. This work is the first attempt to show solid evidence for the influence of a boundary on the effect of DLP and the electrophoretic behavior of soft particles. The model proposed is verified by the experimental data in the literature. The results of numerical simulation provide valuable information for the design of bio-analytical apparatus such as nanopore-based sensing applications and for the interpretation of relevant experimental data. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HSP60 induces self-tolerance to repeated HSP60 stimulation and cross-tolerance to other pro-inflammatory stimuli.

PubMed

Kilmartin, Barry; Reen, Denis J

2004-07-01

In addition to their primary function as intracellular chaperone proteins, the immunomodulatory properties of heat shock proteins (HSP), including their role as adjuvants for vaccines, have become a focus of intense research interest. Interestingly, the effect of chronic exposure to an endogenous immunomodulator and initiator of inflammation such as autologous HSP60 has as yet remained uncharacterized. In this study, we demonstrate that pretreatment of monocytes with human HSP60 results in a suppression of TNF-alpha production on restimulation with HSP60. Furthermore, desensitization with HSP60 inhibits TNF-alpha expression in these cells in response to LPS stimulation, thereby inducing "cross-tolerance". In contrast to TNF-alpha suppression, IL-1beta expression was augmented in HSP60-pretreated monocytes on restimulation, while being suppressed in THP-1 cells. Addition of an anti-IL-10 neutralizing antibody had no significant effect on HSP60- or LPS-induced tolerance.HSP60 priming of monocytes also results in significant down-regulation of HLA-DR, CD86 and Toll-like receptor 4 expression, but minimally up-regulates CD80 expression, similar to that previously reported with LPS. By identifying a previously unrecognized "tolerizing" effect of extended exposure to autologous HSP60 on the innate immune system, as opposed to its recently identified pro-inflammatory stimulatory capacity, this study highlights a further level of complexity of our understanding of the biological activities of HSP.

Coping Strategies, Psychological Impact, and Support Preferences of Men With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Multicenter Survey.

PubMed

Flurey, Caroline A; Hewlett, Sarah; Rodham, Karen; White, Alan; Noddings, Robert; Kirwan, John R

2018-06-01

To investigate the existence and distribution of 2 typologies (termed "factors") of men with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) identified through our previous Q-methodology study (n = 30) in a larger sample of men with RA, and whether differences in psychosocial impact or support preferences exist between the 2 factors, and between men and women with RA. A postal survey was sent to 620 men with RA from 6 rheumatology units across England, and the support preferences section of the survey was given to 232 women with RA. A total of 295 male patients (47.6%) and 103 female patients (44.4%) responded; 15 male participants had missing data, and thus 280 were included in the analysis. Of these, 61 (22%) were assigned to factor A ("accept and adapt"), 120 (35%) were assigned to factor B ("struggling to match up"), and 99 (35%) were unassigned. The two factors differed significantly, with factor B reporting more severe disease, less effective coping strategies, and poorer psychological status. For support, men favored a question and answer session with a consultant (54%) or specialist nurse (50%), a website for information (69%), a talk by researchers (54%), or a symptom management session (54%). Overall, women reported more interest in support sessions than men, with ≥50% of women reporting interest in nearly every option provided. Some men accept and adapt to their RA, but others (43%) report severe disease, less effective coping, and poor psychological status. Men's preferences for support are practical, with a focus on expanding their knowledge. © 2017 The Authors. Arthritis Care & Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American College of Rheumatology.

Health Research Participants’ Preferences for Receiving Research Results

PubMed Central

Long, Christopher R.; Stewart, M. Kathryn; Cunningham, Thomas V.; Warmack, T. Scott; McElfish, Pearl A.

2017-01-01

Background Participants in health research studies typically express interest in receiving results from the studies in which they participate. However, participants’ preferences and experiences related to receiving results are not well understood. In general, existing studies have had relatively small sample sizes and typically address specific and often sensitive issues within targeted populations. Methods The present study used an online survey to explore attitudes and experiences of registrants in ResearchMatch, a large database of past, present, and potential health research participants. Survey respondents provided information related to whether or not they received research results from studies in which they participated, the methods used to communicate results, their satisfaction with results, and when and how they would like to receive research results from future studies. 70,699 ResearchMatch registrants were notified of the study’s topic. Of the 5,207 registrants who requested full information about the study, 3,381 respondents completed the survey. Results Approximately 33% of respondents with previous health research participation reported receiving results. Approximately half of respondents with previous research participation reported no opportunity to request results. However, almost all respondents said researchers should always or sometimes offer results to participants. Respondents expressed particular interest in results related to their (or a loved one's) health, as well as information about studies’ purposes and any medical advances based on the results. In general, respondents’ most preferred dissemination methods for results were email and website postings. The least desirable dissemination methods for results included Twitter, conference calls, and text messages. Across all results, we compare the responses of respondents with and without previous research participation experience, and those who have worked in research organizations vs. those who have not. Compared to respondents who have previous participation experience, a greater proportion of respondents with no participation experience indicated that results should always be shared with participants. Likewise, respondents with no participation experience placed higher importance on the receipt of each type of results information included in the survey. Conclusions We present findings from a survey assessing attitudes and experiences of a broad sample of respondents that addresses gaps in knowledge related to participants’ preferences for receiving results. The study’s findings highlight the potential for inconsistency between respondents’ expressed preferences to receive specific types of results via specific methods and researchers’ unwillingness or inability to provide them. We present specific recommendations to shift the approach of new studies to investigate participants’ preferences for receiving research results. PMID:27562368

Health research participants' preferences for receiving research results.

PubMed

Long, Christopher R; Stewart, M Kathryn; Cunningham, Thomas V; Warmack, T Scott; McElfish, Pearl A

2016-12-01

Participants in health research studies typically express interest in receiving the results from the studies in which they participate. However, participants' preferences and experiences related to receiving the results are not well understood. In general, the existing studies have had relatively small sample sizes and typically address specific and often sensitive issues within targeted populations. This study used an online survey to explore attitudes and experiences of registrants in ResearchMatch, a large database of past, present, and potential health research participants. Survey respondents provided information related to whether or not they received research results from studies in which they participated, the methods used to communicate the results, their satisfaction with the results, and when and how they would like to receive research results from future studies. In all, 70,699 ResearchMatch registrants were notified of the study's topic. Of the 5207 registrants who requested full information about the study, 3381 respondents completed the survey. Approximately 33% of respondents with previous health research participation reported receiving the results. Approximately half of respondents with previous research participation reported no opportunity to request the results. However, almost all respondents said researchers should always or sometimes offer the results to participants. Respondents expressed particular interest in the results related to their (or a loved one's) health, as well as information about studies' purposes and any medical advances based on the results. In general, respondents' most preferred dissemination methods for the results were email and website postings. The least desirable dissemination methods for the results included Twitter, conference calls, and text messages. Across all the results, we compare the responses of respondents with and without previous research participation experience and those who have worked in research organizations versus those who have not. Compared to respondents who have previous participation experience, a greater proportion of respondents with no participation experience indicated that the results should always be shared with participants. Likewise, respondents with no participation experience placed higher importance on the receipt of each type of results' information included in the survey. We present findings from a survey assessing attitudes and experiences of a broad sample of respondents that addresses gaps in knowledge related to participants' preferences for receiving the results. The study's findings highlight the potential for inconsistency between respondents' expressed preferences to receive specific types of results via specific methods and researchers' unwillingness or inability to provide them. We present specific recommendations to shift the approach of new studies to investigate participants' preferences for receiving research results. © The Author(s) 2016.

An Extensive Survey of Tyrosine Phosphorylation Revealing New Sites in Human Mammary Epithelial Cells

PubMed Central

Heibeck, Tyler H.; Ding, Shi-Jian; Opresko, Lee K.; Zhao, Rui; Schepmoes, Athena A.; Yang, Feng; Tolmachev, Aleksey V.; Monroe, Matthew E.; Camp, David G.; Smith, Richard D.; Wiley, H. Steven; Qian, Wei-Jun

2010-01-01

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation represents a central regulatory mechanism in cell signaling. Here we present an extensive survey of tyrosine phosphorylation sites in a normal-derived human mammary epithelial cell line by applying anti-phosphotyrosine peptide immunoaffinity purification coupled with high sensitivity capillary liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 481 tyrosine phosphorylation sites (covered by 716 unique peptides) from 285 proteins were confidently identified in HMEC following the analysis of both the basal condition and acute stimulation with epidermal growth factor (EGF). The estimated false discovery rate was 1.0% as determined by searching against a scrambled database. Comparison of these data with existing literature showed significant agreement for previously reported sites. However, we observed 281 sites that were not previously reported for HMEC cultures and 29 of which have not been reported for any human cell or tissue system. The analysis showed that the majority of highly phosphorylated proteins were relatively low-abundance. Large differences in phosphorylation stoichiometry for sites within the same protein were also observed, raising the possibility of more important functional roles for such highly phosphorylated pTyr sites. By mapping to major signaling networks, such as the EGF receptor and insulin growth factor-1 receptor signaling pathways, many known proteins involved in these pathways were revealed to be tyrosine phosphorylated, which provides interesting targets for future hypothesis-driven and targeted quantitative studies involving tyrosine phosphorylation in HMEC or other human systems. PMID:19534553

Construction of an alkaline phosphatase-specific two-photon probe and its imaging application in living cells and tissues.

PubMed

Zhang, Huatang; Xiao, Peng; Wong, Yin Ting; Shen, Wei; Chhabra, Mohit; Peltier, Raoul; Jiang, Yin; He, Yonghe; He, Jun; Tan, Yi; Xie, Yusheng; Ho, Derek; Lam, Yun-Wah; Sun, Jinpeng; Sun, Hongyan

2017-09-01

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a family of enzymes involved in the regulation of important biological processes such as cell differentiation and bone mineralization. Monitoring the activity of ALP in serum can help diagnose a variety of diseases including bone and liver diseases. There has been growing interest in developing new chemical tools for monitoring ALP activity in living systems. Such tools will help further delineate the roles of ALP in biological and pathological processes. Previously reported fluorescent probes has a number of disadvantages that limit their application, such as poor selectivity and short-wavelength excitation. In this work, we report a new two-photon fluorescent probe (TP-Phos) to selectively detect ALP activity. The probe is composed of a two-photon fluorophore, a phosphate recognition moiety, and a self-cleavable adaptor. It offers a number of advantages over previously reported probes, such as fast reaction kinetics, high sensitivity and low cytotoxicity. Experimental results also showed that TP-Phos displayed improved selectivity over DIFMUP, a commonly utilized ALP probe. The selectivity is attributed to the utilization of an ortho-functionalised phenyl phosphate group, which increases the steric hindrance of the probe and the active site of phosphatases. Moreover, the two-photon nature of the probe confers enhanced imaging properties such as increased penetration depth and lower tissue autofluorescence. TP-Phos was successfully used to image the endogenous ALP activity of hippocampus, kidney and liver tissues from rat. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of stakeholder analysis to inform risk communication and extension strategies for improved biosecurity amongst small-scale pig producers.

PubMed

Hernández-Jover, M; Gilmour, J; Schembri, N; Sysak, T; Holyoake, P K; Beilin, R; Toribio, J-A L M L

2012-05-01

Extension and communication needs amongst small-scale pig producers, described as pig producers with less than 100 sows, have been previously identified. These producers, who are believed to pose a biosecurity risk to commercial livestock industries, are characterized by a lack of formal networks, mistrust of authorities, poor disease reporting behaviour and motivational diversity, and reliance on other producers, veterinarians and family for pig health and production advice. This paper applies stakeholder identification and analysis tools to determine stakeholders' influence and interest on pig producers' practices. Findings can inform a risk communication process and the development of an extension framework to increase producers' engagement with industry and their compliance with biosecurity standards and legislation in Australia. The process included identification of stakeholders, their issues of concerns regarding small-scale pig producers and biosecurity and their influence and interest in each of these issues. This exercise identified the capacity of different stakeholders to influence the outcomes for each issue and assessed their success or failure to do so. The disconnection identified between the level of interest and influence suggests that government and industry need to work with the small-scale pig producers and with those who have the capacity to influence them. Successful biosecurity risk management will depend on shared responsibility and building trust amongst stakeholders. Flow-on effects may include legitimating the importance of reporting and compliance systems and the co-management of risk. Compliance of small-scale pig producers with biosecurity industry standards and legislation will reduce the risks of entry and spread of exotic diseases in Australia. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

User Design and Experience Preferences in a Novel Smartphone Application for Migraine Management: A Think Aloud Study of the RELAXaHEAD Application.

PubMed

Minen, Mia T; Jalloh, Adama; Ortega, Emma; Powers, Scott W; Sevick, Mary Ann; Lipton, Richard B

2018-05-30

Scalable nonpharmacologic treatment options are needed for chronic pain conditions. Migraine is an ideal condition to test smartphone-based mind-body interventions (MBIs) because it is a very prevalent, costly, disabling condition. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a standardized, evidence-based MBI previously adapted for smartphone applications for other conditions. We sought to examine the usability of the RELAXaHEAD application (app), which has a headache diary and PMR capability. Using the "Think Aloud" approach, we iteratively beta-tested RELAXaHEAD in people with migraine. Individual interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed. Using Grounded Theory, we conducted thematic analysis. Participants also were asked Likert scale questions about satisfaction with the app and the PMR. Twelve subjects participated in the study. The mean duration of the interviews (SD, range) was 36 (11, 19-53) minutes. From the interviews, four main themes emerged. People were most interested in app utility/practicality, user interface, app functionality, and the potential utility of the PMR. Participants reported that the daily diary was easy to use (75%), was relevant for tracking headaches (75%), maintained their interest and attention (75%), and was easy to understand (83%). Ninety-two percent of the participants would be happy to use the app again. Participants reported that PMR maintained their interest and attention (75%) and improved their stress and low mood (75%). The RELAXaHEAD app may be acceptable and useful to migraine participants. Future studies will examine the use of the RELAXaHEAD app to deliver PMR to people with migraine in a low-cost, scalable manner.

Motivation to Quit and Interest in Cessation Treatment Among Homeless Youth Smokers.

PubMed

Tucker, Joan S; Shadel, William G; Golinelli, Daniela; Ewing, Brett; Mullins, Leslie

2015-08-01

Approximately 70% of unaccompanied homeless youth are current smokers. Although a few studies have described smoking behavior among homeless youth, none have focused on how to help homeless youth quit smoking. As such, there are significant gaps in understanding their interest in quitting and what strategies might best fit their specific needs. Unaccompanied homeless youth were randomly sampled from street sites in Los Angeles County (N = 292). All were current smokers who completed a survey on their smoking-related behaviors and cognitions. 65.7% of youth had quit for at least 24hr during the past year, and 43.4% were motivated to quit. Previous quit attempts tended to be unassisted, but 58.6% reported that they would be interested in formal cessation treatment. Multivariate analyses indicated that motivation to quit was higher among youth who were older, Black or Hispanic (vs. White), and who asked about smoking by a service provider, but it was lower among those who were more nicotine dependent. Being interested in cessation treatment was more likely among youth who were asked about smoking by a service provider, anticipated more barriers to quitting, and were motivated to quit; it was less likely among youth who had slept outdoors during the past 30 days. Smoking cessation is often considered a low priority for homeless youth. However, many are motivated to quit and are interested in smoking cessation products and services. Implications for developing and engaging homeless youth in cessation treatment are discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Public reporting of colonoscopy quality is associated with an increase in endoscopist adenoma detection rate.

PubMed

Abdul-Baki, Heitham; Schoen, Robert E; Dean, Katie; Rose, Sherri; Leffler, Daniel A; Kuganeswaran, Eliathamby; Morris, Michele; Carrell, David; Mehrotra, Ateev

2015-10-01

Colonoscopy is the predominant method for colorectal cancer screening in the United States. Previous studies have documented variation across physicians in colonoscopy quality as measured by the adenoma detection rate (ADR). ADR is the primary quality measure of colonoscopy examinations and an indicator of the likelihood of subsequent colorectal cancer. There is interest in mechanisms to improve the ADR. In Central Illinois, a local employer and a quality improvement organization partnered to publically report physician colonoscopy quality. We assessed whether this initiative was associated with an improvement in the ADR. We compared ADRs before and after public reporting at a private practice endoscopy center with 11 gastroenterologists in Peoria, Illinois, who participated in the initiative. To generate the ADR, colonoscopy and pathology reports from examinations performed over 4 years at the endoscopy center were analyzed by using previously validated natural language processing software. A central Illinois endoscopy center. The ADR in the pre-public reporting period was 34.3% and 39.2% in the post-public reporting period (an increase of 4.9%, P < .001). The increase in the right-sided ADR was 5.1% (P < .01), whereas the increase in the left-sided ADR was 2.1% (P < .05). The increase in the ADR was 7.8% for screening colonoscopies (P < 0.05) and 3.5% for nonscreening colonoscopies (P < .05). All but 1 physician's ADR increased (range -2.7% to 10.5%). There was no statistically significant change in the advanced ADR (increase of 0.8%, P = .22). There was no concurrent control group to assess whether the increased ADR was due to a secular trend. A public reporting initiative on colonoscopy quality was associated with an increase in ADR. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vocational interests in the United States: Sex, age, ethnicity, and year effects.

PubMed

Morris, Michael L

2016-10-01

Vocational interests predict educational and career choices, job performance, and career success (Rounds & Su, 2014). Although sex differences in vocational interests have long been observed (Thorndike, 1911), an appropriate overall measure has been lacking from the literature. Using a cross-sectional sample of United States residents aged 14 to 63 who completed the Strong Interest Inventory assessment between 2005 and 2014 (N = 1,283,110), I examined sex, age, ethnicity, and year effects on work related interest levels using both multivariate and univariate effect size estimates of individual dimensions (Holland's Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional). Men scored higher on Realistic (d = -1.14), Investigative (d = -.32), Enterprising (d = -.22), and Conventional (d = -.23), while women scored higher on Artistic (d = .19) and Social (d = .38), mostly replicating previous univariate findings. Multivariate, overall sex differences were very large (disattenuated Mahalanobis' D = 1.61; 27% overlap). Interest levels were slightly lower and overall sex differences larger in younger samples. Overall sex differences have narrowed slightly for 18-22 year-olds in more recent samples. Generally very small ethnicity effects included relatively higher Investigative and Enterprising scores for Asians, Indians, and Middle Easterners, lower Realistic scores for Blacks and Native Americans, higher Realistic, Artistic, and Social scores for Pacific Islanders, and lower Conventional scores for Whites. Using Prediger's (1982) model, women were more interested in people (d = 1.01) and ideas (d = .18), while men were more interested in things and data. These results, consistent with previous reviews showing large sex differences and small year effects, suggest that large sex differences in work related interests will continue to be observed for decades. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Accuracy of dialysis medical records in determining patients' interest in and suitability for transplantation.

PubMed

Huml, Anne M; Sullivan, Catherine M; Pencak, Julie A; Sehgal, Ashwini R

2013-01-01

We sought to determine the accuracy of dialysis medical records in identifying patients' interest in and suitability for transplantation. Cluster randomized controlled trial. A total of 167 patients recruited from 23 hemodialysis facilities. Navigators met with intervention patients to provide transplant information and assistance. Control patients continued to receive usual care. Agreement at study initiation between medical records and (i) patient self-reported interest in transplantation and (ii) study assessments of medical suitability for transplant referral. Medical record assessments, self-reports, and study assessments of patient's interest in and suitability for transplantation. There was disagreement between medical records and patient self-reported interest in transplantation for 66 (40%) of the 167 study patients. In most of these cases, patients reported being more interested in transplantation than their medical records indicated. The study team determined that all 92 intervention patients were medically suitable for transplant referral. However, for 38 (41%) intervention patients, medical records indicated that they were not suitable. About two-thirds of these patients successfully moved forward in the transplant process. Dialysis medical records are frequently inaccurate in determining patient's interest in and suitability for transplantation. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Reporting of conflicts of interest in guidelines of preventive and therapeutic interventions

PubMed Central

Papanikolaou, George N; Baltogianni, Maria S; Contopoulos-Ioannidis, Despina G; Haidich, Anna-Bettina; Giannakakis, Ioannis A; Ioannidis, John PA

2001-01-01

Background Guidelines published in major medical journals are very influential in determining clinical practice. It would be essential to evaluate whether conflicts of interests are disclosed in these publications. We evaluated the reporting of conflicts of interest and the factors that may affect such disclosure in a sample of 191 guidelines on therapeutic and/or preventive measures published in 6 major clinical journals (Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, JAMA, Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics) in 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994 and 1999. Results Only 7 guidelines (3.7%) mentioned conflicts of interest and all were published in 1999 (17.5% (7/40) of guidelines published in 1999 alone). Reporting of conflicts of interest differed significantly by journal (p=0.026), availability of disclosure policy by the journal (p=0.043), source of funding (p < 0.001) and number of authors (p=0.004). In the entire database of 191 guidelines, a mere 18 authors disclosed a total of 24 potential conflicts of interest and most pertained to minor issues. Conclusions Despite some recent improvement, reporting of conflicts of interest in clinical guidelines published in influential journals is largely neglected. PMID:11405896

Technology Use and Interest in Computerized Psychotherapy: A Survey of Veterans in Treatment for Substance Use Disorders.

PubMed

Hermes, Eric D A; Tsai, Jack; Rosenheck, Robert

2015-09-01

This study examined interest in computerized psychotherapies (CPTs) and its relation to use of information technology among individuals receiving Veterans Health Administration (VHA) outpatient treatment. Veterans receiving treatment in a VHA substance use disorder outpatient clinic completed a self-report questionnaire. The survey addressed recent experience using information technology and potential interest in using CPTs for symptoms/functional problems associated with substance use and mental health disorders. Demographic, diagnostic, and information technology use data were compared between those expressing interest in CPT and those not expressing an interest, as well as with nationally representative veteran data from the 2010 National Survey of Veterans (NSV). Of 151 respondents, 82% were interested in CPT for at least one problem, and 60% were interested for more than one. The most commonly selected CPTs were for substance use (46%), depression (45%), problem solving (43%), and insomnia (42%). None of the 23 measures of information technology use was associated with interest in CPTs. Compared with respondents not interested in any CPTs, those interested in CPT were older (t150=2.1, p=0.042) and more likely to be African American [χ(2)(1)=8.8, p=0.032], to have reported a drug use disorder [χ(2)(1)=4.2, p=0.041], and to have reported more than one substance use or psychiatric disorder [χ(2)(1)=8.5, p=0.014]. The majority of respondents reported use of Internet and e-mail (65% and 64%, respectively), proportions comparable to respondents to the NSV. Among veterans receiving outpatient substance use treatment, interest in CPT is high and unrelated to information technology use. Efforts to implement CPTs may interest this population.

Genomewide Analysis of the Antimicrobial Peptides in Python bivittatus and Characterization of Cathelicidins with Potent Antimicrobial Activity and Low Cytotoxicity.

PubMed

Kim, Dayeong; Soundrarajan, Nagasundarapandian; Lee, Juyeon; Cho, Hye-Sun; Choi, Minkyeung; Cha, Se-Yeoun; Ahn, Byeongyong; Jeon, Hyoim; Le, Minh Thong; Song, Hyuk; Kim, Jin-Hoi; Park, Chankyu

2017-09-01

In this study, we sought to identify novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in Python bivittatus through bioinformatic analyses of publicly available genome information and experimental validation. In our analysis of the python genome, we identified 29 AMP-related candidate sequences. Of these, we selected five cathelicidin-like sequences and subjected them to further in silico analyses. The results showed that these sequences likely have antimicrobial activity. The sequences were named Pb-CATH1 to Pb-CATH5 according to their sequence similarity to previously reported snake cathelicidins. We predicted their molecular structure and then chemically synthesized the mature peptide for three putative cathelicidins and subjected them to biological activity tests. Interestingly, all three peptides showed potent antimicrobial effects against Gram-negative bacteria but very weak activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Remarkably, ΔPb-CATH4 showed potent activity against antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates and also was observed to possess very low hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity. ΔPb-CATH4 also showed considerable serum stability. Electron microscopic analysis indicated that ΔPb-CATH4 exerts its effects via toroidal pore preformation. Structural comparison of the cathelicidins identified in this study to previously reported ones revealed that these Pb-CATHs are representatives of a new group of reptilian cathelicidins lacking the acidic connecting domain. Furthermore, Pb-CATH4 possesses a completely different mature peptide sequence from those of previously described reptilian cathelicidins. These new AMPs may be candidates for the development of alternatives to or complements of antibiotics to control multidrug-resistant pathogens. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Genomewide Analysis of the Antimicrobial Peptides in Python bivittatus and Characterization of Cathelicidins with Potent Antimicrobial Activity and Low Cytotoxicity

PubMed Central

Kim, Dayeong; Soundrarajan, Nagasundarapandian; Lee, Juyeon; Cho, Hye-sun; Choi, Minkyeung; Cha, Se-Yeoun; Ahn, Byeongyong; Jeon, Hyoim; Le, Minh Thong; Song, Hyuk; Kim, Jin-Hoi

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT In this study, we sought to identify novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in Python bivittatus through bioinformatic analyses of publicly available genome information and experimental validation. In our analysis of the python genome, we identified 29 AMP-related candidate sequences. Of these, we selected five cathelicidin-like sequences and subjected them to further in silico analyses. The results showed that these sequences likely have antimicrobial activity. The sequences were named Pb-CATH1 to Pb-CATH5 according to their sequence similarity to previously reported snake cathelicidins. We predicted their molecular structure and then chemically synthesized the mature peptide for three putative cathelicidins and subjected them to biological activity tests. Interestingly, all three peptides showed potent antimicrobial effects against Gram-negative bacteria but very weak activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Remarkably, ΔPb-CATH4 showed potent activity against antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates and also was observed to possess very low hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity. ΔPb-CATH4 also showed considerable serum stability. Electron microscopic analysis indicated that ΔPb-CATH4 exerts its effects via toroidal pore preformation. Structural comparison of the cathelicidins identified in this study to previously reported ones revealed that these Pb-CATHs are representatives of a new group of reptilian cathelicidins lacking the acidic connecting domain. Furthermore, Pb-CATH4 possesses a completely different mature peptide sequence from those of previously described reptilian cathelicidins. These new AMPs may be candidates for the development of alternatives to or complements of antibiotics to control multidrug-resistant pathogens. PMID:28630199

Sea level rise from the Greenland Ice Sheet during the Eemian interglacial: Review of previous work with focus on the surface mass balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plach, Andreas; Hestnes Nisancioglu, Kerim

2016-04-01

The contribution from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) to the global sea level rise during the Eemian interglacial (about 125,000 year ago) was the focus of many studies in the past. A main reason for the interest in this period is the considerable warmer climate during the Eemian which is often seen as an equivalent for possible future climate conditions. Simulated sea level rise during the Eemian can therefore be used to better understand a possible future sea level rise. The most recent assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR5) gives an overview of several studies and discusses the possible implications for a future sea level rise. The report also reveals the big differences between these studies in terms of simulated GIS extent and corresponding sea level rise. The present study gives a more exhaustive review of previous work discussing sea level rise from the GIS during the Eemian interglacial. The smallest extents of the GIS simulated by various authors are shown and summarized. A focus is thereby given to the methods used to calculate the surface mass balance. A hypothesis of the present work is that the varying results of the previous studies can largely be explained due to the various methods used to calculate the surface mass balance. In addition, as a first step for future work, the surface mass balance of the GIS for a proxy-data derived forcing ("index method") and a direct forcing with a General Circulation Model (GCM) are shown and discussed.

Identification of three homologous latex-clearing protein (lcp) genes from the genome of Streptomyces sp. strain CFMR 7.

PubMed

Nanthini, Jayaram; Ong, Su Yean; Sudesh, Kumar

2017-09-10

Rubber materials have greatly contributed to human civilization. However, being a polymeric material does not decompose easily, it has caused huge environmental problems. On the other hand, only few bacteria are known to degrade rubber, with studies pertaining them being intensively focusing on the mechanism involved in microbial rubber degradation. The Streptomyces sp. strain CFMR 7, which was previously confirmed to possess rubber-degrading ability, was subjected to whole genome sequencing using the single molecule sequencing technology of the PacBio® RS II system. The genome was further analyzed and compared with previously reported rubber-degrading bacteria in order to identify the potential genes involved in rubber degradation. This led to the interesting discovery of three homologues of latex-clearing protein (Lcp) on the chromosome of this strain, which are probably responsible for rubber degrading activities. Genes encoding oxidoreductase α-subunit (oxiA) and oxidoreductase β-subunit (oxiB) were also found downstream of two lcp genes which are located adjacent to each other. In silico analysis reveals genes that have been identified to be involved in the microbial degradation of rubber in the Streptomyces sp. strain CFMR 7. This is the first whole genome sequence of a clear-zone-forming natural rubber- degrading Streptomyces sp., which harbours three Lcp homologous genes with the presence of oxiA and oxiB genes compared to the previously reported Gordonia polyisoprenivorans strain VH2 (with two Lcp homologous genes) and Nocardia nova SH22a (with only one Lcp gene). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phenotypic and genotypic properties of Microbacterium yannicii, a recently described multidrug resistant bacterium isolated from a lung transplanted patient with cystic fibrosis in France.

PubMed

Sharma, Poonam; Diene, Seydina M; Thibeaut, Sandrine; Bittar, Fadi; Roux, Véronique; Gomez, Carine; Reynaud-Gaubert, Martine; Rolain, Jean-Marc

2013-05-03

Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung microbiota consists of diverse species which are pathogens or opportunists or have unknown pathogenicity. Here we report the full characterization of a recently described multidrug resistant bacterium, Microbacterium yannicii, isolated from a CF patient who previously underwent lung transplantation. Our strain PS01 (CSUR-P191) is an aerobic, rod shaped, non-motile, yellow pigmented, gram positive, oxidase negative and catalase positive bacterial isolate. Full length 16S rRNA gene sequence showed 98.8% similarity with Microbacterium yannicii G72T type strain, which was previously isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana. The genome size is 3.95Mb, with an average G+C content of 69.5%. In silico DNA-DNA hybridization analysis between our Microbacterium yannicii PS01isolate in comparison with Microbacterium testaceum StLB037 and Microbacterium laevaniformans OR221 genomes revealed very weak relationship with only 28% and 25% genome coverage, respectively. Our strain, as compared to the type strain, was resistant to erythromycin because of the presence of a new erm 43 gene encoding a 23S rRNA N-6-methyltransferase in its genome which was not detected in the reference strain. Interestingly, our patient received azithromycin 250 mg daily for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome for more than one year before the isolation of this bacterium. Although significance of isolating this bacterium remains uncertain in terms of clinical evolution, this bacterium could be considered as an opportunistic human pathogen as previously reported for other species in this genus, especially in immunocompromised patients.

Survivorship comparison of all-polyethylene and metal-backed tibial components in cruciate-substituting total knee arthroplasty--Chinese experience.

PubMed

Shen, Bin; Yang, Jing; Zhou, Zongke; Kang, Pengde; Wang, Liao; Pei, Fuxing

2009-10-01

Considering its cost saving, the all-polyethylene tibial component is of potential interest in developing countries like China. But to our knowledge, a survivorship comparison of all-polyethylene and metal-backed tibial components in posterior cruciate ligament-substituting total knee arthroplasty (PS-TKA) has not been studied in China previously. Using survivorship analysis, we have studied the midterm outcome of 34 cemented PS-TKA using an all-polyethylene tibial component and of 34 cemented PS-TKA using a metal-backed tibial component which has an identical articular surface with all-polyethylene tibial components. All operations were performed by the same group of surgeons; 58 patients underwent a unilateral operation and five patients a bilateral operation. These patients had a mean follow-up of 5.9 years (range: 5-7 years); three patients were lost to follow-up and one was revised for infection. No significant difference between the two groups was reported regarding HSS scores, ROM, clinical and radiographic parameters measured and survival rates. Although the Asian lifestyle includes more squatting and bending of the knee, the results of this series of TKA using all-polyethylene tibial components in Chinese people are comparable to the satisfactory results of other reported all-polyethylene series whose patients are mainly Western people. Considering its cost saving and excellent clinical result, the all-polyethylene tibial component is of potential interest in developing countries.

Regulation of plant vascular stem cells by endodermis-derived EPFL-family peptide hormones and phloem-expressed ERECTA-family receptor kinases.

PubMed

Uchida, Naoyuki; Tasaka, Masao

2013-12-01

Plant vasculatures are complex tissues consisting of (pro)cambium, phloem, and xylem. The (pro)cambium serves as vascular stem cells that produce all vascular cells. The Arabidopsis ERECTA (ER) receptor kinase is known to regulate the architecture of inflorescence stems. It was recently reported that the er mutation enhances a vascular phenotype induced by a mutation of TDR/PXY, which plays a significant role in procambial proliferation, suggesting that ER participates in vascular development. However, detailed molecular mechanisms of the ER-dependent vascular regulation are largely unknown. Here, this work found that ER and its paralogue, ER-LIKE1, were redundantly involved in procambial development of inflorescence stems. Interestingly, their activity in the phloem was sufficient for vascular regulation. Furthermore, two endodermis-derived peptide hormones, EPFL4 and EPFL6, were redundantly involved in such regulation. It has been previously reported that EPFL4 and EPFL6 act as ligands of phloem-expressed ER for stem elongation. Therefore, these findings indicate that cell-cell communication between the endodermis and the phloem plays an important role in procambial development as well as stem elongation. Interestingly, similar EPFL-ER modules control two distinct developmental events by slightly changing their components: the EPFL4/6-ER module for stem elongation and the EPFL4/6-ER/ERL1 module for vascular development.

Navigational and vessel inspection circular No. 5-86. Voluntary standards for US uninspected commercial fishing vessels. Final report

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

NONE

1986-08-18

The vessel standards program, which this NVIC addresses, originally consisted of a series of five NVICs; Stability (5-85), Radio and Shipboard Navigation Equipment (6-85), Fire Safety Measures (7-85), Lifesaving Equipment and Protection of the Crew (8-85), and Hull, Machinery, and Electrical Installations (9-85). Many of these NVICs contained specific operational and educational material for fishermen which could be used before the `Vessel Safety Manual` was published; therefore, some material previously contained in any one of the NVICs has been moved to the manual, although some overlap still exists. Since input from the fishing industry and other interested parties was essential,more » the authors published NVICs 5-85 thru 9-85 as proposed standards and distributed them to over 230 individuals, groups and organizations throuoghout the U.S. who have an interest in fishing vessel safety. These groups included safety consultants, marine surveyors, naval architects, insurance underwriters, fishing vessel owners` associations, boat builders, fisheries unions, personnel associated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant program, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Several sent detailed comments; all expressed a favorable reaction to the standards. This report is a consolidation of NVICs 5-85 thru 9-85 taking into account the comments and recommendations received. For continuity, certain regulatory requirements (although not voluntary) have been included where appropriate.« less

Therapeutic potential of fecal microbiota transplantation.

PubMed

Smits, Loek P; Bouter, Kristien E C; de Vos, Willem M; Borody, Thomas J; Nieuwdorp, Max

2013-11-01

There has been growing interest in the use of fecal microbiota for the treatment of patients with chronic gastrointestinal infections and inflammatory bowel diseases. Lately, there has also been interest in its therapeutic potential for cardiometabolic, autoimmune, and other extraintestinal conditions that were not previously considered to be associated with the intestinal microbiota. Although it is not clear if changes in the microbiota cause these conditions, we review the most current and best methods for performing fecal microbiota transplantation and summarize clinical observations that have implicated the intestinal microbiota in various diseases. We also discuss case reports of fecal microbiota transplantations for different disorders, including Clostridium difficile infection, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, insulin resistance, multiple sclerosis, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. There has been increasing focus on the interaction between the intestinal microbiome, obesity, and cardiometabolic diseases, and we explore these relationships and the potential roles of different microbial strains. We might someday be able to mine for intestinal bacterial strains that can be used in the diagnosis or treatment of these diseases. Copyright © 2013 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Subliminal perception of complex visual stimuli.

PubMed

Ionescu, Mihai Radu

2016-01-01

Rationale: Unconscious perception of various sensory modalities is an active subject of research though its function and effect on behavior is uncertain. Objective: The present study tried to assess if unconscious visual perception could occur with more complex visual stimuli than previously utilized. Methods and Results: Videos containing slideshows of indifferent complex images with interspersed frames of interest of various durations were presented to 24 healthy volunteers. The perception of the stimulus was evaluated with a forced-choice questionnaire while awareness was quantified by self-assessment with a modified awareness scale annexed to each question with 4 categories of awareness. At values of 16.66 ms of stimulus duration, conscious awareness was not possible and answers regarding the stimulus were random. At 50 ms, nonrandom answers were coupled with no self-reported awareness suggesting unconscious perception of the stimulus. At larger durations of stimulus presentation, significantly correct answers were coupled with a certain conscious awareness. Discussion: At values of 50 ms, unconscious perception is possible even with complex visual stimuli. Further studies are recommended with a focus on a range of interest of stimulus duration between 50 to 16.66 ms.

Results of a long-term community smoking cessation contest.

PubMed

Lando, H A; Hellerstedt, W L; Pirie, P L; Fruetel, J; Huttner, P

1991-01-01

Successive quit smoking contests undertaken as part of the Minnesota Heart Health Program had generated diminishing impact. The 1988 contest attempted to rejuvenate community interest and participation through a substantially extended enrollment period. Smokers were eligible for monthly prize drawings and a grand prize drawing by entering the contest at any point between June 1988 and January 1989 and remaining abstinent for at least one month. The contest was promoted through newspaper advertisements, contest flyers, schools, and a community-wide direct mail campaign. A total of 1,328 smokers returned initial interest cards and 918 (69.1%) of these smokers returned quit pledges. Self-reported abstinence for pledgers and nonpledgers was 16.7% and 9.2%, respectively. Survival analysis indicated significantly longer periods of abstinence for pledgers (p = .0001). The extended contest was successful in recruiting smokers (almost 7% of the entire Bloomington smoking population vs. 1% for a previous one-month contest), especially those with less than a high school education. The current contest required substantial expenditures. However, these costs could be dramatically reduced through innovative use of donated resources.

Effectiveness of the Surgery Core Clerkship Flipped Classroom: a prospective cohort trial.

PubMed

Liebert, Cara A; Lin, Dana T; Mazer, Laura M; Bereknyei, Sylvia; Lau, James N

2016-02-01

The flipped classroom has been proposed as an alternative curricular approach to traditional didactic lectures but has not been previously applied to a surgery clerkship. A 1-year prospective cohort of students (n = 89) enrolled in the surgery clerkship was taught using a flipped classroom approach. A historical cohort of students (n = 92) taught with a traditional lecture curriculum was used for comparison. Pretest and post-test performance, end-of-clerkship surveys, and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) scores were analyzed to assess effectiveness. Mean pretest and post-test scores increased across all modules (P < .001). There was no difference between mean NBME examination score in the prospective and historical cohorts (74.75 vs 75.74, P = .28). Mean ratings of career interest in surgery increased after curriculum completion (4.75 to 6.50, P < .001), with 90% reporting that the flipped classroom contributed to this increase. Implementation of a flipped classroom in the surgery clerkship is feasible and results in high learner satisfaction, effective knowledge acquisition, and increased career interest in surgery with noninferior NBME performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Boric Acid Induced Transient Cross-Links in Lactose-Modified Chitosan (Chitlac).

PubMed

Sacco, Pasquale; Furlani, Franco; Cok, Michela; Travan, Andrea; Borgogna, Massimiliano; Marsich, Eleonora; Paoletti, Sergio; Donati, Ivan

2017-12-11

The present paper explores the effect of boric acid on Chitlac, a lactose-modified chitosan which had previously shown interesting biological and physical-chemical features. The herewith-reported experimental evidences demonstrated that boric acid binds to Chitlac, producing conformational and association effects on the chitosan derivative. The thermodynamics of boric acid binding to Chitlac was explored by means of 11 B NMR, circular dichroism (CD), and UV-vis spectroscopy, while macromolecular effects were investigated by means of viscometry and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The experimental results revealed a chain-chain association when limited amounts of boric acid were added to Chitlac. However, upon exceeding a critical boric acid limit dependent on the polysaccharide concentration, the soluble aggregates disentangle. The rheological behavior of Chitlac upon treatment with boric acid was explored showing a dilatant behavior in conditions of steady flow. An uncommonly high dependence in the scaling law between the zero-shear viscosity and the concentration of Chitlac was found, i.e., η 0 ∝ C CTL 5.8 , pointing to interesting potential implications of the present system in biomaterials development.

Silibinin: an old drug for hematological disorders.

PubMed

Zou, Hai; Zhu, Xing-Xing; Zhang, Guo-Bing; Ma, Yuan; Wu, Yi; Huang, Dong-Sheng

2017-10-24

Silibinin (silybin), a non-toxic natural polyphenolic flavonoid, is the principal and the most biologically active component of silymarin. It is efficient in the treatment of acute and chronic liver disorders caused by toxins, drug, alcohol, hepatitis, and gall bladder disorders. Further, in our previous studies, we explored the anti-cancer efficacy in common cancers, such as lung, prostatic, colon, breast, bladder, as well as, hepatocellular carcinoma. Interestingly, silibinin is still not solely limited to the treatment of these diseases. Recent research endeavors suggest that silibinin may function diversely and serve as a novel therapy for hematological disorders. It discovered several interesting viewpoints in the widely studied mechanisms of silibinin in the hematological disorders. In this report, we review the up-to-date findings of more potency roles of silibinin in β-thalassemia (β-TM), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and multiple myelomas (MM) therapy and attempt to clarify the mechanisms underlying its effects. There are two viewpoints: First, The functional mechanisms of silibinin in AML cells via regulating cell differentiation to exert anti-cancer effect; Second, combination treatment strategy may be a good choice.

Polyunsaturated fatty acid amides from the Zanthoxylum genus - from culinary curiosities to probes for chemical biology.

PubMed

Chruma, Jason J; Cullen, Douglas J; Bowman, Lydia; Toy, Patrick H

2018-01-25

Covering up to February 2017The pericarps of several species from the Zanthoxylum genus, a.k.a. the "prickly ash", have long been used for culinary purposes throughout Asia, most notably in the Sichuan (previously Szechuan) cuisine of Southwestern China, due to the unique tingling and numbing orosensations arising from a collection of polyunsaturated fatty acid amide (alkamide) constituents. The past decade has experienced dramatically increased academic and industrial interest in these pungent Zanthoxylum-derived alkamides, with a concomitant explosion in studies aimed at elucidating the specific biochemical mechanisms behind several medically-relevant biological activities exhibited by the natural products. This rapid increase in interest is partially fueled by advances in organic synthesis reported within the past few years that finally have allowed for the production of diastereomerically-pure Zanthoxylum alkamides and related analogs in multigram quantities. Herein is a comprehensive review of the discovery, total synthesis, and biological evaluation of Zanthoxylum-derived polyunsaturated fatty acid amides and synthetic analogues. Critical insights into how chemical synthesis can further benefit future chemical biology efforts in the field are also provided.

Radiological risks of neutron interrogation of food.

PubMed

Albright, S; Seviour, R

2015-09-01

In recent years there has been growing interest in the use of neutron scanning techniques for security. Neutron techniques with a range of energy spectra including thermal, white and fast neutrons have been shown to work in different scenarios. As international interest in neutron scanning increases the risk of activating cargo, especially foodstuffs must be considered. There has been a limited amount of research into the activation of foods by neutron beams and we have sought to improve the amount of information available. In this paper we show that for three important metrics; activity, ingestion dose and Time to Background there is a strong dependence on the food being irradiated and a weak dependence on the energy of irradiation. Previous studies into activation used results based on irradiation of pharmaceuticals as the basis for research into activation of food. The earlier work reports that (24)Na production is the dominant threat which motivated the search for (24)Na(n,γ)(24)Na in highly salted foods. We show that (42)K can be more significant than (24)Na in low sodium foods such as Bananas and Potatoes.

Effective Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease by Means of Association Rules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaves, R.; Ramírez, J.; Górriz, J. M.; López, M.; Salas-Gonzalez, D.; Illán, I.; Segovia, F.; Padilla, P.

In this paper we present a novel classification method of SPECT images for the early diagnosis of the Alzheimer's disease (AD). The proposed method is based on Association Rules (ARs) aiming to discover interesting associations between attributes contained in the database. The system uses firstly voxel-as-features (VAF) and Activation Estimation (AE) to find tridimensional activated brain regions of interest (ROIs) for each patient. These ROIs act as inputs to secondly mining ARs between activated blocks for controls, with a specified minimum support and minimum confidence. ARs are mined in supervised mode, using information previously extracted from the most discriminant rules for centering interest in the relevant brain areas, reducing the computational requirement of the system. Finally classification process is performed depending on the number of previously mined rules verified by each subject, yielding an up to 95.87% classification accuracy, thus outperforming recent developed methods for AD diagnosis.

78 FR 10666 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-14

... PHLX. BX, NASDAQ, PHLX and NES are affiliates. Accordingly, the affiliate relationship between PHLX and... conflicts of interest between an exchange's self-regulatory obligations and its commercial interests.\\7\\ \\7...). Recognizing that the Commission has previously expressed concern regarding the potential for conflicts of...

Affective and Motivational Outcomes of Working in Collaborative Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boekaerts, Monique; Minnaert, Alexander

2006-01-01

The Quality of Working in Groups Instrument (QWIGI) was used in this research to measure students' fluctuating psychological need states as well as their situational interest online. Based on previous research with the QWIGI, it was predicted that the variance in university sophomores' situational interest in each of the five different topics of…

The Structure of Vocational Interests in Germany: Different Methodologies, Different Conclusions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagy, Gabriel; Trautwein, Ulrich; Ludtke, Oliver

2010-01-01

The cross-cultural generalizability of vocational interest structures has received significant attention in recent years. This article adds to this research in four respects. First, data from a context that has not previously been investigated (Germany) was analyzed. Second, students at different stages of their educational career were examined.…

7 CFR 1980.390 - Interest assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... fee is payable when: (i) A new agreement is made with the borrower except at the time of loan closing. (ii) The borrower had an agreement for the previous year and a new agreement is made for the current year. (iii) The borrower is eligible for but not presently on interest assistance and enters into a new...

Teen Perceptions of Cellular Phones as a Communication Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jonas, Denise D.

2011-01-01

The excitement and interest in innovative technologies has spanned centuries. However, the invention of the cellular phone has surpassed previous technology interests, and changed the way we communicate today. Teens make up the fastest growing market of current cellular phone users. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to determine teen…

26 CFR 20.2044-1 - Certain property for which marital deduction was previously allowed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... in which the decedent had a qualifying income interest for life and for which a deduction was allowed... creating the interest. See section 2207A, regarding the right of recovery against the persons receiving the... section 6018. Similarly, the executor could establish that the transfer creating the decedent's qualifying...

7 CFR 1980.390 - Interest assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... fee is payable when: (i) A new agreement is made with the borrower except at the time of loan closing. (ii) The borrower had an agreement for the previous year and a new agreement is made for the current year. (iii) The borrower is eligible for but not presently on interest assistance and enters into a new...

A study about the interest and previous contact of high school students with Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, C. L.; Zanitti, M. H. R.; Felicidade, B. L.; Gomes, A. D. T.; Dias, E. W.; Coelho, F. O.

2016-04-01

The currently problems in Astronomy teaching in Brazilian Basic Education contrast with the space, and the popularity that astronomical themes have in various media in the country. In this work, we present the results of a study about the interest, and previous contact of high school students from a public school in the city of "São João del-Rei"/MG with topics related to Astronomy. The study and the pedagogical intervention were carried out by students of the PIBID/CAPES/UFSJ. The intervention was performed through an oral exposition with the students' participation, followed by the use of the Stellarium program. The results suggest the majority of students surveyed are interested in Astronomy, and have had some contact with the area. However, some inconsistencies in their responses were identified and examined. The implications for research and for Astronomy Education are discussed. We also make some considerations about relationship between the lack of specific knowledge and the misinformation as one possible reason for the little interest of students in various areas of Science.

An hourly variation in zoo visitor interest: measurement and significance for animal welfare research.

PubMed

Davey, Gareth

2006-01-01

A methodological difficulty facing welfare research on nonhuman animals in the zoo is the large number of uncontrolled variables due to variation within and between study sites. Zoo visitors act as uncontrolled variables, with number, density, size, and behavior constantly changing. This is worrisome because previous research linked visitor variables to animal behavioral changes indicative of stress. There are implications for research design: Studies not accounting for visitors' effect on animal welfare risk confounding (visitor) variables distorting their findings. Zoos need methods to measure and minimize effects of visitor behavior and to ensure that there are no hidden variables in research models. This article identifies a previously unreported variable--hourly variation (decrease) in visitor interest--that may impinge on animal welfare and validates a methodology for measuring it. That visitor interest wanes across the course of the day has important implications for animal welfare management; visitor effects on animal welfare are likely to occur, or intensify, during the morning or in earlier visits when visitor interest is greatest. This article discusses this issue and possible solutions to reduce visitor effects on animal well-being.

[Investigation of the behavioural phenotype of parents of autistic children through the new FAQ self-report].

PubMed

Piana, H; Fortin, C; Noulhiane, M; Golse, B; Robel, L

2007-01-01

Autism is characterized by impairments in communication and socialization and by the presence of circumscribed and stereotyped interest. Previous studies have shown that genetic mechanisms may enhance the vulnerability to autism. These mechanisms are complex and may involve the combination of several genes, in interaction with the environment. The genetic mechanism involved in the vulnerability to autism may also concern other disorders and some features, with enhanced prevalence in relatives of autistic patients. It has been shown, for example, that the frequency of language disorders or serial difficulties is increased in the siblings of autistic patients. Characterization and taking into account the presence of such phenotypic traits in the relations may help in understanding the results of genetic studies, in particular association studies in sibling pairs or trios. In this study, we used a new self-report in order to identify endophenotype traits in socialization, communication, rigidity and imagination in parents of autistic children. This self-report is the French adaptation of the previous self-report created by Baron-Cohen et al., aimed at the identification of Asperger profiles in a population of students studying science. Ten autistic children and their parents from a clinical setting were asked to participate in the study. Autistic children were characterized using the ADI-R and various psychometric tests, according to the possibilities of the child (PEP-R, WPPSI-R, WISC3). Twenty parents of normal children were recruited from three different professional settings. There were no differences between the two groups of parents in terms of age or social status. Parents of both groups were asked to fill in the FAQ self-report. We performed a post-hoc analysis comparing the scores of the parents in the two groups. We found a main group, but no sex effect [F (1,37)=5.46; p<0.05]. Scores of autistic parents were higher in all domains compared to the control parents (p<0.05). However, the score on the socialization subscale was the only one that significantly differed from the scores on the imagination, language and rigidity subscales [F (3,111)=20.75, p<0.001]. Our results show significant differences between the two groups of parents in the socialization domain. This is of interest both for the interpretation of the presence of allelic variants in the genetic association studies, and for the understanding of the interplay between genotype and phenotype in the development of the autistic disorder.

Reliability and minimal detectable difference in multisegment foot kinematics during shod walking and running.

PubMed

Milner, Clare E; Brindle, Richard A

2016-01-01

There has been increased interest recently in measuring kinematics within the foot during gait. While several multisegment foot models have appeared in the literature, the Oxford foot model has been used frequently for both walking and running. Several studies have reported the reliability for the Oxford foot model, but most studies to date have reported reliability for barefoot walking. The purpose of this study was to determine between-day (intra-rater) and within-session (inter-trial) reliability of the modified Oxford foot model during shod walking and running and calculate minimum detectable difference for common variables of interest. Healthy adult male runners participated. Participants ran and walked in the gait laboratory for five trials of each. Three-dimensional gait analysis was conducted and foot and ankle joint angle time series data were calculated. Participants returned for a second gait analysis at least 5 days later. Intraclass correlation coefficients and minimum detectable difference were determined for walking and for running, to indicate both within-session and between-day reliability. Overall, relative variables were more reliable than absolute variables, and within-session reliability was greater than between-day reliability. Between-day intraclass correlation coefficients were comparable to those reported previously for adults walking barefoot. It is an extension in the use of the Oxford foot model to incorporate wearing a shoe while maintaining marker placement directly on the skin for each segment. These reliability data for walking and running will aid in the determination of meaningful differences in studies which use this model during shod gait. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding Faculty and Trainee Needs Related to Scholarly Activity in a Large, Nonuniversity Graduate Medical Education Program.

PubMed

Becker, Davida; Garth, Hanna; Hollander, Rachel; Klein, Felice; Klau, Marc

2017-01-01

Graduate medical education (GME) programs must develop curriculum to ensure scholarly activity among trainees and faculty to meet accreditation requirements and to support evidence-based medicine. Test whether research-related needs and interests varied across four groups: primary care trainees, specialty trainees, primary care faculty, and specialty faculty. We surveyed a random sample of trainees and faculty in Kaiser Permanente Southern California's GME programs. We investigated group differences in outcomes using Fisher exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Research experiences, skills, barriers, motivators, and interests in specific research skills development. Participants included 47 trainees and 26 faculty (response rate = 30%). Among primary care faculty, 12 (71%) reported little or no research experience vs 1 (11%) for specialty faculty, 14 (41%) for primary care trainees, and 1 (8%) for specialty trainees (p < 0.001). Submission of research to the institutional review board, an abstract to a conference, or a manuscript for publication in the previous year varied across groups (p = 0.001, p = 0.003, and p < 0.001, respectively). Overall self-reported research skills also differed across groups (p < 0.001). Primary care faculty reported the lowest skill level. Research barriers that differed across groups included other work roles taking priority; desire for work-life balance; and lack of managerial support, research equipment, administrative support, and funding. Faculty and trainees in primary care and specialties have differing research-related needs that GME programs should consider when designing curricula to support scholarly activity. Developing research skills of primary care faculty is a priority to support trainees' scholarly activity.

Conflicts of interest among committee members in the National Academies’ genetically engineered crop study

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) publishes numerous reports each year that are received with high esteem by the scientific community and public policy makers. The NASEM has internal standards for selecting committee members that author its reports, mostly from academia, and vetting conflicts of interest. This study examines whether there were any financial conflicts of interest (COIs) among the twenty invited committee members who wrote the 2016 report on genetically engineered (GE) crops. Our results showed that six panel members had one or more reportable financial COIs, none of which were disclosed in the report. We also report on institutional COIs held by the NASEM related to the report. The difference between our findings and the NASEM reporting standards are discussed. PMID:28245228

30 CFR 1206.116 - What interest applies if I improperly report a transportation allowance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What interest applies if I improperly report a transportation allowance? 1206.116 Section 1206.116 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Oil § 1206.116 What interest...

30 CFR 1206.116 - What interest applies if I improperly report a transportation allowance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What interest applies if I improperly report a transportation allowance? 1206.116 Section 1206.116 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Oil § 1206.116 What interest...

30 CFR 1206.116 - What interest applies if I improperly report a transportation allowance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What interest applies if I improperly report a transportation allowance? 1206.116 Section 1206.116 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Oil § 1206.116 What interest...

Validation methodology in publications describing epidemiological registration methods of dental caries: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sjögren, P; Ordell, S; Halling, A

2003-12-01

The aim was to describe and systematically review the methodology and reporting of validation in publications describing epidemiological registration methods for dental caries. BASIC RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Literature searches were conducted in six scientific databases. All publications fulfilling the predetermined inclusion criteria were assessed for methodology and reporting of validation using a checklist including items described previously as well as new items. The frequency of endorsement of the assessed items was analysed. Moreover, the type and strength of evidence, was evaluated. Reporting of predetermined items relating to methodology of validation and the frequency of endorsement of the assessed items were of primary interest. Initially 588 publications were located. 74 eligible publications were obtained, 23 of which fulfilled the inclusion criteria and remained throughout the analyses. A majority of the studies reported the methodology of validation. The reported methodology of validation was generally inadequate, according to the recommendations of evidence-based medicine. The frequencies of reporting the assessed items (frequencies of endorsement) ranged from four to 84 per cent. A majority of the publications contributed to a low strength of evidence. There seems to be a need to improve the methodology and the reporting of validation in publications describing professionally registered caries epidemiology. Four of the items assessed in this study are potentially discriminative for quality assessments of reported validation.

Back to the Future: What Previous HEA Reauthorizations Might Say about the Next One

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madzelan, Dan

2015-01-01

For 50 years, the Higher Education Act has been the primary vehicle for advancing federal higher education policy. Many policymakers and interested observers expect its upcoming reauthorization to address three overarching topic areas: college affordability, institutional quality, and student safety. Indeed, previous reauthorizations have…

A novel life cycle modeling system for Ebola virus shows a genome length-dependent role of VP24 in virus infectivity.

PubMed

Watt, Ari; Moukambi, Felicien; Banadyga, Logan; Groseth, Allison; Callison, Julie; Herwig, Astrid; Ebihara, Hideki; Feldmann, Heinz; Hoenen, Thomas

2014-09-01

Work with infectious Ebola viruses is restricted to biosafety level 4 (BSL4) laboratories, presenting a significant barrier for studying these viruses. Life cycle modeling systems, including minigenome systems and transcription- and replication-competent virus-like particle (trVLP) systems, allow modeling of the virus life cycle under BSL2 conditions; however, all current systems model only certain aspects of the virus life cycle, rely on plasmid-based viral protein expression, and have been used to model only single infectious cycles. We have developed a novel life cycle modeling system allowing continuous passaging of infectious trVLPs containing a tetracistronic minigenome that encodes a reporter and the viral proteins VP40, VP24, and GP1,2. This system is ideally suited for studying morphogenesis, budding, and entry, in addition to genome replication and transcription. Importantly, the specific infectivity of trVLPs in this system was ∼ 500-fold higher than that in previous systems. Using this system for functional studies of VP24, we showed that, contrary to previous reports, VP24 only very modestly inhibits genome replication and transcription when expressed in a regulated fashion, which we confirmed using infectious Ebola viruses. Interestingly, we also discovered a genome length-dependent effect of VP24 on particle infectivity, which was previously undetected due to the short length of monocistronic minigenomes and which is due at least partially to a previously unknown function of VP24 in RNA packaging. Based on our findings, we propose a model for the function of VP24 that reconciles all currently available data regarding the role of VP24 in nucleocapsid assembly as well as genome replication and transcription. Ebola viruses cause severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans, with no countermeasures currently being available, and must be studied in maximum-containment laboratories. Only a few of these laboratories exist worldwide, limiting our ability to study Ebola viruses and develop countermeasures. Here we report the development of a novel reverse genetics-based system that allows the study of Ebola viruses without maximum-containment laboratories. We used this system to investigate the Ebola virus protein VP24, showing that, contrary to previous reports, it only modestly inhibits virus genome replication and transcription but is important for packaging of genomes into virus particles, which constitutes a previously unknown function of VP24 and a potential antiviral target. We further propose a comprehensive model for the function of VP24 in nucleocapsid assembly. Importantly, on the basis of this approach, it should easily be possible to develop similar experimental systems for other viruses that are currently restricted to maximum-containment laboratories. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Correlation of Chemical and Physical Test Data for the Environmental Ageing of Tefzel (ETFE). Revised

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, G. J.; Campion, R. P.

1997-01-01

In a similar approach to that used for the previously issued correlation report for Coflon (CAPP/M.10), this report aims to identify any correlations between mechanical property changes and chemical/morphological changes for Tefzel, using information supplied in other MERL and TRI project reports. Differences identified with Coflon behaviour will be of scientific interest as well as appropriate to project applications, as Tefzel and Coflon are chemical isomers. Owing to the considerable chemical resistance of Tefzel, much of its testing so far has been based on mechanical properties. Where changes have occurred, chemical analysis can now be targeted more effectively. Relevant test data collated here include: tensile modulus and related properties, permeation coefficients, % crystallinity, some crack growth resistance measurements, and other observations where significant. Fluids based on methanol and amine (Fluid G), a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide gases plus an aqueous amine solution (Fluid F), and an aromatic oil mix of heptane, cyclohexane, toluene and 1-propanol (Fluid I) have affected Tefzel to varying degrees, and are discussed in some detail herein.

History repeating itself: Arnaud's case of pathological déjà vu.

PubMed

Bertrand, Julie M F; Martinon, Léa M; Souchay, Céline; Moulin, Chris J A

2017-02-01

We present a translation of Arnaud's (1896) case report of Patient Louis, a case he describes as having a pathological form of déjà vu. Louis has the delusional belief that the present moment is a repetition of an exact same previous event. Arnaud's paper is critical for two reasons. Firstly, it is amongst the first articles in the scientific literature to describe the déjà vu experience using the term 'déjà vu'. Secondly, the case report of someone with delusional and persistent déjà vu, anticipates recently reported cases with similar symptoms, which are beginning to gain interest as a particular form of memory disorder. We offer a contemporary analysis of Louis and conclude that, whilst the article was critical in the development of déjà vu as a scientific concern, Louis's distorted memory is not best described as déjà vu, but rather as a form of reduplicative paramnesia described as recollective confabulation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Near millimeter wave imaging/multi-beam integrated antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yngvesson, K. S.; Schaubert, D. H.

1985-01-01

This report describes the most recent work on the theory of single element Linearly Tapered Slot Antennas (LTSAs) and Constant Width Slot Antennas (CWSAs). The radiation mechanism for these is presently well understood and allows quantitative calculation of beamwidths and sidelobe levels, provided that the antennas have a sufficiently wide conducting region on either side of the tapered slot. Appendices 4 to 7 represent earlier work on the grant. This work further elucidates the properties of arrays of CWSA elements, and the effects of coupling on the beam-shape. It should be noted that typical beam-efficiencies of 65% have been estimated, and that element spacings of about one Rayleigh unit are possible. Further, two-point resolution at the Rayleigh spacing has been demonstrated for a CWSA array in a 30.4 cm paraboloid at 31 GHz. These results underscore that interest in further studies of the radiation mechanism of tapered slot arrays. Appendix 7 constitutes a final, detailed report on the work leading to a 94 GHz seven element LTSA array imaging system, which has been reported previously in less detail. Experimental results are presented.

Intradiscal injection of triamcinolone hexacetonide for acute, subacute, and chronic sciatica. Results at 3 months an open-prospectus study of 30 cases and review of the literature.

PubMed

Bertin, P; Rochet, N; Arnaud, M; Treves, R; Desproges Gotteron, R; Charissoux, J L

1990-09-01

The authors report an open study of 30 cases of intradiscal injection of triamcinolone hexacetonide in the treatment of sciatica. The patients were monitored at months 1 and 3. The results were judged to be good in 36.6% of the cases, moderate in 36.6% and poor in 26.7% of the cases. Two adverse effects were reported: 1 case of reversible urinary retention and 1 case of deficiency of the dorsiflexor muscles of the foot. The good results reported in previous series were only found in this study when the indications were restricted to certain favourable prognostic factors: duration of sciatica less than 6 months and CAT-scan appearance of discal hernia. This technique has the advantage of being simple, economical and nonallergic. On the basis of the encouraging results of the initial series, this technique should be considered as an interesting therapeutic alternative in sciatica. Larger series and double-blind studies, however, are necessary to confirm the initial results.

A glimpse into the genetic basis of symbiosis between Hydrogenophaga and their helper strains in the biodegradation of 4-aminobenzenesulfonate

PubMed Central

Kim, Kangsan; Gan, Han Ming

2017-01-01

We report the whole genome sequences of Hydrogenophaga intermedia S1 and Agrobacterium radiobacter S2, the first reported bacterial co-culture capable of degrading 4-aminobenzenesulfonate (4-ABS), a recalcitrant industrial waste product. To gain insights into the genetic basis for the syntrophic interaction between this symbiotic pair and also another recently reported Hydrogenophaga associated co-culture, Hydrogenophaga sp. PBC and Ralstonia sp. PBA, we performed detailed genetic analysis of these four strains focusing on the metabolic pathways associated with biotin, para-aminobenzoic acid (pABA), and protocatechuate metabolism. Both assembled Hydrogenophaga draft genomes are missing a majority of the genetic components associated in the biosynthetic pathway of pABA and biotin. Interestingly, a fused pABA synthase was found in R. sp PBA but not in A. radiobacter S2. Furthermore, using whole genome data, the taxonomic classification of R. sp. PBA and A. radiobacter S2 (both previously inferred from 16S rRNA gene) was re-investigated, providing new evidence to propose for their re-classification at the genus and species level, respectively PMID:28775791

Power and death: Mortality salience increases power seeking while feeling powerful reduces death anxiety.

PubMed

Belmi, Peter; Pfeffer, Jeffrey

2016-05-01

According to Terror Management Theory, people respond to reminders of mortality by seeking psychological security and bolstering their self-esteem. Because previous research suggests that having power can provide individuals a sense of security and self-worth, we hypothesize that mortality salience leads to an increased motivation to acquire power, especially among men. Study 1 found that men (but not women) who wrote about their death reported more interest in acquiring power. Study 2A and Study 2B demonstrated that when primed with reminders of death, men (but not women) reported behaving more dominantly during the subsequent week, while both men and women reported behaving more prosocially during that week. Thus, mortality salience prompts people to respond in ways that help them manage their death anxiety but in ways consistent with normative gender expectations. Furthermore, Studies 3-5 showed that feeling powerful reduces anxiety when mortality is salient. Specifically, we found that when primed to feel more powerful, both men and women experienced less mortality anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Attitudes of students in medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy toward interprofessional education.

PubMed

Rose, Molly A; Smith, Kellie; Veloski, J Jon; Lyons, Kevin J; Umland, Elena; Arenson, Christine A

2009-01-01

With the growing interest in interprofessional education and practice, methods to evaluate the effectiveness of related curricular activities are essential. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to assess the attitudes of students in medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy toward interprofessional education using the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale and Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale and (2) to compare data with normative data previously reported. The two instruments were administered to 474 first-year students in medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy who completed the forms in the context of a workshop at the conclusion of the first year of an interprofessional health mentor program. Differences among professions were reported. Students in medicine and physical therapy rated members of their own professions significantly higher in the areas of competence/autonomy and need for cooperation as compared with those in nursing and occupational therapy. Along with reporting similarities and differences, the results provide additional normative data on these tools that can be used when choosing tools to evaluate interprofessional education attitudes.

Protecting subjects, preserving trust, promoting progress I: policy and guidelines for the oversight of individual financial interests in human subjects research.

PubMed

2003-02-01

In December 2001, the AAMC Task Force on Financial Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Research released this report, the first of two (both published in this issue of Academic Medicine). This report focuses on gaps in existing federal financial disclosure regulations of individual conflicts of interests, finding that additional scrutiny is recommended in two areas: human subjects research and privately sponsored research. The task force suggests that when potential conflicts exist, a conflicts of interest committee should apply a rebuttable presumption against engaging in human subjects research. The task force recommends that the circumstances giving rise to the presumption against the proposed activity be balanced against compelling circumstances in favor of the conduct of the research. The AAMC task force delineates core principles to guide institutional policy development. First, an institution should regard all significant financial interests in human subjects research as requiring close scrutiny. Second, in the event of compelling circumstances, an individual holding a significant financial interest may be permitted to conduct the research. Whether circumstances are deemed compelling will depend in each case upon the nature of the science, the nature of the interest, how closely the interest is related to the research, and the degree to which the interest may be affected by the research. Four other core principles for development of institutional policies are identified in the report, pertaining to reporting, monitoring, management of conflicts, and accountability.

Spirituality and use of complementary therapies for cure in advanced cancer.

PubMed

Trinkaus, Mateya; Burman, Debika; Barmala, Niusha; Rodin, Gary; Jones, Jennifer; Lo, Christopher; Zimmermann, Camilla

2011-07-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used by patients with advanced cancer, for a variety of reasons. We examined the use of CAM in this population, and associations of use for potential cure with spiritual faith and existential well-being. Patients with advanced cancer on a palliative care unit completed a measure of spiritual well-being (existential well-being and faith), and a survey assessing complementary therapy use and reasons for such use. Information was also gathered on demographic data, previous cancer treatment, performance status, and symptom distress. Regression analyses assessed the association between the spirituality domains of existential well-being and faith, and the use of CAM for cure. Of 123 participants, 85% had used CAM, 42% with curative intent. More than 95% would consider future use of CAM, 48% for potential cure. Previous use for cure predicted current interest in using CAM for cure (p<0.0001). Spiritual faith was associated with previous (p<0.02) and interest in future use for cure (p<0.0001). Poor existential well-being was associated with interest in future use of CAM for cure (p=0.04). Interest in considering CAM for cure was relatively high in this group of inpatients on a palliative care unit, and was associated with increased spiritual faith and decreased existential well-being. Understanding factors associated with seeking CAM for cure may help health-care professionals to support and educate patients with advanced cancer. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

How Common is Men's Self-Reported Sexual Interest in Prepubescent Children?

PubMed

Dombert, Beate; Schmidt, Alexander F; Banse, Rainer; Briken, Peer; Hoyer, Jürgen; Neutze, Janina; Osterheider, Michael

2016-01-01

Consistent evidence exists for sexual interest in children in nonclinical/nonforensic male populations. However, prevalences for community men's self-reported sexual interest in children have been based on indiscriminate definitions including postpubescent individuals, age-restricted samples, and/or small convenience samples. The present research assessed men's self-reported sexual interest in children (including child prostitution and child sex tourism) on the community level and examined the link between strictly defined sexual fantasies and behaviors involving prepubescent children. In an online survey of 8,718 German men, 4.1% reported sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children, 3.2% reported sexual offending against prepubescent children, and 0.1% reported a pedophilic sexual preference. Sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children were positively related to sexual offending against prepubescent children. Sexual interest in children was associated with subjectively perceived need for therapeutic help. In contrast to findings from forensic samples, men who reported child pornography use exclusively were identified as a subgroup differing from contact sexual offenders against prepubescent children and men who reported both child pornography use and contact sexual offenses against prepubescent children. The empirical link between child-related sexual fantasies and sexual victimization of prepubescent children and high levels of subjective distress from this inclination underscore the importance of evidence-based child sexual abuse prevention approaches in the community. Findings are discussed in terms of their relation to pedophilic disorder.

Report on the workshop on Ion Implantation and Ion Beam Assisted Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dearnaley, G.

1992-03-01

This workshop was organized by the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD), the major helicopter repair base within AVSCOM. Previous meetings had revealed a strong interest throughout DoD in ion beam technology as a means of extending the service life of military systems by reducing wear, corrosion, fatigue, etc. The workshop opened with an account by Dr. Bruce Sartwell of the successful application of ion implantation to bearings and gears at NRL, and the checkered history of the MANTECH Project at Spire Corporation. Dr. James Hirvonen (AMTL) continued with a summary of successful applications to reduce wear in biomedical components, and he also described the processes of ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) for a variety of protective coatings, including diamond-like carbon (DLC).

Formation evaluation in liquid-dominated geothermal reservoirs

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

Ershaghi, I.; Dougherty, E.E.; Handy, L.L.

1981-04-01

Studies relative to some formation evaluation aspects of geothermal reservoirs are reported. The particular reservoirs considered were the liquid dominated type with a lithology of the sedimentary nature. Specific problems of interest included the resistivity behavior of brines and rocks at elevated temperatures and studies on the feasibility of using the well log resistivity data to obtain estimates of reservoir permeability. Several papers summarizing the results of these studies were presented at various technical meetings for rapid dissemination of the results to potential users. These papers together with a summary of data most recently generated are included. A brief reviewmore » of the research findings precedes the technical papers. Separate abstracts were prepared for four papers. Five papers were abstracted previously for EDB.« less

Acute and prolonged complement activation in the central nervous system during herpes simplex encephalitis.

PubMed

Eriksson, Charlotta E; Studahl, Marie; Bergström, Tomas

2016-06-15

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is characterized by a pronounced inflammatory activity in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we investigated the acute and prolonged complement system activity in HSE patients, by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for numerous complement components (C). We found increased cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of C3a, C3b, C5 and C5a in HSE patients compared with healthy controls. C3a and C5a concentrations remained increased also compared with patient controls. Our results conclude that the complement system is activated in CNS during HSE in the acute phase, and interestingly also in later stages supporting previous reports of prolonged inflammation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New visual companions of solar-type stars within 25 pc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chini, R.; Fuhrmann, K.; Barr, A.; Pozo, F.; Westhues, C.; Hodapp, K.

2014-01-01

We report the discovery of faint common-proper-motion companions to the nearby southern solar-type stars HD 43162, HD 67199, HD 114837, HD 114853, HD 129502, HD 165185, HD 197214 and HD 212330 from near-infrared imaging and astrometry. We also confirm the previously identified tertiary components around HD 165401 and HD 188088. Since the majority of these stars were already known as binaries, they ascend now to higher level systems. A particularly interesting case is the G6.5 V BY Dra-type variable HD 43162, which harbours two common-proper-motion companions at distances of 410 and 2740 au. Our limited study shows that the inventory of common-proper-motion companions around nearby bright stars is still not completely known.

Design and analysis of randomized clinical trials requiring prolonged observation of each patient. II. analysis and examples.

PubMed Central

Peto, R.; Pike, M. C.; Armitage, P.; Breslow, N. E.; Cox, D. R.; Howard, S. V.; Mantel, N.; McPherson, K.; Peto, J.; Smith, P. G.

1977-01-01

Part I of this report appeared in the previous issue (Br. J. Cancer (1976) 34,585), and discussed the design of randomized clinical trials. Part II now describes efficient methods of analysis of randomized clinical trials in which we wish to compare the duration of survival (or the time until some other untoward event first occurs) among different groups of patients. It is intended to enable physicians without statistical training either to analyse such data themselves using life tables, the logrank test and retrospective stratification, or, when such analyses are presented, to appreciate them more critically, but the discussion may also be of interest to statisticians who have not yet specialized in clinical trial analyses. PMID:831755

No evidence of Borrelia mayonii in an endemic area for Lyme borreliosis in France.

PubMed

Boyer, Pierre H; De Martino, Sylvie J; Hansmann, Yves; Zilliox, Laurence; Boulanger, Nathalie; Jaulhac, Benoît

2017-06-05

Borrelia mayonii is currently the latest species belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) complex to be discovered. Interestingly it is involved in human pathology causing a high fever. We looked for its presence in post- tick bite febrile patients as well as in Ixodes ricinus ticks in an endemic area of France. After ensuring that our molecular technics correctly detected B. mayonii, 575 patients and 3,122 Ixodes ricinus nymphs were tested. Neither B. mayonii nor another species of the B. burgdorferi (s.l.) complex previously not reported in Europe has been identified. For now, B. mayonii seems to be an epiphenomenon. However, its discovery broadens the etiology of post-Ixodes bite febrile syndromes.

Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of Human Milk Oligosaccharides against Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Acinetobacter baumannii.

PubMed

Ackerman, Dorothy L; Craft, Kelly M; Doster, Ryan S; Weitkamp, Jörn-Hendrik; Aronoff, David M; Gaddy, Jennifer A; Townsend, Steven D

2018-03-09

In a previous study, we reported that human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) isolated from five donor milk samples possessed antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as Group B Streptococcus or GBS. Herein, we present a broader evaluation of the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity by screening HMOs from 14 new donors against three strains of GBS and two of the ESKAPE pathogens of particular interest to child health, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. Growth and biofilm assays showed that HMOs from these new donors possessed antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against all three strains of GBS, antibiofilm activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain USA300, and antimicrobial activity against A. baumannii strain ATCC 19606.

Preisocalamendiol, Shyobunol and Related Oxygenated Sesquiterpenes from Bolivian Schinus molle Essential Oil.

PubMed

St-Gelais, Alexis; Mathieu, Michel; Levasseur, Virginie; Ovando, Jesús Flores; Escamilla, Ruben; Marceau, Hubert

2016-04-01

Five batches of Bolivian Schinus molle essential oils were obtained from pilot and industrial-scale hydrodiffusions. They were analyzed by gas chromatography to find 80 known compounds and two unknown molecules. In particular, preisocalamendiol (5.6-11.0 %) was found to be an important constituent of these oils, along with shyobunol (0.6-3.2 %) and several other related oxygenated sesquiterpenes. These compounds, usually found in Acorus calamus, had not been reported altogether in S. molle essential oils previously. These findings, in light of the GABAA positive modulating effect of shyobunone and preisocalamendiol, along with some traditional uses of S. molle, suggest that further investigation of the tranquilizing properties of these Bolivian oils would be of interest.

Overweight individuals are at increased risk for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

PubMed

Nicol, Kathleen K; Shelton, Brent J; Knovich, Mary Ann; Owen, John

2003-11-01

Our understanding of the pathophysiology of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, TTP, has increased dramatically in the past few years with the identification of the role of ADAMTS13. Nonetheless, risk factors for the development of acute TTP are few. Informally, obesity was felt to be common in patients with TTP and so a formal study was undertaken to further define this association. We report our data in 105 patients with classical TTP as defined by thrombocytopenia and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. We found that marked obesity is a previously unrecognized risk factor with an associated odds ratio of 7.6. Interestingly, despite this increased risk, obesity might well be associated with lower mortality, although this did not reach statistical significance. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Genetic engineering of Ganoderma lucidum for the efficient production of ganoderic acids.

PubMed

Xu, Jun-Wei; Zhong, Jian-Jiang

2015-01-01

Ganoderma lucidum is a well-known traditional medicinal mushroom that produces ganoderic acids with numerous interesting bioactivities. Genetic engineering is an efficient approach to improve ganoderic acid biosynthesis. However, reliable genetic transformation methods and appropriate genetic manipulation strategies remain underdeveloped and thus should be enhanced. We previously established a homologous genetic transformation method for G. lucidum; we also applied the established method to perform the deregulated overexpression of a homologous 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase gene in G. lucidum. Engineered strains accumulated more ganoderic acids than wild-type strains. In this report, the genetic transformation systems of G. lucidum are described; current trends are also presented to improve ganoderic acid production through the genetic manipulation of G. lucidum.

[Use of a new cobetalactamine in the therapy of acute and chronic odontogenic processes].

PubMed

De Siate, A

1979-01-01

Treatment of 70 patients with acute and chronic odontogenic processes for 5-35 days (mean 10.9 days) with a new cobetalactamine is reported. Rapid resolution was noted in nosological groups marked by the presence of acute infection. Particular interest is attached to the effect of the drug on chronicisting infections, such as apical granuloma, maxillary osteitis, and radicular cysts, since these forms displayed a high degree of vascular isolation, were often sustained by a mixed flora, and had been previously treated with other antibiotics. Follow-up four weeks after the conclusion of treatment showed a low incidence of recurrences that was in all events lower than in earlier experiments with chemical antibiotics. There were no instances of intolerance or allergy.

Faradaurate nanomolecules: a superstable plasmonic 76.3 kDa cluster.

PubMed

Dass, Amala

2011-12-07

Information on the emergence of the characteristic plasmonic optical properties of nanoscale noble-metal particles has been limited, due in part to the problem of preparing homogeneous material for ensemble measurements. Here, we report the identification, isolation, and mass spectrometric and optical characterization of a 76.3 kDa thiolate-protected gold nanoparticle. This giant molecule is far larger than any metal-cluster compound, those with direct metal-to-metal bonding, previously known as homogeneous molecular substances, and is the first to exhibit clear plasmonic properties. The observed plasmon emergence phenomena in nanomolecules are of great interest, and the availability of absolutely homogeneous and characterized samples is thus critical to establishing their origin. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Study of mass and momentum transfer in diesel sprays based on X-ray mass distribution measurements and on a theoretical derivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desantes, J. M.; Salvador, F. J.; López, J. J.; de La Morena, J.

2011-02-01

In this paper, a research aimed at quantifying mass and momentum transfer in the near-nozzle field of diesel sprays injected into stagnant ambient air is reported. The study combines X-ray measurements for two different nozzles and axial positions, which provide mass distributions in the spray, with a theoretical model based on momentum flux conservation, which was previously validated. This investigation has allowed the validation of Gaussian profiles for local fuel concentration and velocity near the nozzle exit, as well as the determination of Schmidt number at realistic diesel spray conditions. This information could be very useful for those who are interested in spray modeling, especially at high-pressure injection conditions.

Combination of microautoradiography and fluorescence in situ hybridization for identification of microorganisms degrading xenobiotic contaminants.

PubMed

Yang, Yanru; Zarda, Annatina; Zeyer, Josef

2003-12-01

One of the central topics in environmental bioremediation research is to identify microorganisms that are capable of degrading the contaminants of interest. Here we report application of combined microautoradiography (MAR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The method has previously been used in a number of systems; however, here we demonstrate its feasibility in studying the degradation of xenobiotic compounds. With a model system (coculture of Pseudomonas putida B2 and Sphingomonas stygia incubated with [14C] o-nitrophenol), combination of MAR and FISH was shown to be able to successfully identify the microorganisms degrading o-nitrophenol. Compared with the conventional techniques, MAR-FISH allows fast and accurate identification of the microorganisms involved in environmental contaminant degradation.

The preparation of calcium superoxide from calcium peroxide diperoxyhydrate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballou, E. V.; Wood, P. C.; Spitze, L. A.; Wydeven, T.

1977-01-01

There is interest in solid materials containing a high percentage of stored oxygen for use in emergency breathing apparatus for miners and as auxiliary oxygen sources for astronauts. In theory, the amount of available oxygen in calcium superoxide, Ca(O2)2 is higher than in potassium superoxide, KO2, and its availability during use should be unhindered by the formation of a low melting and hydrous coating. The decomposition of solid calcium peroxide diperoxyhydrate, CaO2.2H2O2 has been studied, using an apparatus which allows good control of the critical reaction parameters. Samples have been prepared showing apparent superoxide contents in excess of those previously reported and higher than the theoretical 58.4% expected from a disproportionation reaction.

[Research progress in lampbrush chromosomes and some suggestions for their use in genetics teaching].

PubMed

Chen, Fan-guo; Li, Qing-qing

2016-02-01

Lampbrush chromosomes (LBCs) are transient giant transcripts that exist at the diplotene stage of the first meiotic division in female gametocytes of almost all animals except mammals. LBCs are named for their lampbrush-like structure, however, they received the lowest research attention in studies of three classical cytogenetic chromosomes. They have been excellent models for studying the structure, organization, transcription, and transcriptional processing of chromosomes during meiosis. Here we briefly summarized these studies and LBCs forming mechanism and also discussed their possible functions, such as providing enough transcriptional products for embryonic development by oocytes LBCs or polyploidy demonstrated by previous reports. Finally, we discussed the possibility of introducing this typical case into our genetics teaching to inspire students' interest in genetics.

Unusual presentation of herpes simplex virus infection in a boxer: 'Boxing glove herpes'.

PubMed

García-García, Begoña; Galache-Osuna, Cristina; Coto-Segura, Pablo; Suárez-Casado, Héctor; Mallo-García, Susana; Jiménez, Jorge Santos-Juanes

2013-02-01

Herein, we describe a patient with lesions of cutaneous herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection over the knuckles of both hands in the context of an outbreak among boxers. Interestingly, the infection had an unusually long duration (4 weeks), and was not acquired directly through skin-to-skin contact, as it usually does among athletes (herpes gladiatorum). In our case, transmission was acquired through the use of shared boxing gloves contaminated by HSV-1. To the best of our knowledge, herpes gladiatorum, or wrestler's herpes, has not been described previously in boxers and infection over the knuckles is not commonly reported. © 2011 The Authors. Australasian Journal of Dermatology © 2011 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Separating Judicial from Legislative Reasoning in Moral Dilemma Interviews.

PubMed

Langford, Peter E

1997-12-01

Unlike previous studies of the development of reasoning about moral dilemmas, the 2 studies reported separated judicial reasoning (the application of rules) from legislative reasoning (the justification of rules), as well as attending to other aspects of context, using a modification of the weakly interpretive scoring method of Langford and D'Cruz. This assigns justifications to relatively simple conceptually defined categories. Findings were in accord with substantially modified versions of the views of Piaget and Kohlberg, according to which legislative reasoning can be divided into 3 main types of stages in the period 7-21 years: heteronomy (Piaget) or egocentrism (Kohlberg); local groups (attention to group interests, harmony, and reciprocity in local groups), wider groups (attention to these thing in wider groups). Findings contradicted Gibbs's theory.

Analytical coupled-wave model for photonic crystal surface-emitting quantum cascade lasers.

PubMed

Wang, Zhixin; Liang, Yong; Yin, Xuefan; Peng, Chao; Hu, Weiwei; Faist, Jérôme

2017-05-15

An analytical coupled-wave model is developed for surface-emitting photonic-crystal quantum cascade lasers (PhC-QCLs). This model provides an accurate and efficient analysis of full three-dimensional device structure with large-area cavity size. Various laser properties of interest including the band structure, mode frequency, cavity loss, mode intensity profile, and far field pattern (FFP), as well as their dependence on PhC structures and cavity size, are investigated. Comparison with numerical simulations confirms the accuracy and validity of our model. The calculated FFP and polarization profile well explain the previously reported experimental results. In particular, we reveal the possibility of switching the lasing modes and generating single-lobed FFP by properly tuning PhC structures.

Micromagnetic Code Development of Advanced Magnetic Structures Final Report CRADA No. TC-1561-98

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

Cerjan, Charles J.; Shi, Xizeng

The specific goals of this project were to: Further develop the previously written micromagnetic code DADIMAG (DOE code release number 980017); Validate the code. The resulting code was expected to be more realistic and useful for simulations of magnetic structures of specific interest to Read-Rite programs. We also planned to further the code for use in internal LLNL programs. This project complemented LLNL CRADA TC-840-94 between LLNL and Read-Rite, which allowed for simulations of the advanced magnetic head development completed under the CRADA. TC-1561-98 was effective concurrently with LLNL non-exclusive copyright license (TL-1552-98) to Read-Rite for DADIMAG Version 2 executablemore » code.« less

Predicting supramolecular self-assembly on reconstructed metal surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roussel, Thomas J.; Barrena, Esther; Ocal, Carmen; Faraudo, Jordi

2014-06-01

The prediction of supramolecular self-assembly onto solid surfaces is still challenging in many situations of interest for nanoscience. In particular, no previous simulation approach has been capable to simulate large self-assembly patterns of organic molecules over reconstructed surfaces (which have periodicities over large distances) due to the large number of surface atoms and adsorbing molecules involved. Using a novel simulation technique, we report here large scale simulations of the self-assembly patterns of an organic molecule (DIP) over different reconstructions of the Au(111) surface. We show that on particular reconstructions, the molecule-molecule interactions are enhanced in a way that long-range order is promoted. Also, the presence of a distortion in a reconstructed surface pattern not only induces the presence of long-range order but also is able to drive the organization of DIP into two coexisting homochiral domains, in quantitative agreement with STM experiments. On the other hand, only short range order is obtained in other reconstructions of the Au(111) surface. The simulation strategy opens interesting perspectives to tune the supramolecular structure by simulation design and surface engineering if choosing the right molecular building blocks and stabilising the chosen reconstruction pattern.The prediction of supramolecular self-assembly onto solid surfaces is still challenging in many situations of interest for nanoscience. In particular, no previous simulation approach has been capable to simulate large self-assembly patterns of organic molecules over reconstructed surfaces (which have periodicities over large distances) due to the large number of surface atoms and adsorbing molecules involved. Using a novel simulation technique, we report here large scale simulations of the self-assembly patterns of an organic molecule (DIP) over different reconstructions of the Au(111) surface. We show that on particular reconstructions, the molecule-molecule interactions are enhanced in a way that long-range order is promoted. Also, the presence of a distortion in a reconstructed surface pattern not only induces the presence of long-range order but also is able to drive the organization of DIP into two coexisting homochiral domains, in quantitative agreement with STM experiments. On the other hand, only short range order is obtained in other reconstructions of the Au(111) surface. The simulation strategy opens interesting perspectives to tune the supramolecular structure by simulation design and surface engineering if choosing the right molecular building blocks and stabilising the chosen reconstruction pattern. GA image adapted from refs: (a) Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2001, 3, 3399-3404, with permission from the PCCP Owner Societies, and (b) J. Phys. Chem. C, 2008, 112 (18), 7168-7172, reprinted with permission from the American Chemical Society, copyright © 2008.

Negotiating Commercial Interests in Biospecimens.

PubMed

Roberts, Jessica L

2017-03-01

Proposed changes to the Common Rule would require publicly funded researchers to disclose whether a subject's biospecimens could be used for commercial profit and whether the subject will share in those proceeds. Disclosing commercial interests will inform research participants that their tissue may have commercial value, a possibility that those individuals might not have previously considered. The proposed changes may then provide people with an opportunity to negotiate commercial rights in their biospecimens despite the well-accepted legal precedent that individuals maintain no interests in their excised tissue.

Career Interest Characterizing and Reporting System. May 1, 1976 - May 31, 1977. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Inst., Waco.

A study was conducted to update the existing Career Interest Characterizing (CIC) instrument in terms of current career choices of students and to implement the survey instrument in the Texas secondary school counseling programs. The CIC instrument defines career interests of secondary school students and yields information of value in counseling…

Limitations and obstacles of the spontaneous adverse drugs reactions reporting: Two “challenging” case reports

PubMed Central

Palleria, Caterina; Leporini, Christian; Chimirri, Serafina; Marrazzo, Giuseppina; Sacchetta, Sabrina; Bruno, Lucrezia; Lista, Rosaria M.; Staltari, Orietta; Scuteri, Antonio; Scicchitano, Francesca; Russo, Emilio

2013-01-01

Introduction: Nowadays, based on several epidemiological data, iatrogenic disease is an emerging public health problem, especially in industrialized countries. Adverse drugs reactions (ADRs) are extremely common and, therefore, clinically, socially, and economically worthy of attention. Spontaneous reporting system for suspected ADRs represents the cornerstone of the pharmacovigilance, because it allows rapid detection of potential alarm signals related to drugs use. However, spontaneous reporting system shows several limitations, which are mainly related to under-reporting. In this paper, we describe two particular case reports, which emphasize some reasons of under-reporting and other common criticisms of spontaneous reporting systems. Materials and Methods: We performed a computer-aided search of Medline, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library databases, national and international databases of suspected ADRs reports in order to identify previous published case reports and spontaneous reports about the ADRs reviewed in this paper, and to examine the role of suspected drugs in the pathogenesis of the described adverse reactions. Results: First, we reported a case of tizanidine-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. In the second case report, we presented an episode of asthma exacerbation after taking bimatoprost. Through the review of these two cases, we highlighted some common criticisms of spontaneous reporting systems: under-reporting and false causality attribution. Discussion and Conclusion: Healthcare workers sometimes do not report ADRs because it is challenging to establish with certainty the causal relationship between drug and adverse reaction; however, according to a key principle of pharmacovigilance, it is always better to report even a suspicion to generate an alarm in the interest of protecting public health. PMID:24347986

Limitations and obstacles of the spontaneous adverse drugs reactions reporting: Two "challenging" case reports.

PubMed

Palleria, Caterina; Leporini, Christian; Chimirri, Serafina; Marrazzo, Giuseppina; Sacchetta, Sabrina; Bruno, Lucrezia; Lista, Rosaria M; Staltari, Orietta; Scuteri, Antonio; Scicchitano, Francesca; Russo, Emilio

2013-12-01

Nowadays, based on several epidemiological data, iatrogenic disease is an emerging public health problem, especially in industrialized countries. Adverse drugs reactions (ADRs) are extremely common and, therefore, clinically, socially, and economically worthy of attention. Spontaneous reporting system for suspected ADRs represents the cornerstone of the pharmacovigilance, because it allows rapid detection of potential alarm signals related to drugs use. However, spontaneous reporting system shows several limitations, which are mainly related to under-reporting. In this paper, we describe two particular case reports, which emphasize some reasons of under-reporting and other common criticisms of spontaneous reporting systems. We performed a computer-aided search of Medline, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library databases, national and international databases of suspected ADRs reports in order to identify previous published case reports and spontaneous reports about the ADRs reviewed in this paper, and to examine the role of suspected drugs in the pathogenesis of the described adverse reactions. First, we reported a case of tizanidine-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. In the second case report, we presented an episode of asthma exacerbation after taking bimatoprost. Through the review of these two cases, we highlighted some common criticisms of spontaneous reporting systems: under-reporting and false causality attribution. Healthcare workers sometimes do not report ADRs because it is challenging to establish with certainty the causal relationship between drug and adverse reaction; however, according to a key principle of pharmacovigilance, it is always better to report even a suspicion to generate an alarm in the interest of protecting public health.

Problems associated with practices that increase the reported recoveries of waterfowl bands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Atwood, E.L.; Geis, A.D.

1960-01-01

The reliability of information based upon banded birds bagged which are reported depends upon the extent to which the following conditions are met: ....1. The reported ratio is the same between years with the same areas of interest....2. The reported ratio is essentially the same between different areas of interest....3. The reported ratio is known for each area of interest....If the first two conditions are met, the banded birds bagged which are reported will always have the same relationship to total banded birds which are bagged. Under these conditions the reported ratio is substantially a constant, and, once it is determined, the investigator could use this ratio for estimating the total number of banded birds bagged. Currently, the necessary conditions leading to the above relationships are not being met, and the situation with respect to reported ratios is as follows:...1. The reported ratio is different between years within the same area of interest. This situation is common but its limit is unknown....2. The reported ratio is different within the same year between different areas of interest. This situation is very common but its limit is unknown. ...3. The reported ratio is different between waterfowl species. The difference between several species has been demonstrated. ....4. The reported ratio is not known for each area of interest. Because of item 2 above, the potential number for different reported ratios is as large as the number of areas of interest. The large number coupled with their lack of constancy (item 1 above) has created a very difficult problem relative to determining reported ratios for all areas of interest....A number of activities which contribute to increased variability in the proportion of bands taken that are reported include:....(1) band reports from those conservation agency employees who make particular efforts to report all the bands they note at checking stations, or in other special bandcollecting programs in which efforts vary from area to area and from year to year; ...(2) publicity campaigns, which are sporadic and not uniform: efforts of writers of some sports columns have had serious effects because of their strong influence..... (3) reward-band programs, which are difficult to administer and finance. and which are almost certain to have variable effects in different areas and different years;....(4) lucky-band contests which have the disadvantages of both (1) and (2). There is some evidence, also, that color-marking programs may have an effect on band returns, and it is suggested that these effects be evaluated.....In view of the above, the chances appear good for obtaining a substantially constant reported ratio in the same area of reference between years by removing these activities. It is believed that the reliability of information based upon banded birds bagged which are reported will be increased in proportion to the degree to which the above practices are decreased.

Current interest in careers in surgery and cardiothoracic surgery from the millennial generation.

PubMed

Ghannam, Michael; Zhao, Lili; Reddy, Rishindra M

2014-01-01

Interest in cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) as a career has decreased over the past decade. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many surgeons develop an interest in CTS before medical school and even before college. This study evaluates the interest of high-school students at a magnet high school, with regard to careers in medicine, in surgery, and in CTS. A survey assessing career interests and values was conducted among junior and senior high-school students. Students were given a 1-hour presentation by a cardiothoracic (CT) surgeon on the postgraduate training process and then completed a postpresentation survey. A magnet math and science high school, the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center. Of 128 students, 117 (91% response rate) completed the survey. Overall, 38% of students reported having a high interest in medicine; of this group, 58% reported a high interest in surgery and 36% reported having a high interest in CTS. Men were more likely than women were to have a high interest in surgery and CTS (p < 0.001). Students with at least 1 family member as a physician vs those without were more likely to be interested in medicine, surgery, and CTS and also have a higher level of concern for postgraduation debt (p < 0.01). Women were more likely than men were to have a high level of concern about postgraduation debt (p = 0.018). After a presentation by a CT surgeon, students showed no changes in interest in medicine careers but did report an increased level of knowledge about the process of becoming a CT surgeon, going from 31% to 72%. There exists a large interest in both surgery and CTS at the high-school level, but there may be a need for more active outreach to maintain and foster their interest in surgery and CTS through undergraduate and medical school. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determining root correspondence between previously and newly detected objects

DOEpatents

Paglieroni, David W.; Beer, N Reginald

2014-06-17

A system that applies attribute and topology based change detection to networks of objects that were detected on previous scans of a structure, roadway, or area of interest. The attributes capture properties or characteristics of the previously detected objects, such as location, time of detection, size, elongation, orientation, etc. The topology of the network of previously detected objects is maintained in a constellation database that stores attributes of previously detected objects and implicitly captures the geometrical structure of the network. A change detection system detects change by comparing the attributes and topology of new objects detected on the latest scan to the constellation database of previously detected objects.

31 CFR 363.42 - How will my interest income be reported for tax purposes?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... TreasuryDirect § 363.42 How will my interest income be reported for tax purposes? When you open your TreasuryDirect ® account, you consent to receive the appropriate tax reporting forms by electronic means... printable form through your TreasuryDirect account. If you withdraw your consent to receive tax reporting...

Clinical and pathological characteristics of Hispanic BRCA-associated breast cancers in the American-Mexican border city of El Paso, TX.

PubMed

Nahleh, Zeina; Otoukesh, Salman; Dwivedi, Alok Kumar; Mallawaarachchi, Indika; Sanchez, Luis; Saldivar, J Salvador; Cataneda, Kayla; Heydarian, Rosalinda

2015-01-01

Hispanics in El Paso, TX, a large American-Mexican border city constitute 85% of the population. Limited cancer research has been conducted in this population. We sought to study the prevalence of BRCA mutations among Hispanic patients of Mexican origin, identify reported Mexican founder or recurrent mutations, and study the breast cancer characteristics in mutation carriers. Hispanic women of Mexican descent with a personal history of breast cancer, who presented consecutively for genetic cancer risk assessment, were enrolled in an Institutional Review Board-approved registry and underwent BRCA testing based on national guidelines. The characteristics of tumors and patients with positive BRCA mutation were analyzed. 88 patients were screened; 18 patients (20%) were BRCA carriers. Among BRCA carriers, 72% were diagnosed with breast cancer at younger than 50 years, 61% had "Triple negative disease". BRCA carriers had a significantly higher Body Mass Index (BMI) than non-carriers. Thirteen patients had BRCA1 mutations and five had BRCA2 mutations. A total of 17 deleterious BRCA Mutations were observed. Seven have been previously reported as specific genes from Mexico as country of origin. Five new mutations in BRCA carriers of Mexican descent were identified. Hispanic breast cancer patients of Mexican origin present at a younger age, and have predominantly triple negative tumors and high BMI. We identified 5 new mutations not reported previously in Hispanic BRCA carriers of Mexican descent. Interestingly, 41% of BRCA mutations identified have been reported as recurrent mutations in Hispanic individuals from Mexico as the country of origin. A more cost-effective approach to initial screening of Hispanic individuals based on country of origin is desirable and would potentially decrease the number of cases requiring complete sequencing.

Replication and validation of genetic polymorphisms associated with survival after allogeneic blood or marrow transplant

PubMed Central

Karaesmen, Ezgi; Rizvi, Abbas A.; Preus, Leah M.; McCarthy, Philip L.; Pasquini, Marcelo C.; Onel, Kenan; Zhu, Xiaochun; Spellman, Stephen; Haiman, Christopher A.; Stram, Daniel O.; Pooler, Loreall; Sheng, Xin; Zhu, Qianqian; Yan, Li; Liu, Qian; Hu, Qiang; Webb, Amy; Brock, Guy; Clay-Gilmour, Alyssa I.; Battaglia, Sebastiano; Tritchler, David; Liu, Song; Hahn, Theresa

2017-01-01

Multiple candidate gene-association studies of non-HLA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and outcomes after blood or marrow transplant (BMT) have been conducted. We identified 70 publications reporting 45 SNPs in 36 genes significantly associated with disease-related mortality, progression-free survival, transplant-related mortality, and/or overall survival after BMT. Replication and validation of these SNP associations were performed using DISCOVeRY-BMT (Determining the Influence of Susceptibility COnveying Variants Related to one-Year mortality after BMT), a well-powered genome-wide association study consisting of 2 cohorts, totaling 2888 BMT recipients with acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or myelodysplastic syndrome, and their HLA-matched unrelated donors, reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. Gene-based tests were used to assess the aggregate effect of SNPs on outcome. None of the previously reported significant SNPs replicated at P < .05 in DISCOVeRY-BMT. Validation analyses showed association with one previously reported donor SNP at P < .05 and survival; more associations would be anticipated by chance alone. No gene-based tests were significant at P < .05. Functional annotation with publicly available data shows these candidate SNPs most likely do not have biochemical function; only 13% of candidate SNPs correlate with gene expression or are predicted to impact transcription factor binding. Of these, half do not impact the candidate gene of interest; the other half correlate with expression of multiple genes. These findings emphasize the peril of pursing candidate approaches and the importance of adequately powered tests of unbiased genome-wide associations with BMT clinical outcomes given the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes. PMID:28811306

Interest in Science: A RIASEC-Based Analysis of Students' Interests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dierks, Pay O.; Höffler, Tim N.; Blankenburg, Janet S.; Peters, Heide; Parchmann, Ilka

2016-01-01

Considering the reported lack of interest in the STEM-domain and the consequential difficulties in recruiting talented and interested young academics, the development of effective enrichment measures is indispensable. This requires a precise picture of students' interests. The paper presents an approach to characterize interest profiles in…

How to Implement an E-Learning Curriculum to Streamline Teaching Digital Image Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Király, Sándor

2016-01-01

In the field of teaching, one of the interesting subjects is the research of the fact which didactic methods are good for learning the current curriculum for the students who show a wide range of age, interest, chosen courses, previous studies and motivation. This article introduces the facilities that support the learning process: the…

A Concurrent Test of Accuracy-of-Classification for the Strong Vocational Interest and Kuder Occupational Interest Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zytowski, Donald G.

1972-01-01

Owing to the uncertainty concerning the concurrent validity of the SVIB and the KOIS, a test of accuracy of classification of men in the occupations common to both inventories was undertaken. The results suggest that neither show any less validity than had been shown in separate studies previously. (Author)

Gaze Following in Children with Autism: Do High Interest Objects Boost Performance?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorup, Emilia; Kleberg, Johan Lundin; Falck-Ytter, Terje

2017-01-01

This study tested whether including objects perceived as highly interesting by children with autism during a gaze following task would result in increased first fixation durations on the target objects. It has previously been found that autistic children differentiate less between an object another person attends to and unattended objects in terms…

Preschool Children's Interest in Babies: Observations in Naturally-Occurring Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakemore, Judith E. Owen

Previous research in laboratory settings has found that preschool girls show more interest in babies than do preschool boys. To validate these findings in natural settings, 71 children at 3 and 5 years of age were observed by their parents as the children interacted with babies in their daily lives. Each child was observed with three different…

Impact of Education on School-aged Children's Knowledge of and Participation in "The Choking Game".

PubMed

Butler, Kendall; Raingruber, Bonnie; Butler, Eric; Wilson, Machelle

2016-06-01

To better understand school-aged children's awareness of and attitudes about the Choking Game (TCG). To determine if education can increase awareness of the risk of injury when playing TCG and to determine if education can decrease interest in TCG participation. Anonymous pre- and post-education surveys. Two middle/high schools; one in Utah and one in California. 291 participants (163 in Utah, 128 in California) aged 9-18, 68% under age 15, 32% 15 and older; 65% white, 35% non-white; 52% female, 48% male. 76% of participants knew about TCG, of those 62% heard about it at school. 32% knew someone who had played, and twelve (4%) had played, usually with others. Most frequently cited as reasons for participation were curiosity, peer pressure, and competition. School was the most common location for playing. In California education significantly increased risk awareness, and significant positive attitude changes were observed regarding interest in playing TCG. Utah participants also exhibited attitude changes in the desired direction (less interest in playing TCG, would warn friends, and realized it was not safe to stop breathing), although results were not statistically significant, possibly due to previous education and four recent and highly publicized TCG deaths in the community. Results indicate that interactive, standardized, and skills-based education can increase student awareness of TCG risks and decrease interest in participation. Students reported that the schools were often where they first heard about TCG and where TCG was commonly played. Educators and associated health care professionals should therefore be encouraged to provide preventative education as part of school curricula.

A mixed-methods study of young adults' receptivity to using Facebook for smoking cessation: if you build it, will they come?

PubMed

Ramo, Danielle E; Liu, Howard; Prochaska, Judith J

2015-01-01

To determine whether young adults are interested in a Facebook intervention for smoking cessation and to inform the design of such an intervention. Mixed-methods. Participants throughout the United States were recruited through Facebook. Young adults aged 18 to 25 years who had smoked at least once in the past month. Participants (N = 570) completed an online survey of tobacco and social media use. A subset of 30 survey completers, stratified by motivation to quit smoking, agreed to participate in a structured interview over online chat. Themes were identified by using grounded theory. Approximately a third of the full sample (31%) reported they would want to get help to quit smoking by using Facebook. Interest in using Facebook to quit was greater among those who were more motivated to quit (χ(2) = 75.2, p < .001), had made a quit attempt in the past year (χ(2) = 16.0, p < .001), and had previously used the Internet for assistance with a quit attempt (χ(2) = 6.2, p = .013). In qualitative interviews, social support and convenience were identified as strengths of a Facebook intervention, while privacy was the main issue of concern. Nearly one in three young adult smokers on Facebook expressed interest in using Facebook for quitting smoking. Social media approaches that respect privacy and tailor to readiness to quit are likely to maximize participation.

[A self-improvement and participatory career development education program involving internships and volunteer training experience for pharmacy students: results verified in a follow-up survey three years after participation].

PubMed

Kurio, Wasako; Konishi, Motomi; Okuno, Tomofumi; Nakao, Teruyuki; Kimura, Tomoki; Tsuji, Takumi; Yamamuro, Akiko; Yamamoto, Yumi; Nishikawa, Tomoe; Yanada, Kazuo; Yasuhara, Tomohisa; Kohno, Takeyuki; Ogita, Kiyokazu; Sone, Tomomichi

2014-01-01

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, offers the Self-improvement and Participatory Career Development Education Program: Internship and Volunteer Training Experience for Pharmacy Students to third-year students. We previously reported that the training experience was effective in cultivating important attributes among students, such as a willingness to learn the aims of pharmacists, an awareness of their own role as healthcare workers, and a desire to reflect on their future careers and lives. A follow-up survey of the participants was carried out three years after the training experience. The questionnaire verified that the training experience affected attendance at subsequent lectures and course determination after graduation. We confirmed the relationship between the participants' degree of satisfaction with the training experience and increased motivation for attending subsequent lectures. Through the training experience, participants discovered future targets and subjects of study. In addition, they became more interested in subsequent classroom lessons and their future. The greater the participants' degree of satisfaction with their training experience, the more interest they took in practical training and future courses. The present study clarified that the training experience was effective in cultivating important attributes such as a willingness to learn and an interest in future courses. Moreover, the training positively affected the course determination after graduation.

Exploring Hot Gas at Junctions of Galaxy Filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitsuishi, Ikuyuki; Yamasaki, Noriko; Kawahara, Hajime; Sekiya, Norio; Sasaki, Shin; Sousbie, Thierry

Because galaxies are forced to follow the strong gravitational potential created by the underlying cosmic web of the dark matter, their distribution reflects its filamentary structures. By identifying the filamentary structures, one can therefore recover a map of the network that drives structure formation. Filamentary junctions are regions of particular interest as they identify places where mergers and other interesting astrophysical phenomena have high chances to occur. We identified the galaxy filaments by our original method (Sousbie (2011) & Sousbie et al. (2011)) and X-ray pointing observations were conducted for the six fields locating in the junctions of the galaxy filaments where no specific diffuse X-ray emissions had previously been detected so far. We discovered significant X-ray signals in their images and spectra of the all regions. Spectral analysis demonstrated that six sources originate from diffuse emissions associated with optically bright galaxies, group-scale, or cluster-scale X-ray halos with kT˜1-4 keV, while the others are compact object origin. Interestingly, all of the newly discovered three intracluster media show peculiar features such as complex or elongated morphologies in X-ray and/or optical and hot spot involved in ongoing merger events (Kawahara et al. (2011) & Mitsuishi et al. (2014)). In this conference, results of follow-up radio observations for the merging groups as well as the details of the X-ray observations will be reported.

A simple, rapid, high-fidelity and cost-effective PCR-based two-step DNA synthesis method for long gene sequences.

PubMed

Xiong, Ai-Sheng; Yao, Quan-Hong; Peng, Ri-He; Li, Xian; Fan, Hui-Qin; Cheng, Zong-Ming; Li, Yi

2004-07-07

Chemical synthesis of DNA sequences provides a powerful tool for modifying genes and for studying gene function, structure and expression. Here, we report a simple, high-fidelity and cost-effective PCR-based two-step DNA synthesis (PTDS) method for synthesis of long segments of DNA. The method involves two steps. (i) Synthesis of individual fragments of the DNA of interest: ten to twelve 60mer oligonucleotides with 20 bp overlap are mixed and a PCR reaction is carried out with high-fidelity DNA polymerase Pfu to produce DNA fragments that are approximately 500 bp in length. (ii) Synthesis of the entire sequence of the DNA of interest: five to ten PCR products from the first step are combined and used as the template for a second PCR reaction using high-fidelity DNA polymerase pyrobest, with the two outermost oligonucleotides as primers. Compared with the previously published methods, the PTDS method is rapid (5-7 days) and suitable for synthesizing long segments of DNA (5-6 kb) with high G + C contents, repetitive sequences or complex secondary structures. Thus, the PTDS method provides an alternative tool for synthesizing and assembling long genes with complex structures. Using the newly developed PTDS method, we have successfully obtained several genes of interest with sizes ranging from 1.0 to 5.4 kb.

Cultural differences in spiritual care: findings of an Israeli oncologic questionnaire examining patient interest in spiritual care

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background As professional spiritual care (chaplaincy) is introduced to new cultures worldwide, it bears examining which elements of screening and care are universal and, for those elements showing cultural difference, to study them in each culture. No quantitative spiritual care patient study had previously been done in Israel. Our objectives were twofold: 1) to examine who wants spiritual care in Israel, including demographic and clinical variables, and to compare against other results worldwide to further develop universal screening protocols 2) to see what patients want from spiritual care specifically in the Israeli setting. Methods Self-administered patient questionnaire examining spirituality/religiosity, interest in spiritual care (subdivided by type of care), and key demographic, social, and clinical data. The study setting was an Israeli oncology center at which spiritual care had been recently introduced. Results Data from 364 oncology patient questionnaires found 41% interest in spiritual care, as compared to 35%-54% in American studies. Having previously been visited by a spiritual caregiver predicted patient interest in further spiritual care (AOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.6), suggesting that the new service is being well-received. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis identified additional predictors of openness to receiving spiritual care: self-describing as somewhat/very spiritual vs. not spiritual (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.9 and 6.3, 95% CI 1.8-8.6 and 2.6-15.1) or traditional/religious vs. secular (AOR 2.2 and 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.6 and 1.1-4.0); and receiving one visit a week or less from family and friends (AOR 5.6, 95% CI 2.1-15.1). These findings are in line with previous American studies, suggesting universality across cultures that could be utilized in screening. Differences in demographic data and medical condition were not significant predictors of patient interest, suggesting a cultural difference, where age and education were predictors in the American context. Levels of interest in explicitly religious or spiritual support such as prayer or addressing religious/spiritual questions were much lower than in other cultures. Conclusions Results illustrate the demand for and satisfaction with the new Israeli service. The cross-cultural comparison found both culture-dependent and possibly universal predictors of patient interest, and found lower interest in Israel for explicitly religious/spiritual types of support. PMID:24708816

A fruit quality gene map of Prunus

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Prunus fruit development, growth, ripening, and senescence includes major biochemical and sensory changes in texture, color, and flavor. The genetic dissection of these complex processes has important applications in crop improvement, to facilitate maximizing and maintaining stone fruit quality from production and processing through to marketing and consumption. Here we present an integrated fruit quality gene map of Prunus containing 133 genes putatively involved in the determination of fruit texture, pigmentation, flavor, and chilling injury resistance. Results A genetic linkage map of 211 markers was constructed for an intraspecific peach (Prunus persica) progeny population, Pop-DG, derived from a canning peach cultivar 'Dr. Davis' and a fresh market cultivar 'Georgia Belle'. The Pop-DG map covered 818 cM of the peach genome and included three morphological markers, 11 ripening candidate genes, 13 cold-responsive genes, 21 novel EST-SSRs from the ChillPeach database, 58 previously reported SSRs, 40 RAFs, 23 SRAPs, 14 IMAs, and 28 accessory markers from candidate gene amplification. The Pop-DG map was co-linear with the Prunus reference T × E map, with 39 SSR markers in common to align the maps. A further 158 markers were bin-mapped to the reference map: 59 ripening candidate genes, 50 cold-responsive genes, and 50 novel EST-SSRs from ChillPeach, with deduced locations in Pop-DG via comparative mapping. Several candidate genes and EST-SSRs co-located with previously reported major trait loci and quantitative trait loci for chilling injury symptoms in Pop-DG. Conclusion The candidate gene approach combined with bin-mapping and availability of a community-recognized reference genetic map provides an efficient means of locating genes of interest in a target genome. We highlight the co-localization of fruit quality candidate genes with previously reported fruit quality QTLs. The fruit quality gene map developed here is a valuable tool for dissecting the genetic architecture of fruit quality traits in Prunus crops. PMID:19995417

Self-appraisals and episodic memory: Different psychological factors related to patient versus informant reports of apathy in severe traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Arnould, Annabelle; Rochat, Lucien; Azouvi, Philippe; van der Linden, Martial

2018-01-09

Apathy is a core feature in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The psychological processes underlying apathy are still unclear, and the few studies conducted on this subject have essentially focused on cognitive processes and informant reports of apathetic manifestations. The aims of the present study were to examine self-reports versus informant reports of diminished initiative/interest, as well as their relationship with different cognitive factors (attention/executive mechanisms, episodic memory, and multitasking) and personal identity factors (self-esteem and self-efficacy beliefs). To this end, 74 participants (38 patients with severe TBI matched with 36 control participants) were given three questionnaires to assess self-esteem, general self-efficacy beliefs, and anxio-depressive symptoms and five tasks to assess cognitive processes, including real-life multitasking. In addition, a questionnaire that assessed self-awareness of functional competencies and a questionnaire that assessed lack of initiative/interest were administered to each participant and their relatives. The main results showed that patients demonstrated an awareness of their lack of initiative/interest and that self-reported lack of initiative/interest was best predicted by low general self-efficacy beliefs and self-esteem, whereas informant-reported lack of initiative/interest was predicted by episodic memory difficulties. These results shed new light on the psychological processes related to apathetic manifestations, as well as the differing perspectives and lived experiences of patients and external observers in the TBI population, which opens interesting prospects for psychological interventions.

Arguing Collaboratively: Argumentative Discourse Types and Their Potential for Knowledge Building

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felton, Mark; Garcia-Mila, Merce; Villarroel, Constanza; Gilabert, Sandra

2015-01-01

Background: There is growing interest in using argumentative discourse in educational settings. However, in a previous study, we found that discourse goals (persuasion vs. consensus) while arguing can affect student outcomes in both content learning and reasoning. Aims: In this study, we look at argumentative discourse data from a previous study…

43 CFR 30.264 - When must BIA furnish a valuation of a decedent's interests?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false When must BIA furnish a valuation of a... BIA furnish a valuation of a decedent's interests? (a) BIA must furnish a valuation report of the..., BIA must furnish a valuation report in the probate file when it is submitted to OHA. Interested...

Interest and perceived barriers toward careers in academic medicine among medical students at Alfaisal University - College of Medicine: A Saudi Arabian perspective.

PubMed

Abu-Zaid, Ahmed; Altinawi, Basmah; Eshaq, Abdulaziz M; Alkhatib, Lynn; Hoilat, Judie; Kadan, Sana; Alshammari, Mai; Farfour, Aya; Obeidat, Akef; Alkattan, Khaled

2018-05-02

[1] Identify the percentage of undergraduate students who are interested in academic medicine (AM) careers, [2] Explore the relationship between students' characteristics, previous experiences and interest in AM careers and [3] Determine students' perceived barriers toward AM careers at Alfaisal University - College of Medicine. An online, anonymous, random, self-rating survey was administered during spring 2013-2014 to second-year and third-year students (n = 302). Chi-square test was used to correlate between interest in AM careers and students' characteristics. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the mean 5-point Likert scale responses between male and female students. A total of 231 students participated in the survey (response rate: 76.5%). A total of 32 students (13.9%) expressed interest in AM careers, and this percentage significantly differed by gender, academic year, interest in teaching and research and previous research experiences (p < 0.05). The top three barriers were "lower income" (77.5%), "competing pressures to fulfill clinical-teaching-research duties" (73.6%) and "lack of career advising" (69.7%). As opposed to males, females achieved higher statistically significant differences of means regarding: "competing pressures to fulfill clinical-teaching-research duties" (p < 0.001) and "lack of same-gender role models in AM careers" (p < 0.000). AM careers were unpopular by students. Curricular, extracurricular and institutional measures should be implemented to rectify this dilemma.

"Polio Eradication" Game May Increase Public Interest in Global Health.

PubMed

Okitika, Toluwalose A; Barnabas, Ruanne V; Rue, Tessa; Weisman, Jordan; Harris, Nathan A; Orenstein, Walter A; Wasserheit, Judith N

2015-06-01

Interactive games that highlight global health challenges and solutions are a potential tool for increasing interest in global health. To test this hypothesis, we developed an interactive "Polio Eradication" (PE) game and evaluated whether playing or watching was associated with increased public interest in global health. The PE game is a life-size, human board game that simulates PE efforts. Four players-a researcher, a transportation expert, a local community coordinator, and a healthcare worker-collaborate as an interdisciplinary team to help limit ongoing and future polio outbreaks in Pakistan, represented on the game board. Participants who played or observed the game and those who did not participate in the game, but visited noninteractive global health exhibits, completed a survey on participation outcomes. We used relative risk regression to examine associations between cofactors and change in global health interest. Three variables predicted increased global health interest among the game participants: Having little or no previous global health knowledge prior to playing the game (risk ratio [RR]=1.28; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.45), not currently being involved in global health (RR=1.41; 95 percent CI, 1.07-1.85), and visiting Seattle (RR=1.25; 95 percent CI, 1.04-1.51). Our results suggest that a hands-on, interactive game may increase the public's interest in global health, particularly among those with minimal previous knowledge of or involvement in global health activities.

“Polio Eradication” Game May Increase Public Interest in Global Health

PubMed Central

Barnabas, Ruanne V.; Rue, Tessa; Weisman, Jordan; Harris, Nathan A.; Orenstein, Walter A.

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: Interactive games that highlight global health challenges and solutions are a potential tool for increasing interest in global health. To test this hypothesis, we developed an interactive “Polio Eradication” (PE) game and evaluated whether playing or watching was associated with increased public interest in global health. Materials and Methods: The PE game is a life-size, human board game that simulates PE efforts. Four players—a researcher, a transportation expert, a local community coordinator, and a healthcare worker—collaborate as an interdisciplinary team to help limit ongoing and future polio outbreaks in Pakistan, represented on the game board. Participants who played or observed the game and those who did not participate in the game, but visited noninteractive global health exhibits, completed a survey on participation outcomes. We used relative risk regression to examine associations between cofactors and change in global health interest. Results: Three variables predicted increased global health interest among the game participants: Having little or no previous global health knowledge prior to playing the game (risk ratio [RR]=1.28; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.13–1.45), not currently being involved in global health (RR=1.41; 95 percent CI, 1.07–1.85), and visiting Seattle (RR=1.25; 95 percent CI, 1.04–1.51). Conclusions: Our results suggest that a hands-on, interactive game may increase the public's interest in global health, particularly among those with minimal previous knowledge of or involvement in global health activities. PMID:26182064

Conflicts of interest and expertise of independent commenters in news stories about medical research

PubMed Central

Wang, Michael T.M.; Grey, Andrew; Bolland, Mark J.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Media coverage of medical research influences the views and behaviours of clinicians, scientists and members of the public. We examined how frequently commenters in news stories about medical research have relevant expertise and have academic and financial conflicts, how often such conflicts are reported and whether there are associations between the conflicts and the disposition of the comments toward the findings of the source research. METHODS: We analyzed 104 independent comments in news stories on original clinical research published in high-impact medical journals from Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2013, and 21 related journal editorials. Main outcomes were prevalence of relevant academic and clinical expertise, prevalence and reporting of academic and financial conflicts of interest, and disposition of comments toward study findings. RESULTS: Only 1 in 6 news stories included independent comments. Overall, 25% of commenters and 0% of editorialists had neither relevant academic nor clinical expertise (p = 0.007). Among the 104 comments, an academic conflict of interest was present for 56 (54%), of which 25 (45%) were reported in the news stories. A financial conflict of interest was present for 33 (32%) of the comments, of which 11 (33%) were reported. When commenters’ conflicts of interest were congruent with the findings of the source research, 97% and 93% of comments associated with academic and financial conflicts of interest, respectively, were favourably disposed toward the research. These values were 16% and 17%, respectively, when the conflicts of interest were not congruent with the research findings. INTERPRETATION: Independent commenters in new stories about medical research may lack relevant academic or clinical expertise. Academic or financial conflicts of interest were frequently present among independent commenters but infrequently reported, and were often associated with the disposition of comments about the source research. PMID:27993918

Self-Reported Interest to Participate in a Health Survey if Different Amounts of Cash or Non-Monetary Incentive Types Were Offered.

PubMed

Zheng, Guili; Oksuzyan, Sona; Hsu, Shelly; Cloud, Jennifer; Jewell, Mirna Ponce; Shah, Nirvi; Smith, Lisa V; Frye, Douglas; Kuo, Tony

2018-04-13

The objective of this study was to assess monetary and non-monetary factors that can influence the decision to participate in a future health survey. A questionnaire was administered to eligible, low-income participants (n = 1502) of the 2012 Los Angeles County Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (LAHANES-II). Multivariable regression analyses were performed to describe factors potentially associated with future intent to participate in similar survey designs. The results of the survey suggest that, overall, female participants had a greater interest in participating under a variety of incentive scenarios. Compared to the 25-34 age group, older participants (35-44, 45-84) reported more interest to participate if $10 cash [prepaid gift/debit card], a coupon for product/travel, or a small item [e.g., granola bar, t-shirt, pen] was offered, whereas younger participants (18-24) reported greater interest for $25 cash or a coupon for product/travel. Non-Whites, when compared to Whites/Non-Hispanics, reported greater interest to participate if any of the incentives was offered. High school graduates, when compared to those with some college education, reported greater interest to participate if $10 cash, a small item, or a lottery ticket was offered. Presence of two or more chronic conditions increased interest while concerns about participation in LAHANES-II was associated with reduced interest to participate in future health-related surveys. The results suggest that both incentives and non-monetary considerations (e.g., personal concerns about participating and individual level characteristics) can influence the decision to participate in health-related surveys and offer insights into strategies that can improve response rates for these assessments that are often used to inform community planning.

Review of Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 2011

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

There were 83 articles published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (JCMR) in 2011, which is an 11% increase in the number of articles since 2010. The quality of the submissions continues to increase. The editors had been delighted with the 2010 JCMR Impact Factor of 4.33, although this fell modestly to 3.72 for 2011. The impact factor undergoes natural variation according to citation rates of papers in the 2 years following publication, and is significantly influenced by highly cited papers such as official reports. However, we remain very pleased with the progress of the journal's impact over the last 5 years. Our acceptance rate is approximately 25%, and has been falling as the number of articles being submitted has been increasing. In accordance with Open-Access publishing, the JCMR articles go on-line as they are accepted with no collating of the articles into sections or special thematic issues. For this reason, the Editors feel it is useful to summarize the papers for the readership into broad areas of interest or theme, which we feel would be useful, so that areas of interest from the previous year can be reviewed in a single article in relation to each other and other recent JCMR articles [1]. The papers are presented in broad themes and set in context with related literature and previously published JCMR papers to guide continuity of thought in the journal. We hope that you find the open-access system increases wider reading and citation of your papers, and that you will continue to send your quality manuscripts to JCMR for publication. PMID:23158097