The European Working Time Directive: a practical review for surgical trainees.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, J E F; Caesar, B C

2012-01-01

The European Working Time Directive (EWTD) 2003/88/EC is a Union Directive laying down minimum health and safety requirements for the organisation of working time. Originally primarily intended as labour law, its progressive introduction up to full implementation for doctors-in-training in August 2009 has substantially reduced duty-hours and caused widespread concern in surgery. Detrimental effects on the continuity of patient care, reduced availability of medical staff with associated rota difficulties, and the reduction in time for training junior doctors have been widely cited. Craft-specialities such as surgery and those providing an acute service have faced particular challenges. This review offers a practical guide for surgical trainees, explaining the European regulations in the context of current terms and conditions of doctor's employment in the UK. Information is provided on protecting training, opting-out, seeking remuneration for this, and ensuring doctors and patients are protected with appropriate medical indemnity cover in place. Copyright © 2012 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New risk indicator approach for Operators, Workers, Bystanders and Residents for a sustainable use of plant protection products.

PubMed

Sacchettini, Gabriele; Calliera, Maura; Marchis, Alexandru; Glass, Richard; Ellis, Clare Butler; Machera, Kyriaki; Gerritsen-Ebben, Rianda; Spanoghe, Pieter; Capri, Ettore

2015-11-01

In 2009, the European Union adopted the Directive on Sustainable Use of pesticides (SUD, Directive 2009/128/EC) establishing a framework for achieving a sustainable use of Plant Protection Products (PPPs) through reducing the risks and impacts of PPP use on human health and the environment, promoting integrated pest management and stimulating effective non-chemical alternatives. The core idea of the SUD is that it is necessary to monitor the use of PPPs through the implementation of an appropriate set of risk indicators to monitor progress and trends in risk reduction within the Member States. To contribute to this direction, following a comprehensive analysis of the risk (including procedures of risk assessment and risk management) and involving stakeholders in the decision process, specific toolboxes of practical indirect risk indicators of exposure of Operators, Workers, Bystanders and Residents were developed and are now available to be used by Member States (MSs) based on their specific context.

Marine legislation--the ultimate 'horrendogram': international law, European directives & national implementation.

PubMed

Boyes, Suzanne J; Elliott, Michael

2014-09-15

The EU is a pre-eminent player in sustainable development, adopting more than 200 pieces of legislation that have direct repercussions for marine environmental policy and management. Over five decades, measures have aimed to protect the marine environment by tackling the impact of human activities, but maritime affairs have been dealt with by separate sectoral policies without fully integrating all relevant sectors. Such compartmentalisation has resulted in a patchwork of EU legislation and resultant national legislation leading to a piecemeal approach to marine protection. These are superimposed on international obligations emanating from UN and other bodies and are presented here as complex 'horrendograms' showing the complexity across vertical governance. These horrendograms have surprised marine experts despite them acknowledging the many uses and users of the marine environment. Encouragingly since 2000, the evolution in EU policy has progressed to more holistic directives and here we give an overview of this change. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Landscape classification: research progress and development trend].

PubMed

Liang, Fa-Chao; Liu, Li-Ming

2011-06-01

Landscape classification is the basis of the researches on landscape structure, process, and function, and also, the prerequisite for landscape evaluation, planning, protection, and management, directly affecting the precision and practicability of landscape research. This paper reviewed the research progress on the landscape classification system, theory, and methodology, and summarized the key problems and deficiencies of current researches. Some major landscape classification systems, e. g. , LANMAP and MUFIC, were introduced and discussed. It was suggested that a qualitative and quantitative comprehensive classification based on the ideology of functional structure shape and on the integral consideration of landscape classification utility, landscape function, landscape structure, physiogeographical factors, and human disturbance intensity should be the major research directions in the future. The integration of mapping, 3S technology, quantitative mathematics modeling, computer artificial intelligence, and professional knowledge to enhance the precision of landscape classification would be the key issues and the development trend in the researches of landscape classification.

Y-12 Site environmental protection program implementation plan (EPPIP)

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

NONE

1996-11-01

The Y-12 Plant Environmental Protection Program is conducted to: (1) protect public health and the environment from chemical and radiological releases occurring from current plant operations and past waste management and operational practices; (2) ensure compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations and DOE directives; (3) identify potential environmental problems; (4) evaluate existing environmental contamination and determine the need for remedial actions and mitigative measures; (5) monitor the progress of ongoing remedial actions and cleanup measures; and (6) inform the public of environmental issues relating to DOE operations. DOE Order 5400.1, General Environmental Protection Program, defines the general requirementsmore » for environmental protection programs at DOE facilities. This Environmental Protection Program Implementation Plan (EPPIP) defines the methods by which the Y-12 Plant staff will comply with the order by: (1) referencing environmental protection goals and objectives and identifying strategies and timetables for attaining them; (2) providing the overall framework for the design and implementation of the Y-12 Environmental Protection Program; and (3) assigning responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the order. The EPPIP is revised and updated annually.« less

Direct and Indirect Pulp Capping: A Brief History, Material Innovations, and Clinical Case Report.

PubMed

Alex, Gary

2018-03-01

Among the goals of pulp capping are to manage bacteria, arrest caries progression, stimulate pulp cells to form new dentin, and produce a durable seal that protects the pulp complex. This article will provide a general discussion of direct and indirect pulp capping procedures, offering practitioners a pragmatic and science-based clinical protocol for treatment of vital pulp exposures. A clinical case will be presented in which a novel light-cured resin-modified mineral trioxide aggregate hybrid material was used to manage a mechanical vital pulp exposure that occurred during deep caries excavation.

Integrating Federal and State data records to report progress in establishing agricultural conservation practices on Chesapeake Bay farms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hively, W. Dean; Devereux, Olivia H.; Claggett, Peter

2013-01-01

In response to the Executive Order for Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration (E.O. #13508, May 12, 2009), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) took on the task of acquiring and assessing agricultural conservation practice data records for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, and transferred those datasets in aggregated format to State jurisdictional agencies for use in reporting conservation progress to the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership (CBP Partnership). Under the guidelines and regulations that have been developed to protect and restore water-quality in the Chesapeake Bay, the six State jurisdictions that fall within the Chesapeake Bay watershed are required to report their progress in promoting agricultural conservation practices to the CBP Partnership on an annual basis. The installation and adoption of agricultural best management practices is supported by technical and financial assistance from both Federal and State conservation programs. The farm enrollment data for USDA conservation programs are confidential, but agencies can obtain access to the privacy-protected data if they are established as USDA Conservation Cooperators. The datasets can also be released to the public if they are first aggregated to protect farmer privacy. In 2012, the USGS used its Conservation Cooperator status to obtain implementation data for conservation programs sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) for farms within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Three jurisdictions (Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) used the USGS-provided aggregated dataset to report conservation progress in 2012, whereas the remaining three jurisdictions (Maryland, New York, and Virginia) used jurisdictional Conservation Cooperator Agreements to obtain privacy-protected data directly from the USDA. This report reviews the status of conservation data sharing between the USDA and the various jurisdictions, discusses the methods that were used by the USGS in 2012 to collect and process USDA agricultural conservation data, and also documents methods that were used by the jurisdictions to integrate Federal and State data records, reduce double counting, and provide an accurate reporting of conservation practices to the CBP Partnership’s Annual Progress Review. A similar tracking, reporting, and assessment will occur in future years, as State and Federal governments and nongovernmental organizations continue to work with farmers and conservation districts to reduce the impacts of agriculture on water-quality.

Protective Role of Ets1 in SLE

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

reminiscent of those of T cells of lupus patients. Ets1 directly binds to the il10 gene and recruited histone deacetylase, thereby suppressing the...15. SUBJECT TERMS Ets1, IL-10, IL-2, Fcgr2b, lupus 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES... lupus , there is still no effective treatment or cure for this life-threatening disease. The lack of progress in developing new treatments for lupus

Associations Between Vitamin D Intake and Progression to Incident Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration

PubMed Central

Merle, Bénédicte M. J.; Silver, Rachel E.; Rosner, Bernard; Seddon, Johanna M.

2017-01-01

Purpose There is growing evidence of the importance of nutrition in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but no prospective studies have explored the impact of vitamin D. We evaluated the association between vitamin D intake and progression to advanced AMD. Methods Among 2146 participants (3965 eyes), 541 (777 eyes) progressed from early or intermediate AMD to advanced disease (mean follow-up: 9.4 years) based on ocular imaging. Nutrients were log transformed and calorie adjusted. Survival analysis was used to assess associations between incident advanced disease and vitamin D intake. Neovascular disease (NV) and geographic atrophy (GA) were evaluated separately. Combined effects of dietary vitamin D and calcium were assessed based on high or low consumption of each nutrient. Results There was a lower risk of progression to advanced AMD in the highest versus lowest quintile of dietary vitamin D intake after adjustment for demographic, behavioral, ocular, and nutritional factors (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43–0.83; P trend = 0.0007). Similar results were observed for NV (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.39–0.89; P trend = 0.005) but not GA (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.53–1.30; P trend = 0.35). A protective effect was observed for advanced AMD among participants with high vitamin D and low calcium compared to the group with low levels for each nutrient (HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.50–0.88; P = 0.005). When supplement use was considered, the effect was in the protective direction but was not significant. Conclusions A diet rich in vitamin D may prevent or delay progression to advanced AMD, especially NV. Additional exploration is needed to elucidate the potential protective role of vitamin D and its contribution to reducing visual loss. PMID:28892825

40 CFR 35.6650 - Progress reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Progress reports. 35.6650 Section 35.6650 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Cooperative Agreements and Superfund State Contracts for Superfund Response...

Progress in Developing Virus-like Particle Influenza Vaccines

PubMed Central

Quan, Fu-Shi; Lee, Young-Tae; Kim, Ki-Hye; Kim, Min-Chul; Kang, Sang-Moo

2016-01-01

Summary Recombinant vaccines based on virus-like particles (VLPs) or nanoparticles have been successful in their safety and efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies. The technology of expressing enveloped VLP vaccines has combined with molecular engineering of proteins in membrane-anchor and immunogenic forms mimicking the native conformation of surface proteins on the enveloped viruses. This review summarizes recent developments in influenza VLP vaccines against seasonal, pandemic, and avian influenza viruses from the perspective of use in humans. The immunogenicity and efficacies of influenza VLP vaccine in the homologous and cross-protection were reviewed. Discussions include limitations of current influenza vaccination strategies and future directions to confer broadly cross protective new influenza vaccines as well as vaccination. PMID:27058302

The new Medicaid debate: expansion or retrenchment?

PubMed

2001-01-01

Health advocates are facing a sea-change in Washington. Comprehensive federal health care reform eluded the nation under the Clinton Administration, but incremental progress through state-based Medicaid expansions and new CHIP programs was widespread, giving rise to some innovative state efforts to cover more of the uninsured. Washington's support was instrumental in those efforts, but the second Bush Administration seems intent on reversing that direction. To protect--and build upon--these nascent Medicaid efforts, advocates will have to mount careful strategies in defense of Medicaid. This States of Health looks at the dangers that may lie ahead and suggests how advocates can respond to keep Medicaid moving in the right direction.

Correlates of Protection for M Protein-Based Vaccines against Group A Streptococcus

PubMed Central

Smeesters, Pierre R.; Frost, Hannah R. C.; Steer, Andrew C.

2015-01-01

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is known to cause a broad spectrum of illness, from pharyngitis and impetigo, to autoimmune sequelae such as rheumatic heart disease, and invasive diseases. It is a significant cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality worldwide, but no efficacious vaccine is currently available. Progress in GAS vaccine development has been hindered by a number of obstacles, including a lack of standardization in immunoassays and the need to define human correlates of protection. In this review, we have examined the current immunoassays used in both GAS and other organisms, and explored the various challenges in their implementation in order to propose potential future directions to identify a correlate of protection and facilitate the development of M protein-based vaccines, which are currently the main GAS vaccine candidates. PMID:26101780

Defense Infrastructure: DOD has Made Limited Progress in Assessing Foreign Encroachment Risks on Federally Managed Land

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-13

ordnance and munitions components; endangered species habitat; and protected marine resources.1 More recently, DOD stated in its 2014 Sustainable Ranges...House Report 113-446 accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 directed DOD to submit a report assessing... act on our 2014 recommendations, and we will continue to monitor DOD actions in this area. Page 4 GAO-16-381R Defense Infrastructure DOD Has

JPRS Report, East Europe

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-22

present agrarian relations. The reason is not only because we are possibilities, we shall direct the attention and resources on the threshold of the new... divided and is dividing people into good and All of us form the state. In the past, the party-state bad, progressive and conservative, revolutionaries...legiti- mate as "society’s interests." The legal state must focus its Up to now, even where rights protected by the law attention only on the general

Directionally solidified article with weld repair

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smashey, Russell W. (Inventor); Snyder, John H. (Inventor); Borne, Bruce L. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A directionally solidified nickel-base superalloy article has a defect therein extending parallel to the solidification direction. The article is repaired by removing any foreign matter present in the defect, and then heating the article to a repair temperature of from about 60 to about 98 percent of the solidus temperature of the base material in a chamber containing a protective gas that inhibits oxidation of the base material. The defect is filled with a filler metal while maintaining the article at the repair temperature. The filling is accomplished by providing a source of the filler metal of substantially the same composition as the base material of the directionally solidified article, and melting the filler metal into the defect progressively while moving the source of the filler metal relative to the article in a direction parallel to the solidification direction. Optionally, additional artificial heat extraction is accomplished in a heat-flow direction that is within about 45 degrees of the solidification direction, as the filler metal solidifies within the defect. The article may thereafter be heat treated.

Weld repair of directionally solidified articles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smashey, Russell W. (Inventor); Snyder, John H. (Inventor); Borne, Bruce L. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A directionally solidified nickel-base superalloy article has a defect therein extending parallel to the solidification direction. The article is repaired by removing any foreign matter present in the defect, and then heating the article to a repair temperature of from about 60 to about 98 percent of the solidus temperature of the base material in a chamber containing a protective gas that inhibits oxidation of the base material. The defect is filled with a filler metal while maintaining the article at the repair temperature. The filling is accomplished by providing a source of the filler metal of substantially the same composition as the base material of the directionally solidified article, and melting the filler metal into the defect progressively while moving the source of the filler metal relative to the article in a direction parallel to the solidification direction. Optionally, additional artificial heat extraction is accomplished in a heat-flow direction that is within about 45 degrees of the solidification direction, as the filler metal solidifies within the defect. The article may thereafter be heat treated.

Aspergillus vaccines: Hardly worth studying or worthy of hard study?

PubMed Central

Levitz, Stuart M.

2016-01-01

Vaccines rank among the greatest advances in the history of public health. Yet, despite the need, there are no licensed vaccines to protect humans against fungal diseases, including aspergillosis. In this focused review, some of the major scientific and logistical challenges to developing vaccines to protect at-risk individuals against aspergillosis are discussed. Approaches that have shown promise in animal models include vaccines that protect against multiple fungal genera and those that are specifically directed to Aspergillus. Advances in proteomics and glycomics have facilitated identification of candidate antigens for use in subunit vaccines. Novel adjuvants and delivery systems are becoming available that can skew vaccine responses toward those associated with protection. Immunotherapy consisting of adoptive transfer of Aspergillus-specific T cells to allogeneic hematopoietic transplant recipients has advanced to human testing but is technically difficult and of unproven benefit. While progress has been impressive, much work still needs to be done if vaccines against aspergillosis are to become a reality. PMID:27639242

40 CFR 52.426 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: ozone. 52.426 Section 52.426 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... § 52.426 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone. (a) EPA fully approves, as... Delaware portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton severe ozone nonattainment, namely Kent and New...

40 CFR 52.426 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: ozone. 52.426 Section 52.426 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... § 52.426 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone. (a) EPA fully approves, as... Delaware portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton severe ozone nonattainment, namely Kent and New...

40 CFR 52.426 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: ozone. 52.426 Section 52.426 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... § 52.426 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone. (a) EPA fully approves, as... Delaware portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton severe ozone nonattainment, namely Kent and New...

40 CFR 52.426 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: ozone. 52.426 Section 52.426 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... § 52.426 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone. (a) EPA fully approves, as... Delaware portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton severe ozone nonattainment, namely Kent and New...

40 CFR 52.426 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: ozone. 52.426 Section 52.426 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... § 52.426 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: ozone. (a) EPA fully approves, as... Delaware portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton severe ozone nonattainment, namely Kent and New...

[From microdosimetry to nanodosimetry--the link between radiobiology and radiation physics].

PubMed

Fu, Yuchuan; Li, Ping

2014-06-01

The link between micro- and macro-parameters for radiation interactions that take place in living biological systems is described in this paper. Meanwhile recent progress and development in microdosimetry and nanodosimetry are introduced, including the methods to measure and calculate these micro- or nano-parameters. The relationship between radiobiology and physical quantities in microdosimetry and nanodosimetry was presented. Both the current problems on their applications in radiation protection and radiotherapy and the future development direction are proposed.

Transforming Growth Factor-Beta and Oxidative Stress Interplay: Implications in Tumorigenesis and Cancer Progression

PubMed Central

Krstić, Jelena; Trivanović, Drenka; Mojsilović, Slavko; Santibanez, Juan F.

2015-01-01

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and oxidative stress/Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) both have pivotal roles in health and disease. In this review we are analyzing the interplay between TGF-β and ROS in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. They have contradictory roles in cancer progression since both can have antitumor effects, through the induction of cell death, senescence and cell cycle arrest, and protumor effects by contributing to cancer cell spreading, proliferation, survival, and metastasis. TGF-β can control ROS production directly or by downregulating antioxidative systems. Meanwhile, ROS can influence TGF-β signaling and increase its expression as well as its activation from the latent complex. This way, both are building a strong interplay which can be taken as an advantage by cancer cells in order to increment their malignancy. In addition, both TGF-β and ROS are able to induce cell senescence, which in one way protects damaged cells from neoplastic transformation but also may collaborate in cancer progression. The mutual collaboration of TGF-β and ROS in tumorigenesis is highly complex, and, due to their differential roles in tumor progression, careful consideration should be taken when thinking of combinatorial targeting in cancer therapies. PMID:26078812

Report: Progress Report on Drinking Water Protection Efforts

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2005-P-00021, August 22, 2005. EPA and the States in this sample are making progress at helping water systems better reach Congress’ goal of protecting drinking water from its source to the consumer.

The retinal renin-angiotensin system: implications for therapy in diabetic retinopathy.

PubMed

Sjølie, A K; Chaturvedi, N

2002-08-01

Retinopathy is the most common complication of diabetes, and a leading cause of blindness in people of working age. Optimal blood pressure and metabolic control can reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy, but are difficult to achieve in clinical practice. In the EUCLID Study, the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor lisinopril reduced the risk of progression of retinopathy by approximately 50%, and also significantly reduced the risk of progression to proliferative retinopathy. These findings are consistent with extensive evidence that the renin-angiotensin system is expressed in the eye, and that adverse effects of angiotensin II on retinal angiogenesis and function can be inhibited by ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II-receptor blockers. However, in the EUCLID Study retinopathy was not a primary end-point and the study was not sufficiently powered for the eye-related outcomes. Hence, the Diabetic Retinopathy Candesartan Trials (DIRECT) programme has been established to determine whether AT(1)-receptor blockade with candesartan can prevent the incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy. This programme comprises three studies, involving a total of 4500 patients recruited from about 300 centres worldwide. The patients are normotensive or treated hypertensive individuals, and so the DIRECT programme should assess the potential of an AT(1)-receptor blocker to protect against the pathological changes in the eye following diabetes.

40 CFR Table 5 to Subpart Fff of... - Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress 5 Table 5 to Subpart FFF of Part 62 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Federal Plan...

40 CFR Table 5 to Subpart Fff of... - Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress 5 Table 5 to Subpart FFF of Part 62 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Federal Plan...

40 CFR Table 5 to Subpart Fff of... - Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress 5 Table 5 to Subpart FFF of Part 62 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Federal Plan...

40 CFR Table 5 to Subpart Fff of... - Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress 5 Table 5 to Subpart FFF of Part 62 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Federal Plan...

40 CFR Table 5 to Subpart Fff of... - Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Generic Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress 5 Table 5 to Subpart FFF of Part 62 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Federal Plan...

[Oxidative stress and antioxitant therapy of chronic periodontitis].

PubMed

Shen, Y X; Guo, S J; Wu, Y F

2016-07-01

Chronic periodontitis is a progressive, infectious inflammation disease, caused by the dysbiosis of oral resident flora, leading to the destruction of periodontium. The onset of pathogenic microorganisms is the etiological factor of periodontitis, while the immuno-inflammatory response affects the progression of the disease. Under chronic periodontitis, oxidative stress occurs when excessive reactive oxygen species are produced and exceed the compensative capacity of the organism. Oxidative stress leads to the destruction of periodontium, in a direct way(damaging the biomolecule) or an indirect way(enhancing the produce of inflammatory cytokine and destructive enzymes). Therefore, as the antagonist of the reactive oxygen species, antioxidants may be helpful to treat the chronic periodontitis. This paper reviewed relevant literatures about the destructive role of excessive reactive oxygen species and protective role of antioxidants in chronic periodontitis.

Mucosal immunology of HIV infection.

PubMed

Xu, Huanbin; Wang, Xiaolei; Veazey, Ronald S

2013-07-01

Recent advances in the immunology, pathogenesis, and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continue to reveal clues to the mechanisms involved in the progressive immunodeficiency attributed to infection, but more importantly have shed light on the correlates of immunity to infection and disease progression. HIV selectively infects, eliminates, and/or dysregulates several key cells of the human immune system, thwarting multiple arms of the host immune response, and inflicting severe damage to mucosal barriers, resulting in tissue infiltration of 'symbiotic' intestinal bacteria and viruses that essentially become opportunistic infections promoting systemic immune activation. This leads to activation and recruitment or more target cells for perpetuating HIV infection, resulting in persistent, high-level viral replication in lymphoid tissues, rapid evolution of resistant strains, and continued evasion of immune responses. However, vaccine studies and studies of spontaneous controllers are finally providing correlates of immunity from protection and disease progression, including virus-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses, binding anti-bodies, innate immune responses, and generation of antibodies with potent antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity activity. Emerging correlates of immunity indicate that prevention of HIV infection may be possible through effective vaccine strategies that protect and stimulate key regulatory cells and immune responses in susceptible hosts. Furthermore, immune therapies specifically directed toward boosting specific aspects of the immune system may eventually lead to a cure for HIV-infected patients. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mucosal Immunology of HIV Infection

PubMed Central

Xu, Huanbin; Wang, Xiaolei; Veazey, Ronald S.

2013-01-01

Summary Recent advances in the immunology, pathogenesis, and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continue to reveal clues to the mechanisms involved in the progressive immunodeficiency attributed to infection but more importantly have shed light on the correlates of immunity to infection and disease progression. HIV selectively infects, eliminates, and/or dysregulates several key cells of the human immune system, thwarting multiple arms of the host immune response, and inflicting severe damage to mucosal barriers, resulting in tissue infiltration of ‘symbiotic’ intestinal bacteria and viruses that essentially become opportunistic infections promoting systemic immune activation. This leads to activation and recruitment or more target cells for perpetuating HIV infection, resulting in persistent, high level viral replication in lymphoid tissues, rapid evolution of resistant strains, and continued evasion of immune responses. However, vaccine studies and studies of spontaneous controllers are finally providing correlates of immunity from protection and disease progression, including virus-specific CD4+ T-cell responses, binding antibodies, innate immune responses, and generation of antibodies with potent antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity activity. Emerging correlates of immunity indicate that prevention of HIV infection may be possible through effective vaccine strategies that protect and stimulate key regulatory cells and immune responses in susceptible hosts. Further, immune therapies specifically directed towards boosting specific aspects of the immune system may eventually lead to a cure for HIV-infected patients. PMID:23772612

A fuzzy logic expert system for evaluating policy progress towards sustainability goals.

PubMed

Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M; Singh, Gerald G; Cheung, William W L

2017-12-16

Evaluating progress towards environmental sustainability goals can be difficult due to a lack of measurable benchmarks and insufficient or uncertain data. Marine settings are particularly challenging, as stakeholders and objectives tend to be less well defined and ecosystem components have high natural variability and are difficult to observe directly. Fuzzy logic expert systems are useful analytical frameworks to evaluate such systems, and we develop such a model here to formally evaluate progress towards sustainability targets based on diverse sets of indicators. Evaluation criteria include recent (since policy enactment) and historical (from earliest known state) change, type of indicators (state, benefit, pressure, response), time span and spatial scope, and the suitability of an indicator in reflecting progress toward a specific objective. A key aspect of the framework is that all assumptions are transparent and modifiable to fit different social and ecological contexts. We test the method by evaluating progress towards four Aichi Biodiversity Targets in Canadian oceans, including quantitative progress scores, information gaps, and the sensitivity of results to model and data assumptions. For Canadian marine systems, national protection plans and biodiversity awareness show good progress, but species and ecosystem states overall do not show strong improvement. Well-defined goals are vital for successful policy implementation, as ambiguity allows for conflicting potential indicators, which in natural systems increases uncertainty in progress evaluations. Importantly, our framework can be easily adapted to assess progress towards policy goals with different themes, globally or in specific regions.

Whey-hydrolyzed peptide-enriched immunomodulating diet prevents progression of liver cirrhosis in rats.

PubMed

Jobara, Kanta; Kaido, Toshimi; Hori, Tomohide; Iwaisako, Keiko; Endo, Kosuke; Uchida, Yoichiro; Uemoto, Shinji

2014-10-01

Liver fibrosis and subsequent cirrhosis is a major cause of death worldwide, but few effective antifibrotic therapies are reported. Whey-hydrolyzed peptide (WHP), a major peptide component of bovine milk, exerts anti-inflammatory effects in experimental models. A WHP-enriched diet is widely used for immunomodulating diets (IMD) in clinical fields. However, the effects of WHP on liver fibrosis remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the antifibrotic effects of WHP in a rat cirrhosis model. Progressive liver fibrosis was induced by repeated intraperitoneal administration of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) for 3 wk. Rats were fed either a WHP-enriched IMD (WHP group) or a control enteral diet (control group). The degree of liver fibrosis was compared between groups. Hepatocyte-protective effects were examined using hepatocytes isolated from rats fed a WHP diet. Reactive oxygen species and glutathione in liver tissue were investigated in the DMN cirrhosis model. Macroscopic and microscopic progression of liver fibrosis was remarkably suppressed in the WHP group. Elevated serum levels of liver enzymes and hyaluronic acid, and liver tissue hydroxyproline content were significantly attenuated in the WHP group. Necrotic hepatocyte rates with DMN challenge, isolated from rats fed a WHP-enriched IMD, were significantly lower. In the DMN cirrhosis model, reactive oxygen species were significantly lower, and glutathione was significantly higher in the WHP group's whole liver tissue. A WHP-enriched IMD effectively prevented progression of DMN-induced liver fibrosis in rats via a direct hepatocyte-protective effect and an antioxidant effect through glutathione synthesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementation of the Patients' Rights in Cross-border Healthcare directive in Latvia.

PubMed

Olsena, Solvita

2014-03-01

Latvia, being one of the EU Member States, has an obligation to implement the rules stated by the Directive 2011/24/EU on Patients' Rights in Cross-border Healthcare (hereinafter--the Directive) before 25 October 2013 in existing national legislation and practice. Implementation was carried out under pressured circumstances. A National Contact Point has been established, information is provided for patients in Latvian and to some extent in English, the Medical Treatment Risk Fund will start operations to provide compensation for harm, and the restrictions and procedure for prior authorisation have been stated. The need to secure quality of care and patient safety and well as privacy protection are the most challenging tasks for Latvia. It can be concluded that some progress in patients' rights can be achieved, but it is doubtful if patients' mobility will be stimulated.

Obesity and Diabetes: The Increased Risk of Cancer and Cancer-Related Mortality

PubMed Central

LeRoith, Derek

2015-01-01

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide, and both are associated with an increased incidence and mortality from many cancers. The metabolic abnormalities associated with type 2 diabetes develop many years before the onset of diabetes and, therefore, may be contributing to cancer risk before individuals are aware that they are at risk. Multiple factors potentially contribute to the progression of cancer in obesity and type 2 diabetes, including hyperinsulinemia and insulin-like growth factor I, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, adipokines and cytokines, and the gut microbiome. These metabolic changes may contribute directly or indirectly to cancer progression. Intentional weight loss may protect against cancer development, and therapies for diabetes may prove to be effective adjuvant agents in reducing cancer progression. In this review we discuss the current epidemiology, basic science, and clinical data that link obesity, diabetes, and cancer and how treating obesity and type 2 diabetes could also reduce cancer risk and improve outcomes. PMID:26084689

Bi-directional activation between mesenchymal stem cells and CLL B-cells: implication for CLL disease progression.

PubMed

Ding, Wei; Nowakowski, Grzegorz S; Knox, Traci R; Boysen, Justin C; Maas, Mary L; Schwager, Susan M; Wu, Wenting; Wellik, Linda E; Dietz, Allan B; Ghosh, Asish K; Secreto, Charla R; Medina, Kay L; Shanafelt, Tait D; Zent, Clive S; Call, Timothy G; Kay, Neil E

2009-11-01

It was hypothesized that contact between chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) B-cells and marrow stromal cells impact both cell types. To test this hypothesis, we utilized a long-term primary culture system from bone biopsies that reliably generates a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). Co-culture of MSC with CLL B-cells protected the latter from both spontaneous apoptosis and drug-induced apoptosis. The CD38 expression in previously CD38 positive CLL B-cells was up-regulated with MSC co-culture. Upregulation of CD71, CD25, CD69 and CD70 in CLL B-cells was found in the co-culture. CD71 upregulation was more significantly associated with high-risk CLL, implicating CD71 regulation in the microenvironment predicting disease progression. In MSC, rapid ERK and AKT phosphorylation (within 30 min) were detected when CLL B-cells and MSC were separated by transwell; indicating that activation of MSC was mediated by soluble factors. These findings support a bi-directional activation between bone marrow stromal cells and CLL B-cells.

Recent progress in the development of a SPARROW model of sediment for the conterminous U.S.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwarz, Gregory; Smith, Richard; Alexander, Richard; Gray, John

2003-01-01

Suspended sediment has long been recognized as an important contaminant affecting water resources. Besides its direct role in determining water clarity, bridge scour and reservoir storage, sediment serves as a vehicle for the transport of many binding contaminants, including nutrients, trace metals, semi- volatile organic compounds, and numerous pesticides (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2000a). Recent efforts to address water quality concerns through the TMDL process have identified sediment as the single most prevalent cause of impairment in the Nation’s streams and rivers (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2000b). Moreover, sediment has been identified as a medium for the transport and sequestration of organic carbon, playing a potentially important role in understanding sources and sinks in the global carbon budget (Stallard 1998).

Aircraft fire safety research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Botteri, Benito P.

1987-01-01

During the past 15 years, very significant progress has been made toward enhancing aircraft fire safety in both normal and hostile (combat) operational environments. Most of the major aspects of the aircraft fire safety problem are touched upon here. The technology of aircraft fire protection, although not directly applicable in all cases to spacecraft fire scenarios, nevertheless does provide a solid foundation to build upon. This is particularly true of the extensive research and testing pertaining to aircraft interior fire safety and to onboard inert gas generation systems, both of which are still active areas of investigation.

Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei vaccines: Are we close to clinical trials?

PubMed

Titball, Richard W; Burtnick, Mary N; Bancroft, Gregory J; Brett, Paul

2017-10-20

B. pseudomallei is the cause of melioidosis, a serious an often fatal disease of humans and animals. The closely related bacterium B. mallei, which cases glanders, is considered to be a clonal derivative of B. pseudomallei. Both B. pseudomallei and B. mallei were evaluated by the United States and the former USSR as potential bioweapons. Much of the effort to devise biodefence vaccines in the past decade has been directed towards the identification and formulation of sub-unit vaccines which could protect against both melioidosis and glanders. A wide range of proteins and polysaccharides have been identified which protective immunity in mice. In this review we highlight the significant progress that has been made in developing glycoconjugates as sub-unit vaccines. We also consider some of the important the criteria for licensing, including the suitability of the "animal rule" for assessing vaccine efficacy, the protection required from a vaccine and the how correlates of protection will be identified. Vaccines developed for biodefence purposes could also be used in regions of the world where naturally occurring disease is endemic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation in the field of social services for minors: Measuring the efficacy of interventions in the Italian service for health protection and promotion.

PubMed

Iudici, Antonio; Gagliardo Corsi, Agnese

2017-04-01

This article presents the availment of a new Methodology for the efficacy evaluation of interventions in the field of social science: the Method of Computerized Textual Data Analysis (M.A.D.I.T.). In the beginning, we present some elements of the international and Italian legislation referred to the efficacy evaluation and about the child protection. Subsequently this work describes the process of efficacy evaluation of an intervention of minor protection delivered by a public Italian Service, the Minor and Family Service, MiFa. The MADIT Methodology is applied to the efficacy evaluation and it is interested in discursive repertoires, defined as "a linguistically intended mode of construction of finite reality". The aim of the research is to show, through the description of every step of the implementation of the Methodology based on text analysis, how is possible to notice if there are progress in the direction of the objective of intervention of child protection. The results describes how from a starting situation of "first appearance of psychiatric career" referred to the minor, the work of the psychologist of the Service MiFa has enabled to produce a shifting in the direction of objective of the intervention, that was "developing the competence of the minor to identify objectives". Through this work, we show how a rigorous methodology for assessing effectiveness may contribute to improve the quality of service of Minor Protection and may also be suitable for new fields of social science. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Decade of Progress toward Ending the Intensive Confinement of Farm Animals in the United States.

PubMed

Shields, Sara; Shapiro, Paul; Rowan, Andrew

2017-05-15

In this paper, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) farm animal protection work over the preceding decade is described from the perspective of the organization. Prior to 2002, there were few legal protections for animals on the farm, and in 2005, a new campaign at the HSUS began to advance state ballot initiatives throughout the country, with a decisive advancement in California (Proposition 2) that paved the way for further progress. Combining legislative work with undercover farm and slaughterhouse investigations, litigation and corporate engagement, the HSUS and fellow animal protection organizations have made substantial progress in transitioning the veal, pork and egg industries away from intensive confinement systems that keep the animals in cages and crates. Investigations have become an important tool for demonstrating widespread inhumane practices, building public support and convincing the retail sector to publish meaningful animal welfare policies. While federal legislation protecting animals on the farm stalled, there has been steady state-by-state progress, and this is complemented by major brands such as McDonald's and Walmart pledging to purchase only from suppliers using cage-free and crate-free animal housing systems. The evolution of societal expectations regarding animals has helped propel the recent wave of progress and may also be driven, in part, by the work of animal protection organizations.

MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT ON THE FEASIBILITY AND DESIGN STUDY FOR COLLECTIVE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT FOR THE AN/MSG-4 SYSTEM. PHASEIA. Technical Report, April 15 to May 30, 1962 (1st Report). Financial Report, April 15 to May 30, 1962 (1st Report). GSG Report No. 1663.00/54

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

Glaser, J.

1962-06-19

Initial efforts devoted to development of layout drawings of the protective equipment from which detailed fabrication drawings are to be established are reported. Collective protection equipment design progress is reported on 400- and 800-cfm filter units and on protective entrances for shelters and vehicles. (J.R.D.)

Measuring Cellular Immunity to Influenza: Methods of Detection, Applications and Challenges

PubMed Central

Coughlan, Lynda; Lambe, Teresa

2015-01-01

Influenza A virus is a respiratory pathogen which causes both seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics; infection continues to be a significant cause of mortality worldwide. Current influenza vaccines principally stimulate humoral immune responses that are largely directed towards the variant surface antigens of influenza. Vaccination can result in an effective, albeit strain-specific antibody response and there is a need for vaccines that can provide superior, long-lasting immunity to influenza. Vaccination approaches targeting conserved viral antigens have the potential to provide broadly cross-reactive, heterosubtypic immunity to diverse influenza viruses. However, the field lacks consensus on the correlates of protection for cellular immunity in reducing severe influenza infection, transmission or disease outcome. Furthermore, unlike serological methods such as the standardized haemagglutination inhibition assay, there remains a large degree of variation in both the types of assays and method of reporting cellular outputs. T-cell directed immunity has long been known to play a role in ameliorating the severity and/or duration of influenza infection, but the precise phenotype, magnitude and longevity of the requisite protective response is unclear. In order to progress the development of universal influenza vaccines, it is critical to standardize assays across sites to facilitate direct comparisons between clinical trials. PMID:26343189

40 CFR 35.6650 - Progress reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Progress reports. 35.6650 Section 35... Actions Reports Required Under A Cooperative Agreement § 35.6650 Progress reports. (a) Reporting frequency. The recipient must submit progress reports as specified in the Cooperative Agreement. Progress reports...

40 CFR 35.6650 - Progress reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Progress reports. 35.6650 Section 35... Actions Reports Required Under A Cooperative Agreement § 35.6650 Progress reports. (a) Reporting frequency. The recipient must submit progress reports as specified in the Cooperative Agreement. Progress reports...

Preemptive mechanical ventilation can block progressive acute lung injury.

PubMed

Sadowitz, Benjamin; Jain, Sumeet; Kollisch-Singule, Michaela; Satalin, Joshua; Andrews, Penny; Habashi, Nader; Gatto, Louis A; Nieman, Gary

2016-02-04

Mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains unacceptable, approaching 45% in certain high-risk patient populations. Treating fulminant ARDS is currently relegated to supportive care measures only. Thus, the best treatment for ARDS may lie with preventing this syndrome from ever occurring. Clinical studies were examined to determine why ARDS has remained resistant to treatment over the past several decades. In addition, both basic science and clinical studies were examined to determine the impact that early, protective mechanical ventilation may have on preventing the development of ARDS in at-risk patients. Fulminant ARDS is highly resistant to both pharmacologic treatment and methods of mechanical ventilation. However, ARDS is a progressive disease with an early treatment window that can be exploited. In particular, protective mechanical ventilation initiated before the onset of lung injury can prevent the progression to ARDS. Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) is a novel mechanical ventilation strategy for delivering a protective breath that has been shown to block progressive acute lung injury (ALI) and prevent ALI from progressing to ARDS. ARDS mortality currently remains as high as 45% in some studies. As ARDS is a progressive disease, the key to treatment lies with preventing the disease from ever occurring while it remains subclinical. Early protective mechanical ventilation with APRV appears to offer substantial benefit in this regard and may be the prophylactic treatment of choice for preventing ARDS.

Preemptive mechanical ventilation can block progressive acute lung injury

PubMed Central

Sadowitz, Benjamin; Jain, Sumeet; Kollisch-Singule, Michaela; Satalin, Joshua; Andrews, Penny; Habashi, Nader; Gatto, Louis A; Nieman, Gary

2016-01-01

Mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains unacceptable, approaching 45% in certain high-risk patient populations. Treating fulminant ARDS is currently relegated to supportive care measures only. Thus, the best treatment for ARDS may lie with preventing this syndrome from ever occurring. Clinical studies were examined to determine why ARDS has remained resistant to treatment over the past several decades. In addition, both basic science and clinical studies were examined to determine the impact that early, protective mechanical ventilation may have on preventing the development of ARDS in at-risk patients. Fulminant ARDS is highly resistant to both pharmacologic treatment and methods of mechanical ventilation. However, ARDS is a progressive disease with an early treatment window that can be exploited. In particular, protective mechanical ventilation initiated before the onset of lung injury can prevent the progression to ARDS. Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) is a novel mechanical ventilation strategy for delivering a protective breath that has been shown to block progressive acute lung injury (ALI) and prevent ALI from progressing to ARDS. ARDS mortality currently remains as high as 45% in some studies. As ARDS is a progressive disease, the key to treatment lies with preventing the disease from ever occurring while it remains subclinical. Early protective mechanical ventilation with APRV appears to offer substantial benefit in this regard and may be the prophylactic treatment of choice for preventing ARDS. PMID:26855896

Thermal barrier coatings for aircraft engines: History and directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, R. A.

1995-01-01

Thin thermal barrier coatings for protecting aircraft turbine section airfoils are examined. The discussion focuses on those advances that led first to their use for component life extension and more recently as an integral part of airfoil design. It is noted that development has been driven by laboratory rig and furnace testing corroborated by engine testing and engine field experience. The technology has also been supported by performance modeling to demonstrate benefits and life modeling for mission analysis. Factors which have led to the selection of the current state-of-the-art plasma sprayed and physical vapor deposited zirconia-yttria/MCrAlY TBC's is emphasized in addition to observations fundamentally related to their behavior. Current directions in research into thermal barrier coatings and recent progress at NASA is also noted.

The bi-directional leader observation in positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes during summer thunderstorm season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Y.; Manabu, A.; Morimoto, T.; Ushio, T.; Kawasaki, Z.; Miki, M.; Shimizu, M.

2009-12-01

In this paper, we present observations of positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) lightning flashes obtained with the VHF BDITF (VHF Broadband Digital InTerFerometer) and the ALPS (Automatic Lightning Discharge Progressing Feature Observation System). The VHF BDITF observed two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) developments of lightning flashes with high time resolution. The ALPS observed the luminous propagation of the local process at low altitudes within its observational range. At 2028:59 JST on 8 August, 2008, we observed the 3D spatiotemporal development channels of +CG lightning flash with the VHF BDITF and the RS with the lightning location and protection (LLP) system. This flash is divided before and after the RS. In the former stage, the in-cloud negative breakdown (NB) progress about 15 km horizontally between 6 and 10 km high. The LLP system detects the RS near the initiation point of that negative breakdown (NB) at the end of the former stage. In the latter stage, the new NB runs through the same path as the first NB before the RS. The luminous intensity of the RS near the ground obtained with the ALPS is synchronized with the development of the new NB. The time variation of luminous intensity by the ALPS has two peaks. The time difference of these peaks is corresponding to the blank of the VHF radiation. Since the new NB following the RS runs through the path of the first NB, the positive breakdown (PB), which is not visualized by the VHF BDITF, could be considered to progress from the starting point of the first NB and touches to the ground. The RS current propagates and penetrates in the opposite direction as visualized subsequent NB. This suggests the first NB and the PB progress together. This +CG lightning flash has the bi-directional leader. To assume the path of the PB is straight line, the velocity of the PB is about 4 × 104 m/s.

Nanoscale perspective: Materials designs and understandings in lithium metal anodes

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

Lin, Dingchang; Liu, Yayuan; Pei, Allen

Li metal chemistry is a promising alternative with a much higher energy density than that of state-of-the-art Li-ion counterparts. However, significant challenges including safety issues and poor cyclability have severely impeded Li metal technology from becoming viable. In recent years, nanotechnologies have become increasingly important in materials design and fabrication for Li metal anodes, contributing to major progress in the field. In this review, we first introduce the main achievements in Li metal battery systems fulfilled by nanotechnologies, particularly regarding Li metal anode design and protection, ultrastrong separator engineering, safety monitoring, and smart functions. Next, we introduce recent studies onmore » nanoscale Li nucleation/deposition. Lastly, we discuss possible future research directions. We hope this review delivers an overall picture of the role of nanoscale approaches in the recent progress of Li metal battery technology and inspires more research in the future.« less

Resveratrol: A potential challenger against gastric cancer

PubMed Central

Zulueta, Aida; Caretti, Anna; Signorelli, Paola; Ghidoni, Riccardo

2015-01-01

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. Late diagnosis and classical therapeutic approaches such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy make this disease a still threatening tumor. Genetic asset, environmental stress, dietary habit and infections caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are the major causes concurring to GC initiation. A common mechanism is induction of radicals resulting in gastric mucosal injury. A regular food intake of antioxidant and radical scavenging agents has been proposed to exert protection against tumorigenesis. Resveratrol belongs to the polyphenol flavonoids class of antioxidants produced by a restricted number of plants. Resveratrol exerts bactericidal activity against H. pylori and is a powerful antioxidant, thus acting as a tumor preventive agent. Resveratrol intracellular signaling results in growth arrest and apoptosis, so that it can be directed against tumor progression. Resveratrol therapeutic potential against GC initiation and progression are reviewed here. PMID:26457023

Nanoscale perspective: Materials designs and understandings in lithium metal anodes

DOE PAGES

Lin, Dingchang; Liu, Yayuan; Pei, Allen; ...

2017-05-19

Li metal chemistry is a promising alternative with a much higher energy density than that of state-of-the-art Li-ion counterparts. However, significant challenges including safety issues and poor cyclability have severely impeded Li metal technology from becoming viable. In recent years, nanotechnologies have become increasingly important in materials design and fabrication for Li metal anodes, contributing to major progress in the field. In this review, we first introduce the main achievements in Li metal battery systems fulfilled by nanotechnologies, particularly regarding Li metal anode design and protection, ultrastrong separator engineering, safety monitoring, and smart functions. Next, we introduce recent studies onmore » nanoscale Li nucleation/deposition. Lastly, we discuss possible future research directions. We hope this review delivers an overall picture of the role of nanoscale approaches in the recent progress of Li metal battery technology and inspires more research in the future.« less

Through Sex, Nature Is Telling Us Something Important.

PubMed

Kondrashov, Alexey S

2018-05-01

Theoretically, a variety of mechanisms can make amphimixis advantageous due to reshuffling of offspring genotypes. Recently, it has been shown experimentally that some of these mechanisms can indeed work in artificial populations. However, we still do not know which of them, if any, are relevant in nature, and the available indirect estimates seem to suggest that neither negative nor positive selection in natural populations is strong enough to provide evolutionary protection for obligate amphimixis. Thus, progress in understanding the evolution of amphimixis will depend on direct measurements of the strength of natural selection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Agrochemical Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malte, A. M.; Lilani, A. T.

This chapter deals with the chemicals used in agriculture mainly to protect, preserve, and improve crop yields. The term "agrochemical" is used broadly. Much agrochemical research and some advanced development is directed toward the introduction of genes that may provide disease, insect, or viral resistance into plants or other organisms. Further progress is being made in improving the protein, fat, or carbohydrate composition of the plant itself. Microorganisms are being propagated and currently marketed that are insecticidal (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis) fungi that are herbicidal, bacteria that are fungicidal, nematodes that are widely biocidal, and so on, are all products or candidate products for use in agriculture.

GOES-S Atlas V Centaur Stage OVI

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-08

At the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, technicians and engineers monitor progress as a Centaur upper stage is mated to a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that will boost NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S, or GOES-S, to orbit. GOES-S is the second in a series of four advanced geostationary weather satellites that will significantly improve the detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property and the nation's economic health and prosperity. GOES-S is slated to launch March 1, 2018.

The US ICF Ignition Program and the Inertial Fusion Program

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

Lindl, J D; Hammel, B A; Logan, B G

2003-07-02

There has been rapid progress in inertial fusion in the past few years. This progress spans the construction of ignition facilities, a wide range of target concepts, and the pursuit of integrated programs to develop fusion energy using lasers, ion beams and z-pinches. Two ignition facilities are under construction (NIF in the U.S. and LMJ in France) and both projects are progressing toward an initial experimental capability. The LIL prototype beamline for LMJ and the first 4 beams of NIF will be available for experiments in 2003. The full 192 beam capability of NIF will be available in 2009 andmore » ignition experiments are expected to begin shortly after that time. There is steady progress in the target science and target fabrication in preparation for indirect drive ignition experiments on NIF. Advanced target designs may lead to 5-10 times more yield than initial target designs. There has also been excellent progress on the science of ion beam and z-pinch driven indirect drive targets. Excellent progress on direct-drive targets has been obtained on the Omega laser at the University of Rochester. This includes improved performance of targets with a pulse shape predicted to result in reduced hydrodynamic instability. Rochester has also obtained encouraging results from initial cryogenic implosions. There is widespread interest in the science of fast ignition because of its potential for achieving higher target gain with lower driver energy and relaxed target fabrication requirements. Researchers from Osaka have achieved outstanding implosion and heating results from the Gekko XII Petawatt facility and implosions suitable for fast ignition have been tested on the Omega laser. A broad based program to develop lasers and ions beams for IFE is under way with excellent progress in drivers, chambers, target fabrication and target injection. KrF and Diode Pumped Solid-State lasers (DPSSL) are being developed in conjunction with drywall chambers and direct drive targets. Induction accelerators for heavy ions are being developed in conjunction with thick-liquid protected wall chambers and indirect-drive targets.« less

Deconstructing the Antiviral Neutralizing-Antibody Response: Implications for Vaccine Development and Immunity

PubMed Central

VanBlargan, Laura A.

2016-01-01

SUMMARY The antibody response plays a key role in protection against viral infections. While antiviral antibodies may reduce the viral burden via several mechanisms, the ability to directly inhibit (neutralize) infection of cells has been extensively studied. Eliciting a neutralizing-antibody response is a goal of many vaccine development programs and commonly correlates with protection from disease. Considerable insights into the mechanisms of neutralization have been gained from studies of monoclonal antibodies, yet the individual contributions and dynamics of the repertoire of circulating antibody specificities elicited by infection and vaccination are poorly understood on the functional and molecular levels. Neutralizing antibodies with the most protective functionalities may be a rare component of a polyclonal, pathogen-specific antibody response, further complicating efforts to identify the elements of a protective immune response. This review discusses advances in deconstructing polyclonal antibody responses to flavivirus infection or vaccination. Our discussions draw comparisons to HIV-1, a virus with a distinct structure and replication cycle for which the antibody response has been extensively investigated. Progress toward deconstructing and understanding the components of polyclonal antibody responses identifies new targets and challenges for vaccination strategies. PMID:27784796

Aspergillus vaccines: Hardly worth studying or worthy of hard study?

PubMed

Levitz, Stuart M

2017-01-01

Vaccines rank among the greatest advances in the history of public health. Yet, despite the need, there are no licensed vaccines to protect humans against fungal diseases, including aspergillosis. In this focused review, some of the major scientific and logistical challenges to developing vaccines to protect at-risk individuals against aspergillosis are discussed. Approaches that have shown promise in animal models include vaccines that protect against multiple fungal genera and those that are specifically directed to Aspergillus Advances in proteomics and glycomics have facilitated identification of candidate antigens for use in subunit vaccines. Novel adjuvants and delivery systems are becoming available that can skew vaccine responses toward those associated with protection. Immunotherapy consisting of adoptive transfer of Aspergillus-specific T cells to allogeneic hematopoietic transplant recipients has advanced to human testing but is technically difficult and of unproven benefit. While progress has been impressive, much work still needs to be done if vaccines against aspergillosis are to become a reality. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Behavioral Science as a New Frontier for Transformational ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Over the last 40 years, tremendous progress has been made toward protecting our life-sustaining resources of air, water, and land and improving ecosystems and public health despite increasing population pressures. Many disciplines have provided the scientific underpinnings for this progress, but perhaps none have been more influential than exposure science. Exposure science has fostered a receptor- rather than source-based perspective regarding strategies for monitoring and controlling pollution to protect public health and the environment. We have achieved many gains through control of far-field sources. Near-field sources related to consumer products and activities in the home, vehicle, school, and work environments present the next challenge. These near-field sources tend to dominate our exposures and are direct results of our behaviors in purchasing and using consumer products. Therefore, these types of sources are less amenable to traditional regulatory approaches for exposure reduction. Behavior determines not only the presence or absence of consumer product and use, but also the details that largely define critical chemical exposure metrics including amount, concentration, frequency, duration, and pathway of exposure. Thus, it is becoming increasingly evident that in order to both predict and control near-field chemical exposures, we need to better understand human behavior and the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs that underlie consumer product rel

Constitution, 16 May 1984.

PubMed

1987-01-01

This document reprints portions of Guinea-Bissau's 1984 Constitution. The Constitution notes that public health efforts would be directed towards prevention as well as the progressive socialization of the health sector. Education is to be strictly linked to productive work and will strengthen an individual's position in the community. The elimination of illiteracy is considered a fundamental task of the state. All citizens are equal before the law, and men and women have equal legal status in all aspects of political, economic, social, and cultural life. The family is protected by the state, and children are equal before the law regardless of their parentage. Foreigners and stateless persons residing in Guinea-Bissau have the same rights and duties as citizens as permitted by law. Citizens have the right to health, and children, youth, and mothers have the right to social protection. All citizens have the right to equal access to educational opportunities.

Stem cell based anti-HIV Gene therapy

PubMed Central

Kitchen, Scott G.; Shimizu, Saki; An, Dong Sung

2011-01-01

Human stem cell-based therapeutic intervention strategies for treating HIV infection have recently undergone a renaissance as a major focus of investigation. Unlike most conventional antiviral therapies, genetically engineered hematopoietic stem cells possess the capacity for prolonged self-renewal that would continuously produce protected immune cells to fight against HIV. A successful strategy therefore has the potential to stably control and ultimately eradicate HIV from patients by a single or minimal treatment. Recent progress in the development of new technologies and clinical trials sets the stage for the current generation of gene therapy approaches to combat HIV infection. In this review, we will discuss two major approaches that are currently underway in the development of stem cell-based gene therapy to target HIV: One that focuses on the protection of cells from productive infection with HIV, and the other that focuses on targeting immune cells to directly combat HIV infection. PMID:21247612

40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

40 CFR 52.2037 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.2037 Section 52.2037 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Pennsylvania § 52.2037 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a... ozone nonattainment area has attained the ozone standard and that the reasonable further progress and...

40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

40 CFR 35.938-6 - Progress payments to contractors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Progress payments to contractors. 35... § 35.938-6 Progress payments to contractors. (a) Policy. EPA policy is that, except as State law otherwise provides, grantees should make prompt progress payments to prime contractors and prime contractors...

Critical infrastructure protection : significant challenges in developing national capabilities

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-01

To address the concerns about protecting the nation's critical computer-dependent infrastructure, this General Accounting Office (GOA) report describes the progress of the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) in (1) developing national ca...

Dietary broccoli protects against fatty liver development but not against progression of liver cancer in mice pretreated with diethylnitrosamine

PubMed Central

Chen, Yung-Ju; Myracle, Angela D.; Wallig, Matthew A.; Jeffery, Elizabeth H.

2016-01-01

Western-style high fat, high sugar diets are associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and increased liver cancer risk. Sulforaphane from broccoli may protect against these. Previously we initiated broccoli feeding to mice prior to exposure to the hepatocarcinogen diethylnitrosamine (DEN), and saw protection against NAFLD and liver cancer. Here we administered DEN to unweaned mice, initiating broccoli feeding two weeks later, to determine if broccoli protects against cancer progression. Specifically, male 15-day-old C57BL/6J mice were given DEN and placed on a Western or Western+10%Broccoli diet from the age of 4 weeks through 7 months. Dietary broccoli decreased hepatic triacylglycerols, NAFLD, liver damage and tumour necrosis factor by month 5 without changing body weight or relative liver weight, but did not slow carcinogenesis, seen in 100% of mice. We conclude that broccoli, a good source of sulforaphane, slows progression of hepatic lipidosis, but not tumourigenesis in this robust model. PMID:27672403

Physicians involved in the care of patients with high risk of skin cancer should be trained regarding sun protection measures: evidence from a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Thomas, M; Rioual, E; Adamski, H; Roguedas, A-M; Misery, L; Michel, M; Chastel, F; Schmutz, J-L; Aubin, F; Marguery, M-C; Meyer, N

2011-01-01

Knowledge, regarding sun protection, is essential to change behaviour and to reduce sun exposure of patients at risk for skin cancer. Patient education regarding appropriate or sun protection measures, is a priority to reduce skin cancer incidence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge about sun protection and the recommendations given in a population of non-dermatologists physicians involved in the care of patients at high risk of skin cancer. This study is a cross-sectional study. Physicians were e-mailed an anonymous questionnaire evaluating the knowledge about risk factors for skin cancer, sun protection and about the role of the physician in providing sun protection recommendations. Of the responders, 71.4% considered that the risk of skin cancer of their patients was increased when compared with the general population. All the responders knew that UV-radiations can contribute to induce skin cancers and 71.4% of them declared having adequate knowledge about sun protection measures. A proportion of 64.2% of them declared that they were able to give sun protection advices: using sunscreens (97.8%), wearing covering clothes (95.5%), performing regular medical skin examination (91.1%), to avoid direct sunlight exposure (77.8%), avoiding outdoor activities in the hottest midday hours (73.3%) and practising progressive exposure (44.4%). Non-dermatologist physicians reported a correct knowledge of UV-induced skin cancer risk factors. The majority of responders displayed adequate knowledge of sun protection measures and declared providing patients with sun protection recommendation on a regular basis. Several errors persisted. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2010 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Structural Insights into the Mechanisms of Antibody-Mediated Neutralization of Flavivirus Infection: Implications for Vaccine Development

PubMed Central

Pierson, Theodore C.; Fremont, Daved H.; Kuhn, Richard J.; Diamond, Michael S.

2009-01-01

Flaviviruses are a group of small RNA viruses that cause severe disease in humans worldwide and are the target of several vaccine development programs. A primary goal of these efforts is to elicit a protective humoral response directed against the envelope proteins arrayed on the surface of the flavivirus virion. Advances in the structural biology of these viruses has catalyzed rapid progress toward understanding the complexity of the flavivirus immunogen and the molecular basis of antibody-mediated neutralization. These insights have identified factors that govern the potency of neutralizing antibodies and will inform the design and evaluation of novel vaccines. PMID:18779049

Using coal inside California for nonelectric applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oxley, J. H.

1978-01-01

A review of present energy consumption patterns in the manufacturing, transportation, and residential sectors is presented. The properties of coal that affect its substitution into these market sectors are discussed. Specific needs and concerns of Californians are delineated. Present nonelectric consumptive uses of coal in California are outlined. Current world-wide progress concerning increased industrial use of coal is shown. An overview is given of the options to protect the environment from the direct use of coal, especially from the standpoint of sulfur control; and a time frame for commercialization is projected. Possible desired changes in energy use patterns over the next fifty years are proposed.

Progressive exercise preconditioning protects against circulatory shock during experimental heatstroke.

PubMed

Hung, Ching-Hsia; Chang, Nen-Chung; Cheng, Bor-Chih; Lin, Mao-Tsun

2005-05-01

Heat shock protein (HSP) 72 expression protects against arterial hypotension in rat heatstroke. HSP72 can also be induced in multiple organs, including hearts from rats with endurance exercise. We validated the hypothesis that progressive exercise preconditioning may confer cardiovascular protection during heatstroke by inducing the overexpression of HSP72 in multiple organs. To deal with the matter, we assessed the effects of heatstroke on mean arterial pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, stroke volume, total peripheral vascular resistance, colonic temperature, blood gases, and serum or tissue levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in urethane-anesthetized rats pretreated without or with progressive exercise training for 1, 2, or 3 weeks. In addition, HSP72 expression in multiple organs was determined in different groups of animals. Heatstroke was induced by exposing the rats to a high blanket temperature (43 degrees C); the moment at which mean arterial pressure decreased from the peak value was taken as the time of heatstroke onset. Previous exercise training for 3 weeks, but not 1 or 2 weeks, conferred significant protection against hyperthermia, arterial hypotension, decreased cardiac output, decreased stroke volume, decreased peripheral vascular resistance, and increased levels of serum or tissue TNF-alpha during heatstroke and correlated with overexpression of HSP72 in multiple organs, including heart, liver, and adrenal gland. However, 10 days after 3 weeks of progressive exercise training, when HSP72 expression in multiple organs returned to basal values, the beneficial effects exerted by 3 weeks of exercise training were no longer observed. These results strongly suggest that HSP72 preconditioning with progressive exercise training protects against hyperthermia, circulatory shock, and TNF-alpha overproduction during heatstroke.

Progress on Protection of Titanium-Bearing Materials in Chinese Blast Furnace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Qiuye; Zhang, Jianliang; Jiao, Kexin; Wang, Cui

Prolonging the campaign life of the blast furnace has been an important task for iron makers, and it has been studied for decades. Adding titanium-bearing materials is a generally agreed and effective technique to protect the blast furnace hearth. Titanium from titania additions in the burden or tuyere injection react with carbon and nitrogen and form scaffolds on the hearth surface to protect the hearth from subsequent erosion. In this article, the progress on blast furnace hearth protection of titania additions in Chinese steel companies and research institutions is investigated, and the difficulties in the operation and production, such as little effect after adding titanium- bearing materials and the property deterioration of liquid iron and slags, are analyzed. The future research for protection in Chinese blast furnace is proposed, and a comprehensive process which combines protection of titanium bearing materials with reasonable thermal balance and slag- making regimes should be established.

Impact of HLA in mother and child on disease progression of pediatric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

PubMed

Thobakgale, Christina F; Prendergast, Andrew; Crawford, Hayley; Mkhwanazi, Nompumelelo; Ramduth, Danni; Reddy, Sharon; Molina, Claudia; Mncube, Zenele; Leslie, Alasdair; Prado, Julia; Chonco, Fundi; Mphatshwe, Wendy; Tudor-Williams, Gareth; Jeena, Prakash; Blanckenberg, Natasha; Dong, Krista; Kiepiela, Photini; Coovadia, Hoosen; Ndung'u, Thumbi; Walker, Bruce D; Goulder, Philip J R

2009-10-01

A broad Gag-specific CD8(+) T-cell response is associated with effective control of adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The association of certain HLA class I molecules, such as HLA-B*57, -B*5801, and -B*8101, with immune control is linked to mutations within Gag epitopes presented by these alleles that allow HIV to evade the immune response but that also reduce viral replicative capacity. Transmission of such viruses containing mutations within Gag epitopes results in lower viral loads in adult recipients. In this study of pediatric infection, we tested the hypothesis that children may tend to progress relatively slowly if either they themselves possess one of the protective HLA-B alleles or the mother possesses one of these alleles, thereby transmitting a low-fitness virus to the child. We analyzed HLA type, CD8(+) T-cell responses, and viral sequence changes for 61 mother-child pairs from Durban, South Africa, who were monitored from birth. Slow progression was significantly associated with the mother or child possessing one of the protective HLA-B alleles, and more significantly so when the protective allele was not shared by mother and child (P = 0.007). Slow progressors tended to make CD8(+) T-cell responses to Gag epitopes presented by the protective HLA-B alleles, in contrast to progressors expressing the same alleles (P = 0.07; Fisher's exact test). Mothers expressing the protective alleles were significantly more likely to transmit escape variants within the Gag epitopes presented by those alleles than mothers not expressing those alleles (75% versus 21%; P = 0.001). Reversion of transmitted escape mutations was observed in all slow-progressing children whose mothers possessed protective HLA-B alleles. These data show that HLA class I alleles influence disease progression in pediatric as well as adult infection, both as a result of the CD8(+) T-cell responses generated in the child and through the transmission of low-fitness viruses by the mother.

Albumin-induced podocyte injury and protection are associated with regulation of COX-2.

PubMed Central

Agrawal, Shipra; Guess, Adam J.; Chanley, Melinda A.; Smoyer, and William E.

2014-01-01

Albuminuria is both a hallmark and a risk factor for progressive glomerular disease, and results in increased exposure of podocytes to serum albumin with its associated factors. Here in vivo and in vitro models of serum albumin overload were used to test the hypothesis that albumin-induced proteinuria and podocyte injury directly correlate with COX-2 induction. Albumin induced COX-2, MCP-1, CXCL1 and the stress protein HSP25 in both rat glomeruli and cultured podocytes, while B7-1 and HSP70i were also induced in podocytes. Podocyte exposure to albumin induced both mRNA and protein and enhanced the mRNA stability of COX-2, a key regulator of renal hemodynamics and inflammation, which renders podocytes susceptible to injury. Podocyte exposure to albumin also stimulated several kinases (p38 MAPK, MK2, JNK/SAPK and ERK1/2), inhibitors of which (except JNK/SAPK) down-regulated albumin-induced COX-2. Inhibition of AMPK, PKC and NFκB also down-regulated albumin-induced COX-2. Critically, albumin-induced COX-2 was also inhibited by glucocorticoids and thiazolidinediones, both of which directly protect podocytes against injury. Furthermore, specific albumin-associated fatty acids were identified as important contributors to COX-2 induction, podocyte injury and proteinuria. Thus, COX-2 is associated with podocyte injury during albuminuria, as well as with the known podocyte protection imparted by glucocorticoids and thiazolidinediones. Moreover, COX-2 induction, podocyte damage and albuminuria appear mediated largely by serum albumin-associated fatty acids. PMID:24918154

Changing paradigms in thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Gotsman, M S; Rozenman, Y; Admon, D; Mosseri, M; Lotan, C; Zahger, D; Weiss, A T

1997-05-23

Acute myocardial infarction occurs when a ruptured coronary artery plaque causes sudden thrombotic occlusion of a coronary artery and cessation of coronary artery blood flow. This paper reviews the underlying coronary pathology in progressive coronary atherosclerosis, mechanisms of plaque rupture and arterial occlusion and the time relationship between coronary occlusion and myocardial necrosis. Reperfusion can be achieved by chemical thrombolysis with different thrombolytic agents. Early lysis is achieved best by prehospital administration, a transtelephonic monitor, a mobile intensive care unit, active general practitioner treatment or by warning the emergency room of impending arrival of a patient. Thrombolytic therapy may be unsuccessful and not achieve Grade III TIMI flow in less than 4 h (or even 2 h) due to inadequate or intermittent perfusion or reocclusion. Adjuvant therapy includes aspirin and platelet receptor antagonists. Bleeding is a constant danger. Direct percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) may be as effective or better than chemical thrombolysis. Reperfusion protects the myocardium and salvages viable tissue. It also improves mechanical remodelling of the ventricle. Long-term follow-up has shown that quantum leaps of fresh coronary occlusion causes step-wise progression in patient disability and that further early, prompt reperfusion can salvage myocardium and prevent this inexorable progress of the disease.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a Multisystem Pathology: Insights into the Role of TNFα

PubMed Central

Tortarolo, Massimo; Lo Coco, Daniele; Veglianese, Pietro; Vallarola, Antonio; Giordana, Maria Teresa; Marcon, Gabriella; Beghi, Ettore; Poloni, Marco; Strong, Michael J.; Iyer, Anand M.; Aronica, Eleonora

2017-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is considered a multifactorial, multisystem disease in which inflammation and the immune system play important roles in development and progression. The pleiotropic cytokine TNFα is one of the major players governing the inflammation in the central nervous system and peripheral districts such as the neuromuscular and immune system. Changes in TNFα levels are reported in blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and nerve tissues of ALS patients and animal models. However, whether they play a detrimental or protective role on the disease progression is still not clear. Our group and others have recently reported opposite involvements of TNFR1 and TNFR2 in motor neuron death. TNFR2 mediates TNFα toxic effects on these neurons presumably through the activation of MAP kinase-related pathways. On the other hand, TNFR2 regulates the function and proliferation of regulatory T cells (Treg) whose expression is inversely correlated with the disease progression rate in ALS patients. In addition, TNFα is considered a procachectic factor with a direct catabolic effect on skeletal muscles, causing wasting. We review and discuss the role of TNFα in ALS in the light of its multisystem nature. PMID:29081600

Personality and HIV Disease Progression: Role of NEO-PI-R Openness, Extraversion, and Profiles of Engagement

PubMed Central

O'Cleirigh, Conall; Schneiderman, Neil; Weiss, Alexander; Costa, Paul T.

2008-01-01

Objective To examine the role of the big five personality domains (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness) and their respective facets and profiles on change in CD4 and log HIV-RNA copies/ml (VL) over 4 years. The examination of psychosocial predictors of disease progression in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has focused primarily on depression, coping, and stress, with little attention paid to stable individual differences. Methods A diverse sample of HIV-seropositive patients (n = 104) completed personality assessment (NEO-PI-R), underwent comprehensive psychological assessment and blood samples every 6 months for 4 years. Linear rates of change for CD4 cells and VL were modeled using Hierarchical Linear Modeling controlling for antiretrovirals (time dependent covariate), initial disease status, age, gender, ethnicity, and education. Results Domains that were significantly associated with slower disease progression over 4 years included Openness (CD4, VL), Extraversion (CD4, VL), and Conscientiousness (VL). Facets of the above domains that were significantly related to slower disease progression were assertiveness, positive emotions, and gregariousness (Extraversion); ideas, esthetics (Openness); achievement striving and order (Conscientiousness). In addition, profile analyses suggested personality styles which seem to underscore the importance of remaining engaged (e.g., Creative Interactors (E+O+), Upbeat Optimists (N−E+), Welcomers (E+A+), Go Getters (C+E+), and Directed (N−C+)) had slower disease progression, whereas the “homebody” profile (Low Extraversion-Low Openness) was significantly associated with faster disease progression. Conclusions These results provide good initial evidence of the relationship between personality and disease progression in HIV and suggest protective aspects of profiles of engagement. These finding may help identify those individuals at risk for poorer disease course and specify targets for psychosocial interventions. PMID:18256349

In vitro antioxidant properties, free radicals scavenging activities of extracts and polyphenol composition of a non-timber forest product used as spice: Monodora myristica.

PubMed

Moukette, Bruno Moukette; Pieme, Constant Anatole; Njimou, Jacques Romain; Biapa, Cabral Prosper Nya; Marco, Bravi; Ngogang, Jeanne Yonkeu

2015-03-14

Excessive production of free radicals causes direct damage to biological molecules such as DNA, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates leading to tumor development and progression. Natural antioxidant molecules from phytochemicals of plant origin may directly inhibit either their production or limit their propagation or destroy them to protect the system. In the present study, Monodora myristica a non-timber forest product consumed in Cameroon as spice was screened for its free radical scavenging properties, antioxidant and enzymes protective activities. Its phenolic compound profile was also realized by HPLC. This study demonstrated that M. myristica has scavenging properties against DPPH(•), OH(•), NO(•), and ABTS(•) radicals which vary in a dose depending manner. It also showed an antioxidant potential that was comparable with that of Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) and vitamin C used as standard. The aqueous ethanol extract of M. myristica barks (AEH); showed a significantly higher content in polyphenolic compounds (21.44 ± 0.24 mg caffeic acid/g dried extract) and flavonoid (5.69 ± 0.07 quercetin equivalent mg/g of dried weight) as compared to the other studied extracts. The HPLC analysis of the barks and leaves revealed the presence of several polyphenols. The acids (3,4-OH-benzoic, caffeic, gallic, O- and P- coumaric, syringic, vanillic), alcohols (tyrosol and OH-tyrosol), theobromine, quercetin, rutin, catechine and apigenin were the identified and quantified polyphenols. All the tested extracts demonstrated a high protective potential on the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and peroxidase activities. Finally, the different extracts from M. myristica and specifically the aqueous ethanol extract reveal several properties such as higher free radical scavenging properties, significant antioxidant capacities and protective potential effects on liver enzymes.

The noble gas xenon provides protection and trophic stimulation to midbrain dopamine neurons.

PubMed

Lavaur, Jérémie; Le Nogue, Déborah; Lemaire, Marc; Pype, Jan; Farjot, Géraldine; Hirsch, Etienne C; Michel, Patrick P

2017-07-01

Despite its low chemical reactivity, the noble gas xenon possesses a remarkable spectrum of biological effects. In particular, xenon is a strong neuroprotectant in preclinical models of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. In this study, we wished to determine whether xenon retained its neuroprotective potential in experimental settings that model the progressive loss of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons in Parkinson's disease. Using rat midbrain cultures, we established that xenon was partially protective for DA neurons through either direct or indirect effects on these neurons. So, when DA neurons were exposed to l-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid so as to increase ambient glutamate levels and generate slow and sustained excitotoxicity, the effect of xenon on DA neurons was direct. The vitamin E analog Trolox also partially rescued DA neurons in this setting and enhanced neuroprotection by xenon. However, in the situation where DA cell death was spontaneous, the protection of DA neurons by xenon appeared indirect as it occurred through the repression of a mechanism mediated by proliferating glial cells, presumably astrocytes and their precursor cells. Xenon also exerted trophic effects for DA neurons in this paradigm. The effects of xenon were mimicked and improved by the N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptor antagonist memantine and xenon itself appeared to work by antagonizing N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors. Note that another noble gas argon could not reproduce xenon effects. Overall, present data indicate that xenon can provide protection and trophic support to DA neurons that are vulnerable in Parkinson's disease. This suggests that xenon might have some therapeutic value for this disorder. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society for Neurochemistry.

78 FR 17204 - Pesticide Reregistration Performance Measures and Goals; Annual Progress Report; Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-20

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0938; FRL-9374-7] Pesticide Reregistration Performance Measures and Goals; Annual Progress Report; Notice of Availability AGENCY: Environmental... EPA's progress report in meeting its performance measures and goals for pesticide reregistration...

77 FR 19662 - Pesticide Reregistration Performance Measures and Goals; Annual Progress Report; Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-02

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0959; FRL-9343-5] Pesticide Reregistration Performance Measures and Goals; Annual Progress Report; Notice of Availability AGENCY: Environmental... EPA's progress report in meeting its performance measures and goals for pesticide reregistration...

Management of the second phase of labour: perineum protection techniques.

PubMed

Laganà, A S; Burgio, M A; Retto, G; Pizzo, A; Granese, R; Sturlese, E; Ciancimino, L; Chiofalo, B; Retto, A; Triolo, O

2015-06-01

The obstetric experience alongside scientific evidences in literature indicate several management techniques during the expulsive period of labour to minimize obstetric complications. Among the various methods that can be used for the protection of the perineum during the expulsive phase, some are performed prepartum (perineum massage), while most are used during childbirth. Among the second group, progressively increasing importance is assumed by the manual techniques to protect the perineum (using the "hands-on" and "hands-off") and by episiotomy. These techniques, when used in accordance to the guidelines, may favour the reduction of adverse outcomes for both the mother and the newborn, both immediately after birth and after a longer time. The midwife should be aware of the evidences in literature so that a critical analysis of the available techniques can be made and put in action during the expulsive phase in order to protect the mother and the foetus from any unfavourable outcomes. Currently, clinical evidence in literature is directing obstetric and medical staff towards a careful analysis of the maternal-foetal parameters, in order to achieve a precise assessment of the risks factors of intrapartum and postpartum outcomes. Increasingly, there is the need for close collaboration between the midwife and medical staff to ensure proper personalized assistance based on the peculiar characteristics of the woman and the fetus.

Security policies and trust in ubiquitous computing.

PubMed

Joshi, Anupam; Finin, Tim; Kagal, Lalana; Parker, Jim; Patwardhan, Anand

2008-10-28

Ubiquitous environments comprise resource-constrained mobile and wearable devices and computational elements embedded in everyday artefacts. These are connected to each other using both infrastructure-based as well as short-range ad hoc networks. Limited Internet connectivity limits the use of conventional security mechanisms such as public key infrastructures and other forms of server-centric authentication. Under these circumstances, peer-to-peer interactions are well suited for not just information interchange, but also managing security and privacy. However, practical solutions for protecting mobile devices, preserving privacy, evaluating trust and determining the reliability and accuracy of peer-provided data in such interactions are still in their infancy. Our research is directed towards providing stronger assurances of the reliability and trustworthiness of information and services, and the use of declarative policy-driven approaches to handle the open and dynamic nature of such systems. This paper provides an overview of some of the challenges and issues, and points out directions for progress.

[Strategies and mechanisms of soil springtails in adapting lower temperature environment: research progress].

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Wang, Yun-Biao; Wu, Dong-Hui

2012-12-01

Low temperature and drought are the main environmental factors threatening the animals living in arctic area and cold temperate regions. To adapt the severe environment, the animals should adopt appropriate strategies. As a group of arthopods with freeze-avoiding strategy, soil springtails have the similar ecological mechanisms and modes of cold resistance/tolerance as insects, manifesting in the cold acclimation and drought tolerance to decrease the damage of ice crystal formation. During cold acclimation, there are a rapid increase of glycerol, a rapid decrease of fucose and glucose, and the production of anti-freeze proteins (AFP) , and exists the inter-transformation of different kinds of lipids to improve the flow of cell membrane to protect the cell from low temperature injury. In addition, soil springtails have their own specific modes and mechanisms to tolerate low temperature stress, mainly the vertical migration under the protection of snow cover and the excretion of ice nucleator from haemolymph, illustrating that it's of significance to research the cryobiology of soil springtails. This paper summarized the modes and mechanisms of soil springtails in tolerating low temperature environment, reviewed the research progress on the eco-physiology of the springtails, discussed the existing problems of the researches on the low temperature tolerance of the springtails, and prospected the research directions of the springtails low temperature ecology under the background of global change.

ENGINEERING NANO- AND MICRO-PARTICLES TO TUNE IMMUNITY

PubMed Central

Moon, James J.; Irvine, Darrell J.; Huang, Bonnie

2013-01-01

The immune system can be a cure or cause of disease, fulfilling a protective role in attacking cancer or pathogenic microbes but also causing tissue destruction in autoimmune disorders. Thus, therapies aimed to amplify or suppress immune reactions are of great interest. However, the complex regulation of the immune system, coupled with the potential systemic side effects associated with traditional systemic drug therapies, has presented a major hurdle for the development of successful immunotherapies,. Recent progress in the design of synthetic micro- and nano-particles that can target drugs, deliver imaging agents, or stimulate immune cells directly through their physical and chemical properties is leading to new approaches to deliver vaccines, promote immune responses against tumors, and suppress autoimmunity. In addition, novel strategies, such as the use of particle-laden immune cells as living targeting agents for drugs, are providing exciting new approaches for immunotherapy. This progress report describes recent advances in the design of micro- and nano-particles in immunotherapies and diagnostics. PMID:22641380

Potential Therapeutic Benefits of Strategies Directed to Mitochondria

PubMed Central

Lesnefsky, Edward J.; Stowe, David F.

2010-01-01

Abstract The mitochondrion is the most important organelle in determining continued cell survival and cell death. Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to many human maladies, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disease, and cancer. These mitochondria-related pathologies range from early infancy to senescence. The central premise of this review is that if mitochondrial abnormalities contribute to the pathological state, alleviating the mitochondrial dysfunction would contribute to attenuating the severity or progression of the disease. Therefore, this review will examine the role of mitochondria in the etiology and progression of several diseases and explore potential therapeutic benefits of targeting mitochondria in mitigating the disease processes. Indeed, recent advances in mitochondrial biology have led to selective targeting of drugs designed to modulate and manipulate mitochondrial function and genomics for therapeutic benefit. These approaches to treat mitochondrial dysfunction rationally could lead to selective protection of cells in different tissues and various disease states. However, most of these approaches are in their infancy. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 13, 279–347. PMID:20001744

Bone Conduction Communication: Research Progress and Directions

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-16

ARL-TR-8096 ● AUG 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Bone Conduction Communication: Research Progress and Directions by Maranda...this report when it is no longer needed. Do not return it to the originator. ARL-TR-8096 ● AUG 2017 US Army Research Laboratory...Bone Conduction Communication: Research Progress and Directions by Maranda McBride North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

ADCC Develops Over Time during Persistent Infection with Live-Attenuated SIV and Is Associated with Complete Protection against SIVmac251 Challenge

PubMed Central

Alpert, Michael D.; Harvey, Jackson D.; Lauer, W. Anderson; Reeves, R. Keith; Piatak, Michael; Carville, Angela; Mansfield, Keith G.; Lifson, Jeffrey D.; Li, Wenjun; Desrosiers, Ronald C.; Johnson, R. Paul; Evans, David T.

2012-01-01

Live-attenuated strains of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) routinely confer apparent sterilizing immunity against pathogenic SIV challenge in rhesus macaques. Understanding the mechanisms of protection by live-attenuated SIV may provide important insights into the immune responses needed for protection against HIV-1. Here we investigated the development of antibodies that are functional against neutralization-resistant SIV challenge strains, and tested the hypothesis that these antibodies are associated with protection. In the absence of detectable neutralizing antibodies, Env-specific antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) emerged by three weeks after inoculation with SIVΔnef, increased progressively over time, and was proportional to SIVΔnef replication. Persistent infection with SIVΔnef elicited significantly higher ADCC titers than immunization with a non-persistent SIV strain that is limited to a single cycle of infection. ADCC titers were higher against viruses matched to the vaccine strain in Env, but were measurable against viruses expressing heterologous Env proteins. In two separate experiments, which took advantage of either the strain-specificity or the time-dependent maturation of immunity to overcome complete protection against SIVmac251 challenge, measures of ADCC activity were higher among the SIVΔnef-inoculated macaques that remained uninfected than among those that became infected. These observations show that features of the antibody response elicited by SIVΔnef are consistent with hallmarks of protection by live-attenuated SIV, and reveal an association between Env-specific antibodies that direct ADCC and apparent sterilizing protection by SIVΔnef. PMID:22927823

The impact of social protection and poverty elimination on global tuberculosis incidence: a statistical modelling analysis of Sustainable Development Goal 1.

PubMed

Carter, Daniel J; Glaziou, Philippe; Lönnroth, Knut; Siroka, Andrew; Floyd, Katherine; Weil, Diana; Raviglione, Mario; Houben, Rein M G J; Boccia, Delia

2018-05-01

The End TB Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are intimately linked by their common targets and approaches. SDG 1 aims to end extreme poverty and expand social protection coverage by 2030. Achievement of SDG 1 is likely to affect the tuberculosis epidemic through a range of pathways. We estimate the reduction in global tuberculosis incidence that could be obtained by reaching SDG 1. We developed a conceptual framework linking key indicators of SDG 1 progress to tuberculosis incidence via well described risk factor pathways and populated it with data from the SDG data repository and the WHO tuberculosis database for 192 countries. Correlations and mediation analyses informed the strength of the association between the SDG 1 subtargets and tuberculosis incidence, resulting in a simplified framework for modelling. The simplified framework linked key indicators for SDG 1 directly to tuberculosis incidence. We applied an exponential decay model based on linear associations between SDG 1 indicators and tuberculosis incidence to estimate tuberculosis incidence in 2035. Ending extreme poverty resulted in a reduction in global incidence of tuberculosis of 33·4% (95% credible interval 15·5-44·5) by 2035 and expanding social protection coverage resulted in a reduction in incidence of 76·1% (45·2-89·9) by 2035; both pathways together resulted in a reduction in incidence of 84·3% (54·7-94·9). Full achievement of SDG 1 could have a substantial effect on the global burden of tuberculosis. Cross-sectoral approaches that promote poverty reduction and social protection expansion will be crucial complements to health interventions, accelerating progress towards the End TB targets. World Health Organization. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Angiotensin II AT1 receptor blockers as treatments for inflammatory brain disorders

PubMed Central

SAAVEDRA, Juan M.

2012-01-01

The effects of brain AngII (angiotensin II) depend on AT1 receptor (AngII type 1 receptor) stimulation and include regulation of cerebrovascular flow, autonomic and hormonal systems, stress, innate immune response and behaviour. Excessive brain AT1 receptor activity associates with hypertension and heart failure, brain ischaemia, abnormal stress responses, blood–brain barrier breakdown and inflammation. These are risk factors leading to neuronal injury, the incidence and progression of neurodegerative, mood and traumatic brain disorders, and cognitive decline. In rodents, ARBs (AT1 receptor blockers) ameliorate stress-induced disorders, anxiety and depression, protect cerebral blood flow during stroke, decrease brain inflammation and amyloid-β neurotoxicity and reduce traumatic brain injury. Direct anti-inflammatory protective effects, demonstrated in cultured microglia, cerebrovascular endothelial cells, neurons and human circulating monocytes, may result not only in AT1 receptor blockade, but also from PPARγ (peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor γ) stimulation. Controlled clinical studies indicate that ARBs protect cognition after stroke and during aging, and cohort analyses reveal that these compounds significantly reduce the incidence and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. ARBs are commonly used for the therapy of hypertension, diabetes and stroke, but have not been studied in the context of neurodegenerative, mood or traumatic brain disorders, conditions lacking effective therapy. These compounds are well-tolerated pleiotropic neuroprotective agents with additional beneficial cardiovascular and metabolic profiles, and their use in central nervous system disorders offers a novel therapeutic approach of immediate translational value. ARBs should be tested for the prevention and therapy of neurodegenerative disorders, in particular Alzheimer’s disease, affective disorders, such as co-morbid cardiovascular disease and depression, and traumatic brain injury. PMID:22827472

Evidence to Support the Anti-Cancer Effect of Olive Leaf Extract and Future Directions.

PubMed

Boss, Anna; Bishop, Karen S; Marlow, Gareth; Barnett, Matthew P G; Ferguson, Lynnette R

2016-08-19

The traditional Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with long life and lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease and cancers. The main components of this diet include high intake of fruit, vegetables, red wine, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and fish, low intake of dairy and red meat. Olive oil has gained support as a key effector of health benefits and there is evidence that this relates to the polyphenol content. Olive leaf extract (OLE) contains a higher quantity and variety of polyphenols than those found in EVOO. There are also important structural differences between polyphenols from olive leaf and those from olive fruit that may improve the capacity of OLE to enhance health outcomes. Olive polyphenols have been claimed to play an important protective role in cancer and other inflammation-related diseases. Both inflammatory and cancer cell models have shown that olive leaf polyphenols are anti-inflammatory and protect against DNA damage initiated by free radicals. The various bioactive properties of olive leaf polyphenols are a plausible explanation for the inhibition of progression and development of cancers. The pathways and signaling cascades manipulated include the NF-κB inflammatory response and the oxidative stress response, but the effects of these bioactive components may also result from their action as a phytoestrogen. Due to the similar structure of the olive polyphenols to oestrogens, these have been hypothesized to interact with oestrogen receptors, thereby reducing the prevalence and progression of hormone related cancers. Evidence for the protective effect of olive polyphenols for cancer in humans remains anecdotal and clinical trials are required to substantiate these claims idea. This review aims to amalgamate the current literature regarding bioavailability and mechanisms involved in the potential anti-cancer action of olive leaf polyphenols.

Evidence to Support the Anti-Cancer Effect of Olive Leaf Extract and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Boss, Anna; Bishop, Karen S.; Marlow, Gareth; Barnett, Matthew P. G.; Ferguson, Lynnette R.

2016-01-01

The traditional Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with long life and lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease and cancers. The main components of this diet include high intake of fruit, vegetables, red wine, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and fish, low intake of dairy and red meat. Olive oil has gained support as a key effector of health benefits and there is evidence that this relates to the polyphenol content. Olive leaf extract (OLE) contains a higher quantity and variety of polyphenols than those found in EVOO. There are also important structural differences between polyphenols from olive leaf and those from olive fruit that may improve the capacity of OLE to enhance health outcomes. Olive polyphenols have been claimed to play an important protective role in cancer and other inflammation-related diseases. Both inflammatory and cancer cell models have shown that olive leaf polyphenols are anti-inflammatory and protect against DNA damage initiated by free radicals. The various bioactive properties of olive leaf polyphenols are a plausible explanation for the inhibition of progression and development of cancers. The pathways and signaling cascades manipulated include the NF-κB inflammatory response and the oxidative stress response, but the effects of these bioactive components may also result from their action as a phytoestrogen. Due to the similar structure of the olive polyphenols to oestrogens, these have been hypothesized to interact with oestrogen receptors, thereby reducing the prevalence and progression of hormone related cancers. Evidence for the protective effect of olive polyphenols for cancer in humans remains anecdotal and clinical trials are required to substantiate these claims idea. This review aims to amalgamate the current literature regarding bioavailability and mechanisms involved in the potential anti-cancer action of olive leaf polyphenols. PMID:27548217

Suppression of Coronary Atherosclerosis by Helix B Surface Peptide, a Nonerythropoietic, Tissue-Protective Compound Derived from Erythropoietin

PubMed Central

Ueba, Hiroto; Shiomi, Masashi; Brines, Michael; Yamin, Michael; Kobayashi, Tsutomu; Ako, Junya; Momomura, Shin-ichi; Cerami, Anthony; Kawakami, Masanobu

2013-01-01

Erythropoietin (EPO), a type I cytokine originally identified for its critical role in hematopoiesis, has been shown to have nonhematopoietic, tissue-protective effects, including suppression of atherosclerosis. However, prothrombotic effects of EPO hinder its potential clinical use in nonanemic patients. In the present study, we investigated the antiatherosclerotic effects of helix B surface peptide (HBSP), a nonerythropoietic, tissue-protective compound derived from EPO, by using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human monocytic THP-1 cells in vitro and Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic spontaneous myocardial infarction (WHHLMI) rabbits in vivo. In HUVECs, HBSP inhibited apoptosis (≈70%) induced by C-reactive protein (CRP), a direct mediator of atherosclerosis. By using a small interfering RNA approach, Akt was shown to be a key molecule in HBSP-mediated prevention of apoptosis. HBSP also attenuated CRP-induced production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in THP-1 cells. In the WHHLMI rabbit, HBSP significantly suppressed progression of coronary atherosclerotic lesions as assessed by mean cross-sectional stenosis (HBSP 21.3 ± 2.2% versus control peptide 38.0 ± 2.7%) and inhibited coronary artery endothelial cell apoptosis with increased activation of Akt. Furthermore, TNF-α expression and the number of M1 macrophages and M1/M2 macrophage ratio in coronary atherosclerotic lesions were markedly reduced in HBSP-treated animals. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that HBSP suppresses coronary atherosclerosis, in part by inhibiting endothelial cell apoptosis through activation of Akt and in association with decreased TNF-α production and modified macrophage polarization in coronary atherosclerotic lesions. Because HBSP does not have the prothrombotic effects of EPO, our study may provide a novel therapeutic strategy that prevents progression of coronary artery disease. PMID:23648638

Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in evolutionary perspective: A critical role for helminths?

PubMed Central

Gurven, Michael D.; Trumble, Benjamin C.; Stieglitz, Jonathan; Blackwell, Aaron D.; Michalik, David E.; Finch, Caleb E.; Kaplan, Hillard S.

2016-01-01

Heart disease and type 2 diabetes are commonly believed to be rare among contemporary subsistence-level human populations, and by extension prehistoric populations. Although some caveats remain, evidence shows these diseases to be unusual among well-studied hunter-gatherers and other subsistence populations with minimal access to healthcare. Here we expand on a relatively new proposal for why these and other populations may not show major signs of these diseases. Chronic infections, especially helminths, may offer protection against heart disease and diabetes through direct and indirect pathways. As part of a strategy to insure their own survival and reproduction, helminths exert multiple cardio-protective effects on their host through their effects on immune function and blood lipid metabolism. Helminths consume blood lipids and glucose, alter lipid metabolism, and modulate immune function towards Th-2 polarization—which combined can lower blood cholesterol, reduce obesity, increase insulin sensitivity, decrease atheroma progression, and reduce likelihood of atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Traditional cardiometabolic risk factors, coupled with the mismatch between our evolved immune systems and modern, hygienic environments may interact in complex ways. In this review, we survey existing studies in the non-human animal and human literature, highlight unresolved questions and suggest future directions to explore the role of helminths in the etiology of cardio-metabolic disease. PMID:27666719

40 CFR 52.2037 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.2037 Section 52.2037 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Pennsylvania § 52.2037 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) Part D—Conditional Approval—the Pennsylvania plan for carbon monoxide and ozone is approved provided...

40 CFR 52.2037 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.2037 Section 52.2037 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Pennsylvania § 52.2037 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) Part D—Conditional Approval—the Pennsylvania plan for carbon monoxide and ozone is approved provided...

40 CFR 52.2037 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.2037 Section 52.2037 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Pennsylvania § 52.2037 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) Part D—Conditional Approval—the Pennsylvania plan for carbon monoxide and ozone is approved provided...

40 CFR 52.2037 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.2037 Section 52.2037 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Pennsylvania § 52.2037 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) Part D—Conditional Approval—the Pennsylvania plan for carbon monoxide and ozone is approved provided...

Sun-Protective Behavior | Cancer Trends Progress Report

Cancer.gov

The Cancer Trends Progress Report, first issued in 2001, summarizes our nation's advances against cancer in relation to Healthy People targets set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.

[Progress in the protective medicine against [correction of aganist] rocket propellents].

PubMed

Hu, W X; Tan, C Y; Tan, S J; Jiang, J

1999-12-01

To review the progress in the major assignment, the organization and implementation of protection against liquid rocket propellent. The safety detection methods of the rocket [correction of rocked] propellent in the launching field were also discussed. Three steps of the sanitation and protection of the liquid propellent, the toxicity and the toxicology of hydrazine on central nervous system, blood circulatory system, assimilation system, respiratory system, immune system, liver, kidney, eye, skin and its hereditary toxicology were described. In addition, the clinical types of poisoning, the current principle and the common ways of the prevention and treatment of hydrazine and nitrogen oxides poisoning were summarized.

Precursor engineering and controlled conversion for the synthesis of monodisperse thiolate-protected metal nanoclusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yong; Yao, Qiaofeng; Luo, Zhentao; Yuan, Xun; Lee, Jim Yang; Xie, Jianping

2013-05-01

In very recent years, thiolate-protected metal nanoclusters (or thiolated MNCs) with core sizes smaller than 2 nm have emerged as a new direction in nanoparticle research due to their discrete and size dependent electronic structures and molecular-like properties, such as HOMO-LUMO transitions in optical absorptions, quantized charging, and strong luminescence. Synthesis of monodisperse thiolated MNCs in sufficiently large quantities (up to several hundred micrograms) is necessary for establishing reliable size-property relationships and exploring potential applications. This Feature Article reviews recent progress in the development of synthetic strategies for the production of monodisperse thiolated MNCs. The preparation of monodisperse thiolated MNCs is viewed as an engineerable process where both the precursors (input) and their conversion chemistry (processing) may be rationally designed to achieve the desired outcome - monodisperse thiolated MNCs (output). Several strategies for tailoring the precursor and the conversion process are analyzed to arrive at a unifying understanding of the processes involved.

[Health policy in the European Union: impact on the Spanish health system].

PubMed

Guimarães, Luisa; Freire, José-Manuel

2007-01-01

This text reviews the impact of European integration on the health sector (public health and health services) by studying European Union (EU) institutions, functioning, and responsibilities through the literature, documents, and authors' observations. The EU does not have direct health responsibilities, but Community legislation has important repercussions on all member states' health policies. This influence affects health protection issues, consumer safety, regulation of medicines and medical devices, mutual recognition of professional qualifications, freedom of movement for health professionals and patients, public contracts and bidding, research, etc. The evolution of EU health policy shows a progressive reinforcement of responsibilities consistent with the objective of reaching a high level of health protection, which in turn affects other European policies. The impact of European integration on the Spanish health system is analyzed as a case study, and key aspects and present and future challenges are highlighted. Lessons are also drawn for regional integration processes to foster equity and efficiency in health.

Sex Hormones and Sex Chromosomes Cause Sex Differences in the Development of Cardiovascular Diseases.

PubMed

Arnold, Arthur P; Cassis, Lisa A; Eghbali, Mansoureh; Reue, Karen; Sandberg, Kathryn

2017-05-01

This review summarizes recent evidence concerning hormonal and sex chromosome effects in obesity, atherosclerosis, aneurysms, ischemia/reperfusion injury, and hypertension. Cardiovascular diseases occur and progress differently in the 2 sexes, because biological factors differing between the sexes have sex-specific protective and harmful effects. By comparing the 2 sexes directly, and breaking down sex into its component parts, one can discover sex-biasing protective mechanisms that might be targeted in the clinic. Gonadal hormones, especially estrogens and androgens, have long been found to account for some sex differences in cardiovascular diseases, and molecular mechanisms mediating these effects have recently been elucidated. More recently, the inherent sexual inequalities in effects of sex chromosome genes have also been implicated as contributors in animal models of cardiovascular diseases, especially a deleterious effect of the second X chromosome found in females but not in males. Hormonal and sex chromosome mechanisms interact in the sex-specific control of certain diseases, sometimes by opposing the action of the other. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

DDX3X RNA helicase affects breast cancer cell cycle progression by regulating expression of KLF4.

PubMed

Cannizzaro, Ester; Bannister, Andrew John; Han, Namshik; Alendar, Andrej; Kouzarides, Tony

2018-05-21

DDX3X is a multifunctional RNA helicase with documented roles in different cancer types. Here, we demonstrate that DDX3X plays an oncogenic role in breast cancer cells by modulating the cell cycle. Depletion of DDX3X in MCF7 cells slows cell proliferation by inducing a G1 phase arrest. Notably, DDX3X inhibits expression of Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a transcription factor and cell cycle repressor. Moreover, DDX3X directly interacts with KLF4 mRNA and regulates its splicing. We show that DDX3X-mediated repression of KLF4 promotes expression of S-phase inducing genes in MCF7 breast cancer cells. These findings provide evidence for a novel function of DDX3X in regulating expression and downstream functions of KLF4, a master negative regulator of the cell cycle. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

STRATEGIES IN SOIL PROTECTION - MISSIONS AND VISIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The focus of this paper is the progress to reach our present understandings of the needs and methods for "Soil protection." Soil is critical to human life, needed for production of foods safe for lifetime consumption. Soils must be protected for support of human societies. Until...

STRATEGIES IN SOIL PROTECTION - MISSIONS AND VISIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The focus of this paper is the progress to reach our present understandings of the needs and methods for "Soil protection." Sloil is critical to human life, needed for production of foods safe for lifetime consumption. Soils must be protected for support of human societies. Unti...

Recent advances in malaria drug discovery

PubMed Central

Biamonte, Marco A.; Wanner, Jutta; Le Roch, Karine G.

2013-01-01

This digest covers some of the most relevant progress in malaria drug disco very published betwe en 2010 and 2012. There is an urgent need to develop new antimalarial drugs. Such drugs can target the blood stage of the disease to alleviate the symptoms, the liver stage to prevent relapses, and the transmission stage to protect other humans. The pipeline for the blood stage is becoming robust, but this should not be a source of complacency, as the current therapies set a high standard. Drug disco very efforts directed towards the liver and transmission stages are in their infancy but are receiving increasing attention as targeting these stages could be instrumental in eradicating malaria. PMID:23587422

Cationic liposomes as vaccine adjuvants.

PubMed

Christensen, Dennis; Korsholm, Karen S; Rosenkrands, Ida; Lindenstrøm, Thomas; Andersen, Peter; Agger, Else Marie

2007-10-01

Cationic liposomes are lipid-bilayer vesicles with a positive surface charge that have re-emerged as a promising new adjuvant technology. Although there is some evidence that cationic liposomes themselves can improve the immune response against coadministered vaccine antigens, their main functions are to protect the antigens from clearance in the body and deliver the antigens to professional antigen-presenting cells. In addition, cationic liposomes can be used to introduce immunomodulators to enhance and modulate the immune response in a desirable direction and, thereby, represent an efficient tool when designing tailor-made adjuvants for specific disease targets. In this article we review the recent progress on cationic liposomes as vehicles, enhancing the effect of immunomodulators and the presentation of vaccine antigens.

GOES-S Spacecraft Mate to PLA

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-05

In a clean room at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, technicians and engineers monitor progress as NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S, or GOES-S, is mated to its payload attach fitting. It soon will be moved to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mounting atop the Atlas V rocket that will boost the satellite to orbit. GOES-S is the second in a series of four advanced geostationary weather satellites that will significantly improve the detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property and the nation's economic health and prosperity. GOES-S is slated to launch March 1, 2018 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

GOES-S Encapsulation

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-07

In a clean room at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, technicians and engineers monitor progress as NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S, or GOES-S, is encapsulated in its payload fairing. It soon will be moved to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mounting atop the Atlas V rocket that will boost the satellite to orbit. GOES-S is the second in a series of four advanced geostationary weather satellites that will significantly improve the detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property and the nation's economic health and prosperity. GOES-S is slated to launch March 1, 2018 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

A young child with fever, alopecia, and skin nodules: a clinicopathological conference.

PubMed

Vignesh, Pandiarajan; Gupta, Aman; Suri, Deepti; Chatterjee, Debajyoti; Saikia, Uma Nahar; Trehan, Amita; Singh, Surjit

2017-11-21

The illness started as a continuous high-grade fever noted up to 103°F.. Subsequently, he also developed red painful skin nodules that initially appeared over shins and later progressed to involve thighs, trunks, upper extremities, and face. The nodules also appeared over scalp and there was a was a progressive loss of scalp hair. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

UV Exposure and Sun Protective Practices | Cancer Trends Progress Report

Cancer.gov

The Cancer Trends Progress Report, first issued in 2001, summarizes our nation's advances against cancer in relation to Healthy People targets set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Influences of reverse outsourcing on green technological progress from the perspective of a global supply chain.

PubMed

Wang, Shuhong; Song, Malin

2017-10-01

As a newly appeared trade mode in recent years, reverse outsourcing has made a great impact on traditional trade modes. This paper researched the influences of reverse outsourcing on green technological progress from the perspective of a global supply chain by using micro-data of enterprises. It worked out the rate of green technological progress from two innovative concepts: potential production technology and practical production technology. The empirical analysis results indicated that reverse outsourcing stimulates, and enterprise size and ownership type potentially affects, green technological progress. State-owned or foreign enterprises with high income levels would pay more attention to environmental protection, energy saving, and emission reduction, while small and micro enterprises with low incomes would choose to ignore environmental protection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors that deregulate the protective immune response in tuberculosis.

PubMed

Hernandez-Pando, Rogelio; Orozco, Hector; Aguilar, Diana

2009-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease which essentially affects the lungs and produces profound abnormalities on the immune system. Although most people infected by the tubercle bacillus (90%) do not develop the disease during their lifetime, when there are alterations in the immune system, such as co-infection with HIV, malnutrition, or diabetes, the risk of developing active disease increases considerably. Interestingly, during the course of active disease, even in the absence of immunosuppressive conditions, there is a profound and prolonged suppression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific protective immune responses. Several immune factors can contribute to downregulate the protective immunity, permitting disease progression. In general, many of these factors are potent anti-inflammatory molecules that are probably overproduced with the intention to protect against tissue damage, but the consequence of this response is a decline in protective immunity facilitating bacilli growth and disease progression. Here the most significant participants in protective immunity are reviewed, in particular the factors that deregulate protective immunity in TB. Their manipulation as novel forms of immunotherapy are also briefly commented.

A Decade of Progress toward Ending the Intensive Confinement of Farm Animals in the United States

PubMed Central

Shields, Sara; Shapiro, Paul; Rowan, Andrew

2017-01-01

Simple Summary Over the past ten years, unprecedented changes in the way farm animals are kept on intensive production facilities have begun to take hold in the U.S. veal, egg and pork industries. Propelled by growing public support for animal welfare, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has successfully led the effort to transition farms from using restrictive cages and crates to more open aviary and group housing systems that offer the animals far more freedom to express natural behavior. This paper describes the background history of the movement, the strategy and approach of the campaign and the challenges that were overcome to enable this major shift in farming practices. The events chronicled are set within the context of the larger societal concern for animals and the important contributions of other animal protection organizations. Abstract In this paper, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) farm animal protection work over the preceding decade is described from the perspective of the organization. Prior to 2002, there were few legal protections for animals on the farm, and in 2005, a new campaign at the HSUS began to advance state ballot initiatives throughout the country, with a decisive advancement in California (Proposition 2) that paved the way for further progress. Combining legislative work with undercover farm and slaughterhouse investigations, litigation and corporate engagement, the HSUS and fellow animal protection organizations have made substantial progress in transitioning the veal, pork and egg industries away from intensive confinement systems that keep the animals in cages and crates. Investigations have become an important tool for demonstrating widespread inhumane practices, building public support and convincing the retail sector to publish meaningful animal welfare policies. While federal legislation protecting animals on the farm stalled, there has been steady state-by-state progress, and this is complemented by major brands such as McDonald’s and Walmart pledging to purchase only from suppliers using cage-free and crate-free animal housing systems. The evolution of societal expectations regarding animals has helped propel the recent wave of progress and may also be driven, in part, by the work of animal protection organizations. PMID:28505141

Eco-Efficiency Analysis of Green Infrastructure Based Watershed Management: A Case Study of Raionwater Harvesting in the Albemarle-Pimlico Basins

EPA Science Inventory

Rising world population, rapid urbanization, and land development exacerbate the global challenge of protecting watersheds and their sustainability. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has achieved significant progress in protecting and remediating national watersheds,...

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

Photons protect privacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham-Rowe, Duncan

2008-02-01

The idea of using quantum optics to protect the transmission of sensitive data is becoming a commercial reality and starting to be deployed. Duncan Graham-Rowe takes a look at recent progress in quantum cryptography.

Behavior as a sentry of metal toxicity

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

Weiss, B.

1978-01-01

Many of the toxic properties of metals are expressed as behavioral aberrations. Some of these arise from direct actions on the central nervous system. Others arise from primary events elsewhere, but still influence behavior. Toxicity may be expressed either as objectively measurable phenomena, such as ataxia, or as subjective complaints, such as depression. In neither instance is clinical medicine equipped to provide assessments of subtle, early indices of toxicity. Reviewers of visual disturbances, paresthesia, and mental retardation exemplify the potential contribution of psychology to the toxicology of metals. Behavior and nervous system functions act as sensitive mirrors of metal toxicity.more » Sensitivity is the prime aim in environmental health assessments. Early detection of adverse effects, before they progress to irreversibility, underlies the strategy for optimal health protection. Some of the toxic actions of metals originate in direct nervous system dysfunction. Others may reflect disturbances of systems less directly linked to behavior than the central nervous system. But behavior, because it expresses the integrated functioning of the organism, can indicate flaws in states and processes outside the nervous system.« less

Beneficial and detrimental role of adenosine signaling in diseases and therapy

PubMed Central

Liu, Hong

2015-01-01

Adenosine is a major signaling nucleoside that orchestrates cellular and tissue adaptation under energy depletion and ischemic/hypoxic conditions by activation of four G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). The regulation and generation of extracellular adenosine in response to stress are critical in tissue protection. Both mouse and human studies reported that extracellular adenosine signaling plays a beneficial role during acute states. However, prolonged excess extracellular adenosine is detrimental and contributes to the development and progression of various chronic diseases. In recent years, substantial progress has been made to understand the role of adenosine signaling in different conditions and to clarify its significance during the course of disease progression in various organs. These efforts have and will identify potential therapeutic possibilities for protection of tissue injury at acute stage by upregulation of adenosine signaling or attenuation of chronic disease progression by downregulation of adenosine signaling. This review is to summarize current progress and the importance of adenosine signaling in different disease stages and its potential therapeutic effects. PMID:26316513

European activities in radiation protection in medicine.

PubMed

Simeonov, Georgi

2015-07-01

The recently published Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom ('new European Basic Safety Standards', EU BSS) modernises and consolidates the European radiation protection legislation by taking into account the latest scientific knowledge, technological progress and experience with implementing the current legislation and by merging five existing Directives into a single piece of legislation. The new European BSS repeal previous European legislation on which the national systems for radiation protection in medicine of the 28 European Union (EU) Member States are based, including the 96/29/Euratom 'BSS' and the 97/43/Euratom 'Medical Exposure' Directives. While most of the elements of the previous legislation have been kept, there are several legal changes that will have important influence over the regulation and practice in the field all over Europe-these include, among others: (i) strengthening the implementation of the justification principle and expanding it to medically exposed asymptomatic individuals, (ii) more attention to interventional radiology, (iii) new requirements for dose recording and reporting, (iv) increased role of the medical physics expert in imaging, (v) new set of requirements for preventing and following up on accidents and (vi) new set of requirements for procedures where radiological equipment is used on people for non-medical purposes (non-medical imaging exposure). The EU Member States have to enforce the new EU BSS before January 2018 and bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with it. The European Commission has certain legal obligations and powers to verify the compliance of the national measures with the EU laws and, wherever necessary, issue recommendations to, or open infringement cases against, national governments. In order to ensure timely and coordinated implementation of the new European legal requirements for radiation protection, the Commission is launching several actions including promotion and dissemination activities, exchange and discussion fora and provision of guidance. These actions will be based on previous experiences and will rely on the results of recent and ongoing EU-funded projects. Important stakeholders including the Euratom Article 31 Group, the association of the Heads of European Radiological protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) and different European professional and specialty organisations will be involved. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Multiple views of the October 2003 Cedar Fires captured by the High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morikawa, E.; Nayak, A.; Vernon, F.; Braun, H.; Matthews, J.

2004-12-01

Late October 2003 brought devastating fires to the entire Southern California region. The NSF-funded High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN - http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/) cameras captured the development and progress of the Cedar fire in San Diego County. Cameras on Mt. Laguna, Mt. Woodson, Ramona Airport, and North Peak, recording one frame every 12 seconds, allowed for a time-lapse composite showing the fire's formation and progress from its beginnings on October 26th, to October 30th. The time-lapse camera footage depicts gushing smoke formations during the day, and bright orange walls of fire at night. The final video includes time synchronized views from multiple cameras, and an animated map highlighting the progress of the fire over time, and a directional indicator for each of the displaying cameras. The video is narrated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Fire Captain Ron Serabia (retd.) who was working then as a Air Tactical Group Supervisor with the aerial assault on the Cedar Fire Sunday October 26, 2004. The movie will be made available for download from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Visualization Center Visual Objects library (supported by the OptIPuter project) at http://www.siovizcenter.ucsd.edu.

Short-term calorie and protein restriction provide partial protection from chemotoxicity but do not delay glioma progression

PubMed Central

Brandhorst, Sebastian; Wei, Min; Hwang, Saewon; Morgan, Todd E.; Longo, Valter D.

2013-01-01

Short-term starvation (STS) protects normal cells while simultaneously sensitizing malignant cells to high-dose chemotherapeutic drugs in mice and possibly patients. The fasting-dependent protection of normal cells and sensitization of malignant cells depends, in part, on reduced levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and glucose. Calorie restricted diets with defined macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein, fat) ratios were evaluated for the effects on stress sensitization markers and protection in mice treated with high-dose chemotherapy. We show that short-term CR significantly reduced both glucose and IGF-1 levels, but when specific macronutrient deficiencies were tested, only the complete lack of proteins reduced IGF-1 levels. Short-term 50% CR combined with either severe protein-deficiency or ketogenic diets improved chemotoxicity resistance similarly to the standard 50% CR, but did not result in the high protection caused by STS. Notably, a high protein diet reversed the beneficial effects of short-term CR. In a subcutaneous mouse model of glioma, feeding a low protein (4% calories from protein) diet for more than 20 days did not delay tumor progression once the tumor became palpable. Also, cycles of short-term (3 days) 50% CR did not augment the chemotherapy efficacy of cisplatin in a murine breast cancer model. These results indicate that the protection from chemotoxicity and retardation of the progression of certain tumors achieved with fasting is not obtained with short-term calorie and/or macronutrient restriction. PMID:23454633

Performance-assessment progress for the Rozan low-level waste disposal facility

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

Smietanski, L.; Mitrega, J.; Frankowski, Z.

1995-12-31

The paper presents a condensed progress report on the performance assessment of Poland`s low-level waste disposal facility which is operating since 1961. The Rozan repository is of near-surface type with facilities which are the concrete fortifications built about 1910. Site characterization activities supplied information on regional geology, geohydrology, climatic and hydrologic conditions and terrain surface evolution due to geodynamic processes. Field surveys enabled to decode lithological, hydrogeological and geochemical site specific conditions. From the laboratory tests the data on groundwater chemistry and soil geochemical and hydraulic characteristics were obtained. The site geohydrologic main vulnerable element is the upmost directly endangeredmore » unconfined aquifer which is perched in relation to the region-wide hydraulic system. Heterogeneity of this system reflects in a wide range of hydraulic conductivity and thickness variations. It strongly affects velocity and flow directions. The chemistry of groundwater is unstable due to large sensitivity to external impacts. Modeling of the migration of the critical long-lived radionuclides Tc-99, U-238 and Pu-239 showed that the nearly 20 m thick unsaturated zone plays crucial role as an effective protective barrier. These radionuclides constitute minor part of the total inventory. Modeling of the development of the H-3 plume pointed out the role the macrodispersion plays in the unsaturated zone beneath the repository.« less

B cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: moving to center stage

PubMed Central

Polverino, Francesca; Seys, Leen J. M.; Bracke, Ken R.

2016-01-01

Chronic inflammatory responses in the lungs contribute to the development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although research studies focused initially on the contributions of the innate immune system to the pathogenesis of COPD, more recent studies have implicated adaptive immune responses in COPD. In particular, studies have demonstrated increases in B cell counts and increases in the number and size of B cell-rich lymphoid follicles in COPD lungs that correlate directly with COPD severity. There are also increases in lung levels of mediators that promote B cell maturation, activation, and survival in COPD patients. B cell products such as autoantibodies directed against lung cells, components of cells, and extracellular matrix proteins are also present in COPD lungs. These autoantibodies may contribute to lung inflammation and injury in COPD patients, in part, by forming immune complexes that activate complement components. Studies of B cell-deficient mice and human COPD patients have linked B cells most strongly to the emphysema phenotype. However, B cells have protective activities during acute exacerbations of COPD by promoting adaptive immune responses that contribute to host defense against pathogens. This review outlines the evidence that links B cells and B cell-rich lymphoid follicles to the pathogenesis of COPD and the mechanisms involved. It also reviews the potential and limitations of B cells as therapeutic targets to slow the progression of human COPD. PMID:27542809

Abnormal-induced theta activity supports early directed-attention network deficits in progressive MCI.

PubMed

Deiber, Marie-Pierre; Ibañez, Vicente; Missonnier, Pascal; Herrmann, François; Fazio-Costa, Lara; Gold, Gabriel; Giannakopoulos, Panteleimon

2009-09-01

The electroencephalography (EEG) theta frequency band reacts to memory and selective attention paradigms. Global theta oscillatory activity includes a posterior phase-locked component related to stimulus processing and a frontal-induced component modulated by directed attention. To investigate the presence of early deficits in the directed attention-related network in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), time-frequency analysis at baseline was used to assess global and induced theta oscillatory activity (4-6Hz) during n-back working memory tasks in 29 individuals with MCI and 24 elderly controls (EC). At 1-year follow-up, 13 MCI patients were still stable and 16 had progressed. Baseline task performance was similar in stable and progressive MCI cases. Induced theta activity at baseline was significantly reduced in progressive MCI as compared to EC and stable MCI in all n-back tasks, which were similar in terms of directed attention requirements. While performance is maintained, the decrease of induced theta activity suggests early deficits in the directed-attention network in progressive MCI, whereas this network is functionally preserved in stable MCI.

MAPP (Monitoring Academic Progress Policy): Providing Advising Direction Through the Use of a Degree Auditing System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Severy, Lawrence J.; Slinger, Peter J.

1996-01-01

Describes a computerized partial degree auditing system, MAPP (Monitoring Academic Progress Policy), developed at the University of Florida to monitor students' progress into appropriate majors and apply institutional policy concerning degrees. The system generates letters directing students to advisors when needed. Discusses advantages for…

The Influence of Depression on the Progression of HIV: Direct and Indirect Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schuster, Randi; Bornovalova, Marina; Hunt, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

The authors suggest a theoretical model of pathways of HIV progression, with a focus on the contributions of depression--as well as secondary, behavioral and emotional variables. Literature was reviewed regarding (a) comorbid depression and the direct physiological effects on HIV progression and (b) intermediary factors between HIV and disease…

Dependence of Cisplatin-Induced Cell Death In Vitro and In Vivo on Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2

PubMed Central

Price, Peter M.; Yu, Fang; Kaldis, Philipp; Aleem, Eiman; Nowak, Grażyna; Safirstein, Robert L.; Megyesi, Judit

2006-01-01

Cisplatin is one of the most effective chemotherapeutics, but its usefulness is limited by its toxicity to normal tissues, including cells of the kidney proximal tubule. The purpose of these studies was to determine the mechanism of cisplatin cytotoxicity. It was shown in vivo that cisplatin administration induces upregulation of the gene for the p21 cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor in kidney cells. This protein is a positive effector on the fate of cisplatin-exposed renal tubule cells in vivo and in vitro; adenoviral transduction of p21 completely protected proximal tubule cells from cisplatin toxicity. Herein is reported that cdk2 inhibitory drugs protect kidney cells in vivo and in vitro, that transduction of kidney cells in vitro with dominant-negative cdk2 also protected, and that cdk2 knockout cells were resistant to cisplatin. The cdk2 knockout cells regained cisplatin sensitivity after transduction with wild-type cdk2. It is concluded that cisplatin cytotoxicity depends on cdk2 activation and that the mechanism of p21 protection is by direct inhibition of cdk2. This demonstrated the involvement of a protein that previously was associated with cell-cycle progression with pathways of apoptosis. It also was demonstrated that this pathway of cisplatin-induced cell death can be interceded in vivo to prevent nephrotoxicity. PMID:16914540

Structure-activity relationship of sulfated hetero/galactofucan polysaccharides on dopaminergic neuron.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Liu, Huaide; Jin, Weihua; Zhang, Hong; Zhang, Quanbin

2016-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons and more-widespread neuronal changes that cause complex symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure-activity relationship of sulfated hetero-polysaccharides (DF1) and sulfated galactofucan polysaccharides (DF2) on dopaminergic neuron in vivo and in vitro. Treatment with samples significantly ameliorated the depletion of both DA and TH-, Bcl-2- and Bax-positive neurons in MPTP-induced PD mice, DF1 showed the highest activity. The in vitro results found that DF1 and DF2 could reverse the decreased mitochondrial activity and the increased LDL release induced by MPP(+) (P<0.01 or P<0.001) which provides further evidence that DF1 and DF2 also exerts a direct protection against the neuronal injury caused by MPP(+). Furthermore, the administration of samples effectively decreased lipid peroxidation and increased the level/activities of GSH, GSH-PX, MDA and CAT in MPTP mice. Thus, the neuron protective effect may be mediated, in part, through antioxidant activity and the prevention of cell apoptosis. The chemical composition of DF1, DF2 and DF differed markedly, the DF1 fraction had the most complex chemical composition and showed the highest neuron protective activity. These results suggest that diverse monosaccharides and uronic acid might contribute to neuron protective activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fulfilling the pedestrian protection directive using a long-wavelength infrared camera designed to meet both performance and cost targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Källhammer, Jan-Erik; Pettersson, Håkan; Eriksson, Dick; Junique, Stéphane; Savage, Susan; Vieider, Christian; Andersson, Jan Y.; Franks, John; Van Nylen, Jan; Vercammen, Hans; Kvisterøy, Terje; Niklaus, Frank; Stemme, Göran

2006-04-01

Pedestrian fatalities are around 15% of the traffic fatalities in Europe. A proposed EU regulation requires the automotive industry to develop technologies that will substantially decrease the risk for Vulnerable Road Users when hit by a vehicle. Automatic Brake Assist systems, activated by a suitable sensor, will reduce the speed of the vehicle before the impact, independent of any driver interaction. Long Wavelength Infrared technology is an ideal candidate for such sensors, but requires a significant cost reduction. The target necessary for automotive serial applications are well below the cost of systems available today. Uncooled bolometer arrays are the most mature technology for Long Wave Infrared with low-cost potential. Analyses show that sensor size and production yield along with vacuum packaging and the optical components are the main cost drivers. A project has been started to design a new Long Wave Infrared system with a ten times cost reduction potential, optimized for the pedestrian protection requirement. It will take advantage of the progress in Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems and Long Wave Infrared optics to keep the cost down. Deployable and pre-impact braking systems can become effective alternatives to passive impact protection systems solutions fulfilling the EU pedestrian protection regulation. Low-cost Long Wave Infrared sensors will be an important enabler to make such systems cost competitive, allowing high market penetration.

UV Exposure and Sun-Protective Behavior - Prevention Summary Table | Cancer Trends Progress Report

Cancer.gov

The Cancer Trends Progress Report, first issued in 2001, summarizes our nation's advances against cancer in relation to Healthy People targets set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.

75 FR 80315 - Compliance Directive for Fall Protection in Residential Construction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-22

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration 29 CFR Part 1926 Compliance Directive for Fall Protection in Residential Construction AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health... Protection Compliance Directive for Residential Construction. SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health...

Mitochondrial Approaches to Protect Against Cardiac Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury

PubMed Central

Camara, Amadou K. S.; Bienengraeber, Martin; Stowe, David F.

2011-01-01

The mitochondrion is a vital component in cellular energy metabolism and intracellular signaling processes. Mitochondria are involved in a myriad of complex signaling cascades regulating cell death vs. survival. Importantly, mitochondrial dysfunction and the resulting oxidative and nitrosative stress are central in the pathogenesis of numerous human maladies including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and retinal diseases, many of which are related. This review will examine the emerging understanding of the role of mitochondria in the etiology and progression of cardiovascular diseases and will explore potential therapeutic benefits of targeting the organelle in attenuating the disease process. Indeed, recent advances in mitochondrial biology have led to selective targeting of drugs designed to modulate or manipulate mitochondrial function, to the use of light therapy directed to the mitochondrial function, and to modification of the mitochondrial genome for potential therapeutic benefit. The approach to rationally treat mitochondrial dysfunction could lead to more effective interventions in cardiovascular diseases that to date have remained elusive. The central premise of this review is that if mitochondrial abnormalities contribute to the etiology of cardiovascular diseases (e.g., ischemic heart disease), alleviating the mitochondrial dysfunction will contribute to mitigating the severity or progression of the disease. To this end, this review will provide an overview of our current understanding of mitochondria function in cardiovascular diseases as well as the potential role for targeting mitochondria with potential drugs or other interventions that lead to protection against cell injury. PMID:21559063

Measuring progress in nursing and midwifery globally.

PubMed

al-Gasseer, Naeema; Persaud, Vena

2003-01-01

To discuss issues and challenges encountered in the preliminary steps of identifying a core set of global indicators for measuring progress in nursing and midwifery development. Lack of a global and systematic approach for collecting evidence has undermined the ability to reliably measure progress. Description of general principles, scientific criteria, and strategic directions. WHO's organizational support and global conditions are forces that indicated appropriate timing for these strategic directions. Concerted efforts are needed in all countries to implement these directions to advance nursing and midwifery services.

[Brain protection against cerebral ischemia].

PubMed

Kitagawa, Kazuo

2013-01-01

Previous clinical trials failed to show the benefit of several potentially protective drugs in acute ischemic stroke. However, there would be three main approaches for brain protection against stroke. The first is to develop a novel thrombolytic agent which is more efficient and safer than alteplase. Tenecteplase and desmoteplase are in progress as a new thrombolytic drug. The second strategy is to augment collateral circulation through leptomeningeal anastomosis. Administration of G-CSF could enhance arteriogenesis, but it takes several days to develop functional collateral. For this purpose, partial aortic balloon clumping or stimulation of pterygopalatine ganglion may be promising. The third one is to protect neurovascular unit against reperfusion injury. Brain hypothermia is the most effective strategy in experimental ischemia, and the clinical trial for hypothermia combined with thrombolysis therapy is in progress. Activation of endogenous protective response, as presented by ischemic tolerance, has focused on remote ischemic conditioning. Although the precise mechanisms of remote preconditioning remain unclear, intermittent limb ischemia is a safe approach. Remote ischemic conditioning is now investigated in acute patients with thrombolysis therapy.

Land claims as a mechanism for wilderness protection in the Canadian Arctic

Treesearch

Vicki Sahanatien

2007-01-01

Northern land claims agreements support establishing national parks and wilderness protection but are not prescriptive on wilderness management or what wilderness values should be protected. Parks Canada does not have strong wilderness policy or guidelines, which hampers development of management plans for northern national parks and progress on legislation of...

40 CFR 60.1600 - When must I submit the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES... Before August 30, 1999 Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.1600 When must I submit the notifications...

40 CFR 60.2585 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.2585 What must I include in the notifications of...

40 CFR 60.2585 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.2585 What must I include in the notifications of...

40 CFR 60.2575 - What are my requirements for meeting increments of progress and achieving final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.2575 What are my requirements for meeting increments of...

40 CFR 60.2575 - What are my requirements for meeting increments of progress and achieving final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.2575 What are my requirements for meeting increments of...

40 CFR 60.2585 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.2585 What must I include in the notifications of...

40 CFR 60.2575 - What are my requirements for meeting increments of progress and achieving final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.2575 What are my requirements for meeting increments of...

Protection from radon exposure at home and at work in the directive 2013/59/Euratom.

PubMed

Bochicchio, F

2014-07-01

In recent years, international organisations involved in radiation protection and public health have produced new guidance, recommendations and requirements aiming better protection from radon exposure. These organisations have often worked in close collaboration in order to facilitate the establishment of harmonised standards. This paper deals with such standards and specifically with the new European Council Directive of 5 December 2013 on basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation (2013/59/Euratom). This new Directive has established a harmonised framework for the protection against ionising radiations, including protection from radon exposure. Requirements for radon in workplace are much more tightening than in previous Directive, and exposures to radon in dwellings are regulated for the first time in a Directive. Radon-related articles of this Directive are presented and discussed in this paper, along with some comparisons with other relevant international standards. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Progress in advanced high temperature materials technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freche, J. C.; Ault, G. M.

1976-01-01

Significant progress has recently been made in many high temperature material categories pertinent to such applications by the industrial community. These include metal matrix composites, superalloys, directionally solidified eutectics, coatings, and ceramics. Each of these material categories is reviewed and the current state-of-the-art identified, including some assessment, when appropriate, of progress, problems, and future directions.

The Academic Achievement of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Youth in New and Established Immigrant States: Lessons from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

PubMed Central

Spees, Lisa P.; Potochnick, Stephanie; Perreira, Krista M.

2018-01-01

The dramatic growth and dispersal of immigrant families has changed the face of public education at a time when states are experiencing increased school accountability pressures under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and its recent successor the Every Student Succeeds Act. Of particular concern is how these demographic shifts affect the academic well-being of Limited English Proficient (LEP) youth, the protected sub-group that most directly targets children from immigrant families. Using individual-level data from the National Association of Educational Progress, we examine how 8th grade test scores of LEP youth differ across new and established immigrant destination states. Results show that achievement for LEP youth is higher in new than in established immigrant states but that this advantage is not consistent across ethnic/racial groups. LEP youth in new immigrant states benefit from more favorable demographic characteristics and more family and school resources, but these differences only explain a small portion of the achievement gap. PMID:29527112

Complement in Non-Antibody-Mediated Kidney Diseases

PubMed Central

Angeletti, Andrea; Reyes-Bahamonde, Joselyn; Cravedi, Paolo; Campbell, Kirk N.

2017-01-01

The complement system is part of the innate immune response that plays important roles in protecting the host from foreign pathogens. The complement components and relative fragment deposition have long been recognized to be strongly involved also in the pathogenesis of autoantibody-related kidney glomerulopathies, leading to direct glomerular injury and recruitment of infiltrating inflammation pathways. More recently, unregulated complement activation has been shown to be associated with progression of non-antibody-mediated kidney diseases, including focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, C3 glomerular disease, thrombotic microangiopathies, or general fibrosis generation in progressive chronic kidney diseases. Some of the specific mechanisms associated with complement activation in these diseases were recently clarified, showing a dominant role of alternative activation pathway. Over the last decade, a growing number of anticomplement agents have been developed, and some of them are being approved for clinical use or already in use. Therefore, anticomplement therapies represent a realistic choice of therapeutic approaches for complement-related diseases. Herein, we review the complement system activation, regulatory mechanisms, their involvement in non-antibody-mediated glomerular diseases, and the recent advances in complement-targeting agents as potential therapeutic strategies. PMID:28748184

Brain reserve and cognitive reserve protect against cognitive decline over 4.5 years in MS

PubMed Central

Rocca, Maria A.; Leavitt, Victoria M.; Dackovic, Jelena; Mesaros, Sarlota; Drulovic, Jelena; DeLuca, John; Filippi, Massimo

2014-01-01

Objective: Based on the theories of brain reserve and cognitive reserve, we investigated whether larger maximal lifetime brain growth (MLBG) and/or greater lifetime intellectual enrichment protect against cognitive decline over time. Methods: Forty patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) underwent baseline and 4.5-year follow-up evaluations of cognitive efficiency (Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task) and memory (Selective Reminding Test, Spatial Recall Test). Baseline and follow-up MRIs quantified disease progression: percentage brain volume change (cerebral atrophy), percentage change in T2 lesion volume. MLBG (brain reserve) was estimated with intracranial volume; intellectual enrichment (cognitive reserve) was estimated with vocabulary. We performed repeated-measures analyses of covariance to investigate whether larger MLBG and/or greater intellectual enrichment moderate/attenuate cognitive decline over time, controlling for disease progression. Results: Patients with MS declined in cognitive efficiency and memory (p < 0.001). MLBG moderated decline in cognitive efficiency (p = 0.031, ηp2 = 0.122), with larger MLBG protecting against decline. MLBG did not moderate memory decline (p = 0.234, ηp2 = 0.039). Intellectual enrichment moderated decline in cognitive efficiency (p = 0.031, ηp2 = 0.126) and memory (p = 0.037, ηp2 = 0.115), with greater intellectual enrichment protecting against decline. MS disease progression was more negatively associated with change in cognitive efficiency and memory among patients with lower vs higher MLBG and intellectual enrichment. Conclusion: We provide longitudinal support for theories of brain reserve and cognitive reserve in MS. Larger MLBG protects against decline in cognitive efficiency, and greater intellectual enrichment protects against decline in cognitive efficiency and memory. Consideration of these protective factors should improve prediction of future cognitive decline in patients with MS. PMID:24748670

Whole Grains in Amelioration of Metabolic Derangements

PubMed Central

Develaraja, Samir; Reddy, Anup; Yadav, Mukesh; Jain, Shalini; Yadav, Hariom

2017-01-01

Daily diet influences whole body metabolism, and intricately linked to the prevention or progression of metabolic diseases including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Several epidemiological and large scale studies have shown that diets enriched with whole grains improves metabolic function and protect from the development of metabolic diseases. Direct impact of whole grain diet can be mediated on several levels of metabolic functions i.e. reduced glycemic index, improved fat oxidation potential, increased cholesterol clearance or decreased cholesterol biosynthesis and modulation of gut microbiome. In this article we reviewed several studies indicating the beneficial effects of whole grain diets on metabolic functions, as well as discussed the potential active phytochemicals present in these whole grain foods to contribute in modulation of metabolic function in our body. PMID:28944285

NASA's aircraft icing technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinmann, John J.

1991-01-01

NASA' Aircraft Icing Technology program is aimed at developing innovative technologies for safe and efficient flight into forecasted icing. The program addresses the needs of all aircraft classes and supports both commercial and military applications. The program is guided by three key strategic objectives: (1) numerically simulate an aircraft's response to an in-flight icing encounter, (2) provide improved experimental icing simulation facilities and testing techniques, and (3) offer innovative approaches to ice protection. Our research focuses on topics that directly support stated industry needs, and we work closely with industry to assure a rapid and smooth transfer of technology. This paper presents selected results that illustrate progress towards the three strategic objectives, and it provides a comprehensive list of references on the NASA icing program.

Final Design for a Comprehensive Orbital Debris Management Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The rationale and specifics for the design of a comprehensive program for the control of orbital debris, as well as details of the various components of the overall plan, are described. The problem of orbital debris has been steadily worsening since the first successful launch in 1957. The hazards posed by orbital debris suggest the need for a progressive plan for the prevention of future debris, as well as the reduction of the current debris level. The proposed debris management plan includes debris removal systems and preventative techniques and policies. The debris removal is directed at improving the current debris environment. Because of the variance in sizes of debris, a single system cannot reasonably remove all kinds of debris. An active removal system, which deliberately retrieves targeted debris from known orbits, was determined to be effective in the disposal of debris tracked directly from earth. However, no effective system is currently available to remove the untrackable debris. The debris program is intended to protect the orbital environment from future abuses. This portion of the plan involves various environment from future abuses. This portion of the plan involves various methods and rules for future prevention of debris. The preventative techniques are protective methods that can be used in future design of payloads. The prevention policies are rules which should be employed to force the prevention of orbital debris.

40 CFR 60.1620 - How do I comply with the increment of progress for initiating onsite construction?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... or Before August 30, 1999 Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.1620 How do I comply with the...

40 CFR 60.1585 - What are my requirements for meeting increments of progress and achieving final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... or Before August 30, 1999 Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.1585 What are my requirements for...

40 CFR 60.1625 - How do I comply with the increment of progress for completing onsite construction?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... or Before August 30, 1999 Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.1625 How do I comply with the...

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF OZONE DEPLETION AND ITS INTERACTIONS WITH CLIMATE CHANGE: PROGRESS REPORT 2004

EPA Science Inventory

The measures needed for the protection of the Earth's ozone layer are decided regularly by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol. This progress report is the 2004 update by the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel.

78 FR 25482 - Notice of Revised Determination on Reconsideration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-01

...-PROGRESSIVE SOFTWARE COMPUTING, QUALITY TESTING SERVICES, INC., RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION CO. OF SOUTH JERSEY, INC..., LP, PSCI- Progressive Software Computing, Quality Testing Services, Inc., Railroad Construction Co..., ANDERSON CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, BAKER PETROLITE, BAKERCORP, BELL-FAST FIRE PROTECTION INC., BOLTTECH INC...

77 FR 48460 - Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce; Consumer Protection Regulations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-14

..., direct final rule concerning household goods consumer protection. The direct final rule amended the... No. FMCSA-2012-0119] RIN 2126-AB52 Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce; Consumer Protection Regulations AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. ACTION: Direct final...

HLA-DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 Haplotype Protects Autoantibody-Positive Relatives From Type 1 Diabetes Throughout the Stages of Disease Progression

PubMed Central

Boulware, David; Yu, Liping; Babu, Sunanda; Steck, Andrea K.; Becker, Dorothy; Rodriguez, Henry; DiMeglio, Linda; Evans-Molina, Carmella; Harrison, Leonard C.; Schatz, Desmond; Palmer, Jerry P.; Greenbaum, Carla; Eisenbarth, George S.; Sosenko, Jay M.

2016-01-01

The HLA-DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 haplotype is linked to protection from the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, it is not known at which stages in the natural history of T1D development this haplotype affords protection. We examined a cohort of 3,358 autoantibody-positive relatives of T1D patients in the Pathway to Prevention (PTP) Study of the Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet. The PTP study examines risk factors for T1D and disease progression in relatives. HLA typing revealed that 155 relatives carried this protective haplotype. A comparison with 60 autoantibody-negative relatives suggested protection from autoantibody development. Moreover, the relatives with DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 less frequently expressed autoantibodies associated with higher T1D risk, were less likely to have multiple autoantibodies at baseline, and rarely converted from single to multiple autoantibody positivity on follow-up. These relatives also had lower frequencies of metabolic abnormalities at baseline and exhibited no overall metabolic worsening on follow-up. Ultimately, they had a very low 5-year cumulative incidence of T1D. In conclusion, the protective influence of DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 spans from autoantibody development through all stages of progression, and relatives with this allele only rarely develop T1D. PMID:26822082

Astaxanthin protects against early burn-wound progression in rats by attenuating oxidative stress-induced inflammation and mitochondria-related apoptosis

PubMed Central

Fang, Quan; Guo, Songxue; Zhou, Hanlei; Han, Rui; Wu, Pan; Han, Chunmao

2017-01-01

Burn-wound progression can occur in the initial or peri-burn area after a deep burn injury. The stasis zone has a higher risk of deterioration mediated by multiple factors but is also considered salvageable. Astaxanthin (ATX), which is extracted from some marine organisms, is a natural compound with a strong antioxidant effect that has been reported to attenuate organ injuries caused by traumatic injuries. Hence, we investigated the potential effects of ATX on preventing early burn-wound progression. A classic “comb” burn rat model was established in this study for histological and biological assessments, which revealed that ATX, particularly higher doses, alleviated histological deterioration in the stasis zone. Additionally, we observed dose-dependent improvements in oxidative stress and the release of inflammatory mediators after ATX treatment. Furthermore, ATX dose-dependently attenuated burn-induced apoptosis in the wound areas, and this effect was accompanied by increases in Akt and Bad phosphorylation and a downregulation of cytochrome C and caspase expression. In addition, the administration of Ly 294002 further verified the effect of ATX. In summary, we demonstrated that ATX protected against early burn-wound progression in a rat deep-burn model. This protection might be mediated by the attenuation of oxidative stress-induced inflammation and mitochondria-related apoptosis. PMID:28128352

Progress and Issues in the Implementation of the 1984 Out-of-Home Care Protection Amendment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rindfleisch, Nolan; Nunno, Michael

1992-01-01

A survey of 47 state child protection services assessed the status of implementation of out-of-home protection programs since 1984. The survey addressed state law and regulations, reporting out-of-home abuse and neglect, properly constituted authority, independent investigative agencies, role of licensing, training, and staff and foster parent…

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis fadD26 mutant

PubMed Central

Infante, E; Aguilar, L D; Gicquel, B; Pando, R Hernandez

2005-01-01

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis fadD26 mutant has impaired synthesis of phthiocerol dimycocerosates (DIM) and is attenuated in BALB/c mice. Survival analysis following direct intratracheal infection confirmed the attenuation: 60% survival at 4 months post-infection versus 100% mortality at 9 weeks post-infection with the wild-type strain. The fadD26 mutant induced less pneumonia and larger DTH reactions. It induced lower but progressive production of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-4 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Used as a subcutaneous vaccine 60 days before intratracheal challenge with a hypervirulent strain of M. tuberculosis (Beijing code 9501000), the mutant induced a higher level of protection than did Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG). Seventy per cent of the mice vaccinated with the fadD26 mutant survived at 16 weeks after challenge compared to 30% of those vaccinated with BCG. Similarly, there was less tissue damage (pneumonia) and lower colony-forming units (CFU) in the mice vaccinated with the fadD26 mutant compared to the findings in mice vaccinated with BCG. These data suggest that DIM synthesis is important for the pathogenicity of M. tuberculosis, and that inactivation of DIM synthesis can increase the immunogenicity of live vaccines, and increase their ability to protect against tuberculosis. PMID:15958066

Structure of a protective epitope of group B Streptococcus type III capsular polysaccharide.

PubMed

Carboni, Filippo; Adamo, Roberto; Fabbrini, Monica; De Ricco, Riccardo; Cattaneo, Vittorio; Brogioni, Barbara; Veggi, Daniele; Pinto, Vittoria; Passalacqua, Irene; Oldrini, Davide; Rappuoli, Rino; Malito, Enrico; Margarit, Immaculada Y Ros; Berti, Francesco

2017-05-09

Despite substantial progress in the prevention of group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease with the introduction of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, this pathogen remains a leading cause of neonatal infection. Capsular polysaccharide conjugate vaccines have been tested in phase I/II clinical studies, showing promise for further development. Mapping of epitopes recognized by protective antibodies is crucial for understanding the mechanism of action of vaccines and for enabling antigen design. In this study, we report the structure of the epitope recognized by a monoclonal antibody with opsonophagocytic activity and representative of the protective response against type III GBS polysaccharide. The structure and the atomic-level interactions were determined by saturation transfer difference (STD)-NMR and X-ray crystallography using oligosaccharides obtained by synthetic and depolymerization procedures. The GBS PSIII epitope is made by six sugars. Four of them derive from two adjacent repeating units of the PSIII backbone and two of them from the branched galactose-sialic acid disaccharide contained in this sequence. The sialic acid residue establishes direct binding interactions with the functional antibody. The crystal structure provides insight into the molecular basis of antibody-carbohydrate interactions and confirms that the conformational epitope is not required for antigen recognition. Understanding the structural basis of immune recognition of capsular polysaccharide epitopes can aid in the design of novel glycoconjugate vaccines.

Heme oxygenase/carbon monoxide signaling pathways: regulation and functional significance.

PubMed

Ryter, Stefan W; Otterbein, Leo E; Morse, Danielle; Choi, Augustine M K

2002-01-01

Carbon monoxide (CO), a gaseous second messenger, arises in biological systems during the oxidative catabolism of heme by the heme oxygenase (HO) enzymes. HO exists as constitutive (HO-2, HO-3) and inducible isoforms (HO-1), the latter which responds to regulation by multiple stress-stimuli. HO-1 confers protection in vitro and in vivo against oxidative cellular stress. Although the redox active compounds that are generated from HO activity (i.e. iron, biliverdin-IXalpha, and bilirubin-IXa) potentially modulate oxidative stress resistance, increasing evidence points to cytoprotective roles for CO. Though not reactive, CO regulates vascular processes such as vessel tone, smooth muscle proliferation, and platelet aggregation, and possibly functions as a neurotransmitter. The latter effects of CO depend on the activation of guanylate cyclase activity by direct binding to the heme moiety of the enzyme, stimulating the production of cyclic 3':5'-guanosine monophosphate. CO potentially interacts with other intracellular hemoprotein targets, though little is known about the functional significance of such interactions. Recent progress indicates that CO exerts novel anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects dependent on the modulation of the p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK)-signaling pathway. By virtue of these effects, CO confers protection in oxidative lung injury models, and likely plays a role in HO-1 mediated tissue protection.

40 CFR 60.1630 - How do I comply with the increment of progress for achieving final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES... Before August 30, 1999 Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.1630 How do I comply with the increment of...

40 CFR 60.1595 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of my increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... or Before August 30, 1999 Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.1595 What must I include in the...

[Legal development of consumer protection from the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety standpoint].

PubMed

Püster, M

2010-06-01

Ten years after publication of the White Paper on Food Safety, health consumer protection has made significant progress and, today, is a key field in politics at both the European and German levels. In addition to the protection of health and security of consumers, consumer information has become a core element of consumer protection for the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz and Lebensmittelsicherheit, BVL). State authorities are provided with new means of communication and interaction with consumers.

Occlusal wear and occlusal condition in a convenience sample of young adults.

PubMed

Van't Spijker, A; Kreulen, C M; Bronkhorst, E M; Creugers, N H J

2015-01-01

To study progression of tooth wear quantitatively in a convenient sample of young adults and to assess possible correlations with occlusal conditions. Twenty-eight dental students participated in a three-year follow up study on tooth wear. Visible wear facets on full arch gypsum casts were assessed using a flatbed scanner and measuring software. Regression analyses were used to assess possible associations between the registered occlusal conditions 'occlusal guidance scheme', 'vertical overbite', 'horizontal overbite', 'depth of sagittal curve', 'canine Angle class relation', 'history of orthodontic treatment', and 'self-reported grinding/clenching' (independent variables) and increase of wear facets (dependent variable). Mean increase in facet surface areas ranged from 1.2 mm2 (premolars, incisors) to 3.4 mm2 (molars); the relative increase ranged from 15% to 23%. Backward regression analysis showed no significant relation for 'group function', 'vertical overbite', 'depth of sagittal curve', 'history of orthodontic treatment' nor 'self-reported clenching. The final multiple linear regression model showed significant associations amongst 'anterior protected articulation' and 'horizontal overbite' and increase of facet surface areas. For all teeth combined, only 'anterior protected articulation' had a significant effect. 'Self reported grinding' did not have a significant effect (p>0.07). In this study 'anterior protected articulation' and 'horizontal overbite', were significantly associated with the progression of tooth wear. Self reported grinding was not significantly associated with progression of tooth wear. Occlusal conditions such as anterior protected articulation and horizontal overbite seem to have an effect on the progression of occlusal tooth wear in this convenient sample of young adults. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Natural History of Moderate Coronary Artery Stenosis After Surgical Revascularization.

PubMed

Raza, Sajjad; Blackstone, Eugene H; Houghtaling, Penny L; Olivares, Gabriel; Ravichandren, Kirthi; Koprivanac, Marijan; Bakaeen, Faisal G; Sabik, Joseph F

2018-03-01

It remains controversial whether grafting moderately stenosed coronary arteries (MSCAs) influences native-vessel disease progression and whether grafting may protect against late myocardial ischemia. From 1972 to 2011, 55,567 patients underwent primary isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); 1,902 had a single coronary artery with angiographically moderate (50% to 69%) stenosis and ≥1 postoperative angiogram. Disease progression was studied in 489 nongrafted, 371 internal thoracic artery (ITA)-grafted, and 957 saphenous vein (SV)-grafted MSCAs, as well as patency of 376 ITA and 1,016 SV grafts to these MSCAs. At 1, 5, 10, and 15 years, native-vessel disease progressed from moderate to severe stenosis/occlusion in 32%, 52%, 66%, and 72% of nongrafted MSCAs; 55%, 73%, 84%, and 87% of ITA-grafted MSCAs; and 67%, 82%, 90%, and 92% of SV-grafted MSCAs. After adjusting for patient characteristics, MSCA disease progressed 3.6 times faster with ITA and 10 times faster with SV grafting compared with nongrafting. At these same time points, occlusion of ITA grafts to MSCAs was 8%, 9%, 11%, and 15% and for SV grafts, 13%, 32%, 46%, and 56%; protection from myocardial ischemia by ITA-grafted versus nongrafted MSCAs was 29%, 47%, 59%, and 61%. Most MSCAs progress to severe stenosis or occlusion in the long term. Progression is faster in grafted than nongrafted MSCAs, more so with SV than ITA grafts. However, ITA grafts to such arteries have excellent patency, providing long-term protection from myocardial ischemia. Therefore, ITA grafting of MSCAs should be considered. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Ggg of... - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Part 62-Site-Specific Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Federal Plan Requirements for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Ggg of... - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Part 62-Site-Specific Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Federal Plan Requirements for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills...

Monitoring and Mitigation Alternatives for Protection of North Atlantic Right Whales during Offshore Wind Farm Installation

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

Carlson, Thomas J.; Halvorsen, Michele B.; Matzner, Shari

2012-09-01

Progress report on defining and determining monitoring and mitigation measures for protecting North Atlantic Right Whales from the effects of pile driving and other activities associated with installation of offshore wind farms.

40 CFR 57.605 - Consent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) PRIMARY... issuing agency and EPA and their contractors access to any information or data employed or generated in... discussions of progress, interpretation of data and results, and any other similar purposes as deemed...

Progress Monitoring the Effects of Daily Report Cards across Elementary and Secondary Settings Using Direct Behavior Rating: Single Item Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Faith G.; Crovello, Nicholas J.; Chafouleas, Sandra M.

2017-01-01

Direct Behavior Rating-Single Item Scales (DBR-SIS) have been advanced as a promising, systematic, behavioral, progress-monitoring method that is flexible, efficient, and defensible. This study aimed to extend existing literature on the use of DBR-SIS in elementary and secondary settings, and to examine methods of monitoring student progress in…

Bivalent ligands incorporating curcumin and diosgenin as multifunctional compounds against Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Chojnacki, Jeremy E; Liu, Kai; Saathoff, John M; Zhang, Shijun

2015-11-15

In an effort to combat the multifaceted nature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression, a series of multifunctional, bivalent compounds containing curcumin and diosgenin were designed, synthesized, and biologically characterized. Screening results in MC65 neuroblastoma cells established that compound 38 with a spacer length of 17 atoms exhibited the highest protective potency with an EC50 of 111.7 ± 9.0 nM. A reduction in protective activity was observed as spacer length was increased up to 28 atoms and there is a clear structural preference for attachment to the methylene carbon between the two carbonyl moieties of curcumin. Further study suggested that antioxidative ability and inhibitory effects on amyloid-β oligomer (AβO) formation may contribute to the neuroprotective outcomes. Additionally, compound 38 was found to bind directly to Aβ, similar to curcumin, but did not form complexes with the common biometals Cu, Fe, and Zn. Altogether, these results give strong evidence to support the bivalent design strategy in developing novel compounds with multifunctional ability for the treatment of AD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In situ analytical techniques for battery interface analysis.

PubMed

Tripathi, Alok M; Su, Wei-Nien; Hwang, Bing Joe

2018-02-05

Lithium-ion batteries, simply known as lithium batteries, are distinct among high energy density charge-storage devices. The power delivery of batteries depends upon the electrochemical performances and the stability of the electrode, electrolytes and their interface. Interfacial phenomena of the electrode/electrolyte involve lithium dendrite formation, electrolyte degradation and gas evolution, and a semi-solid protective layer formation at the electrode-electrolyte interface, also known as the solid-electrolyte interface (SEI). The SEI protects electrodes from further exfoliation or corrosion and suppresses lithium dendrite formation, which are crucial needs for enhancing the cell performance. This review covers the compositional, structural and morphological aspects of SEI, both artificially and naturally formed, and metallic dendrites using in situ/in operando cells and various in situ analytical tools. Critical challenges and the historical legacy in the development of in situ/in operando electrochemical cells with some reports on state-of-the-art progress are particularly highlighted. The present compilation pinpoints the emerging research opportunities in advancing this field and concludes on the future directions and strategies for in situ/in operando analysis.

Ablation of the stress protease OMA1 protects against heart failure in mice.

PubMed

Acin-Perez, Rebeca; Lechuga-Vieco, Ana Victoria; Del Mar Muñoz, Maria; Nieto-Arellano, Rocío; Torroja, Carlos; Sánchez-Cabo, Fátima; Jiménez, Concepción; González-Guerra, Andrés; Carrascoso, Isabel; Benincá, Cristiane; Quiros, Pedro M; López-Otín, Carlos; Castellano, José María; Ruíz-Cabello, Jesús; Jiménez-Borreguero, Luis Jesús; Enríquez, José Antonio

2018-03-28

Heart failure (HF) is a major health and economic burden in developed countries. It has been proposed that the pathogenesis of HF may involve the action of mitochondria. We evaluate three different mouse models of HF: tachycardiomyopathy, HF with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF), and LV myocardial ischemia and hypertrophy. Regardless of whether LVEF is preserved, our results indicate that the three models share common features: an increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species followed by ultrastructural alterations in the mitochondrial cristae and loss of mitochondrial integrity that lead to cardiomyocyte death. We show that the ablation of the mitochondrial protease OMA1 averts cardiomyocyte death in all three murine HF models, and thus loss of OMA1 plays a direct role in cardiomyocyte protection. This finding identifies OMA1 as a potential target for preventing the progression of myocardial damage in HF associated with a variety of etiologies. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

40 CFR 60.1610 - How do I comply with the increment of progress for submittal of a control plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES... Before August 30, 1999 Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.1610 How do I comply with the increment of...

Laboratory directed research and development 2006 annual report.

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

Westrich, Henry Roger

2007-03-01

This report summarizes progress from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program during fiscal year 2006. In addition to a programmatic and financial overview, the report includes progress reports from 430 individual R&D projects in 17 categories.

Mycobacterium smegmatis proteoliposome induce protection in a murine progressive pulmonary tuberculosis model.

PubMed

Tirado, Yanely; Puig, Alina; Alvarez, Nadine; Borrero, Reinier; Aguilar, Alicia; Camacho, Frank; Reyes, Fatima; Fernandez, Sonsire; Perez, Jose Luis; Acevedo, Reynaldo; Mata Espinoza, Dulce; Payan, Jorge Alberto Barrios; Garcia, Maria de Los A; Kadir, Ramlah; Sarmiento, María E; Hernandez-Pando, Rogelio; Norazmi, Mohd-Nor; Acosta, Armando

2016-12-01

Tuberculosis (TB) remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity. The TB vaccine, BCG, is not fully protective against the adult form of the disease and is unable to prevent its transmission although it is still useful against severe childhood TB. Hence, the search for new vaccines is of great interest. In a previous study, we have shown that proteoliposomes obtained from Mycobacterium smegmatis (PLMs) induced cross reactive humoral and cellular response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens. With the objective to evaluate the protective capability of PLMs, a murine model of progressive pulmonary TB was used. Animals immunized with PLMs with and without alum (PLMs/PLMsAL respectively) showed protection compared to non-immunized animals. Mice immunized with PLMsAL induced similar protection as that of BCG. Animals immunized with BCG, PLMs and PLMsAL showed a significant decrease in tissue damage (percentage of pneumonic area/lung) compared to non-immunized animals, with a more prominent effect in BCG vaccinated mice. The protective effect of the administration of PLMs in mice supports its future evaluation as experimental vaccine candidate against Mtb. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Radiation protection in interventional cardiology].

PubMed

Durán, Ariel

2015-01-01

INTERVENTIONAL: cardiology progress makes each year a greater number of procedures and increasing complexity with a very good success rate. The problem is that this progress brings greater dose of radiation not only for the patient but to occupationally exposed workers as well. Simple methods for reducing or minimizing occupational radiation dose include: minimizing fluoroscopy time and the number of acquired images; using available patient dose reduction technologies; using good imaging-chain geometry; collimating; avoiding high-scatter areas; using protective shielding; using imaging equipment whose performance is controlled through a quality assurance programme; and wearing personal dosimeters so that you know your dose. Effective use of these methods requires both appropriate education and training in radiation protection for all interventional cardiology personnel, and the availability and use of appropriate protective tools and equipment. Regular review and investigation of personnel monitoring results, accompanied as appropriate by changes in how procedures are performed and equipment used, will ensure continual improvement in the practice of radiation protection in the interventional suite. Copyright © 2014 Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Protecting the world from secondhand tobacco smoke exposure: where do we stand and where do we go from here?

PubMed

Barnoya, Joaquin; Navas-Acien, Ana

2013-04-01

Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control mandates all signatory countries to "protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces, public transport and indoor public places." Even though there has been great progress in the implementation of Article 8, still most of the world population remains exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). In this article, we sought to summarize the research that supports Article 8, where do we stand, and current research gaps and future directions. Secondhand smoke is an established cause of heart disease and several types of cancer. Additional research is needed to reach final conclusions for diseases where evidence is only suggestive of causality. The only solution to SHS exposure in public places is banning smoking indoors. Research on the gaming industry and nightclubs, particularly in developing countries, needs to be disseminated to support their inclusion in smoke-free laws. Aside from indoor bans, additional research is needed for outdoor and multiunit housing bans and in support of measures that protect children and other vulnerable populations. The impact of smoke-free laws on other health outcomes, besides heart disease and respiratory outcomes, is another area where further research is needed. Thirdhand smoke assessment and health effects are also likely to be a topic of further research. As new tobacco products emerge, evaluating SHS exposure and effects will be vital. Furthering research in support of Article 8 can contribute to reach the final goal of protecting everyone from SHS exposure.

Rethinking Environmental Protection: Meeting the Challenges of a Changing World

EPA Science Inventory

Background: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made great progress in addressing some major environmental problems. These successes were framed within EPA’s statutory mandates which are largely media-specific and receptor-focused and follow a segmented risk-based ...

Wetland Program Development Grants: Building State and Tribal Capacity to Protect Wetlands

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This brochure highlights just a few examples of the progress being made by states and tribes through the use of the Wetland Program Development Grant funds. Wetland Program Development Grants: Building State and Tribal Capacity to Protect Wetlands

Government Doublethink: Protection or Suppression in Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drake, Miriam A.

2003-01-01

Discusses regulations and actions related to government withholding, suppressing, and altering information since September 11, 2001. Topics include conflicting goals of an informed citizenry versus national security, science and technology progress versus protection of sensitive information, and public health versus ideology; political pressure;…

[Research progress on wetland ecotourism].

PubMed

Wang, Li-Long; Lu, Lin

2009-06-01

Wetland is rich in biodiversity and cultural diversity, possessing higher tourism value and environmental education and community participation functions. Wetland ecotourism reflects the sustainable development of tourism economy and wetland protection, having received great concern from governments and scholars at home and abroad. This paper summarized the related theories and practices, discussed the research advances in wetland ecotourism from the aspects of significance, progress, contents, methods and results, and pointed out the important research fields in the future, aimed to accelerate the development of wetland ecotourism research and to provide reference about the resources exploitation, environment protection, and scientific administration of wetland and related scenic areas.

Hyperoxaluria Requires TNF Receptors to Initiate Crystal Adhesion and Kidney Stone Disease.

PubMed

Mulay, Shrikant R; Eberhard, Jonathan N; Desai, Jyaysi; Marschner, Julian A; Kumar, Santhosh V R; Weidenbusch, Marc; Grigorescu, Melissa; Lech, Maciej; Eltrich, Nuru; Müller, Lisa; Hans, Wolfgang; Hrabě de Angelis, Martin; Vielhauer, Volker; Hoppe, Bernd; Asplin, John; Burzlaff, Nicolai; Herrmann, Martin; Evan, Andrew; Anders, Hans-Joachim

2017-03-01

Intrarenal crystals trigger inflammation and renal cell necroptosis, processes that involve TNF receptor (TNFR) signaling. Here, we tested the hypothesis that TNFRs also have a direct role in tubular crystal deposition and progression of hyperoxaluria-related CKD. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed upregulated tubular expression of TNFR1 and TNFR2 in human and murine kidneys with calcium oxalate (CaOx) nephrocalcinosis-related CKD compared with controls. Western blot and mRNA expression analyses in mice yielded consistent data. When fed an oxalate-rich diet, wild-type mice developed progressive CKD, whereas Tnfr1-, Tnfr2- , and Tnfr1/2- deficient mice did not. Despite identical levels of hyperoxaluria, Tnfr1-, Tnfr2- , and Tnfr1/2 -deficient mice also lacked the intrarenal CaOx deposition and tubular damage observed in wild-type mice. Inhibition of TNFR signaling prevented the induced expression of the crystal adhesion molecules, CD44 and annexin II, in tubular epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo , and treatment with the small molecule TNFR inhibitor R-7050 partially protected hyperoxaluric mice from nephrocalcinosis and CKD. We conclude that TNFR signaling is essential for CaOx crystal adhesion to the luminal membrane of renal tubules as a fundamental initiating mechanism of oxalate nephropathy. Furthermore, therapeutic blockade of TNFR might delay progressive forms of nephrocalcinosis in oxalate nephropathy, such as primary hyperoxaluria. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Hyperoxaluria Requires TNF Receptors to Initiate Crystal Adhesion and Kidney Stone Disease

PubMed Central

Mulay, Shrikant R.; Eberhard, Jonathan N.; Desai, Jyaysi; Marschner, Julian A.; Kumar, Santhosh V.R.; Weidenbusch, Marc; Grigorescu, Melissa; Lech, Maciej; Eltrich, Nuru; Müller, Lisa; Hans, Wolfgang; Hrabě de Angelis, Martin; Vielhauer, Volker; Hoppe, Bernd; Asplin, John; Burzlaff, Nicolai; Herrmann, Martin; Evan, Andrew

2017-01-01

Intrarenal crystals trigger inflammation and renal cell necroptosis, processes that involve TNF receptor (TNFR) signaling. Here, we tested the hypothesis that TNFRs also have a direct role in tubular crystal deposition and progression of hyperoxaluria-related CKD. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed upregulated tubular expression of TNFR1 and TNFR2 in human and murine kidneys with calcium oxalate (CaOx) nephrocalcinosis-related CKD compared with controls. Western blot and mRNA expression analyses in mice yielded consistent data. When fed an oxalate-rich diet, wild-type mice developed progressive CKD, whereas Tnfr1-, Tnfr2-, and Tnfr1/2-deficient mice did not. Despite identical levels of hyperoxaluria, Tnfr1-, Tnfr2-, and Tnfr1/2-deficient mice also lacked the intrarenal CaOx deposition and tubular damage observed in wild-type mice. Inhibition of TNFR signaling prevented the induced expression of the crystal adhesion molecules, CD44 and annexin II, in tubular epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo, and treatment with the small molecule TNFR inhibitor R-7050 partially protected hyperoxaluric mice from nephrocalcinosis and CKD. We conclude that TNFR signaling is essential for CaOx crystal adhesion to the luminal membrane of renal tubules as a fundamental initiating mechanism of oxalate nephropathy. Furthermore, therapeutic blockade of TNFR might delay progressive forms of nephrocalcinosis in oxalate nephropathy, such as primary hyperoxaluria. PMID:27612997

EPA releases progress report on hydraulic fracturing study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2013-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided a 21 December progress report on its ongoing national study about the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. The agency said that a draft of the congressionally requested study will be released in 2014 for public and peer review and that its progress report does not draw conclusions about the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing, often referred to as fracking.

Antagonism of scavenger receptor CD36 by 5A peptide prevents chronic kidney disease progression in mice independent of blood pressure regulation

PubMed Central

Souza, Ana Carolina P.; Bocharov, Alexander V.; Baranova, Irina; Vishnyakova, Tatyana; Huang, Yuning G.; Wilkins, Kenneth J.; Hu, Xuzhen; Street, Jonathan M.; Alvarez-Prats, Alejandro; Mullick, Adam E.; Patterson, Amy P.; Remaley, Alan; Eggerman, Thomas L.; Yuen, Peter S.T.; Star, Robert A.

2016-01-01

Scavenger receptor CD36 participates in lipid metabolism and inflammatory pathways important for cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Few pharmacological agents are available to slow the progression of CKD. However, apolipoprotein AI-mimetic peptide 5A antagonizes CD36 in vitro. To test the efficacy of 5A, and to test the role of CD36 during CKD, we compared wild type to CD36 knockout mice and wild type mice treated with 5A, in a progressive CKD model that resembles human disease. Knockout and 5A-treated wild type mice were protected from CKD progression without changes in blood pressure and had reductions in cardiovascular risk surrogate markers that are associated with CKD. Treatment with 5A did not further protect CD36 knockout mice from CKD progression, implicating CD36 as its main site of action. In a separate model of kidney fibrosis, 5A-treated wild type mice had less macrophage infiltration and interstitial fibrosis. Peptide 5A exerted anti-inflammatory effects in the kidney and decreases renal expression of inflammasome genes. Thus, CD36 is a new therapeutic target for CKD and its associated cardiovascular risk factors. Peptide 5A may be a promising new agent to slow CKD progression. PMID:26994575

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF OZONE DEPLETION AND ITS INTERACTIONS WITH CLIMATE CHANGE: PROGRESS REPORT 2003

EPA Science Inventory

The measures needed for the protection of the Earth's ozone layer are decided regularly by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol. A section of this progress report focuses on the interactive effects of climate change and ozone depletion on biogeochemical cycles.

76 FR 51264 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; New York Reasonable Further Progress Plans...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-18

... Promulgation of Implementation Plans; New York Reasonable Further Progress Plans, Emissions Inventories, Contingency Measures and Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION... year and 2008 projection year emissions inventories, the 2008 motor vehicle emissions budgets used for...

IGF-1 Protects Dopamine Neurons Against Oxidative Stress: Association with Changes in Phosphokinases

PubMed Central

El Ayadi, Amina; Zigmond, Michael J.; Smith, Amanda D.

2016-01-01

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is an endogenous peptide transported across the blood brain barrier that is protective in several brain injury models, including an acute animal model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Motor deficits in PD are due largely to the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Thus, we examined the neuroprotective potential of IGF-1 in a progressive model of dopamine deficiency in which 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is infused into the striatum. Rats received intrastriatal IGF-1 (5 or 50 μg) 6 hrs prior to infusion of 4 μg 6-OHDA into the same site and were sacrificed 1 or 4 wks later. Both concentrations of IGF-1 protected tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive terminals in striatum at 4 wks but not at 1 wk, indicating that IGF-induced restoration of the dopaminergic phenotype occurred over several weeks. TH-immunoreactive cell loss was only attenuated with 50 μg IGF-1. We then examined the effect of striatal IGF-1 on the Ras/ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt pathways to ascertain if their activation correlated with IGF-1-induced protection. Striatal and nigral levels of phospho-ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) were maximal 6 hrs after IGF-1 infusion and, with the exception of an increase in nigral pERK2 at 48 hrs, returned to basal levels by 7 days. Phospho-Akt (Ser473) was elevated 6–24 hrs post-IGF-1 infusion in both striatum and substantia nigra concomitant with inhibition of pro-death GSK-3β, a downstream target of Akt. These results suggest that IGF-1 can protect the nigrostriatal pathway in a progressive PD model and that this protection is preceded by activation of key pro-survival signaling cascades PMID:26894890

HLA-DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 Haplotype Protects Autoantibody-Positive Relatives From Type 1 Diabetes Throughout the Stages of Disease Progression.

PubMed

Pugliese, Alberto; Boulware, David; Yu, Liping; Babu, Sunanda; Steck, Andrea K; Becker, Dorothy; Rodriguez, Henry; DiMeglio, Linda; Evans-Molina, Carmella; Harrison, Leonard C; Schatz, Desmond; Palmer, Jerry P; Greenbaum, Carla; Eisenbarth, George S; Sosenko, Jay M

2016-04-01

The HLA-DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 haplotype is linked to protection from the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, it is not known at which stages in the natural history of T1D development this haplotype affords protection. We examined a cohort of 3,358 autoantibody-positive relatives of T1D patients in the Pathway to Prevention (PTP) Study of the Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet. The PTP study examines risk factors for T1D and disease progression in relatives. HLA typing revealed that 155 relatives carried this protective haplotype. A comparison with 60 autoantibody-negative relatives suggested protection from autoantibody development. Moreover, the relatives with DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 less frequently expressed autoantibodies associated with higher T1D risk, were less likely to have multiple autoantibodies at baseline, and rarely converted from single to multiple autoantibody positivity on follow-up. These relatives also had lower frequencies of metabolic abnormalities at baseline and exhibited no overall metabolic worsening on follow-up. Ultimately, they had a very low 5-year cumulative incidence of T1D. In conclusion, the protective influence of DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 spans from autoantibody development through all stages of progression, and relatives with this allele only rarely develop T1D. © 2016 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

Effective Delivery of Endogenous Antioxidants Ameliorates Diabetic Nephropathy

PubMed Central

Park, Yongsoo; Kim, Hyunok; Park, Leejin; Min, Dongsoo; Park, Jinseu; Choi, Sooyoung; Park, Moon Hyang

2015-01-01

Background Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is thought to be partially due to the injury of renal cells and the renal micro-environment by free radicals. Free radial scavenging agents that inhibit free radical damage may well prevent the development of underlying conditions such as mesangial expansion (by inhibiting extracellular matrix expression) in these patients. Methods Using techniques for intra-cellular delivery of peptides, we made metallothionein (MT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), potent endogenous antioxidants, readily transducible into cell membrane and tested their protective effect against the development of DN in OLETF rats. Herein, we study antioxidant peptides for their ability to prevent oxidative damage to primary rat mesangial cells (MCs), which are important constituents of renal glomeruli. Results Intraperitoneal administration of these antioxidants resulted in delivery to the kidney and decreased ROS and the expression of downstream signals in renal cells and postponed the usual progression to DN. In in vitro experiments, MT and SOD were efficiently transferred to MCs, and the increased removal of ROS by MT and SOD was proportional to the degree of scavenging enzymes delivered. MT and SOD decreased three major oxidative injuries (hyperglycemia, AGE and ROS exposure) and also injuries directly mediated by angiotensin II in MCs while changing downstream signal transduction. Conclusions The protective effects of MT and SOD for the progression of DN in experimental animals may be associated with the scavenging of ROS by MT and SOD and correlated changes in signal transduction downstream. Concomitant administration of these antioxidant peptides may prove to be a new approach for the prevention and therapy of DN. PMID:26114547

Protective Mechanisms of Mitochondria and Heart Function in Diabetes

PubMed Central

Tocchetti, Carlo G.; Bhatt, Niraj; Paolocci, Nazareno; Cortassa, Sonia

2015-01-01

Abstract Significance: The heart depends on continuous mitochondrial ATP supply and maintained redox balance to properly develop force, particularly under increased workload. During diabetes, however, myocardial energetic-redox balance is perturbed, contributing to the systolic and diastolic dysfunction known as diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). Critical Issues: How these energetic and redox alterations intertwine to influence the DC progression is still poorly understood. Excessive bioavailability of both glucose and fatty acids (FAs) play a central role, leading, among other effects, to mitochondrial dysfunction. However, where and how this nutrient excess affects mitochondrial and cytoplasmic energetic/redox crossroads remains to be defined in greater detail. Recent Advances: We review how high glucose alters cellular redox balance and affects mitochondrial DNA. Next, we address how lipid excess, either stored in lipid droplets or utilized by mitochondria, affects performance in diabetic hearts by influencing cardiac energetic and redox assets. Finally, we examine how the reciprocal energetic/redox influence between mitochondrial and cytoplasmic compartments shapes myocardial mechanical activity during the course of DC, focusing especially on the glutathione and thioredoxin systems. Future Directions: Protecting mitochondria from losing their ability to generate energy, and to control their own reactive oxygen species emission is essential to prevent the onset and/or to slow down DC progression. We highlight mechanisms enforced by the diabetic heart to counteract glucose/FAs surplus-induced damage, such as lipid storage, enhanced mitochondria-lipid droplet interaction, and upregulation of key antioxidant enzymes. Learning more on the nature and location of mechanisms sheltering mitochondrial functions would certainly help in further optimizing therapies for human DC. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 22, 1563–1586. PMID:25674814

Identifying the superior measure of rapid fibrosis for predicting premature cirrhosis after liver transplantation for hepatitis C.

PubMed

Howell, J; Sawhney, R; Angus, P; Fink, M; Jones, R; Wang, B Z; Visvanathan, K; Crowley, P; Gow, P

2013-12-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence post liver transplant is universal, with a subgroup of patients developing rapid hepatic fibrosis. Various clinical definitions of rapid fibrosis (RF) have been used to identify risks for rapid progression, but their comparability and efficacy at predicting adverse outcomes has not been determined. Retrospective data analysis was conducted on 100 adult patients with HCV who underwent liver transplantation at a single center. We measured year 1 fibrosis progression (RF defined as METAVIR F score ≥ 1 at 1-year liver biopsy), time to METAVIR F2-stage fibrosis, and fibrosis rate (calculated using liver biopsies graded by METAVIR scoring F0-4; fibrosis rate = fibrosis stage/year post transplant). RF was defined as ≥ 0.5 units/year. Multivariate analysis revealed that donor age and peak HCV viral load were significant risks for RF, when fibrosis rate was used to define RF. Advanced donor age was a risk for rapid progression to F2-stage fibrosis, whereas genotype 2 or 3 HCV infection was protective. Fibrosis rate had the strongest correlation with time to cirrhosis development (P < 0.0001, r = -0.76) and was the most accurate predictor of rapid graft cirrhosis (P < 0.0001, area under the curve 0.979, sensitivity 100%, specificity 94%). Different measures of RF progression identify different risks for RF and are not directly comparable. Fibrosis rate was the most accurate predictor of rapid graft cirrhosis. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Large-scale Health Information Database and Privacy Protection.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Ryuichi

2016-09-01

Japan was once progressive in the digitalization of healthcare fields but unfortunately has fallen behind in terms of the secondary use of data for public interest. There has recently been a trend to establish large-scale health databases in the nation, and a conflict between data use for public interest and privacy protection has surfaced as this trend has progressed. Databases for health insurance claims or for specific health checkups and guidance services were created according to the law that aims to ensure healthcare for the elderly; however, there is no mention in the act about using these databases for public interest in general. Thus, an initiative for such use must proceed carefully and attentively. The PMDA projects that collect a large amount of medical record information from large hospitals and the health database development project that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is working on will soon begin to operate according to a general consensus; however, the validity of this consensus can be questioned if issues of anonymity arise. The likelihood that researchers conducting a study for public interest would intentionally invade the privacy of their subjects is slim. However, patients could develop a sense of distrust about their data being used since legal requirements are ambiguous. Nevertheless, without using patients' medical records for public interest, progress in medicine will grind to a halt. Proper legislation that is clear for both researchers and patients will therefore be highly desirable. A revision of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information is currently in progress. In reality, however, privacy is not something that laws alone can protect; it will also require guidelines and self-discipline. We now live in an information capitalization age. I will introduce the trends in legal reform regarding healthcare information and discuss some basics to help people properly face the issue of health big data and privacy protection with a sense of ownership.

Large-scale Health Information Database and Privacy Protection*1

PubMed Central

YAMAMOTO, Ryuichi

2016-01-01

Japan was once progressive in the digitalization of healthcare fields but unfortunately has fallen behind in terms of the secondary use of data for public interest. There has recently been a trend to establish large-scale health databases in the nation, and a conflict between data use for public interest and privacy protection has surfaced as this trend has progressed. Databases for health insurance claims or for specific health checkups and guidance services were created according to the law that aims to ensure healthcare for the elderly; however, there is no mention in the act about using these databases for public interest in general. Thus, an initiative for such use must proceed carefully and attentively. The PMDA*2 projects that collect a large amount of medical record information from large hospitals and the health database development project that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is working on will soon begin to operate according to a general consensus; however, the validity of this consensus can be questioned if issues of anonymity arise. The likelihood that researchers conducting a study for public interest would intentionally invade the privacy of their subjects is slim. However, patients could develop a sense of distrust about their data being used since legal requirements are ambiguous. Nevertheless, without using patients’ medical records for public interest, progress in medicine will grind to a halt. Proper legislation that is clear for both researchers and patients will therefore be highly desirable. A revision of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information is currently in progress. In reality, however, privacy is not something that laws alone can protect; it will also require guidelines and self-discipline. We now live in an information capitalization age. I will introduce the trends in legal reform regarding healthcare information and discuss some basics to help people properly face the issue of health big data and privacy protection with a sense of ownership. PMID:28299244

Clinical trials in progressive multiple sclerosis: lessons learned and future perspectives

PubMed Central

Ontaneda, Daniel; Fox, Robert J.; Chataway, Jeremy

2015-01-01

Progressive multiple sclerosis is characterized by the gradual accrual of disability independent of relapses and can occur with disease onset (primary progressive) or preceded by a relapsing disease course (secondary progressive). An effective disease modifying treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis has not been identified, and the results of clinical trials to date have been generally disappointing. Ongoing advances in our understanding of pathogenesis, identification of novel targets for neuro-protection, and improved outcome measures have the potential to lead to effective treatments for progressive multiple sclerosis. In this review lessons learned from previous clinical trials and perspectives from current trials in progressive multiple sclerosis are summarized. Promising clinical, imaging, and biological markers will also be reviewed, along with novel clinical trial designs. PMID:25772899

A Postulate for Accelerated Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals and Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassenberg, Andrzej

2017-12-01

The last 30-year period has been increasingly important for sustainable development, as is evidenced by the UN's announcement of 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. However, many megatrends continue to progress in the direction opposite to that meeting the needs of sustainable development. For the Earth and human civilisation to be protected, it is necessary for a new approach to be developed - a new order that might be termed the civilization/economics of enough, or of moderation. However, convincing societies, including that of Poland, in regard to the benefits of addressing the challenges sustainable development poses is not an easy task; even though a redirecting of the economy and of society along new paths will bring measurable benefits capable of compensating for the costs of transformation.

Selenium as an essential micronutrient: roles in cell cycle and apoptosis.

PubMed

Zeng, Huawei

2009-03-23

Selenium is an essential trace element for humans and animals, and selenium deficiency is associated with several disease conditions such as immune impairment. In addition, selenium intakes that are greater than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) appear to protect against certain types of cancers. In humans and animals, cell proliferation and death must be regulated to maintain tissue homeostasis, and it has been well documented that numerous human diseases are directly related to the control of cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Thus, the elucidation of the mechanisms by which selenium regulates the cell cycle and apoptosis can lead to a better understanding of the nature of selenium's essentiality and its role in disease prevention. This article reviews the status of knowledge concerning the effect of selenium on cell cycle and apoptosis.

Intravenous ascorbic acid to prevent and treat cancer-associated sepsis?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The history of ascorbic acid (AA) and cancer has been marked with controversy. Clinical studies evaluating AA in cancer outcome continue to the present day. However, the wealth of data suggesting that AA may be highly beneficial in addressing cancer-associated inflammation, particularly progression to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and multi organ failure (MOF), has been largely overlooked. Patients with advanced cancer are generally deficient in AA. Once these patients develop septic symptoms, a further decrease in ascorbic acid levels occurs. Given the known role of ascorbate in: a) maintaining endothelial and suppression of inflammatory markers; b) protection from sepsis in animal models; and c) direct antineoplastic effects, we propose the use of ascorbate as an adjuvant to existing modalities in the treatment and prevention of cancer-associated sepsis. PMID:21375761

Immunology and evolvement of the adenovirus prime, MVA boost Ebola virus vaccine.

PubMed

Zhou, Yan; Sullivan, Nancy J

2015-08-01

The 2014 Ebola virus outbreak caused an order of magnitude more deaths in a single outbreak than all previous known outbreaks combined, affecting both local and international public health, and threatening the security and economic stability of the countries in West Africa directly confronting the outbreak. The severity of the epidemic lead to a global response to assist with patient care, outbreak control, and deployment of vaccines. The latter was possible due to the long history of basic and clinical research aimed at identifying a safe and effective vaccine to protect against Ebola virus infection. This review highlights the immunology, development, and progress of vaccines based on replication-defective adenovirus vectors, culminating in the successful launch of the first Phase III trial of an Ebola virus vaccine. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Biology Division annual progress report for period ending December 31, 1968

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

None

1969-07-01

Brief summaries are presented of research in progress in the fields of radiobiology, genetics, hematology, immunology, physsiology, biochemistry, bacteriology, enzymology, microbiology, photosynthesis, biophysics, radiation protection, and related fields. A list is included of 212 publications in the world literature that report results of completed studies. (CH)

75 FR 32942 - National Toxicology Program (NTP); NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-10

... Progress Report of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM... of the Biennial Progress Report 2008-2009: Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of...) 919-541-0947, (e-mail) [email protected] . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. William S. Stokes...

Emerging concepts on the role of innate immunity in the prevention and control of HIV infection.

PubMed

Ackerman, Margaret E; Dugast, Anne-Sophie; Alter, Galit

2012-01-01

While neutralizing antibodies can provide sterilizing protection from HIV infection via their variable domains, the antibody constant domain provides a functional link between innate and adaptive immunity and offers a means to harness the potent antiviral properties of a wide spectrum of innate immune effector cells. There has been a growing appreciation of the role of these effector mechanisms across fields from cancer immunotherapy to autoimmunity and infectious disease, as well as speculation that this mechanism may be responsible for the protection observed in the RV144 HIV vaccine trial. This review summarizes these extraneutralizing humoral immune activities, progress in defining the importance of these effector mechanisms during progression in HIV infection, and the potential impact that such vaccine-induced immune responses may have on protection from infection.

Lifestyle modification and progressive renal failure.

PubMed

Ritz, Eberhard; Schwenger, Vedat

2005-08-01

There is increasing evidence that lifestyle factors impact on the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the risk of progression of CKD. Equally important is the consideration that patients with CKD are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than to reach the stage of end-stage renal failure. It is advantageous that manoeuvres that interfere with progression at the same time also reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Lifestyle factors that aggravate progression include, among others, smoking, obesity and dietary salt intake. Alcohol consumption, according to some preliminary information, has a bimodal relationship to cardiovascular risk and progression, with moderate consumption being protective.

Site Protection Program and Progress Report of Ali Observatory, Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Yongqiang; Zhou, Yunhe; Wang, Xiaohua; He, Jun; Zhou, Shu

2015-08-01

The Ali observatory, Tibet, is a promising new site identified through ten year site survey over west China, and it is of significance to establish rules of site protection during site development. The site protection program is described with five aspects: site monitoring, technical support, local government support, specific organization, and public education. The long-term sky brightness monitoring is ready with site testing instruments and basic for light pollution measurement; the monitoring also includes directions of main light sources, providing periodical reports and suggestions for coordinating meetings. The technical supports with institutes and manufacturers help to publish lighting standards and replace light fixtures; the research pays special attention to the blue-rich sources, which impact the important application of high altitude sites. An official leading group towards development and protection of astronomical resources has been established by Ali government; one of its tasks is to issue regulations against light pollution, including special restrictions of airport, mine, and winter heating, and to supervise lighting inspection and rectification. A site protection office under the official group and local astronomical society are organized by Ali observatory; the office can coordinate in government levels and promote related activities. A specific website operated by the protection office releases activity propaganda, evaluation results, and technical comparison with other observatories. Both the site protection office and Ali observatory take responsibility for public education, including popular science lectures, light pollution and energy conservation education. Ali Night Sky Park has been constructed and opens in 2014, and provides a popular place and observational experience. The establishment of Ali Observatory and Night Sky Park brings unexpected social influence, and the starry sky trip to Ali becomes a new format of culture-oriented travels in China. The related news reports and network propaganda have drawn attention of national top leadership, instructing to further investigate national support policies.

Effects of errors and gaps in spatial data sets on assessment of conservation progress.

PubMed

Visconti, P; Di Marco, M; Álvarez-Romero, J G; Januchowski-Hartley, S R; Pressey, R L; Weeks, R; Rondinini, C

2013-10-01

Data on the location and extent of protected areas, ecosystems, and species' distributions are essential for determining gaps in biodiversity protection and identifying future conservation priorities. However, these data sets always come with errors in the maps and associated metadata. Errors are often overlooked in conservation studies, despite their potential negative effects on the reported extent of protection of species and ecosystems. We used 3 case studies to illustrate the implications of 3 sources of errors in reporting progress toward conservation objectives: protected areas with unknown boundaries that are replaced by buffered centroids, propagation of multiple errors in spatial data, and incomplete protected-area data sets. As of 2010, the frequency of protected areas with unknown boundaries in the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) caused the estimated extent of protection of 37.1% of the terrestrial Neotropical mammals to be overestimated by an average 402.8% and of 62.6% of species to be underestimated by an average 10.9%. Estimated level of protection of the world's coral reefs was 25% higher when using recent finer-resolution data on coral reefs as opposed to globally available coarse-resolution data. Accounting for additional data sets not yet incorporated into WDPA contributed up to 6.7% of additional protection to marine ecosystems in the Philippines. We suggest ways for data providers to reduce the errors in spatial and ancillary data and ways for data users to mitigate the effects of these errors on biodiversity assessments. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in evolutionary perspective: a critical role for helminths?

PubMed

Gurven, Michael D; Trumble, Benjamin C; Stieglitz, Jonathan; Blackwell, Aaron D; Michalik, David E; Finch, Caleb E; Kaplan, Hillard S

2016-09-25

Heart disease and type 2 diabetes are commonly believed to be rare among contemporary subsistence-level human populations, and by extension prehistoric populations. Although some caveats remain, evidence shows these diseases to be unusual among well-studied hunter-gatherers and other subsistence populations with minimal access to healthcare. Here we expand on a relatively new proposal for why these and other populations may not show major signs of these diseases. Chronic infections, especially helminths, may offer protection against heart disease and diabetes through direct and indirect pathways. As part of a strategy to insure their own survival and reproduction, helminths exert multiple cardio-protective effects on their host through their effects on immune function and blood lipid metabolism. Helminths consume blood lipids and glucose, alter lipid metabolism, and modulate immune function towards Th-2 polarization - which combined can lower blood cholesterol, reduce obesity, increase insulin sensitivity, decrease atheroma progression, and reduce likelihood of atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Traditional cardiometabolic risk factors, coupled with the mismatch between our evolved immune systems and modern, hygienic environments may interact in complex ways. In this review, we survey existing studies in the non-human animal and human literature, highlight unresolved questions and suggest future directions to explore the role of helminths in the etiology of cardio-metabolic disease. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Foundation for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.

Augmenter of liver regeneration protects against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury by promoting autophagy in mice

PubMed Central

Shi, Hongbo; Han, Weijia; Shi, Honglin; Ren, Feng; Chen, Dexi; Chen, Yu; Duan, Zhongping

2017-01-01

Background Augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) exerts strong hepatoprotective properties in various animal models of liver injury, but its protective mechanisms have not yet been explored. Autophagy is a recently recognized rudimentary cellular response to inflammation and injury. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that ALR may protect against acute liver injury through the autophagic pathway. Methods The level and role of ALR in liver injury were studied in a mouse model of acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The effect of ALR on autophagy was analyzed in vitro and in vivo. After autophagy was inhibited by 3-methyladenine (3-MA), apoptosis and proliferation were detected in the mouse model with acute liver injury. The ALR and autophagic levels were measured in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and acute liver failure (ALF), respectively. Results During the progression of acute liver injury, the ALR levels increased slightly in early stage and significantly decreased in late stage in mice Treatment with an ALR plasmid via tail vein injection protected mice against acute liver injury. The protective effect of ALR relied on the induction of autophagy, which was supported by the following evidence: (1) ALR overexpression directly induced autophagy flux in vitro and in vivo; and (2) ALR treatment suppressed apoptosis and promoted proliferation in mice exposed to CCl4, but the inhibition of autophagy reversed these effects. More importantly, the ALR levels decreased in patients with LC and ALF compared with normal controls. Conclusion We demonstrated that ALR ameliorated liver injury via an autophagic mechanism, which indicates a potential therapeutic application for liver injury. PMID:28061452

RNA interference technology in crop protection against arthropod pests, pathogens and nematodes.

PubMed

Zotti, Moises; Dos Santos, Ericmar Avila; Cagliari, Deise; Christiaens, Olivier; Taning, Clauvis Nji Tizi; Smagghe, Guy

2018-06-01

Scientists have made significant progress in understanding and unraveling several aspects of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated gene silencing during the last two decades. Now that the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism is well understood, it is time to consider how to apply the acquired knowledge to agriculture and crop protection. Some RNAi-based products are already available for farmers and more are expected to reach the market soon. Tailor-made dsRNA as an active ingredient for biopesticide formulations is considered a raw material that can be used for diverse purposes, from pest control and bee protection against viruses to pesticide resistance management. The RNAi mechanism works at the messenger RNA (mRNA) level, exploiting a sequence-dependent mode of action, which makes it unique in potency and selectivity compared with conventional agrochemicals. Furthermore, the use of RNAi in crop protection can be achieved by employing plant-incorporated protectants through plant transformation, but also by non-transformative strategies such as the use of formulations of sprayable RNAs as direct control agents, resistance factor repressors or developmental disruptors. In this review, RNAi is presented in an agricultural context (discussing products that have been launched on the market or will soon be available), and we go beyond the classical presentation of successful examples of RNAi in pest-insect control and comprehensively explore its potential for the control of plant pathogens, nematodes and mites, and to fight against diseases and parasites in beneficial insects. Moreover, we also discuss its use as a repressor for the management of pesticide-resistant weeds and insects. Finally, this review reports on the advances in non-transformative dsRNA delivery and the production costs of dsRNA, and discusses environmental considerations. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Biodiversity conservation should focus on no-take Marine Reserves: 94% of Marine Protected Areas allow fishing.

PubMed

Costello, Mark J; Ballantine, Bill

2015-09-01

Conservation needs places where nature is left wild; but only a quarter of coastal countries have no-take Marine Reserves. 'Marine Protected Areas' (MPAs) have been used to indicate conservation progress but we found that 94% allow fishing and thus cannot protect all aspects of biodiversity. Biodiversity conservation should focus on Marine Reserves, not MPAs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methods for protecting subsea pipelines and installations

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

Rochelle, W.R.; Simpson, D.M.

1981-01-01

The hazards for subsea pipelines and installations are described. Methods currently being used to protect subsea pipelines and installations are discussed with the emphasis on various trenching methods and equipment. Technical data on progress rates for trenching and feasible depths of trench are given. Possible methods for protection against icebergs are discussed. A case for more comprehensive data on icebergs is presented. Should a pipeline become damaged, repair methods are noted.

Vulnerable Consumers in a Highly Developed Asian Economy: The Case of Japan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morita, Yoko; Mieno, Yoshiko; Ikeda, Michiyo; Ogawa, Ikuko

2000-01-01

Presents a survey of the administrative system of consumer protection in Japan and the present state of affairs for consumers. Indicates that progress in advancing consumer protection policies is advancing, but the government has been slow to react to problems and adopt remedies or adjustments. (JOW)

A review of intellectual property rights in biotechnology.

PubMed

Hing, C B; Back, D L

2009-08-01

Intellectual property rights protect innovations and their authors. This review describes the concepts of copyright and patent with their relative merits and drawbacks. An understanding of intellectual property rights is important for doctors to allow protection of their work but should not be at the expense of scientific progress.

48 CFR 32.503-14 - Protection of Government title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Protection of Government... of Government title. (a) Since the Progress Payments clause gives the Government title to all of the... ensure that the Government title to these inventories is not compromised by other encumbrances...

48 CFR 32.503-14 - Protection of Government title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Protection of Government... of Government title. (a) Since the Progress Payments clause gives the Government title to all of the... ensure that the Government title to these inventories is not compromised by other encumbrances...

Recent progress and future directions for reduction, refinement, and replacement of animal use in veterinary vaccine potency and safety testing: a report from the 2010 NICEATM-ICCVAM International Vaccine Workshop.

PubMed

Stokes, W S; Kulpa-Eddy, J; Brown, K; Srinivas, G; McFarland, R

2012-01-01

Veterinary vaccines contribute to improved animal and human health and welfare by preventing infectious diseases. However, testing necessary to ensure vaccine effectiveness and safety can involve large numbers of animals and significant pain and distress. NICEATM and ICCVAM recently convened an international workshop to review the state of the science of human and veterinary vaccine potency and safety testing, and to identify priority activities to advance new and improved methods that can further reduce, refine and replace animal use. Rabies, Clostridium sp., and Leptospira sp. vaccines were identified as the highest priorities, while tests requiring live viruses and bacteria hazardous to laboratory workers, livestock, pets, and wildlife were also considered high priorities. Priority research, development and validation activities to address critical knowledge and data gaps were identified, including opportunities to apply new science and technology. Enhanced international harmonization and cooperation and closer collaborations between human and veterinary researchers were recommended to expedite progress. Implementation of the workshop recommendations is expected to advance new methods for vaccine testing that will benefit animal welfare and ensure continued and improved protection of human and animal health.

Dense Deposit Disease

PubMed Central

Smith, Richard J.H; Harris, Claire L.; Pickering, Matthew C.

2011-01-01

Dense deposit disease (DDD) is an orphan disease that primarily affects children and young adults without sexual predilection. Studies of its pathophysiology have shown conclusively that it is caused by fluid-phase dysregulation of the alternative pathway of complement, however the role played by genetics and autoantibodies like C3 nephritic factors must be more thoroughly defined if we are to make an impact in the clinical management of this disease. There are currently no mechanism-directed therapies to offer affected patients, half of whom progress to end stage renal failure disease within 10 years of diagnosis. Transplant recipients face the dim prospect of disease recurrence in their allografts, half of which ultimately fail. More detailed genetic and complement studies of DDD patients may make it possible to identify protective factors prognostic for naïve kidney and transplant survival, or conversely risk factors associated with progression to renal failure and allograft loss. The pathophysiology of DDD suggests that a number of different treatments warrant consideration. As advances are made in these areas, there will be a need to increase healthcare provider awareness of DDD by making resources available to clinicians to optimize care for DDD patients. PMID:21601923

[Research progress on chemical constituents, pharmacological mechanism and clinical application of Guizhi decoction].

PubMed

Yuan, Hai-Jian; Li, Wei; Jin, Jian-Ming; Chen, Jing-Jing; Jiang, Jun; Wang, Hui; Jia, Xiao-Bin; Feng, Liang

2017-12-01

Guizhi Decoction was one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese Medicine which possesses the effects of "jie-ji-fa-biao, regulating Ying and Wei". It was mainly used to treat mind-cold due to exogenous evils such as fever, headache, sweating, hate the wind, et al. Modern studies indicated that the chemical constituents of Guizhi decoction mainly include phenylpropanoid, monoterpenes, organic acids, flavonoids, triterpenoid saponins and so on. Pharmacological experimental studies had shown that Guizhi decoction could play a big role in dual-directional regulation on sweat gland, body temperature, immune function, gastrointestinal peristalsis, and blood pressure, and could also play the role of anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-allergic, analgesic, hypoglycemic, and cardiovascular protection. Many diseases such as internal, external, gynecological and pediatric diseases were treated in the clinical by using Guizhi decoction and its analogous formulae involving circulatory, immune, urinary, reproductive, endocrine, digestive, nervous and other systems. This article reviews the latest research progress of Guizhi decoction from three aspects: chemical constituents, pharmacological mechanism and clinical application. It will provide reference for further research and development of Guizhi decoction. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

ACHP | The Protection of Indian Sacred Sites

Science.gov Websites

signatories issued an action plan for implementation of the MOU and in March 2014, issued a progress report , Action Plan, Progress Report, and other information may be accessed by clicking the links below: 2016 Action Plan ACHP News Announcement Department of the Interior Press Release DOI/Forest Service Updates

THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PARTICULATE MATTER HEALTH EFFECTS RESEARCH CENTERS PROGRAM: A MIDCOURSE REPORT OF STATUS, PROGRESS, AND PLANS. (R827351)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

76 FR 13018 - Departmental Offices Proposed Collections; Comment Requests

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-09

... U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau implementation team is soliciting... consideration. ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Andrew Trueblood, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau... additional information should be directed to Andrew Trueblood in writing at Consumer Financial Protection...

Alternative Approach to Teaching Veterinary Anatomy: A Progress Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hullinger, Ronald; Render, Gary F.

1975-01-01

Students in microscopic anatomy at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine selected a self-directed or teacher-directed approach to the course. Adoption of the experimental approach described here increased faculty time for evaluating student progress but was supportive of student development particularly in cognitive skills and affective…

Predictors of Progression to High-Grade Dysplasia or Adenocarcinoma in Barrett’s Esophagus

PubMed Central

Whitson, Matthew J.; Falk, Gary W.

2015-01-01

Article Synopsis The prevalence of esophageal adenocarcinoma is increasing dramatically. Barrett’s esophagus remains the most well established risk factor for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. There are multiple clinical, endoscopic, and pathologic factors that increase the risk of neoplastic progression to high-grade dysplasia or esophageal adenocarcinoma in Barrett’s esophagus. This article will review both risk and protective factors for neoplastic progression in patients with Barrett’s esophagus. PMID:26021196

Biogas Opportunities Roadmap Progress Report

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

None, None

In support of the Obama Administration's Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Agriculture jointly released the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap Progress Report, updating the federal government's progress to reduce methane emissions through biogas systems since the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap was completed by the three agencies in July 2014. The report highlights actions taken, outlines challenges and opportunities, and identifies next steps to the growth of a robust biogas industry.

Quantifying the extent of protected-area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement in Australia.

PubMed

Cook, Carly N; Valkan, Rebecca S; Mascia, Michael B; McGeoch, Melodie A

2017-10-01

The use of total area protected as the predominant indicator of progress in building protected area (PA) networks is receiving growing criticism. Documenting the full dynamics of PA networks, both in terms of the gains and losses in protection, provides a much more informative approach to tracking progress. To this end, documentation of PA downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD) has increased. Studies of PADDD events generally fail to place these losses in the context of gains in protection; therefore, they omit important elements of PA network dynamics. To address this limitation, we used a spatially explicit approach to identify every parcel of land added to and excised from the Australian terrestrial PA network and PAs that had their level of protection changed over 17 years (1997-2014). By quantifying changes in the spatial configuration of the PA network with time-series data (spatial layers for nine separate time steps), ours is the first assessment of the dynamics (increases and decreases in area and level of protection) of a PA network and the first comprehensive assessment of PADDD in a developed country. We found that the Australian network was highly dynamic; there were 5233 changes in area or level of protection over 17 years. Against a background of enormous increases in area protected, we identified over 1500 PADDD events, which affected over one-third of the network, which were largely the result of widespread downgrading of protection. We believe our approach provides a mechanism for robust tracking of trends in the world's PAs through the use of data from the World Database on Protected Areas. However, this will require greater transparency and improved data standards in reporting changes to PAs. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

Protective effect of an intrinsic antioxidant, HMH (5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin; NZ-419), against cellular damage of kidney tubules.

PubMed

Ienaga, Kazuharu; Park, Chan Hum; Yokozawa, Takako

2013-07-01

HMH (5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin; NZ-419) is a mammalian creatinine metabolite and an intrinsic antioxidant. HMH prevents the progression of chronic kidney disease in rats when a sufficient amount is taken orally. We assessed whether intrinsic and higher levels of HMH could protect tubular epithelial cells, LLC-PK(1) cells, against known cellular damage caused by xenobiotics, such as cisplatin and cephaloridine, or by hypoxia/reoxygenation treatment. Both cell damage and peroxidation, monitored as the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA), respectively, from cells into the media, were inhibited by HMH in a concentration-dependent manner. The minimum effective concentration of HMH (2.5 μM) seemed to be too low for HMH to only be a direct hydroxyl radical scavenger. Additional antioxidant effect(s) inhibiting reactive oxygen species generation and/or modulating signal transduction pathways were suggested. The possibility that intrinsic HMH could be a protectant for the kidney was indicated. At the same time, for sufficient inhibition, higher concentrations than intrinsic HMH concentrations may be necessary. Patterns of efficacies of HMH on LDH and MDA against different kinds of cellular damage were compared with our reported data on those of corresponding, naturally occurring antioxidants. A common and specific inhibitory mechanism as well as common target(s) in kidney injuries were indicated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Induction of cross-tolerance between protective effect of morphine and nicotine in 6-hydroxydopamine-induce neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y human dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells.

PubMed

Elyasi, Leila; Eftekhar-Vaghefi, Seyed Hassan; Asadi-Shekaaria, Majid; Esmaeili-Mahani, Saeed

2018-06-27

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive and selective death of dopaminergic neurons. It has been reported that nicotine and morphine have protective roles during neuronal damage in Parkinson's disease. In addition, the induction of cross-tolerance between their biological effects has been shown in numerous reports. Here, we investigated the effects of nicotine and morphine on 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line as an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease. Cell damage was induced by 150 μM 6-OHDA and the cells viability was examined by MTT assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species, calcium level and mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by fluorescence spectrophotometer method. Biochemical markers of apoptosis were also evaluated by immunoblotting. The data showed that morphine and nicotine prevent 6-OHDA- induced cell damage and apoptosis. However, the protective effects of nicotine were not observed in chronic morphine-pretreated cells. Morphine had no protective effects in chronic nicotine-incubated cells. A cross-tolerance between protective effects of morphine and nicotine was occurred in 6-OHDA-induced SH-SY5Y cell toxicity.

Malingering-by-proxy: need for child protection and guidance for reporting.

PubMed

Chafetz, Michael; Dufrene, Melissa

2014-11-01

The feigning of disabling illness for compensation at the direction or pressure by others, which is called malingering by proxy (MBP), has been the subject of several spirited articles. Chafetz and Prentkowski (2011) suggested that MBP has the potential for real harm to the child. In a poster at the AACN scientific session in 2011, Chafetz and Binder (2011) pursued a case of MBP that showed the child had clearly suffered and failed to progress in the 6 years that had passed since she was first evaluated as an 11 year old. In the present article, we identify three cases that compare and contrast effects of MBP, illustrating that child abuse and/or neglect can be a serious and reportable consequence of MBP behavior. To illustrate how MBP behavior can cause child abuse, we compare MBP behavior with Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP), another condition of volitional noncredible behavior produced in a vulnerable person at the direction or pressure by others. Guidance criteria for reporting MBP as child abuse/neglect are introduced in this article. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The physics of biofilms—an introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazza, Marco G.

2016-05-01

Biofilms are complex, self-organized consortia of microorganisms that produce a functional, protective matrix of biomolecules. Physically, the structure of a biofilm can be described as an entangled polymer network which grows and changes under the effect of gradients of nutrients, cell differentiation, quorum sensing, bacterial motion, and interaction with the environment. Its development is complex, and constantly adapting to environmental stimuli. Here, we review the fundamental physical processes that govern the inception, growth and development of a biofilm. Two important mechanisms guide the initial phase in a biofilm life-cycle: (i) the cell motility near or at a solid interface, and (ii) the cellular adhesion. Both processes are crucial for initiating the colony and for ensuring its stability. A mature biofilm behaves as a viscoelastic fluid with a complex, history-dependent dynamics. We discuss progress and challenges in the determination of its physical properties. Experimental and theoretical methods are now available that aim at integrating the biofilm’s hierarchy of interactions, and the heterogeneity of composition and spatial structures. We also discuss important directions in which future work should be directed.

Dopamine: Just the Right Medicine for Membranes

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

Yang, Hao-Cheng; Waldman, Ruben Z.; Wu, Ming-Bang

Mussel-inspired chemistry has attracted widespread interest in membrane science and technology. Demonstrating the rapid growth of this field over the past several years, substantial progress has been achieved in both mussel-inspired chemistry and membrane surface engineering based on mussel-inspired coatings. At this stage, it is valuable to summarize the most recent and distinctive developments, as well as to frame the challenges and opportunities remaining in this field. In this review, recent advances in rapid and controllable deposition of mussel-inspired coatings, dopamine-assisted codeposition technology, and photoinitiated grafting directly on mussel-inspired coatings are presented. Some of these technologies have not yet beenmore » employed directly in membrane science. Beyond discussing advances in conventional membrane processes, emerging applications of mussel-inspired coatings in membranes are discussed, including as a skin layer in nanofiltration, interlayer in metal-organic framework based membranes, hydrophilic layer in Janus membranes, and protective layer in catalytic membranes. Finally, some critical unsolved challenges are raised in this field and some potential pathways are proposed to address them.« less

[Effect of transgenic insect-resistant rice on biodiversity].

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Zhu, Zhen

2011-05-01

Rice is the most important food crops in maintaining food security in China. The loss of China's annual rice production caused by pests is over ten million tons. Present studies showed that the transgenic insect-resistant rice can substantially reduce the application amount of chemical pesticides. In the case of no pesticide use, the pest density in transgenic rice field is significantly lower than that in non-transgenic field, and the neutral insects and natural enemies of pests increased significantly, indicating that the ecological environment and biodiversity toward the positive direction. The gene flow frequency from transgenic rice is dramatically reduced with the distance increases, reaching less than 0.01% at the distance of 6.2 m. Application of transgenic insect-resistant rice in China has an important significance for ensuring food security, maintaining sustainable agricultural development, and protecting the ecological environment and biodiversity. This review summarized the research progress in transgenic insect-resistant rice and its effect on biodiversity. The research directions and development trends of crop pest controlling in future are discussed. These help to promote better use of transgenic insect-resistant rice.

Beta-amyloid immunotherapy prevents synaptic degeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Buttini, Manuel; Masliah, Eliezer; Barbour, Robin; Grajeda, Henry; Motter, Ruth; Johnson-Wood, Kelly; Khan, Karen; Seubert, Peter; Freedman, Stephen; Schenk, Dale; Games, Dora

2005-10-05

Alzheimer's disease neuropathology is characterized by key features that include the deposition of the amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) into plaques, the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, and the loss of neurons and synapses in specific brain regions. The loss of synapses, and particularly the associated presynaptic vesicle protein synaptophysin in the hippocampus and association cortices, has been widely reported to be one of the most robust correlates of Alzheimer's disease-associated cognitive decline. The beta-amyloid hypothesis supports the idea that Abeta is the cause of these pathologies. However, the hypothesis is still controversial, in part because the direct role of Abeta in synaptic degeneration awaits confirmation. In this study, we show that Abeta reduction by active or passive Abeta immunization protects against the progressive loss of synaptophysin in the hippocampal molecular layer and frontal neocortex of a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. These results, substantiated by quantitative electron microscopic analysis of synaptic densities, strongly support a direct causative role of Abeta in the synaptic degeneration seen in Alzheimer's disease and strengthen the potential of Abeta immunotherapy as a treatment approach for this disease.

One hundred questions of importance to the conservation of global biological diversity.

PubMed

Sutherland, W J; Adams, W M; Aronson, R B; Aveling, R; Blackburn, T M; Broad, S; Ceballos, G; Côté, I M; Cowling, R M; Da Fonseca, G A B; Dinerstein, E; Ferraro, P J; Fleishman, E; Gascon, C; Hunter, M; Hutton, J; Kareiva, P; Kuria, A; Macdonald, D W; Mackinnon, K; Madgwick, F J; Mascia, M B; McNeely, J; Milner-Gulland, E J; Moon, S; Morley, C G; Nelson, S; Osborn, D; Pai, M; Parsons, E C M; Peck, L S; Possingham, H; Prior, S V; Pullin, A S; Rands, M R W; Ranganathan, J; Redford, K H; Rodriguez, J P; Seymour, F; Sobel, J; Sodhi, N S; Stott, A; Vance-Borland, K; Watkinson, A R

2009-06-01

We identified 100 scientific questions that, if answered, would have the greatest impact on conservation practice and policy. Representatives from 21 international organizations, regional sections and working groups of the Society for Conservation Biology, and 12 academics, from all continents except Antarctica, compiled 2291 questions of relevance to conservation of biological diversity worldwide. The questions were gathered from 761 individuals through workshops, email requests, and discussions. Voting by email to short-list questions, followed by a 2-day workshop, was used to derive the final list of 100 questions. Most of the final questions were derived through a process of modification and combination as the workshop progressed. The questions are divided into 12 sections: ecosystem functions and services, climate change, technological change, protected areas, ecosystem management and restoration, terrestrial ecosystems, marine ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems, species management, organizational systems and processes, societal context and change, and impacts of conservation interventions. We anticipate that these questions will help identify new directions for researchers and assist funders in directing funds. ©2009 Society for Conservation Biology.

Dopamine: Just the Right Medicine for Membranes

DOE PAGES

Yang, Hao-Cheng; Waldman, Ruben Z.; Wu, Ming-Bang; ...

2018-01-09

Mussel-inspired chemistry has attracted widespread interest in membrane science and technology. Demonstrating the rapid growth of this field over the past several years, substantial progress has been achieved in both mussel-inspired chemistry and membrane surface engineering based on mussel-inspired coatings. At this stage, it is valuable to summarize the most recent and distinctive developments, as well as to frame the challenges and opportunities remaining in this field. In this review, recent advances in rapid and controllable deposition of mussel-inspired coatings, dopamine-assisted codeposition technology, and photoinitiated grafting directly on mussel-inspired coatings are presented. Some of these technologies have not yet beenmore » employed directly in membrane science. Beyond discussing advances in conventional membrane processes, emerging applications of mussel-inspired coatings in membranes are discussed, including as a skin layer in nanofiltration, interlayer in metal-organic framework based membranes, hydrophilic layer in Janus membranes, and protective layer in catalytic membranes. Finally, some critical unsolved challenges are raised in this field and some potential pathways are proposed to address them.« less

Who pays for health care in Ghana?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Financial protection against the cost of unforeseen ill health has become a global concern as expressed in the 2005 World Health Assembly resolution (WHA58.33), which urges its member states to "plan the transition to universal coverage of their citizens". An important element of financial risk protection is to distribute health care financing fairly in relation to ability to pay. The distribution of health care financing burden across socio-economic groups has been estimated for European countries, the USA and Asia. Until recently there was no such analysis in Africa and this paper seeks to contribute to filling this gap. It presents the first comprehensive analysis of the distribution of health care financing in relation to ability to pay in Ghana. Methods Secondary data from the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS) 2005/2006 were used. This was triangulated with data from the Ministry of Finance and other relevant sources, and further complemented with primary household data collected in six districts. We implored standard methodologies (including Kakwani index and test for dominance) for assessing progressivity in health care financing in this paper. Results Ghana's health care financing system is generally progressive. The progressivity of health financing is driven largely by the overall progressivity of taxes, which account for close to 50% of health care funding. The national health insurance (NHI) levy (part of VAT) is mildly progressive and formal sector NHI payroll deductions are also progressive. However, informal sector NHI contributions were found to be regressive. Out-of-pocket payments, which account for 45% of funding, are regressive form of health payment to households. Conclusion For Ghana to attain adequate financial risk protection and ultimately achieve universal coverage, it needs to extend pre-payment cover to all in the informal sector, possibly through funding their contributions entirely from tax, and address other issues affecting the expansion of the National Health Insurance. Furthermore, the pre-payment funding pool for health care needs to grow so budgetary allocation to the health sector can be enhanced. PMID:21708026

Who pays for health care in Ghana?

PubMed

Akazili, James; Gyapong, John; McIntyre, Diane

2011-06-27

Financial protection against the cost of unforeseen ill health has become a global concern as expressed in the 2005 World Health Assembly resolution (WHA58.33), which urges its member states to "plan the transition to universal coverage of their citizens". An important element of financial risk protection is to distribute health care financing fairly in relation to ability to pay. The distribution of health care financing burden across socio-economic groups has been estimated for European countries, the USA and Asia. Until recently there was no such analysis in Africa and this paper seeks to contribute to filling this gap. It presents the first comprehensive analysis of the distribution of health care financing in relation to ability to pay in Ghana. Secondary data from the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS) 2005/2006 were used. This was triangulated with data from the Ministry of Finance and other relevant sources, and further complemented with primary household data collected in six districts. We implored standard methodologies (including Kakwani index and test for dominance) for assessing progressivity in health care financing in this paper. Ghana's health care financing system is generally progressive. The progressivity of health financing is driven largely by the overall progressivity of taxes, which account for close to 50% of health care funding. The national health insurance (NHI) levy (part of VAT) is mildly progressive and formal sector NHI payroll deductions are also progressive. However, informal sector NHI contributions were found to be regressive. Out-of-pocket payments, which account for 45% of funding, are regressive form of health payment to households. For Ghana to attain adequate financial risk protection and ultimately achieve universal coverage, it needs to extend pre-payment cover to all in the informal sector, possibly through funding their contributions entirely from tax, and address other issues affecting the expansion of the National Health Insurance. Furthermore, the pre-payment funding pool for health care needs to grow so budgetary allocation to the health sector can be enhanced.

A review of environmental risk factors for myopia during early life, childhood and adolescence.

PubMed

Ramamurthy, Dharani; Lin Chua, Sharon Yu; Saw, Seang-Mei

2015-11-01

Myopia is a significant public health problem worldwide, particularly in East Asian countries. The increasing prevalence of myopia poses a huge socio-economic burden and progressive high myopia can lead to sight-threatening ocular complications. Hence, the prevention of early-onset myopia progressing to pathological high myopia is important. Recent epidemiological studies suggest that increased outdoor time is an important modifiable environmental factor that protects young children from myopia. This protective effect may be due to high light intensity outdoors, the chromaticity of daylight or increased vitamin D levels. This review summarises the possible underlying biological mechanisms for the protective association between time outdoors and myopia, including the potential role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in refractive error development. Recent evidence for the role of other environmental risk factors such as near work, birth seasons, parental smoking and birth order are also summarised. © 2015 Optometry Australia.

Protected transitional solution to transformational satellite communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brand, Jerry C.

2005-06-01

As the Warfighter progresses into the next generation battlefield, transformational communications become evident as an enabling technology. Satellite communications become even more vital as the battles range over greater non-contiguous spaces. While current satellite communications provide suitable beyond line-of-sight communications and the Transformational Communications Architecture (TCA) sets the stage for sound information exchange, a realizable transition must occur to ensure successful succession to this higher level. This paper addresses the need for a planned escalation to the next generation satellite communications architecture and offers near-term alternatives. Commercial satellite systems continue to enable the Warfighter to reach back to needed information resources, providing a large majority of available bandwidth. Four areas of concentration for transition include encrypted Telemetry, Tracking and Control (or Command) (TT&C), encrypted and covered data, satellite attack detection and protection, and operational mobility. Solution methodologies include directly embedding COMSEC devices in the satellites and terminals, and supplementing existing terminals with suitable equipment and software. Future satellites planned for near-term launches can be adapted to include commercial grade and higher-level secure equipment. Alternately, the expected use of programmable modems (Software Defined Radios (SDR)) enables incorporation of powerful cipher methods approaching military standards as well as waveforms suitable for on-the-move operation. Minimal equipment and software additions on the satellites can provide reasonable attack detection and protection methods in concert with the planned satellite usage. Network management suite modifications enable cohesive incorporation of these protection schemes. Such transitional ideas offer a smooth and planned transition as the TCA takes life.

Thermal Protection Materials Technology for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valentine, Peter G.; Lawerence, Timtohy W.; Gubert, Michael K.; Flynn, Kevin C.; Milos, Frank S.; Kiser, James D.; Ohlhorst, Craig W.; Koenig, John R.

2005-01-01

To fulfill the President s Vision for Space Exploration - successful human and robotic missions between the Earth and other solar system bodies in order to explore their atmospheres and surfaces - NASA must reduce trip time, cost, and vehicle weight so that payload and scientific experiment capabilities are maximized. As a collaboration among NASA Centers, this project will generate products that will enable greater fidelity in mission/vehicle design trade studies, support risk reduction for material selections, assist in optimization of vehicle weights, and provide the material and process templates for development of human-rated qualification and certification Thermal Protection System (TPS) plans. Missions performing aerocapture, aerobraking, or direct aeroentry rely on technologies that reduce vehicle weight by minimizing the need for propellant. These missions use the destination planet s atmosphere to slow the spacecraft. Such mission profiles induce heating environments on the spacecraft that demand thermal protection heatshields. This program offers NASA essential advanced thermal management technologies needed to develop new lightweight nonmetallic TPS materials for critical thermal protection heatshields for future spacecraft. Discussion of this new program (a December 2004 new start) will include both initial progress made and a presentation of the work to be preformed over the four-year life of the program. Additionally, the relevant missions and environments expected for Exploration Systems vehicles will be presented, along with discussion of the candidate materials to be considered and of the types of testing to be performed (material property tests, space environmental effects tests, and Earth and Mars gases arc jet tests).

Protecting the World From Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure: Where Do We Stand and Where Do We Go From Here?

PubMed Central

Barnoya, Joaquin

2013-01-01

Introduction: Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control mandates all signatory countries to “protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces, public transport and indoor public places.” Even though there has been great progress in the implementation of Article 8, still most of the world population remains exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). In this article, we sought to summarize the research that supports Article 8, where do we stand, and current research gaps and future directions. Discussion: Secondhand smoke is an established cause of heart disease and several types of cancer. Additional research is needed to reach final conclusions for diseases where evidence is only suggestive of causality. The only solution to SHS exposure in public places is banning smoking indoors. Research on the gaming industry and nightclubs, particularly in developing countries, needs to be disseminated to support their inclusion in smoke-free laws. Aside from indoor bans, additional research is needed for outdoor and multiunit housing bans and in support of measures that protect children and other vulnerable populations. The impact of smoke-free laws on other health outcomes, besides heart disease and respiratory outcomes, is another area where further research is needed. Thirdhand smoke assessment and health effects are also likely to be a topic of further research. As new tobacco products emerge, evaluating SHS exposure and effects will be vital. Conclusions: Furthering research in support of Article 8 can contribute to reach the final goal of protecting everyone from SHS exposure. PMID:23072872

Febuxostat ameliorates secondary progressive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by restoring mitochondrial energy production in a GOT2-dependent manner

PubMed Central

Kinoshita, Makoto; Sumi-Akamaru, Hisae; Sasaki, Tsutomu; Takata, Kazushiro; Koda, Toru; Namba, Akiko; Yamashita, Kazuya; Sanda, Eri; Sakaguchi, Manabu; Kumanogoh, Atsushi; Shirakura, Takashi; Tamura, Mizuho; Sakoda, Saburo; Mochizuki, Hideki

2017-01-01

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are important determinants of neurodegeneration in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). We previously showed that febuxostat, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, ameliorated both relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by preventing neurodegeneration in mice. In this study, we investigated how febuxostat protects neuron in secondary progressive EAE. A DNA microarray analysis revealed that febuxostat treatment increased the CNS expression of several mitochondria-related genes in EAE mice, most notably including GOT2, which encodes glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase 2 (GOT2). GOT2 is a mitochondrial enzyme that oxidizes glutamate to produce α-ketoglutarate for the Krebs cycle, eventually leading to the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Whereas GOT2 expression was decreased in the spinal cord during the chronic progressive phase of EAE, febuxostat-treated EAE mice showed increased GOT2 expression. Moreover, febuxostat treatment of Neuro2a cells in vitro ameliorated ATP exhaustion induced by rotenone application. The ability of febuxostat to preserve ATP production in the presence of rotenone was significantly reduced by GOT2 siRNA. GOT2-mediated ATP synthesis may be a pivotal mechanism underlying the protective effect of febuxostat against neurodegeneration in EAE. Accordingly, febuxostat may also have clinical utility as a disease-modifying drug in SPMS. PMID:29107957

Febuxostat ameliorates secondary progressive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by restoring mitochondrial energy production in a GOT2-dependent manner.

PubMed

Honorat, Josephe A; Nakatsuji, Yuji; Shimizu, Mikito; Kinoshita, Makoto; Sumi-Akamaru, Hisae; Sasaki, Tsutomu; Takata, Kazushiro; Koda, Toru; Namba, Akiko; Yamashita, Kazuya; Sanda, Eri; Sakaguchi, Manabu; Kumanogoh, Atsushi; Shirakura, Takashi; Tamura, Mizuho; Sakoda, Saburo; Mochizuki, Hideki; Okuno, Tatsusada

2017-01-01

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are important determinants of neurodegeneration in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). We previously showed that febuxostat, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, ameliorated both relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by preventing neurodegeneration in mice. In this study, we investigated how febuxostat protects neuron in secondary progressive EAE. A DNA microarray analysis revealed that febuxostat treatment increased the CNS expression of several mitochondria-related genes in EAE mice, most notably including GOT2, which encodes glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase 2 (GOT2). GOT2 is a mitochondrial enzyme that oxidizes glutamate to produce α-ketoglutarate for the Krebs cycle, eventually leading to the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Whereas GOT2 expression was decreased in the spinal cord during the chronic progressive phase of EAE, febuxostat-treated EAE mice showed increased GOT2 expression. Moreover, febuxostat treatment of Neuro2a cells in vitro ameliorated ATP exhaustion induced by rotenone application. The ability of febuxostat to preserve ATP production in the presence of rotenone was significantly reduced by GOT2 siRNA. GOT2-mediated ATP synthesis may be a pivotal mechanism underlying the protective effect of febuxostat against neurodegeneration in EAE. Accordingly, febuxostat may also have clinical utility as a disease-modifying drug in SPMS.

Fallen Angels or Risen Apes? A Tale of the Intricate Complexities of Imbalanced Immune Responses in the Pathogenesis and Progression of Immune-Mediated and Viral Cancers

PubMed Central

Ondondo, Beatrice Omusiro

2014-01-01

Excessive immune responses directed against foreign pathogens, self-antigens, or commensal microflora can cause cancer establishment and progression if the execution of tight immuno-regulatory mechanisms fails. On the other hand, induction of potent tumor antigen-specific immune responses together with stimulation of the innate immune system is a pre-requisite for effective anti-tumor immunity, and if suppressed by the strong immuno-regulatory mechanisms can lead to cancer progression. Therefore, it is crucial that the inevitable co-existence of these fundamental, yet conflicting roles of immune-regulatory cells is carefully streamlined as imbalances can be detrimental to the host. Infection with chronic persistent viruses is characterized by severe immune dysfunction resulting in T cell exhaustion and sometimes deletion of antigen-specific T cells. More often, this is due to increased immuno-regulatory processes, which are triggered to down-regulate immune responses and limit immunopathology. However, such heightened levels of immune disruption cause a concomitant loss of tumor immune-surveillance and create a permissive microenvironment for cancer establishment and progression, as demonstrated by increased incidences of cancer in immunosuppressed hosts. Paradoxically, while some cancers arise as a consequence of increased immuno-regulatory mechanisms that inhibit protective immune responses and impinge on tumor surveillance, other cancers arise due to impaired immuno-regulatory mechanisms and failure to limit pathogenic inflammatory responses. This intricate complexity, where immuno-regulatory cells can be beneficial in certain immune settings but detrimental in other settings underscores the need for carefully formulated interventions to equilibrate the balance between immuno-stimulatory and immuno-regulatory processes. PMID:24639678

Progress in the improved lattice calculation of direct CP-violation in the Standard Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, Christopher

2018-03-01

We discuss the ongoing effort by the RBC & UKQCD collaborations to improve our lattice calculation of the measure of Standard Model direct CP violation, ɛ', with physical kinematics. We present our progress in decreasing the (dominant) statistical error and discuss other related activities aimed at reducing the systematic errors.

Melatonin protects against clomiphene citrate-induced generation of hydrogen peroxide and morphological apoptotic changes in rat eggs.

PubMed

Tripathi, Anima; PremKumar, Karuppanan V; Pandey, Ashutosh N; Khatun, Sabana; Mishra, Surabhi Kirti; Shrivastav, Tulsidas G; Chaube, Shail K

2011-09-30

The present study was aimed to determine whether clomiphene citrate-induces generation of hydrogen peroxide in ovary, if so, whether melatonin could scavenge hydrogen peroxide and protect against clomiphene citrate-induced morphological apoptotic changes in rat eggs. For this purpose, forty five sexually immature female rats were given single intramuscular injection of 10 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin for 48 h followed by single injections of 10 IU human chorionic gonadotropin and clomiphene citrate (10 mg/kg bw) with or without melatonin (20 mg/kg bw) for 16 h. The histology of ovary, ovulation rate, hydrogen peroxide concentration and catalase activity in ovary and morphological changes in ovulated eggs were analyzed. Co-administration of clomiphene citrate along with human chorionic gonadotropin significantly increased hydrogen peroxide concentration and inhibited catalase activity in ovary, inhibited ovulation rate and induced egg apoptosis. Supplementation of melatonin reduced hydrogen peroxide concentration and increased catalase activity in the ovary, delayed meiotic cell cycle progression in follicular oocytes as well as in ovulated eggs since extrusion of first polar body was still in progress even after ovulation and protected against clomiphene citrate-induced egg apoptosis. These results clearly suggest that the melatonin reduces oxidative stress by scavenging hydrogen peroxide produced in the ovary after clomiphene citrate treatment, slows down meiotic cell cycle progression in eggs and protects against clomiphene citrate-induced apoptosis in rat eggs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aortic operation after previous coronary artery bypass grafting: management of patent grafts for myocardial protection.

PubMed

Nakajima, Masato; Tsuchiya, Koji; Fukuda, Shoji; Morimoto, Hironobu; Mitsumori, Yoshitaka; Kato, Kaori

2006-04-01

Aortic surgery for progressive aortic valve disease or aortic aneurysm after previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a challenging procedure. We report the outcome of aortic reoperation after previous CABG and evaluate our management of patent grafts and our methods for obtaining myocardial protection. From February 2001 to July 2003, 6 patients with progressive aortic valve disease and aneurysm of the thoracic aorta were operated on. The group comprised 3 men and 3 women with a mean age of 67.6 years. There were 4 patients with an aneurysm of the aortic arch, 1 with chronic ascending aortic dissection, and 1 with progressive aortic valve stenosis. The interval between previous CABG and aortic surgery was 74.0 +/- 44.2 months. All reoperations were performed via median resternotomy. Myocardial protection was obtained by hypothermic perfusion of patent in-situ arterial grafts following cold-blood cardioplegia administration via the aortic root under aortic cross clamping. The operative procedure was aortic arch replacement in 4 patients, ascending aortic replacement with double CABG in 1, and aortic valve replacement in 1. All patients survived the reoperation. Postoperative maximum creatine kinase-MB was 49.2 +/- 29.8 and no new Q-waves occurred in the electrocardiogram nor were any new wall motion abnormalities recognized on echocardiography. There were no late deaths during a follow-up of 30.7 months. Reoperative aortic procedures after CABG can be performed safely with myocardial protection via hypothermic perfusion of a patent in-situ arterial graft.

African swine fever virus serotype-specific proteins are significant protective antigens for African swine fever

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

African swine fever (ASF) is an emerging disease threat for the swine industry worldwide. No ASF vaccine is available and progress is hindered by lack of knowledge concerning the extent of African swine fever virus (ASFV) strain diversity and the viral antigens conferring type specific protective im...

LMP1 and Dynamic Progressive Telomere Dysfunction: A Major Culprit in EBV-Associated Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

PubMed

Knecht, Hans; Mai, Sabine

2017-06-27

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is expressed in germinal-center-derived, mononuclear Hodgkin (H) and multinuclear, diagnostic Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells in classical EBV-positive Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL). LMP1 expression in EBV-negative H-cell lines results in a significantly increased number of RS cells. In a conditional, germinal-center-derived B-cell in vitro system, LMP1 reversibly down-regulates the shelterin proteins, telomeric repeat binding factor (TRF)1, TRF2, and protection of telomeres (POT)1. This down-regulation is associated with progressive 3D shelterin disruption, resulting in telomere dysfunction, progression of complex chromosomal rearrangements, and multinuclearity. TRF2 appears to be the key player. Thus, we hypothesize that the 3D interaction of telomeres and TRF2 is disrupted in H cells, and directly associated with the formation of H and RS cells. Using quantitative 3D co-immuno-TRF2-telomere fluorescent in situ hybridization (3D TRF2/Telo-Q-FISH) applied to monolayers of primary H and RS cells, we demonstrate TRF2-telomere dysfunction in EBV-positive cHL. However, in EBV-negative cHL a second molecular mechanism characterized by massive up-regulation of TRF2, but attrition of telomere signals, is also identified. These facts point towards a shelterin-related pathogenesis of cHL, where two molecularly disparate mechanisms converge at the level of 3D Telomere-TRF2 interactions, leading to the formation of RS cells.

The human TLR4 variant D299G mediates inflammation-associated cancer progression in the intestinal epithelium

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Homeostatic TLR4 signaling protects the intestinal epithelium in health. Evidence suggests that perturbed TLR4 signaling is linked to carcinogenesis. We have recently demonstrated that the common human TLR4 variant D299G exerts pro-inflammatory effects and drives malignant tumor progression in human colon cancer. PMID:24073372

The human TLR4 variant D299G mediates inflammation-associated cancer progression in the intestinal epithelium.

PubMed

Cario, Elke

2013-07-01

Homeostatic TLR4 signaling protects the intestinal epithelium in health. Evidence suggests that perturbed TLR4 signaling is linked to carcinogenesis. We have recently demonstrated that the common human TLR4 variant D299G exerts pro-inflammatory effects and drives malignant tumor progression in human colon cancer.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on progression of knee pain and cartilage volume loss in patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Knee osteoarthritis (OA), a disorder of cartilage and periarticular bone, is a public health problem without effective medical treatments. Some studies have suggested that vitamin D may protect against structural progression. A 2-year randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial invo...

Keratinolytic protease: a green biocatalyst for leather industry.

PubMed

Fang, Zhen; Yong, Yang-Chun; Zhang, Juan; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian

2017-11-01

Depilation/unhairing is the crucial but heavy pollution process in leather industry. Traditional inorganic sulfide treatment was the most widely used depilation technique in the past decades, which was usually detrimental to leather quality and resulted in serious environmental pollution. Using biocatalysts to substitute inorganic sulfide showed great advantages in environment protection and unhairing efficiency. Keratinolytic protease is one of the excellent biocatalysts to hydrolyze disulfide bond-rich proteins of hair and has little damage to leather. Biological treatment with keratinolytic proteases could largely reduce the quantity and toxicity of wastewater effluent from the leather industry. But low thermostability and substrate specificity or specific activity of these enzymes limited their practical application. Therefore, recent progresses on protein engineering strategies (site-directed mutagenesis, protein fusion, N/C-terminus truncation, and domain swapping) used to enhance the keratinolytic enzyme performance were presented.

Membrane Signaling Induced by High Doses of Ionizing Radiation in the Endothelial Compartment. Relevance in Radiation Toxicity

PubMed Central

Corre, Isabelle; Guillonneau, Maëva; Paris, François

2013-01-01

Tumor areas can now be very precisely delimited thanks to technical progress in imaging and ballistics. This has also led to the development of novel radiotherapy protocols, delivering higher doses of ionizing radiation directly to cancer cells. Despite this, radiation toxicity in healthy tissue remains a major issue, particularly with dose-escalation in these new protocols. Acute and late tissue damage following irradiation have both been linked to the endothelium irrigating normal tissues. The molecular mechanisms involved in the endothelial response to high doses of radiation are associated with signaling from the plasma membrane, mainly via the acid sphingomyelinase/ceramide pathway. This review describes this signaling pathway and discusses the relevance of targeting endothelial signaling to protect healthy tissues from the deleterious effects of high doses of radiation. PMID:24252908

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

Bachman, Daniel; Chen, Zhijiang; Wang, Christopher

Phase errors caused by fabrication variations in silicon photonic integrated circuits are an important problem, which negatively impacts device yield and performance. This study reports our recent progress in the development of a method for permanent, postfabrication phase error correction of silicon photonic circuits based on femtosecond laser irradiation. Using beam shaping technique, we achieve a 14-fold enhancement in the phase tuning resolution of the method with a Gaussian-shaped beam compared to a top-hat beam. The large improvement in the tuning resolution makes the femtosecond laser method potentially useful for very fine phase trimming of silicon photonic circuits. Finally, wemore » also show that femtosecond laser pulses can directly modify silicon photonic devices through a SiO 2 cladding layer, making it the only permanent post-fabrication method that can tune silicon photonic circuits protected by an oxide cladding.« less

Research Progress on the use of Plant Allelopathy in Agriculture and the Physiological and Ecological Mechanisms of Allelopathy

PubMed Central

Cheng, Fang; Cheng, Zhihui

2015-01-01

Allelopathy is a common biological phenomenon by which one organism produces biochemicals that influence the growth, survival, development, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and have beneficial or detrimental effects on target organisms. Plant allelopathy is one of the modes of interaction between receptor and donor plants and may exert either positive effects (e.g., for agricultural management, such as weed control, crop protection, or crop re-establishment) or negative effects (e.g., autotoxicity, soil sickness, or biological invasion). To ensure sustainable agricultural development, it is important to exploit cultivation systems that take advantage of the stimulatory/inhibitory influence of allelopathic plants to regulate plant growth and development and to avoid allelopathic autotoxicity. Allelochemicals can potentially be used as growth regulators, herbicides, insecticides, and antimicrobial crop protection products. Here, we reviewed the plant allelopathy management practices applied in agriculture and the underlying allelopathic mechanisms described in the literature. The major points addressed are as follows: (1) Description of management practices related to allelopathy and allelochemicals in agriculture. (2) Discussion of the progress regarding the mode of action of allelochemicals and the physiological mechanisms of allelopathy, consisting of the influence on cell micro- and ultra-structure, cell division and elongation, membrane permeability, oxidative and antioxidant systems, growth regulation systems, respiration, enzyme synthesis and metabolism, photosynthesis, mineral ion uptake, protein and nucleic acid synthesis. (3) Evaluation of the effect of ecological mechanisms exerted by allelopathy on microorganisms and the ecological environment. (4) Discussion of existing problems and proposal for future research directions in this field to provide a useful reference for future studies on plant allelopathy. PMID:26635845

The path from mitochondrial ROS to aging runs through the mitochondrial permeability transition pore.

PubMed

Rottenberg, Hagai; Hoek, Jan B

2017-10-01

Excessive production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) is strongly associated with mitochondrial and cellular oxidative damage, aging, and degenerative diseases. However, mROS also induces pathways of protection of mitochondria that slow aging, inhibit cell death, and increase lifespan. Recent studies show that the activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), which is triggered by mROS and mitochondrial calcium overloading, is enhanced in aged animals and humans and in aging-related degenerative diseases. mPTP opening initiates further production and release of mROS that damage both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, proteins, and phospholipids, and also releases matrix NAD that is hydrolyzed in the intermembrane space, thus contributing to the depletion of cellular NAD that accelerates aging. Oxidative damage to calcium transporters leads to calcium overload and more frequent opening of mPTP. Because aging enhances the opening of the mPTP and mPTP opening accelerates aging, we suggest that mPTP opening drives the progression of aging. Activation of the mPTP is regulated, directly and indirectly, not only by the mitochondrial protection pathways that are induced by mROS, but also by pro-apoptotic signals that are induced by DNA damage. We suggest that the integration of these contrasting signals by the mPTP largely determines the rate of cell aging and the initiation of cell death, and thus animal lifespan. The suggestion that the control of mPTP activation is critical for the progression of aging can explain the conflicting and confusing evidence regarding the beneficial and deleterious effects of mROS on health and lifespan. © 2017 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Active noise control: a review of the field.

PubMed

Gordon, R T; Vining, W D

1992-11-01

Active noise control (ANC) is the application of the principle of the superposition of waves to noise attenuation problems. Much progress has been made toward applying ANC to narrow-band, low-frequency noise in confined spaces. During this same period, the application of ANC to broad-band noise or noise in three-dimensional spaces has seen little progress because of the recent quantification of serious physical limitations, most importantly, noncausality, stability, spatial mismatch, and the infinite gain controller requirement. ANC employs superposition to induce destructive interference to affect the attenuation of noise. ANC was believed to utilize the mechanism of phase cancellation to achieve the desired attenuation. However, current literature points to other mechanisms that may be operating in ANC. Categories of ANC are one-dimensional field and duct noise, enclosed spaces and interior noise, noise in three-dimensional spaces, and personal hearing protection. Development of active noise control stems from potential advantages in cost, size, and effectiveness. There are two approaches to ANC. In the first, the original sound is processed and injected back into the sound field in antiphase. The second approach is to synthesize a cancelling waveform. ANC of turbulent flow in pipes and ducts is the largest area in the field. Much work into the actual mechanism involved and the causal versus noncausal aspects of system controllers has been done. Fan and propeller noise can be divided into two categories: noise generated directly as the blade passing tones and noise generated as a result of blade tip turbulence inducing vibration in structures. Three-dimensional spaces present a noise environment where physical limitations are magnified and the infinite gain controller requirement is confronted. Personal hearing protection has been shown to be best suited to the control of periodic, low-frequency noise.

Understanding psychological stress, its biological processes, and impact on primary headache.

PubMed

Nash, Justin M; Thebarge, Ronald W

2006-10-01

Psychological stress is generally acknowledged to be a central contributor to primary headache. Stress results from any challenge or threat, either real or perceived, to normal functioning. The stress response is the body's activation of physiological systems, namely the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, to protect and restore functioning. Chronic activation of the stress response can lead to wear and tear that eventually can predispose an individual to disease. There are multiple ways that stress and headache are closely related. Stress can (a) be a predisposing factor that contributes to headache disorder onset, (b) accelerate the progression of the headache disorder into a chronic condition, and (c) precipitate and exacerbate individual headache episodes. How stress impacts headache is not often understood. However, stress is assumed to affect primary headache by directly impacting pain production and modulation processes at both the peripheral and central levels. Stress can also independently worsen headache-related disability and quality of life. Finally, the headache experience itself can serve as a stressor that compromises an individual's health and well-being. With the prominent role that stress plays in headache, there are implications for the evaluation of stress and the use of stress reduction strategies at the various stages of headache disorder onset and progression. Future directions can help to develop a better empirical understanding of the pattern of the stress and headache connections and the mechanisms that explain the connections. Further research can also examine the interactive effects of stress and other factors that impact headache disorder onset, course, and adjustment.

Genetic Toxicology in the 21st Century: Reflections and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Mahadevan, Brinda; Snyder, Ronald D.; Waters, Michael D.; Benz, R. Daniel; Kemper, Raymond A.; Tice, Raymond R.; Richard, Ann M.

2011-01-01

A symposium at the 40th anniversary of the Environmental Mutagen Society, held from October 24–28, 2009 in St. Louis, MO, surveyed the current status and future directions of genetic toxicology. This article summarizes the presentations and provides a perspective on the future. An abbreviated history is presented, highlighting the current standard battery of genotoxicity assays and persistent challenges. Application of computational toxicology to safety testing within a regulatory setting is discussed as a means for reducing the need for animal testing and human clinical trials, and current approaches and applications of in silico genotoxicity screening approaches across the pharmaceutical industry were surveyed and are reported here. The expanded use of toxicogenomics to illuminate mechanisms and bridge genotoxicity and carcinogenicity, and new public efforts to use high-throughput screening technologies to address lack of toxicity evaluation for the backlog of thousands of industrial chemicals in the environment are detailed. The Tox21 project involves coordinated efforts of four U.S. Government regulatory/research entities to use new and innovative assays to characterize key steps in toxicity pathways, including genotoxic and nongenotoxic mechanisms for carcinogenesis. Progress to date, highlighting preliminary test results from the National Toxicology Program is summarized. Finally, an overview is presented of ToxCast™, a related research program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, using a broad array of high throughput and high content technologies for toxicity profiling of environmental chemicals, and computational toxicology modeling. Progress and challenges, including the pressing need to incorporate metabolic activation capability, are summarized. PMID:21538556

Neuroprotective strategies against calpain-mediated neurodegeneration

PubMed Central

Yildiz-Unal, Aysegul; Korulu, Sirin; Karabay, Arzu

2015-01-01

Calpains are calcium-dependent proteolytic enzymes that have deleterious effects on neurons upon their pathological over-activation. According to the results of numerous studies to date, there is no doubt that abnormal calpain activation triggers activation and progression of apoptotic processes in neurodegeneration, leading to neuronal death. Thus, it is very crucial to unravel all the aspects of calpain-mediated neurodegeneration in order to protect neurons through eliminating or at least minimizing its lethal effects. Protecting neurons against calpain-activated apoptosis basically requires developing effective, reliable, and most importantly, therapeutically applicable approaches to succeed. From this aspect, the most significant studies focusing on preventing calpain-mediated neurodegeneration include blocking the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor activities, which are closely related to calpain activation; directly inhibiting calpain itself via intrinsic or synthetic calpain inhibitors, or inhibiting its downstream processes; and utilizing the neuroprotectant steroid hormone estrogen and its receptors. In this review, the most remarkable neuroprotective strategies for calpain-mediated neurodegeneration are categorized and summarized with respect to their advantages and disadvantages over one another, in terms of their efficiency and applicability as a therapeutic regimen in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. PMID:25709452

Fundamental studies in the molecular basis of laser-induced retinal damage. Annual report, September 1981-August 1982

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

Lewis

1982-09-01

This research led to new insights in the fundamental mechanisms involved in laser induced retinal damage and some of the fundamental work on these mechanisms lead to new and exciting avenues in the development of rapidly adjustable molecular light filters with important new possibilities for pulsed-laser eye protection. This report summarizes the significant progress of the past year: (1) Development and Fundamental Mechanism of a Rapidly Adjustable Molecular Filter for Pulsed Laser Eye Protection - this research direction resulted from our investigations on cones of the red-eared swamp turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans. (2) The Optical Density of Turtle Oil Dropletmore » Solutions - it is important both from a practical and fundamental point of view to determine the optical density of turtle oil-droplet suspensions. In view of the high optical densities in this system, tunable-laser resonance Raman spectroscopy, which is the only technique that has been able to provide high-resolution data, is the only technique that is potentially able to obtain the information. (3) Laser-Induced Molecular Alterations in Turtle Retina. (4) Light Driven Enzymatic Reactions in Photoreceptors. (5) Molecular Cytology of Rod Outer Segments.« less

Recent progress in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and protective potential of natural products.

PubMed

Yu, Jie; Wang, Changxi; Kong, Qi; Wu, Xiaxia; Lu, Jin-Jian; Chen, Xiuping

2018-02-01

As an anthracycline antibiotic, doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most potent and widely used chemotherapeutic agents for various types of solid tumors. Unfortunately, clinical application of this drug results in severe side effects of cardiotoxicity. We aim to review the research focused on elimination or reduction of DOX cardiotoxicity without affecting its anticancer efficacy by natural products. This study is based on pertinent papers that were retrieved by a selective search using relevant keywords in PubMed and ScienceDirect. The literature mainly focusing on natural products and herb extracts with therapeutic efficacies against experimental models both in vitro and in vivo was identified. Current evidence revealed that multiple molecules and signaling pathways, such as oxidative stress, iron metabolism, and inflammation, are associated with DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Based on these knowledge, various strategies were proposed, and thousands of compounds were screened. A number of natural products and herb extracts demonstrated potency in limiting DOX cardiotoxicity toward cultured cells and experimental animal models. Though a panel of natural products and herb extracts demonstrate protective effects on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in cells and animal models, their therapeutic potentials for clinical needs further investigation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Immune cell functions in pancreatic cancer.

PubMed

Plate, J M; Harris, J E

2000-01-01

Pancreatic cancer kills nearly 29,000 people in the United States annually-as many people as are diagnosed with the disease. Chemotherapeutic treatment is ineffective in halting progression of the disease. Yet, specific immunity to pancreatic tumor cells in subjects with pancreatic cancer has been demonstrated repeatedly during the last 24 years. Attempts to expand and enhance tumor-specific immunity with biotherapy, however, have not met with success. The question remains, "Why can't specific immunity regulate pancreatic cancer growth?" The idea that tumor cells have evolved protective mechanisms against immunity was raised years ago and has recently been revisited by a number of research laboratories. In pancreatic cancer, soluble factors produced by and for the protection of the tumor environment have been detected and are often distributed to the victim's circulatory system where they may effect a more generalized immunosuppression. Yet the nature of these soluble factors remains controversial, since some also serve as tumor antigens that are recognized by the same T cells that may become inactivated by them. Unless the problem of tumor-derived immunosuppressive products is addressed directly through basic and translational research studies, successful biotherapeutic treatment for pancreatic cancer may not be forthcoming.

A review of advances in lightning observations during the past decade in Guangdong, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yijun; Lü, Weitao; Chen, Shaodong; Zheng, Dong; Zhang, Yang; Yan, Xu; Chen, Lüwen; Dong, Wansheng; Dan, Jianru; Pan, Hanbo

2016-08-01

This paper reviews recent advances in understanding the physical processes of artificially triggered lightning and natural lightning as well as the progress in testing lightning protection technologies, based on a series of lightning field campaigns jointly conducted by the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences and Guangdong Meteorological Bureau since 2006. During the decade-long series of lightning field experiments, the technology of rocket-wire artificially triggered lightning has been improved, and has successfully triggered 94 lightning flashes. Through direct lightning current waveform measurements, an average return stroke peak current of 16 kA was obtained. The phenomenon that the downward leader connects to the lateral surface of the upward leader in the attachment process was discovered, and the speed of the upward leader during the connection process being significantly greater than that of the downward leader was revealed. The characteristics of several return strokes in cloud-to-ground lighting have also been unveiled, and the mechanism causing damage to lightning protection devices (i.e., ground potential rise within the rated current) was established. The performance of three lightning monitoring systems in Guangdong Province has also been quantitatively assessed.

Research Results Ultra-fast Energy Transfer from Monomer to Dimer within a Trimeric Molecule New Progress in Heterogeneous Catalysis Research Key Progress in Research on Terrestrial Carbon Cycle in China A New Progress in Research on the Mechanism of Bio-Invasion New Findings in Anti-viral infection and Control of Inflammation Major Headway in Avian Origin Research New Progress in Gold-Nanoparticle-Based Biochips Topological Insulator Research Made Important Progress Major Progress in Biodiversity Achieved New Developments of Direct Methods in Protein Crystallography Major Progress in China-UK Collaboration on the Causal Relationship between Volcanic Activity and Biological Distinction News in Brief: NSFC set up "Research Fund for Young Foreign Scholars" How Often Does Human DNA Mutate? Research Progress on Colossal Anisotropic Magneto Resistive Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-01-01

Ultra-fast Energy Transfer from Monomer to Dimer within a Trimeric Molecule New Progress in Heterogeneous Catalysis Research Key Progress in Research on Terrestrial Carbon Cycle in China A New Progress in Research on the Mechanism of Bio-Invasion New Findings in Anti-viral infection and Control of Inflammation Major Headway in Avian Origin Research New Progress in Gold-Nanoparticle-Based Biochips Topological Insulator Research Made Important Progress Major Progress in Biodiversity Achieved New Developments of Direct Methods in Protein Crystallography Major Progress in China-UK Collaboration on the Causal Relationship between Volcanic Activity and Biological Distinction News in Brief: NSFC set up "Research Fund for Young Foreign Scholars" How Often Does Human DNA Mutate? Research Progress on Colossal Anisotropic Magneto Resistive Effect

Examining direct and indirect pathways to health behaviour: the influence of cognitive and affective probability beliefs.

PubMed

Janssen, Eva; van Osch, Liesbeth; de Vries, Hein; Lechner, Lilian

2013-01-01

This study aimed to extricate the influence of rational (e.g., 'I think …') and intuitive (e.g., 'I feel …') probability beliefs in the behavioural decision-making process regarding skin cancer prevention practices. Structural equation modelling was used in two longitudinal surveys (sun protection during winter sports [N = 491]; sun protection during summer [N = 277]) to examine direct and indirect behavioural effects of affective and cognitive likelihood (i.e. unmediated or mediated by intention), controlled for attitude, social influence and self-efficacy. Affective likelihood was directly related to sun protection in both studies, whereas no direct effects were found for cognitive likelihood. After accounting for past sun protective behaviour, affective likelihood was only directly related to sun protection in Study 1. No support was found for the indirect effects of affective and cognitive likelihood through intention. The findings underscore the importance of feelings of (cancer) risk in the decision-making process and should be acknowledged by health behaviour theories and risk communication practices. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Prospects for reconciling the conflict between economic growth and biodiversity conservation with technological progress.

PubMed

Czech, Brian

2008-12-01

The conflict between economic growth and biodiversity conservation is understood in portions of academia and sometimes acknowledged in political circles. Nevertheless, there is not a unified response. In political and policy circles, the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) is posited to solve the conflict between economic growth and environmental protection. In academia, however, the EKC has been deemed fallacious in macroeconomic scenarios and largely irrelevant to biodiversity. A more compelling response to the conflict is that it may be resolved with technological progress. Herein I review the conflict between economic growth and biodiversity conservation in the absence of technological progress, explore the prospects for technological progress to reconcile that conflict, and provide linguistic suggestions for describing the relationships among economic growth, technological progress, and biodiversity conservation. The conflict between economic growth and biodiversity conservation is based on the first two laws of thermodynamics and principles of ecology such as trophic levels and competitive exclusion. In this biophysical context, the human economy grows at the competitive exclusion of nonhuman species in the aggregate. Reconciling the conflict via technological progress has not occurred and is infeasible because of the tight linkage between technological progress and economic growth at current levels of technology. Surplus production in existing economic sectors is required for conducting the research and development necessary for bringing new technologies to market. Technological regimes also reflect macroeconomic goals, and if the goal is economic growth, reconciliatory technologies are less likely to be developed. As the economy grows, the loss of biodiversity may be partly mitigated with end-use innovation that increases technical efficiency, but this type of technological progress requires policies that are unlikely if the conflict between economic growth and biodiversity conservation (and other aspects of environmental protection) is not acknowledged.

Expanding protection motivation theory: investigating an application to animal owners and emergency responders in bushfire emergencies.

PubMed

Westcott, Rachel; Ronan, Kevin; Bambrick, Hilary; Taylor, Melanie

2017-04-26

Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) was developed by Rogers in 1975, to describe how individuals are motivated to react in a self-protective way towards a perceived health threat. Rogers expected the use of PMT to diversify over time, which has proved true over four decades. The purpose of this paper is to explore how PMT can be used and expanded to inform and improve public safety strategies in natural hazards. As global climate change impacts on the Australian environment, natural hazards seem to be increasing in scale and frequency, and Emergency Services' public education campaigns have necessarily escalated to keep pace with perceived public threat. Of concern, is that the awareness-preparedness gap in residents' survival plans is narrowing disproportionately slowly compared to the magnitude of resources applied to rectify this trend. Practical applications of adaptable social theory could be used to help resolve this dilemma. PMT has been used to describe human behaviour in individuals, families, and the parent-child unit. It has been applied to floods in Europe and wildfire and earthquake in the United States. This paper seeks to determine if an application of PMT can be useful for achieving other-directed human protection across a novel demographic spectrum in natural hazards, specifically, animal owners and emergency responders in bushfire emergencies. These groups could benefit from such an approach: owners to build and fortify their response- and self-efficacy, and to help translate knowledge into safer behaviour, and responders to gain a better understanding of a diverse demographic with animal ownership as its common denominator, and with whom they will be likely to engage in contemporary natural hazard management. Mutual collaboration between these groups could lead to a synergy of reciprocated response efficacy, and safer, less traumatic outcomes. Emergency services' community education programs have made significant progress over the last decade, but public safety remains suboptimal while the magnitude of the awareness-preparedness gap persists. This paper examines an expanded, other-directed application of PMT to expand and enhance safer mitigation and response behaviour strategies for communities threatened by bushfire, which may ultimately help save human life.

Stakeholders and public involvement for flood protection: traditional river management organisations for a better consideration of local knowledge?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utz, Stephan; Lane, Stuart; Reynard, Emmanuel

2016-04-01

This research explores participatory processes in the domain of river management in Switzerland. The main objective is to understand how traditional, highly participatory, local organisations for flood protection have been institutionalised into current river management policy, and to what extent this has impacted on wider participatory processes of producing knowledge. Traditionally, flood protection strategies have been based upon scientific knowledge but have often ignored the capacities of local actors to contribute to the development of the policy. Thus, there may be a gap between scientists, stakeholders and the public that favours controversies and leads to opposition to flood protection projects. In order to reduce this gap and to increase incorporation of local knowledge, participatory processes are set up. They are considered as allowing the integration of all the actors concerned by flood risks to discuss their positions and to develop alternative solutions. This is a particularly important goal in the Swiss political system where direct democracy (the possibility of calling the decision of any level of government into question through a popular vote) means that a reasonable level of project acceptance is a necessary element of project. In order to support implementation of participatory processes, federal funding includes a special grant to cover the additional costs due to these actions. It is considered that, since its introduction in 2008, this grant certainly furthered participatory processes for flood protection projects and fostered water management policy implementation. However, the implication of stakeholders and public in decision-making processes is much well-established than modern river management often assumes. In some regions, flood protection tasks have been traditionally assumed by local organisations such as dyke corporations (DCs). These comprise land and property owners who are DC members and have to participate in flood protection tasks. All members have to pay an annual contribution and can vote about decisions taken by the corporation. In that sense, DCs may be considered as common-pool resource institutions according to Ostrom's (1990) definition (see also Thomi, 2010). Initially, they were local and non-governmental institutions, fully responsible for flood protection in their catchment. But, progressively DCs have been institutionalised and replaced or weakened, bound to apply governmental requirements for flood protection to secure funding of their projects. The increasing complexity of water management through proliferation of norms like river restoration, but also socio-political changes make DCs struggle in delivering flood protection tasks nowadays. Finally, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of DCs for participative decision-making and integration of local flood risk knowledge, reinforcing the conclusions by Gerber et al. (2008) that noticed the usefulness of such self-governing institutions for the implementation of environmental policies in Switzerland. The aim is to show in which way those assets have been modified by the progressive institutionalisation of DCs, and how this has led to the hybridisation of these organisations. Through this case study the factors affecting water management knowledge inclusion and co-production will be discussed, and more generally the importance of such processes for effective flood protection. References Gerber J.D., Nahrath S., Reynard E., Thomi L. (2008). The role of common pool resource institutions in the implementation of Swiss natural resource management policy, Int. Journal of the Commons, 2/2, 222-247. Ostrom E. (1990). Governing the Commons. The evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Thomi L. (2010) Rôle des paramètres sociopolitiques et des connaissances dans la gestion des risques hydrologiques. PhD Thesis, University of Lausanne.

Data with a Mission: Building a Community for Interactive Data Visualization at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) stated mission is to protect human health and the environment. A big part of our activities directed at fulfilling our mission directly involve using data. Environmental analysis, activity planning and communication are just a few o...

78 FR 59258 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania; Withdrawal of Direct...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-26

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R03-OAR-2013-0058; FR-9901-21-Region3... Maintenance Area AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Withdrawal of direct final rule... Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference...

Unresolved legal questions in cross-border health care in Europe: liability and data protection.

PubMed

van der Molen, I N; Commers, M J

2013-11-01

Directive 2011/24/EU was designed to clarify the rights of EU citizens in evaluating, accessing and obtaining reimbursement for cross-border care. Based on three regional case studies, the authors attempted to assess the added value of the Directive in helping clarify issues in to two key areas that have been identified as barriers to cross-border care: liability and data protection. Qualitative case study employing secondary data sources including research of jurisprudence, that set up a Legal framework as a base to investigate liability and data protection in the context of cross-border projects. By means of three case studies that have tackled liability and data protection hurdles in cross-border care implementation, this article attempts to provide insight into legal certainty and uncertainty regarding cross-border care in Europe. The case studies reveal that the Directive has not resolved core uncertainties related to liability and data protection issues within cross-border health care. Some issues related to the practice of cross-border health care in Europe have been further clarified by the Directive and some direction has been given to possible solutions for issues connected to liability and data protection. Directive 2011/24/EU is clearly a transposition of existing regulations on data protection and ECJ case law, plus a set of additional, mostly, voluntary rules that might enhance regional border cooperation. Therefore, as shown in the case studies, a practical and case by case approach is still necessary in designing and providing cross-border care. © 2013 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regulatory aspects of radiation protection.

PubMed

Janssens, A; Sarro Vaquero, M

2005-01-01

The paper introduces the projects launched by the European Community to foster prospects in dosimetry, radiation protection and best use of equipment in the medical field. These projects are put in perspective with the European legal framework for radiation protection, in particular, the Basic Safety Standards Directive, the Medical Exposures Directive and the Directive on High-Activity Sealed Sources. A summary is given of the overall mission statements of the commission services in the field of radiation protection, including the field of research, and how they relate to other actions in the overall health policy of the EU. In conclusion, a number of priority areas for future work in the medical field are highlighted.

Effect of candesartan on progression and regression of retinopathy in type 2 diabetes (DIRECT-Protect 2): a randomised placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Sjølie, Anne Katrin; Klein, Ronald; Porta, Massimo; Orchard, Trevor; Fuller, John; Parving, Hans Henrik; Bilous, Rudy; Chaturvedi, Nish

2008-10-18

Diabetic retinopathy remains a leading cause of visual loss in people of working age. We examined whether candesartan treatment could slow the progression and, secondly, induce regression of retinopathy in people with type 2 diabetes. We did a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial in 309 centres worldwide. We recruited normoalbuminuric, normotensive, or treated hypertensive people with type 2 diabetes with mild to moderately severe retinopathy and assigned them to candesartan 16 mg once a day or placebo. After a month, the dose was doubled to 32 mg once per day. Investigators and patients were unaware of the treatment allocation status. Progression of retinopathy was the primary endpoint, and regression was a secondary endpoint. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00252694. 1905 participants (aged 37-75 years) were randomised to candesartan (n=951) or placebo (n=954). 161 (17%) patients in the candesartan group and 182 (19%) in the placebo group had progression of retinopathy by three steps or more on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study scale. The risk of progression of retinopathy was non-significantly reduced by 13% in patients on candesartan compared with those on placebo (hazard ratio [HR] 0.87, 95% CI 0.70-1.08, p=0.20). Regression on active treatment was increased by 34% (1.34, 1.08-1.68, p=0.009). HRs were not attenuated by adjustment for baseline risk factors or changes in blood pressure during the trial. An overall change towards less severe retinopathy by the end of the trial was observed in the candesartan group (odds 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.30, p=0.003). Adverse events did not differ between the treatment groups. Treatment with candesartan in type 2 diabetic patients with mild to moderate retinopathy might induce improvement of retinopathy.

Potential application of ecological models in the European environmental risk assessment of chemicals. I. Review of protection goals in EU directives and regulations.

PubMed

Hommen, Udo; Baveco, J M Hans; Galic, Nika; van den Brink, Paul J

2010-07-01

Several European directives and regulations address the environmental risk assessment of chemicals. We used the protection of freshwater ecosystems against plant protection products, biocidal products, human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals and priority substances under the Water Framework Directive as examples to explore the potential of ecological effect models for a refined risk assessment. Our analysis of the directives, regulations, and related guidance documents lead us to distinguish the following 5 areas for the application of ecological models in chemical risk assessment: 1) Extrapolation of organism-level effects to the population level: The protection goals are formulated in general terms, e.g., avoiding "unacceptable effects" or "adverse impact" on the environment or the "viability of exposed species." In contrast, most of the standard ecotoxicological tests provide data only on organism-level endpoints and are thus not directly linked to the protection goals which focus on populations and communities. 2) Extrapolation of effects between different exposure profiles: Especially for plant protection products, exposure profiles can be very variable and impossible to cover in toxicological tests. 3) Extrapolation of recovery processes: As a consequence of the often short-term exposures to plant protection products, the risk assessment is based on the community recovery principle. On the other hand, assessments under the other directives assume a more or less constant exposure and are based on the ecosystem threshold principle. 4) Analysis and prediction of indirect effects: Because effects on 1 or a few taxa might have consequences on other taxa that are not directly affected by the chemical, such indirect effects on communities have to be considered. 5) Prediction of bioaccumulation within food chains: All directives take the possibility of bioaccumulation, and thus secondary poisoning within the food chain, into account. (c) 2010 SETAC.

Dietary fiber and progression of atherosclerosis: the Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study.

PubMed

Wu, Huiyun; Dwyer, Kathleen M; Fan, Zhihong; Shircore, Anne; Fan, Jing; Dwyer, James H

2003-12-01

Several epidemiologic studies found weak protective relations between dietary fiber intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease events. However, few of the studies addressed possible mechanisms of the effect. In the present study, we estimated relations between the progression of atherosclerosis and the intake of selective dietary fiber fractions. Mediation of the relations by serum lipids was also investigated. Participants who were free of heart disease and aged 40-60 y were recruited into the cohort (n = 573; 47% women). The intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid arteries was measured ultrasonographically at the baseline examination and at 2 follow-up examinations (n = 500), dietary intakes were assessed with six 24-h recalls (3 at baseline and 3 at the first follow-up examination), and blood samples were analyzed at baseline and at both follow-up examinations. A significant inverse association was observed between IMT progression and the intakes of viscous fiber (P = 0.05) and pectin (P = 0.01). Correction for measurement error increased the magnitude of these estimated effects. The ratio of total to HDL cholesterol was inversely related to the intakes of total fiber (P = 0.01), viscous fiber (P = 0.05), and pectin (P = 0.01). The magnitude of the association between IMT progression and the intakes of viscous fiber and pectin was attenuated by adjustment for serum lipids. The intake of viscous fiber, especially pectin, appears to protect against IMT progression. Serum lipids may act as a mediator between dietary fiber intake and IMT progression.

Application of Surface Protective Coating to Enhance Environment-Withstanding Property of the MEMS 2D Wind Direction and Wind Speed Sensor.

PubMed

Shin, Kyu-Sik; Lee, Dae-Sung; Song, Sang-Woo; Jung, Jae Pil

2017-09-19

In this study, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) two-dimensional (2D) wind direction and wind speed sensor consisting of a square heating source and four thermopiles was manufactured using the heat detection method. The heating source and thermopiles of the manufactured sensor must be exposed to air to detect wind speed and wind direction. Therefore, there are concerns that the sensor could be contaminated by deposition or adhesion of dust, sandy dust, snow, rain, and so forth, in the air, and that the membrane may be damaged by physical shock. Hence, there was a need to protect the heating source, thermopiles, and the membrane from environmental and physical shock. The upper protective coating to protect both the heating source and thermopiles and the lower protective coating to protect the membrane were formed by using high-molecular substances such as SU-8, Teflon and polyimide (PI). The sensor characteristics with the applied protective coatings were evaluated.

Sensitivity of measuring the progress in financial risk protection to survey design and its socioeconomic and demographic determinants: A case study in Rwanda.

PubMed

Lu, Chunling; Liu, Kai; Li, Lingling; Yang, Yuhong

2017-04-01

Reliable and comparable information on households with catastrophic health expenditure (HCHE) is crucial for monitoring and evaluating our progress towards achieving universal financial risk protection. This study aims to investigate the sensitivity of measuring the progress in financial risk protection to survey design and its socioeconomic and demographic determinants. Using the Rwanda Integrated Living Conditions Survey in 2005 and 2010/2011, we derived the level and trend of the percentage of the HCHE using out-of-pocket health spending data derived from (1) a health module with a two-week recall period and six (2005)/seven (2010/2011) survey questions (Method 1) and (2) a consumption module with a four-week/ten-/12-month recall period and 11(2005)/24 (2010/2011) questions (Method 2). Using multilevel logistic regression analysis, we investigated the household socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that affected the sensitivity of estimating the HCHE to survey design. We found that Method 1 generated a significantly higher HCHE estimate (9.2%, 95% confidence interval 8.4%-10.0%) than Method2 (7.4%, 6.6%-8.1%) in 2005 and lower estimate (5.6%, 5.2%-6.1%) than Method 2 (8.2%, 7.6%-8.7%) in 2010/2011. The estimated trends of the HCHE using the two methods were not consistent between the two years. A household's size, its income quintile, having no under-five children, and educational level of its head were positively associated with the consistency of its HCHE status when using the two survey methods. Estimates of the progress in financial risk protection, especially among the most vulnerable households, are sensitive to survey design. These results are robust to various thresholds of catastrophic health spending. Future work must focus on mitigating survey effects through the development of statistical tools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of measuring the progress in financial risk protection to survey design and its socioeconomic and demographic determinants: A case study in Rwanda

PubMed Central

Lu, Chunling; Liu, Kai; Li, Lingling; Yang, Yuhong

2017-01-01

Reliable and comparable information on households with catastrophic health expenditure (HCHE) is crucial for monitoring and evaluating our progress towards achieving universal financial risk protection. This study aims to investigate the sensitivity of measuring the progress in financial risk protection to survey design and its socioeconomic and demographic determinants. Using the Rwanda Integrated Living Conditions Survey in 2005 and 2010/2011, we derived the level and trend of the percentage of the HCHE using out-of-pocket health spending data derived from (1) a health module with a two-week recall period and six (2005)/seven (2010/2011) survey questions (Method 1) and (2) a consumption module with a four-week/ten-/12-month recall period and 11(2005)/24 (2010/2011) questions (Method 2). Using multilevel logistic regression analysis, we investigated the household socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that affected the sensitivity of estimating the HCHE to survey design. We found that Method 1 generated a significantly higher HCHE estimate (9.2%, 95% confidence interval 8.4%–10.0%) than Method2 (7.4%, 6.6%–8.1%) in 2005 and lower estimate (5.6%, 5.2%–6.1%) than Method 2 (8.2%, 7.6% –8.7%) in 2010/2011. The estimated trends of the HCHE using the two methods were not consistent between the two years. A household's size, its income quintile, having no under-five children, and educational level of its head were positively associated with the consistency of its HCHE status when using the two survey methods. Estimates of the progress in financial risk protection, especially among the most vulnerable households, are sensitive to survey design. These results are robust to various thresholds of catastrophic health spending. Future work must focus on mitigating survey effects through the development of statistical tools. PMID:28189819

HLA Class I Alleles Associated with Mortality in Thai Military Recruits with HIV-1 CRF01_AE Infection

PubMed Central

Bosch, Ronald J.; Rangsin, Ram; Chuenchitra, Thippawan; Sirisopana, Narongrid; Kim, Jerome H.; Robb, Merlin L.; Vejbaesya, Sasijit; Paris, Robert M.; Nelson, Kenrad E.

2016-01-01

Abstract In HIV-1-infected patients, variation at the HLA class I locus is associated with disease progression, but few studies have assessed the influence of HLA alleles on HIV-1 CRF01_AE infection, which is dominant in Thailand. We hypothesized that alleles predicted to confer more effective immune responses, such as HLA-B*46, would protect against disease progression. HLA typing was performed on HIV-1 incident cases surviving until 1998–1999 and HIV-1-negative matched controls from Thai army cohorts enrolled between 1991 and 1995. We assessed associations between class I alleles and disease progression subsequent to HLA typing. Ninety-nine HIV-1-incident cases were followed for a median of 3.7 years after HLA typing; during this time, 58 participants died. Two alleles were associated with mortality: HLA B*51 was protective (3-year survival B*51pos vs. B*51neg: 75% vs. 52%; p = 0.034) whereas Cw*04 was deleterious (3-year survival Cw*04pos vs. Cw*04neg: 39% vs. 60%; p = 0.027). HLA-B*46 was not associated with disease progression. Alleles present at different frequencies in HIV-1-incident compared with HIV-1-negative men included HLA-A*02:03, B*35, B*15, and C*08. 1. In conclusion in this Thai army cohort, HLA-B*51 was associated with lower mortality, confirming that this allele, which is protective in clade B HIV-1 infection, has a similar effect on HIV CRF01_AE infection. The deleterious effect of HLA-Cw*04 must be interpreted with caution because it may be in linkage disequilibrium with disease-susceptible HLA-B alleles. We did not find that HLA-B*46 was protective. These findings may inform vaccine development for areas of the world in which HIV-1 CRF01_AE infection is prevalent. PMID:26383907

78 FR 7429 - Adequacy Status of the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Reasonable Further Progress 8-Hour Ozone Motor...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9774-9] Adequacy Status of the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX... notifying the public that it has found that the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) in the Dallas-Fort... Planning Section (6PD-L), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas...

Action toward wilderness protection in Australia

Treesearch

Keith Muir

2007-01-01

In 1992, a National Forest Policy Statement created a political opportunity to protect wilderness across Australia. The following decade saw over a million hectares of wilderness reserved in the state of New South Wales (NSW) but, until recently, little progress was made elsewhere in Australia. The success in NSW, as opposed to other states, can largely be attributed...

Prognostic value of the stromal cell-derived factor 1 3'A mutation in pediatric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

PubMed

Tresoldi, Eleonora; Romiti, Maria Luisa; Boniotto, Michele; Crovella, Sergio; Salvatori, Francesca; Palomba, Elvia; Pastore, Angela; Cancrini, Caterina; de Martino, Maurizio; Plebani, Anna; Castelli, Guido; Rossi, Paolo; Tovo, Pier Angelo; Amoroso, Antonio; Scarlatti, Gabriella

2002-03-01

A mutation of the stromal cell-derived factor 1 gene (SDF-1 3'A) was shown to protect adults exposed to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) from infection and to affect HIV disease progression in adults. The presence of this mutation in HIV-1-infected Kenyan children did not predict mother-to-child virus transmission. The SDF-1 3'A polymorphism was studied in 256 HIV-1-infected, 118 HIV-1-exposed but uninfected, and 170 unexposed and uninfected children of Italian origin, and the frequency of SDF-1 3'A heterozygosity and homozygosity in each of the 3 groups was similar. Of the 256 HIV-1-infected children, 194 were regularly followed up and were assigned to groups according to disease progression. The frequency of the SDF-1 3'A allele was substantially lower among children with long-term nonprogression than among children with rapid (P =.0329) or delayed (P =.0375) progression. We show that the presence of the SDF-1 3'A gene correlates with accelerated disease progression in HIV-1-infected children born to seropositive mothers but does not protect against mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission.

Protective Role of BST2 Polymorphisms in Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV-1 and Adult AIDS Progression.

PubMed

Kamada, Anselmo J; Bianco, Anna M; Zupin, Luisa; Girardelli, Martina; Matte, Maria C C; Medeiros, Rúbia Marília de; Almeida, Sabrina Esteves de Matos; Rocha, Marineide M; Segat, Ludovica; Chies, José A B; Kuhn, Louise; Crovella, Sergio

2016-07-01

Bone marrow stromal cell antigen-2 (BST-2)/Tetherin is a restriction factor that prevents Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) release from infected cells and mediates pro-inflammatory cytokine production. This study investigated the risk conferred by single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs919266, rs9192677, and rs9576) at BST-2 coding gene (BST2) in HIV-1 mother-to-child transmission and in disease progression. Initially, 101 HIV-1+ pregnant women and 331 neonates exposed to HIV-1 from Zambia were enrolled. Additional BST2 single nucleotide polymorphism analyses were performed in 2 cohorts with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) progression: an adult Brazilian cohort (37 rapid, 30 chronic and 21 long-term non-progressors) and an Italian pediatric cohort (21 rapid and 67 slow progressors). The rs9576A allele was nominally associated with protection during breastfeeding (P = 0.019) and individuals carrying rs919266 GA showed slower progression to AIDS (P = 0.033). Despite the influence of rs919266 and rs9576 on BST2 expression being still undetermined, a preventive role by BST2 polymorphisms was found during HIV-1 infection.

Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase A Knockout Mice Show Progressive Hearing Loss and Sensitivity to Acoustic Trauma.

PubMed

Alqudah, Safa; Chertoff, Mark; Durham, Dianne; Moskovitz, Jackob; Staecker, Hinrich; Peppi, Marcello

2018-06-21

Methionine sulfoxide reductases (MsrA and MsrB) protect the biological activity of proteins from oxidative modifications to methionine residues and are important for protecting against the pathological effects of neurodegenerative diseases. In the current study, we characterized the auditory phenotype of the MsrA knockout mouse. Young MsrA knockout mice showed small high-frequency threshold elevations for auditory brainstem response and distortion product otoacoustic emission compared to those of wild-type mice, which progressively worsened in older MsrA knockout mice. MsrA knockout mice showed an increased sensitivity to noise at young and older ages, suggesting that MsrA is part of a mechanism that protects the cochlea from acoustic damage. MsrA mRNA in the cochlea was increased following acoustic stimulation. Finally, expression of mRNA MsrB1 was compromised at 6 months old, but not in younger MsrA knockout mice (compared to controls). The identification of MsrA in the cochlea as a protective mediator from both early onset hearing loss and acoustic trauma expands our understanding of the pathways that may induce protection from acoustic trauma and foster further studies on how to prevent the damaging effect of noise exposure through Msr-based therapy. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Vesicular stomatitis virus-based vaccines protect nonhuman primates against aerosol challenge with Ebola and Marburg viruses.

PubMed

Geisbert, Thomas W; Daddario-Dicaprio, Kathleen M; Geisbert, Joan B; Reed, Douglas S; Feldmann, Friederike; Grolla, Allen; Ströher, Ute; Fritz, Elizabeth A; Hensley, Lisa E; Jones, Steven M; Feldmann, Heinz

2008-12-09

Considerable progress has been made over the last decade in developing candidate preventive vaccines that can protect nonhuman primates against Ebola and Marburg viruses. A vaccine based on recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) seems to be particularly robust as it can also confer protection when administered as a postexposure treatment. While filoviruses are not thought to be transmitted by aerosol in nature the inhalation route is among the most likely portals of entry in the setting of a bioterrorist event. At present, all candidate filoviral vaccines have been evaluated against parenteral challenges but none have been tested against an aerosol exposure. Here, we evaluated our recombinant VSV-based Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) vaccines against aerosol challenge in cynomolgus macaques. All monkeys vaccinated with a VSV vector expressing the glycoprotein of ZEBOV were completely protected against an aerosol exposure of ZEBOV. Likewise, all monkeys vaccinated with a VSV vector expressing the glycoprotein of MARV were completely protected against an aerosol exposure of MARV. All control animals challenged by the aerosol route with either ZEBOV or MARV succumbed. Interestingly, disease in control animals appeared to progress slower than previously seen in macaques exposed to comparable doses by intramuscular injection.

78 FR 62455 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; District of Columbia...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

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... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R03-OAR-2013-0499; FRL-9901-35-Region3...: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Direct final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action to..., Associate Director, Office of Air Program Planning, Mailcode 3AP30, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency...

75 FR 25772 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Colorado; Revisions to Regulation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-10

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R08-OAR-2009-0790; FRL-9114-3] Approval and...: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Direct final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action..., Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8, Mailcode 8P-AR, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado 80202...

30 CFR 75.703-4 - Other methods of protecting offtrack direct-current equipment; approved by an authorized...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Other methods of protecting offtrack direct-current equipment; approved by an authorized representative of the Secretary. 75.703-4 Section 75.703-4... MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Grounding § 75.703-4 Other methods of protecting offtrack...

30 CFR 75.703-4 - Other methods of protecting offtrack direct-current equipment; approved by an authorized...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Other methods of protecting offtrack direct-current equipment; approved by an authorized representative of the Secretary. 75.703-4 Section 75.703-4... MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Grounding § 75.703-4 Other methods of protecting offtrack...

Dnmt1-dependent Chk1 pathway suppression is protective against neuron division.

PubMed

Oshikawa, Mio; Okada, Kei; Tabata, Hidenori; Nagata, Koh-Ichi; Ajioka, Itsuki

2017-09-15

Neuronal differentiation and cell-cycle exit are tightly coordinated, even in pathological situations. When pathological neurons re-enter the cell cycle and progress through the S phase, they undergo cell death instead of division. However, the mechanisms underlying mitotic resistance are mostly unknown. Here, we have found that acute inactivation of retinoblastoma (Rb) family proteins (Rb, p107 and p130) in mouse postmitotic neurons leads to cell death after S-phase progression. Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) pathway activation during the S phase prevented the cell death, and allowed the division of cortical neurons that had undergone acute Rb family inactivation, oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) or in vivo hypoxia-ischemia. During neurogenesis, cortical neurons became protected from S-phase Chk1 pathway activation by the DNA methyltransferase Dnmt1, and underwent cell death after S-phase progression. Our results indicate that Chk1 pathway activation overrides mitotic safeguards and uncouples neuronal differentiation from mitotic resistance. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Evidence for ACTN3 as a genetic modifier of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

PubMed Central

Hogarth, Marshall W.; Houweling, Peter J.; Thomas, Kristen C.; Gordish-Dressman, Heather; Bello, Luca; Vishwanathan, V.; Chidambaranathan, S.; Douglas Biggar, W.; McAdam, Laura C.; Mah, Jean K.; Tulinius, Mar; Cnaan, Avital; Morgenroth, Lauren P.; Leshner, Robert; Tesi-Rocha, Carolina; Thangarajh, Mathula; Duong, Tina; Kornberg, Andrew; Ryan, Monique; Nevo, Yoram; Dubrovsky, Alberto; Clemens, Paula R.; Abdel-Hamid, Hoda; Connolly, Anne M.; Pestronk, Alan; Teasley, Jean; Bertorini, Tulio E.; Webster, Richard; Kolski, Hanna; Kuntz, Nancy; Driscoll, Sherilyn; Bodensteiner, John B.; Carlo, Jose; Gorni, Ksenija; Lotze, Timothy; Day, John W.; Karachunski, Peter; Henricson, Erik K.; Abresch, Richard T.; McDonald, Craig M.; Pegoraro, Elena; Hoffman, Eric P.; Head, Stewart I.; North, Kathryn N.

2017-01-01

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterized by muscle degeneration and progressive weakness. There is considerable inter-patient variability in disease onset and progression, which can confound the results of clinical trials. Here we show that a common null polymorphism (R577X) in ACTN3 results in significantly reduced muscle strength and a longer 10 m walk test time in young, ambulant patients with DMD; both of which are primary outcome measures in clinical trials. We have developed a double knockout mouse model, which also shows reduced muscle strength, but is protected from stretch-induced eccentric damage with age. This suggests that α-actinin-3 deficiency reduces muscle performance at baseline, but ameliorates the progression of dystrophic pathology. Mechanistically, we show that α-actinin-3 deficiency triggers an increase in oxidative muscle metabolism through activation of calcineurin, which likely confers the protective effect. Our studies suggest that ACTN3 R577X genotype is a modifier of clinical phenotype in DMD patients. PMID:28139640

Progress Monitoring Using Direct Behavior Rating Single Item Scales in a Multiple-Baseline Design Study of the Daily Report Card Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fabiano, Gregory A.; Pyle, Kellina; Kelty, Mary Bridget; Parham, Brittany R.

2017-01-01

Direct behavior rating (DBR) may be a viable assessment for documenting current areas of impaired functioning and progress monitoring students' response to a behavioral intervention. Challenging behaviors are often addressed in general education settings using interventions such as the daily report card (DRC). To best implement and monitor such…

Occupational Health Hazards in the Interventional Laboratory: Progress Report of the Multispecialty Occupational Health Group

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

this end, we are publicizing the list in box 1 so the members of all of MSOHG’s constituent societies have a common frame of refer- ence. In addition...inconvenient. c. The need for protective eyeglasses should be eliminated. d. The need for protective thyroid collar should be eliminated. e. Minimize the...Radiation Protection and Measurements Report 1608 reinforce this belief, as 95% of all monitored healthcare workers have minimal occupational dose. Many

Protection, promotion and support of breast-feeding in Europe: progress from 2002 to 2007.

PubMed

Cattaneo, Adriano; Burmaz, Tea; Arendt, Maryse; Nilsson, Ingrid; Mikiel-Kostyra, Krystyna; Kondrate, Irena; Communal, Marie José; Massart, Catherine; Chapin, Elise; Fallon, Maureen

2010-06-01

To assess progress in the protection, promotion and support of breast-feeding in Europe. Data for 2002 and 2007 were gathered with the same questionnaire. Of thirty countries, twenty-nine returned data for 2002, twenty-four for 2007. The number of countries with national policies complying with WHO recommendations increased. In 2007, six countries lacked a national policy, three a national plan, four a national breast-feeding coordinator and committee. Little improvement was reported in pre-service training; however, the number of countries with good coverage in the provision of WHO/UNICEF courses for in-service training increased substantially, as reflected in a parallel increase in the number of Baby Friendly Hospitals and the proportion of births taking place in them. Little improvement was reported as far as implementation of the International Code on Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes is concerned. Except for Ireland and the UK, where some improvement occurred, no changes were reported on maternity protection. Due to lack of standard methods, it was difficult to compare rates of breast-feeding among countries. With this in mind, slight improvements in the rates of initiation, exclusivity and duration were reported by countries where data at two points in time were available. Breast-feeding rates continue to fall short of global recommendations. National policies are improving slowly but are hampered by the lack of action on maternity protection and the International Code. Pre-service training and standard monitoring of breast-feeding rates are the areas where more efforts are needed to accelerate progress.

Reduced Renal Methylarginine Metabolism Protects against Progressive Kidney Damage

PubMed Central

Caplin, Ben; Boruc, Olga; Bruce-Cobbold, Claire; Cutillas, Pedro; Dormann, Dirk; Faull, Peter; Grossman, Rebecca C.; Khadayate, Sanjay; Mas, Valeria R.; Nitsch, Dorothea D.; Wang, Zhen; Norman, Jill T.; Wilcox, Christopher S.; Wheeler, David C.; Leiper, James

2015-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO) production is diminished in many patients with cardiovascular and renal disease. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of NO synthesis, and elevated plasma levels of ADMA are associated with poor outcomes. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-1 (DDAH1) is a methylarginine-metabolizing enzyme that reduces ADMA levels. We reported previously that a DDAH1 gene variant associated with increased renal DDAH1 mRNA transcription and lower plasma ADMA levels, but counterintuitively, a steeper rate of renal function decline. Here, we test the hypothesis that reduced renal-specific ADMA metabolism protects against progressive renal damage. Renal DDAH1 is expressed predominately within the proximal tubule. A novel proximal tubule–specific Ddah1 knockout (Ddah1PT−/−) mouse demonstrated tubular cell accumulation of ADMA and lower NO concentrations, but unaltered plasma ADMA concentrations. Ddah1PT−/− mice were protected from reduced kidney tissue mass, collagen deposition, and profibrotic cytokine expression in two independent renal injury models: folate nephropathy and unilateral ureteric obstruction. Furthermore, a study of two independent kidney transplant cohorts revealed higher levels of human renal allograft methylarginine-metabolizing enzyme gene expression associated with steeper function decline. We also report an association among DDAH1 expression, NO activity, and uromodulin expression supported by data from both animal and human studies, raising the possibility that kidney DDAH1 expression exacerbates renal injury through uromodulin-related mechanisms. Together, these data demonstrate that reduced renal tubular ADMA metabolism protects against progressive kidney function decline. Thus, circulating ADMA may be an imprecise marker of renal methylarginine metabolism, and therapeutic ADMA reduction may even be deleterious to kidney function. PMID:25855779

Essays on energy, equity, and the environment in developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Israel, Debra Kim

1999-11-01

The essays in this dissertation explore different environmental and public policy issues relevant to developing countries. Essay I examines household-level survey responses to the question "How willing would you be to pay somewhat higher taxes to the government if you knew the money would be spent to protect the environment and prevent land, water and air pollution?" Specifically, for twelve developing and three developed countries included in the survey, the empirical relationships among willingness to pay for environmental quality, relative household income and national income are investigated. The results indicate that when the effects of household and national income are combined, households with below-average income in low-income countries are less willing to pay for environmental protection than those with above-average income in high-income countries. Furthermore, willingness to pay for environmental protection increases more significantly with relative household income than with national income. Essay II uses data from urban Bolivia to study the determinants of household fuel choice, an important link between deforestation and indoor air pollution in developing countries. In particular, the effects of fixed fuel costs, income growth, and female earned income on household fuel choice are examined. The results imply that reduction in firewood use in developing countries is not likely to occur simply as the result of income growth. The essay discusses possible policy implications based on the results that fixed fuel costs appear to be a deterrent to switching to a cleaner fuel and households with female earned income seem less likely to use firewood than other households. Essay III analyzes the equity implications of the elimination of fuel subsidies in the 1985 Bolivian economic reforms. An analysis of the direct static burden shows that while the elimination of gasoline subsidies was progressively distributed, the elimination of LPG and kerosene subsidies was regressive. Overall, the impact was close to proportional. However, including the indirect effect of urban transportation fare increases adds to the regressivity of the subsidy removal, while including the partial equilibrium effects implies a more progressive burden.

Pd-Catalyzed Acetoxylation of γ-C(sp3)-H Bonds of Amines Directed by a Removable Bts-Protecting Group.

PubMed

Zheng, Yong; Song, Weibin; Zhu, Yefu; Wei, Bole; Xuan, Lijiang

2018-02-16

Pd-catalyzed acetoxylation of γ-C(sp 3 )-H bonds directed by Bts-protected amines using inexpensive PhI(OAc) 2 as oxidant is reported. The Bts-protecting group is easily introduced and removed under mild conditions. This protocol provides an important strategy for the construction of γ-hydroxyl amine derivatives.

The top view for analysis of scoliosis progression

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

De Smet, A.A.; Tarlton, M.A.; Cook, L.T.

1983-05-01

Using computerized spinal analysis, a new top view was developed that displays the spine as if the observer were above and looking down on the patient. Serial top views were obtained of 12 patients with idiopathic scoliosis. In five patients with clinically stable curves, the top views showed no change. One patient with an enlaring rib hump was seen on the top view to have progressive kyphosis but stable scoliosis. Six patients with progressive scoliosis all demonstrated collapse of the thoracic curve in the anteroposterior direction. Five of these six patients had associated lumbar curves. Three lumbar curves demonstrated collapsemore » in the anteroposterior direction similar to the collapse of the thoracic curves, and the other two curves appeared elongated in the anteroposterior direction.« less

Status and path to a final EUVL reticle-handling solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Long; Orvek, Kevin; Seidel, Phil; Wurm, Stefan; Underwood, Jon; Betancourt, Ernie

2007-03-01

In extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), the lack of a suitable material to build conventional pellicles calls for industry standardization of new techniques for protection and handling throughout the reticle's lifetime. This includes reticle shipping, robotic handling, in-fab transport, storage, and uses in atmospheric environments for metrology and vacuum environments for EUV exposure. In this paper, we review the status of the industry-wide progress in developing EUVL reticle-handling solutions. We show the industry's leading reticle carrier approaches for particle-free protection, such as improvements in conventional single carrier designs and new EUVL-specific carrier concepts, including variations on a removable pellicle. Our test indicates dual pod approach of the removable pellicle led to nearly particle-free use during a simulated life cycle, at ~50nm inspection sensitivity. We will provide an assessment of the remaining technical challenges facing EUVL reticle-handling technology. Finally, we will review the progress of the SEMI EUVL Reticle-handling Task Force in its efforts to standardize a final EUV reticle protection and handling solution.

Influence of tumors on protective anti-tumor immunity and the effects of irradiation

PubMed Central

Foulds, Gemma A.; Radons, Jürgen; Kreuzer, Mira; Multhoff, Gabriele; Pockley, Alan G.

2012-01-01

Innate and adaptive immunity plays important roles in the development and progression of cancer and it is becoming apparent that tumors can influence the induction of potentially protective responses in a number of ways. The prevalence of immunoregulatory T cell populations in the circulation and tumors of patients with cancer is increased and the presence of these cells appears to present a major barrier to the induction of tumor immunity. One aspect of tumor-mediated immunoregulation which has received comparatively little attention is that which is directed toward natural killer (NK) cells, although evidence that the phenotype and function of NK cell populations are modified in patients with cancer is accumulating. Although the precise mechanisms underlying these localized and systemic immunoregulatory effects remain unclear, tumor-derived factors appear, in part at least, to be involved. The effects could be manifested by an altered function and/or via an influence on the migratory properties of individual cell subsets. A better insight into endogenous immunoregulatory mechanisms and the capacity of tumors to modify the phenotype and function of innate and adaptive immune cells might assist the development of new immunotherapeutic approaches and improve the management of patients with cancer. This article reviews current knowledge relating to the influence of tumors on protective anti-tumor immunity and considers the potential influence that radiation-induced effects might have on the prevalence, phenotype, and function of innate and adaptive immune cells in patients with cancer. PMID:23378947

A review of conservation legislation in Nepal: Past progress and future needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinen, Joel T.; Kattel, Bijaya

1992-11-01

Nepal is considered a leader among developing nations with regard to conservation legislation and programs; it was among the first Asian nations to develop national conservation legislation, sign CITES, and develop a national conservation strategy. We review the history of modern conservation law in Nepal from the Rana period (early 1950s) to the present. The early legislation focused mainly on strict preservation of areas and species; this phase culminated in the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1973. Subsequent legislation has evolved more in the direction of an integrated, holistic approach to conservation and is beginning to incorporate the participation of local people; subsequent amendments to the 1973 act allowed greater rights to rural villagers, and the designation of conservation areas in addition to the more strictly defined protected areas (national parks, wildlife reserves, etc.). Our review of conservation legislation suggests that Nepal has had many successes to date; the country has a protected area system covering over 10% of its land area, and many target species are recovering in parks and reserves. There are also some causes of concern, including staff shortages, financial constraints within the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, and the fact that there is little legal infrastructure outside of protected areas to enforce conservation laws; further, some aspects of hunting regulations are in need of revision. Primary needs include a comprehensive review of these policies and a nationalized strategy to ameliorate the shortcomings.

Measurements of Immune Responses for Establishing Correlates of Vaccine Protection Against HIV

PubMed Central

Burgers, Wendy A.; Manrique, Amapola; McKinnon, Lyle R.; Reynolds, Matthew R.; Rolland, Morgane; Blish, Catherine; Chege, Gerald K.; Curran, Rhonda; Fischer, William; Herrera, Carolina; Sather, D. Noah

2012-01-01

Abstract Well-defined correlates of protective immunity are an essential component of rational vaccine development. Despite years of basic science and three HIV vaccine efficacy trials, correlates of immunological protection from HIV infection remain undefined. In December 2010, a meeting of scientists engaged in basic and translational work toward developing HIV-1 vaccines was convened. The goal of this meeting was to discuss current opportunities and optimal approaches for defining correlates of protection, both for ongoing and future HIV-1 vaccine candidates; specific efforts were made to engage young scientists. We discuss here the highlights from the meeting regarding the progress made and the way forward for a protective HIV-1 vaccine. PMID:21861777

Smart Coating for Corrosion Indication and Prevention: Recent Progress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Wenyan; Hintze, Paul; Calle, Luz M.; Buhrow, Jerry; Curran, Jerry; Muehlberg, A. J.; Gelling, V. J.; Webster, D. C.; Croll, S. G.; Contu, F.;

40 CFR Table 6 to Subpart Fff of... - Site-Specific Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress a

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Site-Specific Compliance Schedules and... Constructed on or Before September 20, 1994 Pt. 62, Subpt. FFF, Table 6 Table 6 to Subpart FFF of Part 62—Site-Specific Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress a Affected facilities at the following MWC sites...

40 CFR Table 6 to Subpart Fff of... - Site-Specific Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress a

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Site-Specific Compliance Schedules and... Constructed on or Before September 20, 1994 Pt. 62, Subpt. FFF, Table 6 Table 6 to Subpart FFF of Part 62—Site-Specific Compliance Schedules and Increments of Progress a Affected facilities at the following MWC sites...

40 CFR 51.910 - What requirements for reasonable further progress (RFP) under sections 172(c)(2) and 182 apply...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-hour ozone NAAQS? 51.910 Section 51.910 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Provisions for Implementation of 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard § 51.910 What... nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS? (a) What are the general requirements for RFP for an area classified...

40 CFR 51.910 - What requirements for reasonable further progress (RFP) under sections 172(c)(2) and 182 apply...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-hour ozone NAAQS? 51.910 Section 51.910 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Provisions for Implementation of 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard § 51.910 What... nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS? (a) What are the general requirements for RFP for an area classified...

40 CFR 51.910 - What requirements for reasonable further progress (RFP) under sections 172(c)(2) and 182 apply...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-hour ozone NAAQS? 51.910 Section 51.910 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Provisions for Implementation of 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard § 51.910 What... nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS? (a) What are the general requirements for RFP for an area classified...

40 CFR 51.910 - What requirements for reasonable further progress (RFP) under sections 172(c)(2) and 182 apply...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-hour ozone NAAQS? 51.910 Section 51.910 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Provisions for Implementation of 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard § 51.910 What... nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS? (a) What are the general requirements for RFP for an area classified...

40 CFR 51.910 - What requirements for reasonable further progress (RFP) under sections 172(c)(2) and 182 apply...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-hour ozone NAAQS? 51.910 Section 51.910 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Provisions for Implementation of 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard § 51.910 What... nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS? (a) What are the general requirements for RFP for an area classified...

78 FR 64968 - Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection (COAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-30

... progress of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Working Group, and review and discuss a case study... open to the public. DATES: COAC will meet on Friday, November 15, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST... method indicated below: --For members of the public who plan to attend the meeting in person, please...

Murine CD103+ dendritic cells protect against steatosis progression towards steatohepatitis.

PubMed

Heier, Eva-Carina; Meier, Anna; Julich-Haertel, Henrike; Djudjaj, Sonja; Rau, Monica; Tschernig, Thomas; Geier, Andreas; Boor, Peter; Lammert, Frank; Lukacs-Kornek, Veronika

2017-06-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) is the hepatic consequence of metabolic syndrome and can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The identification of molecular and cellular factors that determine the progression of NASH and lead to irreversible hepatocellular damage are crucial. Dendritic cells (DCs) represent a heterogeneous cell population among which CD103 + DCs play a significant role in immunity and tolerance. We aimed to clarify the role of this DC subset in the pathomechanism of NASH. Steatosis progression towards steatohepatitis was analysed using multicolor FACS analyses, cytokine and qPCR array in high sucrose diet (HSD) and methionine and choline deficient diet (MCD) fed wild-type and basic leucine zipper transcription factor, ATF-Like-3 (Batf3) deficient animals, which lack CD103 + DCs (classical type-1 DC, cDC1s). Metabolic challenge of Batf3 -/- animals resulted in the progression of steatosis towards steatohepatitis, manifesting by an increased influx of inflammatory cells into the liver and elevated inflammatory cytokine production of myeloid cells upon innate stimuli. However, the lack of cDC1s did not affect cellular apoptosis and fibrosis progression but altered genes involved in lipid metabolism. The adoptive transfer of CD103 + cDC1s to Batf3 deficient animals reversed these observed changes and more importantly could attenuate cellular damage and inflammation in established murine steatohepatitis. Here, we have identified the murine CD103 + cDC1s as a protective DC subtype that influences the pro-anti-inflammatory balance and protects the liver from metabolic damage. As guardians of liver integrity, they play a key role in the inflammatory process during the development of steatohepatitis in mice. Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) is the hepatic consequence of metabolic syndrome and can lead to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The current study demonstrated that a specific murine dendritic cell subtype possesses a potent regulatory role to influence the inflammatory milieu of the liver in this process. Copyright © 2017 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A qualitative evaluation of the 2005-2011 National Academic Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention Program.

PubMed

Holland, Kristin M; Vivolo-Kantor, Alana M; Dela Cruz, Jason; Massetti, Greta M; Mahendra, Reshma

2015-12-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Violence Prevention (DVP) funded eight National Academic Centers of Excellence (ACEs) in Youth Violence Prevention from 2005 to 2010 and two Urban Partnership Academic Centers of Excellence (UPACEs) in Youth Violence Prevention from 2006 to 2011. The ACEs and UPACEs constitute DVP's 2005-2011 ACE Program. ACE Program goals include partnering with communities to promote youth violence (YV) prevention and fostering connections between research and community practice. This article describes a qualitative evaluation of the 2005-2011 ACE Program using an innovative approach for collecting and analyzing data from multiple large research centers via a web-based Information System (ACE-IS). The ACE-IS was established as an efficient mechanism to collect and document ACE research and programmatic activities. Performance indicators for the ACE Program were established in an ACE Program logic model. Data on performance indicators were collected through the ACE-IS biannually. Data assessed Centers' ability to develop, implement, and evaluate YV prevention activities. Performance indicator data demonstrate substantial progress on Centers' research in YV risk and protective factors, community partnerships, and other accomplishments. Findings provide important lessons learned, illustrate progress made by the Centers, and point to new directions for YV prevention research and programmatic efforts. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Modelling of Damage Evolution in Braided Composites: Recent Developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chen; Roy, Anish; Silberschmidt, Vadim V.; Chen, Zhong

2017-12-01

Composites reinforced with woven or braided textiles exhibit high structural stability and excellent damage tolerance thanks to yarn interlacing. With their high stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios, braided composites are attractive for aerospace and automotive components as well as sports protective equipment. In these potential applications, components are typically subjected to multi-directional static, impact and fatigue loadings. To enhance material analysis and design for such applications, understanding mechanical behaviour of braided composites and development of predictive capabilities becomes crucial. Significant progress has been made in recent years in development of new modelling techniques allowing elucidation of static and dynamic responses of braided composites. However, because of their unique interlacing geometric structure and complicated failure modes, prediction of damage initiation and its evolution in components is still a challenge. Therefore, a comprehensive literature analysis is presented in this work focused on a review of the state-of-the-art progressive damage analysis of braided composites with finite-element simulations. Recently models employed in the studies on mechanical behaviour, impact response and fatigue analyses of braided composites are presented systematically. This review highlights the importance, advantages and limitations of as-applied failure criteria and damage evolution laws for yarns and composite unit cells. In addition, this work provides a good reference for future research on FE simulations of braided composites.

Nanoprocess and nanoscale surface functionalization on cathode materials for advanced lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Alaboina, Pankaj Kumar; Uddin, Md-Jamal; Cho, Sung-Jin

2017-10-26

Nanotechnology-driven development of cathode materials is an essential part to revolutionize the evolution of the next generation lithium ion batteries. With the progress of nanoprocess and nanoscale surface modification investigations on cathode materials in recent years, the advanced battery technology future seems very promising - Thanks to nanotechnology. In this review, an overview of promising nanoscale surface deposition methods and their significance in surface functionalization on cathodes is extensively summarized. Surface modified cathodes are provided with a protective layer to overcome the electrochemical performance limitations related to side reactions with electrolytes, reduce self-discharge reactions, improve thermal and structural stability, and further enhance the overall battery performance. The review addresses the importance of nanoscale surface modification on battery cathodes and concludes with a comparison of the different nanoprocess techniques discussed to provide a direction in the race to build advanced lithium-ion batteries.

Protective molecular mechanisms of resveratrol in UVR-induced Skin carcinogenesis.

PubMed

Aziz, Saba W; Aziz, Moammir H

2018-01-01

Skin cancer is a major health problem worldwide. It is the most common cancer in the United States and poses a significant healthcare burden. Excessive UVR exposure is the most common cause of skin cancer. Despite various precautionary measures to avoid direct UVR exposure, the incidence of skin cancer and mortality related to it remains high. Furthermore, the current treatment options are expensive and have side effects including toxicity to normal cells. Thus, a safe and effective approach is needed to prevent and treat skin cancer. Chemopreventive strategy using naturally occurring compounds, such as resveratrol, is a promising approach to reduce the incidence of UVR-induced skin cancer and delay its progression. This review highlights the current body of evidence related to chemopreventive role of resveratrol and its molecular mechanisms in UVR-induced skin carcinogenesis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chinese herbal formulas for treating hypertension in traditional Chinese medicine: perspective of modern science

PubMed Central

Xiong, Xingjiang; Yang, Xiaochen; Liu, Yongmei; Zhang, Yun; Wang, Pengqian; Wang, Jie

2013-01-01

Hypertension, which directly threatens quality of life, is a major contributor to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Over the past two decades, domestic and foreign scholars have agreed upon various standards in the treatment of hypertension, and considerable progress has been made in the field of antihypertensive drugs. Oral antihypertensive drugs represent a milestone in hypertension therapy. However, the blood pressure standard for patients with hypertension is far from satisfactory. The study of Chinese herbal formulas for treating hypertension has received much research attention. These studies seek to integrate traditional and Western medicine in China. Currently, Chinese herbal formulas are known to have an outstanding advantage with regard to bodily regulation. Research shows that Chinese medicine has many protective mechanisms. This paper addresses the process of the antihypertensive mechanisms in Chinese herbal formulas for treating hypertension. These mechanisms are to be discussed in future research. PMID:23552514

Postfabrication Phase Error Correction of Silicon Photonic Circuits by Single Femtosecond Laser Pulses

DOE PAGES

Bachman, Daniel; Chen, Zhijiang; Wang, Christopher; ...

2016-11-29

Phase errors caused by fabrication variations in silicon photonic integrated circuits are an important problem, which negatively impacts device yield and performance. This study reports our recent progress in the development of a method for permanent, postfabrication phase error correction of silicon photonic circuits based on femtosecond laser irradiation. Using beam shaping technique, we achieve a 14-fold enhancement in the phase tuning resolution of the method with a Gaussian-shaped beam compared to a top-hat beam. The large improvement in the tuning resolution makes the femtosecond laser method potentially useful for very fine phase trimming of silicon photonic circuits. Finally, wemore » also show that femtosecond laser pulses can directly modify silicon photonic devices through a SiO 2 cladding layer, making it the only permanent post-fabrication method that can tune silicon photonic circuits protected by an oxide cladding.« less

Long non-coding RNA XIST promotes cell growth by regulating miR-139-5p/PDK1/AKT axis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Mo, Yichao; Lu, Yaoyong; Wang, Peng; Huang, Simin; He, Longguang; Li, Dasheng; Li, Fuliang; Huang, Junwei; Lin, Xiaoxia; Li, Xueru; Che, Siyao; Chen, Qinshou

2017-02-01

Abnormal expression of long non-coding RNA often contributes to unrestricted growth of cancer cells. Long non-coding RNA XIST expression is upregulated in several cancers; however, its modulatory mechanisms have not been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we found that XIST expression was significantly increased in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and cell lines. XIST promoted cell cycle progression from the G1 phase to the S phase and protected cells from apoptosis, which contributed to hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth. In addition, we revealed that there was reciprocal repression between XIST and miR-139-5p. PDK1 was identified as a direct target of miR-139-5p. We proposed that XIST was responsible for hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation, and XIST exerted its function through the miR-139-5p/PDK1 axis.

Materials and structural aspects of advanced gas-turbine helicopter engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freche, J. C.; Acurio, J.

1979-01-01

The key to improved helicopter gas turbine engine performance lies in the development of advanced materials and advanced structural and design concepts. The modification of the low temperature components of helicopter engines (such as the inlet particle separator), the introduction of composites for use in the engine front frame, the development of advanced materials with increased use-temperature capability for the engine hot section, can result in improved performance and/or decreased engine maintenance cost. A major emphasis in helicopter engine design is the ability to design to meet a required lifetime. This, in turn, requires that the interrelated aspects of higher operating temperatures and pressures, cooling concepts, and environmental protection schemes be integrated into component design. The major material advances, coatings, and design life-prediction techniques pertinent to helicopter engines are reviewed; the current state-of-the-art is identified; and when appropriate, progress, problems, and future directions are assessed.

The role of environmental biotechnology in exploring, exploiting, monitoring, preserving, protecting and decontaminating the marine environment.

PubMed

Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Arff, Johanne; Banat, Ibrahim M; Broch, Ole Jacob; Daffonchio, Daniele; Edvardsen, Torgeir; Eguiraun, Harkaitz; Giuliano, Laura; Handå, Aleksander; López-de-Ipiña, Karmele; Marigomez, Ionan; Martinez, Iciar; Øie, Gunvor; Rojo, Fernando; Skjermo, Jorunn; Zanaroli, Giulio; Fava, Fabio

2015-01-25

In light of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the EU Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, environmental biotechnology could make significant contributions in the exploitation of marine resources and addressing key marine environmental problems. In this paper 14 propositions are presented focusing on (i) the contamination of the marine environment, and more particularly how to optimize the use of biotechnology-related tools and strategies for predicting and monitoring contamination and developing mitigation measures; (ii) the exploitation of the marine biological and genetic resources to progress with the sustainable, eco-compatible use of the maritime space (issues are very diversified and include, for example, waste treatment and recycling, anti-biofouling agents; bio-plastics); (iii) environmental/marine biotechnology as a driver for a sustainable economic growth. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chinese herbal formulas for treating hypertension in traditional Chinese medicine: perspective of modern science.

PubMed

Xiong, Xingjiang; Yang, Xiaochen; Liu, Yongmei; Zhang, Yun; Wang, Pengqian; Wang, Jie

2013-07-01

Hypertension, which directly threatens quality of life, is a major contributor to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Over the past two decades, domestic and foreign scholars have agreed upon various standards in the treatment of hypertension, and considerable progress has been made in the field of antihypertensive drugs. Oral antihypertensive drugs represent a milestone in hypertension therapy. However, the blood pressure standard for patients with hypertension is far from satisfactory. The study of Chinese herbal formulas for treating hypertension has received much research attention. These studies seek to integrate traditional and Western medicine in China. Currently, Chinese herbal formulas are known to have an outstanding advantage with regard to bodily regulation. Research shows that Chinese medicine has many protective mechanisms. This paper addresses the process of the antihypertensive mechanisms in Chinese herbal formulas for treating hypertension. These mechanisms are to be discussed in future research.

Childhood lead poisoning - United States: report to the Congress by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

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

Not Available

The long-term consequences of unabated exposures to environmental lead sources can be serious, particularly for children. Recent scientific studies have shown a progressive decline in the lowest exposure levels of lead at which adverse effects can be reliably detected in children. In recognition of this, Congress directed the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to examine the nature and extent of childhood lead poisoning in the United States. The study was to address such areas as the long-term health implications of environmental lead exposure in children, the extent of leadmore » intoxication of children in terms of geographic areas and sources of lead in the United States, and methods and strategies for removing lead from the environment of US children. This article summarizes the key findings of the report.« less

PubMed

de Oca, Verónica Montes; Hebrero, Mirna

2008-06-01

This paper discusses the transformations undergone by Mexican families in the 20th century and how some internal dynamics unfolded with the increase in the individual life expectancy and the presence of functional incapacities in the older family members. It reflects on social and demographic changes in the families and on support and care strategies directed at elderly people who are ill and have functional limitations, based on calculations obtained from the Encuesta Nacional sobre Salud y Envejecimiento (2001). Although there are efforts on the part of health institutions and family arrangements to deal with this situation, this paper shows the strength and the weakness of the social protection systems regarding care and support for aged people with functional incapacity. It presents challenges and relevant action areas for public and non-public institutions. It proposes, based on this analysis, that institutions, families and the society should take active actions to support the elderly individual who undergoes the progressive deterioration of physical and mental faculties.

OSBPL10, RXRA and lipid metabolism confer African-ancestry protection against dengue haemorrhagic fever in admixed Cubans.

PubMed

Sierra, Beatriz; Triska, Petr; Soares, Pedro; Garcia, Gissel; Perez, Ana B; Aguirre, Eglys; Oliveira, Marisa; Cavadas, Bruno; Regnault, Béatrice; Alvarez, Mayling; Ruiz, Didye; Samuels, David C; Sakuntabhai, Anavaj; Pereira, Luisa; Guzman, Maria G

2017-02-01

Ethnic groups can display differential genetic susceptibility to infectious diseases. The arthropod-born viral dengue disease is one such disease, with empirical and limited genetic evidence showing that African ancestry may be protective against the haemorrhagic phenotype. Global ancestry analysis based on high-throughput genotyping in admixed populations can be used to test this hypothesis, while admixture mapping can map candidate protective genes. A Cuban dengue fever cohort was genotyped using a 2.5 million SNP chip. Global ancestry was ascertained through ADMIXTURE and used in a fine-matched corrected association study, while local ancestry was inferred by the RFMix algorithm. The expression of candidate genes was evaluated by RT-PCR in a Cuban dengue patient cohort and gene set enrichment analysis was performed in a Thai dengue transcriptome. OSBPL10 and RXRA candidate genes were identified, with most significant SNPs placed in inferred weak enhancers, promoters and lncRNAs. OSBPL10 had significantly lower expression in Africans than Europeans, while for RXRA several SNPs may differentially regulate its transcription between Africans and Europeans. Their expression was confirmed to change through dengue disease progression in Cuban patients and to vary with disease severity in a Thai transcriptome dataset. These genes interact in the LXR/RXR activation pathway that integrates lipid metabolism and immune functions, being a key player in dengue virus entrance into cells, its replication therein and in cytokine production. Knockdown of OSBPL10 expression in THP-1 cells by two shRNAs followed by DENV2 infection tests led to a significant reduction in DENV replication, being a direct functional proof that the lower OSBPL10 expression profile in Africans protects this ancestry against dengue disease.

OSBPL10, RXRA and lipid metabolism confer African-ancestry protection against dengue haemorrhagic fever in admixed Cubans

PubMed Central

Soares, Pedro; Garcia, Gissel; Perez, Ana B.; Aguirre, Eglys; Cavadas, Bruno; Regnault, Béatrice; Alvarez, Mayling; Ruiz, Didye; Guzman, Maria G.

2017-01-01

Ethnic groups can display differential genetic susceptibility to infectious diseases. The arthropod-born viral dengue disease is one such disease, with empirical and limited genetic evidence showing that African ancestry may be protective against the haemorrhagic phenotype. Global ancestry analysis based on high-throughput genotyping in admixed populations can be used to test this hypothesis, while admixture mapping can map candidate protective genes. A Cuban dengue fever cohort was genotyped using a 2.5 million SNP chip. Global ancestry was ascertained through ADMIXTURE and used in a fine-matched corrected association study, while local ancestry was inferred by the RFMix algorithm. The expression of candidate genes was evaluated by RT-PCR in a Cuban dengue patient cohort and gene set enrichment analysis was performed in a Thai dengue transcriptome. OSBPL10 and RXRA candidate genes were identified, with most significant SNPs placed in inferred weak enhancers, promoters and lncRNAs. OSBPL10 had significantly lower expression in Africans than Europeans, while for RXRA several SNPs may differentially regulate its transcription between Africans and Europeans. Their expression was confirmed to change through dengue disease progression in Cuban patients and to vary with disease severity in a Thai transcriptome dataset. These genes interact in the LXR/RXR activation pathway that integrates lipid metabolism and immune functions, being a key player in dengue virus entrance into cells, its replication therein and in cytokine production. Knockdown of OSBPL10 expression in THP-1 cells by two shRNAs followed by DENV2 infection tests led to a significant reduction in DENV replication, being a direct functional proof that the lower OSBPL10 expression profile in Africans protects this ancestry against dengue disease. PMID:28241052

Towards quantitative condition assessment of biodiversity outcomes: Insights from Australian marine protected areas.

PubMed

Addison, Prue F E; Flander, Louisa B; Cook, Carly N

2017-08-01

Protected area management effectiveness (PAME) evaluation is increasingly undertaken to evaluate governance, assess conservation outcomes and inform evidence-based management of protected areas (PAs). Within PAME, quantitative approaches to assess biodiversity outcomes are now emerging, where biological monitoring data are directly assessed against quantitative (numerically defined) condition categories (termed quantitative condition assessments). However, more commonly qualitative condition assessments are employed in PAME, which use descriptive condition categories and are evaluated largely with expert judgement that can be subject to a range of biases, such as linguistic uncertainty and overconfidence. Despite the benefits of increased transparency and repeatability of evaluations, quantitative condition assessments are rarely used in PAME. To understand why, we interviewed practitioners from all Australian marine protected area (MPA) networks, which have access to long-term biological monitoring data and are developing or conducting PAME evaluations. Our research revealed that there is a desire within management agencies to implement quantitative condition assessment of biodiversity outcomes in Australian MPAs. However, practitioners report many challenges in transitioning from undertaking qualitative to quantitative condition assessments of biodiversity outcomes, which are hampering progress. Challenges include a lack of agency capacity (staff numbers and money), knowledge gaps, and diminishing public and political support for PAs. We point to opportunities to target strategies that will assist agencies overcome these challenges, including new decision support tools, approaches to better finance conservation efforts, and to promote more management relevant science. While a single solution is unlikely to achieve full evidence-based conservation, we suggest ways for agencies to target strategies and advance PAME evaluations toward best practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethical and Legal Considerations in Biometric Data Usage-Bulgarian Perspective.

PubMed

Deliversky, Jordan; Deliverska, Mariela

2018-01-01

Ethical and legal considerations with regards to biometric data usage are directly related to the right to protection of personal data, which is part of the rights protected under the European Convention of human rights. Specific protection is required to the process and use of sensitive data which reveals certain personal characteristic and is related to the health status of individuals. Biometric data and information on individual upon which people could be identified based on specifics and distinguishing signs. Bulgaria, as a country progressing in terms of integration of digital technologies and as a European Union member state has adopted international and universal legal instruments related on the procession and use of digital data and data protection. On legislative and ethical grounds, it has been established the particular importance of not violating human rights and individual freedoms when processing and using personal data. It has been noted that the processing of special categories of personal data may be necessary for reasons of public interest in the field of public health and that is why under such circumstances it has been permitted the procession to be carried on without the consent of the data subject. Lack of transparency and lawfulness of the processing of personal data could lead to physical, tangible, or intangible damages where processing could lead to discrimination, identity theft, or identity fraud as a result of which may be significant adverse economic or social consequences. Increasingly, widespread use of biometrics in the implementation of medical activities requires the application of a new approach in terms of awareness regarding existing risks to the rights, ethics, and freedoms of all of us, as a user of medical service.

Low-dose energetic protons induce adaptive and bystander effects that protect human cells against DNA damage caused by a subsequent exposure to energetic iron ions

PubMed Central

Buonanno, Manuela; De Toledo, Sonia M.; Howell, Roger W.; Azzam, Edouard I.

2015-01-01

During interplanetary missions, astronauts are exposed to mixed types of ionizing radiation. The low ‘flux’ of the high atomic number and high energy (HZE) radiations relative to the higher ‘flux’ of low linear energy transfer (LET) protons makes it highly probable that for any given cell in the body, proton events will precede any HZE event. Whereas progress has been made in our understanding of the biological effects of low-LET protons and high-LET HZE particles, the interplay between the biochemical processes modulated by these radiations is unclear. Here we show that exposure of normal human fibroblasts to a low mean absorbed dose of 20 cGy of 0.05 or 1-GeV protons (LET ∼ 1.25 or 0.2 keV/μm, respectively) protects the irradiated cells (P < 0.0001) against chromosomal damage induced by a subsequent exposure to a mean absorbed dose of 50 cGy from 1 GeV/u iron ions (LET ∼ 151 keV/μm). Surprisingly, unirradiated (i.e. bystander) cells with which the proton-irradiated cells were co-cultured were also significantly protected from the DNA-damaging effects of the challenge dose. The mitigating effect persisted for at least 24 h. These results highlight the interactions of biological effects due to direct cellular traversal by radiation with those due to bystander effects in cell populations exposed to mixed radiation fields. They show that protective adaptive responses can spread from cells targeted by low-LET space radiation to bystander cells in their vicinity. The findings are relevant to understanding the health hazards of space travel. PMID:25805407

CDDO-Me protects normal lung and breast epithelial cells but not cancer cells from radiation.

PubMed

El-Ashmawy, Mariam; Delgado, Oliver; Cardentey, Agnelio; Wright, Woodring E; Shay, Jerry W

2014-01-01

Although radiation therapy is commonly used for treatment for many human diseases including cancer, ionizing radiation produces reactive oxygen species that can damage both cancer and healthy cells. Synthetic triterpenoids, including CDDO-Me, act as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant modulators primarily by inducing the transcription factor Nrf2 to activate downstream genes containing antioxidant response elements (AREs). In the present series of experiments, we determined if CDDO-Me can be used as a radioprotector in normal non-cancerous human lung and breast epithelial cells, in comparison to lung and breast cancer cell lines. A panel of normal non-cancerous, partially cancer progressed, and cancer cell lines from both lung and breast tissue was exposed to gamma radiation with and without pre-treatment with CDDO-Me. CDDO-Me was an effective radioprotector when given ∼18 hours before radiation in epithelial cells (average dose modifying factor (DMF) = 1.3), and Nrf2 function was necessary for CDDO-Me to exert these radioprotective effects. CDDO-Me did not protect cancer lines tested from radiation-induced cytotoxicity, nor did it protect experimentally transformed human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) with progressive oncogenic manipulations. CDDO-Me also protected human lymphocytes against radiation-induced DNA damage. A therapeutic window exists in which CDDO-Me protects normal cells from radiation by activating the Nrf2 pathway, but does not protect experimentally transformed or cancer cell lines. This suggests that use of this oral available, non-toxic class of drug can protect non-cancerous healthy cells during radiotherapy, resulting in better outcomes and less toxicity for patients.

CDDO-Me Protects Normal Lung and Breast Epithelial Cells but Not Cancer Cells from Radiation

PubMed Central

El-Ashmawy, Mariam; Delgado, Oliver; Cardentey, Agnelio; Wright, Woodring E.; Shay, Jerry W.

2014-01-01

Although radiation therapy is commonly used for treatment for many human diseases including cancer, ionizing radiation produces reactive oxygen species that can damage both cancer and healthy cells. Synthetic triterpenoids, including CDDO-Me, act as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant modulators primarily by inducing the transcription factor Nrf2 to activate downstream genes containing antioxidant response elements (AREs). In the present series of experiments, we determined if CDDO-Me can be used as a radioprotector in normal non-cancerous human lung and breast epithelial cells, in comparison to lung and breast cancer cell lines. A panel of normal non-cancerous, partially cancer progressed, and cancer cell lines from both lung and breast tissue was exposed to gamma radiation with and without pre-treatment with CDDO-Me. CDDO-Me was an effective radioprotector when given ∼18 hours before radiation in epithelial cells (average dose modifying factor (DMF) = 1.3), and Nrf2 function was necessary for CDDO-Me to exert these radioprotective effects. CDDO-Me did not protect cancer lines tested from radiation-induced cytotoxicity, nor did it protect experimentally transformed human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) with progressive oncogenic manipulations. CDDO-Me also protected human lymphocytes against radiation-induced DNA damage. A therapeutic window exists in which CDDO-Me protects normal cells from radiation by activating the Nrf2 pathway, but does not protect experimentally transformed or cancer cell lines. This suggests that use of this oral available, non-toxic class of drug can protect non-cancerous healthy cells during radiotherapy, resulting in better outcomes and less toxicity for patients. PMID:25536195

Directional antenna array (DAA) for communications, control, and data link protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molchanov, Pavlo A.; Contarino, Vincent M.

2013-06-01

A next generation of Smart antennas with point-to-point communication and jam, spoof protection capability by verification of spatial position is offered. A directional antenna array (DAA) with narrow irradiation beam provides counter terrorism protection for communications, data link, control and GPS. Communications are "invisible" to guided missiles because of 20 dB smaller irradiation outside the beam and spatial separation. This solution can be implemented with current technology. Directional antennas have higher gain and can be multi-frequency or have wide frequency band in contrast to phase antenna arrays. This multi-directional antenna array provides a multi-functional communication network and simultaneously can be used for command control, data link and GPS.

Effects of CCR5-delta32 and CCR2-64I alleles on disease progression of perinatally HIV-1-infected children: an international meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ioannidis, John P A; Contopoulos-Ioannidis, Despina G; Rosenberg, Philip S; Goedert, James J; De Rossi, Anita; Espanol, Teresa; Frenkel, Lisa; Mayaux, Marie-Jeanne; Newell, Marie-Louise; Pahwa, Savita G; Rousseau, Christine; Scarlatti, Gabriella; Sei, Shizuko; Sen, Luisa; O'Brien, Thomas R

2003-07-25

Among perinatally infected children, the effects of certain alleles of the CCR5 and CCR2 genes on the rate of disease progression remain unclear. We addressed the effects of CCR5-delta32 and CCR2-64I in an international meta-analysis. Genotype data were contributed from 10 studies with 1317 HIV-1-infected children (7263 person-years of follow-up). Time-to-event analyses were performed stratified by study and racial group. Endpoints included progression to clinical AIDS, death, and death after the diagnosis of clinical AIDS. The time-dependence of the genetic effects was specifically investigated. There was large heterogeneity in the observed rates of disease progression between different cohorts. For progression to clinical AIDS, both CCR5-delta32 and CCR2-64I showed overall non-significant trends for protection [hazard ratios 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58-1.23; and 0.87, 95% CI 0.67-1.14, respectively]. However, analyses of survival showed statistically significant time-dependence. No deaths occurred among CCR5-delta32 carriers in the first 3 years of life, whereas there was no protective effect (hazard ratio 0.95; 95% CI 0.43-2.10) in later years (P=0.01 for the time-dependent model). For CCR2-64I, the hazard ratio for death was 0.69 (95% CI 0.39-1.21) in the first 6 years of life and 2.56 (95% CI 1.26-5.20) in subsequent years (P<0.01 for the time-dependent model). CCR5-delta32 and CCR2-64I offered no clear protection after clinical AIDS had developed. The CCR5-delta32 and CCR2-64I alleles are associated with a decreased risk of death among perinatally infected children, but only for the first years of life.

The Well-Tempered SIV Infection: Pathogenesis of SIV Infection in Natural Hosts in the Wild, with Emphasis on Virus Transmission and Early Events Post-Infection that May Contribute to Protection from Disease Progression

PubMed Central

Raehtz, Kevin; Pandrea, Ivona; Apetrei, Cristian

2016-01-01

African NHPs are infected by over 40 different simian immunodeficiency viruses. These viruses have coevolved with their hosts for long periods of time and, unlike HIV in humans, infection does not generally lead to disease progression. Chronic viral replication is maintained for the natural lifespan of the host, without loss of overall immune function. Lack of disease progression is not correlated with transmission, as SIV infection is highly prevalent in many African NHP species in the wild. The exact mechanisms by which these natural hosts of SIV avoid disease progression are still unclear, but a number of factors might play a role, including: (i) avoidance of microbial translocation from the gut lumen by preventing or repairing damage to the gut epithelium; (ii) control of immune activation and apoptosis following infection; (iii) establishment of an anti-inflammatory response that resolves chronic inflammation; (iv) maintenance of homeostasis of various immune cell populations, including NK cells, monocytes/macrophages, dendritic cells, Tregs, Th17 T-cells, and γδ T-cells; (v) restriction of CCR5 availability at mucosal sites; (vi) preservation of T-cell function associated with down-regulation of CD4 receptor. Some of these mechanisms might also be involved in protection of natural hosts from mother-to-infant SIV transmission during breastfeeding. The difficulty of performing invasive studies in the wild has prohibited investigation of the exact events surrounding transmission in natural hosts. Increased understanding of the mechanisms of SIV transmission in natural hosts, and of the early events post-transmission which may contribute to avoidance of disease progression, along with better comprehension of the factors involved in protection from SIV breastfeeding transmission in the natural hosts, could prove invaluable for the development of new prevention strategies for HIV. PMID:27394696

Radiographic progression of silicosis among Japanese tunnel workers in Kochi.

PubMed

Dumavibhat, Narongpon; Matsui, Tomomi; Hoshino, Eri; Rattanasiri, Sasivimol; Muntham, Dittapol; Hirota, Ryoji; Eitoku, Masamitsu; Imanaka, Momo; Muzembo, Basilua Andre; Ngatu, Nlandu Roger; Kondo, Shinichi; Hamada, Norihiko; Suganuma, Narufumi

2013-01-01

The aim of our study was to investigate the natural course of silicosis in terms of radiographic progression among Japanese tunnel workers. Tunnel workers with silicosis were included in our study between January 2008 and June 2011. We retrospectively assessed workers' radiographs from their first through last visits to see whether there was progression. All films were interpreted by two physicians, who had been specially trained in using the ILO (2000) International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses (ILO/ICRP). We classified the radiographic findings according to the ILO/ICRP. Survival analysis was performed and then presented as time to progression. Subgroup analysis among the progressed group was performed to demonstrate duration of progression. A total of 65 patients, who were no longer exposed to silica for the duration of the study, were included. The mean age at the first visit was 58.60 ± 7.10 years. The incidence rate of progression was 42 per 1,000 person-years with a median time to progression of 17 years. Progression was demonstrated among 33 cases (51%). The mean durations of progression from category 1 to category 4 and category 2 to category 4 were 14.55 and 10.65 years, respectively. Most patients (86%) had radiographic change from category 1 or 2 directly to category 4. Silicosis progressed at a relatively high rate among tunnel workers without further silica exposure. The high probability of progression directly from category 1 to category 4 may lead to further investigation for the improvement of disease prevention.

An Engineering Report in Civil Engineering and Management.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

programs as the Apollo program and the Canaveral program. Progress in the late 70s and the 80s has seen advancements in the application of sophisticated...other forces in military operations; subsequent combat service support ashore and defense against overt or clandestine enemy attacks directed toward...construction execution plans; assigns construction projects to NCF units; monitors progress and assures adherence to quality standards: directs

[Progress of perioperative goal-directed fluid therapy on prognosis of patients].

PubMed

Zhao, J; Yu, Y H

2016-12-01

Fluid therapy is an important part of perioperative period, also one of the most controversial issues. Having reviewed the relevant research in recent years as well as the large-scale meta-analysis, the perioperative goal-directed fluid therapy has been discussed from the aspects of evaluating indicators, new methods and latest progress, and the impact on the prognosis. It manifests that the development of goal-directed fluid therapy makes a better prognosis than traditional fluid therapy, therefore it has also became an important perioperative treatment strategy.

Progression to established smoking among US youths.

PubMed

Mowery, Paul D; Farrelly, Matthew C; Haviland, M Lyndon; Gable, Julia M; Wells, Henry E

2004-02-01

Our study presents national estimates of the proportion of youths in each of 7 stages of smoking and investigates the associations between risk/protective factors and progression to established smoking. We analyzed data from the 1999 and 2000 National Youth Tobacco Surveys. In 1999 and 2000, 48.6% of US adolescents had at least experimented with tobacco, and 7.8% were established smokers. Important correlates of progression to established smoking included parental advice not to smoke, antismoking lessons in school, susceptibility to tobacco industry advertising and promotion, peer smoking, and exposure to smoking at home. Interventions to stop adolescent progression to established smoking should target susceptible never smokers and early experimenters as well as those in later stages of smoking.

40 CFR Table 5 to Part 455 - BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That Do Not Use End-of-Pipe Biological Treatment 5 Table 5 to Part 455 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS PESTICIDE CHEMICALS...

40 CFR Table 5 to Part 455 - BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That Do Not Use End-of-Pipe Biological Treatment 5 Table 5 to Part 455 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS PESTICIDE CHEMICALS...

40 CFR Table 5 to Part 455 - BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That Do Not Use End-of-Pipe Biological Treatment 5 Table 5 to Part 455 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED)...

40 CFR Table 5 to Part 455 - BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That Do Not Use End-of-Pipe Biological Treatment 5 Table 5 to Part 455 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED)...

40 CFR Table 5 to Part 455 - BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false BAT and NSPS Effluent Limitations for Priority Pollutants for Direct Discharge Point Sources That Do Not Use End-of-Pipe Biological Treatment 5 Table 5 to Part 455 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED)...

Progress toward a cosmic dust collection facility on space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackinnon, Ian D. R. (Editor); Carey, William C. (Editor)

1987-01-01

Scientific and programmatic progress toward the development of a cosmic dust collection facility (CDCF) for the proposed space station is documented. Topics addressed include: trajectory sensor concepts; trajectory accuracy and orbital evolution; CDCF pointing direction; development of capture devices; analytical techniques; programmatic progress; flight opportunities; and facility development.

48 CFR 742.1170-4 - Progress reporting requirements and contract clause.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... progress. (b) Because the cognizant technical officer is the individual most familiar with the contractor's performance, the contractor must submit the progress reports directly to the cognizant technical officer. The cognizant technical officer must review the reports and advise the contracting officer, in writing, of any...

Effects of Distributed Generation on Overcurrent Relay Coordination and an Adaptive Protection Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilik, Semih C.; Arsoy, Aysen B.

2017-07-01

Integration of distributed generation (DG) such as renewable energy sources to electrical network becomes more prevalent in recent years. Grid connection of DG has effects on load flow directions, voltage profile, short circuit power and especially protection selectivity. Applying traditional overcurrent protection scheme is inconvenient when system reliability and sustainability are considered. If a fault happens in DG connected network, short circuit contribution of DG, creates additional branch element feeding the fault current; compels to consider directional overcurrent (OC) protection scheme. Protection coordination might get lost for changing working conditions when DG sources are connected. Directional overcurrent relay parameters are determined for downstream and upstream relays when different combinations of DG connected singular or plural, on radial test system. With the help of proposed flow chart, relay parameters are updated and coordination between relays kept sustained for different working conditions in DigSILENT PowerFactory program.

The Progress of US Hospitals in Addressing Community Health Needs.

PubMed

Cramer, Geri Rosen; Singh, Simone R; Flaherty, Stephen; Young, Gary J

2017-02-01

To identify how US tax-exempt hospitals are progressing in regard to community health needs assessment (CHNA) implementation following the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We analyzed data on more than 1500 tax-exempt hospitals in 2013 to assess patterns in CHNA implementation and to determine whether a hospital's institutional and community characteristics are associated with greater progress. Our findings show wide variation among hospitals in CHNA implementation. Hospitals operating as part of a health system as well as hospitals participating in a Medicare accountable care organization showed greater progress in CHNA implementation whereas hospitals serving a greater proportion of uninsured showed less progress. We also found that hospitals reporting the highest level of CHNA implementation progress spent more on community health improvement. Hospitals widely embraced the regulations to perform a CHNA. Less is known about how hospitals are moving forward to improve population health through the implementation of programs to meet identified community needs.

Progress and challenges in consolidating the management of Amazonian protected areas and indigenous territories.

PubMed

Gullison, Raymond E; Hardner, Jared

2018-05-18

Achieving the effective management of all existing protected areas and indigenous territories in the Amazon Biome may be needed to avoid a deforestation "tipping point" beyond which regional climatic feedbacks and global climate change interact to catalyze irreversible drying and savannization of large portions of the biome. However, the time and money required to consolidate the effective management of all types of protected sites in the Amazon is still poorly understood. At present, protected areas and indigenous territories cover 45.5% of the biome (3.55 million km 2 ), the lion's share of the 60-70% forest cover required to maintain hydrologic and climatic function. Three independent evaluations of the 1.68 million km 2 of protected areas and indigenous territories supported by one philanthropic foundation yield insights into the challenges and advances towards achieving effective management of these sites. Considerable progress has been made in improving the management of protected areas and indigenous territories. Despite this, few sites can be considered effectively managed and many continue to lack sufficient long-term finance, adequate capacity in governments or NGOs, and the ability to withstand economic pressures. External funding will continue to be critical as long as core-funding needs are not met by governments or other sources such as payments for environmental services. The duration of external funding required could easily be on the scale of decades, with strict protected areas achieving effective management status the soonest, and indigenous territories taking the longest. Despite these challenges, the fact that legal protection has expanded so greatly in recent years is encouraging, and that management of sites is improving steadily over time. These lessons are relevant for the consolidation of sites in other developing countries that are trying to increase their management effectiveness under the constraint of limited resources. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

High Blood Caffeine Levels in MCI Linked to Lack of Progression to Dementia

PubMed Central

Cao, Chuanhai; Loewenstein, David A.; Lin, Xiaoyang; Zhang, Chi; Wang, Li; Duara, Ranjan; Wu, Yougui; Giannini, Alessandra; Bai, Ge; Cai, Jianfeng; Greig, Maria; Schofield, Elizabeth; Ashok, Raj; Small, Brent; Potter, Huntington; Arendash, Gary W.

2017-01-01

Although both human epidemiologic and animal model studies have suggested that caffeine/coffee protects against Alzheimer’s disease, direct human evidence for this premise has been lacking. In the present case-control study, two separate cohorts consisting of 124 total individuals (65–88 years old) were cognitively assessed and a blood sample taken for caffeine/biomarker analysis. Subjects were then monitored for cognitive status over the ensuing 2–4 year period to determine the extent to which initial plasma caffeine/biomarkers levels would be predictive of changes in cognitive status. Plasma caffeine levels at study onset were substantially lower (−51%) in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects who later progressed to dementia (MCI→DEM) compared to levels in stable MCI subjects (MCI→MCI). Moreover, none of the MCI→DEM subjects had initial blood caffeine levels that were above a critical level of 1200 ng/ml, while half of stable MCI→MCI subjects had blood caffeine levels higher than that critical level. Thus, plasma caffeine levels greater than 1200 ng/ml (≈6 µM) in MCI subjects were associated with no conversion to dementia during the ensuing 2–4 year follow-up period. Among the 11 cytokines measured in plasma, three of them (GCSF, IL-10, and IL-6) were decreased in MCI→DEM subjects, but not in stable MCI→MCI subjects with high plasma caffeine levels. Coffee would appear to be the major or perhaps only source of caffeine for such stable MCI patients. This case-control study provides the first direct evidence that caffeine/coffee intake is associated with a reduced risk of dementia or delayed onset, particularly for those who already have MCI. PMID:22430531

25 CFR 1200.4 - May tribes exercise increased direction over their trust funds and retain the protections of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false May tribes exercise increased direction over their trust funds and retain the protections of Federal trust status? 1200.4 Section 1200.4 Indians OFFICE OF THE... REFORM ACT General Provisions § 1200.4 May tribes exercise increased direction over their trust funds and...

25 CFR 1200.4 - May tribes exercise increased direction over their trust funds and retain the protections of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false May tribes exercise increased direction over their trust funds and retain the protections of Federal trust status? 1200.4 Section 1200.4 Indians OFFICE OF THE... REFORM ACT General Provisions § 1200.4 May tribes exercise increased direction over their trust funds and...

25 CFR 1200.4 - May tribes exercise increased direction over their trust funds and retain the protections of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May tribes exercise increased direction over their trust funds and retain the protections of Federal trust status? 1200.4 Section 1200.4 Indians OFFICE OF THE... REFORM ACT General Provisions § 1200.4 May tribes exercise increased direction over their trust funds and...

Progress Cleaning the Air: Voluntary Partnership Program Accomplishments

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA voluntary clean air partnership programs work in tandem with regulatory programs to protect public health and the environment. This page highlights accomplishments of selected partnership programs.

Gender hormones and the progression of experimental polycystic kidney disease.

PubMed

Stringer, Kenneth D; Komers, Radko; Osman, Shukri A; Oyama, Terry T; Lindsley, Jessie N; Anderson, Sharon

2005-10-01

Male gender is a risk factor for progression of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), clinically and in the Han:SPRD rat model. Orchiectomy limits progression, but mechanisms of the detrimental effect of androgen, and/or beneficial effects of estrogen, are not known. This protocol tested the hypothesis that male gender (intact androgen status) promotes progression, while female gender (intact estrogen status) is protective; and that these disease-modifying effects are due to changes in expression of known fibrotic mediators. Studies were performed in male and female noncystic control (+/+) and cystic (+/-) rats subjected to orchiectomy, ovariectomy, or sham operation. At 12 weeks of age, renal function was measured. Blood and kidneys were taken for measurement of plasma and renal renin, endothelin (ET-1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), using biochemical, protein expression, and immunohistochemical methods. Cystic male rats exhibited significantly reduced glomerular filtration (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) rates, with suppression of plasma and renal renin, up-regulation of renal ET-1 and eNOS, and down-regulation of renal VEGF expression. Orchiectomy attenuated the fall in GFR and ERPF, while numerically limiting changes in eNOS and VEGF. Female rats exhibited less cystic growth, with normal renin status, lesser elevation of renal ET-1, and proportionately lesser changes in VEGF and eNOS. Ovariectomy led to higher blood pressure and reduced GFR and ERPF, with a trend toward upregulation of ET-1, and significant down-regulation of VEGF and eNOS. Female gender is protective, but ovariectomy attenuates the protective effect of female gender, in association with changes in renal expression of ET-1, VEGF, and eNOS. The accelerated disease in male rats can be attenuated by orchiectomy and consequent changes in expression of disease mediators.

Tempol Moderately Extends Survival in a hSOD1G93A ALS Rat Model by Inhibiting Neuronal Cell Loss, Oxidative Damage and Levels of Non-Native hSOD1G93A Forms

PubMed Central

Linares, Edlaine; Seixas, Luciana V.; dos Prazeres, Janaina N.; Ladd, Fernando V. L.; Ladd, Aliny A. B. L.; Coppi, Antonio A.; Augusto, Ohara

2013-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive dysfunction and death of motor neurons by mechanisms that remain unclear. Evidence indicates that oxidative mechanisms contribute to ALS pathology, but classical antioxidants have not performed well in clinical trials. Cyclic nitroxides are an alternative worth exploring because they are multifunctional antioxidants that display low toxicity in vivo. Here, we examine the effects of the cyclic nitroxide tempol (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidine-1-oxyl) on ALS onset and progression in transgenic female rats over-expressing the mutant hSOD1G93A . Starting at 7 weeks of age, a high dose of tempol (155 mg/day/rat) in the rat´s drinking water had marginal effects on the disease onset but decelerated disease progression and extended survival by 9 days. In addition, tempol protected spinal cord tissues as monitored by the number of neuronal cells, and the reducing capability and levels of carbonylated proteins and non-native hSOD1 forms in spinal cord homogenates. Intraperitoneal tempol (26 mg/rat, 3 times/week) extended survival by 17 days. This group of rats, however, diverted to a decelerated disease progression. Therefore, it was inconclusive whether the higher protective effect of the lower i.p. dose was due to higher tempol bioavailability, decelerated disease development or both. Collectively, the results show that tempol moderately extends the survival of ALS rats while protecting their cellular and molecular structures against damage. Thus, the results provide proof that cyclic nitroxides are alternatives worth to be further tested in animal models of ALS. PMID:23405225

Implications of direct protective factors for public health research and prevention strategies to reduce youth violence.

PubMed

Hall, Jeffrey E; Simon, Thomas R; Lee, Rosalyn D; Mercy, James A

2012-08-01

The development of work on direct protective factors for youth violence has been delayed by conceptual and methodologic problems that have constrained the design, execution, and interpretation of prevention research. These problems are described in detail and actively addressed in review and analytic papers developed by the CDC's Expert Panel on Protective Factors for youth violence. The present paper synthesizes findings from these papers, specifies their implications for public health research and prevention strategies to reduce youth violence, and suggests directions for future research. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Progress in Protective Coatings for Aircraft Gas Turbines: A Review of NASA Sponsored Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merutka, J. P.

1981-01-01

Problems associated with protective coatings for advanced aircraft gas turbines are reviewed. Metallic coatings for preventing titanium fires in compressors are identified. Coatings for turbine section are also considered, Ductile aluminide coatings for protecting internal turbine-blade cooling passage surface are also identified. Composite modified external overlay MCrAlY coatings deposited by low-pressure plasma spraying are found to be better in surface protection capability than vapor deposited MCrAlY coatings. Thermal barrier coating (TBC), studies are presented. The design of a turbine airfoil is integrated with a TBC, and computer-aided manufacturing technology is applied.

Accreditation in radiation protection for cardiologists and interventionalists.

PubMed

Vano, E; Gonzalez, L

2005-01-01

Training in radiation protection is widely recognised as one of the basic components of optimisation programmes for medical exposures. Occupational and patient radiation risks in interventional radiology can be quite high and international bodies have shown concern on this item. Following recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection and in accordance with the European Directive on medical exposures, some initiatives for training in radiation protection took place in Spain and Luxembourg. These provided practitioners of interventional radiology adequate theoretical and practical training in radiation protection. The main outcome of the pilot courses organised to this end is discussed, concluding its suitability to implement the European Directive in practice.

A phased approach to clinical testing: criteria for progressing from Phase I to Phase II to Phase III studies.

PubMed

André, F E; Foulkes, M A

1998-01-01

The overall intent of clinical testing is to establish, in a series of phased studies, the clinical tolerance and acceptable "safety" of the candidate vaccine, as well as the type, level and persistence of the immune response after its inoculation, to a representative target population, according to a convenient administration schedule. The final stages involve the direct or indirect demonstration of protective efficacy, if possible in the population(s) for which the vaccine is intended. In addition, consistency of production must be demonstrated. At all these stages, the amount of prior information from preclinical and other studies affects and informs the objectives and design of subsequent studies. Progression from one testing phase to the next is dependent upon attaining the pre-set objectives of each series of studies. The precise objectives to be met will be decided on a case-by-case basis. The earliest assessments in humans (Phase I) involve evaluation of short-term clinical tolerance as measured by local and general reactogenicity, and gross assessments of immunogenicity, in a small number of highly selected individuals in an idealised situation. The selection of "optimal" dose and schedule are the result of further dose-ranging investigations (Phase II), involving more volunteers, with longer, more detailed follow-up assessments. It is at this stage that the accumulated evidence on its immunogenicity profile should be sufficient to assess whether or not the vaccine is worthy of further development. The next level of investigation (Phase III) aims to measure with greater precision the vaccine protective efficacy in the intended target population(s) by comparison of infection and/or disease attack rates in vaccine and placebo recipients. In consistency studies different production lots, manufactured at commercial scale, are tested to demonstrate consistency of manufacture. Additional bridging studies to establish similarity of lots at different production scales, or studies of the duration of the immunity conferred, are conducted in parallel with the progression of the studies in the different phases mentioned above. These latter types of studies are usually carried out concurrently with Phase III studies. This progression continues into the post-marketing period (Phase IV) with surveillance of long term efficacy and observational studies of possible rare adverse events to establish "safety" with more confidence. This paper examines, in general, the aims and designs of studies in each phase as an introduction to the more specific publications that follow.

Solar hot water space heating system. Technical progress report

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

Van Dam, T

1979-08-13

A retrofit solar heating system was installed on Madison Hall at Jordan College, Cedar Springs, Michigan. The system provides heating and domestic water preheating for a campus dormitory. Freeze protection is provided by a draindown system. The building and solar system, construction progress, and design changes are described. Included in appendices are: condensate trap design, structural analysis, pictures of installation, operating instructions, maintenance instructions, and as-built drawings. (MHR)

Searching for Partners: Regional Organizations and Peace Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-06-01

directed force, the U.N. Protection Force (UNPROFOR), performed abysmally in Bosnia and had to be replaced by a combination of NATO and other forces...African regional organization. Other examplars were the operational support provided by NATO during the U.N. Protection Force (UNPROFOR) phase of...body capable of organizing or directing field operations. 34 Lewis a n d Marks Even in the realm of protecting human rights, OSCE has lost

Significance of Selective Predation and Development of Prey Protection Measures for Juvenile Salmonids in the Columbia and Snake River Reservoirs: Annual Progress Report, February 1993-February 1994.

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

Poe, Thomas P.

1994-08-01

This report addresses the problem of predator-prey interactions of juvenile salmonids in the Columbia and Snake River. Six papers are included on selective predation and prey protection. Attention is focused on monitoring the movements, the distribution, and the behavior of juvenile chinook salmon and northern squawfish.

A Post-September 11th Balancing Act: Public Access to U.S. Government Information versus Protection of Sensitive Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, E.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to suggest realistic guidelines that balance public access to government information and the need to protect sensitive data. Emphasis is on lessons learned from a 1979 case where the government attempted to prohibit the Progressive Magazine from publishing an article about making a hydrogen bomb and government…

Efficacy of abamectin and tebuconazole injections to protect of lodgepole pine from mortality attributed to mountain pine beetle attack and progression of blue stain fungi

Treesearch

Christopher J. Fettig; Donald M. Grosman; A. Steven. Munson

2013-01-01

Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) are important tree mortality agents in western coniferous forests. Protection of individual trees from bark beetle attack has historically involved applications of liquid formulations of contact insecticides to the tree bole using hydraulic sprayers. More recently, researchers have examined the effectiveness of...

Combating Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens with Host-Directed Nonantibiotic Therapeutics.

PubMed

Andersson, Jourdan A; Sha, Jian; Kirtley, Michelle L; Reyes, Emily; Fitts, Eric C; Dann, Sara M; Chopra, Ashok K

2018-01-01

Earlier, we reported that three Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, trifluoperazine (TFP; an antipsychotic), amoxapine (AXPN; an antidepressant), and doxapram (DXP; a breathing stimulant), identified from an in vitro murine macrophage cytotoxicity screen, provided mice with 40 to 60% protection against pneumonic plague when administered at the time of infection for 1 to 3 days. In the present study, the therapeutic potential of these drugs against pneumonic plague in mice was further evaluated when they were administered at up to 48 h postinfection. While the efficacy of TFP was somewhat diminished as treatment was delayed to 24 h, the protection of mice with AXPN and DXP increased as treatment was progressively delayed to 24 h. At 48 h postinfection, these drugs provided the animals with significant protection (up to 100%) against challenge with the agent of pneumonic or bubonic plague when they were administered in combination with levofloxacin. Likewise, when they were used in combination with vancomycin, all three drugs provided mice with 80 to 100% protection from fatal oral Clostridium difficile infection when they were administered at 24 h postinfection. Furthermore, AXPN provided 40 to 60% protection against respiratory infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae when it was administered at the time of infection or at 24 h postinfection. Using the same in vitro cytotoxicity assay, we identified an additional 76/780 nonantibiotic drugs effective against K. pneumoniae For Acinetobacter baumannii , 121 nonantibiotic drugs were identified to inhibit bacterium-induced cytotoxicity in murine macrophages. Of these 121 drugs, 13 inhibited the macrophage cytotoxicity induced by two additional multiple-antibiotic-resistant strains. Six of these drugs decreased the intracellular survival of all three A. baumannii strains in macrophages. These results provided further evidence of the broad applicability and utilization of drug repurposing screening to identify new therapeutics to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens of public health concern. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Which Dengue Vaccine Approach Is the Most Promising, and Should We Be Concerned about Enhanced Disease after Vaccination? The Challenges of a Dengue Vaccine.

PubMed

Screaton, Gavin; Mongkolsapaya, Juthathip

2017-07-17

A dengue vaccine has been pursued for more than 50 years and, unlike other flaviviral vaccines such as that against yellow fever, progress has been slow. In this review, we describe progress toward the first licensed dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, which does not give complete protection against disease. The antibody response to the dengue virion is reviewed, highlighting immunodominant yet poorly neutralizing responses in the context of a highly dynamic structurally flexible dengue virus particle. Finally, we review recent evidence for cross-reactivity between antibody responses to Zika and dengue viruses, which may further complicate the development of broadly protective dengue virus vaccines. Copyright © 2017 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Universal measurement-based quantum computation in two-dimensional symmetry-protected topological phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Tzu-Chieh; Huang, Ching-Yu

2017-09-01

Recent progress in the characterization of gapped quantum phases has also triggered the search for a universal resource for quantum computation in symmetric gapped phases. Prior works in one dimension suggest that it is a feature more common than previously thought, in that nontrivial one-dimensional symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases provide quantum computational power characterized by the algebraic structure defining these phases. Progress in two and higher dimensions so far has been limited to special fixed points. Here we provide two families of two-dimensional Z2 symmetric wave functions such that there exists a finite region of the parameter in the SPT phases that supports universal quantum computation. The quantum computational power appears to lose its universality at the boundary between the SPT and the symmetry-breaking phases.

Planetary Protection Knowledge Gaps for Human Extraterrestrial Missions: Workshop Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Race, Margaret S. (Editor); Johnson, James E. (Editor); Spry, James A. (Editor); Siegel, Bette; Conley, Catharine A.

2015-01-01

This report on Planetary Protection Knowledge Gaps for Human Extraterrestrial Missions summarizes the presentations, deliberations and findings of a workshop at NASA Ames Research Center, March 24-26, 2015, which was attended by more than 100 participants representing a diverse mix of science, engineering, technology, and policy areas. The main objective of the three-day workshop was to identify specific knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to make incremental progress towards the development of NASA Procedural Requirements (NPRs) for Planetary Protection during human missions to Mars.

Emulytics for Cyber-Enabled Physical Attack Scenarios: Interim LDRD Report of Year One Results.

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

Clem, John; Urias, Vincent; Atkins, William Dee

Sandia National Laboratories has funded the research and development of a new capability to interactively explore the effects of cyber exploits on the performance of physical protection systems. This informal, interim report of progress summarizes the project’s basis and year one (of two) accomplishments. It includes descriptions of confirmed cyber exploits against a representative testbed protection system and details the development of an emulytics capability to support live, virtual, and constructive experiments. This work will support stakeholders to better engineer, operate, and maintain reliable protection systems.

Molecular Docking and Prediction of Pharmacokinetic Properties of Dual Mechanism Drugs that Block MAO-B and Adenosine A2A Receptors for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

PubMed Central

Azam, Faizul; Madi, Arwa M.; Ali, Hamed I.

2012-01-01

Monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitory potential of adenosine A2A receptor (AA2AR) antagonists has raised the possibility of designing dual-target–directed drugs that may provide enhanced symptomatic relief and that may also slow the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) by protecting against further neurodegeneration. To explain the dual inhibition of MAO-B and AA2AR at the molecular level, molecular docking technique was employed. Lamarckian genetic algorithm methodology was used for flexible ligand docking studies. A good correlation (R2= 0.524 and 0.627 for MAO-B and AA2AR, respectively) was established between docking predicted and experimental Ki values, which confirms that the molecular docking approach is reliable to study the mechanism of dual interaction of caffeinyl analogs with MAO-B and AA2AR. Parameters for Lipinski's “Rule-of-Five” were also calculated to estimate the pharmacokinetic properties of dual-target–directed drugs where both MAO-B inhibition and AA2AR antagonism exhibited a positive correlation with calculated LogP having a correlation coefficient R2 of 0.535 and 0.607, respectively. These results provide some beneficial clues in structural modification for designing new inhibitors as dual-target–directed drugs with desired pharmacokinetic properties for the treatment of PD. PMID:23112538

Direct experimental visualization of the global Hamiltonian progression of two-dimensional Lagrangian flow topologies from integrable to chaotic state.

PubMed

Baskan, O; Speetjens, M F M; Metcalfe, G; Clercx, H J H

2015-10-01

Countless theoretical/numerical studies on transport and mixing in two-dimensional (2D) unsteady flows lean on the assumption that Hamiltonian mechanisms govern the Lagrangian dynamics of passive tracers. However, experimental studies specifically investigating said mechanisms are rare. Moreover, they typically concern local behavior in specific states (usually far away from the integrable state) and generally expose this indirectly by dye visualization. Laboratory experiments explicitly addressing the global Hamiltonian progression of the Lagrangian flow topology entirely from integrable to chaotic state, i.e., the fundamental route to efficient transport by chaotic advection, appear non-existent. This motivates our study on experimental visualization of this progression by direct measurement of Poincaré sections of passive tracer particles in a representative 2D time-periodic flow. This admits (i) accurate replication of the experimental initial conditions, facilitating true one-to-one comparison of simulated and measured behavior, and (ii) direct experimental investigation of the ensuing Lagrangian dynamics. The analysis reveals a close agreement between computations and observations and thus experimentally validates the full global Hamiltonian progression at a great level of detail.

Effects of tidal volume on work of breathing during lung-protective ventilation in patients with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

PubMed

Kallet, Richard H; Campbell, Andre R; Dicker, Rochelle A; Katz, Jeffrey A; Mackersie, Robert C

2006-01-01

To assess the effects of step-changes in tidal volume on work of breathing during lung-protective ventilation in patients with acute lung injury (ALI) or the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Prospective, nonconsecutive patients with ALI/ARDS. Adult surgical, trauma, and medical intensive care units at a major inner-city, university-affiliated hospital. Ten patients with ALI/ARDS managed clinically with lung-protective ventilation. Five patients were ventilated at a progressively smaller tidal volume in 1 mL/kg steps between 8 and 5 mL/kg; five other patients were ventilated at a progressively larger tidal volume from 5 to 8 mL/kg. The volume mode was used with a flow rate of 75 L/min. Minute ventilation was maintained constant at each tidal volume setting. Afterward, patients were placed on continuous positive airway pressure for 1-2 mins to measure their spontaneous tidal volume. Work of breathing and other variables were measured with a pulmonary mechanics monitor (Bicore CP-100). Work of breathing progressively increased (0.86 +/- 0.32, 1.05 +/- 0.40, 1.22 +/- 0.36, and 1.57 +/- 0.43 J/L) at a tidal volume of 8, 7, 6, and 5 mL/kg, respectively. In nine of ten patients there was a strong negative correlation between work of breathing and the ventilator-to-patient tidal volume difference (R = -.75 to -.998). : The ventilator-delivered tidal volume exerts an independent influence on work of breathing during lung-protective ventilation in patients with ALI/ARDS. Patient work of breathing is inversely related to the difference between the ventilator-delivered tidal volume and patient-generated tidal volume during a brief trial of unassisted breathing.

Following specific podocyte injury captopril protects against progressive long term renal damage.

PubMed

Zhou, Yu S; Ihmoda, Ihmoda A; Phelps, Richard G; Bellamy, Christopher Os; Turner, A Neil

2015-01-01

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) reduce proteinuria and preserve kidney function in proteinuric renal diseases. Their nephroprotective effect exceeds that attributable to lowering of blood pressure alone. This study examines the potential of ACEi to protect from progression of injury after a highly specific injury to podocytes in a mouse model. We created transgenic (Podo-DTR) mice in which graded specific podocyte injury could be induced by a single injection of diphtheria toxin. Transgenic and wild-type mice were given the ACEi captopril in drinking water, or water alone, commencing 24h after toxin injection. Kidneys were examined histologically at 8 weeks and injury assessed by observers blinded to experimental group. After toxin injection, Podo-DTR mice developed acute proteinuria, and at higher doses transient renal impairment, which subsided within 3 weeks to be followed by a slow glomerular scarring process. Captopril treatment in Podo-DTR line 57 after toxin injection at 5ng/g body weight reduced proteinuria and ameliorated glomerular scarring, matrix accumulation and glomerulosclerosis almost to baseline (toxin: 17%; toxin + ACEi 10%, p<0.04; control 7% glomerular scarring). Podocyte counts were reduced after toxin treatment and showed no recovery irrespective of captopril treatment (7.1 and 7.3 podocytes per glomerular cross section in water and captopril-treated animals compared with 8.2 of wild-type controls, p<0.05). Observations in Podo-DTR mice support the hypothesis that continuing podocyte dysfunction is a key abnormality in proteinuric disease. Our model is ideal for studying strategies to protect the kidney from progressive injury following podocyte depletion. Demonstrable protective effects from captopril occur, despite indiscernible preservation or restoration of podocyte counts, at least after this degree of relatively mild injury.

Reduced Renal Methylarginine Metabolism Protects against Progressive Kidney Damage.

PubMed

Tomlinson, James A P; Caplin, Ben; Boruc, Olga; Bruce-Cobbold, Claire; Cutillas, Pedro; Dormann, Dirk; Faull, Peter; Grossman, Rebecca C; Khadayate, Sanjay; Mas, Valeria R; Nitsch, Dorothea D; Wang, Zhen; Norman, Jill T; Wilcox, Christopher S; Wheeler, David C; Leiper, James

2015-12-01

Nitric oxide (NO) production is diminished in many patients with cardiovascular and renal disease. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of NO synthesis, and elevated plasma levels of ADMA are associated with poor outcomes. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-1 (DDAH1) is a methylarginine-metabolizing enzyme that reduces ADMA levels. We reported previously that a DDAH1 gene variant associated with increased renal DDAH1 mRNA transcription and lower plasma ADMA levels, but counterintuitively, a steeper rate of renal function decline. Here, we test the hypothesis that reduced renal-specific ADMA metabolism protects against progressive renal damage. Renal DDAH1 is expressed predominately within the proximal tubule. A novel proximal tubule-specific Ddah1 knockout (Ddah1(PT-/-)) mouse demonstrated tubular cell accumulation of ADMA and lower NO concentrations, but unaltered plasma ADMA concentrations. Ddah1(PT-/-) mice were protected from reduced kidney tissue mass, collagen deposition, and profibrotic cytokine expression in two independent renal injury models: folate nephropathy and unilateral ureteric obstruction. Furthermore, a study of two independent kidney transplant cohorts revealed higher levels of human renal allograft methylarginine-metabolizing enzyme gene expression associated with steeper function decline. We also report an association among DDAH1 expression, NO activity, and uromodulin expression supported by data from both animal and human studies, raising the possibility that kidney DDAH1 expression exacerbates renal injury through uromodulin-related mechanisms. Together, these data demonstrate that reduced renal tubular ADMA metabolism protects against progressive kidney function decline. Thus, circulating ADMA may be an imprecise marker of renal methylarginine metabolism, and therapeutic ADMA reduction may even be deleterious to kidney function. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Thrombin promotes diet-induced obesity through fibrin-driven inflammation.

PubMed

Kopec, Anna K; Abrahams, Sara R; Thornton, Sherry; Palumbo, Joseph S; Mullins, Eric S; Divanovic, Senad; Weiler, Hartmut; Owens, A Phillip; Mackman, Nigel; Goss, Ashley; van Ryn, Joanne; Luyendyk, James P; Flick, Matthew J

2017-08-01

Obesity promotes a chronic inflammatory and hypercoagulable state that drives cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and several cancers. Elevated thrombin activity underlies obesity-linked thromboembolic events, but the mechanistic links between the thrombin/fibrin(ogen) axis and obesity-associated pathologies are incompletely understood. In this work, immunohistochemical studies identified extravascular fibrin deposits within white adipose tissue and liver as distinct features of mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) as well as obese patients. Fibγ390-396A mice carrying a mutant form of fibrinogen incapable of binding leukocyte αMβ2-integrin were protected from HFD-induced weight gain and elevated adiposity. Fibγ390-396A mice had markedly diminished systemic, adipose, and hepatic inflammation with reduced macrophage counts within white adipose tissue, as well as near-complete protection from development of fatty liver disease and glucose dysmetabolism. Homozygous thrombomodulin-mutant ThbdPro mice, which have elevated thrombin procoagulant function, gained more weight and developed exacerbated fatty liver disease when fed a HFD compared with WT mice. In contrast, treatment with dabigatran, a direct thrombin inhibitor, limited HFD-induced obesity development and suppressed progression of sequelae in mice with established obesity. Collectively, these data provide proof of concept that targeting thrombin or fibrin(ogen) may limit pathologies in obese patients.

Nutraceutical and functional scenario of wheat straw.

PubMed

Pasha, Imran; Saeed, Farhan; Waqas, Khalid; Anjum, Faqir Muhammad; Arshad, Muhammad Umair

2013-01-01

In the era of nutrition, much focus has been remunerated to functional and nutraceutical foodstuffs. The health endorsing potential of such provisions is attributed to affluent phytochemistry. These dynamic constituents have functional possessions that are imperative for cereal industry. The functional and nutraceutical significance of variety of foods is often accredited to their bioactive molecules. Numerous components have been considered but wheat straw and its diverse components are of prime consideration. In this comprehensive dissertation, efforts are directed to elaborate the functional and nutraceutical importance of wheat straw. Wheat straw is lignocellulosic materials including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. It hold various bioactive compounds such as policosanols, phytosterols, phenolics, and triterpenoids, having enormous nutraceutical properties like anti-allergenic, anti-artherogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti-thrombotic, cardioprotective and vasodilatory effects, antiviral, and anticancer. These compounds are protecting against various ailments like hypercholesterolemia, intermittent claudication, benign prostatic hyperplasia and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, wheat straw has demonstrated successfully, low cost, renewable, versatile, widely distributed, easily available source for the production of biogas, bioethanol, and biohydrogen in biorefineries to enhance the overall effectiveness of biomass consumption in protected and eco-friendly environment. Furthermore, its role in enhancing the quality and extending the shelf life of bakery products through reducing the progression of staling and retrogradation is limelight of the article.

Designer vaccines to prevent infections due to group B Streptococcus.

PubMed

Kasper, D L

1995-10-01

Group B streptococci (GBS) are the major cause of serious infections in neonates and an important cause of infection in adults, particularly peripartum women and patients with diabetes mellitus and malignancy. Immunity to GBS in neonates is associated with naturally acquired maternal antibodies to the type-specific capsular polysaccharides of these organisms. IgG class antibodies directed to these polysaccharides are passed transplacentally and protect the child from invasive GBS disease. Phase I and II clinical trials showed that the purified polysaccharides had limited immunogenicity. However, vaccine responders passed functional IgG class antibodies to their children. A glycoconjugate vaccine has been designed so that the type-specific polysaccharides are covalently linked to a carrier protein. This secondary amine linkage is between aldehyde groups created on the eighth carbon of a selected number of periodate-oxidized sialic acid residues of the polysaccharide and epsilon-amino groups on lysine residues of tetanus toxoid. Careful epitope mapping studies had demonstrated that modification by controlled periodate oxidation could be accomplished and that an important conformational epitope on the polysaccharide would be preserved. Preclinical testing of the glycoconjugate vaccines in animal models of GBS disease demonstrated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the vaccine-induced antibodies. Phase I clinical testing of the glycoconjugate vaccine is in progress, and the early results appear promising.

Thrombin promotes diet-induced obesity through fibrin-driven inflammation

PubMed Central

Kopec, Anna K.; Abrahams, Sara R.; Thornton, Sherry; Palumbo, Joseph S.; Mullins, Eric S.; Weiler, Hartmut; Mackman, Nigel; Goss, Ashley; van Ryn, Joanne; Luyendyk, James P.; Flick, Matthew J.

2017-01-01

Obesity promotes a chronic inflammatory and hypercoagulable state that drives cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and several cancers. Elevated thrombin activity underlies obesity-linked thromboembolic events, but the mechanistic links between the thrombin/fibrin(ogen) axis and obesity-associated pathologies are incompletely understood. In this work, immunohistochemical studies identified extravascular fibrin deposits within white adipose tissue and liver as distinct features of mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) as well as obese patients. Fibγ390–396A mice carrying a mutant form of fibrinogen incapable of binding leukocyte αMβ2-integrin were protected from HFD-induced weight gain and elevated adiposity. Fibγ390–396A mice had markedly diminished systemic, adipose, and hepatic inflammation with reduced macrophage counts within white adipose tissue, as well as near-complete protection from development of fatty liver disease and glucose dysmetabolism. Homozygous thrombomodulin-mutant ThbdPro mice, which have elevated thrombin procoagulant function, gained more weight and developed exacerbated fatty liver disease when fed a HFD compared with WT mice. In contrast, treatment with dabigatran, a direct thrombin inhibitor, limited HFD-induced obesity development and suppressed progression of sequelae in mice with established obesity. Collectively, these data provide proof of concept that targeting thrombin or fibrin(ogen) may limit pathologies in obese patients. PMID:28737512

Cyclophilin B induces chemoresistance by degrading wild type p53 via interaction with MDM2 in colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Choi, Tae Gyu; Nguyen, Minh Nam; Kim, Jieun; Jo, Yong Hwa; Jang, Miran; Nguyen, Ngoc Ngo Yen; Yun, Hyeong Rok; Choe, Wonchae; Kang, Insug; Ha, Joohun; Tang, Dean G; Kim, Sung Soo

2018-06-06

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Chemoresistance is a major problem for effective therapy in CRC. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which peptidylprolyl isomerase B (PPIB; cyclophilin B, CypB) regulates chemoresistance in CRC. We found that CypB is a novel wild type p53 (p53WT)-inducible gene but a negative regulator of p53WT in response to oxaliplatin treatment. Overexpression of CypB shortens the half-life of p53WT and inhibits oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis in CRC cells, whereas knockdown of CypB lengthens the half-life of p53WT and stimulates p53WT dependent apoptosis. CypB interacts directly with MDM2, and enhances MDM2-dependent p53WT ubiquitination and degradation. Furthermore, we firmly validated using bioinformatics analyses that overexpression of CypB is associated with poor prognosis in CRC progression and chemoresistance. Hence, we suggest a novel mechanism of chemoresistance caused by overexpressed CypB, which may help to develop new anti-cancer drugs. We also propose that CypB may be utilized as a predictive biomarker in CRC patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The Emerging Roles of Long Non-coding RNA in Cancer.

PubMed

Sanchez Calle, Anna; Kawamura, Yumi; Yamamoto, Yusuke; Takeshita, Fumitaka; Ochiya, Takahiro

2018-05-17

Since comprehensive analysis of the mammalian genome has revealed that the vast majority of genomic products are transcribed in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), increasing attention has been paid towards these transcripts. The applied next-generation sequencing technologies have provided accumulating evidence of dysregulated lncRNAs in cancer. The implication of this finding may be seen in many forms and at multiple levels. With impacts ranging from integrating chromatin remodeling complexes to regulating transcription and post-transcriptional processes, aberrant expression of lncRNAs may have repercussions in cell proliferation, tumor progression or metastasis. lncRNAs may act as enhancers, scaffolds or decoys by physically interacting with other RNA species or proteins, resulting in a direct impact on cell signaling cascades. Even though their functional classification is well-established in the context of cancer, clearer characterization in terms of their phenotypic outputs is needed to optimize and identify suitable candidates that enable the development of new therapeutic strategies and the design of novel diagnostic approaches. The present article aims to outline different cancer-associated lncRNAs according to their contribution to tumor suppression or tumor promotion based on their most current functional annotations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Red Hill Updates

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This and other periodic updates are intended to keep the public informed on major progress being made to protect public health and the environment at the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii.

Direct and protective effects of single or combined addition of vincristine and ε-viniferin on human HepG2 cellular oxidative stress markers in vitro.

PubMed

Tarhan, Seda; Özdemir, Filiz; İncesu, Zerrin; Demirkan, Emine Sütken

2016-08-01

The objective of this study is to examine the direct effects of low doses and high doses of ε-viniferin, a substance known to be an antioxidant, and vincristine sulphate, a chemotherapeutic agent, alone and in combination [ε-viniferin + vincristine] on HepG2 cell strain, as well as evaluate oxidative stress after incubation periods of 3, 6, and 24 h. Direct effect was determined right after the incubation period; however, for protective effect, antioxidant protection response was determined after the treatment for 1 h with 500 μM H2O2, which is an oxidative stressor. For this purpose, superoxide dismutase was determined for enzyme activity, and lipid hydroperoxide (LPO) and reduced glutathione concentrations were studied as indicators of oxidative stress. Results show that low [3.63 µM vincristine + 3.75 µM ε-viniferin] and high [11.25 µM vincristine + 15.8 µM ε-viniferin] doses of combination groups showed similar direct antioxidant effect on LPO levels as protective when compared to the H2O2 control group (p < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase enzyme showed a direct antioxidant effect in low and high dose combination groups. In addition, when the incubation period was increased to 24 h, a protective effect was observed in both dose groups (p < 0.05). Reduced glutathione activities showed a direct effect in the low dose combination group, and a protective effect in both the low and high doses in the 24 h. These results show that combined usage of drugs in HepG2 cell strain possesses a protective effect against exogenically produced oxidative stress conditions.

Risk versus direct protective factors and youth violence: Seattle social development project.

PubMed

Herrenkohl, Todd I; Lee, Jungeun; Hawkins, J David

2012-08-01

Numerous studies have examined predictors of youth violence associated with the individual child, the family, school, and the surrounding neighborhood or community. However, few studies have examined predictors using a systematic approach to differentiate and compare risk and direct protective factors. This study examines risk and protective factors associated with youth violence in an ongoing longitudinal panel study of 808 students from 18 Seattle public elementary schools followed since 1985 when they were in 5th grade. Predictors span the individual, family, school, peer, and neighborhood domains. Data were collected annually, beginning in 1985, to age 16 years, and then again at age 18 years. This paper provides findings of analyses in which continuous predictor variables, measured at ages 10-12 years, were trichotomized to reflect a risk end of the variable, a direct protective end, and a middle category of scores. Youth violence was measured at ages 13-14 years and 15-18 years. Bivariate analyses of risk and direct protective factors identified the following predictors of violence at ages 13-14 years and 15-18 years. Risk for violence was increased by earlier antisocial behavior (e.g., prior violence, truancy, nonviolent delinquency), attention problems, family conflict, low school commitment, and living in a neighborhood where young people were in trouble. Direct protective factors at ages 10-12 years include a low level of attention problems, low risk-taking, refusal skills, school attachment, and low access and exposure to marijuana at ages 10-12 years. Multivariate regressions showed neighborhood risk factors to be among the most salient and consistent predictors of violence after accounting for all other variables in the tested models. Relatively few direct protective factors were identified in these statistical tests, suggesting the need for further review and possible refinement of the measures and methods that were applied. Implications provide important information for programs and policy. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

RIP3-dependent necrosis induced inflammation exacerbates atherosclerosis

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

Meng, Lingjun, E-mail: menglingjun@nibs.ac.cn; National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206; Jin, Wei

Atherothrombotic vascular disease is already the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Atherosclerosis shares features with diseases caused by chronic inflammation. More attention should concentrates on the innate immunity effect atherosclerosis progress. RIP3 (receptor-interacting protein kinase 3) act through the transcription factor named Nr4a3 (Nuclear orphan receptors) to regulate cytokine production. Deletion RIP3 decreases IL-1α production. Injection of anti-IL-1α antibody protects against the progress of atherosclerosis in ApoE −/− mice. RIP3 as a molecular switch in necrosis, controls macrophage necrotic death caused inflammation. Inhibiting necrosis will certainly reduce atherosclerosis through limit inflammation. Necrotic cell death caused systemic inflammation exacerbated cardiovascular disease. Inhibitionmore » of necrosis may yield novel therapeutic targets for treatment in years to come. - Highlights: • RIP3 regulate the Nr4a3 to control cytokine production. • Deletion RIP3 decreases IL-1a production. • Injection anti-IL-1a antibody protects against the progress of atherosclerosis. • RIP3 controls macrophage necrotic dead caused inflammation.« less

The role of omega-3 and micronutrients in age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Querques, Giuseppe; Souied, Eric H

2014-01-01

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the United States, Europe, and other developed countries. Although the pathogenesis of AMD remains unclear, current evidence suggests a multifactorial aetiology. Nutrition may play an important role in the development and progression of AMD. There have been several epidemiological studies suggesting that omega-3 fatty acids could have a protective role in AMD, but a beneficial effect remains to be demonstrated in randomized controlled trials. There also exists a substantial body of evidence suggesting that protection against AMD may be provided by specific micronutrients (vitamins and minerals and antioxidants). The identification of risk factors for the development and progression of AMD is of particular importance for understanding the origins of the disorder and for establishing strategies for its prevention. We examine the relationship between dietary omega-3 intake and the incidence and progression of AMD, as well as the role of omega-3 supplementation in the prevention of the disorder, and also explore the role of other micronutrients in AMD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct laser writing of graphene electronics.

PubMed

El-Kady, Maher F; Kaner, Richard B

2014-09-23

One of the fundamental issues with graphene for logic applications is its lack of a band gap. In this issue of ACS Nano, Shim and colleagues introduce an effective approach for modulating the current flow in graphene by forming p-n junctions using lasers. The findings could lead to a new route for controlling the electronic properties of graphene-based devices. We highlight recent progress in the direct laser synthesis and patterning of graphene for numerous applications. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities in translating this remarkable progress toward the direct laser writing of graphene electronics at large scales.

Facial protection conferred by cycle safety helmets: use of digitized image processing to develop a new nondestructive test.

PubMed

Harrison, M; Shepherd, J P

1997-07-01

Cycle safety helmets are designed to prevent head injury. Although most commercially available helmets conform to one of several national and international standards, individual designs differ widely, particularly in relation to face coverage. A method was developed to assess the potential for the differing designs to protect the face from injury. A nonimpact test was assessed, using digitized image-processing software (Digithurst Ltd.) to measure the shadow cast by a helmet rim under a collimated plane light source onto the face of a mannequin headform. Twelve helmet designs available internationally were tested and ranked with respect to the direct protection conferred (area of the face directly covered by the helmet) and indirect protection (area of the face shaded). The three highest-ranking helmets for direct protection (Rosebank Stackhat, Asphalt Warrior, and Lazer Voyager) also ranked the highest for indirect protection. These helmets were more inferiorly extended and were of a more bulky construction. It was concluded that the dimensions of cycle helmets in relation to face coverage are crucial in influencing the extent to which facial protection is conferred. International test standards need urgent revision to ensure that face coverage is optimized. Lower-face protection could be achieved through incorporation of a lower-face bar to cycle helmets.

An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm.

PubMed

Dinerstein, Eric; Olson, David; Joshi, Anup; Vynne, Carly; Burgess, Neil D; Wikramanayake, Eric; Hahn, Nathan; Palminteri, Suzanne; Hedao, Prashant; Noss, Reed; Hansen, Matt; Locke, Harvey; Ellis, Erle C; Jones, Benjamin; Barber, Charles Victor; Hayes, Randy; Kormos, Cyril; Martin, Vance; Crist, Eileen; Sechrest, Wes; Price, Lori; Baillie, Jonathan E M; Weeden, Don; Suckling, Kierán; Davis, Crystal; Sizer, Nigel; Moore, Rebecca; Thau, David; Birch, Tanya; Potapov, Peter; Turubanova, Svetlana; Tyukavina, Alexandra; de Souza, Nadia; Pintea, Lilian; Brito, José C; Llewellyn, Othman A; Miller, Anthony G; Patzelt, Annette; Ghazanfar, Shahina A; Timberlake, Jonathan; Klöser, Heinz; Shennan-Farpón, Yara; Kindt, Roeland; Lillesø, Jens-Peter Barnekow; van Breugel, Paulo; Graudal, Lars; Voge, Maianna; Al-Shammari, Khalaf F; Saleem, Muhammad

2017-06-01

We assess progress toward the protection of 50% of the terrestrial biosphere to address the species-extinction crisis and conserve a global ecological heritage for future generations. Using a map of Earth's 846 terrestrial ecoregions, we show that 98 ecoregions (12%) exceed Half Protected; 313 ecoregions (37%) fall short of Half Protected but have sufficient unaltered habitat remaining to reach the target; and 207 ecoregions (24%) are in peril, where an average of only 4% of natural habitat remains. We propose a Global Deal for Nature-a companion to the Paris Climate Deal-to promote increased habitat protection and restoration, national- and ecoregion-scale conservation strategies, and the empowerment of indigenous peoples to protect their sovereign lands. The goal of such an accord would be to protect half the terrestrial realm by 2050 to halt the extinction crisis while sustaining human livelihoods.

An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm

PubMed Central

Olson, David; Joshi, Anup; Burgess, Neil D.; Wikramanayake, Eric; Hahn, Nathan; Palminteri, Suzanne; Hedao, Prashant; Noss, Reed; Hansen, Matt; Locke, Harvey; Ellis, Erle C; Jones, Benjamin; Barber, Charles Victor; Hayes, Randy; Kormos, Cyril; Martin, Vance; Crist, Eileen; Sechrest, Wes; Price, Lori; Baillie, Jonathan E. M.; Weeden, Don; Suckling, Kierán; Davis, Crystal; Sizer, Nigel; Moore, Rebecca; Thau, David; Birch, Tanya; Potapov, Peter; Turubanova, Svetlana; Tyukavina, Alexandra; de Souza, Nadia; Pintea, Lilian; Brito, José C.; Llewellyn, Othman A.; Miller, Anthony G.; Patzelt, Annette; Ghazanfar, Shahina A.; Timberlake, Jonathan; Klöser, Heinz; Shennan-Farpón, Yara; Kindt, Roeland; Lillesø, Jens-Peter Barnekow; van Breugel, Paulo; Graudal, Lars; Voge, Maianna; Al-Shammari, Khalaf F.; Saleem, Muhammad

2017-01-01

Abstract We assess progress toward the protection of 50% of the terrestrial biosphere to address the species-extinction crisis and conserve a global ecological heritage for future generations. Using a map of Earth's 846 terrestrial ecoregions, we show that 98 ecoregions (12%) exceed Half Protected; 313 ecoregions (37%) fall short of Half Protected but have sufficient unaltered habitat remaining to reach the target; and 207 ecoregions (24%) are in peril, where an average of only 4% of natural habitat remains. We propose a Global Deal for Nature—a companion to the Paris Climate Deal—to promote increased habitat protection and restoration, national- and ecoregion-scale conservation strategies, and the empowerment of indigenous peoples to protect their sovereign lands. The goal of such an accord would be to protect half the terrestrial realm by 2050 to halt the extinction crisis while sustaining human livelihoods. PMID:28608869

Financial risk protection and universal health coverage: evidence and measurement challenges.

PubMed

Saksena, Priyanka; Hsu, Justine; Evans, David B

2014-09-01

Financial risk protection is a key component of universal health coverage (UHC), which is defined as access to all needed quality health services without financial hardship. As part of the PLOS Medicine Collection on measurement of UHC, the aim of this paper is to examine and to compare and contrast existing measures of financial risk protection. The paper presents the rationale behind the methodologies for measuring financial risk protection and how this relates to UHC as well as some empirical examples of the types of measures. Additionally, the specific challenges related to monitoring inequalities in financial risk protection are discussed. The paper then goes on to examine and document the practical challenges associated with measurement of financial risk protection. This paper summarizes current thinking on the area of financial risk protection, provides novel insights, and suggests future developments that could be valuable in the context of monitoring progress towards UHC.

Financial Risk Protection and Universal Health Coverage: Evidence and Measurement Challenges

PubMed Central

Saksena, Priyanka; Hsu, Justine; Evans, David B.

2014-01-01

Financial risk protection is a key component of universal health coverage (UHC), which is defined as access to all needed quality health services without financial hardship. As part of the PLOS Medicine Collection on measurement of UHC, the aim of this paper is to examine and to compare and contrast existing measures of financial risk protection. The paper presents the rationale behind the methodologies for measuring financial risk protection and how this relates to UHC as well as some empirical examples of the types of measures. Additionally, the specific challenges related to monitoring inequalities in financial risk protection are discussed. The paper then goes on to examine and document the practical challenges associated with measurement of financial risk protection. This paper summarizes current thinking on the area of financial risk protection, provides novel insights, and suggests future developments that could be valuable in the context of monitoring progress towards UHC. PMID:25244520

Crosstalk between cancer and the neuro-immune system.

PubMed

Kuol, Nyanbol; Stojanovska, Lily; Apostolopoulos, Vasso; Nurgali, Kulmira

2018-02-15

In the last decade, understanding of cancer initiation and progression has been given much attention with studies mainly focusing on genetic abnormalities. Importantly, cancer cells can influence their microenvironment and bi-directionally communicate with other systems such as the immune system. The nervous system plays a fundamental role in regulating immune responses to a range of disease states including cancer. Its dysfunction influences the progression of cancer. The role of the immune system in tumor progression is of relevance to the nervous system since they can bi-directionally communicate via neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, common receptors, and, cytokines. However, cross-talk between these cells is highly complex in nature, and numerous variations are possible according to the type of cancer involved. The neuro-immune interaction is essential in influencing cancer development and progression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 11.5 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Procedures. 11.5 Section 11.5 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GENERAL SECURITY CLASSIFICATION REGULATIONS...” shall be directed to: Director, Security and Inspection Division, Environmental Protection Agency...

Health impact assessment in Australia: A review and directions for progress

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

Harris, Patrick, E-mail: patrick.harris@unsw.edu.a; Spickett, Jeff, E-mail: J.Spickett@curtin.edu.a

2011-07-15

This article provides an overview of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) within Australia. We discuss the development and current position of HIA and offer some directions for HIA's progression. Since the early 1990s HIA activity in Australia has increased and diversified in application and practice. This article first highlights the emergent streams of HIA practice across environmental, policy and health equity foci, and how these have developed within Australia. The article then provides summaries of current practice provided by each Australian state and territory. We then offer some insight into current issues that require further progression or resolution if HIA ismore » to progress effectively in Australia. This progress rests both on developing broad system support for HIA across government, led by the health sector, and developing system capacity to undertake, commission or review HIAs. We argue that a unified and clear HIA approach is required as a prerequisite to gaining the understanding and support for HIA in the public and private sectors and the wider community.« less

Gynecologic Cancer Prevention and Control in the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program: Progress, Current Activities, and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Lakhani, Naheed; Brown, Phaeydra M.; Larkin, O. Ann; Moore, Angela R.; Hayes, Nikki S.

2013-01-01

Abstract Gynecologic cancer confers a large burden among women in the United States. Several evidence-based interventions are available to reduce the incidence, morbidity, and mortality from these cancers. The National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) is uniquely positioned to implement these interventions in the US population. This review discusses progress and future directions for the NCCCP in preventing and controlling gynecologic cancer. PMID:23865787

Controlled human infection with RSV: The opportunities of experimental challenge.

PubMed

Habibi, Maximillian S; Chiu, Christopher

2017-01-11

Despite the recent explosion in RSV vaccine development, there remain substantial hurdles to overcome before licensing of effective vaccines will allow widespread use, particularly in high-risk populations. Incomplete understanding of mechanisms and correlates of protection against RSV mean that, for the time being, successful RSV vaccines must directly demonstrate efficacy, which necessitates large and costly clinical trials in naturally infected patients. To mitigate the risks inherent in progressing to these late-stage trials, experimental human RSV infection studies have recently been re-established, representing the interface between pre-clinical models and observational studies of patients. Not only can they be used for early proof-of-concept clinical trials to test vaccine efficacy, but human challenge studies also offer the potential to better understand protective immunity against RSV infection to improve vaccine design and delivery. In the past, controlled human infection studies with RSV have been instrumental in elucidating the influence of factors such as route of infection and type of inoculum on the course of disease. Recently, efficacy trials of novel RSV antiviral drugs have also been successfully undertaken. Now, with advances in technology, detailed investigations of human mucosal immunity in the RSV-infected airway are possible. These have indicated defects in RSV-induced humoral and CD8+ T cell immunity that may contribute to the recurrent symptomatic infection that occurs throughout life and should be circumvented by optimal vaccines. Here, we discuss the insights derived from RSV human challenge models; the major impediments to their more widespread uptake; and their potential benefit in accelerating vaccine development, including future directions to further enhance the relevance of these models to at-risk patient populations. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ebola Virus Disease: essential public health principles for clinicians.

PubMed

Koenig, Kristi L; Majestic, Cassondra; Burns, Michael J

2014-11-01

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has become a public health emergency of international concern. The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have developed guidance to educate and inform healthcare workers and travelers worldwide. Symptoms of EVD include abrupt onset of fever, myalgias, and headache in the early phase, followed by vomiting, diarrhea and possible progression to hemorrhagic rash, life-threatening bleeding, and multi-organ failure in the later phase. The disease is not transmitted via airborne spread like influenza, but rather from person-to-person, or animal to person, via direct contact with bodily fluids or blood. It is crucial that emergency physicians be educated on disease presentation and how to generate a timely and accurate differential diagnosis that includes exotic diseases in the appropriate patient population. A patient should be evaluated for EVD when both suggestive symptoms, including unexplained hemorrhage, AND risk factors within 3 weeks prior, such as travel to an endemic area, direct handling of animals from outbreak areas, or ingestion of fruit or other uncooked foods contaminated with bat feces containing the virus are present. There are experimental therapies for treatment of EVD virus; however the mainstay of therapy is supportive care. Emergency department personnel on the frontlines must be prepared to rapidly identify and isolate febrile travelers if indicated. All healthcare workers involved in care of EVD patients should wear personal protective equipment. Despite the intense media focus on EVD rather than other threats, emergency physicians must master and follow essential public health principles for management of all infectious diseases. This includes not only identification and treatment of individuals, but also protection of healthcare workers and prevention of spread, keeping in mind the possibility of other more common disease processes.

Multifunctional Mitochondrial Epac1 Controls Myocardial Cell Death.

PubMed

Fazal, Loubina; Laudette, Marion; Paula-Gomes, Sílvia; Pons, Sandrine; Conte, Caroline; Tortosa, Florence; Sicard, Pierre; Sainte-Marie, Yannis; Bisserier, Malik; Lairez, Olivier; Lucas, Alexandre; Roy, Jérôme; Ghaleh, Bijan; Fauconnier, Jérémy; Mialet-Perez, Jeanne; Lezoualc'h, Frank

2017-02-17

Although the second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) is physiologically beneficial in the heart, it largely contributes to cardiac disease progression when dysregulated. Current evidence suggests that cAMP is produced within mitochondria. However, mitochondrial cAMP signaling and its involvement in cardiac pathophysiology are far from being understood. To investigate the role of MitEpac1 (mitochondrial exchange protein directly activated by cAMP 1) in ischemia/reperfusion injury. We show that Epac1 (exchange protein directly activated by cAMP 1) genetic ablation ( Epac1 -/- ) protects against experimental myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury with reduced infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. As observed in vivo, Epac1 inhibition prevents hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced adult cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Interestingly, a deleted form of Epac1 in its mitochondrial-targeting sequence protects against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cell death. Mechanistically, Epac1 favors Ca 2+ exchange between the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondrion, by increasing interaction with a macromolecular complex composed of the VDAC1 (voltage-dependent anion channel 1), the GRP75 (chaperone glucose-regulated protein 75), and the IP3R1 (inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate receptor 1), leading to mitochondrial Ca 2+ overload and opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. In addition, our findings demonstrate that MitEpac1 inhibits isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 via the mitochondrial recruitment of CaMKII (Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II), which decreases nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen synthesis, thereby, reducing the antioxidant capabilities of the cardiomyocyte. Our results reveal the existence, within mitochondria, of different cAMP-Epac1 microdomains that control myocardial cell death. In addition, our findings suggest Epac1 as a promising target for the treatment of ischemia-induced myocardial damage. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Issues in protection of human subjects in internet research.

PubMed

Im, Eun-Ok; Chee, Wonshik

2002-01-01

Despite the increasing use of the Internet among nurses, the use of the Internet in nursing research has been rarely discussed and critiqued in terms of issues in protection of human subjects. In this article, issues in protection of human subjects in Internet research are explored by analyzing an Internet study to propose directions for human protection in Internet research. Issues raised through the study include those related to (a) anonymity and confidentiality, (b) security, (c) self-determination and authenticity, (d) full disclosure, and (e) fair treatment. Based on discussion of the five issues, development of standardized guidelines, investigator triangulation, and information sharing are proposed as directions for protection of human subjects in Internet research.

Progress and challenges in TB vaccine development

PubMed Central

Voss, Gerald; Casimiro, Danilo; Neyrolles, Olivier; Williams, Ann; Kaufmann, Stefan H.E.; McShane, Helen; Hatherill, Mark; Fletcher, Helen A

2018-01-01

The Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine can provide decades of protection against tuberculosis (TB) disease, and although imperfect, BCG is proof that vaccine mediated protection against TB is a possibility. A new TB vaccine is, therefore, an inevitability; the question is how long will it take us to get there? We have made substantial progress in the development of vaccine platforms, in the identification of antigens and of immune correlates of risk of TB disease. We have also standardized animal models to enable head-to-head comparison and selection of candidate TB vaccines for further development.  To extend our understanding of the safety and immunogenicity of TB vaccines we have performed experimental medicine studies to explore route of administration and have begun to develop controlled human infection models. Driven by a desire to reduce the length and cost of human efficacy trials we have applied novel approaches to later stage clinical development, exploring alternative clinical endpoints to prevention of disease outcomes. Here, global leaders in TB vaccine development discuss the progress made and the challenges that remain. What emerges is that, despite scientific progress, few vaccine candidates have entered clinical trials in the last 5 years and few vaccines in clinical trials have progressed to efficacy trials. Crucially, we have undervalued the knowledge gained from our “failed” trials and fostered a culture of risk aversion that has limited new funding for clinical TB vaccine development. The unintended consequence of this abundance of caution is lack of diversity of new TB vaccine candidates and stagnation of the clinical pipeline. We have a variety of new vaccine platform technologies, mycobacterial antigens and animal and human models.  However, we will not encourage progression of vaccine candidates into clinical trials unless we evaluate and embrace risk in pursuit of vaccine development. PMID:29568497

SIRT1 overexpression protects non-small cell lung cancer cells against osteopontin-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition by suppressing NF-κB signaling.

PubMed

Li, Xuejiao; Jiang, Zhongxiu; Li, Xiangmin; Zhang, Xiaoye

2018-01-01

Osteopontin (OPN) is a promoter for tumor progression. It has been reported to promote non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression via the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling. As the increased acetylation of NF-κB p65 is linked to NF-κB activation, the regulation of NF-κB p65 acetylation could be a potential treatment target for OPN-induced NSCLC progression. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is a deacetylase, and the role of SIRT1 in tumor progression is still controversial. The effect and mechanism of SIRT1 on OPN-induced tumor progression remains unknown. The results presented in this research demonstrated that OPN inhibited SIRT1 expression and promoted NF-κB p65 acetylation in NSCLC cell lines (A549 and NCI-H358). In this article, overexpression of SIRT1 was induced by infection of SIRT1-overexpressing lentiviral vectors. The overexpression of SIRT1 protected NSCLC cells against OPN-induced NF-κB p65 acetylation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as indicated by the reduction of OPN-induced changes in the expression levels of EMT-related markers and cellular morphology. Furthermore, SIRT1 overexpression significantly attenuated OPN-induced cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, overexpression of SIRT1 inhibited OPN-induced NF-κB activation. As OPN induced NSCLC cell EMT through activation of NF-κB signaling, OPN-induced SIRT1 downregulation may play an important role in NSCLC cell EMT via NF-κB signaling. The results suggest that SIRT1 could be a tumor suppressor to attenuate OPN-induced NSCLC progression through the regulation of NF-κB signaling.

Progress and challenges in TB vaccine development.

PubMed

Voss, Gerald; Casimiro, Danilo; Neyrolles, Olivier; Williams, Ann; Kaufmann, Stefan H E; McShane, Helen; Hatherill, Mark; Fletcher, Helen A

2018-01-01

The Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine can provide decades of protection against tuberculosis (TB) disease, and although imperfect, BCG is proof that vaccine mediated protection against TB is a possibility. A new TB vaccine is, therefore, an inevitability; the question is how long will it take us to get there? We have made substantial progress in the development of vaccine platforms, in the identification of antigens and of immune correlates of risk of TB disease. We have also standardized animal models to enable head-to-head comparison and selection of candidate TB vaccines for further development.  To extend our understanding of the safety and immunogenicity of TB vaccines we have performed experimental medicine studies to explore route of administration and have begun to develop controlled human infection models. Driven by a desire to reduce the length and cost of human efficacy trials we have applied novel approaches to later stage clinical development, exploring alternative clinical endpoints to prevention of disease outcomes. Here, global leaders in TB vaccine development discuss the progress made and the challenges that remain. What emerges is that, despite scientific progress, few vaccine candidates have entered clinical trials in the last 5 years and few vaccines in clinical trials have progressed to efficacy trials. Crucially, we have undervalued the knowledge gained from our "failed" trials and fostered a culture of risk aversion that has limited new funding for clinical TB vaccine development. The unintended consequence of this abundance of caution is lack of diversity of new TB vaccine candidates and stagnation of the clinical pipeline. We have a variety of new vaccine platform technologies, mycobacterial antigens and animal and human models.  However, we will not encourage progression of vaccine candidates into clinical trials unless we evaluate and embrace risk in pursuit of vaccine development.

Parenting and the workplace: the construction of parenting protections in United States law.

PubMed

Eichner, Maxine

2008-08-04

In this paper, I discuss the shortcomings of the legal protections that exist for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and parenting for United States' workers. The two main sources of protection for pregnancy and parenting in United States employment law are the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Both, I argue, contain inadequate protections for the needs of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, as well as their infants. I consider what it is about the way these statutes conceptualize the needs of pregnant women, mothers, and their babies, that prevents more robust protection of their needs. I then compare the minimal protection afforded American women and families with more progressive policies in other countries to highlight the possibilities that arise when the state affirmatively supports working parents and their children.

40 CFR 26.405 - Observational research involving greater than minimal risk but presenting the prospect of direct...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Observational research involving... Section 26.405 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GENERAL PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS Observational Research: Additional Protections for Children Involved as Subjects in Observational...

Enhancement of Immune Memory Responses to Respiratory Infection

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

induction of highly specific B and T cell responses against viral infections. Despite recent progress in vaccine development, the molecular mechanisms...highly expressed in memory B cells in mice, and Atg7 is required for maintenance of long-term memory B cells needed to protect against influenza...infection. Human influenza-specific memory B cells also have high levels of autophagy, but whether autophagy protects memory B cell survival in humans

Protective effect of a lipid-based preparation from Mycobacterium smegmatis in a murine model of progressive pulmonary tuberculosis.

PubMed

García, Maria de los Angeles; Borrero, Reinier; Lanio, Maria E; Tirado, Yanely; Alvarez, Nadine; Puig, Alina; Aguilar, Alicia; Canet, Liem; Mata Espinoza, Dulce; Barrios Payán, Jorge; Sarmiento, María Elena; Hernández-Pando, Rogelio; Norazmi, Mohd-Nor; Acosta, Armando

2014-01-01

A more effective vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) is urgently needed. Based on its high genetic homology with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the nonpathogenic mycobacteria, Mycobacterium smegmatis (Ms), could be an attractive source of potential antigens to be included in such a vaccine. We evaluated the capability of lipid-based preparations obtained from Ms to provide a protective response in Balb/c mice after challenge with Mtb H37Rv strain. The intratracheal model of progressive pulmonary TB was used to assess the level of protection in terms of bacterial load as well as the pathological changes in the lungs of immunized Balb/c mice following challenge with Mtb. Mice immunized with the lipid-based preparation from Ms either adjuvanted with Alum (LMs-AL) or nonadjuvanted (LMs) showed significant reductions in bacterial load (P < 0.01) compared to the negative control group (animals immunized with phosphate buffered saline (PBS)). Both lipid formulations showed the same level of protection as Bacille Calmette and Guerin (BCG). Regarding the pathologic changes in the lungs, mice immunized with both lipid formulations showed less pneumonic area when compared with the PBS group (P < 0.01) and showed similar results compared with the BCG group. These findings suggest the potential of LMs as a promising vaccine candidate against TB.

YopP-expressing variant of Y. pestis activates a potent innate immune response affording cross-protection against yersiniosis and tularemia [corrected].

PubMed

Zauberman, Ayelet; Flashner, Yehuda; Levy, Yinon; Vagima, Yaron; Tidhar, Avital; Cohen, Ofer; Bar-Haim, Erez; Gur, David; Aftalion, Moshe; Halperin, Gideon; Shafferman, Avigdor; Mamroud, Emanuelle

2013-01-01

Plague, initiated by Yersinia pestis infection, is a rapidly progressing disease with a high mortality rate if not quickly treated. The existence of antibiotic-resistant Y. pestis strains emphasizes the need for the development of novel countermeasures against plague. We previously reported the generation of a recombinant Y. pestis strain (Kim53ΔJ+P) that over-expresses Y. enterocolitica YopP. When this strain was administered subcutaneously to mice, it elicited a fast and effective protective immune response in models of bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic plague. In the present study, we further characterized the immune response induced by the Kim53ΔJ+P recombinant strain. Using a panel of mouse strains defective in specific immune functions, we observed the induction of a prompt protective innate immune response that was interferon-γ dependent. Moreover, inoculation of mice with Y. pestis Kim53ΔJ+P elicited a rapid protective response against secondary infection by other bacterial pathogens, including the enteropathogen Y. enterocolitica and the respiratory pathogen Francisella tularensis. Thus, the development of new therapies to enhance the innate immune response may provide an initial critical delay in disease progression following the exposure to highly virulent bacterial pathogens, extending the time window for successful treatment.

The angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor captopril protects nigrostriatal dopamine neurons in animal models of parkinsonism

PubMed Central

Sonsalla, Patricia K.; Coleman, Christal; Wong, Lai-Yoong; Harris, Suzan L.; Richardson, Jason R.; Gadad, Bharathi S.; Li, Wenhao; German, Dwight C.

2013-01-01

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a prominent loss of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons with an accompanying neuroinflammation. The peptide angiotensin II (AngII) plays a role in oxidative-stress induced disorders and is thought to mediate its detrimental actions via activation of AngII AT1 receptors. The brain renin-angiotensin system is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders including PD. Blockade of the angiotensin converting enzyme or AT1 receptors provides protection in acute animal models of parkinsonism. We demonstrate here that treatment of mice with the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor captopril protects the striatum from acutely administered 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyrine (MPTP), and that chronic captopril protects the nigral DA cell bodies from degeneration in a progressive rat model of parkinsonism created by the chronic intracerebral infusion of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). The accompanying activation of microglia in the substantia nigra of MPP+-treated rats was reduced by the chronic captopril treatment. These findings indicate that captopril is neuroprotective for nigrostriatal DA neurons in both acute and chronic rodent PD models. Targeting the brain AngII pathway may be a feasible approach to slowing neurodegeneration in PD. PMID:24184050

Preferences and Attitudes toward Progress Reporting Methods of Parents from Diverse Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sousa, Darlene Anastacia; Luze, Gayle; Hughes-Belding, Kere

2014-01-01

There is a growing movement in education toward data-based decision-making requiring frequent monitoring of student progress. However, the literature fails to provide direction as to the best means of communicating information about a child's progress with his or her parents. Given the increasing number of immigrant families being served, it…

Progress in advanced high temperature turbine materials, coatings, and technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freche, J. C.; Ault, G. M.

1977-01-01

Material categories as well as coatings and recent turbine cooling developments are reviewed. Current state of the art is identified, and as assessment, when appropriate, of progress, problems, and future directions is provided.

Data protection, privacy.

PubMed

La Monaca, G; Schiralli, I

2010-01-01

The topic of data protection is referred closely to the concept of privacy--characterized by the American political philosophy in order to indicate a sphere recognized as personal, and therefore private or intimate, of the person, which exclude other individuals or society--whose protection has deep roots in the international right. The technological progress in the field of telecommunication has increased the facility of acquisition and spreading of information, the exchange of data, and the possibility of access to confidential information by other people. This made it made necessary the regulation of the management and the transfer of these information in order to protect individual rights and, on the other hand, an easy circulation of data for legitimate and useful goals.

Use of Windbreaks for Hurricane Protection of Critical Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyater-Adams, Sinone; DeYoung, Russell J.

2012-01-01

The protection of NASA Langley Research Center from future hurricanes is important in order to allow the center to fulfill its mission. The impact of the center is not only great within NASA but the economy as well. The infrastructure of the Center is under potential risk in the future because of more intense hurricanes with higher speed winds and flooding. A potential method of protecting the Center s facilities is the placement of a windbreak barrier composed of indigenous trees. The New Town program that is now in progress creates a more condensed area of focus for protection. A potential design for an efficient tree windbreak barrier for Langley Research center is proposed.

Decontamination of combustion gases in fluidized bed incinerators

DOEpatents

Leon, Albert M.

1982-01-01

Sulfur-containing atmospheric pollutants are effectively removed from exit gas streams produced in a fluidized bed combustion system by providing a fluidized bed of particulate material, i.e. limestone and/or dolomite wherein a concentration gradient is maintained in the vertical direction. Countercurrent contacting between upwardly directed sulfur containing combustion gases and descending sorbent particulate material creates a concentration gradient across the vertical extent of the bed characterized in progressively decreasing concentration of sulfur, sulfur dioxide and like contaminants upwardly and decreasing concentration of e.g. calcium oxide, downwardly. In this manner, gases having progressively decreasing sulfur contents contact correspondingly atmospheres having progressively increasing concentrations of calcium oxide thus assuring optimum sulfur removal.

77 FR 24403 - Direct Final Approval of Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators State Plan for Designated...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-24

.../Infectious Waste Incinerators'' (HMIWI). The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) submitted the... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 62 [EPA-R05-OAR-2012-0087; FRL-9663-4] Direct Final Approval of Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators State Plan for Designated Facilities and...

78 FR 72581 - Direct Final Approval of Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerator Negative Declaration for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-03

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 62 [EPA-R05-OAR-2013-0678; FRL-9903-33-Region-5] Direct Final Approval of Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerator Negative Declaration for Designated Facilities and Pollutants: Michigan and Wisconsin AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA...

40 CFR 503.3 - Permits and direct enforceability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

....3 Section 503.3 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SEWAGE SLUDGE STANDARDS FOR THE USE OR DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE SLUDGE General Provisions § 503.3 Permits and direct... and 124 by EPA or by a State that has a State sludge management program approved by EPA in accordance...

A direct method for the synthesis of orthogonally protected furyl- and thienyl- amino acids.

PubMed

Hudson, Alex S; Caron, Laurent; Colgin, Neil; Cobb, Steven L

2015-04-01

The synthesis of unnatural amino acids plays a key part in expanding the potential application of peptide-based drugs and in the total synthesis of peptide natural products. Herein, we report a direct method for the synthesis of orthogonally protected 5-membered heteroaromatic amino acids.

Dexmedetomidine Protects PC12 Cells from Lidocaine-Induced Cytotoxicity Through Downregulation of COL3A1 Mediated by miR-let-7b.

PubMed

Wang, Qiong; She, Yingjun; Bi, Xiaobao; Zhao, Baisong; Ruan, Xiangcai; Tan, Yonghong

2017-07-01

Safety concerns of some local anesthetics, such as lidocaine, have been raised in recent years due to potential neurological impairment. Dexmedetomidine may protect humans from neurotoxicity, and miR-let-7b is activated by nerve injury; however, the roles of miR-let-7b and its target gene in lidocaine-induced cytotoxicity are not well known. Through bioinformatics and a luciferase reporter assay, COL3A1 was suggested as a direct target gene of miR-let-7b. Here, we confirmed by measuring mRNA and protein levels that miR-let-7b was downregulated and COL3A1 was upregulated in lidocaine-treated cells, an observation that was reversed by dexmedetomidine. Similar to miR-let-7b mimics or knockdown of COL3A1, dexmedetomidine treatment reduced the expression of COL3A1, suppressed cell apoptosis and cell migration/invasion ability, and induced cell cycle progression and cell proliferation in PC12 cells, effects that were reversed by the miR-let-7b inhibitor. Meanwhile, proteins involved in cell apoptosis, such as Bcl2 and caspase 3, were impacted as well. Taken together, dexmedetomidine may protect PC12 cells from lidocaine-induced cytotoxicity through miR-let-7b and COL3A1, while also increasing Bcl2 and inhibiting caspase 3. Therefore, miR-let-7b and COL3A1 might play critical roles in neuronal injury, and they are potential therapeutic targets.

FLZ Attenuates α-Synuclein-Induced Neurotoxicity by Activating Heat Shock Protein 70.

PubMed

Bao, Xiu-Qi; Wang, Xiao-Liang; Zhang, Dan

2017-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease. The pathology of PD is caused by progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and is characterized by the presence of intracellular inclusions known as Lewy bodies, composed mainly of α-synuclein. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are crucial in protein quality control in cells. HSP70 in particular prevents the aggregation of protein aggregation, such as α-synuclein, providing a degree of protection against PD. The compound FLZ has been shown to protect several PD models in previous studies and was reported as an HSP inducer to protect against MPP + -induced neurotoxicity, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of FLZ-mediated HSP70 induction in α-synuclein transgenic mice and cells. FLZ treatment alleviated motor dysfunction and improved dopaminergic neuronal function in α-synuclein transgenic mice. HSP70 protein expression and transcriptional activity were increased by FLZ treatment, eliciting a reduction of α-synuclein aggregation and associated toxicity. The inhibition of HSP70 by quercetin or HSP70 siRNA markedly attenuated the neuroprotective effects of FLZ, confirming that FLZ exerted a neuroprotective effect through HSP70. We revealed that FLZ directly bound to and increased the expression of Hip, a cochaperone of HSP70, which in turn enhanced HSP70 activity. In conclusion, we defined a critical role for HSP70 and its cochaperones activated by FLZ in preventing neurodegeneration and proposed that targeting the HSP70 system may represent a potential therapy for α-synuclein-related diseases, such as PD.

Notification: Evaluate EPA’s Progress Under Plan EJ 2014

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Project #OPE-FY14-0040, June 9, 2014. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Inspector General (OIG) is starting preliminary research on the EPA's oversight of environmental justice activities.

Protection of Dietary Polyphenols against Oral Cancer

PubMed Central

Ding, Yijian; Yao, Hua; Yao, Yanan; Yenwong Fai, Leonard; Zhang, Zhuo

2013-01-01

Oral cancer represents a health burden worldwide with approximate 275,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Its poor prognosis is due to local tumor invasion and frequent lymph node metastasis. Better understanding and development of novel treatments and chemo-preventive approaches for the preventive and therapeutic intervention of this type of cancer are necessary. Recent development of dietary polyphenols as cancer preventives and therapeutic agents is of great interest due to their antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic activities. Polyphenols may inhibit carcinogenesis in the stage of initiation, promotion, or progression. In particular, dietary polyphenols decrease incidence of carcinomas and exert protection against oral cancer by induction of cell death and inhibition of tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. In this review, we discuss current progress of dietary polyphenols against oral cancers in vitro, in vivo, and at population levels. PMID:23771133

Progranulin gene delivery protects dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Van Kampen, Jackalina M; Baranowski, David; Kay, Denis G

2014-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremor, rigidity and akinesia/bradykinesia resulting from the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. To date, only symptomatic treatment is available for PD patients, with no effective means of slowing or stopping the progression of the disease. Progranulin (PGRN) is a 593 amino acid multifunction protein that is widely distributed throughout the CNS, localized primarily in neurons and microglia. PGRN has been demonstrated to be a potent regulator of neuroinflammation and also acts as an autocrine neurotrophic factor, important for long-term neuronal survival. Thus, enhancing PGRN expression may strengthen the cells resistance to disease. In the present study, we have used the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) model of PD to investigate the possible use of PGRN gene delivery as a therapy for the prevention or treatment of PD. Viral vector delivery of the PGRN gene was an effective means of elevating PGRN expression in nigrostriatal neurons. When PGRN expression was elevated in the SNC, nigrostriatal neurons were protected from MPTP toxicity in mice, along with a preservation of striatal dopamine content and turnover. Further, protection of nigrostriatal neurons by PGRN gene therapy was accompanied by reductions in markers of MPTP-induced inflammation and apoptosis as well as a complete preservation of locomotor function. We conclude that PGRN gene therapy may have beneficial effects in the treatment of PD.

7 CFR 765.203 - Protective advances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PROGRAMS DIRECT LOAN SERVICING-REGULAR Protecting the Agency's Security Interest § 765.203 Protective advances. When necessary to protect the Agency's security interest, costs incurred for the following actions will be charged to the borrower's account: (a) Maintain abandoned security property; (b...

Progress with viral vectored malaria vaccines: A multi-stage approach involving "unnatural immunity".

PubMed

Ewer, Katie J; Sierra-Davidson, Kailan; Salman, Ahmed M; Illingworth, Joseph J; Draper, Simon J; Biswas, Sumi; Hill, Adrian V S

2015-12-22

Viral vectors used in heterologous prime-boost regimens are one of very few vaccination approaches that have yielded significant protection against controlled human malaria infections. Recently, protection induced by chimpanzee adenovirus priming and modified vaccinia Ankara boosting using the ME-TRAP insert has been correlated with the induction of potent CD8(+) T cell responses. This regimen has progressed to field studies where efficacy against infection has now been reported. The same vectors have been used pre-clinically to identify preferred protective antigens for use in vaccines against the pre-erythrocytic, blood-stage and mosquito stages of malaria and this work is reviewed here for the first time. Such antigen screening has led to the prioritization of the PfRH5 blood-stage antigen, which showed efficacy against heterologous strain challenge in non-human primates, and vectors encoding this antigen are in clinical trials. This, along with the high transmission-blocking activity of some sexual-stage antigens, illustrates well the capacity of such vectors to induce high titre protective antibodies in addition to potent T cell responses. All of the protective responses induced by these vectors exceed the levels of the same immune responses induced by natural exposure supporting the view that, for subunit vaccines to achieve even partial efficacy in humans, "unnatural immunity" comprising immune responses of very high magnitude will need to be induced. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

25 CFR 30.109 - Will the Secretary provide assistance in developing an alternative AYP definition?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... EDUCATION ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS Defining Adequate Yearly Progress Technical Assistance § 30.109 Will the... Bureau, shall provide technical assistance either directly or through contract to the tribal governing...

25 CFR 30.109 - Will the Secretary provide assistance in developing an alternative AYP definition?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... EDUCATION ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS Defining Adequate Yearly Progress Technical Assistance § 30.109 Will the... Bureau, shall provide technical assistance either directly or through contract to the tribal governing...

Exercise training attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by peripheral immunomodulation rather than direct neuroprotection.

PubMed

Einstein, Ofira; Fainstein, Nina; Touloumi, Olga; Lagoudaki, Roza; Hanya, Ester; Grigoriadis, Nikolaos; Katz, Abram; Ben-Hur, Tamir

2018-01-01

Conflicting results exist on the effects of exercise training (ET) on Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE), nor is it known how exercise impacts on disease progression. We examined whether ET ameliorates the development of EAE by modulating the systemic immune system or exerting direct neuroprotective effects on the CNS. Healthy mice were subjected to 6weeks of motorized treadmill running. The Proteolipid protein (PLP)-induced transfer EAE model in mice was utilized. To assess effects of ET on systemic autoimmunity, lymph-node (LN)-T cells from trained- vs. sedentary donor mice were transferred to naïve recipients. To assess direct neuroprotective effects of ET, PLP-reactive LN-T cells were transferred into recipient mice that were trained prior to EAE transfer or to sedentary mice. EAE severity was assessed in vivo and the characteristics of encephalitogenic LN-T cells derived from PLP-immunized mice were evaluated in vitro. LN-T cells obtained from trained mice induced an attenuated clinical and pathological EAE in recipient mice vs. cells derived from sedentary animals. Training inhibited the activation, proliferation and cytokine gene expression of PLP-reactive T cells in response to CNS-derived autoantigen, but strongly enhanced their proliferation in response to Concanavalin A, a non-specific stimulus. However, there was no difference in EAE severity when autoreactive encephalitogenic T cells were transferred to trained vs. sedentary recipient mice. ET inhibits immune system responses to an auto-antigen to attenuate EAE, rather than generally suppressing the immune system, but does not induce a direct neuro-protective effect against EAE. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Digital control of a direct current converter for a hybrid vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, Juan Manuel

The nonlinear feedback loops permitting the large signal control of pulse width modulators in direct current converters are discussed. A digital feedback loop on a converter controlling the coupling of a direct current machine is described. It is used in the propulsion of a hybrid vehicle (thermal-electric) with regenerative braking. The protection of the power switches is also studied. An active protection of the MOST bipolar transistor association is proposed.

Aircraft Lightning Protection Handbook

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

tape or metal braid . The shield. The effect of leakage through the connector can transfer characteristics can seldom be determined by thus be...62 REFERENCES 66 CHAPTER 4 LIGHTNING EFFECTS ON AIRCRAFT 69 4.1 Introduction 69 4.2 Direct Effects on Metal Structures 70 4.2.1 Pitting and Melt...Certification plans 112 5.8 Test Plans 113 REFERENCES 113 Chapter 6 DIRECT EFFECTS PROTECTION 115 6.1 Introduction 115 6.2 Direct Effects on Metal Structures

ICT Is Not Participation Is Not Democracy - eParticipation Development Models Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grönlund, Åke

There exist several models to describe “progress” in eParticipation. Models are typically ladder type and share two assumptions; progress is equalled with more sophisticated use of technology, and direct democracy is seen as the most advanced democracy model. None of the assumptions are true, considering democratic theory, and neither is fruitful as the simplification disturbs analysis and hence obscures actual progress made. The models convey a false impression of progress, but neither the goal, nor the path or the stakeholders driving the development are clearly understood, presented or evidenced. This paper analyses commonly used models based on democratic theory and eParticipation practice, and concludes that all are biased and fail to distinguish between the three dimensions an eParticipation progress model must include; relevance to democracy by any definition, applicability to different processes, (capacity building as well as decision making), and measuring different levels of participation without direct democracy bias.

Influence of 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1, 25(OH)2D3] on the expression of Sox 9 and the transient receptor potential vanilloid 5/6 ion channels in equine articular chondrocytes.

PubMed

Hdud, Ismail M; Loughna, Paul T

2014-01-01

Sox 9 is a major marker of chondrocyte differentiation. When chondrocytes are cultured in vitro they progressively de-differentiate and this is associated with a decline in Sox 9 expression. The active form of vitamin D, 1, 25 (OH)2D3 has been shown to be protective of cartilage in both humans and animals. In this study equine articular chondrocytes were grown in culture and the effects of 1, 25 (OH)2D3 upon Sox 9 expression examined. The expression of the transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) ion channels 5 and 6 in equine chondrocytes in vitro, we have previously shown, is inversely correlated with de-differentiation. The expression of these channels in response to 1, 25 (OH)2D3 administration was therefore also examined. The active form of vitamin D (1, 25 (OH)2D3) when administered to cultured equine chondrocytes at two different concentrations significantly increased the expression of Sox 9 at both. In contrast 1, 25 (OH)2D3 had no significant effect upon the expression of either TRPV 5 or 6 at either the protein or the mRNA level. The increased expression of Sox 9, in equine articular chondrocytes in vitro, in response to the active form of vitamin D suggests that this compound could be utilized to inhibit the progressive de-differentiation that is normally observed in these cells. It is also supportive of previous studies indicating that 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 can have a protective effect upon cartilage in animals in vivo. The previously observed correlation between the degree of differentiation and the expression levels of TRPV 5/6 had suggested that these ion channels may have a direct involvement in, or be modulated by, the differentiation process in vitro. The data in the present study do not support this.

A study of progress of labour using intrapartum translabial ultrasound, assessing head station, direction, and angle of descent.

PubMed

Tutschek, B; Braun, T; Chantraine, F; Henrich, W

2011-01-01

Intrapartum translabial ultrasound (ITU) has the potential to objectively and quantitatively assess the progress of labour. The relationships between the different ITU parameters and their development during normal term labour have not been studied. Observational study. University teaching hospital. Labouring women with normal term fetuses in cephalic presentation. Intrapartum translabial ultrasound measurements for 'head station', 'head direction', and 'angle of descent' (AoD) were taken in 50 labouring women, compared, studied for repeatability, and correlated with the progress of labour. Reproducibility and correlation of ITU parameters and their pattern of changes during labour. All three ITU parameters were clinically well reproducible. AoD and head station were interchangeable, and could be calculated from each other. Head station and head direction changed in a typical pattern along the birth canal. Time to delivery correlated with ITU head station. Intrapartum translabial ultrasound is a simple technique that improves the understanding of normal and abnormal labour, enables the objective measurement of birth progress and provides a more scientific basis for assessing labour. © 2010 The Authors Journal compilation © RCOG 2010 BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

7 CFR 766.154 - Homestead Protection leases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... homestead protection for property subject to third party redemption rights. In such case, homestead... 7 Agriculture 7 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Homestead Protection leases. 766.154 Section 766.154... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PROGRAMS DIRECT LOAN SERVICING-SPECIAL Homestead Protection Program § 766.154 Homestead...

7 CFR 766.154 - Homestead Protection leases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... homestead protection for property subject to third party redemption rights. In such case, homestead... 7 Agriculture 7 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Homestead Protection leases. 766.154 Section 766.154... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PROGRAMS DIRECT LOAN SERVICING-SPECIAL Homestead Protection Program § 766.154 Homestead...

7 CFR 766.154 - Homestead Protection leases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... homestead protection for property subject to third party redemption rights. In such case, homestead... 7 Agriculture 7 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Homestead Protection leases. 766.154 Section 766.154... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PROGRAMS DIRECT LOAN SERVICING-SPECIAL Homestead Protection Program § 766.154 Homestead...

The impact of HLA-G, LILRB1 and LILRB2 gene polymorphisms on susceptibility to and severity of endometriosis.

PubMed

Bylińska, Aleksandra; Wilczyńska, Karolina; Malejczyk, Jacek; Milewski, Łukasz; Wagner, Marta; Jasek, Monika; Niepiekło-Miniewska, Wanda; Wiśniewski, Andrzej; Płoski, Rafał; Barcz, Ewa; Roszkowski, Piotr; Kamiński, Paweł; Malinowski, Andrzej; Wilczyński, Jacek R; Radwan, Paweł; Radwan, Michał; Kuśnierczyk, Piotr; Nowak, Izabela

2018-06-01

Endometriosis is a disease in which endometriotic tissue occurs outside the uterus. Its pathogenesis is still unknown. The most widespread hypothesis claims that ectopic endometrium appears as a result of retrograde menstruation and its insufficient elimination by immunocytes. Some reports have shown expression of non-classical HLA-G molecules on ectopic endometrium. HLA-G is recognized by KIR2DL4, LILRB1 and LILRB2 receptors on natural killer (NK) and other cells. These receptors are polymorphic, which may affect their activity. In this study we investigated whether HLA-G, KIR2DL4, LILRB1 and LILRB2 polymorphisms may influence susceptibility to endometriosis and disease progression. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and allelic discrimination methods with TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays for typing of 276 patients with endometriosis and 314 healthy fertile women. The HLA-G rs1632947:GG genotype was associated with protection against the disease and its severe stages; HLA-G rs1233334:CT protected against progression; LILRB1 rs41308748:AA and LILRB2 rs383369:AG predisposed to the disease and its progression. No effect of KIR2DL4 polymorphism was observed. These results support the role of polymorphisms of HLA-G and its receptors LILRB1 and LILRB2 in susceptibility to endometriosis and its progression.

Suppressive Effects of Insulin on Tumor Necrosis Factor-Dependent Early Osteoarthritic Changes Associated With Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Hamada, Daisuke; Maynard, Robert; Schott, Eric; Drinkwater, Christopher J; Ketz, John P; Kates, Stephen L; Jonason, Jennifer H; Hilton, Matthew J; Zuscik, Michael J; Mooney, Robert A

2016-06-01

Obesity is a state of chronic inflammation that is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), as well as an increased risk of osteoarthritis (OA). This study was undertaken to define the links between obesity-associated inflammation, insulin resistance, and OA, by testing the hypotheses that 1) tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is critical in mediating these pathologic changes in OA, and 2) insulin has direct effects on the synovial joint that are compromised by insulin resistance. The effects of TNF and insulin on catabolic gene expression were determined in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) isolated from human OA synovium. Synovial TNF expression and OA progression were examined in 2 mouse models, high-fat (HF) diet-fed obese mice with type 2 DM and TNF-knockout mice. Insulin resistance was investigated in synovium from patients with type 2 DM. Insulin receptors (IRs) were abundant in both mouse and human synovial membranes. Human OA FLS were insulin responsive, as indicated by the dose-dependent phosphorylation of IRs and Akt. In cultures of human OA FLS with exogenous TNF, the expression and release of MMP1, MMP13, and ADAMTS4 by FLS were markedly increased, whereas after treatment with insulin, these effects were selectively inhibited by >50%. The expression of TNF and its abundance in the synovium were elevated in samples from obese mice with type 2 DM. In TNF-knockout mice, increases in osteophyte formation and synovial hyperplasia associated with the HF diet were blunted. The synovium from OA patients with type 2 DM contained markedly more macrophages and showed elevated TNF levels as compared to the synovium from OA patients without diabetes. Moreover, insulin-dependent phosphorylation of IRs and Akt was blunted in cultures of OA FLS from patients with type 2 DM. TNF appears to be involved in mediating the advanced progression of OA seen in type 2 DM. While insulin plays a protective, antiinflammatory role in the synovium, insulin resistance in patients with type 2 DM may impair this protective effect and promote the progression of OA. © 2016 The Authors. Arthritis & Rheumatology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

Risk by use of hearing protectors--expert programme supports SMEs in appropriate selection and use.

PubMed

Liedtke, M

2005-01-01

Comprehensive protection by use of PPE against the hazards at work requires more than proper selection based on the protection level needed: The PPE user directive (Council Directive 89/656/EEC, Official Journal of the European Communities L 393, 30/12/1989 p.0018 - 0028) requires an assessment of personal protective equipment itself, which has to consider the risks which may be introduced by use of PPE or use of combinations of PPE. As an example risks which may be introduced by use of hearing protectors are described. Assistance in the assessment required by PPE user directive (Council Directive 89/656/EEC, Official Journal of the European Communities L 393, 30/12/1989 p. 0018 - 0028) and in selection and use of hearing protectors with regard to this assessment is presented.

Comparative analysis of the relative potential of silver, zinc-oxide and titanium-dioxide nanoparticles against UVB-induced DNA damage for the prevention of skin carcinogenesis

PubMed Central

Arora, Sumit; Omar, Yousef; Ijaz, Zohaib Mohammad; AL-Ghadhban, Ahmed; Deshmukh, Sachin K.; Carter, James E.; Singh, Ajay P.; Singh, Seema

2016-01-01

Sunscreen formulations containing UVB filters, such as Zinc-oxide (ZnO) and titanium-dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) have been developed to limit the exposure of human skin to UV-radiations. Unfortunately, these UVB protective agents have failed in controlling the skin cancer incidence. We recently demonstrated that silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) could serve as novel protective agents against UVB-radiations. Here our goal was to perform comparative analysis of direct and indirect UVB-protection efficacy of ZnO-, TiO2- and Ag-NPs. Sun-protection-factor calculated based on their UVB-reflective/absorption abilities was the highest for TiO2-NPs followed by Ag- and ZnO-NPs. This was further confirmed by studying indirect protection of UVB radiation-induced death of HaCaT cells. However, only Ag-NPs were active in protecting HaCaT cells against direct UVB-induced DNA-damage by repairing bulky-DNA lesions through nucleotide-excision-repair mechanism. Moreover, Ag-NPs were also effective in protecting HaCaT cells from UVB-induced oxidative DNA damage by enhancing SOD/CAT/GPx activity. In contrast, ZnO- and TiO2-NPs not only failed in providing any direct protection from DNA-damage, but rather enhanced oxidative DNA-damage by increasing ROS production. Together, these findings raise concerns about safety of ZnO- and TiO2-NPs and establish superior protective efficacy of Ag-NPs. PMID:27693632

Intracerebroventricular gene therapy that delays neurological disease progression is associated with selective preservation of retinal ganglion cells in a canine model of CLN2 disease.

PubMed

Whiting, Rebecca E H; Jensen, Cheryl A; Pearce, Jacqueline W; Gillespie, Lauren E; Bristow, Daniel E; Katz, Martin L

2016-05-01

CLN2 disease is one of a group of lysosomal storage disorders called the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs). The disease results from mutations in the TPP1 gene that cause an insufficiency or complete lack of the soluble lysosomal enzyme tripeptidyl peptidase-1 (TPP1). TPP1 is involved in lysosomal protein degradation, and lack of this enzyme results in the accumulation of protein-rich autofluorescent lysosomal storage bodies in numerous cell types including neurons throughout the central nervous system and the retina. CLN2 disease is characterized primarily by progressive loss of neurological functions and vision as well as generalized neurodegeneration and retinal degeneration. In children the progressive loss of neurological functions typically results in death by the early teenage years. A Dachshund model of CLN2 disease with a null mutation in TPP1 closely recapitulates the human disorder with a progression from disease onset at approximately 4 months of age to end-stage at 10-11 months. Delivery of functional TPP1 to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), either by periodic infusion of the recombinant protein or by a single administration of a TPP1 gene therapy vector to the CSF, significantly delays the onset and progression of neurological signs and prolongs life span but does not prevent the loss of vision or modest retinal degeneration that occurs by 11 months of age. In this study we found that in dogs that received the CSF gene therapy treatment, the degeneration of the retina and loss of retinal function continued to progress during the prolonged life spans of the treated dogs. Eventually the normal cell layers of the retina almost completely disappeared. An exception was the ganglion cell layer. In affected dogs that received TPP1 gene therapy to the CSF and survived an average of 80 weeks, ganglion cell axons were present in numbers comparable to those of normal Dachshunds of similar age. The selective preservation of the retinal ganglion cells suggests that while TPP1 protein delivered via the CSF may protect these cells, preservation of the remainder of the retina will require delivery of normal TPP1 more directly to the retina, probably via the vitreous body. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

NSFC spurs significant basic research progress of respiratory medicine in China.

PubMed

Sun, Ruijuan; Xu, Feng; Wang, Chen; Dong, Erdan

2017-05-01

Over the years, research in respiratory medicine has progressed rapidly in China. This commentary narrates the role of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in supporting the basic research of respiratory medicine, summarizes the major progress of respiratory medicine in China, and addresses the main future research directions sponsored by the NSFC. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Equity in financing and use of health care in Ghana, South Africa, and Tanzania: implications for paths to universal coverage.

PubMed

Mills, Anne; Ataguba, John E; Akazili, James; Borghi, Jo; Garshong, Bertha; Makawia, Suzan; Mtei, Gemini; Harris, Bronwyn; Macha, Jane; Meheus, Filip; McIntyre, Di

2012-07-14

Universal coverage of health care is now receiving substantial worldwide and national attention, but debate continues on the best mix of financing mechanisms, especially to protect people outside the formal employment sector. Crucial issues are the equity implications of different financing mechanisms, and patterns of service use. We report a whole-system analysis--integrating both public and private sectors--of the equity of health-system financing and service use in Ghana, South Africa, and Tanzania. We used primary and secondary data to calculate the progressivity of each health-care financing mechanism, catastrophic spending on health care, and the distribution of health-care benefits. We collected qualitative data to inform interpretation. Overall health-care financing was progressive in all three countries, as were direct taxes. Indirect taxes were regressive in South Africa but progressive in Ghana and Tanzania. Out-of-pocket payments were regressive in all three countries. Health-insurance contributions by those outside the formal sector were regressive in both Ghana and Tanzania. The overall distribution of service benefits in all three countries favoured richer people, although the burden of illness was greater for lower-income groups. Access to needed, appropriate services was the biggest challenge to universal coverage in all three countries. Analyses of the equity of financing and service use provide guidance on which financing mechanisms to expand, and especially raise questions over the appropriate financing mechanism for the health care of people outside the formal sector. Physical and financial barriers to service access must be addressed if universal coverage is to become a reality. European Union and International Development Research Centre. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of hypertension and metabolic syndrome: lowering blood pressure is not enough for organ protection, new approach-arterial destiffening.

PubMed

Zimlichman, Reuven

2014-10-01

Cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) have been shown to induce end organ damage. Until now, the main approach to reduce CVRF-induced end organ damage was by normalization of CVRFs; this approach was found effective to reduce damage and cardiovascular (CV) events. However, a residual risk always remained even when CVRFs were optimally balanced. An additional risk factor which has an immense effect on the progression of end organ damage is aging. Aging is accompanied by gradual stiffening of the arteries which finally leads to CV events. Until recently, the process of arterial aging was considered as unmodifiable, but this has changed. Arterial stiffening caused by the aging process is similar to the changes seen as a result of CVRF-induced arterial damage. Actually, the presence of CVRFs causes faster arterial stiffening, and the extent of damage is proportional to the severity of the CVRF, the length of its existence, the patient's genetic factors, etc. Conventional treatments of osteoporosis and of hormonal decline at menopause are potential additional approaches to positively affect progression of arterial stiffening. The new approach to further decrease progression of arteriosclerosis, thus preventing events, is the prevention of age-associated arterial structural changes. This approach should further decrease age-associated arterial stiffening. A totally new promising approach is to study the possibility of affecting collagen, elastin, and other components of connective tissue that participate in the process of arterial stiffening. Reduction of pulse pressure by intervention in arterial stiffening process by novel methods as breaking collagen cross-links or preventing their formation is an example of future directions in treatment. This field is of enormous potential that might be revolutionary in inducing further significant reduction of cardiovascular events.

New drugs and indications in 2011. France is better focused on patients' interests after the Mediator scandal, but stagnation elsewhere.

PubMed

2012-04-01

Progress in the pharmaceutical sector accounted for only a tiny proportion of the hundred or so new products and indications analysed by Prescrire in 2011. About 1 in 6 new products had more harms than benefits, while more than half of all new products provided no advantages over existing options. One worrisome trend was the expansion of "umbrella" ranges for self-medication. As in previous years, drug regulatory agencies continued to grant marketing authorisation prematurely or on the basis of inadequate evaluation. This was especially true for paediatric medicines, despite some limited progress. In the wake of the Mediator disaster, the French health authorities in charge of patient protection, including the drug regulatory agency, finally reacted by withdrawing many old drugs with negative harm-benefit balances and made an effort to increase transparency and to provide better information on drug-related harms. European authorities showed no signs of similar improvements in early 2012. Drug companies continue to promote their products aggressively, which is not in patients' best interests. The medicalisation of life continues apace, with more and more direct-to-consumer advertising. The Mediator disaster was a wake-up call for French policy makers. In late 2011, several new regulations serving patients' interests were adopted, including greater transparency and better management of conflicts of interest, but as yet, with no major breakthrough in attitudes and procedures.

Enhancement of DEN-induced liver tumorigenesis in heme oxygenase-1 G143H mutant transgenic mice

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

Jin, Jianfeng; Wang, Dayong; Xiao, Haifeng

Heme oxygenase (HO) is the rate-limiting enzyme in heme metabolism. HO-1 exhibits anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory function via the actions of its metabolite, respectively. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that HO-1 is implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of several types of cancer. However, whether HO-1 takes part in healthy-premalignant-malignant transformation is still undefined. In this study, we took advantage of transgenic mice which over-expressed HO-1 dominant negative mutant (HO-1 G143H) and observed its susceptibility to DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Our results indicate that HO-1 G143H mutant accelerates the progression of tumorigenesis and tumor growth. The mechanism is closely related to enhancementmore » of ROS production which induce more hepatocytes death and secretion of inflammatory cytokines, proliferation of surviving hepatocytes. Our result provides the direct evidence that HO-1 plays an important protective role in liver carcinogenesis. Alternatively, we suggest the possible explanation on effect of HO-1 promoter polymorphism which involved in tumorigenesis. - Highlights: • Enhancement of DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in HO-1 G143H Tg mice. • HO-1G143H mutant enhanced DEN-induced ROS production and liver injury. • HO-1G143H mutant aggravated DEN-induced changes of inflammatory factors and cell proliferation.« less

[Natural history of HSV1 and HSV2 transmission modes and epidemiology consequences of HSV infection on HIV infection. Prevention].

PubMed

Malkin, J E

2002-04-01

Both Herpes simplex viruses HSV1 and HSV2 are transmitted by direct mucosal or cutaneo-mucosal contact between individuals. HSV1 is the leading cause of orofacial herpes and HSV2 the most frequently encountered cause of genital herpes. There are however a number of environmental and behavioral factors that modify the epidemiological pattern in both infections. These factors also affect virus dynamics and spread. In developing countries, HSV1 infections continues to be acquired in early childhood. In developed countries, displacement of this acquisition towards adolescence and adulthood explains, in part, the increase in genital herpes caused by HSV1. HVS2 infection progresses in the sexually active population worldwide. Although the rate of seroprevalance varies greatly from one continent to another, women are still more often infected than men. HSV2 genital infection is a cofactor for transmission and acquisition of HIV, which, in certain African regions where the two infections are highly prevalent, explains in part the progression of the HIV epidemic. Until a vaccine becomes available, the prevention depends on abstention from all oral and genital contact during periods of active disease. For genital herpes, use of a preservative has only a relative protective effect and the contribution of suppressive treatment in potentially contaminated subjects is under evaluation.

A qualitative evaluation of the 2005–2011 National Academic Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention Program☆

PubMed Central

Holland, Kristin M.; Vivolo-Kantor, Alana M.; Cruz, Jason Dela; Massetti, Greta M.; Mahendra, Reshma

2018-01-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Violence Prevention (DVP) funded eight National Academic Centers of Excellence (ACEs) in Youth Violence Prevention from 2005 to 2010 and two Urban Partnership Academic Centers of Excellence (UPACEs) in Youth Violence Prevention from 2006 to 2011. The ACEs and UPACEs constitute DVP’s 2005–2011 ACE Program. ACE Program goals include partnering with communities to promote youth violence (YV) prevention and fostering connections between research and community practice. This article describes a qualitative evaluation of the 2005–2011 ACE Program using an innovative approach for collecting and analyzing data from multiple large research centers via a web-based Information System (ACE-IS). The ACE-IS was established as an efficient mechanism to collect and document ACE research and programmatic activities. Performance indicators for the ACE Program were established in an ACE Program logic model. Data on performance indicators were collected through the ACE-IS biannually. Data assessed Centers’ ability to develop, implement, and evaluate YV prevention activities. Performance indicator data demonstrate substantial progress on Centers’ research in YV risk and protective factors, community partnerships, and other accomplishments. Findings provide important lessons learned, illustrate progress made by the Centers, and point to new directions for YV prevention research and programmatic efforts. PMID:26319174

Immune system alterations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Hovden, H; Frederiksen, J L; Pedersen, S W

2013-11-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a disease of which the underlying cause and pathogenesis are unknown. Cumulatative data clearly indicates an active participation by the immune system in the disease. An increasingly recognized theory suggests a non-cell autonomous mechanism, meaning that multiple cells working together are necessary for the pathogenesis of the disease. Observed immune system alterations could indicate an active participation in this mechanism. Damaged motor neurons are able to activate microglia, astrocytes and the complement system, which further can influence each other and contribute to neurodegeneration. Infiltrating peripheral immune cells appears to correlate with disease progression, but their significance and composition is unclear. The deleterious effects of this collaborating system of cells appear to outweigh the protective aspects, and revealing this interplay might give more insight into the disease. Markers from the classical complement pathway are elevated where its initiator C1q appears to derive primarily from motor neurons. Activated microglia and astrocytes are found in close proximity to dying motor neurons. Their activation status and proliferation seemingly increases with disease progression. Infiltrating monocytes, macrophages and T cells are associated with these areas, although with mixed reports regarding T cell composition. This literature review will provide evidence supporting the immune system as an important part of ALS disease mechanism and present a hypothesis to direct the way for further studies. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Correlates of tuberculosis risk: predictive biomarkers for progression to active tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Petruccioli, Elisa; Scriba, Thomas J.; Petrone, Linda; Hatherill, Mark; Cirillo, Daniela M.; Joosten, Simone A.; Ottenhoff, Tom H.; Denkinger, Claudia M.; Goletti, Delia

2016-01-01

New approaches to control the spread of tuberculosis (TB) are needed, including tools to predict development of active TB from latent TB infection (LTBI). Recent studies have described potential correlates of risk, in order to inform the development of prognostic tests for TB disease progression. These efforts have included unbiased approaches employing “omics” technologies, as well as more directed, hypothesis-driven approaches assessing a small set or even individual selected markers as candidate correlates of TB risk. Unbiased high-throughput screening of blood RNAseq profiles identified signatures of active TB risk in individuals with LTBI, ≥1 year before diagnosis. A recent infant vaccination study identified enhanced expression of T-cell activation markers as a correlate of risk prior to developing TB; conversely, high levels of Ag85A antibodies and high frequencies of interferon (IFN)-γ specific T-cells were associated with reduced risk of disease. Others have described CD27−IFN-γ+CD4+ T-cells as possibly predictive markers of TB disease. T-cell responses to TB latency antigens, including heparin-binding haemagglutinin and DosR-regulon-encoded antigens have also been correlated with protection. Further studies are needed to determine whether correlates of risk can be used to prevent active TB through targeted prophylactic treatment, or to allow targeted enrolment into efficacy trials of new TB vaccines and therapeutic drugs. PMID:27836953

Co-targeting of EGFR and autophagy signaling is an emerging treatment strategy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Koustas, Evangelos; Karamouzis, Michalis V; Mihailidou, Chrysovalantou; Schizas, Dimitrios; Papavassiliou, Athanasios G

2017-06-28

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its associated pathway is a critical key regulator of CRC development and progression. The monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) cetuximab and panitumumab, directed against EGFR, represent a major step forward in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival in several clinical trials. However, the activity of anti-EGFR MoAbs appears to be limited to a subset of patients with mCRC. Studies have highlighted that acquired-resistance to anti-EGFR MoAbs biochemically converge into Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. Recent data also suggest that acquired-resistance to anti-EGFR MoAbs is accompanied by inhibition of EGFR internalization, ubiqutinization, degradation and prolonged downregulation. It is well established that autophagy, a self-cannibalization process, is considered to be associated with resistance to the anti-EGFR MoAbs therapy. Additionally, autophagy induced by anti-EGFR MoAbs acts as a protective response in cancer cells. Thus, inhibition of autophagy after treatment with EGFR MoAbs can result in autophagic cell death. A combination therapy comprising of anti-EGFR MoAbs and autophagy inhibitors would represent a multi-pronged approach that could be evolved into an active therapeutic strategy in mCRC patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

WASP (Write a Scientific Paper): The right to privacy.

PubMed

Mallia, Pierre

2018-05-09

The data protection directive of the EU was set up to allow the freedom of movement of people between member states. This has the consequence of allowing the freedom of transfer of data between member states in research. The paper discusses three cases discussed during the project to see whether RECs can refuse research based on concern for data protection in some member states. Since the directive is not, as commonly thought, intended to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals - something which is the function of the Data Protection Acts of individual states, Member States do not have a right to prohibit research based on data laws. One must express concerns directly to Brussels. Conversely it is debated whether some research considered unlawful in one particular member state can be refused by this same state. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

40 CFR 60.5115 - How do I comply with the increment of progress for achieving final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Existing Sewage Sludge Incineration Units Model Rule...

40 CFR 60.2590 - When must I submit the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model...

40 CFR 60.2590 - When must I submit the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model...

40 CFR 60.2830 - When must I submit the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model...

40 CFR 60.2590 - When must I submit the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model...

40 CFR 60.5100 - When must I submit the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Existing Sewage Sludge Incineration Units Model Rule...

IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW LETTERS, 2002

EPA Science Inventory

The following letters provide a summary of the Environmental Protection Agencys comments regarding 2002 Implementation Review of nineteen estuary programs in the National Estuary Program. Various strengths within the programs included use of implementation progress and tracking s...

34 CFR 98.4 - Protection of students' privacy in examination, testing, or treatment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... RIGHTS IN RESEARCH, EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS, AND TESTING § 98.4 Protection of students' privacy in..., including a group activity, that is not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to... are not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to affect behavioral, emotional...

34 CFR 98.4 - Protection of students' privacy in examination, testing, or treatment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... RIGHTS IN RESEARCH, EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS, AND TESTING § 98.4 Protection of students' privacy in..., including a group activity, that is not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to... are not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to affect behavioral, emotional...

34 CFR 98.4 - Protection of students' privacy in examination, testing, or treatment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... RIGHTS IN RESEARCH, EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS, AND TESTING § 98.4 Protection of students' privacy in..., including a group activity, that is not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to... are not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to affect behavioral, emotional...

34 CFR 98.4 - Protection of students' privacy in examination, testing, or treatment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... RIGHTS IN RESEARCH, EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS, AND TESTING § 98.4 Protection of students' privacy in..., including a group activity, that is not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to... are not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to affect behavioral, emotional...

34 CFR 98.4 - Protection of students' privacy in examination, testing, or treatment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... RIGHTS IN RESEARCH, EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS, AND TESTING § 98.4 Protection of students' privacy in..., including a group activity, that is not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to... are not directly related to academic instruction and that is designed to affect behavioral, emotional...

The Role of ERK1/2 in the Progression of Anti-Androgen Resistance of mtDNA Deficient Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

of PCa and BCa. Signaled by a metabolic-to-proto-oncogenic pathway, it is plausible that the mitoGPS is a ubiquitous (patho) physiological response to...extracellular environment. We are the first to directly establish the mitochondrion as a direct physiological source of hypoxia in an in vitro system. Our...mitochondrial genome. It is plausible that the mitoGPS is a ubiquitous (patho) physiological response to the etiology and/or progression of a broad spectrum of