4-H PetPALS Juvenile Diversion Program Supports At-Risk Youth and Seniors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goble, Connie L.; Miller, Lucinda B.

2014-01-01

The 4-H PetPALS Juvenile Diversion Program provides a partnership opportunity with Extension and the juvenile court system to positively impact lives of at-risk youth. At-risk youth are taught by 4-H PetPALS adult volunteer leaders and 4-H PetPALS members to value and respect the human-animal bond, as well as to understand and empathize with…

Abundances in the Young Globulars Ruprecht 106 and PAL 12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, J. A.; Wallerstein, G.; Zucker, D.

1995-12-01

We have observed two red giants in each of the young globular clusters Ruprecht 106 and Pal 12 with the CTIO 4m echelle and analyzed the spectra for chemical composition. We find for Rup 106 [Fe/H] =~ -1.5, [O/Fe] =~ 0.0, and [alpha /Fe] =~ -0.2. For Pal 12 we find [Fe/H] =~ -1.0 and [alpha /Fe] =~ -0.05; we have no information on oxygen in Pal 12. The light odd-Z metals Na and Al are both overdeficient in both clusters' stars. The stars are all CN-weak compared to similar giants in nearby globulars of comparable [Fe/H]. The abundance results for Rup 106 rule out the possibility that the apparent youth of the cluster as derived from its color-magnitude diagram is caused by an anomalous composition; the lack of results for oxygen prevent us from making a similar statement for Pal 12. These abundances imply a very different star formation history for the material from which these clusters formed, compared to the well-studied old nearby globulars, and are consistent with the suggestion that these clusters are accreted objects, and were not formed in the same environment as the old clusters.

Adaptive Reading and Writing Instruction in iSTART and W-Pal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Amy M.; McCarthy, Kathryn S.; Kopp, Kristopher J.; Perret, Cecile A.; McNamara, Danielle S.

2017-01-01

Intelligent tutoring systems for ill-defined domains, such as reading and writing, are critically needed, yet uncommon. Two such systems, the Interactive Strategy Training for Active Reading and Thinking (iSTART) and Writing Pal (W-Pal) use natural language processing (NLP) to assess learners' written (i.e., typed) responses and provide immediate,…

Mixed-methods development of a new patient-reported outcome instrument for chronic low back pain: part 1-the Patient Assessment for Low Back Pain - Symptoms (PAL-S).

PubMed

Martin, Mona L; Blum, Steven I; Liedgens, Hiltrud; Bushnell, Donald M; McCarrier, Kelly P; Hatley, Noël V; Ramasamy, Abhilasha; Freynhagen, Rainer; Wallace, Mark; Argoff, Charles; Eerdekens, Mariёlle; Kok, Maurits; Patrick, Donald L

2018-06-01

We describe the mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) development and preliminary validation of the Patient Assessment for Low Back Pain-Symptoms (PAL-S), a patient-reported outcome measure for use in chronic low back pain (cLBP) clinical trials. Qualitative methods (concept elicitation and cognitive interviews) were used to identify and refine symptom concepts and quantitative methods (classical test theory and Rasch measurement theory) were used to evaluate item- and scale-level performance of the measure using an iterative approach. Patients with cLBP participated in concept elicitation interviews (N = 43), cognitive interviews (N = 38), and interview-based assessment of paper-to-electronic mode equivalence (N = 8). A web-based sample of patients with self-reported cLBP participated in quantitative studies to evaluate preliminary (N = 598) and revised (n = 401) drafts and a physician-diagnosed cohort of patients with cLBP (N = 45) participated in preliminary validation of the measure. The PAL-S contained 14 items describing symptoms (overall pain, sharp, prickling, sensitive, tender, radiating, shocking, shooting, burning, squeezing, muscle spasms, throbbing, aching, and stiffness). Item-level performance, scale structure, and scoring seemed to be appropriate. One-week test-retest reproducibility was acceptable (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.81 [95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.91]). Convergent validity was demonstrated with total score and MOS-36 Bodily Pain (Pearson correlation -0.79), Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (0.73), Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (0.67), and MOS-36 Physical Functioning (-0.65). Individual item scores and total score discriminated between numeric rating scale tertile groups and painDETECT categories. Respondent interpretation of paper and electronic administration modes was equivalent. The PAL-S has demonstrated content validity and is potentially useful to assess treatment benefit in cLBP clinical trials.

StarPals International Young Astronomers' Network Collaborative Projects for IYA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kingan, Jessi

2008-09-01

StarPals is a nascent non-profit organization with the goal of providing opportunities for international collaboration between students of all ages within space science research. We believe that by encouraging an interest in the cosmos, the one thing that is truly Universal, from a young age, students will not only further their knowledge of and interest in science but will learn valuable teamwork and life skills. The goal is to foster respect, understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity among all StarPals participants, whether students, teachers, or mentors. StarPals aims to inspire students by providing opportunities in which, more than simply visualizing themselves as research scientists, they can actually become one. The technologies of robotic telescopes, videoconferencing, and online classrooms are expanding the possibilities like never before. In honor of IYA2009, StarPals would like to encourage 400 schools to participate on a global scale in astronomy/cosmology research on various concurrent projects. We will offer in-person or online workshops and training sessions to teach the teachers. We will be seeking publication in scientific journals for some student research. For our current project, the Double Stars Challenge, students use the robotic telescopes to take a series of four images of one of 30 double stars from a list furnished by the US Naval Observatory and then use MPO Canopus software to take distance and position angle measurements. StarPals provides students with hands-on training, telescope time, and software to complete the imaging and measuring. A paper will be drafted from our research data and submitted to the Journal of Double Star Observations. The kids who participate in this project may potentially be the youngest contributors to an article in a vetted scientific journal. Kids rapidly adapt and improve their computer skills operating these telescopes and discover for themselves that science is COOL!

Preparation of 1D Hierarchical Material Mesosilica/Pal Composite and Its Performance in the Adsorption of Methyl Orange.

PubMed

Wu, Mei; Han, Haifeng; Ni, Lingli; Song, Daiyun; Li, Shuang; Hu, Tao; Jiang, Jinlong; Chen, Jing

2018-01-20

This paper highlights the synthesis of a one-dimensional (1D) hierarchical material mesosilica/palygorskite (Pal) composite and evaluates its adsorption performance for anionic dye methyl orange (MO) in comparison with Pal and Mobile crystalline material-41 (MCM-41). The Mesosilica/Pal composite is consisted of mesosilica coated Pal nanorods and prepared through a dual template approach using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and Pal as soft and hard templates, respectively. The composition and structure of the resultant material was characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmissionelectron microscopy (TEM), N₂ adsorption-desorption analysis, small-angle X-Ray powder diffraction (XRD), and zeta potential measurement. Adsorption experiments were carried out with different absorbents at different contact times and pH levels. Compared with Pal and MCM-41, the mesosilica/Pal composite exhibited the best efficiency for MO adsorption. Its adsorption ratio is as high as 70.4%. Its adsorption equilibrium time is as short as 30 min. Results testify that the MO retention is promoted for the micro-mesoporous hierarchical structure and positive surface charge electrostatic interactions of the mesosilica/Pal composite. The regenerability of the mesosilica/Pal composite absorbent was also assessed. 1D morphology makes it facile to separate from aqueous solutions. It can be effortlessly recovered and reused for up to nine cycles.

"My Pen Pal Goes to College": A Functional Approach to Literacy Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yellin, David

A study examined the effects of a "pen pal" letter writing exchange on undergraduate college students and second grade children. Subjects, 23 second graders, completed a letter writing attitude survey, and then (after receiving an explanation of what a pen pal is) exchanged letters with the undergraduates over a l5-week period. Results…

PAL-XFEL cavity beam position monitor pick-up design and beam test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sojeong; Park, Young Jung; Kim, Changbum; Kim, Seung Hwan; Shin, Dong Cheol; Han, Jang-Hui; Ko, In Soo

2016-08-01

As an X-ray Free Electron Laser, PAL-XFEL is about to start beam commissioning. X-band cavity beam position monitor (BPM) is used in the PAL-XFEL undulator beam line. Prototypes of cavity BPM pick-up were designed and fabricated to test the RF characteristics. Also, the beam test of a cavity BPM pick-up was done in the Injector Test Facility (ITF). In the beam test, the raw signal properties of the cavity BPM pick-up were measured at a 200 pC bunch charge. According to the RF test and beam test results, the prototype cavity BPM pick-up design was confirmed to meet the requirements of the PAL-XFEL cavity BPM system.

Getting to Know You: Cross-Cultural Pen Pals Expand Children's World View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shandomo, Hibajene M.

2009-01-01

In this article, the author described the Poplar Street-Naledi pen pal project. The goals of this project were to provide elementary school students with a broader view of the world, to increase their social and cultural awareness, to develop content knowledge of where their pen pals live, and to determine the impact of this project on student…

Stimulant Drug Effects on Touchscreen Automated Paired-Associates Learning (PAL) in Rats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roschlau, Corinna; Votteler, Angeline; Hauber, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Here we tested in rats effects of the procognitive drugs modafinil and methylphenidate on post-acquisition performance in an object-location paired-associates learning (PAL) task. Modafinil (32; 64 mg/kg) was without effect, while higher (9 mg/kg) but not lower (4.5 mg/kg) doses of methylphenidate impaired PAL performance. Likewise, higher but not…

Preparation of 1D Hierarchical Material Mesosilica/Pal Composite and Its Performance in the Adsorption of Methyl Orange

PubMed Central

Wu, Mei; Han, Haifeng; Ni, Lingli; Song, Daiyun; Li, Shuang; Hu, Tao; Jiang, Jinlong; Chen, Jing

2018-01-01

This paper highlights the synthesis of a one-dimensional (1D) hierarchical material mesosilica/palygorskite (Pal) composite and evaluates its adsorption performance for anionic dye methyl orange (MO) in comparison with Pal and Mobile crystalline material-41 (MCM-41). The Mesosilica/Pal composite is consisted of mesosilica coated Pal nanorods and prepared through a dual template approach using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and Pal as soft and hard templates, respectively. The composition and structure of the resultant material was characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmissionelectron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, small-angle X-Ray powder diffraction (XRD), and zeta potential measurement. Adsorption experiments were carried out with different absorbents at different contact times and pH levels. Compared with Pal and MCM-41, the mesosilica/Pal composite exhibited the best efficiency for MO adsorption. Its adsorption ratio is as high as 70.4%. Its adsorption equilibrium time is as short as 30 min. Results testify that the MO retention is promoted for the micro-mesoporous hierarchical structure and positive surface charge electrostatic interactions of the mesosilica/Pal composite. The regenerability of the mesosilica/Pal composite absorbent was also assessed. 1D morphology makes it facile to separate from aqueous solutions. It can be effortlessly recovered and reused for up to nine cycles. PMID:29361713

Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for Hazardous Agents ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Technical Brief PROVISIONAL ADVISORY LEVELS. Few health-based guidelines are available to inform decisions regarding the reoccupation of buildings or sites, or the re-use of water resources, following their contamination through the accidental or intentional release of toxic chemicals or chemical warfare agents, or following a large-scale disaster. To address this need, EPA/ORD’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) develops health-based Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for high priority chemicals including toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents, for both inhalation and oral exposures. Oral PALs are targeted to drinking water ingestion, but are applicable to other oral exposures such as soil ingestion. This product will be used as a hand-out at professional meetings to promote awareness of NHSRC's Provisional Advisory values. It will be posted on the intra and internet sites describing activities and products of EPA/ORD/NHSRC.

Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning): Level I Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevard Community Coll., Cocoa, FL.

These eight learning modules were prepared for parents participating in Brevard Community College's Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning), which was designed for low socioeconomic parents who are in need of an opportunity to explore effective parenting. First, materials for the BEST-PAL volunteer sponsors…

Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning): Level II Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevard Community Coll., Cocoa, FL.

These eight learning modules were prepared for parents participating in Brevard Community College's Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning), which was designed for low socioeconomic parents who are in need of an opportunity to explore effective parenting. First, materials for the BEST-PAL volunteer sponsors…

Regulation of a phenylalanine ammonia lyase (BbPAL) by calmodulin in response to environmental changes in the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana.

PubMed

Kim, Jiyoung; Park, Hyesung; Han, Jae-Gu; Oh, Junsang; Choi, Hyung-Kyoon; Kim, Seong Hwan; Sung, Gi-Ho

2015-11-01

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, E.C. 4.3.1.5) catalyses the deamination of L -phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid and ammonia, facilitating a critical step in the phenylpropanoid pathway that produces a variety of secondary metabolites. In this study, we isolated BbPAL gene in the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. According to multiple sequence alignment, homology modelling and in vitro PAL activity, we demonstrated that BbPAL acts as a typical PAL enzyme in B. bassiana. BbPAL interacted with calmodulin (CaM) in vitro and in vivo, indicating that BbPAL is a novel CaM-binding protein. The functional role of CaM in BbPAL action was to negatively regulate the BbPAL activity in B. bassiana. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that L -phenylalanine was reduced and trans-cinnamic acid was increased in response to the CaM inhibitor W-7. Dark conditions suppressed BbPAL activity in B. bassiana, compared with light. In addition, heat and cold stresses inhibited BbPAL activity in B. bassiana. Interestingly, these negative effects of BbPAL activity by dark, heat and cold conditions were recovered by W-7 treatment, suggesting that the inhibitory mechanism is mediated through stimulation of CaM activity. Therefore, this work suggests that BbPAL plays a role in the phenylpropanoid pathway mediated by environmental stimuli via the CaM signalling pathway. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

E-Pal Exchanges: A Way to Connect Preservice Teachers and English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patton, Anne; Hirano, Eliana; Garrett, Anna Rose

2017-01-01

Pen pal exchanges have been used for years to promote cross-cultural communication. In educational settings, pen pal projects have served additional purposes. One is providing English language learners (ELLs) with a safe but realistic context in which language skills can be practiced and learner motivation increased. This study investigates the…

Gluconic acid produced by Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5 possesses antimicrobial properties.

PubMed

Nieto-Peñalver, Carlos G; Savino, María J; Bertini, Elisa V; Sánchez, Leandro A; de Figueroa, Lucía I C

2014-09-01

Gluconic acid is produced in large quantities by the endophytic and diazotrophic bacterium Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5. This organic acid derives from direct oxidation of glucose by a pyrroloquinoline-quinone-linked glucose dehydrogenase in this plant growth-promoting bacterium. In the present article, evidence is presented showing that gluconic acid is also responsible for the antimicrobial activity of G. diazotrophicus Pal5. The broad antagonistic spectrum includes Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Eukaryotic microorganisms are more resistant to growth inhibition by this acid. Inhibition by gluconic acid can be modified through the presence of other organic acids. In contrast to other microorganisms, the Quorum Sensing system of G. diazotrophicus Pal5, a regulatory mechanism that plays a key role in several microbe-microbe interactions, is not related to gluconic acid production and the concomitant antagonistic activity. Copyright © 2014 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Ecosystem Pen Pals: Using Place-Based Marine Science and Culture to Connect Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiener, Carlie S.; Matsumoto, Karen

2014-01-01

The marine environment provides a unique context for students to explore both natural and cultural connections. This paper reports preliminary findings on Ecosystem Pen Pals, an ocean literacy program for 4th and 5th graders focused on using a pen pal model for integrating traditional ecological knowledge into marine science. Surveys with…

Peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (Pal) of Gram-negative bacteria: function, structure, role in pathogenesis and potential application in immunoprophylaxis.

PubMed

Godlewska, Renata; Wiśniewska, Katarzyna; Pietras, Zbigniew; Jagusztyn-Krynicka, Elzbieta Katarzyna

2009-09-01

The protein Pal (peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein) is anchored in the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria and interacts with Tol proteins. Tol-Pal proteins form two complexes: the first is composed of three inner membrane Tol proteins (TolA, TolQ and TolR); the second consists of the TolB and Pal proteins linked to the cell's OM. These complexes interact with one another forming a multiprotein membrane-spanning system. It has recently been demonstrated that Pal is essential for bacterial survival and pathogenesis, although its role in virulence has not been clearly defined. This review summarizes the available data concerning the structure and function of Pal and its role in pathogenesis.

Pal 12 - A metal-rich globular cluster in the outer halo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, J. G.; Frogel, J. A.; Persson, S. E.; Zinn, R.

1980-01-01

New optical and infrared observations of several stars in the distant globular cluster Pal 12 show that they have CO strengths and heavy element abundances only slightly less than in M 71, one of the more metal-rich globular clusters. Pal 12 thus has a metal abundance near the high end of the range over which globular clusters exist and lies in the outer galactic halo. Its red horizontal branch is not anomalous in view of the abundance that has been found.

The effect of peer assisted learning (PAL) on anatomic competencies of prospective student’s biology teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diana, S.

2018-05-01

Research about the effect of Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) strategy on Plant Anatomy Course, which aims to improve anatomic competencies of prospective student’s biology teacher, has been done. This study used a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design. The draft includes a group of students who were given a pre-test which is then followed by observing the PAL treatment process and post-test. The other students group (control) was given the pre-test and post-test only. The PAL program began with a discussion between the lecturer and the tutor about the pretest results and then discussion between the tutors and their tutees in the class about the responses items. After that, all students were assigned to answer a set of response items, and then did the posttest. The results showed that the PAL strategy can increase student’s anatomic literacy significantly and can increase student’s anatomic lab skills no significantly. Thus the PAL strategy implementation has a potential to improve student’s anatomic competencies. The generally students weaknesses were they lack practice in interpreting of research results in the graphs form and rarely shared about anatomic lab skills. All students respond positively to the PAL strategy.

Accuracy of activPAL Self-Attachment Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kringen, Nina L.; Healy, Genevieve N.; Winkler, Elisabeth A. H.; Clark, Bronwyn K.

2016-01-01

This study examined the accuracy of self-attachment of the activPAL activity monitor. A convenience sample of 50 participants self-attached the monitor after being presented with written material only (WMO) and then written and video (WV) instructions; and completed a questionnaire regarding the acceptability of the instructional methods.…

The multi-PDZ domain protein-1 (MUPP-1) expression regulates cellular levels of the PALS-1/PATJ polarity complex.

PubMed

Assémat, Emeline; Crost, Emmanuelle; Ponserre, Marion; Wijnholds, Jan; Le Bivic, Andre; Massey-Harroche, Dominique

2013-10-15

MUPP-1 (multi-PDZ domain protein-1) and PATJ (PALS-1-associated tight junction protein) proteins are closely related scaffold proteins and bind to many common interactors including PALS-1 (protein associated with Lin seven) a member of the Crumbs complex. Our goal is to understand how MUPP-1 and PATJ and their interaction with PALS-1 are regulated in the same cells. We have shown that in MCF10A cells there are at least two different and co-existing complexes, PALS-1/MUPP-1 and PALS-1/PATJ. Surprisingly, MUPP-1 levels inversely correlated with PATJ protein levels by acting on the stabilization of the PATJ/PALS-1 complex. Upon MUPP-1 depletion, the increased amounts of PATJ are in part localized at the migrating front of MCF10A cells and are able to recruit more PAR3 (partition defective 3). All together these data indicate that a precise balance between MUPP-1 and PATJ is achieved in epithelial cells by regulating their association with PALS-1. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning): Volunteer Sponsor's Leader's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevard Community Coll., Cocoa, FL.

This handbook was developed for volunteer group leaders participating in Brevard Community College's Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning). Project BEST-PAL was developed especially for low socioeconomic parents who are in need of an opportunity to explore effective parenting, with a primary objective being…

Soil Moisture Retrieval with Airborne PALS Instrument over Agricultural Areas in SMAPVEX16

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colliander, Andreas; Jackson, Thomas J.; Cosh, Mike; Misra, Sidharth; Bindlish, Rajat; Powers, Jarrett; McNairn, Heather; Bullock, P.; Berg, A.; Magagi, A.;

Examining the validity of the ActivPAL monitor in measuring posture and ambulatory movement in children.

PubMed

Aminian, Saeideh; Hinckson, Erica A

2012-10-02

Decreasing sedentary activities that involve prolonged sitting may be an important strategy to reduce obesity and other physical and psychosocial health problems in children. The first step to understanding the effect of sedentary activities on children's health is to objectively assess these activities with a valid measurement tool. To examine the validity of the ActivPAL monitor in measuring sitting/lying, standing, and walking time, transition counts and step counts in children in a laboratory setting. Twenty five healthy elementary school children (age 9.9 ± 0.3 years; BMI 18.2 ± 1.9; mean ± SD) were randomly recruited across the Auckland region, New Zealand. Children were fitted with ActivPAL monitors and observed during simulated free-living activities involving sitting/lying, standing and walking, followed by treadmill and over-ground activities at various speeds (slow, normal, fast) against video observation (criterion measure). The ActivPAL sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transition counts and steps were also compared with video data. The accuracy of step counts measured by the ActivPAL was also compared against the New Lifestyles NL-2000 and the Yamax Digi-Walker SW-200 pedometers. We observed a perfect correlation between the ActivPAL monitor in time spent sitting/lying, standing, and walking in simulated free-living activities with direct observation. Correlations between the ActivPAL and video observation in total numbers of sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transitions were high (r = 0.99 ± 0.01). Unlike pedometers, the ActivPAL did not misclassify fidgeting as steps taken. Strong correlations (r = 0.88-1.00) between ActivPAL step counts and video observation in both treadmill and over-ground slow and normal walking were also observed. During treadmill and over-ground fast walking and running, the correlations were low (r = 0.21-0.46). The ActivPAL monitor is a valid measurement tool for assessing time spent sitting/lying, standing, and walking, sit

Examining the validity of the ActivPAL monitor in measuring posture and ambulatory movement in children

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Decreasing sedentary activities that involve prolonged sitting may be an important strategy to reduce obesity and other physical and psychosocial health problems in children. The first step to understanding the effect of sedentary activities on children’s health is to objectively assess these activities with a valid measurement tool. Purpose To examine the validity of the ActivPAL monitor in measuring sitting/lying, standing, and walking time, transition counts and step counts in children in a laboratory setting. Methods Twenty five healthy elementary school children (age 9.9 ± 0.3 years; BMI 18.2 ± 1.9; mean ± SD) were randomly recruited across the Auckland region, New Zealand. Children were fitted with ActivPAL monitors and observed during simulated free-living activities involving sitting/lying, standing and walking, followed by treadmill and over-ground activities at various speeds (slow, normal, fast) against video observation (criterion measure). The ActivPAL sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transition counts and steps were also compared with video data. The accuracy of step counts measured by the ActivPAL was also compared against the New Lifestyles NL-2000 and the Yamax Digi-Walker SW-200 pedometers. Results We observed a perfect correlation between the ActivPAL monitor in time spent sitting/lying, standing, and walking in simulated free-living activities with direct observation. Correlations between the ActivPAL and video observation in total numbers of sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transitions were high (r = 0.99 ± 0.01). Unlike pedometers, the ActivPAL did not misclassify fidgeting as steps taken. Strong correlations (r = 0.88-1.00) between ActivPAL step counts and video observation in both treadmill and over-ground slow and normal walking were also observed. During treadmill and over-ground fast walking and running, the correlations were low (r = 0.21-0.46). Conclusion The ActivPAL monitor is a valid measurement

Development of new S-band SLED for PAL-XFEL Linac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joo, Youngdo; Park, Yongjung; Heo, Hoon; Heo, Jinyul; Park, Sung-Soo; Kim, Sang-Hee; Kim, Kwang-Hoon; Kang, Heung-Sik; Lee, Heung-Soo; Noh, Sungju; Oh, Kyoungmin

2017-01-01

In order to achieve beam acceleration to the beam energy of 10 GeV at the end of its 716 m-long linear accelerator (Linac), the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory X-ray Free Electron Laser (PAL-XFEL) is going to operate the Stanford Linear Accelerator Energy Doubler (SLED) at the maximum klystron output peak power of 80 MW, with a pulse length of 4 μs, and at a repetition rate of 60 Hz. The original SLED that had been used in Pohang Light Source-II (PLS-II) can no longer sustain such a high-power operation because excessive radiation caused by RF breakdown has been frequently detected even at the lower klystron peak power during the PLS-II operation. Therefore, a new SLED is designed by modifying both the 3-dB power hybrid and the waveguide-cavity coupling structure of the original SLED where the excessive radiation has been mainly detected. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation in the CST Microwave Studio shows that the new SLED has a peak electric field and a surface current lower than those of the original SLED at the same level of the RF input peak power, which would secure stable high-power operation. All of the 42 SLEDs in the PAL-XFEL Linac are newly fabricated and installed. During the RF conditioning of the PAL-XFEL Linac, no significant vacuum and radiation issue was found in the new SLEDs. Finally, the accelerated electron beam energy of 10 GeV obtained at the end of the PAL-XFEL Linac verified that the RF performance of the new SLED is stable.

[Malaria research for developing countries: the PAL+ program].

PubMed

Agid, F

2003-01-01

Despite extensive national and international intervention, little progress has been made in controlling, malaria and other communicable diseases afflicting many developing countries in the world. In response to the need to pursue and enhance investigation, the French Ministry of Research launched the PAL+ program in 1999 with the purpose of promoting concerted "research on malaria and other communicable diseases afflicting developing countries". The program is focused on developing methods of prevention and treatment for countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Advancement of these scientific goals is further by a determined efforts (i) to provide means for national coordination and scientific organization of malaria research in France and (ii) to revive the spirit and mechanisms that characterized previous operations of cooperation between France and countries in the southern hemisphere. This new vision of cooperation is based on two organizational approaches. The first involves integrated programs in which training and transfer of knowledge are essential. The second involves joint projects in which networks maintained by a continuous exchange in operational seminars contribute to establishing a permanent dialogue between the North and South. Priority research areas have been encouraged to respond to specific public health issues with emphasis on establishing a balance between work in the field and development of knowledge. The priority areas include (i) responding to the increasing incidence of drug resistance by identifying of new antimalarial drugs and defining new therapeutic strategies; (ii) understanding the implications of the pathophysiology and physiopathology mechanisms underlying severe malaria manifestations for development of a malaria vaccine; (iii) finding new opportunities for prevention of malaria based on more effective vector control; (iv) using social anthropology to factor population behaviour and habits into the

Writing Pal: Feasibility of an Intelligent Writing Strategy Tutor in the High School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roscoe, Rod D.; McNamara, Danielle S.

2013-01-01

The Writing Pal (W-Pal) is a novel intelligent tutoring system (ITS) that offers writing strategy instruction, game-based practice, essay writing practice, and formative feedback to developing writers. Compared to more tractable and constrained learning domains for ITS, writing is an ill-defined domain because the features of effective writing are…

Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus PAL5 possesses an active quorum sensing regulatory system.

PubMed

Bertini, Elisa V; Nieto Peñalver, Carlos G; Leguina, Ana C; Irazusta, Verónica P; de Figueroa, Lucía I C

2014-09-01

The endophytic bacterium Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus colonizes a broad range of host plants. Its plant growth-promoting capability is related to the capacity to perform biological nitrogen fixation, the biosynthesis of siderophores, antimicrobial substances and the solubilization of mineral nutrients. Colonization of and survival in these endophytic niche requires a complex regulatory network. Among these, quorum sensing systems (QS) are signaling mechanisms involved in the control of several genes related to microbial interactions, host colonization and stress survival. G. diazotrophicus PAL5 possesses a QS composed of a luxR and a luxI homolog, and produces eight molecules from the AHL family as QS signals. In this report data are provided showing that glucose concentration modifies the relative levels of these signal molecules. The activity of G. diazotrophicus PAL5 QS is also altered in presence of other carbon sources and under saline stress conditions. Inactivation of the QS system of G. diazotrophicus PAL5 by means of a quorum quenching strategy allowed the identification of extracellular and intracellular proteins under the control of this regulatory mechanism.

PALs: Fostering Student Engagement and Interactive Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hancock, Thomas; Smith, Stella; Timpte, Candace; Wunder, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) opened its doors in 2006 and accepted its inaugural class of first-year students in 2007. During the 2007-2008 academic year, faculty members and administrators worked together to develop a model for Partners in Active Learning, or PALs--an initiative designed to fit the GGC vision and mission to build an…

One NASA: Sharing Knowledge Through an Agency-wide Process Asset Library (PAL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Truss, Baraka J.

2006-01-01

This poster session will cover the key purpose and components behind implementing the NASA PAL website. This session will present the current results, describing the process used to create the website, the current usage measure, and will demonstrate how NASA is truly becoming ONE. The target audience for the poster session includes those currently implementing the CMMI model and looking for PAL adoption techniques. To continue to be the leader in space, science and technology, NASA is using this agency-wide PAL to share knowledge, work products and lessons learned through this website. Many organizations have failed to recognize how the efforts of process improvement fit into overall organizational effort. However, NASA as an agency has adopted the benefits of process improvement by the creation of this website to foster communication between its ten centers. The poster session will cover the following, topics outlined below: 1) Website purpose; 2) Characteristics of the website; 3) User accounts status; 4) Website content size; and 5) Usage percentages.

PAL Boot Camp: Preparing Cognitive Assistants for Deployment

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

to program it. Another technique used in the military for training humans is simulation. Officers moving to a joint staff tour are taught crisis...a PAL, it may be easier to have it learn from experiencing the military domain within a training setting rather than having an engineer decide how

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) as a characterization technique for nanostructured self-assembled amphiphile systems.

PubMed

Dong, Aurelia W; Pascual-Izarra, Carlos; Pas, Steven J; Hill, Anita J; Boyd, Ben J; Drummond, Calum J

2009-01-08

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) has potential as a novel rapid characterization method for self-assembly amphiphile systems; however, a lack of systematic correlation of PALS parameters with structural attributes has limited its more widespread application. In this study, using the well-characterized phytantriol/water and the phytantriol/vitamin E acetate/water self-assembly amphiphile systems, the impact of systematic structural changes controlled by changes in composition and temperature on PALS parameters has been studied. The PALS parameters (orthopositronium (oPs) lifetime and intensity signatures) were shown to be sensitive to the molecular packing and mobility of the self-assembled lipid molecules in various lyotropic liquid crystalline phases, enabling differentiation between liquid crystalline structures. The oPs lifetime, related to the molecular packing and mobility, is correlated with rheological properties of the individual mesophases. The oPs lifetime links the lipid chain packing and mobility in the various mesophases to resultant macroscopic properties, such as permeability, which is critical for the use of these mesophase structures as diffusion-controlled release matrices for active liposoluble compounds.

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS): a probe for molecular organisation in self-assembled biomimetic systems.

PubMed

Fong, Celesta; Dong, Aurelia W; Hill, Anita J; Boyd, Ben J; Drummond, Calum J

2015-07-21

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) has been shown to be highly sensitive to conformational, structural and microenvironmental transformations arising from subtle geometric changes in molecular geometry in self-assembling biomimetic systems. The ortho-positronium (oPs) may be considered an active probe that can provide information on intrinsic packing and mobility within low molecular weight solids, viscous liquids, and soft matter systems. In this perspective we provide a critical overview of the literature in this field, including the evolution of analysis software and experimental protocols with commentary upon the practical utility of PALS. In particular, we discuss how PALS can provide unique insight into the macroscopic transport properties of several porous biomembrane-like nanostructures and suggest how this insight may provide information on the release of drugs from these matrices to aid in developing therapeutic interventions. We discuss the potentially exciting and fruitful application of this technique to membrane dynamics, diffusion and permeability. We propose that PALS can provide novel molecular level information that is complementary to conventional characterisation techniques.

Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) Program. Program Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, H. Grant, Jr.

This document describes the Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) Program, a peer helping program developed by the Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas. It explains how selected high school students are trained to work as peer facilitators with younger students either on their own campus or from feeder junior high or elementary…

PalC, One of Two Bro1 Domain Proteins in the Fungal pH Signalling Pathway, Localizes to Cortical Structures and Binds Vps32

PubMed Central

Galindo, Antonio; Hervás-Aguilar, América; Rodríguez-Galán, Olga; Vincent, Olivier; Arst, Herbert N; Tilburn, Joan; Peñalva, Miguel A

2007-01-01

PalC, distantly related to Saccharomyces cerevisiaeperipheral endosomal sorting complexes required for transport III (ESCRT-III) component Bro1p and one of six Aspergillus nidulanspH signalling proteins, contains a Bro1 domain. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged PalC is recruited to plasma membrane-associated punctate structures upon alkalinization, when pH signalling is active. PalC recruitment to these structures is dependent on the seven transmembrane domain (7-TMD) receptor and likely pH sensor PalH. PalC is a two-hybrid interactor of the ESCRT-III Vps20/Vps32 subcomplex and binds Vps32 directly. This binding is largely impaired by Pro439Phe, Arg442Ala and Arg442His substitutions in a conserved region mediating interaction of Bro1p with Vps32p, but these substitutions do not prevent cortical punctate localization, indicating Vps32 independence. In contrast, Arg442Δ impairs Vps32 binding and prevents PalC-GFP recruitment to cortical structures. pH signalling involves a plasma membrane complex including the 7-TMD receptor PalH and the arrestin-like PalF and an endosomal membrane complex involving the PalB protease, the transcription factor PacC and the Vps32 binding, Bro1-domain-containing protein PalA. PalC, which localizes to cortical structures and can additionally bind a component of ESCRT-III, has the features required to bridge these two entities. A likely S. cerevisiaeorthologue of PalC has been identified, providing the basis for a unifying hypothesis of gene regulation by ambient pH in ascomycetes. PMID:17696968

PALS: A unique probe for the molecular organisation of biopolymer matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roussenova, M.; Alam, M. A.

2013-06-01

This short review aims to illustrate the versatility of Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) when utilized for the characterization of biopolymers (e.g.: starch, fractionated maltooligomers, gelatin and cellulose derivatives) commonly used for the formulation of pharmaceutical encapsulants. By showing examples from a number of recent PALS studies, we illustrate that this technique can be used to probe the changes in thermodynamic state and molecular packing for a wide range of biopolymer matrices as a function of temperature, matrix composition and water content. This provides a basis for establishing composition-structure-property relationships for these materials, which would eventually enable the rational control of their macroscopic properties and the design of optimal encapsulating matrices and intelligent drug delivery systems.

RaPAL Bulletin, Numbers 5-13, 1988-1990.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

RaPAL Bulletin, 1988

1988-01-01

This document consists of a 3-year compilation (9 issues) of the RaPAL (Research and Practice in Adult Literacy) Bulletin. Typical articles are: "Student Involvement in Research" (a report of a workshop by Alex Golightly, Nick Nicola, and Marilyn Stone); part of a dialogue between Paolo Freire and Ira Shor, writer/educators of Brazil and…

Suppressed phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity after heat shock in transgenic Nicotiana plumbaginifolia containing an Arabidopsis HSP18.2-parsley PAL2 chimera gene.

PubMed

Moriwaki, M; Yamakawa, T; Washino, T; Kodama, T; Igarashi, Y

1999-01-01

The activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL; EC 4.3.1.5) after heat shock (HS) in leaves and buds of transgenic Nicotiana plumbaginifolia containing an Arabidopsis HSP18.2 promoter-parsley phenylalanine ammonia-lyase 2 (HSP18.2-PAL2) chimera gene was examined. Immediately after HS treatment at 44 degrees C for 5 h, the PAL activity in both transgenic and normal (untransformed) plants was 35-38% lower than that before HS. At normal temperature (25-26 degrees C), the PAL activity recovered within 5 h of ending the HS treatment in normal plants, but not until 12-24 h in transgenic plants containing the HSP18.2-PAL2 gene. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed the presence of parsley PAL2 mRNA in transgenic plants, which remained for 8-12 h following 5-h HS at 44 degrees C; the mRNA was not observed before HS. The content of chlorogenic acid (CGA; 3-caffeoylquinic acid) decreased drastically 8-12 h after HS in transgenic plants, but only slightly in normal plants. Thus, the decrease in PAL activity accompanied by expression of the parsley PAL2 gene after HS treatment corresponded to the decrease in CGA synthesis. These results might be attributed to post-transcriptional degradation of endogenous PAL mRNA triggered by transcription of the transgene.

Conservation, Divergence, and Genome-Wide Distribution of PAL and POX A Gene Families in Plants.

PubMed

Rawal, H C; Singh, N K; Sharma, T R

2013-01-01

Genome-wide identification and phylogenetic and syntenic comparison were performed for the genes responsible for phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and peroxidase A (POX A) enzymes in nine plant species representing very diverse groups like legumes (Glycine max and Medicago truncatula), fruits (Vitis vinifera), cereals (Sorghum bicolor, Zea mays, and Oryza sativa), trees (Populus trichocarpa), and model dicot (Arabidopsis thaliana) and monocot (Brachypodium distachyon) species. A total of 87 and 1045 genes in PAL and POX A gene families, respectively, have been identified in these species. The phylogenetic and syntenic comparison along with motif distributions shows a high degree of conservation of PAL genes, suggesting that these genes may predate monocot/eudicot divergence. The POX A family genes, present in clusters at the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes, might be evolving and expanding with higher rate than the PAL gene family. Our analysis showed that during the expansion of POX A gene family, many groups and subgroups have evolved, resulting in a high level of functional divergence among monocots and dicots. These results will act as a first step toward the understanding of monocot/eudicot evolution and functional characterization of these gene families in the future.

Conservation, Divergence, and Genome-Wide Distribution of PAL and POX A Gene Families in Plants

PubMed Central

Rawal, H. C.; Singh, N. K.; Sharma, T. R.

2013-01-01

Genome-wide identification and phylogenetic and syntenic comparison were performed for the genes responsible for phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and peroxidase A (POX A) enzymes in nine plant species representing very diverse groups like legumes (Glycine max and Medicago truncatula), fruits (Vitis vinifera), cereals (Sorghum bicolor, Zea mays, and Oryza sativa), trees (Populus trichocarpa), and model dicot (Arabidopsis thaliana) and monocot (Brachypodium distachyon) species. A total of 87 and 1045 genes in PAL and POX A gene families, respectively, have been identified in these species. The phylogenetic and syntenic comparison along with motif distributions shows a high degree of conservation of PAL genes, suggesting that these genes may predate monocot/eudicot divergence. The POX A family genes, present in clusters at the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes, might be evolving and expanding with higher rate than the PAL gene family. Our analysis showed that during the expansion of POX A gene family, many groups and subgroups have evolved, resulting in a high level of functional divergence among monocots and dicots. These results will act as a first step toward the understanding of monocot/eudicot evolution and functional characterization of these gene families in the future. PMID:23671845

Molecular Characterization of a Recombinant Zea mays Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase (ZmPAL2) and Its Application in trans-Cinnamic Acid Production from L-Phenylalanine.

PubMed

Zang, Ying; Jiang, Ting; Cong, Ying; Zheng, Zhaojuan; Ouyang, Jia

2015-06-01

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is one of the most extensively studied enzymes with its crucial role in secondary phenylpropanoid metabolism of plants. Recently, its demand has been increased for aromatic chemical production, but its applications in trans-cinnamic acid production were not much explored. In the present study, a putative PAL gene from Zea mays designated as ZmPAL2 was expressed and characterized in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant ZmPAL2 exhibited a high PAL activity (7.14 U/mg) and a weak tyrosine ammonia-lyase activity. The optimal temperature of ZmPAL2 was 55 °C, and the thermal stability results showed that about 50 % of enzyme activity remained after a treatment at 60 °C for 6 h. The recombinant ZmPAL2 is a good candidate for the production of trans-cinnamic acid. The vitro conversion indicated that the recombinant ZmPAL2 could effectively catalyze the L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid, and the trans-cinnamic acid concentration can reach up to 5 g/l.

Procura-PALavras (P-PAL): A Web-based interface for a new European Portuguese lexical database.

PubMed

Soares, Ana Paula; Iriarte, Álvaro; de Almeida, José João; Simões, Alberto; Costa, Ana; Machado, João; França, Patrícia; Comesaña, Montserrat; Rauber, Andreia; Rato, Anabela; Perea, Manuel

2018-05-31

In this article, we present Procura-PALavras (P-PAL), a Web-based interface for a new European Portuguese (EP) lexical database. Based on a contemporary printed corpus of over 227 million words, P-PAL provides a broad range of word attributes and statistics, including several measures of word frequency (e.g., raw counts, per-million word frequency, logarithmic Zipf scale), morpho-syntactic information (e.g., parts of speech [PoSs], grammatical gender and number, dominant PoS, and frequency and relative frequency of the dominant PoS), as well as several lexical and sublexical orthographic (e.g., number of letters; consonant-vowel orthographic structure; density and frequency of orthographic neighbors; orthographic Levenshtein distance; orthographic uniqueness point; orthographic syllabification; and trigram, bigram, and letter type and token frequencies), and phonological measures (e.g., pronunciation, number of phonemes, stress, density and frequency of phonological neighbors, transposed and phonographic neighbors, syllabification, and biphone and phone type and token frequencies) for ~53,000 lemmatized and ~208,000 nonlemmatized EP word forms. To obtain these metrics, researchers can choose between two word queries in the application: (i) analyze words previously selected for specific attributes and/or lexical and sublexical characteristics, or (ii) generate word lists that meet word requirements defined by the user in the menu of analyses. For the measures it provides and the flexibility it allows, P-PAL will be a key resource to support research in all cognitive areas that use EP verbal stimuli. P-PAL is freely available at http://p-pal.di.uminho.pt/tools .

Content Analysis Schedule for Bilingual Education Programs: Proyecto PAL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Castor

This content analysis schedule for "Proyecto PAL" in San Jose, California, presents information on the history, funding, and scope of the project. Included are sociolinguistic process variables such as the native and dominant languages of students and their interaction. Information is provided on staff selection and the linguistic…

Neuroprotective effects of (Val8)GLP-1-Glu-PAL in the MPTP Parkinson's disease mouse model.

PubMed

Zhang, YanFang; Chen, YiMei; Li, Lin; Hölscher, Christian

2015-10-15

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a hormone and a growth factor. GLP-1 mimetics are currently on the market as treatments for type 2 diabetes. They also have shown neuroprotective properties in animal models of neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the GLP-1 mimetic exendin-4 has shown protective effects in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD), and a first clinical trial in PD patients showed promising results. (Val8)GLP-1-glu-PAL is a new GLP-1 analogue which has a longer biological half-life than exendin-4. We previously showed that (Val8)GLP-1-glu-PAL has neuroprotective properties. Here we tested the drug in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of PD. MPTP was injected (30mg/kg i.p.) along with (Val8)GLP-1-glu-PAL (25nmol/kg i.p.) once-daily for 8 days. (Val8)GLP-1-glu-PAL showed good effects in preventing the MPTP-induced motor impairment (Rotarod, open field locomotion, swim test), reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase levels (dopamine synthesis) in the substantia nigra, a reduction of activated caspase 3 levels, of TUNEL positive cell numbers, of the pro-apoptotic signaling molecule BAX and an increase in the growth signaling molecule Bcl-2. The results demonstrate that (Val8)GLP-1-glu-PAL shows promise as a novel treatment of PD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA LYASE ( PAL) knockdown on cell wall composition, biomass digestibility, and biotic and abiotic stress responses in Brachypodium

DOE PAGES

Cass, Cynthia L.; Peraldi, Antoine; Dowd, Patrick F.; ...

2015-06-19

The phenylpropanoid pathway in plants synthesizes a variety of structural and defence compounds, and is an important target in efforts to reduce cell wall lignin for improved biomass conversion to biofuels. Little is known concerning the trade-offs in grasses when perturbing the function of the first gene family in the pathway, PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA LYASE ( PAL). Therefore, PAL isoforms in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon were targeted, by RNA interference (RNAi), and large reductions (up to 85%) in stem tissue transcript abundance for two of the eight putative BdPAL genes were identified. The cell walls of stems of BdPAL-knockdown plantsmore » had reductions of 43% in lignin and 57% in cell wall-bound ferulate, and a nearly 2-fold increase in the amounts of polysaccharide-derived carbohydrates released by thermochemical and hydrolytic enzymic partial digestion. PAL-knockdown plants exhibited delayed development and reduced root growth, along with increased susceptibilities to the fungal pathogens Fusarium culmorum and Magnaporthe oryzae. Surprisingly, these plants generally had wild-type (WT) resistances to caterpillar herbivory, drought, and ultraviolet light. RNA sequencing analyses revealed that the expression of genes associated with stress responses including ethylene biosynthesis and signalling were significantly altered in PAL knocked-down plants under non-challenging conditions. These data reveal that, although an attenuation of the phenylpropanoid pathway increases carbohydrate availability for biofuel, it can adversely affect plant growth and disease resistance to fungal pathogens. Lastly, the data identify notable differences between the stress responses of these monocot pal mutants versus Arabidopsis (a dicot) pal mutants and provide insights into the challenges that may arise when deploying phenylpropanoid pathway-altered bioenergy crops.« less

Effects of PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA LYASE ( PAL) knockdown on cell wall composition, biomass digestibility, and biotic and abiotic stress responses in Brachypodium

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

Cass, Cynthia L.; Peraldi, Antoine; Dowd, Patrick F.

The phenylpropanoid pathway in plants synthesizes a variety of structural and defence compounds, and is an important target in efforts to reduce cell wall lignin for improved biomass conversion to biofuels. Little is known concerning the trade-offs in grasses when perturbing the function of the first gene family in the pathway, PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA LYASE ( PAL). Therefore, PAL isoforms in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon were targeted, by RNA interference (RNAi), and large reductions (up to 85%) in stem tissue transcript abundance for two of the eight putative BdPAL genes were identified. The cell walls of stems of BdPAL-knockdown plantsmore » had reductions of 43% in lignin and 57% in cell wall-bound ferulate, and a nearly 2-fold increase in the amounts of polysaccharide-derived carbohydrates released by thermochemical and hydrolytic enzymic partial digestion. PAL-knockdown plants exhibited delayed development and reduced root growth, along with increased susceptibilities to the fungal pathogens Fusarium culmorum and Magnaporthe oryzae. Surprisingly, these plants generally had wild-type (WT) resistances to caterpillar herbivory, drought, and ultraviolet light. RNA sequencing analyses revealed that the expression of genes associated with stress responses including ethylene biosynthesis and signalling were significantly altered in PAL knocked-down plants under non-challenging conditions. These data reveal that, although an attenuation of the phenylpropanoid pathway increases carbohydrate availability for biofuel, it can adversely affect plant growth and disease resistance to fungal pathogens. Lastly, the data identify notable differences between the stress responses of these monocot pal mutants versus Arabidopsis (a dicot) pal mutants and provide insights into the challenges that may arise when deploying phenylpropanoid pathway-altered bioenergy crops.« less

Validation of the Actigraph GT3X and ActivPAL Accelerometers for the Assessment of Sedentary Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Youngdeok; Barry, Vaughn W.; Kang, Minsoo

2015-01-01

This study examined (a) the validity of two accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X [ActiGraph LLC, Pensacola, FL, USA] and activPAL [PAL Technologies Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland]) for the assessment of sedentary behavior; and (b) the variations in assessment accuracy by setting minimum sedentary bout durations against a proxy for direct observation using an…

A Concept For a Primary Author's Language (PAL-X)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ripota, Peter

A Primary Author's Language (PAL-X) has been developed to serve as a documentation language for computer-assisted instructional (CAI) programs. Its development was necessary to permit the dissemination of CAI given the facts that: 1)existing CAI programs were written in over 60 languages; 2)the system for COURSEWRITER II, the most commonly used…

The AstroPAL Starter Pack: How to Create a Grad Mentoring Program That Fosters Equity and Inclusion in Your Department

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrera, Nicole

2017-01-01

The Astronomy Peer Advising Leaders program (AstroPAL) at Georgia State University is a grassroots effort initiated by one PhD student with no budget, yet has quickly become a successful program that especially impacts students of marginalized identities. AstroPAL provides guidance for incoming grad students and helps them adjust to the workload, stress, and other difficulties that can come with grad school. This talk will cover the AstroPAL goals and accomplishments, its logistical structure, and its longterm sustainability. We will discuss how the program has helped create a bridge between faculty and students as well as the positive effect it has had on our community. I will also provide tools that anyone can use to launch AstroPAL at their home institution.

The Palliative Care in Heart Failure (PAL-HF) Trial: Rationale and Design

PubMed Central

Mentz, Robert J.; Tulsky, James A.; Granger, Bradi B.; Anstrom, Kevin J.; Adams, Patricia A.; Dodson, Gwen C.; Fiuzat, Mona; Johnson, Kimberly S.; Patel, Chetan B.; Steinhauser, Karen E.; Taylor, Donald H.; O’Connor, Christopher M.; Rogers, Joseph G.

2014-01-01

Background The progressive nature of heart failure (HF) coupled with high mortality and poor quality of life mandates greater attention to palliative care as a routine component of advanced HF management. Limited evidence exists from randomized, controlled trials supporting the use of interdisciplinary palliative care in HF. Methods The Palliative Care in Heart Failure trial (PAL-HF) is a prospective, controlled, unblinded, single-center study of an interdisciplinary palliative care intervention in 200 patients with advanced HF estimated to have a high likelihood of mortality or re-hospitalization in the ensuing 6 months. The 6-month PAL-HF intervention focuses on physical and psychosocial symptom relief, attention to spiritual concerns and advanced care planning. The primary endpoint is health-related quality of life measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy with Palliative Care Subscale score at 6 months. Secondary endpoints include changes in anxiety/depression, spiritual well-being, caregiver satisfaction, cost and resource utilization, and a composite of death, HF hospitalization and quality of life. Conclusions PAL-HF is a randomized, controlled clinical trial that will help evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of palliative care in advanced HF using a patient-centered outcome as well as clinical and economic endpoints. PMID:25440791

Quality of Life in Patients With Brain Metastases Using the EORTC QLQ-BN20+2 and QLQ-C15-PAL

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

Caissie, Amanda; Nguyen, Janet; Chen, Emily

Purpose: The 20-item European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brain Neoplasm (QLQ-BN20) is a validated quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaire for patients with primary brain tumors. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 15 Palliative (QLQ-C15-PAL) core palliative questionnaire is a 15-item version of the core 30-item QLQ-C30 and was developed to decrease the burden on patients with advanced cancer. The combination of the QLQ-BN20 and QLQ-C30 to assess QOL may be too burdensome for patients. The primary aim of this study was to assess QOL in patients before and aftermore » treatment for brain metastases using the QLQ-BN20+2 and QLQ-C15-PAL, a version of the QLQ-BN20 questionnaire with 2 additional questions assessing cognitive functioning that were not addressed in the QLQ-C15-PAL. Methods and Materials: Patients with brain metastases completed the QLQ-C15-PAL and QLQ-BN20+2 questionnaires to assess QOL before and 1 month after radiation. Linear regression analysis was used to assess changes in QOL scores over time, as well as to explore associations between the QLQ-BN20+2 and QLQ-C15-PAL scales, patient demographics, and clinical variables. Spearman correlation assessed associations between the QLQ-BN20+2 and QLQ-C15-PAL scales. Results: Among 108 patients, the majority (55%) received whole-brain radiotherapy only, with 65% of patients completing follow-up at 1 month after treatment. The most prominent symptoms at baseline were future uncertainty (QLQ-BN20+2) and fatigue (QLQ-C15-PAL). After treatment, significant improvement was seen for the QLQ-C15-PAL insomnia scale, as well as the QLQ-BN20+2 scales of future uncertainty, visual disorder, and concentration difficulty. Baseline Karnofsky Performance Status was negatively correlated to QLQ-BN20+2 motor dysfunction but positively related to QLQ-C15-PAL physical functioning and QLQ-BN20+2 cognitive functioning

Problems with McAdams and Pals's (2006) Proposal of a Framework for an Integrative Theory of Personality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Seymour

2007-01-01

Comments on the original article "A New Big Five: Fundamental Principles for an Integrative Science of Personality," by Dan P. McAdams and Jennifer L. Pals (see record 2006-03947-002). Here, the current author begins with a critique of McAdams and Pals's (April 2006) five principles for a framework for an integrative theory of personality. The…

Structures of the human Pals1 PDZ domain with and without ligand suggest gated access of Crb to the PDZ peptide-binding groove

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

Ivanova, Marina E.; Fletcher, Georgina C.; O’Reilly, Nicola

2015-03-01

This study characterizes the interaction between the carboxy-terminal (ERLI) motif of the essential polarity protein Crb and the Pals1/Stardust PDZ-domain protein. Structures of human Pals1 PDZ with and without a Crb peptide are described, explaining the highly conserved nature of the ERLI motif and revealing a sterically blocked peptide-binding groove in the absence of ligand. Many components of epithelial polarity protein complexes possess PDZ domains that are required for protein interaction and recruitment to the apical plasma membrane. Apical localization of the Crumbs (Crb) transmembrane protein requires a PDZ-mediated interaction with Pals1 (protein-associated with Lin7, Stardust, MPP5), a member ofmore » the p55 family of membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs). This study describes the molecular interaction between the Crb carboxy-terminal motif (ERLI), which is required for Drosophila cell polarity, and the Pals1 PDZ domain using crystallography and fluorescence polarization. Only the last four Crb residues contribute to Pals1 PDZ-domain binding affinity, with specificity contributed by conserved charged interactions. Comparison of the Crb-bound Pals1 PDZ structure with an apo Pals1 structure reveals a key Phe side chain that gates access to the PDZ peptide-binding groove. Removal of this side chain enhances the binding affinity by more than fivefold, suggesting that access of Crb to Pals1 may be regulated by intradomain contacts or by protein–protein interaction.« less

An application of programmatic assessment for learning (PAL) system for general practice training.

PubMed

Schuwirth, Lambert; Valentine, Nyoli; Dilena, Paul

2017-01-01

Aim: Programmatic assessment for learning (PAL) is becoming more and more popular as a concept but its implementation is not without problems. In this paper we describe the design principles behind a PAL program in a general practice training context. Design principles: The PAL program was designed to optimise the meaningfulness of assessment information for the registrar and to make him/her use that information to self regulate their learning. The main principles in the program were cognitivist and transformative. The main cognitive principles we used were fostering the understanding of deep structures and stimulating transfer by making registrars constantly connect practice experiences with background knowledge. Ericsson's deliberate practice approach was built in with regard to the provision of feedback combined with Pintrich's model of self regulation. Mezirow's transformative learning and insights from social network theory on collaborative learning were used to support the registrars in their development to become GP professionals. Finally the principal of test enhanced learning was optimised. Epilogue: We have provided this example explain the design decisions behind our program, but not want to present our program as the solution to any given situation.

Structures of the human Pals1 PDZ domain with and without ligand suggest gated access of Crb to the PDZ peptide-binding groove

PubMed Central

Ivanova, Marina E.; Fletcher, Georgina C.; O’Reilly, Nicola; Purkiss, Andrew G.; Thompson, Barry J.; McDonald, Neil Q.

2015-01-01

Many components of epithelial polarity protein complexes possess PDZ domains that are required for protein interaction and recruitment to the apical plasma membrane. Apical localization of the Crumbs (Crb) transmembrane protein requires a PDZ-mediated interaction with Pals1 (protein-associated with Lin7, Stardust, MPP5), a member of the p55 family of membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs). This study describes the molecular interaction between the Crb carboxy-terminal motif (ERLI), which is required for Drosophila cell polarity, and the Pals1 PDZ domain using crystallography and fluorescence polarization. Only the last four Crb residues contribute to Pals1 PDZ-domain binding affinity, with specificity contributed by conserved charged interactions. Comparison of the Crb-bound Pals1 PDZ structure with an apo Pals1 structure reveals a key Phe side chain that gates access to the PDZ peptide-binding groove. Removal of this side chain enhances the binding affinity by more than fivefold, suggesting that access of Crb to Pals1 may be regulated by intradomain contacts or by protein–protein interaction. PMID:25760605

Let's Be PALS: An Evidence-Based Approach to Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunst, Carl J.; Trivette, Carol M.

2009-01-01

An evidence-based approach to professional development is described on the basis of the findings from a series of research syntheses and meta-analyses of adult learning methods and strategies. The approach, called PALS (Participatory Adult Learning Strategy), places major emphasis on both active learner involvement in all aspects of training…

The Novel Fission Yeast Protein Pal1p Interacts with Hip1-related Sla2p/End4p and Is Involved in Cellular Morphogenesis

PubMed Central

Ge, Wanzhong; Chew, Ting Gang; Wachtler, Volker; Naqvi, Suniti N.; Balasubramanian, Mohan K.

2005-01-01

The establishment and maintenance of characteristic cellular morphologies is a fundamental property of all cells. Here we describe Schizosaccharomyces pombe Pal1p, a protein important for maintenance of cylindrical cellular morphology. Pal1p is a novel membrane-associated protein that localizes to the growing tips of interphase cells and to the division site in cells undergoing cytokinesis in an F-actin- and microtubule-independent manner. Cells deleted for pal1 display morphological defects, characterized by the occurrence of spherical and pear-shaped cells with an abnormal cell wall. Pal1p physically interacts and displays overlapping localization with the Huntingtin-interacting-protein (Hip1)-related protein Sla2p/End4p, which is also required for establishment of cylindrical cellular morphology. Sla2p is important for efficient localization of Pal1p to the sites of polarized growth and appears to function upstream of Pal1p. Interestingly, spherical pal1Δ mutants polarize to establish a pearlike morphology before mitosis in a manner dependent on the kelch-repeat protein Tea1p and the cell cycle inhibitory kinase Wee1p. Thus, overlapping mechanisms involving Pal1p, Tea1p, and Sla2p contribute to the establishment of cylindrical cellular morphology, which is important for proper spatial regulation of cytokinesis. PMID:15975911

The novel fission yeast protein Pal1p interacts with Hip1-related Sla2p/End4p and is involved in cellular morphogenesis.

PubMed

Ge, Wanzhong; Chew, Ting Gang; Wachtler, Volker; Naqvi, Suniti N; Balasubramanian, Mohan K

2005-09-01

The establishment and maintenance of characteristic cellular morphologies is a fundamental property of all cells. Here we describe Schizosaccharomyces pombe Pal1p, a protein important for maintenance of cylindrical cellular morphology. Pal1p is a novel membrane-associated protein that localizes to the growing tips of interphase cells and to the division site in cells undergoing cytokinesis in an F-actin- and microtubule-independent manner. Cells deleted for pal1 display morphological defects, characterized by the occurrence of spherical and pear-shaped cells with an abnormal cell wall. Pal1p physically interacts and displays overlapping localization with the Huntingtin-interacting-protein (Hip1)-related protein Sla2p/End4p, which is also required for establishment of cylindrical cellular morphology. Sla2p is important for efficient localization of Pal1p to the sites of polarized growth and appears to function upstream of Pal1p. Interestingly, spherical pal1Delta mutants polarize to establish a pearlike morphology before mitosis in a manner dependent on the kelch-repeat protein Tea1p and the cell cycle inhibitory kinase Wee1p. Thus, overlapping mechanisms involving Pal1p, Tea1p, and Sla2p contribute to the establishment of cylindrical cellular morphology, which is important for proper spatial regulation of cytokinesis.

PAL spectroscopy of rare-earth doped Ga-Ge-Te/Se glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shpotyuk, Ya.; Ingram, A.; Shpotyuk, O.

2016-04-01

Positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy was applied for the first time to study free-volume void evolution in chalcogenide glasses of Ga-Ge-Te/Se cut-section exemplified by glassy Ga10Ge15Te75 and Ga10Ge15Te72Se3 doped with 500 ppm of Tb3+ or Pr3+. The collected PAL spectra reconstructed within two-state trapping model reveal decaying tendency in positron trapping efficiency in these glasses under rare-earth doping. This effect results in unchanged or slightly increased defect-related lifetimes τ2 at the cost of more strong decrease in I2 intensities, as well as reduced positron trapping rate in defects and fraction of trapped positrons. Observed changes are ascribed to rare-earth activated elimination of intrinsic free volumes associated mainly with negatively-charged states of chalcogen atoms especially those neighboring with Ga-based polyhedrons.

TweezPal - Optical tweezers analysis and calibration software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osterman, Natan

2010-11-01

Optical tweezers, a powerful tool for optical trapping, micromanipulation and force transduction, have in recent years become a standard technique commonly used in many research laboratories and university courses. Knowledge about the optical force acting on a trapped object can be gained only after a calibration procedure which has to be performed (by an expert) for each type of trapped objects. In this paper we present TweezPal, a user-friendly, standalone Windows software tool for optical tweezers analysis and calibration. Using TweezPal, the procedure can be performed in a matter of minutes even by non-expert users. The calibration is based on the Brownian motion of a particle trapped in a stationary optical trap, which is being monitored using video or photodiode detection. The particle trajectory is imported into the software which instantly calculates position histogram, trapping potential, stiffness and anisotropy. Program summaryProgram title: TweezPal Catalogue identifier: AEGR_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEGR_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 44 891 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 792 653 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Borland Delphi Computer: Any PC running Microsoft Windows Operating system: Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista, 7 RAM: 12 Mbytes Classification: 3, 4.14, 18, 23 Nature of problem: Quick, robust and user-friendly calibration and analysis of optical tweezers. The optical trap is calibrated from the trajectory of a trapped particle undergoing Brownian motion in a stationary optical trap (input data) using two methods. Solution method: Elimination of the experimental drift in position data. Direct calculation of the trap stiffness from the positional

PAL[R] Services Being Measured through Scientifically-Based Evaluation Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perspectives in Peer Programs, 2007

2007-01-01

In January 2006, PAL[R] Peer Assistance and Leadership, a Promising Prevention Program of Workers Assistance Program, Inc. (WAP), received a $30,000 grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) in order to be scientifically-evaluated on the outcomes and effectiveness of its programs and services. According to the grant, the…

Comparison of the performance of the activPAL Professional physical activity logger to a discrete accelerometer-based activity monitor.

PubMed

Godfrey, A; Culhane, K M; Lyons, G M

2007-10-01

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the 'activPAL Professional' physical activity logger by comparing its output to that of a proven discrete accelerometer-based activity monitor during extended measurements on healthy subjects while performing activities of daily living (ADL). Ten healthy adults, with unrestricted mobility, wore both the activPAL and the discrete dual accelerometer (Analog Devices ADXL202)-based activity monitor that recorded in synchronization with each other. The accelerometer derived data were then compared to that generated by the activPAL and a complete statistical and error analysis was performed using a Matlab program. This program determined trunk and thigh inclination angles to distinguish between sitting/lying, standing and stepping for the discrete accelerometer device and amount of time spent on each activity. Analysis was performed on a second-by-second basis and then categorized at 15s intervals in direct comparison with the activPAL generated data. Of the total time monitored (approximately 60 h) the detection accuracies for static and dynamic activities were approximately 98%. In a population of healthy adults, the data obtained from the activPAL Professional physical activity logger for both static and dynamic activities showed a close match to a proven discrete accelerometer data with an offset of approximately 2% between the two systems.

Characterization of the TolB-Pal trans-envelope complex from Xylella fastidiosa reveals a dynamic and coordinated protein expression profile during the biofilm development process.

PubMed

Santos, Clelton A; Janissen, Richard; Toledo, Marcelo A S; Beloti, Lilian L; Azzoni, Adriano R; Cotta, Monica A; Souza, Anete P

2015-10-01

The intriguing roles of the bacterial Tol-Pal trans-envelope protein complex range from maintenance of cell envelope integrity to potential participation in the process of cell division. In this study, we report the characterization of the XfTolB and XfPal proteins of the Tol-Pal complex of Xylella fastidiosa. X. fastidiosa is a major plant pathogen that forms biofilms inside xylem vessels, triggering the development of diseases in important cultivable plants around the word. Based on functional complementation experiments in Escherichia coli tolB and pal mutant strains, we confirmed the role of xftolB and xfpal in outer membrane integrity. In addition, we observed a dynamic and coordinated protein expression profile during the X. fastidiosa biofilm development process. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), the low-resolution structure of the isolated XfTolB-XfPal complex in solution was solved for the first time. Finally, the localization of the XfTolB and XfPal polar ends was visualized via immunofluorescence labeling in vivo during bacterial cell growth. Our results highlight the major role of the components of the cell envelope, particularly the TolB-Pal complex, during the different phases of bacterial biofilm development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PAL-12, a new anti-aging hexa-peptoid, inhibits UVB-induced photoaging in human dermal fibroblasts and 3D reconstructed human full skin model, Keraskin-FT™.

PubMed

Song, Daeun; Park, Hyeonji; Lee, Su-Hyon; Kim, Mi Jung; Kim, Eun-Joo; Lim, Kyung-Min

2017-11-01

Peptoids are a class of peptidomimetics whose pharmacological activities are widely investigated owing to their remarkable biological stability. However, the utilities of peptoids as cosmetic functional ingredients have not been fully explored. Here, we investigated anti-aging effects of PAL-12, a new hexa-peptoid, on UVB-induced photoaging in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and a 3D reconstituted human full skin model, Keraskin-FT™. PAL-12 suppressed matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression induced by UVB irradiation along with the attenuation of MMP-1 secretion as determined by ELISA assay. Interestingly PAL-12 slightly enhanced the expression levels of collagen-1 and fibronectin-1 in HDFs or Keraskin-FT™. In addition, PAL-12 prevented the decrease of cell viability following UVB irradiation. However, PAL-12 failed to affect ROS generation, cell necrosis and apoptosis significantly. Instead, PAL-12 suppressed UVB-induced activation of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun, which may resulted in the attenuation of AP-1-promoted MMP-1 expression. Collectively, these results suggest that PAL-12 might be a novel cosmetic ingredient effective against UVB-induced skin photoaging.

META-ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL ( PAL ) DATA FOR U.S. YOUTH

EPA Science Inventory

This paper describes analytical research undertaken by EMRB staff to obtain age- and gender-specific distributions of Physical Activity Level (PAL) values for children measured in studies published between 1990-2004 in the clinical nutrition and exercise physiology literatures. ...

Isolation and genetic mapping of a Coffea canephora phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene (CcPAL1) and its involvement in the accumulation of caffeoyl quinic acids.

PubMed

Mahesh, Venkataramaiah; Rakotomalala, Jean Jacques; Le Gal, Lénaïg; Vigne, Hélène; de Kochko, Alexandre; Hamon, Serge; Noirot, Michel; Campa, Claudine

2006-09-01

Biosynthesis of caffeoylquinic acids occurs via the phenylpropanoid pathway in which the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) acts as a key-control enzyme. A full-length cDNA (pF6), corresponding to a PAL gene (CcPAL1), was isolated by screening a Coffea canephora fruit cDNA library and its corresponding genomic sequence was characterized. Amplification of total DNA from seven Coffea species revealed differences in intronic length. This interspecific polymorphism was used to locate the gene on a genetic map established for a backcross progeny between Coffea pseudozanguebariae and C. dewevrei. The CcPAL1 gene was found on the same linkage group, but genetically independent, as a caffeoyl-coenzyme A-O-methyltransferase gene, another gene intervening in the phenylpropanoid pathway. In the same backcross, a lower caffeoylquinic acid content was observed in seeds harvested from plants harbouring the C. pseudozanguebariae CcPAL1 allele. Involvement of the CcPAL1 allelic form in the differential accumulation of caffeoylquinic acids in coffee green beans is then discussed.

Pharmacological inhibition of PAR2 with the pepducin P2pal-18S protects mice against acute experimental biliary pancreatitis.

PubMed

Michael, E S; Kuliopulos, A; Covic, L; Steer, M L; Perides, G

2013-03-01

Pancreatic acinar cells express proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) that is activated by trypsin-like serine proteases and has been shown to exert model-specific effects on the severity of experimental pancreatitis, i.e., PAR2(-/-) mice are protected from experimental acute biliary pancreatitis but develop more severe secretagogue-induced pancreatitis. P2pal-18S is a novel pepducin lipopeptide that targets and inhibits PAR2. In studies monitoring PAR2-stimulated intracellular Ca(2+) concentration changes, we show that P2pal-18S is a full PAR2 inhibitor in acinar cells. Our in vivo studies show that P2pal-18S significantly reduces the severity of experimental biliary pancreatitis induced by retrograde intraductal bile acid infusion, which mimics injury induced by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This reduction in pancreatitis severity is observed when the pepducin is given before or 2 h after bile acid infusion but not when it is given 5 h after bile acid infusion. Conversely, P2pal-18S increases the severity of secretagogue-induced pancreatitis. In vitro studies indicate that P2pal-18S protects acinar cells against bile acid-induced injury/death, but it does not alter bile acid-induced intracellular zymogen activation. These studies are the first to report the effects of an effective PAR2 pharmacological inhibitor on pancreatic acinar cells and on the severity of experimental pancreatitis. They raise the possibility that a pepducin such as P2pal-18S might prove useful in the clinical management of patients at risk for developing severe biliary pancreatitis such as occurs following ERCP.

Interannual covariability between actual evapotranspiration and PAL and GIMMS NDVIs of northern Asia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Suzuki, Rikie; Masuda, Kooiti; Dye, Dennis G.

2007-01-01

This study examined the covariability between interannual changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and actual evapotranspiration (ET). To reduce possible uncertainty in the NDVI time series, two NDVI datasets derived from Pathfinder AVHRR Land (PAL) data and the Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling Studies (GIMMS) group were used. Analyses were conducted using data over northern Asia from 1982 to 2000. Interannual changes over 19 years in the PAL-NDVI and GIMMS-NDVI were compared with interannual changes in ET estimated from model-assimilated atmospheric data and gridded precipitation data. For both NDVI datasets, the annual maximum correlation with ET occurred in June, which is the beginning of the vegetation growing season. The PAL and GIMMS datasets showed a significant, positive correlation between interannual changes in the NDVI and ET over most of the vegetated land area in June. These results suggest that interannual changes in vegetation activity predominantly control interannual changes in ET in June. Based on analyses of interannual changes in temperature, precipitation, and the NDVI in June, the study area can be roughly divided into two regions, the warmth-dominated northernmost region and the wetness-dominated southern region, indicating that interannual changes in vegetation and the resultant interannual changes in ET are controlled by warmth and wetness in these two regions, respectively.

Feasibility and reliability of remote assessment of PALS psychomotor skills via interactive videoconferencing.

PubMed

Weeks, Douglas L; Molsberry, Dianne M

2009-03-01

This study determined inter-rater agreement between skill assessments provided by on-site PALS evaluators with ratings from evaluators at a remote site viewing the same skill performance over a videoconferencing network. Judgments about feasibility of remote evaluation were also obtained from the evaluators and PALS course participants. Two remote and two on-site instructors independently rated performance of 27 course participants who performed cardiac and shock/respiratory emergency core cases. Inter-rater reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Feasibility was assessed with surveys of evaluators and course participants. Core cases were under the direction of the remote evaluators. The ICC for overall agreement on pass/fail decisions was 0.997 for the cardiac cases and 0.998 for the shock/respiratory cases. Perfect agreement was reached on 52 of 54 pass/fail decisions. Across all evaluators, all core cases, and all participants, 2584 ratings of individual skill criteria were provided, of which 21 (0.8%) were ratings in which a single evaluator disagreed with the other three evaluators. No trends emerged for location of the disagreeing evaluator. Survey responses indicated that remote evaluation was acceptable and feasible to course participants and to the evaluators. Videoconferencing technology was shown to provide adequate spatial and temporal resolution for PALS evaluators at-a-distance from course participants to agree with ratings of on-site evaluators.

Nitric oxide signals ROS scavenger-mediated enhancement of PAL activity in nitrogen-deficient Matricaria chamomilla roots: side effects of scavengers.

PubMed

Kovácik, Jozef; Klejdus, Borivoj; Backor, Martin

2009-06-15

Owing to the abundance of phenolic metabolites in plant tissue, their accumulation represents an important tool for stress protection. However, the regulation of phenolic metabolism is still poorly known. The regulatory role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in nitrogen (N)-deficient chamomile roots treated for 24 h was studied using three ROS scavengers [dithiothreitol (DTT), salicylhydroxamic acid, and sodium benzoate]. Scavengers decreased the level of hydrogen peroxide and/or superoxide (and up-regulated ascorbate/guaiacol peroxidase and glutathione reductase), but, surprisingly, stimulated PAL activity. This up-regulation was correlated with increases in nitric oxide (NO) content, total soluble phenols, selected phenolic acids, and, partially, lignin (being expressed the most in DTT-exposed roots). We therefore tested the hypothesis that NO may be involved in these changes. Application of 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO) decreased PAL activity and the accumulation of soluble phenols in all treatments. Exogenous H(2)O(2) and NO also stimulated PAL activity and the accumulation of phenols. We conclude that NO, in addition to hydrogen peroxide, may regulate PAL activity during N deficiency. The anomalous effect of PTIO on NO content and possible mechanism of ROS scavenger-evoked NO increases in light of the current knowledge are also discussed.

Advantages of soft versus hard constraints in self-modeling curve resolution problems. Penalty alternating least squares (P-ALS) extension to multi-way problems.

PubMed

Richards, Selena; Miller, Robert; Gemperline, Paul

2008-02-01

An extension to the penalty alternating least squares (P-ALS) method, called multi-way penalty alternating least squares (NWAY P-ALS), is presented. Optionally, hard constraints (no deviation from predefined constraints) or soft constraints (small deviations from predefined constraints) were applied through the application of a row-wise penalty least squares function. NWAY P-ALS was applied to the multi-batch near-infrared (NIR) data acquired from the base catalyzed esterification reaction of acetic anhydride in order to resolve the concentration and spectral profiles of l-butanol with the reaction constituents. Application of the NWAY P-ALS approach resulted in the reduction of the number of active constraints at the solution point, while the batch column-wise augmentation allowed hard constraints in the spectral profiles and resolved rank deficiency problems of the measurement matrix. The results were compared with the multi-way multivariate curve resolution (MCR)-ALS results using hard and soft constraints to determine whether any advantages had been gained through using the weighted least squares function of NWAY P-ALS over the MCR-ALS resolution.

Development and Evaluation of vetPAL, a Student-Led, Peer-Assisted Learning Program.

PubMed

Bates, Lucy S W; Warman, Sheena; Pither, Zoe; Baillie, Sarah

Based on an idea from a final-year student, Bristol Veterinary School introduced vetPAL, a student-led, peer-assisted learning program. The program involved fifth-year (final-year) students acting as tutors and leading sessions for fourth-year students (tutees) in clinical skills and revision (review) topics. The initiative aimed to supplement student learning while also providing tutors with opportunities to further develop a range of skills. All tutors received training and the program was evaluated using questionnaires collected from tutees and tutors after each session. Tutees' self-rated confidence increased significantly in clinical skills and for revision topics. Advantages of being taught by students rather than staff included the informal atmosphere, the tutees' willingness to ask questions, and the relatability of the tutors. The small group size and the style of learning in the revision sessions (i.e., group work, discussions, and interactivity) were additional positive aspects identified by both tutees and tutors. Benefits for tutors included developing their communication and teaching skills. The training sessions were considered key in helping tutors feel prepared to lead sessions, although the most difficult aspects were the lack of teaching experience and time management. Following the successful pilot of vetPAL, plans are in place to make the program permanent and sustainable, while incorporating necessary changes based on the evaluation and the student leader's experiences running the program. A vetPAL handbook has been created to facilitate organization of the program for future years.

Phosphate enhances levan production in the endophytic bacterium Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5

PubMed Central

Idogawa, Nao; Amamoto, Ryuta; Murata, Kousaku; Kawai, Shigeyuki

2014-01-01

Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus is a gram-negative and endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacterium that has several beneficial effects in host plants; thus, utilization of this bacterium as a biofertilizer in agriculture may be possible. G. diazotrophicus synthesizes levan, a D-fructofuranosyl polymer with β-(2→6) linkages, as an exopolysaccharide and the synthesized levan improves the stress tolerance of the bacterium. In this study, we found that phosphate enhances levan production by G. diazotrophicus Pal5, a wild type strain that showed a stronger mucous phenotype on solid medium containing 28 mM phosphate than on solid medium containing 7 mM phosphate. A G. diazotrophicus Pal5 levansucrase disruptant showed only a weak mucous phenotype regardless of the phosphate concentration, indicating that the mucous phenotype observed on 28 mM phosphate medium was caused by levan. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the effect of a high concentration of phosphate on exopolysaccharide production. PMID:24717418

Validity and reliability of the activPAL3 for measuring posture and stepping in adults and young people.

PubMed

Sellers, Ceri; Dall, Philippa; Grant, Margaret; Stansfield, Ben

2016-01-01

Characterisation of free-living physical activity requires the use of validated and reliable monitors. This study reports an evaluation of the validity and reliability of the activPAL3 monitor for the detection of posture and stepping in both adults and young people. Twenty adults (median 27.6y; IQR22.6y) and 8 young people (12.0y; IQR4.1y) performed standardised activities and activities of daily living (ADL) incorporating sedentary, upright and stepping activity. Agreement, specificity and positive predictive value were calculated between activPAL3 outcomes and the gold-standard of video observation. Inter-device reliability was calculated between 4 monitors. Sedentary and upright times for standardised activities were within ±5% of video observation as was step count (excluding jogging) for both adults and young people. Jogging step detection accuracy reduced with increasing cadence >150stepsmin(-1). For ADLs, sensitivity to stepping was very low for adults (40.4%) but higher for young people (76.1%). Inter-device reliability was either good (ICC(1,1)>0.75) or excellent (ICC(1,1)>0.90) for all outcomes. An excellent level of detection of standardised postures was demonstrated by the activPAL3. Postures such as seat-perching, kneeling and crouching were misclassified when compared to video observation. The activPAL3 appeared to accurately detect 'purposeful' stepping during ADL, but detection of smaller stepping movements was poor. Small variations in outcomes between monitors indicated that differences in monitor placement or hardware may affect outcomes. In general, the detection of posture and purposeful stepping with the activPAL3 was excellent indicating that it is a suitable monitor for characterising free-living posture and purposeful stepping activity in healthy adults and young people. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Yash Pal Committee Report on Higher Education: Certain Reflections by Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mumthas, N. S.; Anju Krishnan, K.

2011-01-01

In the present scenario, Indian higher education is expanding in quantity but compromising with quality. Hats off to Yash Pal Committee, which took this matter into account, worked on it and submitted a report (renovation and rejuvenation of higher education in India) on June 24, 2009 to the Human Resource Ministry. Major attributes of Yash Pal…

Use of the BINP HLS to measure vertical changes in the locations of the building and ground at the PAL-XFEL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Hyo-Jin; Seo, Kwang-Won; Gil, Kye-Hwan; Kim, Seung-Hwan; Kang, Heung-Sik

2016-09-01

The Pohang Accelerator Laboratory's X-ray free-electron laser (PAL-XFEL), a 4 th generation light source, is currently being installed and will be completed by December 2015 so that users can be supported beginning in 2016. The PAL-XFEL equipment must continuously maintain the bunch-tobunch beam parameters (60 Hz, Energy: 10 GeV, Charge: 200 pC, Bunch Length: 60 fs, Emittance X/Y: 0.481/0.256 mm rad) in order to supply stable photons with the energy and flux appropriate for tests by beamline users. To this end, the PAL-XFEL equipment has to be kept precisely aligned (Linear Accelerator: +/- 100 μm, Undulator: +/- 50 μm). As a part of the process for installing the PAL-XFEL, a GPS-using surface geodetic network is being constructed for precise equipment measurement and alignment, and the installation of a tunnel measurement network inside the buildings is in the preparation stage; additionally, the fiducialization of major equipment is underway. After the PAL-XFEL equipment is optimized and aligned, if the ground and the buildings go through vertical changes during operation, misalignment (and tilt) of the equipment, including various magnets and RF structures, will cause errors in the electron beam's trajectory, which will lead to changes to the beam parameters. For continuous and systemic measurement of vertical changes in the buildings and monitoring of ground sinking and uplifting, the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (BINP) Ultrasonic-type Hydrostatic Levelling System (HLS) is to be installed and operated in all sections of the PAL-XFEL for the linear accelerator, the insertion device (undulator) and the beamline. This study will introduce the operation principle, design concept, and advantages (self-calibration) of the HLS and will outline its installation plan and operation plan.

Membrane curvature and the Tol-Pal complex determine polar localization of the chemoreceptor Tar in E. coli.

PubMed

Saaki, Terrens N V; Strahl, Henrik; Hamoen, Leendert W

2018-02-20

Chemoreceptors are localized at the cell poles of Escherichia coli and other rod-shaped bacteria. Over the years different mechanisms have been put forward to explain this polar localization; from stochastic clustering, membrane curvature driven localization, interactions with the Tol-Pal complex, to nucleoid exclusion. To evaluate these mechanisms, we monitored the cellular localization of the aspartate chemoreceptor Tar in different deletion mutants. We did not find any indication for either stochastic cluster formation or nucleoid exclusion. However, the presence of a functional Tol-Pal complex appeared to be essential to retain Tar at cell poles. Interestingly, Tar still accumulated at midcell in tol and in pal deletion mutants. In these mutants, the protein appears to gather at the base of division septa, a region characterised by strong membrane curvature. Chemoreceptors, like Tar, form trimer-of-dimers that bend the cell membrane due to a rigid tripod structure. The curvature approaches the curvature of the cell membrane generated during cell division, and localization of chemoreceptor tripods at curved membrane areas is therefore energetically favourable as it lowers membrane tension. Indeed, when we introduced mutations in Tar that abolish the rigid tripod structure, the protein was no longer able to accumulate at midcell or cell poles. These findings favour a model where chemoreceptor localization in E. coli is driven by strong membrane curvature and association with the Tol-Pal complex. Importance Bacteria have exquisite mechanisms to sense and to adapt to the environment they live in. One such mechanism involves the chemotaxis signal transduction pathway, in which chemoreceptors specifically bind certain attracting or repelling molecules and transduce the signals to the cell. In different rod-shaped bacteria, these chemoreceptors localize specifically to cell poles. Here, we examined the polar localization of the aspartate chemoreceptor Tar in E. coli

Spatial and temporal controls target pal-1 blastomere-specification activity to a single blastomere lineage in C. elegans embryos.

PubMed

Hunter, C P; Kenyon, C

1996-10-18

The early asymmetric cleavages of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos produce blastomeres with distinct developmental potentials. Here, we show that the caudal-like homeodomain protein PAL-1 is required to specify the somatic identity of one posterior blastomere in the 4 cell embryo. We find that pal-1 activity is sequentially restricted to this blastomere. First, at the 4 cell stage, it is translated only in the two posterior blastomeres. Then, its function is restricted to one of these blastomeres. This second targeting step is dependent on the activities of the posteriorly localized SKN-1 and asymmetrically segregated PIE-1 proteins. We propose that the segregation of PIE-1, combined with the temporal decay of SKN-1, targets pal-1 activity to this posterior lineage, thus coupling the regulation of this conserved posterior patterning gene to asymmetric cell cleavages.

From the Last Interglacial to the Anthropocene: Modelling a Complete Glacial Cycle (PalMod)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brücher, Tim; Latif, Mojib

2017-04-01

We will give a short overview and update on the current status of the national climate modelling initiative PalMod (Paleo Modelling, www.palmod.de). PalMod focuses on the understanding of the climate system dynamics and its variability during the last glacial cycle. The initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and its specific topics are: (i) to identify and quantify the relative contributions of the fundamental processes which determined the Earth's climate trajectory and variability during the last glacial cycle, (ii) to simulate with comprehensive Earth System Models (ESMs) the climate from the peak of the last interglacial - the Eemian warm period - up to the present, including the changes in the spectrum of variability, and (iii) to assess possible future climate trajectories beyond this century during the next millennia with sophisticated ESMs tested in such a way. The research is intended to be conducted over a period of 10 years, but with shorter funding cycles. PalMod kicked off in February 2016. The first phase focuses on the last deglaciation (app. the last 23.000 years). From the ESM perspective PalMod pushes forward model development by coupling ESM with dynamical ice sheet models. Computer scientists work on speeding up climate models using different concepts (like parallelisation in time) and one working group is dedicated to perform a comprehensive data synthesis to validate model performance. The envisioned approach is innovative in three respects. First, the consortium aims at simulating a full glacial cycle in transient mode and with comprehensive ESMs which allow full interactions between the physical and biogeochemical components of the Earth system, including ice sheets. Second, we shall address climate variability during the last glacial cycle on a large range of time scales, from interannual to multi-millennial, and attempt to quantify the relative contributions of external forcing and processes

Landcover Based Optimal Deconvolution of PALS L-band Microwave Brightness Temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Limaye, Ashutosh S.; Crosson, William L.; Laymon, Charles A.; Njoku, Eni G.

2004-01-01

An optimal de-convolution (ODC) technique has been developed to estimate microwave brightness temperatures of agricultural fields using microwave radiometer observations. The technique is applied to airborne measurements taken by the Passive and Active L and S band (PALS) sensor in Iowa during Soil Moisture Experiments in 2002 (SMEX02). Agricultural fields in the study area were predominantly soybeans and corn. The brightness temperatures of corn and soybeans were observed to be significantly different because of large differences in vegetation biomass. PALS observations have significant over-sampling; observations were made about 100 m apart and the sensor footprint extends to about 400 m. Conventionally, observations of this type are averaged to produce smooth spatial data fields of brightness temperatures. However, the conventional approach is in contrast to reality in which the brightness temperatures are in fact strongly dependent on landcover, which is characterized by sharp boundaries. In this study, we mathematically de-convolve the observations into brightness temperature at the field scale (500-800m) using the sensor antenna response function. The result is more accurate spatial representation of field-scale brightness temperatures, which may in turn lead to more accurate soil moisture retrieval.

Probing the nanostructure of polymers via cryogenic Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolan, B. A.; Soles, C. L.; Hristov, H. A.; Gidley, D. W.; Yee, A. F.

1996-03-01

A new method is proposed for the evaluation of the hole volume in amorphous polymers based upon PALS data measured over a temperature of 110 to 480 K. Extrapolation of the "open hole" volume to 0 K allows its separation into that attributed to the segmental motions of the polymer chains (dynamic) and that due to inefficient packing (static). The dynamic hole volume is correlated to thermodynamic volume/density fluctuations and its temperature dependencies are in good agreement with SAXS data. Several thermosetting epoxy materials are also studied over a similar temperature range with the "open hole" volume being separated into its dynamic and static components. How these two components affect diffusional properties of these systems is examined in detail. It is also shown that the o-Ps can localize in a nearly 100material (PET), we therefore conclude that PALS measures more than the "free volume" necessary for segmental motion. Work supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) grant # F49620-95-1-0037.

Concurrent Validity of ActiGraph-Determined Sedentary Time against the ActivPAL under Free-Living Conditions in a Sample of Bus Drivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varela Mato, Veronica; Yates, Thomas; Stensel, David; Biddle, Stuart; Clemes, Stacy A.

2017-01-01

This study explored the validity of ActiGraph-determined sedentary time (<50 cpm, <100 cpm, <150 cpm, <200 cpm, <250 cpm) compared with the activPAL in a free-living sample of bus drivers. Twenty-eight participants were recruited between November 2013 and February 2014. Participants wore an activPAL3 and ActiGraph GT3X+ concurrently…

Laser driven plasmas based incoherent x-ray sources at PALS and ELI Beamlines (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozlová, Michaela

2017-05-01

We will present data on a various X-ray production schemes from laser driven plasmas at the PALS Research Center and discuss the plan for the ELI Beamlines project. One of the approaches, how to generate ultrashort pulses of incoherent X-ray radiation, is based on interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with solid or liquid targets. So-called K-alpha source depending on used targets emits in hard X-ray region from micrometric source size. The source exhibits sufficient spatial coherence to observe phase contrast. Detailed characterization of various sources including the x-ray spectrum and the x-ray average yield along with phase contrast images of test objects will be presented. Other method, known as laser wakefield electron acceleration (LWFA), can produce up to GeV electron beams emitting radiation in collimated beam with a femtosecnond pulse duration. This approach was theoretically and experimentally examined at the PALS Center. The parameters of the PALS Ti:S laser interaction were studied by extensive particle-in-cell simulations with radiation post-processors in order to evaluate the capabilities of our system in this field. The extensions of those methods at the ELI Beamlines facility will enable to generate either higher X-ray energies or higher repetition rate. The architecture of such sources and their considered applications will be proposed.

Magnetostriction and palæomagnetism of igneous rocks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graham, John W.; Buddington, A.F.; Balsley, James R.

1959-01-01

IN a recent communication, Stott and Stacey1 report on a “crucial experiment” from which they conclude: “This excellent agreement between the dip and the directions of artificial thermoremanent magnetization of the stressed and unstressed rocks indicates that large systematic errors due to magnetostriction are most improbable in igneous rocks of types normally used for palæomagnetic work”. This experiment was intended to test the proposals2 and measurements3 bearing on the role of magnetostriction in rock magnetism. We present here our reasons for believing that the experiment was not crucial and that the conclusion is not justified.

A phenylalanine ammonia-lyase ortholog (PkPAL1) from Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle ex. Benth: molecular cloning, promoter analysis and response to biotic and abiotic elicitors.

PubMed

Bhat, Wajid Waheed; Razdan, Sumeer; Rana, Satiander; Dhar, Niha; Wani, Tariq Ahmad; Qazi, Parvaiz; Vishwakarma, Ram; Lattoo, Surrinder K

2014-09-01

Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth. is a highly reputed medicinal herb utilised in the preparation of a number of herbal drug formulations, principally due to the presence of novel monoterpene iridoid glycosides kenned as picrosides. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase catalyses an important rate-limiting step in phenylpropanoid pathway and supplies precursors like cinnamic acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid, etc., to a variety of secondary metabolites including picrosides. The imperilled status of P. kurrooa coupled with lack of information regarding biogenesis of picrosides necessitates deciphering the biosynthetic pathway for picrosides. In the present study, a PAL gene, designated PkPAL1 was isolated from P. kurrooa. The cDNA is 2312 bp in length, consisting of an ORF of 2142 bp encoding for a 713 amino acid protein having a predicted molecular weight of 77.66 kDa and an isoelectric point of pH 6.82. qRT-PCR analysis of various tissues of P. kurrooa showed that PkPAL1 transcript levels were highest in the leaves, consistent with picroside accumulation pattern. Using Genome walking, a 718 bp promoter region was also isolated resulting in identification of distinct cis-regulatory elements including TGA-element, TGACG-motif, CGTCA-motif, etc. qRT-PCR indicated up-regulation of PkPAL1 by methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, 2,4-dicholorophenoxy acetic acid and UV-B elicitations that corroborated positively with the identified cis-elements within the promoter region. Moreover, altitude was found to have a positive effect on the PkPAL1 transcript levels, driving the expression of PkPAL1 abundantly. Based on docking analysis, we identified eight residues as potentially essential for substrate binding in PkPAL1. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vibration Analysis of the Space Shuttle External Tank Cable Tray Flight Data With and Without PAL Ramp

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Bruce E.; Panda, Jayanta; Sutliff, Daniel L.

2008-01-01

External Tank Cable Tray vibration data for three successive Space Shuttle flights were analyzed to assess response to buffet and the effect of removal of the Protuberance Air Loads (PAL) ramp. Waveform integration, spectral analysis, cross-correlation analysis and wavelet analysis were employed to estimate vibration modes and temporal development of vibration motion from a sparse array of accelerometers and an on-board system that acquired 16 channels of data for approximately the first 2 min of each flight. The flight data indicated that PAL ramp removal had minimal effect on the fluctuating loads on the cable tray. The measured vibration frequencies and modes agreed well with predicted structural response.

Vibration Analysis of the Space Shuttle External Tank Cable Tray Flight Data with and without PAL Ramp

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, B. E.; Panda, B. E.; Sutliff, D. L.

2008-01-01

External Tank Cable Tray vibration data for three successive Space Shuttle flights were analyzed to assess response to buffet and the effect of removal of the Protuberance Air Loads (PAL) ramp. Waveform integration, spectral analysis, cross-correlation analysis and wavelet analysis were employed to estimate vibration modes and temporal development of vibration motion from a sparse array of accelerometers and an on-board system that acquired 16 channels of data for approximately the first two minutes of each flight. The flight data indicated that PAL ramp removal had minimal effect on the fluctuating loads on the cable tray. The measured vibration frequencies and modes agreed well with predicted structural response.

[Assessment of IDC-Pal as a Diagnostic Tool for Family Physicians to Identify Patients with Complex Palliative Care Needs in Germany: a Pilot Study].

PubMed

Comino, María Rosa Salvador; Garcia, Victor Regife; López, Maria Auxiliadora Fernández; Feddersen, Berend; Roselló, María Luisa Martin; Sanftenberg, Linda; Schelling, Jörg

2017-07-11

Background Palliative medicine is an essential component of the health care system. Basic palliative care should be provided by primary care services (family physician and home nursing) with palliative-medical basic qualification. Often it is very difficult to identify patients that would profit from a specialized palliative care team. For the evaluation of the case complexity of a palliative patient, we present a Spanish diagnostic tool IDC-Pal, which tries to specify when, why and where a palliative patient should be referred. The aims of this study were the translation and cultural adaptation of the diagnostic tool for complexity in palliative care IDC-Pal to the German language, and the measurement of its feasibility and face validity. Methods During the first phase, a forward-backward translation with linguistic and cultural adaptation of the tool IDC-Pal as well as the validation of its content by a review committee was performed. During the second phase, the preliminary version of the tool was tested by 38 family physicians that were asked for a qualitative assessment using a 10-points Likert scale (1 = "strongly disagree" and 10 = "totally agree"). Finally, a definitive version was developed. Results The translation and adaptation were achieved without major problems. Both feasibility and apparent validity of the tool IDC-Pal were rated as high. The mean response in the Likert scale was 7.79, with a SD of 0.36. Participants strongly agreed on the apparent validity of the tool with a mean of 7.82 and a SD of 0.26 and on its feasibility with a mean of 7.79, and a SD of 0.39. Conclusions A conceptually, culturally and linguistically equivalent version of the original instrument IDC-Pal was obtained. German family physicians agreed on the usability of IDC-Pal as a tool for rating the case complexity of palliative patients. These results indicate that physicians in Bavaria and eventually in Germany could benefit of the full validation of IDC-Pal. © Georg Thieme

Authentic Reading, Writing, and Discussion: An Exploratory Study of a Pen Pal Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gambrell, Linda B.; Hughes, Elizabeth M.; Calvert, Leah; Malloy, Jacquelynn A.; Igo, Brent

2011-01-01

In this exploratory study, reading, writing, and discussion were examined within the context of a pen pal intervention focusing on authentic literacy tasks. The study employed a mixed-method design with a triangulation-convergence model to explore the relationship between authentic literacy tasks and the literacy motivation of elementary students…

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) study of the as prepared and calcined MFI zeolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosnar, Sanja; Vrankić, Martina; Bosnar, Damir; Ren, Nan; Šarić, Ankica

2017-11-01

The synthesis of high silica zeolites in many cases implies the usage of organic structural direction agents (SDA). However, to manifest their functionalities, the SDA occluded inside the channels of the as-synthesized structure should be removed, usually by a high temperature treatment (calcination). In this paper, the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) was used to monitor the development of accessible spaces, their sizes and distributions in MFI zeolites, ZSM-5 and silicalite-1 in order to give an additional insight in the process of the SDA removal. For that purpose, a conventional PALS setup with 22Na positron source was applied. It was established that there is a pronounced difference between positron annihilation data for these two zeolites of the same structural type. The samples were additionally analysed by X-ray powder diffraction at room temperature with a crystal structure refinement and thermogravimetry.

A sharper view of Pal 5's tails: discovery of stream perturbations with a novel non-parametric technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erkal, Denis; Koposov, Sergey E.; Belokurov, Vasily

2017-09-01

Only in the Milky Way is it possible to conduct an experiment that uses stellar streams to detect low-mass dark matter subhaloes. In smooth and static host potentials, tidal tails of disrupting satellites appear highly symmetric. However, perturbations from dark subhaloes, as well as from GMCs and the Milky Way bar, can induce density fluctuations that destroy this symmetry. Motivated by the recent release of unprecedentedly deep and wide imaging data around the Pal 5 stellar stream, we develop a new probabilistic, adaptive and non-parametric technique that allows us to bring the cluster's tidal tails into clear focus. Strikingly, we uncover a stream whose density exhibits visible changes on a variety of angular scales. We detect significant bumps and dips, both narrow and broad: two peaks on either side of the progenitor, each only a fraction of a degree across, and two gaps, ˜2° and ˜9° wide, the latter accompanied by a gargantuan lump of debris. This largest density feature results in a pronounced intertail asymmetry which cannot be made consistent with an unperturbed stream according to a suite of simulations we have produced. We conjecture that the sharp peaks around Pal 5 are epicyclic overdensities, while the two dips are consistent with impacts by subhaloes. Assuming an age of 3.4 Gyr for Pal 5, these two gaps would correspond to the characteristic size of gaps created by subhaloes in the mass range of 106-107 M⊙ and 107-108 M⊙, respectively. In addition to dark substructure, we find that the bar of the Milky Way can plausibly produce the asymmetric density seen in Pal 5 and that GMCs could cause the smaller gap.

Identification of N-acyl homoserine lactones produced by Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus PAL5 cultured in complex and synthetic media.

PubMed

Nieto-Peñalver, Carlos G; Bertini, Elisa V; de Figueroa, Lucía I C

2012-07-01

The endophytic diazotrophic Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus PAL5 was originally isolated from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum). The biological nitrogen fixation, phytohormones secretion, solubilization of mineral nutrients and phytopathogen antagonism allow its classification as a plant growth-promoting bacterium. The recent genomic sequence of PAL5 unveiled the presence of a quorum sensing (QS) system. QS are regulatory mechanisms that, through the production of signal molecules or autoinducers, permit a microbial population the regulation of the physiology in a coordinated manner. The most studied autoinducers in gram-negative bacteria are the N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). The usage of biosensor strains evidenced the presence of AHL-like molecules in cultures of G. diazotrophicus PAL5 grown in complex and synthetic media. Analysis of AHLs performed by LC-APCI-MS permitted the identification of eight different signal molecules, including C6-, C8-, C10-, C12- and C14-HSL. Mass spectra confirmed that this diazotrophic strain also synthesizes autoinducers with carbonyl substitutions in the acyl chain. No differences in the profile of AHLs could be determined under both culture conditions. However, although the level of short-chain AHLs was not affected, a decrease of 30% in the production of long-chain AHLs could be measured in synthetic medium.

CNN-coupled Humanoid Panoramic Annular Lens (PAL)-Optical System for Military Applications (Feasibility Study)

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-08

new PAL with a total viewing angle of around 80° and suitable for foveal vision, it turned out that the optical design program ZEMAX EE we intended to...use was not capable for optimization. The reason was that ZEMAX -EE and all present optical design programs are based on see-through-window (STW

Finding the Subcellular Location of Barley, Wheat, Rice and Maize Proteins: The Compendium of Crop Proteins with Annotated Locations (cropPAL).

PubMed

Hooper, Cornelia M; Castleden, Ian R; Aryamanesh, Nader; Jacoby, Richard P; Millar, A Harvey

2016-01-01

Barley, wheat, rice and maize provide the bulk of human nutrition and have extensive industrial use as agricultural products. The genomes of these crops each contains >40,000 genes encoding proteins; however, the major genome databases for these species lack annotation information of protein subcellular location for >80% of these gene products. We address this gap, by constructing the compendium of crop protein subcellular locations called crop Proteins with Annotated Locations (cropPAL). Subcellular location is most commonly determined by fluorescent protein tagging of live cells or mass spectrometry detection in subcellular purifications, but can also be predicted from amino acid sequence or protein expression patterns. The cropPAL database collates 556 published studies, from >300 research institutes in >30 countries that have been previously published, as well as compiling eight pre-computed subcellular predictions for all Hordeum vulgare, Triticum aestivum, Oryza sativa and Zea mays protein sequences. The data collection including metadata for proteins and published studies can be accessed through a search portal http://crop-PAL.org. The subcellular localization information housed in cropPAL helps to depict plant cells as compartmentalized protein networks that can be investigated for improving crop yield and quality, and developing new biotechnological solutions to agricultural challenges. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning): Process Manual for Program Implementation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevard Community Coll., Cocoa, FL.

This manual describes and evaluates the implementation of Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parent Affective Learning), Brevard Community College's special demonstration training project intended to return adults who have dropped out of the educational system back into the learning environment by bringing them to parenting classes…

Connecting in Rhizomic Spaces: Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) and E-Learning in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bone, Jane; Edwards, Susan

2015-01-01

A PAL (Peer-Assisted Learning) project supported research that focused on e-learning and Web 2.0 technologies as part of a pedagogical approach in the context of a tertiary institution. This project responded to a call for a rejuvenation of conventional approaches to pedagogy while teaching an early childhood unit in a large Australian university.…

Impact of a Parenting Program in a High-Risk, Multi-Ethnic Community: The PALS Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Stephen; O'Connor, Thomas G.; Futh, Annabel; Matias, Carla; Price, Jenny; Doolan, Moira

2010-01-01

Background: Parenting programs have been shown to work when delivered to motivated ethnic majority parents in demonstration projects, but comparatively little is known about their impact when delivered to high-risk, multi-ethnic populations by routine local services. Methods: The Primary Age Learning Skills (PALS) trial was a randomized controlled…

Astrophysically Relevant Dipole Studies at WiPAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endrizzi, Douglass; Forest, Cary; Wallace, John; WiPAL Team

2015-11-01

A novel terrella experiment is being developed to immerse a dipole magnetic field in the large, unmagnetized, and fully ionized background plasma of WiPAL (Wisconsin Plasma Astrophysics Lab). This allows for a series of related experiments motivated by astrophysical processes, including (1) inward transport of plasma into a magnetosphere with focus on development of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities from boundary shear flow; (2) helicity injection and simulation of solar eruptive events via electrical breakdown along dipole field lines; (3) interaction of Coronal Mass Ejection-like flows with a target magnetosphere and dependence on background plasma pressure; (4) production of a centrifugally driven wind to study how dipolar magnetic topology changes as closed field lines open. A prototype has been developed and preliminary results will be presented. An overview of the final design and construction progress will be given. This material is based upon work supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Developmental role of phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase (PAL) and cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) genes during adventitious rooting of Juglans regia L. microshoots.

PubMed

Cheniany, Monireh; Ganjeali, Ali

2016-12-01

Phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase and cinnamate-4-hydroxylase play important role in the phenylpropanoid pathway, which produces many biologically important secondary metabolites participating in normal plant development. Flavonol quercetin is the main representant of these compounds that has been identified in numerous Juglans spp. In this survey, the developmental expression patterns of PAL and C4H genes during in vitro rooting of two walnut cultivars 'Sunland' and 'Howard' was examined by RT-PCR. To understand the potential role in rooting, the changing pattern of endogenous content of quercetin was also analyzed by HPLC. The 'Sunland' with better capacity to root had more quercetin content during the "inductive phase" of rooting than 'Howard'. In each cultivar, the level of PAL transcripts showed the same behavior with the changing patterns of quercetin during root formation of microshoots. The positive correlation between the changes of quercetin and PAL-mRNA indicated that PAL gene may have an immediate effect on flavonoid pathway metabolites including quercetin. Although the behavioral change of C4H expression was similar in both cultivars during root formation (with significantly more level for 'Howard'), it was not coincide with the changes of quercerin concentrations. Our results showed that C4H function is important for the normal development, but its transcriptional regulation does not correlate with quercetin as an efficient phenolic compound for walnut rhizogenesis.

Assessing the validity and reliability of the Pool Activity Level (PAL) Checklist for use with older people with dementia.

PubMed

Wenborn, Jennifer; Challis, David; Pool, Jackie; Burgess, Jane; Elliott, Nicola; Orrell, Martin

2008-03-01

Activity is key to maintaining physical and mental health and well-being. However, as dementia affects the ability to engage in activity, care-givers can find it difficult to provide appropriate activities. The Pool Activity Level (PAL) Checklist guides the selection of appropriate, personally meaningful activities. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the PAL Checklist when used with older people with dementia. A postal questionnaire sent to activity providers assessed content validity. Validity and reliability were measured in a sample of 60 older people with dementia. The questionnaire response rate was 83% (102/122). Most respondents felt no important items were missing. Seven of the nine activities were ranked as 'very important' or 'essential' by at least 77% of the sample, indicating very good content validity. Correlation with measures of cognition, severity of dementia and activity performance demonstrated strong concurrent validity. Inter-item correlation indicated strong construct validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient measured internal consistency as excellent (0.95). All items achieved acceptable test-retest reliability, and the majority demonstrated acceptable inter-rater reliability. We conclude that the PAL Checklist demonstrates adequate validity and reliability when used with older people with dementia and appears a useful tool for a variety of care settings.

PALS and SPM/EFM investigation of charged nanoporous electret films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiang, Dar-Ming; Liu, Wen-Liang; Chen, Jen-Luan; Susuki, Ryoichi

2005-08-01

The electret properties of nanoporous Teflon-FEP films, fabricated by the super-critical fluids method and charged by the corona method at room temperature, are investigated. PALS and SAXS are applied first to examine the charge characteristics of a free volume of electret materials. The topography and surface charges of electret materials are determined by scanning probe microscopy and electric field microscopy, respectively. The experimental results reveal that the interior surface areas of the pores of the electret materials influence the retention and stability of charge. Initial and aged surface charge was increased by factors of two and ten, with and without nanoporous Teflon-FEP films, respectively.

Technology Assessment of the DACS/MERADCOM Prestaged Ammunition Loading System (PALS) Concept Study.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

American Railroads (AAR) and Coast 1-2 Arthurl) little.lnc - Guard (CC) regulations for the shipment of ammunition. The system must be compatible with...to meet Association of American Railroads (AAR) and Coast Guard (CC) regulations for the shipment of ammunition. The system must be compatible with...unloaded u ler field conditions? (4) Can the PALS meet AA and CC regulations for the safe shipment of ammunition in commercial cargo containers? (5

Supplementation of CHROMagar Candida Medium with Pal's Medium for Rapid Identification of Candida dubliniensis

PubMed Central

Sahand, Ismail H.; Moragues, María D.; Eraso, Elena; Villar-Vidal, María; Quindós, Guillermo; Pontón, José

2005-01-01

CHROMagar Candida medium is used for the isolation and identification of Candida species, but it does not differentiate Candida albicans from Candida dubliniensis. This differentiation can be achieved by using Pal's agar, which cannot be used in primary isolation. We have combined both media to obtain a new medium that can be used for the isolation and identification of C. dubliniensis in primary cultures. PMID:16272515

Water-Vapor Sorption Processes in Nanoporous MgO-Al2O3 Ceramics: the PAL Spectroscopy Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klym, Halyna; Ingram, Adam; Shpotyuk, Oleh; Hadzaman, Ivan; Solntsev, Viacheslav

2016-03-01

The water-vapor sorption processes in nanoporous MgO-Al2O3 ceramics are studied with positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy employing positron trapping and positronium (Ps)-decaying modes. It is demonstrated that the longest-lived components in the four-term reconstructed PAL spectra with characteristic lifetimes near 2 and 60-70 ns can be, respectively, attributed to ortho-positronium (o-Ps) traps in nanopores with 0.3- and 1.5-1.8-nm radii. The first o-Ps decaying process includes "pick-off" annihilation in the "bubbles" of liquid water, while the second is based on o-Ps interaction with physisorbed water molecules at the walls of the pores. In addition, the water vapor modifies structural defects located at the grain boundaries in a vicinity of pores, this process being accompanied by void fragmentation during water adsorption and agglomeration during water desorption after drying.

Water-Vapor Sorption Processes in Nanoporous MgO-Al2O3 Ceramics: the PAL Spectroscopy Study.

PubMed

Klym, Halyna; Ingram, Adam; Shpotyuk, Oleh; Hadzaman, Ivan; Solntsev, Viacheslav

2016-12-01

The water-vapor sorption processes in nanoporous MgO-Al2O3 ceramics are studied with positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy employing positron trapping and positronium (Ps)-decaying modes. It is demonstrated that the longest-lived components in the four-term reconstructed PAL spectra with characteristic lifetimes near 2 and 60-70 ns can be, respectively, attributed to ortho-positronium (o-Ps) traps in nanopores with 0.3- and 1.5-1.8-nm radii. The first o-Ps decaying process includes "pick-off" annihilation in the "bubbles" of liquid water, while the second is based on o-Ps interaction with physisorbed water molecules at the walls of the pores. In addition, the water vapor modifies structural defects located at the grain boundaries in a vicinity of pores, this process being accompanied by void fragmentation during water adsorption and agglomeration during water desorption after drying.

The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale modified for palliative care inpatients (RASS-PAL): a pilot study exploring validity and feasibility in clinical practice

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), which assesses level of sedation and agitation, is a simple observational instrument which was developed and validated for the intensive care setting. Although used and recommended in palliative care settings, further validation is required in this patient population. The aim of this study was to explore the validity and feasibility of a version of the RASS modified for palliative care populations (RASS-PAL). Methods A prospective study, using a mixed methods approach, was conducted. Thirteen health care professionals (physicians and nurses) working in an acute palliative care unit assessed ten consecutive patients with an agitated delirium or receiving palliative sedation. Patients were assessed at five designated time points using the RASS-PAL. Health care professionals completed a short survey and data from semi-structured interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results The inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficient range of the RASS-PAL was 0.84 to 0.98 for the five time points. Professionals agreed that the tool was useful for assessing sedation and was easy to use. Its role in monitoring delirium however was deemed problematic. Professionals felt that it may assist interprofessional communication. The need for formal education on why and how to use the instrument was highlighted. Conclusion This study provides preliminary validity evidence for the use of the RASS-PAL by physicians and nurses working in a palliative care unit, specifically for assessing sedation and agitation levels in the management of palliative sedation. Further validity evidence should be sought, particularly in the context of assessing delirium. PMID:24684942

The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale modified for palliative care inpatients (RASS-PAL): a pilot study exploring validity and feasibility in clinical practice.

PubMed

Bush, Shirley H; Grassau, Pamela A; Yarmo, Michelle N; Zhang, Tinghua; Zinkie, Samantha J; Pereira, José L

2014-03-31

The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), which assesses level of sedation and agitation, is a simple observational instrument which was developed and validated for the intensive care setting. Although used and recommended in palliative care settings, further validation is required in this patient population. The aim of this study was to explore the validity and feasibility of a version of the RASS modified for palliative care populations (RASS-PAL). A prospective study, using a mixed methods approach, was conducted. Thirteen health care professionals (physicians and nurses) working in an acute palliative care unit assessed ten consecutive patients with an agitated delirium or receiving palliative sedation. Patients were assessed at five designated time points using the RASS-PAL. Health care professionals completed a short survey and data from semi-structured interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis. The inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficient range of the RASS-PAL was 0.84 to 0.98 for the five time points. Professionals agreed that the tool was useful for assessing sedation and was easy to use. Its role in monitoring delirium however was deemed problematic. Professionals felt that it may assist interprofessional communication. The need for formal education on why and how to use the instrument was highlighted. This study provides preliminary validity evidence for the use of the RASS-PAL by physicians and nurses working in a palliative care unit, specifically for assessing sedation and agitation levels in the management of palliative sedation. Further validity evidence should be sought, particularly in the context of assessing delirium.

Adaptation of the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS) to Turkish Students: Factorial Validity and Reliability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cikrikci-Demirtash, R. Nukhet

2005-01-01

The study presented in this article was conducted to determine psychometric features of scales for Turkish students by adapting the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS) developed by Midgley and others (2000) to the Turkish language in order to measure personal and classroom goal orientations. The scales were developed to test…

Soft X-ray FEL simulation in PAL-XFEL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shim, Chi Hyun; Ko, In Soo; Parc, Yong Woon; Han, Jang Hui

2015-10-01

The soft X-ray beamline in the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory X-ray Free Electron Laser (PAL-XFEL) will provide a photon beam with a wavelength from 1 nm to 3 nm in the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) mode by using an electron beam with a 3.15-GeV beam energy. Linearly polarized radiation will be supplied by using six planar undulators (PUs). The linearly-polarized radiation powers at 1 (3) nm can reach 10.2 (30) GW. Polarization of the radiation will be controlled by applying the reverse undulator tapering scheme to the PUs and adding two helical undulators (HUs). The circularly-polarized radiation powers at 1 (3) nm will be 3.11 (11.73) GW. The degrees of circular polarization will be larger than 0.99 for both wavelengths. Three options for the future upgrade of the beamline to increase the radiation power are proposed.

Simple low cost differentiation of Candida auris from Candida haemulonii complex using CHROMagar Candida medium supplemented with Pal's medium.

PubMed

Kumar, Anil; Sachu, Arun; Mohan, Karthika; Vinod, Vivek; Dinesh, Kavitha; Karim, Shamsul

Candida auris is unique due to its multidrug resistance and misidentification as Candida haemulonii by commercial systems. Its correct identification is important to avoid inappropriate treatments. To develop a cheap method for differentiating C. auris from isolates identified as C. haemulonii by VITEK2. Fifteen C. auris isolates, six isolates each of C. haemulonii and Candida duobushaemulonii, and one isolate of Candida haemulonii var. vulnera were tested using CHROMagar Candida medium supplemented with Pal's agar for better differentiation. On CHROMagar Candida medium supplemented with Pal's agar all C. auris strains showed confluent growth of white to cream colored smooth colonies at 37°C and 42°C after 24 and 48h incubation and did not produce pseudohyphae. The isolates of the C. haemulonii complex, on the contrary, showed poor growth of smooth, light-pink colonies at 24h while at 48h the growth was semiconfluent with the production of pseudohyphae. C. haemulonii complex failed to grow at 42°C. We report a rapid and cheap method using CHROMagar Candida medium supplemented with Pal's agar for differentiating C. auris from isolates identified as C. haemulonii by VITEK2. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Española de Micología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Cloning and construction of recombinant palI gene from Klebsiella oxytoca on pET-32b into E. coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS for production of isomaltulose, a new generation of sugar

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

Moeis, Maelita R., E-mail: sony@sith.itb.ac.id; Berlian, Liska, E-mail: sony@sith.itb.ac.id; Suhandono, Sony, E-mail: sony@sith.itb.ac.id

Klebsiella oxytoca produces sucrose isomerase which catalyses the conversion of sucrose to isomaltulose, a new generation of sugar. From the previous study, palI gene from Klebsiella oxytoca was succesfully isolated from sapodilla fruit (Manilkara zapota). The full-length palI gene sequence of Klebsiella oxytoca was cloned in E. coli DH5α. The deduced amino acid sequence shows 498 residues which includes conserved motif for sucrose isomerisation {sup 325}RLDRD{sup 329} and 97% identical to palI gene from Klebsiella sp. LX3 (GenBank:AAK82938.1). This fragment was succesfullly ligated into the expression vector pET-32b using overlap-extension PCR and cloned in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS. DNAmore » sequencing result shows that palI gene of Klebsiella oxytoca was inserted in-frame in pET-32b. This is the first report on cloning of palI gene from Klebsiella oxytoca.« less

Gamma irradiation induced enhancement of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and antioxidant activity in peach ( Prunus persica Bausch, Cv. Elberta)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, Peerzada R.; Wani, Ali M.; Meena, Raghuveer S.; Dar, Mohd A.

2010-09-01

Effect of medium dose gamma irradiation on PAL and antioxidant activity of peach fruit was investigated. Peach fruit after harvest at commercial maturity was irradiated in the dose range 1.0-2.0 kGy, stored under refrigerated conditions (3±1 °C, RH 80%) and evaluated at intervals of 7 days. The antioxidant activity as determined by DPPH and FRAP methods revealed significant ( p≤0.05) increase particularly in the dose range 1.6-2.0 kGy. During storage, maximum increase in both PAL and antioxidant activity was observed after 21 days. Positive correlation ( r=0.75) existed between antioxidant activity and total phenols. EC 50 values as obtained from DPPH and FRAP experiments were significantly ( p≤0.05) lower in irradiated fruits compared to control.

Internal consistency, concurrent validity, and discriminant validity of a measure of public support for policies for active living in transportation (PAL-T) in a population-based sample of adults.

PubMed

Fuller, Daniel; Gauvin, Lise; Fournier, Michel; Kestens, Yan; Daniel, Mark; Morency, Patrick; Drouin, Louis

2012-04-01

Active living is a broad conceptualization of physical activity that incorporates domains of exercise; recreational, household, and occupational activities; and active transportation. Policy makers develop and implement a variety of transportation policies that can influence choices about how to travel from one location to another. In making such decisions, policy makers act in part in response to public opinion or support for proposed policies. Measures of the public's support for policies aimed at promoting active transportation can inform researchers and policy makers. This study examined the internal consistency, and concurrent and discriminant validity of a newly developed measure of the public's support for policies for active living in transportation (PAL-T). A series of 17 items representing potential policies for promoting active transportation was generated. Two samples of participants (n = 2,001 and n = 2,502) from Montreal, Canada, were recruited via random digit dialling. Analyses were conducted on the combined data set (n = 4,503). Participants were aged 18 through 94 years (58% female). The concurrent and discriminant validity of the PAL-T was assessed by examining relationships with physical activity and smoking. To explore the usability of the PAL-T, predicted scale scores were compared to the summed values of responses. Results showed that the internal consistency of the PAL-T was 0.70. Multilevel regression demonstrated no relationship between the PAL-T and smoking status (p > 0.05) but significant relationships with utilitarian walking (p < 0.05) and cycling (p < 0.01) for at least 30 minutes on 5 days/week. The PAL-T has acceptable internal consistency and good concurrent and discriminant validity. Measuring public opinion can inform policy makers and support advocacy efforts aimed at making built environments more suitable for active transportation while allowing researchers to examine the antecedents and

ESR and PALS detection of the dynamic crossover in the supercooled liquid states of short and medium-sized n-alkanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartoš, J.; Zgardzinska, B.; Švajdlenková, H.; Lukešová, M.; Zaleski, R.

2018-05-01

A joint study of the spin probe TEMPO dynamics by ESR and the annihilation rate of ortho-positronium by PALS in four short-and medium-sized n-alkanes is presented. In addition to the usually observed changes in both the reorientation dynamics and size of free volumes at the temperature of melting, Tm, and solid-solid phase transition, Tss, an additional coincidence between the characteristic ESR and PALS temperatures TX1fast ≅ Tb1sol < Tm, Tss was found. The phenomenological analysis of the viscosity data of n-alkanes using the power law equation indicates a presence of locally disordered regions in which the dynamic change occurs at the crossover temperature TX ≅ TX1fast ≅ Tb1sol.

PALS Free Volume Measurements of Fractionated Hydrido- Silsesquioxane Resin.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madani, Mahmoud M.; Granata, Richard D.; Pernisz, Udo C.

1997-03-01

Hydrido-Silsesquioxane (HSQ) is a resinous polymer with monomer unit formula (HSiO_3/2)_n. For n=8...16, it forms cages which in turn cross-link to yield a resin with a broad molecular weight distribution. It is soluble and forms thin films that may be converted to low-density silica with excellent dielectric properties. These, and the HSQ solubility, depend on molecular structure and size distribution of the cages. Samples of different molecular weight fractions were prepared from HSQ by SCF and the free volume of several cuts was measured by PALS in a conventional fast-fast system. POSITRONFIT and CONTIN programs were used to analyze the spectra. Three separate lifetime regions were identified with free volume regimes that correlate strongly with the molecular weight. The lowest is identified with the monomer cage unit, the larger values with intramolecular separation.

Candidate members of the Pal 5, GD-1, Cetus Polar and Orphan tidal stellar halo streams from SDSS DR9, LAMOST DR3 and APOGEE catalogs

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

Li, Guang -Wei; Yanny, Brian; Zhang, Hao -Tong

We present candidate members of the Pal 5, GD-1, Cetus Polar, and Orphan tidal stellar streams found in LAMOST DR3, SDSS DR9 and APOGEE catalogs. In LAMOST DR3, we find 20, 4, 24 high confidence candidates of tidal streams GD-1, Cetus Polar and Orphan respectively. We also list from the SDSS DR9 spectroscopic catalog 59, 118, 10 high confidence candidates of tidal streams Cetus Polar, Orphan and Pal 5, respectively. Furthermore, we find 7 high confidence candidates of the Pal 5 tidal stream in APOGEE data. Compared with SDSS, the new candidates from LAMOST DR3 are brighter, so that together, more of the color-magnitude diagram, including the giant branch can be explored. Analysis of SDSS data shows that there are 3 metallicity peaks of the Orphan stream and also shows some spatial separation. LAMOST data confirms multiple metallicities in this stream. The metallicity, given by the higher resolution APOGEE instrument, of the Pal 5 tidal stream is [Fe/H]more » $$\\sim -1.2$$, higher than that given earlier by SDSS spectra. Here, many previously unidentified stream members are tabulated here for the first time, along with existing members, allowing future researchers to further constrain the orbits of these objects as they move within the Galaxy's dark matter potential.« less

Candidate members of the Pal 5, GD-1, Cetus Polar and Orphan tidal stellar halo streams from SDSS DR9, LAMOST DR3 and APOGEE catalogs

DOE PAGES

Li, Guang -Wei; Yanny, Brian; Zhang, Hao -Tong; ...

2017-05-01

We present candidate members of the Pal 5, GD-1, Cetus Polar, and Orphan tidal stellar streams found in LAMOST DR3, SDSS DR9 and APOGEE catalogs. In LAMOST DR3, we find 20, 4, 24 high confidence candidates of tidal streams GD-1, Cetus Polar and Orphan respectively. We also list from the SDSS DR9 spectroscopic catalog 59, 118, 10 high confidence candidates of tidal streams Cetus Polar, Orphan and Pal 5, respectively. Furthermore, we find 7 high confidence candidates of the Pal 5 tidal stream in APOGEE data. Compared with SDSS, the new candidates from LAMOST DR3 are brighter, so that together, more of the color-magnitude diagram, including the giant branch can be explored. Analysis of SDSS data shows that there are 3 metallicity peaks of the Orphan stream and also shows some spatial separation. LAMOST data confirms multiple metallicities in this stream. The metallicity, given by the higher resolution APOGEE instrument, of the Pal 5 tidal stream is [Fe/H]more » $$\\sim -1.2$$, higher than that given earlier by SDSS spectra. Here, many previously unidentified stream members are tabulated here for the first time, along with existing members, allowing future researchers to further constrain the orbits of these objects as they move within the Galaxy's dark matter potential.« less

Complete genome sequence of the sugarcane nitrogen-fixing endophyte Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5

PubMed Central

Bertalan, Marcelo; Albano, Rodolpho; de Pádua, Vânia; Rouws, Luc; Rojas, Cristian; Hemerly, Adriana; Teixeira, Kátia; Schwab, Stefan; Araujo, Jean; Oliveira, André; França, Leonardo; Magalhães, Viviane; Alquéres, Sylvia; Cardoso, Alexander; Almeida, Wellington; Loureiro, Marcio Martins; Nogueira, Eduardo; Cidade, Daniela; Oliveira, Denise; Simão, Tatiana; Macedo, Jacyara; Valadão, Ana; Dreschsel, Marcela; Freitas, Flávia; Vidal, Marcia; Guedes, Helma; Rodrigues, Elisete; Meneses, Carlos; Brioso, Paulo; Pozzer, Luciana; Figueiredo, Daniel; Montano, Helena; Junior, Jadier; de Souza Filho, Gonçalo; Martin Quintana Flores, Victor; Ferreira, Beatriz; Branco, Alan; Gonzalez, Paula; Guillobel, Heloisa; Lemos, Melissa; Seibel, Luiz; Macedo, José; Alves-Ferreira, Marcio; Sachetto-Martins, Gilberto; Coelho, Ana; Santos, Eidy; Amaral, Gilda; Neves, Anna; Pacheco, Ana Beatriz; Carvalho, Daniela; Lery, Letícia; Bisch, Paulo; Rössle, Shaila C; Ürményi, Turán; Rael Pereira, Alessandra; Silva, Rosane; Rondinelli, Edson; von Krüger, Wanda; Martins, Orlando; Baldani, José Ivo; Ferreira, Paulo CG

2009-01-01

Background Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5 is an endophytic diazotrophic bacterium that lives in association with sugarcane plants. It has important biotechnological features such as nitrogen fixation, plant growth promotion, sugar metabolism pathways, secretion of organic acids, synthesis of auxin and the occurrence of bacteriocins. Results Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5 is the third diazotrophic endophytic bacterium to be completely sequenced. Its genome is composed of a 3.9 Mb chromosome and 2 plasmids of 16.6 and 38.8 kb, respectively. We annotated 3,938 coding sequences which reveal several characteristics related to the endophytic lifestyle such as nitrogen fixation, plant growth promotion, sugar metabolism, transport systems, synthesis of auxin and the occurrence of bacteriocins. Genomic analysis identified a core component of 894 genes shared with phylogenetically related bacteria. Gene clusters for gum-like polysaccharide biosynthesis, tad pilus, quorum sensing, for modulation of plant growth by indole acetic acid and mechanisms involved in tolerance to acidic conditions were identified and may be related to the sugarcane endophytic and plant-growth promoting traits of G. diazotrophicus. An accessory component of at least 851 genes distributed in genome islands was identified, and was most likely acquired by horizontal gene transfer. This portion of the genome has likely contributed to adaptation to the plant habitat. Conclusion The genome data offer an important resource of information that can be used to manipulate plant/bacterium interactions with the aim of improving sugarcane crop production and other biotechnological applications. PMID:19775431

PALS (Passive Active L-band System) Radiometer-Based Soil Moisture Retrieval for the SMAP Validation Experiment 2012 (SMAPVEX12)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colliander, A.; Jackson, T. J.; Chan, S.; Bindlish, R.; O'Neill, P. E.; Chazanoff, S. L.; McNairn, H.; Bullock, P.; Powers, J.; Wiseman, G.; Berg, A. A.; Magagi, R.; Njoku, E. G.

2014-12-01

NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is scheduled for launch in early January 2015. For pre-launch soil moisture algorithm development and validation, the SMAP project and NASA coordinated a SMAP Validation Experiment 2012 (SMAPVEX12) together with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the vicinity of Winnipeg, Canada in June 7-July 19, 2012. Coincident active and passive airborne L-band data were acquired using the Passive Active L-band System (PALS) on 17 days during the experiment. Simultaneously with the PALS measurements, soil moisture ground truth data were collected manually. The vegetation and surface roughness were sampled on non-flight days. The SMAP mission will produce surface (top 5 cm) soil moisture products a) using a combination of its L-band radiometer and SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) measurements, b) using the radiometer measurement only, and c) using the SAR measurements only. The SMAPVEX12 data are being utilized for the development and testing of the algorithms applied for generating these soil moisture products. This talk will focus on presenting results of retrieving surface soil moisture using the PALS radiometer. The issues that this retrieval faces are very similar to those faced by the global algorithm using the SMAP radiometer. However, the different spatial resolution of the two observations has to be accounted for in the analysis. The PALS 3 dB footprint in the experiment was on the order of 1 km, whereas the SMAP radiometer has a footprint of about 40 km. In this talk forward modeled brightness temperature over the manually sampled fields and the retrieved soil moisture over the entire experiment domain are presented and discussed. In order to provide a retrieval product similar to that of the SMAP passive algorithm, various ancillary information had to be obtained for the SMAPVEX12 domain. In many cases there are multiple options on how to choose and reprocess these data

Project Pals: A Description of a High School-Based Tutorial Program Using Corrective Reading and Peer-Delivered Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchand-Martella, Nancy; Martella, Ronald C.; Bettis, Daniel F.; Blakely, Molly Riley

2004-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to assess implementation aspects of a peer-delivered Corrective Reading Program (CRP), entitled "Project PALS" (Peer Assisted Learning System), in six area high schools. Specifically, high schools provided details on the following aspects of their programs: school and teachers, students receiving peer…

Crystal structure of Pisum arvense seed lectin (PAL) and characterization of its interaction with carbohydrates by molecular docking and dynamics.

PubMed

Pinto-Junior, Vanir Reis; Santiago, Mayara Queiroz; Nobre, Camila Bezerra; Osterne, Vinicius Jose Silva; Leal, Rodrigo Bainy; Cajazeiras, Joao Batista; Lossio, Claudia Figueiredo; Rocha, Bruno Anderson Matias; Martins, Maria Gleiciane Queiroz; Nobre, Clareane Avelino Simplicio; Silva, Mayara Torquato Lima; Nascimento, Kyria Santiago; Cavada, Benildo Sousa

2017-09-15

The Pisum arvense lectin (PAL), a legume protein belonging to the Vicieae tribe, is capable of specific recognition of mannose, glucose and its derivatives without altering its structure. In this work, the three-dimensional structure of PAL was determined by X-ray crystallography and studied in detail by a combination of molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD). Crystals belonging to monoclinic space group P2 1 were grown by the vapor diffusion method at 293 K. The structure was solved at 2.16 Å and was similar to that of other Vicieae lectins. The structure presented R factor and R free of 17.04% and 22.08%, respectively, with all acceptable geometric parameters. Molecular docking was performed to analyze interactions of the lectin with monosaccharides, disaccharides and high-mannose N-glycans. PAL demonstrated different affinities on carbohydrates, depending on bond orientation and glycosidic linkage present in ligands. Furthermore, the lectin interacted with representative N-glycans in a manner consistent with the biological effects described for Vicieae lectins. Carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) in-depth analysis was performed by MD, describing the behavior of CRD residues in complex with ligand, stability, flexibility of the protein over time, CRD volume and topology. This is a first report of its kind for a lectin of the Vicieae tribe. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A novel design of dual-channel optical system of star-tracker based on non-blind area PAL system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Yujie; Bai, Jian

2016-07-01

Star-tracker plays an important role in satellite navigation. Considering the satellites on near-Earth orbit, the system usually has two optical systems: one for observing the profile of Earth and the other for capturing the positions of stars. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel kind of dual-channel optical observation system of star-tracker with non-blind area PAL imaging system based on dichroic filter, which can combine both different observation channels into an integrated structure and realize the feature of miniaturization. According to the practical usage of star-tracker and the features of dichroic filter, we set the ultraviolet band as the PAL channel to observe the Earth with the FOV ranging from 40°-60°, and set the visible band as the front imaging channel to capture the stars far away from this system with the FOV ranging from 0°-20°. Consequently, the rays of both channels are converged on the same image plane, improving the efficiency of pixels of detector and reducing the weight and size of whole star-tracker system.

High-Resolution CCD Spectra of Stars in Globular Clusters. IX. The "Young" Clusters Ruprecht 106 and PAL 12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Jeffrey A.; Wallerstein, George; Zucker, Daniel

1997-07-01

We have performed a spectroscopic abundance analysis of two stars each in the anomalously young globular clusters Rup 106 and Pal 12. We find [Fe/H] =~ -1.45 for Rup 106 and -1.0 for Pal 12. The abundance ratios in both clusters are peculiar in comparison to other globulars: the alpha -elements are not enhanced over the solar ratio. We find that oxygen in Rup 106 is also relatively low, with [O/Fe] =~ 0.0 - +0.1. The similarity of the ratio of the alpha-elements to iron to the solar ratio shows that species contributed by supernovae of type Ia have ``caught up" with species produced by SN II's. The similar contributions of the alpha - and Fe-peak species to disk stars shows that age, not metallicity, is the determining factor in the ratio of SN II/SN Ia nucleosynthesis. Galactic enrichment models show that these abundance ratios can be understood as being the result of these two clusters coming from an environment with multiple discontinuous star formation events.

The initial break-up of Pangæa elicited by Late Palæozoic deglaciation.

PubMed

Yeh, Meng-Wan; Shellnutt, J Gregory

2016-08-11

The break-up of Pangæa was principally facilitated by tensional plate stress acting on pre-existing suture zones. The rifting of Pangæa began during the Early Permian along the southern Tethys margin and produced the lenticular-shaped continent known as Cimmeria. A mantle-plume model is ascribed to explain the rift-related volcanism but the NW-SE oriented Cimmerian rifts do not correlate well with pre-existing suture zones or 'structural heterogeneities' but appear to have a pertinent spatial and temporal association with Late Palæozoic glacial-interglacial cycles. Mantle potential temperature estimates of Cimmerian rift-related basalts (1410 °C ± 50 °C) are similar to ambient mantle conditions rather than an active mantle-plume rift as previously suggested. Moreover, we find that the distribution of glacial deposits shows significant temporal and spatial concurrence between the glacial retreat margins and rifting sites. We conclude that the location and timing of Cimmerian rifting resulted from the exploitation of structural heterogeneities within the crust that formed due to repeated glacial-interglacial cycles during the Late Palæozoic. Such effects of continental deglaciation helped to create the lenticular shape of Cimmeria and Neotethys Ocean suggesting that, in some instances, climate change may directly influence the location of rifting.

The initial break-up of Pangæa elicited by Late Palæozoic deglaciation

PubMed Central

Yeh, Meng-Wan; Shellnutt, J. Gregory

2016-01-01

The break-up of Pangæa was principally facilitated by tensional plate stress acting on pre-existing suture zones. The rifting of Pangæa began during the Early Permian along the southern Tethys margin and produced the lenticular-shaped continent known as Cimmeria. A mantle-plume model is ascribed to explain the rift-related volcanism but the NW-SE oriented Cimmerian rifts do not correlate well with pre-existing suture zones or ‘structural heterogeneities’ but appear to have a pertinent spatial and temporal association with Late Palæozoic glacial-interglacial cycles. Mantle potential temperature estimates of Cimmerian rift-related basalts (1410 °C ± 50 °C) are similar to ambient mantle conditions rather than an active mantle-plume rift as previously suggested. Moreover, we find that the distribution of glacial deposits shows significant temporal and spatial concurrence between the glacial retreat margins and rifting sites. We conclude that the location and timing of Cimmerian rifting resulted from the exploitation of structural heterogeneities within the crust that formed due to repeated glacial-interglacial cycles during the Late Palæozoic. Such effects of continental deglaciation helped to create the lenticular shape of Cimmeria and Neotethys Ocean suggesting that, in some instances, climate change may directly influence the location of rifting. PMID:27511791

Effects of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) knockdown on cell wall composition, biomass digestibility, and biotic and abiotic stress responses in Brachypodium

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL) catalyzes the first step in the phenylpropanoid pathway in plants, controlling biosynthesis of a variety of structural and defense compounds including monolignols that polymerize into lignin. Gaps remain in our understanding of how genetic alterations to this pathwa...

Expression profiles of key phenylpropanoid genes during Vanilla planifolia pod development reveal a positive correlation between PAL gene expression and vanillin biosynthesis.

PubMed

Fock-Bastide, Isabelle; Palama, Tony Lionel; Bory, Séverine; Lécolier, Aurélie; Noirot, Michel; Joët, Thierry

2014-01-01

In Vanilla planifolia pods, development of flavor precursors is dependent on the phenylpropanoid pathway. The distinctive vanilla aroma is produced by numerous phenolic compounds of which vanillin is the most important. Because of the economic importance of vanilla, vanillin biosynthetic pathways have been extensively studied but agreement has not yet been reached on the processes leading to its accumulation. In order to explore the transcriptional control exerted on these pathways, five key phenylpropanoid genes expressed during pod development were identified and their mRNA accumulation profiles were evaluated during pod development and maturation using quantitative real-time PCR. As a prerequisite for expression analysis using qRT-PCR, five potential reference genes were tested, and two genes encoding Actin and EF1 were shown to be the most stable reference genes for accurate normalization during pod development. For the first time, genes encoding a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (VpPAL1) and a cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (VpC4H1) were identified in vanilla pods and studied during maturation. Among phenylpropanoid genes, differential regulation was observed from 3 to 8 months after pollination. VpPAL1 was gradually up-regulated, reaching the maximum expression level at maturity. In contrast, genes encoding 4HBS, C4H, OMT2 and OMT3 did not show significant increase in expression levels after the fourth month post-pollination. Expression profiling of these key phenylpropanoid genes is also discussed in light of accumulation patterns for key phenolic compounds. Interestingly, VpPAL1 gene expression was shown to be positively correlated to maturation and vanillin accumulation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Focusing X-ray free-electron laser pulses using Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors at the NCI hutch of the PAL-XFEL.

PubMed

Kim, Jangwoo; Kim, Hyo Yun; Park, Jaehyun; Kim, Sangsoo; Kim, Sunam; Rah, Seungyu; Lim, Jun; Nam, Ki Hyun

2018-01-01

The Pohang Accelerator Laboratory X-ray Free-Electron Laser (PAL-XFEL) is a recently commissioned X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) facility that provides intense ultrashort X-ray pulses based on the self-amplified spontaneous emission process. The nano-crystallography and coherent imaging (NCI) hutch with forward-scattering geometry is located at the hard X-ray beamline of the PAL-XFEL and provides opportunities to perform serial femtosecond crystallography and coherent X-ray diffraction imaging. To produce intense high-density XFEL pulses at the interaction positions between the X-rays and various samples, a microfocusing Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirror system that includes an ultra-precision manipulator has been developed. In this paper, the design of a KB mirror system that focuses the hard XFEL beam onto a fixed sample point of the NCI hutch, which is positioned along the hard XFEL beamline, is described. The focusing system produces a two-dimensional focusing beam at approximately 2 µm scale across the 2-11 keV photon energy range. XFEL pulses of 9.7 keV energy were successfully focused onto an area of size 1.94 µm × 2.08 µm FWHM.

Palæo- and Neoproterozoic granitoids and rhyolites from the West Congolian Belt (Gabon, Congo, Cabinda, north Angola): chemical composition and geotectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vicat, J.-P.; Pouclet, A.

2000-11-01

Various Palæo- and Neoproterozoic granitoid bodies and related rhyolites are located in the West Congolian Belt. The Palæoproterozoic granitoids, dated around 2 Ga, exhibit an Archæan-type tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite suite chemical signature and are related to the Eburnean tectnno-magmatic event. In contrast, Neoproterozoic granitoids and rhyolites, dated around 1 Ga, have chemical geotectonic signatures that range from orogenic to intraplate (Nb-negative anomaly, large ion lithophile element enrichment and high field strength element depletion). However, a late Kibaran orogenic event (1.35-1.00 Ga) is unknown in this area. The Neoproterozoic magmatism is interpreted as a consequence of the initiation of pre-Pan-African rifting, which implies the formation or the reactivation of major crustal strike-slip faults with asthenospheric upwelling and the generation of a thermal anomaly. This thermal anomaly could have been responsible for magmatic processes involving the lower crust, as encountered in post-orogenic environments.

Late Neolithic vegetation history at the pile-dwelling site of Palù di Livenza (northeastern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pini, Roberta

2004-12-01

The Late Neolithic pile-dwelling of Palù di Livenza yielded archaeological remains typical of the Square Mouth Pottery and Lagozza Cultures. A palynological investigation reveals important changes in the vegetation due to anthropogenic pressure. Between ca. 6590 and 5960 cal. yr BP, dense oak wood forests with deciduous Quercus, Fagus and Corylus extended around the mire, with no signs of human impact. The establishment of the pile-dwelling, dated to ca. 5960 cal. yr BP, led to a strong reduction of forests, reclamation of wetlands, and expansion of herbaceous communities, with cultivated species, infestant weeds, nitrophilous and ruderal herbs, pastures and meadows. According to AMS dates and previous archaeological chronologies, the pile-dwelling persisted for about 700 years (from ca. 5960 to 5260 cal. yr BP). The history of the pile-dwelling after ca. 5260 cal. yr BP cannot be reconstructed because of recent contamination of the top part of the section. Rarefaction analysis was applied to estimate changes of palynological richness through time: the highest E(Tn) (between 56 and 69 taxa) are contemporaneous with the local development of the pile-dwelling. The comparison of pollen data with archaeobotanical evidence indicates that Fragaria vesca, Malus sylvestris, Papaver somniferum and Physalis alkekengi were gathered at some distance from the site and that Linum usitatissimum is strongly under-represented in pollen samples. Crop cultivation can be estimated for a radius of several hundred metres around the mire. Palù di Livenza is significant in the context of Neolithic archaeobotany of northern Italy and neighbouring countries. Copyright

DietPal: A Web-Based Dietary Menu-Generating and Management System

PubMed Central

Abdullah, Siti Norulhuda; Shahar, Suzana; Abdul-Hamid, Helmi; Khairudin, Nurkahirizan; Yusoff, Mohamed; Ghazali, Rafidah; Mohd-Yusoff, Nooraini; Shafii, Nik Shanita; Abdul-Manaf, Zaharah

2004-01-01

Background Attempts in current health care practice to make health care more accessible, effective, and efficient through the use of information technology could include implementation of computer-based dietary menu generation. While several of such systems already exist, their focus is mainly to assist healthy individuals calculate their calorie intake and to help monitor the selection of menus based upon a prespecified calorie value. Although these prove to be helpful in some ways, they are not suitable for monitoring, planning, and managing patients' dietary needs and requirements. This paper presents a Web-based application that simulates the process of menu suggestions according to a standard practice employed by dietitians. Objective To model the workflow of dietitians and to develop, based on this workflow, a Web-based system for dietary menu generation and management. The system is aimed to be used by dietitians or by medical professionals of health centers in rural areas where there are no designated qualified dietitians. Methods First, a user-needs study was conducted among dietitians in Malaysia. The first survey of 93 dietitians (with 52 responding) was an assessment of information needed for dietary management and evaluation of compliance towards a dietary regime. The second study consisted of ethnographic observation and semi-structured interviews with 14 dietitians in order to identify the workflow of a menu-suggestion process. We subsequently designed and developed a Web-based dietary menu generation and management system called DietPal. DietPal has the capability of automatically calculating the nutrient and calorie intake of each patient based on the dietary recall as well as generating suitable diet and menu plans according to the calorie and nutrient requirement of the patient, calculated from anthropometric measurements. The system also allows reusing stored or predefined menus for other patients with similar health and nutrient requirements

DietPal: a Web-based dietary menu-generating and management system.

PubMed

Noah, Shahrul A; Abdullah, Siti Norulhuda; Shahar, Suzana; Abdul-Hamid, Helmi; Khairudin, Nurkahirizan; Yusoff, Mohamed; Ghazali, Rafidah; Mohd-Yusoff, Nooraini; Shafii, Nik Shanita; Abdul-Manaf, Zaharah

2004-01-30

Attempts in current health care practice to make health care more accessible, effective, and efficient through the use of information technology could include implementation of computer-based dietary menu generation. While several of such systems already exist, their focus is mainly to assist healthy individuals calculate their calorie intake and to help monitor the selection of menus based upon a prespecified calorie value. Although these prove to be helpful in some ways, they are not suitable for monitoring, planning, and managing patients' dietary needs and requirements. This paper presents a Web-based application that simulates the process of menu suggestions according to a standard practice employed by dietitians. To model the workflow of dietitians and to develop, based on this workflow, a Web-based system for dietary menu generation and management. The system is aimed to be used by dietitians or by medical professionals of health centers in rural areas where there are no designated qualified dietitians. First, a user-needs study was conducted among dietitians in Malaysia. The first survey of 93 dietitians (with 52 responding) was an assessment of information needed for dietary management and evaluation of compliance towards a dietary regime. The second study consisted of ethnographic observation and semi-structured interviews with 14 dietitians in order to identify the workflow of a menu-suggestion process. We subsequently designed and developed a Web-based dietary menu generation and management system called DietPal. DietPal has the capability of automatically calculating the nutrient and calorie intake of each patient based on the dietary recall as well as generating suitable diet and menu plans according to the calorie and nutrient requirement of the patient, calculated from anthropometric measurements. The system also allows reusing stored or predefined menus for other patients with similar health and nutrient requirements. We modeled the workflow of

Dispersion and interaction of graphene oxide in amorphous and semi-crystalline nano-composites: a PALS study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurer, Frans H. J.; Arza, Carlos R.

2015-06-01

The influence of dispersion and interaction of Graphene Oxide (GO) in semicrystalline Polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) and glassy amorphous Poly(tBP-oda) is explored by Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). The ortho-Positronium lifetimes which represent the main free volume hole size of both polymers are mainly affected by the large differences in internal stresses built up by the shrinkage of the polymers during their preparation, restricted by the platelet structure of GO. The ortho-Positronium intensities, which represent the ortho-Positronium formation probabilities, suggest a strong dependency of on the dispersion of the nano-particles and their aspect ratio.

Measuring Early Spanish Literacy: Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the "Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening for Kindergarteners" in Spanish ("PALS español K")

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Francis L.; Ford, Karen L.; Invernizzi, Marcia; Fan, Xitao

2013-01-01

We investigated the latent factor structure of the "Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening for Kindergarteners" in Spanish ("PALS español K"). Participants included 590 Spanish-speaking, public-school kindergarteners from five states. Three theoretically-guided factor structures were measured and tested with one half of our…

Free volume in ionic liquids: a connection of experimentally accessible observables from PALS and PVT experiments with the molecular structure from XRD data.

PubMed

Beichel, Witali; Yu, Yang; Dlubek, Günter; Krause-Rehberg, Reinhard; Pionteck, Jürgen; Pfefferkorn, Dirk; Bulut, Safak; Bejan, Dana; Friedrich, Christian; Krossing, Ingo

2013-06-14

In the current work, free volume concepts, primarily applied to glass formers in the literature, were transferred to ionic liquids (ILs). A series of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([C4MIM](+)) based ILs was investigated by Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). The phase transition and dynamic properties of the ILs [C4MIM][X] with [X](-) = [Cl](-), [BF4](-), [PF6](-), [OTf](-), [NTf2](-) and [B(hfip)4](-) were reported recently (Yu et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2012, 14, 6856-6868). In this subsequent work, attention was paid to the connection of the free volume from PALS (here the mean hole volume, ) with the molecular structure, represented by volumes derived from X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. These were the scaled molecular volume Vm,scaled and the van der Waals volume V(vdw). Linear correlations of at the "knee" temperature ((T(k))) with V(m,scaled) and V(vdw) gave good results for the [C4MIM](+) series. Further relationships between volumes from XRD data with the occupied volume Vocc determined from PALS/PVT (Pressure Volume Temperature) measurements and from Sanchez-Lacombe Equation of State (SL-EOS) fits were elaborated (V(occ)(SL-EOS) ≈ 1.63 V(vdw), R(2) = 0.981 and V(occ)(SL-EOS) ≈ 1.12 V(m,scaled), R(2) = 0.980). Finally, the usability of V(m,scaled) was justified in terms of the Cohen-Turnbull (CT) free volume theory. Empirical CT type plots of viscosity and electrical conductivity showed a systematic increase in the critical free volume with molecular size. Such correlations allow descriptions of IL properties with the easily accessible quantity V(m,scaled) within the context of the free volume.

Impacts of an "extreme" storm on a low-lying embayed sandy beach (Pals Bay, NW Mediterranean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durán, Ruth; Sagristà, Enric; Guillen, Jorge; Ruiz, Antonio; Jiménez, José Antonio

2014-05-01

The present study aims to assess the effects of an extreme storm in the medium-term evolution of a low-lying, low-tidal sandy coast based on airborne LIDAR (LIght Detection and Ranging) derived high-resolution topographic data. LIDAR data were acquired by the Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya and analyzed in a Geographical Information System (GIS) environment in order to estimate the shoreline displacement (advance or retreat), volumetric changes of the emerged beach, dune erosion and overswash. LIDAR surveys were undertaken in October 2008 and August 2009 to evaluate the impact of an extreme storm that severely hit the north-west Mediterranean coast on 26 December 2008. During this storm, maximum significant wave heights of 7.5 m (with peaks of 14.4 m of maximum wave height) and maximum wave peak period of 12.8 s were recorded at the Palamós buoy, located at 90 m depth. In addition, several weak to moderate storms also occurred during the study period. The Pals Bay in the northern of Catalonia (NW Mediterranean) has been chosen for this study because: (i) it is a low-lying coastal land, which makes the coastline highly susceptible to flooding by waves during storms; and (ii) it includes high natural value areas and urbanized ones that show different behavior under the impact of storms. It comprises three beaches: the Pals Bay beach that extends along 6840 m between L'Estartit and Begur promontories, and two pocket beaches located at the southern end of the Pals Bay, Cala Moreta and Sa Riera, which are only 185 m and 188 m long, respectively. During the study period, shoreline position and volumetric changes in the large bay beach were not homogeneous. The coastline variations showed alongshore fluctuations up to 40 m, probably related to the development of rhythmic topographies in form of beach cups. Overall, the emerged beach experienced a net volumetric loss of -62 516 m3 (-9.14 m3/m). However, the loss of sediment was not uniform. In urbanized areas, sediment

High Current, High Density Arc Plasma as a New Source for WiPAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waleffe, Roger; Endrizzi, Doug; Myers, Rachel; Wallace, John; Clark, Mike; Forest, Cary; WiPAL Team

2016-10-01

The Wisconsin Plasma Astrophysics Lab (WiPAL) has installed a new array of nineteen plasma sources (plasma guns) on its 3 m diameter, spherical vacuum vessel. Each gun is a cylindrical, molybdenum, washer-stabilized, arc plasma source. During discharge, the guns are maintained at 1.2 kA across 100 V for 10 ms by the gun power supply establishing a high density plasma. Each plasma source is fired independently allowing for adjustable plasma parameters, with densities varying between 1018 -1019 m-3 and electron temperatures of 5-15 eV. Measurements were characterized using a 16 tip Langmuir probe. The plasma source will be used as a background plasma for the magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG), the Terrestrial Reconnection Experiment (TREX), and as the plasma source for a magnetic mirror experiment. Temperature, density, and confinement results will be presented. This work is supported by the DoE and the NSF.

Basic features of electromagnetic pulse generated in a laser-target chamber at 3-TW laser facility PALS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Marco, M.; Pfeifer, M.; Krousky, E.; Krasa, J.; Cikhardt, J.; Klir, D.; Nassisi, V.

2014-04-01

We describe the radiofrequency emission taking place when 300 ps laser pulses irradiate various solid targets with an intensity of 1016 W/cm2. The emission of intense electromagnetic pulses was observed outside the laser target chamber by two loop antennas up to 1 GHz. Electromagnetic pulses can be 800 MHz transients, which decay from a peak electromagnetic field of E0 ≊ 7 kV/m and H0 ≊ 15 A/m. The occurrence of these electromagnetic pulses is associated with generation of hard x-rays with photon energies extending beyond 1 MeV. This contribution reports the first observation of this effect at the PALS facility.

Study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of an intervention to reduce and break up sitting time in primary school classrooms in the UK: The CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) Programme

PubMed Central

Routen, Ash C; Biddle, Stuart J H; Bodicoat, Danielle H; Cale, Lorraine; Clemes, Stacy; Edwardson, Charlotte L; Glazebrook, Cris; Harrington, Deirdre M; Khunti, Kamlesh; Pearson, Natalie; Salmon, Jo; Sherar, Lauren B

2017-01-01

Introduction Children engage in a high volume of sitting in school, particularly in the classroom. A number of strategies, such as physically active lessons (termed movement integration (MI)), have been developed to integrate physical activity into this learning environment; however, no single approach is likely to meet the needs of all pupils and teachers. This protocol outlines an implementation study of a primary school-based MI intervention: CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) programme. This study aims to (A) determine the degree of implementation of CLASS PAL, (B) identify processes by which teachers and schools implement CLASS PAL and (C) investigate individual (pupil and teacher) level and school-level characteristics associated with implementation of CLASS PAL. Methods and analysis The intervention will provide teachers with a professional development workshop and a bespoke teaching resources website. The study will use a single group before-and-after design, strengthened by multiple interim measurements. Six state-funded primary schools will be recruited within Leicestershire, UK. Evaluation data will be collected prior to implementation and at four discrete time points during implementation: At measurement 0 (October 2016), school, teacher and pupil characteristics will be collected. At measurements 0 and 3 (June–July 2017), accelerometry, cognitive functioning, self-reported sitting and classroom engagement data will be collected. At measurements 1(December 2016–March 2017) and 3, teacher interviews (also at measurement 4; September–October 2017) and pupil focus groups will be conducted, and at measurements 1 and 2 (April–May 2017), classroom observations. Implementation will be captured through website analytics and ongoing teacher completed logs. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was obtained through the Loughborough University Human Participants Ethics Sub-Committee (Reference number: R16-P115). Findings will be disseminated via

Application of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) to study the nanostructure in amphiphile self-assembly materials: phytantriol cubosomes and hexosomes.

PubMed

Dong, Aurelia W; Fong, Celesta; Waddington, Lynne J; Hill, Anita J; Boyd, Ben J; Drummond, Calum J

2015-01-21

Self-assembled amphiphile nanostructures of colloidal dimensions such as cubosomes and hexosomes are of interest as delivery vectors in pharmaceutical and nanomedicine applications. Translation would be assisted through a better of understanding of the effects of drug loading on the internal nanostructure, and the relationship between this nanostructure and drug release profile. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) is sensitive to local microviscosity and is used as an in situ molecular probe to examine the Q2 (cubosome) → H2 (hexosome) → L2 phase transitions of the pharmaceutically relevant phytantriol-water system in the presence of a model hydrophobic drug, vitamin E acetate (VitEA). It is shown that the ortho-positronium lifetime (τ) is sensitive to molecular packing and mobility and this has been correlated with the rheological properties of individual lyotropic liquid crystalline mesophases. Characteristic PALS lifetimes for L2 (τ4∼ 4 ns) ∼ H2 (τ4∼ 4 ns) > Q(2 Pn3m) (τ4∼ 2.2 ns) are observed for the phytantriol-water system, with the addition of VitEA yielding a gradual increase in τ from τ∼ 2.2 ns for cubosomes to τ∼ 3.5 ns for hexosomes. The dynamic chain packing at higher temperatures and in the L2 and H2 phases is qualitatively less "viscous", consistent with rheological measurements. This information offers increased understanding of the relationship between internal nanostructure and species permeability.

Multivariate statistical analysis of stream-sediment geochemistry in the Grazer Paläozoikum, Austria

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weber, L.; Davis, J.C.

1990-01-01

The Austrian reconnaissance study of stream-sediment composition — more than 30000 clay-fraction samples collected over an area of 40000 km2 — is summarized in an atlas of regional maps that show the distributions of 35 elements. These maps, rich in information, reveal complicated patterns of element abundance that are difficult to compare on more than a small number of maps at one time. In such a study, multivariate procedures such as simultaneous R-Q mode components analysis may be helpful. They can compress a large number of variables into a much smaller number of independent linear combinations. These composite variables may be mapped and relationships sought between them and geological properties. As an example, R-Q mode components analysis is applied here to the Grazer Paläozoikum, a tectonic unit northeast of the city of Graz, which is composed of diverse lithologies and contains many mineral deposits.

Study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of an intervention to reduce and break up sitting time in primary school classrooms in the UK: The CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) Programme.

PubMed

Routen, Ash C; Biddle, Stuart J H; Bodicoat, Danielle H; Cale, Lorraine; Clemes, Stacy; Edwardson, Charlotte L; Glazebrook, Cris; Harrington, Deirdre M; Khunti, Kamlesh; Pearson, Natalie; Salmon, Jo; Sherar, Lauren B

2017-11-08

Children engage in a high volume of sitting in school, particularly in the classroom. A number of strategies, such as physically active lessons (termed movement integration (MI)), have been developed to integrate physical activity into this learning environment; however, no single approach is likely to meet the needs of all pupils and teachers. This protocol outlines an implementation study of a primary school-based MI intervention: CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) programme. This study aims to (A) determine the degree of implementation of CLASS PAL, (B) identify processes by which teachers and schools implement CLASS PAL and (C) investigate individual (pupil and teacher) level and school-level characteristics associated with implementation of CLASS PAL. The intervention will provide teachers with a professional development workshop and a bespoke teaching resources website. The study will use a single group before-and-after design, strengthened by multiple interim measurements. Six state-funded primary schools will be recruited within Leicestershire, UK.Evaluation data will be collected prior to implementation and at four discrete time points during implementation: At measurement 0 (October 2016), school, teacher and pupil characteristics will be collected. At measurements 0 and 3 (June-July 2017), accelerometry, cognitive functioning, self-reported sitting and classroom engagement data will be collected. At measurements 1(December 2016-March 2017) and 3 , teacher interviews (also at measurement 4; September-October 2017) and pupil focus groups will be conducted, and at measurements 1 and 2 (April-May 2017), classroom observations. Implementation will be captured through website analytics and ongoing teacher completed logs. Ethical approval was obtained through the Loughborough University Human Participants Ethics Sub-Committee (Reference number: R16-P115). Findings will be disseminated via practitioner and/or research journals and to relevant regional and

PALS laser-driven radiative jets for astrophysical and ICF applications

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

Pisarczyk, T.; Kasperczuk, A.; Stenz, Ch.

2008-03-19

High speed, well-collimated plasma jets were generated in the interaction of defocused single laser beam with planar, massive Cu target. The experiment was carried out at the iodine laser facility (Prague Asterix Laser System--PALS) using the third harmonic beam (0.438 {mu}m) with a pulse duration of 250 ps (FWHM) and an energy of 100 J. The information about geometry of plasma expansion, plasma dynamics and electron density were obtained by means of a 3-frame interferometric system. The plasma jet parameters reach the following values: the velocity up to 7x10{sup 7} cm/s, the internal Mach number greater than 10 and themore » electron density above 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}. The jet characteristics are appropriate for the astrophysical and ICF applications. To ensure the interaction of this jet with gas or plasma as an ambient medium, a high-pressure supersonic gas nozzle was used, which created a cylindrical column of Ar or He. The results of first experiments dedicated to studies of collision of such a jet with a gas cloud are also presented. They clearly show the effect of shocks formation in ambient gases (He and Ar) due to the jet action. In the case of He the shock waves have usually a conical shape with a thickness of 1-1.5 mm, whereas in the case of Ar, the shock wave configuration is more complex and its thickness is less than 1 mm.« less

[An operational remote sensing algorithm of land surface evapotranspiration based on NOAA PAL dataset].

PubMed

Hou, Ying-Yu; He, Yan-Bo; Wang, Jian-Lin; Tian, Guo-Liang

2009-10-01

Based on the time series 10-day composite NOAA Pathfinder AVHRR Land (PAL) dataset (8 km x 8 km), and by using land surface energy balance equation and "VI-Ts" (vegetation index-land surface temperature) method, a new algorithm of land surface evapotranspiration (ET) was constructed. This new algorithm did not need the support from meteorological observation data, and all of its parameters and variables were directly inversed or derived from remote sensing data. A widely accepted ET model of remote sensing, i. e., SEBS model, was chosen to validate the new algorithm. The validation test showed that both the ET and its seasonal variation trend estimated by SEBS model and our new algorithm accorded well, suggesting that the ET estimated from the new algorithm was reliable, being able to reflect the actual land surface ET. The new ET algorithm of remote sensing was practical and operational, which offered a new approach to study the spatiotemporal variation of ET in continental scale and global scale based on the long-term time series satellite remote sensing images.

PALS, MIR and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy studies of pHEMA hydrogel, silicon- and fluoro-containing contact lens materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filipecka, Katarzyna; Budaj, Mariusz; Chamerski, Kordian; Miedziński, Rafał; Sitarz, Maciej; Miskowiak, Bogdan; Makowska-Janusik, Małgorzata; Filipecki, Jacek

2017-11-01

Studies on polymeric materials used in contactology for manufacturing of contact lenses are presented in the paper. Different types of brand new contact lenses were investigated: hydrogel, silicone-hydrogel and rigid gas permeable. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) was used to characterize geometrical sizes and fraction of the free volume holes in the investigated samples. Measurements reveal significant differences between the materials. Namely differences in size and fraction of free volume were observed. These changes are strongly correlated with oxygen permeability in contact lenses. Middle infrared (MIR) spectroscopy was carried out in order to investigate the internal structure of materials. Furthermore, UV-vis-NIR studies were performed in order to determine the transmittance properties of contact lenses.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: CCD photometry of Pal 1 (Borissova+ 1995)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borissova, J.; Spassova, N.

1997-06-01

A CCD photometry of the halo cluster Palomar 1 is presented in the Thuan-Gunn photometric system. The principal sequences of the color-magnitude diagrams are delineated in different spectral bands. The color- magnitude diagrams of the cluster show a well defined red horizontal branch, a subgiant branch and a main-sequence down to about two magnitudes below the main sequence turnoff. The giant branch is absent and the brightest stars are the horizontal branch stars. The age of the cluster determined by comparison with the isochrones of Bell & VandenBerg (1987ApJS...63..335B) is consistent with an age in the interval 12-14Gyr. A distance modulus of (m-M)g0=15.38+/-0.15 magnitude and E(g-r)=0.16 has been derived. An estimate of the cluster structural parameters such as core radius and concentration parameter gives rc=1.5pc and c=1.46. A mass estimate of 1.1x103M⊙ and a mass-to-light ratio of 1.79 have been obtained using King's (1966AJ.....71...64K) method. The morphology of color-magnitude diagrams allows Pal 1 to be interpreted as probably a globular cluster rather than an old open one. For a description of the uvgr photometric system, see e.g. (1 data file).

Azimuthal Signature of Coincidental Brightness Temperature and Normalized Radar Cross-Section Obtained Using Airborne PALS Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colliander, Andreas; Kim, Seungbum; Yueh, Simon; Cosh, Mike; Jackson, Tom; Njoku, Eni

2010-01-01

Coincidental airborne brightness temperature (TB) and normalized radar-cross section (NRCS) measurements were carried out with the PALS (Passive and Active L- and S-band) instrument in the SMAPVEX08 (SMAP Validation Experiment 2008) field campaign. This paper describes results obtained from a set of flights which measured a field in 45(sup o) steps over the azimuth angle. The field contained mature soy beans with distinct row structure. The measurement shows that both TB and NRCS experience modulation effects over the azimuth as expected based on the theory. The result is useful in development and validation of land surface parameter forward models and retrieval algorithms, such as the soil moisture algorithm for NASA's SMAP (Soil Moisture Active and Passive) mission. Although the footprint of the SMAP will not be sensitive to the small resolution scale effects as the one presented in this paper, it is nevertheless important to understand the effects at smaller scale.

L'Anti-Atlas occidental du Maroc: étude sédimentologique et reconstitutions paléogéographiques au Cambrien inférieur

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benssaou, M.; Hamoumi, N.

2001-04-01

L'étude lithostratigraphique en sédimentologique des formations du Cambrien inférieur de l'Anti-Atlas occidental (Maroc) a permis de mettre en évidence la diversité extrême des faciès allant des faciès continentaux jusqu'au faciès franchement marins. La répartition verticale de ces faciès ainsi que leurs associations ont permis de (i) proposer un nouveau découpage de la succession en formations lithostratigraphiques, (ii) reconstituer les milieux de dépôt (système fluviatile, lacs, fan-deltas, milieu littoral, plate-forme dominée par des constructions stromatolitiques et récifales et plate-forme dominée par les tempêtes) et (iii) établir des modèles paléogéographiques retraçant les différentes étapes d'évolution de ce bassin qui fait partie de la plate-forme nord-gondwanienne au Cambrien inférieur. Lithostratigraphical and sedimentological studies of the Early Cambrian formations in the western Anti-Atlas (Morocco) evidence their large diversity of facies ranging from continental to clearly marine. Vertical distribution and associations of facies afford opportunities to (i) suggest a new classification of the sedimentary sequence in terms of lithostratigraphic formations, (ii) restore the depositional environments (fluvial system, lake, delta fan, coast, stromatolite and reef-dominated platform, tempest-dominated platform), and (iii) establish palæogeographic models displaying the different evolutionary stages of this basin that constituted a part of the Lower Cambrian north-Gondwanian platform.

The Respiratory System and Diazotrophic Activity of Acetobacter diazotrophicus PAL5

PubMed Central

Flores-Encarnación, M.; Contreras-Zentella, M.; Soto-Urzua, L.; Aguilar, G. R.; Baca, B. E.; Escamilla, J. E.

1999-01-01

The characteristics of the respiratory system of Acetobacter diazotrophicus PAL5 were investigated. Increasing aeration (from 0.5 to 4.0 liters of air min−1 liter of medium−1) had a strong positive effect on growth and on the diazotrophic activity of cultures. Cells obtained from well-aerated and diazotrophically active cultures possessed a highly active, membrane-bound electron transport system with dehydrogenases for NADH, glucose, and acetaldehyde as the main electron donors. Ethanol, succinate, and gluconate were also oxidized but to only a minor extent. Terminal cytochrome c oxidase-type activity was poor as measured by reduced N,N,N,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine, but quinol oxidase-type activity, as measured by 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzenediol, was high. Spectral and high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis of membranes revealed the presence of cytochrome ba as a putative oxidase in cells obtained from diazotrophically active cultures. Cells were also rich in c-type cytochromes; four bands of high molecular mass (i.e., 67, 56, 52, and 45 kDa) were revealed by a peroxidase activity stain in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. KCN inhibition curves of respiratory oxidase activities were biphasic, with a highly resistant component. Treatment of membranes with 0.2% Triton X-100 solubilized c-type cytochromes and resulted in a preparation that was significantly more sensitive to cyanide. Repression of diazotrophic activity in well-aerated cultures by 40 mM (NH4)2SO4 caused a significant decrease of the respiratory activities. It is noteworthy that the levels of glucose dehydrogenase and putative oxidase ba decreased 6.8- and 10-fold, respectively. In these cells, a bd-type cytochrome seems to be the major terminal oxidase. Thus, it would seem that glucose dehydrogenase and cytochrome ba are key components of the respiratory system of A. diazotrophicus during aerobic diazotrophy. PMID:10559164

Les structures de la couverture Néoprotérozoïque terminal et Paléozoïque de la région de Tata, Anti-Atlas centre-occidental, Maroc: déformation polyphasée, ou interactions socle/couverture pendant l'orogenèse hercynienne?The structures of the Late Neoproterozoic and Early Palæozoic cover of the Tata area, western Anti-Atlas, Morocco: polyphased deformation or basement/cover interactions during the Variscan orogeny?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faik, F.; Belfoul, M. A.; Bouabdelli, M.; Hassenforder, B.

2001-05-01

The western Anti-Atlas was formed by a Precambrian basement in the core of anticlines, surrounded by a Neoproterozoic and Palæozoic cover. The structural study of the Tata regional rocks shows a heterogeneous deformation, characterised especially by two types of folds in two orthogonal directions: north-south to north-northeast-south-southwest-trending and east-west-trending. The north-south structures are present in all of the Palæozoic cover and belong to the major Variscan compression of Late Carboniferous age by a comparison of the other domains of the western Anti-Atlas. Alternatively, east-west folding is assigned only to the lower part of the cover and consists of a ductile heterogeneous deformation, especially marked at the basement-cover interface. These folds are associated with a subhorizontal cleavage, indicating a southern vergence of the structures. A discussion of the age and the tectonic style of these structures is proposed, as well as their significance within the Variscan belt along the northern margin of the West African Craton.

Aloysia citrodora Paláu (Lemon verbena): A review of phytochemistry and pharmacology.

PubMed

Bahramsoltani, Roodabeh; Rostamiasrabadi, Pourouchista; Shahpiri, Zahra; Marques, André M; Rahimi, Roja; Farzaei, Mohammad Hosein

2018-08-10

Aloysia citrodora Paláu (Lippia citriodora Kunth), commonly known as "lemon verbena" is a medicinal plant native to South America, North Africa, and South of Europe which is used by native people for several indications such as diarrhea, flatulence, insomnia, and rheumatism. Despite the wide biological activities of lemon verbena, there is no current review summarizing medicinal properties of the plant; thus, this paper aims to discuss current state of the art regarding the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic applications of A. citrodora considering in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. Electronic databases including PubMed, Scifinder, Cochrane library, Scopus, and Science direct were searched with the scientific name of the plant and its synonyms, as well as the common name. All studies on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical application of the plant until October 2017 were included in this review. Despite the few number of studies on the ethnopharmacology of the plant, A. citrodora is widely assessed regarding its phytochemistry and biological activities. Neral and geranial are the main ingredients of the essential oil; whereas verbascoside is the most significant component of the extract. Biological activities such as antioxidant, anxiolytic, neuroprotective, anticancer, anesthetic, antimicrobial, and sedative effects are proved in cell cultures, as well as animal studies. Several pharmacological activities have been reported for A. citrodora; however, the plant is not fully assessed regarding its safety and efficacy in human. Future well-designed human studies are essential to confirm the therapeutic benefits of this plant in clinical settings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DiPALS: Diaphragm Pacing in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

McDermott, Christopher J; Bradburn, Mike J; Maguire, Chin; Cooper, Cindy L; Baird, Wendy O; Baxter, Susan K; Cohen, Judith; Cantrill, Hannah; Dixon, Simon; Ackroyd, Roger; Baudouin, Simon; Bentley, Andrew; Berrisford, Richard; Bianchi, Stephen; Bourke, Stephen C; Darlison, Roy; Ealing, John; Elliott, Mark; Fitzgerald, Patrick; Galloway, Simon; Hamdalla, Hisham; Hanemann, C Oliver; Hughes, Philip; Imam, Ibrahim; Karat, Dayalan; Leek, Roger; Maynard, Nick; Orrell, Richard W; Sarela, Abeezar; Stradling, John; Talbot, Kevin; Taylor, Lyn; Turner, Martin; Simonds, Anita K; Williams, Tim; Wedzicha, Wisia; Young, Carolyn; Shaw, Pamela J

2016-06-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease resulting in death, usually from respiratory failure, within 2-3 years of symptom onset. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is a treatment that when given to patients in respiratory failure leads to improved survival and quality of life. Diaphragm pacing (DP), using the NeuRx/4(®) diaphragm pacing system (DPS)™ (Synapse Biomedical, Oberlin, OH, USA), is a new technique that may offer additional or alternative benefits to patients with ALS who are in respiratory failure. The Diaphragm Pacing in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (DiPALS) trial evaluated the effect of DP on survival over the study duration in patients with ALS with respiratory failure. The DiPALS trial was a multicentre, parallel-group, open-label, randomised controlled trial incorporating health economic analyses and a qualitative longitudinal substudy. Eligible participants had a diagnosis of ALS (ALS laboratory-supported probable, clinically probable or clinically definite according to the World Federation of Neurology revised El Escorial criteria), had been stabilised on riluzole for 30 days, were aged ≥ 18 years and were in respiratory failure. We planned to recruit 108 patients from seven UK-based specialist ALS or respiratory centres. Allocation was performed using 1 : 1 non-deterministic minimisation. Participants were randomised to either standard care (NIV alone) or standard care (NIV) plus DP using the NeuRX/4 DPS. The primary outcome was overall survival, defined as the time from randomisation to death from any cause. Secondary outcomes were patient quality of life [assessed by European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions, three levels (EQ-5D-3L), Short Form questionnaire-36 items and Sleep Apnoea Quality of Life Index questionnaire]; carer quality of life (EQ-5D-3L and Caregiver Burden Inventory); cost-utility analysis and health-care resource use; tolerability and adverse events. Acceptability and attitudes to

Prevalence of potentially serious drug-drug interactions among South African elderly private health sector patients using the Mimica Matanović/Vlahović-Palčevski protocol.

PubMed

van Heerden, Julandi A; Burger, Johanita R; Gerber, Jan J; Vlahović-Palčevski, Vera

2018-04-01

To determine the prevalence of potentially serious drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and their relationship with gender and age, among elderly in South Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted using pharmaceutical claims data for 2013, for a total of 103 420 medical scheme beneficiaries' ≥65 years. All medications dispensed within one calendar month where the days' supply of medication dispensed overlapped, were grouped as one prescription. DDIs per prescription were then identified using the Mimica Matanović/Vlahović-Palčevski DDI protocol. Results were interpreted using effect sizes, that is Cramér's V, Cohen's d and Cohen's ƒ 2 . A total of 331 659 DDIs were identified on 235 870 (25.8%, N = 912 713) prescriptions (mean 0.36 (SD 0.7) (95% CI, 0.36 to 0.37)). Women encountered 63.5% of all DDIs. Effect sizes for the association between DDIs and age group (Cramér's V = 0.06), and gender (Cramér's V = 0.05) was negligible. There was no difference between men and women regarding the mean number of DDIs identified per prescription (Cohen's d = 0.10). The number of medicine per prescription (ƒ 2 = 0.51) was the biggest predictor of the DDIs. The most frequent interacting drug combinations were between central nervous system medicines (30.6%). Our study is the first to report the prevalence of potentially serious DDIs among an elderly population in the South African private health sector utilising the Mimica Matanović/Vlahović-Palčevski DDI protocol. Overall, we identified DDIs in approximately 26% of the prescriptions in our study. Age and gender were not found to be predictors of potentially serious DDIs. © 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Temporal and structural evolution of the Early Palæogene rocks of the Seychelles microcontinent.

PubMed

Shellnutt, J Gregory; Yeh, Meng-Wan; Suga, Kenshi; Lee, Tung-Yi; Lee, Hao-Yang; Lin, Te-Hsien

2017-03-14

The Early Palæogene Silhouette/North Island volcano-plutonic complex was emplaced during the rifting of the Seychelles microcontinent from western India. The complex is thought to have been emplaced during magnetochron C28n. However, the magnetic polarities of the rocks are almost entirely reversed and inconsistent with a normal polarity. In this study we present new in situ zircon U/Pb geochronology of the different intrusive facies of the Silhouette/North Island complex in order to address the timing of emplacement and the apparent magnetic polarity dichotomy. The rocks from Silhouette yielded weighted mean 206 Pb/ 238 U ages from 62.4 ± 0.9 Ma to 63.1 ± 0.9 Ma whereas the rocks from North Island yielded slightly younger mean ages between 60.6 ± 0.7 Ma to 61.0 ± 0.8 Ma. The secular latitudinal variation from Silhouette to North Island is consistent with the anticlockwise rotation of the Seychelles microcontinent and the measured polarities. The rocks from Silhouette were emplaced across a polarity cycle (C26r-C27n-C27r) and the rocks from North Island were emplaced entirely within a magnetic reversal (C26r). Moreover, the rocks from North Island and those from the conjugate margin of India are contemporaneous and together mark the culmination of rift-related magmatism.

Evaluating the consistency of the 1982-1999 NDVI trends in the Iberian Peninsula across four time-series derived from the AVHRR sensor: LTDR, GIMMS, FASIR, and PAL-II.

PubMed

Alcaraz-Segura, Domingo; Liras, Elisa; Tabik, Siham; Paruelo, José; Cabello, Javier

2010-01-01

Successive efforts have processed the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor archive to produce Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) datasets (i.e., PAL, FASIR, GIMMS, and LTDR) under different corrections and processing schemes. Since NDVI datasets are used to evaluate carbon gains, differences among them may affect nations' carbon budgets in meeting international targets (such as the Kyoto Protocol). This study addresses the consistency across AVHRR NDVI datasets in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) by evaluating whether their 1982-1999 NDVI trends show similar spatial patterns. Significant trends were calculated with the seasonal Mann-Kendall trend test and their spatial consistency with partial Mantel tests. Over 23% of the Peninsula (N, E, and central mountain ranges) showed positive and significant NDVI trends across the four datasets and an additional 18% across three datasets. In 20% of Iberia (SW quadrant), the four datasets exhibited an absence of significant trends and an additional 22% across three datasets. Significant NDVI decreases were scarce (croplands in the Guadalquivir and Segura basins, La Mancha plains, and Valencia). Spatial consistency of significant trends across at least three datasets was observed in 83% of the Peninsula, but it decreased to 47% when comparing across the four datasets. FASIR, PAL, and LTDR were the most spatially similar datasets, while GIMMS was the most different. The different performance of each AVHRR dataset to detect significant NDVI trends (e.g., LTDR detected greater significant trends (both positive and negative) and in 32% more pixels than GIMMS) has great implications to evaluate carbon budgets. The lack of spatial consistency across NDVI datasets derived from the same AVHRR sensor archive, makes it advisable to evaluate carbon gains trends using several satellite datasets and, whether possible, independent/additional data sources to contrast.

Characterization of dynamics in complex lyophilized formulations: II. Analysis of density variations in terms of glass dynamics and comparisons with global mobility, fast dynamics, and Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS)

PubMed Central

Chieng, Norman; Cicerone, Marcus T.; Zhong, Qin; Liu, Ming; Pikal, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Amorphous HES/disaccharide (trehalose or sucrose) formulations, with and without added polyols (glycerol and sorbitol) and disaccharide formulations of human growth hormone (hGH), were prepared by freeze drying and characterized with particular interest in methodology for using high precision density measurements to evaluate free volume changes and a focus on comparisons between “free volume” changes obtained from analysis of density data, fast dynamics (local mobility), and PALS characterization of “free volume” hole size. Density measurements were performed using a helium gas pycnometer, and fast dynamics was characterized using incoherent neutron scattering spectrometer. Addition of sucrose and trehalose to hGH decreases free volume in the system with sucrose marginally more effective than trehalose, consistent with superior pharmaceutical stability of sucrose hGH formulations well below Tg relative to trehalose. We find that density data may be analyzed in terms of free volume changes by evaluation of volume changes on mixing and calculation of apparent specific volumes from the densities. Addition of sucrose to HES decreases free volume, but the effect of trehalose is not detectable above experimental error. Addition of sorbitol or glycerol to HES/trehalose base formulations appears to significantly decrease free volume, consistent with the positive impact of such additions on pharmaceutical stability (i.e., degradation) in the glassy state. Free volume changes, evaluated from density data, fast dynamics amplitude of local motion, and PALS hole size data generally are in qualitative agreement for the HES/disaccharide systems studied. All predict decreasing molecular mobility as disaccharides are added to HES. Global mobility as measured by enthalpy relaxation times, increases as disaccharides, particularly sucrose, are added to HES. PMID:23623797

Correlation of Gas Permeability in a Metal-Organic Framework MIL-101(Cr)–Polysulfone Mixed-Matrix Membrane with Free Volume Measurements by Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS)

PubMed Central

Jeazet, Harold B. Tanh; Koschine, Tönjes; Staudt, Claudia; Raetzke, Klaus; Janiak, Christoph

2013-01-01

Hydrothermally stable particles of the metal-organic framework MIL-101(Cr) were incorporated into a polysulfone (PSF) matrix to produce mixed-matrix or composite membranes with excellent dispersion of MIL-101 particles and good adhesion within the polymer matrix. Pure gas (O2, N2, CO2 and CH4) permeation tests showed a significant increase of gas permeabilities of the mixed-matrix membranes without any loss in selectivity. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) indicated that the increased gas permeability is due to the free volume in the PSF polymer and the added large free volume inside the MIL-101 particles. The trend of the gas transport properties of the composite membranes could be reproduced by a Maxwell model. PMID:24957061

Evaluating the Consistency of the 1982–1999 NDVI Trends in the Iberian Peninsula across Four Time-series Derived from the AVHRR Sensor: LTDR, GIMMS, FASIR, and PAL-II

PubMed Central

Alcaraz-Segura, Domingo; Liras, Elisa; Tabik, Siham; Paruelo, José; Cabello, Javier

2010-01-01

Successive efforts have processed the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor archive to produce Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) datasets (i.e., PAL, FASIR, GIMMS, and LTDR) under different corrections and processing schemes. Since NDVI datasets are used to evaluate carbon gains, differences among them may affect nations’ carbon budgets in meeting international targets (such as the Kyoto Protocol). This study addresses the consistency across AVHRR NDVI datasets in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) by evaluating whether their 1982–1999 NDVI trends show similar spatial patterns. Significant trends were calculated with the seasonal Mann-Kendall trend test and their spatial consistency with partial Mantel tests. Over 23% of the Peninsula (N, E, and central mountain ranges) showed positive and significant NDVI trends across the four datasets and an additional 18% across three datasets. In 20% of Iberia (SW quadrant), the four datasets exhibited an absence of significant trends and an additional 22% across three datasets. Significant NDVI decreases were scarce (croplands in the Guadalquivir and Segura basins, La Mancha plains, and Valencia). Spatial consistency of significant trends across at least three datasets was observed in 83% of the Peninsula, but it decreased to 47% when comparing across the four datasets. FASIR, PAL, and LTDR were the most spatially similar datasets, while GIMMS was the most different. The different performance of each AVHRR dataset to detect significant NDVI trends (e.g., LTDR detected greater significant trends (both positive and negative) and in 32% more pixels than GIMMS) has great implications to evaluate carbon budgets. The lack of spatial consistency across NDVI datasets derived from the same AVHRR sensor archive, makes it advisable to evaluate carbon gains trends using several satellite datasets and, whether possible, independent/additional data sources to contrast. PMID:22205868

Building connected data standards to promote interdisciplinary research in the paleogeosciences- PalEON, Neotoma, THROUGHPUT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goring, S. J.; Richard, S. M.; Williams, J. W.; Dawson, A.

2017-12-01

A broad array of data resources, across disciplines, are needed to study Earth system processes operating at multiple spatial or temporal scales. Data friction frequently delays this integrative and interdisciplinary research, while sustainable solutions may be hampered as a result of academic incentives that penalize technical "tool building" at the expense of research publication. The paleogeosciences, in particular, often integrate data drawn from multiple sub-disciplines and from a range of long-tail and big data sources. Data friction can be lowered and the pace of scientific discovery accelerated through the development and adoption of data standards, both within the paleogeosciences and with allied disciplines. Using the PalEON Project (https://sites.nd.edu/paleonproject/) and the Neotoma Paleoecological Database (https://neotomadb.org) as focal case studies, we first illustrate the advances possible through data standardization. We then focus on new efforts in data standardization and building linkages among paleodata resources underway through the EarthCube-funded Throughput project. A first step underway is to analyze existing standards across paleo-data repositories and identify ways in which the adoption of common standards can promote connectivity, reducing barriers to interdisciplinary research, especially for early career researchers. Experience indicates that standards tend to emerge by necessity and from a mixture of bottom-up and top-down processes. A common pathway is when conventions developed to solve specific problems within a community are extended to address challenges that are more general. The Throughput project will identify, document, and promote such solutions to foster wider adoption of standards for data interchange and reduce data friction in the paleogeosciences.

Genome-wide characterization of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene family in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

PubMed

Dong, Chun-Juan; Shang, Qing-Mao

2013-07-01

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), the first enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway, plays a critical role in plant growth, development, and adaptation. PAL enzymes are encoded by a gene family in plants. Here, we report a genome-wide search for PAL genes in watermelon. A total of 12 PAL genes, designated ClPAL1-12, are identified . Nine are arranged in tandem in two duplication blocks located on chromosomes 4 and 7, and the other three ClPAL genes are distributed as single copies on chromosomes 2, 3, and 8. Both the cDNA and protein sequences of ClPALs share an overall high identity with each other. A phylogenetic analysis places 11 of the ClPALs into a separate cucurbit subclade, whereas ClPAL2, which belongs to neither monocots nor dicots, may serve as an ancestral PAL in plants. In the cucurbit subclade, seven ClPALs form homologous pairs with their counterparts from cucumber. Expression profiling reveals that 11 of the ClPAL genes are expressed and show preferential expression in the stems and male and female flowers. Six of the 12 ClPALs are moderately or strongly expressed in the fruits, particularly in the pulp, suggesting the potential roles of PAL in the development of fruit color and flavor. A promoter motif analysis of the ClPAL genes implies redundant but distinctive cis-regulatory structures for stress responsiveness. Finally, duplication events during the evolution and expansion of the ClPAL gene family are discussed, and the relationships between the ClPAL genes and their cucumber orthologs are estimated.

Arrestin-related proteins mediate pH signaling in fungi.

PubMed

Herranz, Silvia; Rodríguez, José M; Bussink, Henk-Jan; Sánchez-Ferrero, Juan C; Arst, Herbert N; Peñalva, Miguel A; Vincent, Olivier

2005-08-23

Metazoan arrestins bind to seven-transmembrane (7TM) receptors to regulate function. Aspergillus nidulans PalF, a protein involved in the fungal ambient pH signaling pathway, contains arrestin N-terminal and C-terminal domains and binds strongly to two different regions within the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of the 7TM, putative pH sensor PalH. Upon exposure to alkaline ambient pH, PalF is phosphorylated and, like mammalian beta-arrestins, ubiquitinated in a signal-dependent and 7TM protein-dependent manner. Substitution in PalF of a highly conserved arrestin N-terminal domain Ser residue prevents PalF-PalH interaction and pH signaling in vivo. Thus, PalF is the first experimentally documented fungal arrestin-related protein, dispelling the notion that arrestins are restricted to animal proteomes. Epistasis analyses demonstrate that PalF posttranslational modification is partially dependent on the 4TM protein PalI but independent of the remaining pH signal transduction pathway proteins PalA, PalB, and PalC, yielding experimental evidence bearing on the order of participation of the six components of the pH signal transduction pathway. Our data strongly implicate PalH as an ambient pH sensor, possibly with the cooperation of PalI.

Molecular Cloning and Sequence Analysis of a Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase Gene from Dendrobium

PubMed Central

Cai, Yongping; Lin, Yi

2013-01-01

In this study, a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene was cloned from Dendrobium candidum using homology cloning and RACE. The full-length sequence and catalytic active sites that appear in PAL proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum are also found: PAL cDNA of D. candidum (designated Dc-PAL1, GenBank No. JQ765748) has 2,458 bps and contains a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 2,142 bps, which encodes 713 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of DcPAL1 has more than 80% sequence identity with the PAL genes of other plants, as indicated by multiple alignments. The dominant sites and catalytic active sites, which are similar to that showing in PAL proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum, are also found in DcPAL1. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that DcPAL is more closely related to PALs from orchidaceae plants than to those of other plants. The differential expression patterns of PAL in protocorm-like body, leaf, stem, and root, suggest that the PAL gene performs multiple physiological functions in Dendrobium candidum. PMID:23638048

Is Gamma Radiation Suitable to Preserve Phenolic Compounds and to Decontaminate Mycotoxins in Aromatic Plants? A Case-Study with Aloysia citrodora Paláu.

PubMed

Pereira, Eliana; Barros, Lillian; Antonio, Amilcar L; Cabo Verde, Sandra; Santos-Buelga, Celestino; Ferreira, Isabel C F R; Rodrigues, Paula

2017-02-23

This study aimed to determine the effect of gamma radiation on the preservation of phenolic compounds and on decontamination of dry herbs in terms of ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), using Aloysia citrodora Paláu as a case study. For this purpose, artificially contaminated dry leaves were submitted to gamma radiation at different doses (1, 5, and 10 kGy; at dose rate of 1.7 kGy/h). Phenolic compounds were analysed by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS and mycotoxin levels were determined by HPLC-fluorescence. Eleven phenolic compounds were identified in the samples and despite the apparent degradation of some compounds (namely verbasoside), 1 and 10 kGy doses point to a preservation of the majority of the compounds. The mean mycotoxin reduction varied between 5.3% and 9.6% for OTA and from 4.9% to 5.2% for AFB1. It was not observed a significant effect of the irradiation treatments on mycotoxin levels, and a slight degradation of the phenolic compounds in the irradiated samples was observed.

The Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase Gene Family in Raspberry. Structure, Expression, and Evolution1

PubMed Central

Kumar, Amrita; Ellis, Brian E.

2001-01-01

In raspberry (Rubus idaeus), development of fruit color and flavor are critically dependent on products of the phenylpropanoid pathway. To determine how these metabolic functions are integrated with the fruit ripening program, we are examining the properties and expression of key genes in the pathway. Here, we report that l- phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is encoded in raspberry by a family of two genes (RiPAL1 and RiPAL2). RiPAL1 shares 88% amino acid sequence similarity to RiPAL2, but phylogenetic analysis places RiPAL1 and RiPAL2 in different clusters within the plant PAL gene family. The spatial and temporal expression patterns of the two genes were investigated in various vegetative and floral tissues using the reverse transcriptase competitor polymerase chain reaction assay. Although expression of both genes was detected in all tissues examined, RiPAL1 was associated with early fruit ripening events, whereas expression of RiPAL2 correlated more with later stages of flower and fruit development. Determination of the absolute levels of the two transcripts in various tissues showed that RiPAL1 transcripts were 3- to 10-fold more abundant than those of RiPAL2 in leaves, shoots, roots, young fruits, and ripe fruits. The two RiPAL genes therefore appear to be controlled by different regulatory mechanisms. PMID:11553751

Airborne active and passive L-band measurements using PALS instrument in SMAPVEX12 soil moisture field campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colliander, Andreas; Yueh, Simon; Chazanoff, Seth; Dinardo, Steven; O'Dwyer, Ian; Jackson, Thomas; McNairn, Heather; Bullock, Paul; Wiseman, Grant; Berg, Aaron; Magagi, Ramata; Njoku, Eni

2012-10-01

NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission is scheduled for launch in late 2014. The objective of the mission is global mapping of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state. Merging of active and passive L-band observations of the mission will enable unprecedented combination of accuracy, resolution, coverage and revisit-time for soil moisture and freeze/thaw state retrieval. For pre-launch algorithm development and validation the SMAP project and NASA coordinated a field campaign named as SMAPVEX12 (Soil Moisture Active Passive Validation Experiment 2012) together with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and other Canadian and US institutions in the vicinity of Winnipeg, Canada in June-July, 2012. The main objective of SMAPVEX12 was acquisition of a data record that features long time-series with varying soil moisture and vegetation conditions over an aerial domain of multiple parallel flight lines. The coincident active and passive L-band data was acquired with the PALS (Passive Active L-band System) instrument. The measurements were conducted over the experiment domain every 2-3 days on average, over a period of 43 days. The preliminary calibration of the brightness temperatures obtained in the campaign has been performed. Daily lake calibrations were used to adjust the radiometer calibration parameters, and the obtained measurements were compared against the raw in situ soil moisture measurements. The evaluation shows that this preliminary calibration of the data produces already a consistent brightness temperature record over the campaign duration, and only secondary adjustments and cleaning of the data is need before the data can be applied to the development and validation of SMAP algorithms.

Effects of truncation of the peptide chain on the secondary structure and bioactivities of palmitoylated anoplin.

PubMed

Salas, Remmer L; Garcia, Jan Kathryne D L; Miranda, Ana Carmela R; Rivera, Windell L; Nellas, Ricky B; Sabido, Portia Mahal G

2018-06-01

Anoplin (GLLKRIKTLL-NH 2 ) is of current interest due to its short sequence and specificity towards bacteria. Recent studies on anoplin have shown that truncation and acylation compromises its antimicrobial activity and specificity, respectively. In this study, truncated analogues (pal-ano-9 to pal-ano-5) of palmitoylated anoplin (pal-anoplin) were synthesized to determine the effects of C-truncation on its bioactivities. Moreover, secondary structure of each analogue using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was determined to correlate with bioactivities. Interestingly, pal-anoplin, pal-ano-9 and pal-ano-6 were helical in water, unlike anoplin. In contrast, pal-ano-8, pal-ano-7 and pal-ano-5, with polar amino acid residues at the C-terminus, were random coil in water. Nevertheless, all the peptides folded into helical structures in 30% trifluoroethanol/water (TFE/H 2 O) except for the shortest analogue pal-ano-5. Hydrophobicity played a significant role in the enhancement of activity against bacteria E. coli and S. aureus as all lipopeptides including the random coil pal-ano-5 were more active than the parent anoplin. Meanwhile, the greatest improvement in activity against the fungus C. albicans was observed for pal-anoplin analogues (pal-ano-9 and pal-ano-6) that were helical in water. Although, hydrophobicity is a major factor in the secondary structure and antimicrobial activity, it appears that the nature of amino acids at the C-terminus also influence folding of lipopeptides in water and its antifungal activity. Moreover, the hemolytic activity of the analogues was found to correlate with hydrophobicity, except for the least hemolytic, pal-ano-5. Since most of the analogues are more potent and shorter than anoplin, they are promising drug candidates for further development. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Stabilization of Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis by Encapsulation in Polyethyleneimine-Mediated Biomimetic Silica.

PubMed

Cui, Jiandong; Liang, Longhao; Han, Cong; Lin Liu, Rong

2015-06-01

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) from Rhodotorula glutinis was encapsulated within polyethyleneimine-mediated biomimetic silica. The main factors in the preparation of biomimetic silica were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Compared to free PAL (about 2 U), the encapsulated PAL retained more than 43 % of their initial activity after 1 h of incubation time at 60 °C, whereas free PAL lost most of activity in the same conditions. It was clearly indicated that the thermal stability of PAL was improved by encapsulation. Moreover, the encapsulated PAL exhibited the excellent stability of the enzyme against denaturants and storage stability, and pH stability was improved by encapsulation. Operational stability of 7 reaction cycles showed that the encapsulated PAL was stable. Nevertheless, the K m value of encapsulated PAL in biomimetic silica was higher than that of the free PAL due to lower total surface area and increased mass transfer resistance.

A novel isoform of vertebrate ancient opsin in a smelt fish, Plecoglossus altivelis.

PubMed

Minamoto, Toshifumi; Shimizu, Isamu

2002-01-11

Vertebrate ancient (VA) opsin of nonvisual pigment in fishes was reported to exist in two isoforms, i.e., short and long variants with an unusual predicted amino acid sequence length compared to vertebrate visual opsins. Here we cloned an isoform (Pal-VAM) of VA opsin showing the usual opsin length in addition to the long type isoform (Pal-VAL) from a smelt fish, Plecoglossus altivelis. Pal-VAM and Pal-VAL were composed of 346 and 387 amino acids, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences of these variants were identical to each other within the first 342 residues, but they showed divergence in the carboxyl-terminal sequence. Pal-VAL corresponded to the long isoform found in zebrafish and carp, and Pal-VAM was identified as a new type of VA opsin variant. Southern blotting experiments indicated that the VA opsin gene of the smelt is present as a single copy, and RT-PCR analysis revealed that Pal-VAM and Pal-VAL mRNA were expressed in both the eyes and brain. In situ hybridization showed that Pal-VAM and Pal-VAL mRNA are expressed in amacrine cells in the retina. Pal-VAM is a new probably functional nonvisual photoreceptive molecule in fish. (c)2002 Elsevier Science.

Evaluation of possible reasons for the low phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity in cellulose nitrate membrane microcapsules.

PubMed

Habibi-Moini, S; D'mello, A P

2001-03-14

Microencapsulated phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) exhibits a marked reduction in activity compared to the activity of the free enzyme in pH 8.5 Tris buffer. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the contribution of incomplete entrapment, the internal environment of cellulose nitrate membrane microcapsules, the diffusional barrier of the membrane and the microcapsulation process to the low activity of encapsulated PAL. A solution of PAL and 10% w/v hemoglobin was incorporated into cellulose nitrate membrane microcapsules. Hemoglobin incorporation was used as a surrogate marker of PAL entrapment. Using 14C hemoglobin, the encapsulation efficiency was determined to be 70% and suggested that incomplete entrapment might partially account for the low activity of encapsulated PAL. The effect of the internal environment of the microcapsule (10% hemoglobin solution) on PAL activity was evaluated by comparing enzyme activity in 10% w/v hemoglobin solution and pH 8.5 Tris buffer. Similar K(M) and V(max) values of PAL in the two media indicated that the internal environment of the microcapsule did not contribute to the reduction in activity of the encapsulated enzyme. The contribution of a membrane diffusional barrier was determined by breaking the putative barrier and measuring PAL activity in intact and broken microcapsules. Similar activity of PAL in these two conditions is evidence for the lack of a diffusional barrier. The effect of the microencapsulation process on PAL activity was evaluated by comparing K(M) and V(max) of free and encapsulated PAL. Similar K(M) values in these two media suggested that the process did not affect the conformation of PAL. However, encapsulated PAL had a 50% lower V(max) value compared to free PAL, which showed that the microencapsulation process deactivated a substantial proportion of the enzyme.

Comparison of progressive addition lenses for general purpose and for computer vision: an office field study.

PubMed

Jaschinski, Wolfgang; König, Mirjam; Mekontso, Tiofil M; Ohlendorf, Arne; Welscher, Monique

2015-05-01

Two types of progressive addition lenses (PALs) were compared in an office field study: 1. General purpose PALs with continuous clear vision between infinity and near reading distances and 2. Computer vision PALs with a wider zone of clear vision at the monitor and in near vision but no clear distance vision. Twenty-three presbyopic participants wore each type of lens for two weeks in a double-masked four-week quasi-experimental procedure that included an adaptation phase (Weeks 1 and 2) and a test phase (Weeks 3 and 4). Questionnaires on visual and musculoskeletal conditions as well as preferences regarding the type of lenses were administered. After eight more weeks of free use of the spectacles, the preferences were assessed again. The ergonomic conditions were analysed from photographs. Head inclination when looking at the monitor was significantly lower by 2.3 degrees with the computer vision PALs than with the general purpose PALs. Vision at the monitor was judged significantly better with computer PALs, while distance vision was judged better with general purpose PALs; however, the reported advantage of computer vision PALs differed in extent between participants. Accordingly, 61 per cent of the participants preferred the computer vision PALs, when asked without information about lens design. After full information about lens characteristics and additional eight weeks of free spectacle use, 44 per cent preferred the computer vision PALs. On average, computer vision PALs were rated significantly better with respect to vision at the monitor during the experimental part of the study. In the final forced-choice ratings, approximately half of the participants preferred either the computer vision PAL or the general purpose PAL. Individual factors seem to play a role in this preference and in the rated advantage of computer vision PALs. © 2015 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2015 Optometry Australia.

Vertical distribution of optical parameters of aerosol, evaluation of rain rate and rain drop size by using the pal system, at guwahati

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, M.; Barbara, A. K.; Baishya, R.; Takeuchi, N.

The paper gives in brief, the features of a Portable Automated Lidar (PAL) set up, fabricated and operated at Guwahati (260N and 920 E) a subtropical station, for monitoring of aerosol, cloud and precipitation features and then describes the method adopted for profiling of aerosol and determination of rain rate as well as drop sizes with coupled observation from distrometer and radiosonde. The PAL generates 532 nm laser pulses of 10 ns duration of high repetition rate of 1-2 kHz. The backscattered signals from atmospheric constituents collected by a telescope of diameter 20 cm., and amplified with a Photo Multiplier Tube (PMT), are then processed in Lab View environment by a software for, extracting aerosol and cloud features. For checking and correcting the alignment affected by temperature, provisions are also introduced for easy adjustment of horizontal and vertical axes. In this approach we have evaluated system constant C, from the lidar backscattered signal itself, for an assumed lidar ratio as a first approach, and with extinction co-efficient determined experimentally. Here, the lidar is put for probing the atmosphere horizontally, when we may assume the atmosphere to be homogeneous along the FOV of the lidar. However, as horizontal in-homogeneity of the atmosphere cannot be ruled out, the paper illustrates the type of profiles adopted for such analysis and the lidar being situated in a semi rural area, a methodical screening approach adopted for selection of echograms free from shoot and fossil burning by product is described. Once the backscatter power with distance is known from the selected lidar outputs, σ is evaluated from the slope of the profile associating ``ratio of backscatter power to transmitter power'' with distance r. The methods taken up for realization of β value and then determination of C are elaborated in the paper. The lidar ratio S, is assumed from reported results as a first reference value. This parameter S is then checked for its

Same-level peer-assisted learning in medical clinical placements: a narrative systematic review.

PubMed

Tai, Joanna; Molloy, Elizabeth; Haines, Terry; Canny, Benedict

2016-04-01

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is increasingly used in medical education, and the benefits of this approach have been reported. Previous reviews have focused on the benefits of peer tutoring of junior students by senior students. Forms of PAL such as discussion groups and role-playing have been neglected, as have alternative teacher-learner configurations (e.g. same-level PAL) and the effects on other stakeholders, including clinician educators and patients. This review examines the benefits of same-level PAL for students, clinician educators and patients in pre-registration clinical medical education. Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ERIC were searched in March 2014. A total of 1228 abstracts were retrieved for review; 64 full-text papers were assessed. Data were extracted from empirical studies describing a same-level PAL initiative in a clinical setting, focusing on effects beyond academic performance and student satisfaction. Qualitative thematic analysis was employed to identify types of PAL and to cluster the reported PAL effects. Forty-three studies were included in the review. PAL activities were categorised into role-play, discussion, teaching and assessment. Only 50% of studies reported information beyond self-report and satisfaction with the PAL intervention. Benefits for students (including development of communication and professional skills) and clinician educators (developing less-used facilitation skills) were reported. Direct patient outcomes were not identified. Caveats to the use of PAL emerged, and guidelines for the use of PAL were perceived as useful. Many student-related benefits of PAL were identified. PAL contributes to the development of crucial skills required for a doctor in the workplace. Vertical integration of learning and teaching skills across the curriculum and tools such as feedback checklists may be required for successful PAL in the clinical environment. Benefits for patients and educators were poorly characterised within the

Formulation and PEGylation optimization of the therapeutic PEGylated phenylalanine ammonia lyase for the treatment of phenylketonuria.

PubMed

Bell, Sean M; Wendt, Dan J; Zhang, Yanhong; Taylor, Timothy W; Long, Shinong; Tsuruda, Laurie; Zhao, Bin; Laipis, Phillip; Fitzpatrick, Paul A

2017-01-01

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic metabolic disease in which the decrease or loss of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) activity results in elevated, neurotoxic levels of phenylalanine (Phe). Due to many obstacles, PAH enzyme replacement therapy is not currently an option. Treatment of PKU with an alternative enzyme, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), was first proposed in the 1970s. However, issues regarding immunogenicity, enzyme production and mode of delivery needed to be overcome. Through the evaluation of PAL enzymes from multiple species, three potential PAL enzymes from yeast and cyanobacteria were chosen for evaluation of their therapeutic potential. The addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG, MW = 20,000), at a particular ratio to modify the protein surface, attenuated immunogenicity in an animal model of PKU. All three PEGylated PAL candidates showed efficacy in a mouse model of PKU (BTBR Pahenu2) upon subcutaneous injection. However, only PEGylated Anabaena variabilis (Av) PAL-treated mice demonstrated sustained low Phe levels with weekly injection and was the only PAL evaluated that maintained full enzymatic activity upon PEGylation. A PEGylated recombinant double mutant version of AvPAL (Cys503Ser/Cys565Ser), rAvPAL-PEG, was selected for drug development based on its positive pharmacodynamic profile and favorable expression titers. PEGylation was shown to be critical for rAvPAL-PEG efficacy as under PEGylated rAvPAL had a lower pharmacodynamic effect. rAvPAL and rAvPAL-PEG had poor stability at 4°C. L-Phe and trans-cinnamate were identified as activity stabilizing excipients. rAvPAL-PEG is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials to assess efficacy in PKU patients.

Peer-assisted teaching: An interventional study.

PubMed

Williams, Brett; Olaussen, Alexander; Peterson, Evan L

2015-07-01

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) as an educational philosophy benefits both the peer-teacher and peer-learner. The changing role of paramedicine towards autonomous and professional practice demands future paramedics to be effective educators. Yet PAL is not formally integrated in undergraduate paramedic programs. We aimed to examine the effects of an educational intervention on students' PAL experiences as peer-teachers. Two one-hour workshops were provided prior to PAL teaching sessions including small group activities, individual reflections, role-plays and material notes. Peer-teachers completed the Teaching Style Survey, which uses a five-point Likert scale to measure participants' perceptions and confidence before and after PAL involvement. Thirty-eight students were involved in an average of 3.7 PAL sessions. The cohort was predominated by males (68.4%) aged ≤ 25 (73.7%). Following PAL, students reported feeling more confident in facilitating tutorial groups (p = 0.02). After the PAL project peer-teachers were also more likely to set high standards for their learners (p = 0.009). This PAL project yielded important information for the continual development of paramedic education. Although PAL increases students' confidence, the full role of PAL in education remains unexplored. The role of the university in this must also be clearly clarified. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Dietary diversity in women who live in food insecurity settings in Mexico, beneficiaries of a food support program].

PubMed

Morales Ruán, María Del Carmen; Valenzuela Bravo, Danae Gabriela; Jiménez Aguilar, Alejandra; Cuevas Nasu, Lucía; Méndez Gómez Humarán, Ignacio; Shamah Levy, Teresa

2018-02-16

food diversity is an approximation of diet quality. In Mexico, the Food Support Program (PAL, by its acronym in Spanish) grants support to families facing food poverty, in form of cash (PAL EFECTIVO) or through monetary transfers on a card intended exclusively for the purchase of food (PAL SIN-HAMBRE), seeking to improve their food diversity. to compare the dietary diversity in women beneficiaries of both schemes and their association with the level of food insecurity (FI) at household level. a cross-sectional study was carried out in a national random sample of 243 women beneficiaries from PAL EFECTIVO and 277 from PAL SIN-HAMBRE in 14 states. A multinomial logistic regression model was constructed to measure the association between the FI perception index and its relationship with the PAL and the dietary diversity index. the PAL SIN-HAMBRE scheme is associated with a lower probability of mild and severe FI with respect to the PAL EFECTIVO. The interaction between the type of scheme and the dietary diversity index showed that the PAL EFECTIVO had a lower probability of severe FI when the dietary diversity index was greater with respect to the PAL SIN-HAMBRE. the FI in the household and the low dietary diversity seem to be strongly associated in women of childbearing age and this relationship is higher in those beneficiaries of the PAL SIN-HAMBRE scheme.

Peripheral Design of Progressive Addition Lenses and the Lag of Accommodation in Myopes.

PubMed

Schilling, Tim; Ohlendorf, Arne; Varnas, Saulius R; Wahl, Siegfried

2017-07-01

Insufficient accommodative response is assumed to result in myopia progression. We have investigated if the accommodative lag in myopes is different between a single vision lens (SVL) and the progressive addition lens PAL 2, clinically trialled for its ability to reduce progression of myopia, and if there exist differences in accommodative lag between PAL 2 and other PALs with the same addition power (+1.50 D). The influence of spherical SVL and four different designs of PALs that differ in the near zone width (PAL 1) or that have different signs and magnitude of horizontal gradients of mean power adjacent to their near vision zones (PAL 3 and PAL 4) on the accommodative response was investigated for different near viewing distances (40, 33, and 25 cm) in 31 subjects, aged 18 to 25 years. The SVL correction resulted in insufficient accommodative response for the near object viewing distances tested. PAL 2 did significantly reduce accommodative lag for all near object distances tested. The PAL design with a more negative horizontal mean power gradient (PAL 4) provided a lower lag of accommodation when compared with PAL 2 at the shortest object distance of 25 cm (P = 0.03) and was able to reduce the lag of accommodation to a level below the depth of focus for the higher near working distances tested. Designs of PAL with more negative horizontal mean power gradients are the most effective in lowering the lag of accommodation in myopes. This could make them good test candidates for myopia control applications.

The effect of music reinforcement for non-nutritive sucking on nipple feeding of premature infants.

PubMed

Standley, Jayne M; Cassidy, Jane; Grant, Roy; Cevasco, Andrea; Szuch, Catherine; Nguyen, Judy; Walworth, Darcy; Procelli, Danielle; Jarred, Jennifer; Adams, Kristen

2010-01-01

In this randomized, controlled multi-site study, the pacifier-activated-lullaby system (PAL) was used with 68 premature infants. Dependent variables were (a) total number of days prior to nipple feeding, (b) days of nipple feeding, (c) discharge weight, and (d) overall weight gain. Independent variables included contingent music reinforcement for non-nutritive sucking for PAL intervention at 32 vs. 34 vs. 36 weeks adjusted gestational age (AGA), with each age group subdivided into three trial conditions: control consisting of no PAL used vs. one 15-minute PAL trial vs. three 15-minute PAL trials. At 34 weeks, PAL trials significantly shortened gavage feeding length, and three trials were significantly better than one trial. At 32 weeks, PAL trials lengthened gavage feeding. Female infants learned to nipple feed significantly faster than male infants. It was noted that PAL babies went home sooner after beginning to nipple feed, a trend that was not statistically significant.

Structure, inheritance, and expression of hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa x Populus deltoides) phenylalanine ammonia-lyase genes.

PubMed Central

Subramaniam, R; Reinold, S; Molitor, E K; Douglas, C J

1993-01-01

A heterologous probe encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) was used to identify PAL clones in cDNA libraries made with RNA from young leaf tissue of two Populus deltoides x P. trichocarpa F1 hybrid clones. Sequence analysis of a 2.4-kb cDNA confirmed its identity as a full-length PAl clone. The predicted amino acid sequence is conserved in comparison with that of PAL genes from several other plants. Southern blot analysis of popular genomic DNA from parental and hybrid individuals, restriction site polymorphism in PAL cDNA clones, and sequence heterogeneity in the 3' ends of several cDNA clones suggested that PAL is encoded by at least two genes that can be distinguished by HindIII restriction site polymorphisms. Clones containing each type of PAL gene were isolated from a poplar genomic library. Analysis of the segregation of PAL-specific HindIII restriction fragment-length polymorphisms demonstrated the existence of two independently segregating PAL loci, one of which was mapped to a linkage group of the poplar genetic map. Developmentally regulated PAL expression in poplar was analyzed using RNA blots. Highest expression was observed in young stems, apical buds, and young leaves. Expression was lower in older stems and undetectable in mature leaves. Cellular localization of PAL expression by in situ hybridization showed very high levels of expression in subepidermal cells of leaves early during leaf development. In stems and petioles, expression was associated with subepidermal cells and vascular tissues. PMID:8108506

Acylated apelin-13 amide analogues exhibit enzyme resistance and prolonged insulin releasing, glucose lowering and anorexic properties.

PubMed

O'Harte, Finbarr P M; Parthsarathy, Vadivel; Hogg, Christopher; Flatt, Peter R

2017-12-15

The adipokine, apelin has many biological functions but its activity is curtailed by rapid plasma degradation. Fatty acid derived apelin analogues represent a new and exciting avenue for the treatment of obesity-diabetes. This study explores four novel fatty acid modified apelin-13 analogues, namely, (Lys 8 GluPAL)apelin-13 amide, pGlu(Lys 8 GluPAL)apelin-13 amide, Lys 8 GluPAL(Tyr 13 )apelin-13 and Lys 8 GluPAL(Val 13 )apelin-13. Fatty acid modification extended the half-life of native apelin-13 to >24 h in vitro. pGlu(Lys 8 GluPAL)apelin-13 amide was the most potent insulinotropic analogue in BRIN-BD11 cells and isolated islets with maximal stimulatory effects of up to 2.7-fold (p < .001). (Lys 8 GluPAL)apelin-13 amide (1.9-fold) and Lys 8 GluPAL(Tyr 13 )apelin-13 (1.7-fold) were less effective, whereas Lys 8 GluPAL(Val 13 )apelin-13 had an inhibitory effect on insulin secretion. Similarly, pGlu(Lys 8 GluPAL)apelin-13 amide was most potent in increasing beta-cell intracellular Ca 2+ concentrations (1.8-fold, p < .001) and increasing glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (2.3-fold, p < .01). Persistent biological action was observed with both pGlu(Lys 8 GluPAL)apelin-13 amide and (Lys 8 GluPAL)apelin-13 amide significantly reducing blood glucose (39-43%, p < .01) and enhancing insulin secretion (43-56%, p < .001) during glucose tolerance tests in diet-induced obese mice. pGlu(Lys 8 GluPAL)apelin-13 amide and (Lys 8 GluPAL)apelin-13 amide also inhibited feeding (28-40%, p < .001), whereas Lys 8 GluPAL(Val 13 )apelin-13 increased food intake (8%, p < .05) in mice. These data indicate that novel enzymatically stable analogues of apelin-13 may be suitable for future development as therapeutic agents for obesity-diabetes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design and assessment of an interactive physics tutoring environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Lisa Ann

2001-07-01

The application of scientific principles is an extremely important skill taught in undergraduate introductory science courses, yet many students emerge from such courses unable to reliably apply the scientific principles they have ostensibly learned. In an attempt to address this problem, the knowledge and thought processes needed to apply an important principle in introductory physics (Newton's law) were carefully analyzed. Reliable performance requires not only declarative knowledge but also corresponding procedural knowledge and the basic cognitive functions of deciding, implementing and assessing. Computer programs called guided-practice PALs (P&barbelow;ersonal A&barbelow;ssistants for Ḻearning) were developed to teach explicitly the knowledge and thought processes needed to apply Newton's law to solve problems. These programs employ a modified form of Palincsar and Brown's reciprocal-teaching strategy (1984) in which students and computers alternately coach each other, taking turns making decisions, implementing and assessing them. The computer programs make it practically feasible to provide students with individual guidance and feedback ordinarily unavailable in most courses. In a pilot study, the guided-practice PALs were found to be nearly as effective as individual tutoring by expert teachers and significantly more effective than the instruction provided in a well-taught physics course. This guided practice however is not sufficient to ensure that students develop the ability to perform independently. Accordingly, independent-performance PALs were developed which require students to work independently, receiving only the minimal feedback necessary to successfully complete the task. These independent-performance PALS are interspersed with guided-practice PALs to create an instructional environment which facilitates a gradual transition to independent performance. In a study designed to assess the efficacy of the PAL instruction, students in the PAL

Impact of a parenting program in a high-risk, multi-ethnic community: the PALS trial.

PubMed

Scott, Stephen; O'Connor, Thomas G; Futh, Annabel; Matias, Carla; Price, Jenny; Doolan, Moira

2010-12-01

Parenting programs have been shown to work when delivered to motivated ethnic majority parents in demonstration projects, but comparatively little is known about their impact when delivered to high-risk, multi-ethnic populations by routine local services. The Primary Age Learning Skills (PALS) trial was a randomized controlled trial of an evidence-based parenting-group program that targeted the parent-child relationship and child literacy. Parents of 174 children were selected from a population of 672 5- and 6-year-olds attending four primary schools in a high-risk, ethnically diverse, inner-city area. Eighty-eight children were allocated to the Incredible Years preventive program plus a shortened six-week version of the SPOKES literacy program, delivered by local services; 86 to usual community services; 152/174 (87%) of families were successfully followed up. Parent-child relationship quality and child behavior were measured using direct observation and parent interview; child reading was assessed psychometrically. Two-thirds (58/89) of those offered the parenting program attended at least one session, with similar enrollment rates across the Black African, African-Caribbean, White-British and Other ethnic groups. Mean attendance was four relationship-building sessions and one literacy-development session. Satisfaction questionnaires were completed by 43/58 starters; 93% said they were well or extremely satisfied, with equally high rates across ethnic groups. At follow-up after one year, those allocated to the intervention showed significant improvements in the parent-child relationship on observation and at interview compared to controls; effects were similar across all ethnic groups. However, child behavior problems and reading did not improve. The cost was £1,343 ($2,100) per child. Programs can be organized to be engaging and effective in improving parenting among high-risk, multi-ethnic communities, which is of considerable value. To also be cost

Identifying Opportunities for Peer Learning: An Observational Study of Medical Students on Clinical Placements.

PubMed

Tai, Joanna H; Canny, Benedict J; Haines, Terry P; Molloy, Elizabeth K

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: Peer assisted learning (PAL) is frequently employed and researched in preclinical medical education. Fewer studies have examined PAL in the clinical context: These have focused mainly on the accuracy of peer assessment and potential benefits to learner communication and teamwork skills. Research has also examined the positive and negative effects of formal, structured PAL activities in the clinical setting. Given the prevalence of PAL activities during preclinical years, and the unstructured nature of clinical placements, it is likely that nonformal PAL activities are also undertaken. How PAL happens formally and informally and why students find PAL useful in this clinical setting remain poorly understood. This study aimed to describe PAL activities within the context of clinical placement learning and to explore students' perceptions of these activities. An ethnographic study was conducted to gather empirical data on engagement in clinical placement learning activities, including observations and interviews with students in their 1st clinical year, along with their supervising clinicians. Thematic analysis was used to interrogate the data. On average, students used PAL for 5.19 hours per week in a range of activities, of a total of 29.29 hours undertaking placements. PAL was recognized as a means of vicarious learning and had greater perceived value when an educator was present to guide or moderate the learning. Trust between students was seen as a requirement for PAL to be effective. Students found passive observation a barrier to PAL and were able to identify ways to adopt an active stance when observing peers interacting with patients. For example, learners reported that the expectation that they had to provide feedback to peers after task observation, resulted in them taking on a more critical gaze where they were encouraged to consider notions of good practice. Insights: Students use PAL in formal (i.e., tutorial) and nonformal (e.g., peer

Perceptual evaluation and acoustic analysis of pneumatic artificial larynx.

PubMed

Xu, Jie Jie; Chen, Xi; Lu, Mei Ping; Qiao, Ming Zhe

2009-12-01

To investigate the perceptual and acoustic characteristics of the pneumatic artificial larynx (PAL) and evaluate its speech ability and clinical value. Prospective study. The study was conducted in the Voice Lab, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Forty-six laryngectomy patients using the PAL were rated for intelligibility and fluency of speech. The voice signals of sustained vowel /a/ for 40 healthy controls and 42 successful patients using the PAL were measured by a computer system. The acoustic parameters and sound spectrographs were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Forty-two of 46 patients using the PAL (91.3%) acquired successful speech capability. The intelligibility scores of 42 successful PAL speakers ranged from 71 to 95 percent, and the intelligibility range of four unsuccessful speakers was 30 to 50 percent. The fluency was judged as good or excellent in 42 successful patients, and poor or fair in four unsuccessful patients. There was no significant difference in average fundamental frequency, maximum intensity, jitter, shimmer, and normalized noise energy (NNE) between 42 successful PAL speakers and 40 healthy controls, while the maximum phonation time (MPT) of PAL speakers was slightly lower than that of the controls. The sound spectrographs of the patients using the PAL approximated those of the healthy controls. The PAL has the advantage of a high percentage of successful vocal rehabilitation. PAL speech is fluent and intelligible. The acoustic characteristics of the PAL are similar to those of a normal voice.

Criterion and Concurrent Validity of the activPAL™ Professional Physical Activity Monitor in Adolescent Females

PubMed Central

Dowd, Kieran P.; Harrington, Deirdre M.; Donnelly, Alan E.

2012-01-01

Background The activPAL has been identified as an accurate and reliable measure of sedentary behaviour. However, only limited information is available on the accuracy of the activPAL activity count function as a measure of physical activity, while no unit calibration of the activPAL has been completed to date. This study aimed to investigate the criterion validity of the activPAL, examine the concurrent validity of the activPAL, and perform and validate a value calibration of the activPAL in an adolescent female population. The performance of the activPAL in estimating posture was also compared with sedentary thresholds used with the ActiGraph accelerometer. Methodologies Thirty adolescent females (15 developmental; 15 cross-validation) aged 15–18 years performed 5 activities while wearing the activPAL, ActiGraph GT3X, and the Cosmed K4B2. A random coefficient statistics model examined the relationship between metabolic equivalent (MET) values and activPAL counts. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine activity thresholds and for cross-validation. The random coefficient statistics model showed a concordance correlation coefficient of 0.93 (standard error of the estimate = 1.13). An optimal moderate threshold of 2997 was determined using mixed regression, while an optimal vigorous threshold of 8229 was determined using receiver operating statistics. The activPAL count function demonstrated very high concurrent validity (r = 0.96, p<0.01) with the ActiGraph count function. Levels of agreement for sitting, standing, and stepping between direct observation and the activPAL and ActiGraph were 100%, 98.1%, 99.2% and 100%, 0%, 100%, respectively. Conclusions These findings suggest that the activPAL is a valid, objective measurement tool that can be used for both the measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviours in an adolescent female population. PMID:23094069

The effects of experimental gestational hypertension on maternal blood pressure and fluid intake and pre-weanling hypothalamic neuronal activity.

PubMed

Arguelles, Juan; Perillan, Carmen; Beltz, Terry G; Xue, Baojian; Badaue-Passos, Daniel; Vega, Jose A; Johnson, Alan Kim

2017-09-01

To examine the fetal programming effects of maternal hypertension, natriophilia and hyperreninemia [experimentally induced in rats by partial inter-renal aortic ligature (PAL) prior to mating] fos immunoreactivity was studied in 6-day-old offspring of PAL and control mothers. The purposes of the present set of experiments were twofold. The first was to characterize the effects of PAL on the mother's arterial blood pressure and intake of salt (1.8% NaCl solution) and water over the course of gestation. Second, was to study the pattern of neuronal activation in key brain areas of 6-day-old offspring treated with the dipsogen isoproterenol that were from PAL and control mothers. Beta-adrenergic receptor agonist-treated pups allowed the determination whether there were neuroanatomical correlates within the neural substrates controlling thirst and the enhanced water intake evidenced by the isoproterenol treated pups of PAL mothers. Hydromineral ingestive behavior along with blood pressure and heart rate of PAL (M-PAL) and control (M-sPAL) dams throughout gestation was studied. Higher salt and water intakes along with blood pressures and heart rates were found during gestation and lactation in the M-PAL group. Maternal PAL evoked significantly increased isoproterenol-elicited Fos staining in brain regions (e.g. subfornical organ, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, supraoptic nucleus, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and median preoptic nucleus) of 6-day-old pups, which is the age of animals shown enhanced thirst responses in PAL offspring. These results indicate that PAL is compatible with pregnancy, producing a sustained increase in blood pressure and heart rate, along with increased water and salt intake. The present study demonstrates that the neural substrates involved in cardiovascular homeostasis and fluid balance in adult rats are responsive in six-day-old rats, and can be altered by fetal programming. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Cross-linked enzyme aggregates of phenylalanine ammonia lyase: novel biocatalysts for synthesis of L-phenylalanine.

PubMed

Cui, Jian-Dong; Zhang, Si; Sun, Li-Mei

2012-06-01

Cross-linked enzyme aggregates of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL-CLEAs) from Rhodotorula glutinis were prepared. The effects of the type of aggregating agent, its concentration, and that of cross-linking agent were studied. PAL-CLEAs production was most effective using ammonium sulfate (40 % saturation), followed by cross-linking for 1 h with 0.2 % (v/v) glutaraldehyde. Moreover, the storage and operational stability of the resulting PAL-CLEAs were also investigated. Compared to the free enzyme, the PAL-CLEAs exhibited the expected increased stability of the enzyme against various deactivating conditions such as pH, temperature, denaturants, and organic solvents and showed higher storage stability than its soluble counterpart. Additionally, the reusability of PAL-CLEAs with respect to the biotransformation of L-phenylalanine was evaluated. PAL-CLEAs could be recycled at least for 12 consecutive batch reactions without dramatic activity loss, which should dramatically increase the commercial potential of PAL for synthesis of L: -phenylalanine. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of immobilization of PAL as cross-linked enzyme aggregates.

Expanding the substrate scope of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Petroselinum crispum towards styrylalanines.

PubMed

Bencze, László Csaba; Filip, Alina; Bánóczi, Gergely; Toşa, Monica Ioana; Irimie, Florin Dan; Gellért, Ákos; Poppe, László; Paizs, Csaba

2017-05-03

This study focuses on the expansion of the substrate scope of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Petroselinum crispum (PcPAL) towards the l-enantiomers of racemic styrylalanines rac-1a-d - which are less studied and synthetically challenging unnatural amino acids - by reshaping the aromatic binding pocket of the active site of PcPAL by point mutations. Ammonia elimination from l-styrylalanine (l-1a) catalyzed by non-mutated PcPAL (wt-PcPAL) took place with a 777-fold lower k cat /K M value than the deamination of the natural substrate, l-Phe. Computer modeling of the reactions catalyzed by wt-PcPAL indicated an unproductive and two major catalytically active conformations and detrimental interactions between the aromatic moiety of l-styrylalanine, l-1a, and the phenyl ring of the residue F137 in the aromatic binding region of the active site. Replacing the residue F137 by smaller hydrophobic residues resulted in a small mutant library (F137X-PcPAL, X being V, A, and G), from which F137V-PcPAL could transform l-styrylalanine with comparable activity to that of the wt-PcPAL with l-Phe. Furthermore, F137V-PcPAL showed superior catalytic efficiency in the ammonia elimination reaction of several racemic styrylalanine derivatives (rac-1a-d) providing access to d-1a-d by kinetic resolution, even though the d-enantiomers proved to be reversible inhibitors. The enhanced catalytic efficiency of F137V-PcPAL towards racemic styrylalanines rac-1a-d could be rationalized by molecular modeling, indicating the more relaxed enzyme-substrate complexes and the promotion of conformations with higher catalytic activities as the main reasons. Unfortunately, ammonia addition onto the corresponding styrylacrylates 2a-d failed with both wt-PcPAL and F137V-PcPAL. The low equilibrium constant of the ammonia addition, the poor ligand binding affinities of 2a-d, and the non-productive binding states of the unsaturated ligands 2a-d within the active sites of either wt-PcPAL or F137V-PcPAL - as

Mechanism-based site-directed mutagenesis to shift the optimum pH of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis JN-1.

PubMed

Zhu, Longbao; Zhou, Li; Cui, Wenjing; Liu, Zhongmei; Zhou, Zhemin

2014-09-01

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase ( Rg PAL) from Rhodotorula glutinis JN-1 stereoselectively catalyzes the conversion of the l-phenylalanine into trans -cinnamic acid and ammonia, and was used in chiral resolution of dl-phenylalanine to produce the d-phenylalanine under acidic condition. However, the optimum pH of Rg PAL is 9 and the Rg PAL exhibits low catalytic efficiency at acidic side. Therefore, a mutant Rg PAL with a lower optimum pH is expected. Based on catalytic mechanism and structure analysis, we constructed a mutant Rg PAL-Q137E by site-directed mutagenesis, and found that this mutant had an extended optimum pH 7-9 with activity of 1.8-fold higher than that of the wild type at pH 7. As revealed by Friedel-Crafts-type mechanism of Rg PAL, the improvement of the Rg PAL-Q137E might be due to the negative charge of Glu137 which could stabilize the intermediate transition states through electrostatic interaction. The Rg PAL-Q137E mutant was used to resolve the racemic dl-phenylalanine, and the conversion rate and the ee D value of d-phenylalanine using Rg PAL-Q137E at pH 7 were increased by 29% and 48%, and achieved 93% and 86%, respectively. This work provides an effective strategy to shift the optimum pH which is favorable to further applications of Rg PAL.

Increased Outer Membrane Vesicle Formation in a Helicobacter pylori tolB Mutant.

PubMed

Turner, Lorinda; Praszkier, Judyta; Hutton, Melanie L; Steer, David; Ramm, Georg; Kaparakis-Liaskos, Maria; Ferrero, Richard L

2015-08-01

Multiple studies have established the importance of the tol-pal gene cluster in bacterial cell membrane integrity and outer membrane vesicle (OMV) formation in Escherichia coli. In contrast, the functions of Tol-Pal proteins in pathogenic organisms, including those of the Epsilonproteobacteria, remain poorly if at all defined. The aim of this study was to characterize the roles of two key components of the Tol-Pal system, TolB and Pal, in OMV formation in the pathogenic bacterium, Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori ΔtolB, Δpal and ΔtolBpal mutants, as well as complemented strains, were generated and assessed for changes in morphology and OMV production by scanning electron microscopy and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), respectively. The protein content and pro-inflammatory properties of OMVs were determined by mass spectroscopy and interleukin-8 (IL-8) ELISA on culture supernatants from OMV-stimulated cells, respectively. H. pylori ΔtolB and Δpal bacteria exhibited aberrant cell morphology and/or flagella biosynthesis. Importantly, the disruption of H. pylori tolB but not pal resulted in a significant increase in OMV production. The OMVs from H. pylori ΔtolB and Δpal bacteria harbored many of the major outer membrane and virulence proteins observed in wild-type (WT) OMVs. Interestingly, ΔtolB, Δpal and ΔtolBpal OMVs induced significantly higher levels of IL-8 production by host cells, compared with WT OMVs. This work demonstrates that TolB and Pal are important for membrane integrity in H. pylori. Moreover, it shows how H. pylori tolB-pal genes may be manipulated to develop "hypervesiculating" strains for vaccine purposes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Peer-Assisted Learning in Education of Allied Health Professional Students in the Clinical Setting: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Sevenhuysen, Samantha; Thorpe, Joanne; Molloy, Elizabeth; Keating, Jenny; Haines, Terry

2017-01-01

Pressure on clinical educators to provide best practice education to growing student numbers is driving innovations in clinical education. Placing multiple students with a single clinical educator may increase capacity; however, little is known about the role and impact of peer-assisted learning (PAL) in these models. A systematic review of the literature from 1985 to 2014 was done to investigate the effectiveness of PAL amongst allied health professional students in clinical settings. Secondary aims were to investigate how PAL is defined and measured in this practice setting. Twenty-eight articles representing five allied health professions met the inclusion criteria. The risk of bias in the articles was generally high, limiting confidence in findings. Nine studies measured the effects of PAL on students, with inconsistent results across domains of satisfaction, perceived learning, and performance outcomes. Only four studies described how PAL was facilitated. Evidence supporting PAL is non-specific and lacks comparative rigour. More robust research is needed to quantify the potential benefits of PAL.

Effect of ultrasonic treatment of palygorskite on the catalytic performance of Pd-Cu/palygorskite catalyst for room temperature CO oxidation in humid circumstances.

PubMed

Wang, Yongzhao; Wang, Yongning; Li, Xiao; Liu, Zhaotie; Zhao, Yongxiang

2018-03-01

Pd-Cu/palygorskite catalysts were prepared by a wet impregnation method using palygorskite (PC/N-Pal) and ultrasonic-treated palygorskite (PC/U-Pal) as the support. Their catalytic activities toward CO oxidation at room temperature and in humid circumstances were investigated. PC/U-Pal exhibits much higher catalytic activity and stability than PC/N-Pal under the conditions of 1.0 vol.% CO and 3.3 vol.% H 2 O in the feed gas. The X-ray diffraction results indicate that quartz impurities were eliminated from the Pal after the ultrasonic treatment, and more copper species exist in the form of Cu 2 Cl(OH) 3 in PC/U-Pal. The temperature-programmed reduction results suggest that there is an enhanced reducibility of PC/U-Pal after ultrasonic treatment. Furthermore, the ultrasonic treatment can properly decrease the hydrophilicity of the support and catalyst, which may also contribute to the excellent catalytic performance.

Removal of heavy metal Cu(II) in simulated aquaculture wastewater by modified palygorskite.

PubMed

Cao, Jia-Shun; Wang, Cheng; Fang, Fang; Lin, Jun-Xiong

2016-12-01

Palygorskite (PAL) is a good heavy metal adsorbent due to its high surface area, low cost, and environmentally compatibility. But the natural PAL has limited its adsorption capacity and selectivity. In this study, a cost-effective and readily-generated absorbent, l-threonine-modified palygorskite (L-PAL), was used and its performance for Cu(II) removal in simulated aquaculture wastewater was evaluated. After preparation, L-PAL was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The impacts of pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and initial Cu(II) concentration on the adsorption capacity of L-PAL were examined. The Cu(II) adsorption capacity on L-PAL was enhanced almost 10 times than that of raw PAL. The adsorption isotherms of Cu(II) fit the Langmuir isotherms, and the adsorption kinetics was dominated by the pseudo-second-order model. The thermodynamic parameters at four temperatures were calculated, which indicated that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorption mechanism involves complexation, chelation, electrostatic attraction, and micro-precipitation. Furthermore, L-PAL is shown to have a high regeneration capacity. These results indicate that L-PAL is a cheap and promising absorbent for Cu(II) removal and hold potential to be used for aquaculture wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peer-assisted learning for foundation doctors.

PubMed

Thampy, Harish; Kersey, Nicola

2017-06-01

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is a widely accepted learner-led educational model encouraging cooperative active learning. Whereas attention has historically focussed on the use of PAL in undergraduate contexts, less is known about the benefits and challenges of using PAL for postgraduate clinical trainees. This study describes the implementation and evaluation of a PAL scheme for UK foundation-year trainees (newly qualified doctors). Following a needs assessment, a peer-led component was introduced into the weekly foundation teaching programme at the hospital. Each week a peer tutor presented a topic relevant to the foundation curriculum, and peer participants provided written feedback. Questionnaire-based evaluation of the scheme was conducted 7 months after implementation. Ninety-eight per cent of trainees completed the evaluation. Eighty-eight per cent were satisfied with the PAL scheme. Crucially, PAL was seen to address historic barriers to effective learning. Educational content seemed to be better matched to the learning needs and experience of learners, with particular value placed on case-based peer discussions. Furthermore, PAL seemed to promote a learning environment in which questions and conjectures could be safely shared. Although some peer tutors found presenting to peers anxiety-provoking, the majority agreed that PAL not only helped develop their teaching ability but also positively impacted on their everyday clinical work. Less is known about the benefits and challenges of using PAL for postgraduate clinical trainees DISCUSSION: The PAL scheme was well received by participants and supports its use outside of its traditional undergraduate focus. Trainees identified a number of pedagogical benefits through serving as both tutor and tutee. Delivering teaching skills and feedback skills training were identified as future developments to further maximise the educational benefits of PAL. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study

[Inversion polymorphism of the nonbiting midges Camptochironomus pallidivittatus Edwards, 1929 (Diptera, Chironomidae) from populations of the Lower Volga region and Central Caucasus].

PubMed

Polukonova, N V; Karmokov, M Kh; Shaternikov, A N

2015-02-01

The karyotype of Camptochironomus pallidivittatus Edwards, 1929 (Diptera, Chironomidae) from five populations of the Lower Volga region and Central Caucasus (the northern macroslope) has been studied. In populations of S. pallidivittatus from the Central Caucasus, 11 banding sequences (BS) were found; one sequence, pal B10, was new to the species. In the Saratov population, 11 BS were also found, three of which were new for the species-pal A3, pal B11, and pal B12. The banding sequences detected for the first time have not yet been found in other parts of the habitat of this species and may be endemic to these regions. In the studied populations ofS. pallidivittatus, banding sequences were found that were nonstandard but fixed in the karyotype. This is indicative of some degree of chromosomal divergence. These banding sequences include pal A2.2 in arm A and pal B10.10 in arm B in the Central Caucasus region, as well as pal B2.2 and pal G2.2 in the Lower Volga region. Arms A, B, D, and G in the Central Caucasian populations and A, B, and D in the Saratov oblast were polymorphic. The composition of heterozygous sequences between populations from different regions coincided only in arm D (pal D 1.2). In arms A and B, the set of heterozygous BS was different: pal A1.2 and pal B1.10 sequences were found in the Central Caucasian populations, and pal A1.3 and B11.12 were found in Saratov oblast. The number of genotypic combinations of S. pallidivittatus was higher in the Central Caucasus region, whereas the number of zygotic combinations was higher in the Saratov population. The percentage of heterozygous larvae in the Central Caucasian populations varied from 20 to 80, whereas all individuals in the Saratov population had heterozygous inversions. Zygotic combinations of larvae in all the studied populations were different.

Bacterial Anabaena variabilis phenylalanine ammonia lyase: a biocatalyst with broad substrate specificity.

PubMed

Lovelock, Sarah L; Turner, Nicholas J

2014-10-15

Phenylalanine ammonia lyases (PALs) catalyse the regio- and stereoselective hydroamination of cinnamic acid analogues to yield optically enriched α-amino acids. Herein, we demonstrate that a bacterial PAL from Anabaena variabilis (AvPAL) displays significantly higher activity towards a series of non-natural substrates than previously described eukaryotic PALs. Biotransformations performed on a preparative scale led to the synthesis of the 2-chloro- and 4-trifluoromethyl-phenylalanine derivatives in excellent ee, highlighting the enormous potential of bacterial PALs as biocatalysts for the synthesis of high value, non-natural amino acids. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food Allergen Labeling and Purchasing Habits in the United States and Canada.

PubMed

Marchisotto, Mary Jane; Harada, Laurie; Kamdar, Opal; Smith, Bridget M; Waserman, Susan; Sicherer, Scott; Allen, Katie; Muraro, Antonella; Taylor, Steve; Gupta, Ruchi S

Mandatory labeling of products with top allergens has improved food safety for consumers. Precautionary allergen labeling (PAL), such as "may contain" or "manufactured on shared equipment," are voluntarily placed by the food industry. To establish knowledge of PAL and its impact on purchasing habits by food-allergic consumers in North America. Food Allergy Research & Education and Food Allergy Canada surveyed consumers in the United States and Canada on purchasing habits of food products featuring different types of PAL. Associations between respondents' purchasing behaviors and individual characteristics were estimated using multiple logistic regression. Of 6684 participants, 84.3% (n = 5634) were caregivers of a food-allergic child and 22.4% had food allergy themselves. Seventy-one percent reported a history of experiencing a severe allergic reaction. Buying practices varied on the basis of PAL wording; 11% of respondents purchased food with "may contain" labeling, whereas 40% purchased food that used "manufactured in a facility that also processes." Twenty-nine percent of respondents were unaware that the law requires labeling of priority food allergens. Forty-six percent were either unsure or incorrectly believed that PAL is required by law. Thirty-seven percent of respondents thought PAL was based on the amount of allergen present. History of a severe allergic reaction decreased the odds of purchasing foods with PAL. Almost half of consumers falsely believed that PAL was required by law. Up to 40% surveyed consumers purchased products with PAL. Understanding of PAL is poor, and improved awareness and guidelines are needed to help food-allergic consumers purchase food safely. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Peer assisted learning in the clinical setting: an activity systems analysis.

PubMed

Bennett, Deirdre; O'Flynn, Siun; Kelly, Martina

2015-08-01

Peer assisted learning (PAL) is a common feature of medical education. Understanding of PAL has been based on processes and outcomes in controlled settings, such as clinical skills labs. PAL in the clinical setting, a complex learning environment, requires fresh evaluation. Socio-cultural theory is proposed as a means to understand educational interventions in ways that are practical and meaningful. We describe the evaluation of a PAL intervention, introduced to support students' transition into full time clinical attachments, using activity theory and activity systems analysis (ASA). Our research question was How does PAL transfer to the clinical environment? Junior students on their first clinical attachments undertook a weekly same-level, reciprocal PAL activity. Qualitative data was collected after each session, and focus groups (n = 3) were held on completion. Data was analysed using ASA. ASA revealed two competing activity systems on clinical attachment; Learning from Experts, which students saw as the primary function of the attachment and Learning with Peers, the PAL intervention. The latter took time from the first and was in tension with it. Tensions arose from student beliefs about how learning takes place in clinical settings, and the importance of social relationships, leading to variable engagement with PAL. Differing perspectives within the group were opportunities for expansive learning. PAL in the clinical environment presents challenges specific to that context. Using ASA helped to describe student activity on clinical attachment and to highlight tensions and contradictions relating PAL in that setting. Planning learning opportunities on clinical placements, must take account of how students learn in workplaces, and the complexity of the multiple competing activity systems related to learning and social activities.

Monitoring the colonization of sugarcane and rice plants by the endophytic diazotrophic bacterium Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus marked with gfp and gusA reporter genes.

PubMed

Rouws, L F M; Meneses, C H S G; Guedes, H V; Vidal, M S; Baldani, J I; Schwab, S

2010-09-01

To evaluate the colonization process of sugarcane plantlets and hydroponically grown rice seedlings by Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus strain PAL5 marked with the gusA and gfp reporter genes. Sugarcane plantlets inoculated in vitro with PAL5 carrying the gfp::gusA plasmid pHRGFPGUS did not present green fluorescence, but beta-glucuronidase (GUS)-stained bacteria could be observed inside sugarcane roots. To complement this existing inoculation methodology for micropropagated sugarcane with a more rapid colonization assay, we employed hydroponically grown gnotobiotic rice seedlings to study PAL5-plant interaction. PAL5 could be isolated from the root surface (10(8) CFU g(-1)) and from surface-disinfected root and stem tissues (10(4) CFU g(-1)) of inoculated plants, suggesting that PAL5 colonized the internal plant tissues. Light microscopy confirmed the presence of bacteria inside the root tissue. After inoculation of rice plantlets with PAL5 marked with the gfp plasmid pHRGFPTC, bright green fluorescent bacteria could be seen colonizing the rice root surface, mainly at the sites of lateral root emergence, at root caps and on root hairs. The plasmids pHRGFPGUS and pHRGFPTC are valid tools to mark PAL5 and monitor the colonization of micropropagated sugarcane and hydroponic rice seedlings. These tools are of use to: (i) study PAL5 mutants affected in bacteria-plant interactions, (ii) monitor plant colonization in real time and (iii) distinguish PAL5 from other bacteria during the study of mixed inoculants.

Expression and enzymatic activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase in mango (Mangifera indica 'Ataulfo') during ripening.

PubMed

Palafox-Carlos, H; Contreras-Vergara, C A; Muhlia-Almazán, A; Islas-Osuna, M A; González-Aguilar, G A

2014-05-16

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H) are key enzymes in the phenylpropanoid pathway. The relative expression of PAL and C3H was evaluated in mango fruit cultivar 'Ataulfo' in four ripening stages (RS1, RS2, RS3, and RS4) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, enzyme activity of PAL and C3H was determined in mango fruits during ripening. The PAL levels were downregulated at the RS2 and RS3 stages, while C3H levels were upregulated in fruits only at RS3. The enzyme activity of PAL followed a pattern that was different from that of the PAL expression, thus suggesting regulation at several levels. For C3H, a regulation at the transcriptional level is suggested because a similar pattern was revealed by its activity and transcript level. In this study, the complexity of secondary metabolite biosynthesis regulation is emphasized because PAL and C3H enzymes are involved in the biosynthesis of several secondary metabolites that are active during all mango ripening stages.

Cloning, expression and characterization of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis.

PubMed

Zhu, Longbao; Cui, Wenjing; Fang, Yueqin; Liu, Yi; Gao, Xinxing; Zhou, Zhemin

2013-05-01

The industrial-scale production of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) mainly uses strains of Rhodotorula. However, the PAL gene from Rhodotorula has not been cloned. Here, the full-length gene of PAL from Rhodotorula glutinis was isolated. It was 2,121 bp, encoding a polypeptide with 706 amino acids and a calculated MW of 75.5 kDa. Though R. glutinis is an anamorph of Rhodosporium toruloides, the amino acid sequences of PALs them are not the same (about 74 % identity). PAL was expressed in E. coli and characterized. Its specific activity was 4.2 U mg(-1) and the k cat/K m was 1.9 × 10(4) mM(-1) s(-1), exhibiting the highest catalytic ability among the reported PALs. The genetic and biochemical information reported here should facilitate future application in industry.

Perceived Frequency of Peer-Assisted Learning in the Laboratory and Collegiate Clinical Settings

PubMed Central

Henning, Jolene M.; Weidner, Thomas G.; Snyder, Melissa; Dudley, William N.

2012-01-01

Context: Peer-assisted learning (PAL) has been recommended as an educational strategy to improve students' skill acquisition and supplement the role of the clinical instructor (CI). How frequently students actually engage in PAL in different settings is unknown. Objective: To determine the perceived frequency of planned and unplanned PAL (peer modeling, peer feedback and assessment, peer mentoring) in different settings. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Laboratory and collegiate clinical settings. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 933 students, 84 administrators, and 208 CIs representing 52 (15%) accredited athletic training education programs. Intervention(s): Three versions (student, CI, administrator) of the Athletic Training Peer Assisted Learning Survey (AT-PALS) were administered. Cronbach α values ranged from .80 to .90. Main Outcome Measure(s): Administrators' and CIs' perceived frequency of 3 PAL categories under 2 conditions (planned, unplanned) and in 2 settings (instructional laboratory, collegiate clinical). Self-reported frequency of students' engagement in 3 categories of PAL in 2 settings. Results: Administrators and CIs perceived that unplanned PAL (0.39 ± 0.22) occurred more frequently than planned PAL (0.29 ± 0.19) regardless of category or setting (F1,282 = 83.48, P < .001). They perceived that PAL occurred more frequently in the collegiate clinical (0.46 ± 0.22) than laboratory (0.21 ± 0.24) setting regardless of condition or category (F1,282 = 217.17, P < .001). Students reported engaging in PAL more frequently in the collegiate clinical (3.31 ± 0.56) than laboratory (3.26 ± 0.62) setting regardless of category (F1,860 = 13.40, P < .001). We found a main effect for category (F2,859 = 1318.02, P < .001), with students reporting they engaged in peer modeling (4.01 ± 0.60) more frequently than peer mentoring (2.99 ± 0.88) (P < .001) and peer assessment and feedback (2.86 ± 0.64) (P < .001). Conclusions: Participants

Long-acting inhalable chitosan-coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles containing hydrophobically modified exendin-4 for treating type 2 diabetes

PubMed Central

Lee, Changkyu; Choi, Ji Su; Kim, Insoo; Oh, Kyung Taek; Lee, Eun Seong; Park, Eun-Seok; Lee, Kang Choon; Youn, Yu Seok

2013-01-01

Inhalable glycol chitosan-coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles containing palmitic acid-modified exendin-4 (Pal-Ex4) (chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs) were prepared and characterized. The surface morphology, particle size, and zeta potential of chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs were investigated, and the adsorption and cytotoxicity of chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs were evaluated in human lung epithelial cells (A549). Finally, the lung deposition characteristics and hypoglycemia caused by chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs were evaluated after pulmonary administration in imprinting control region (ICR) and type 2 diabetic db/db mice. Results showed that chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs were spherical, compact and had a diameter of ~700 nm and a positive surface charge of +28.5 mV Chitosan-coated PLGA NPs were adsorbed onto A549 cells much more so than non-coated PLGA NPs. Pal-Ex4 release from chitosan-coated PLGA NPs was delayed by as much as 1.5 days as compared with chitosan-coated Ex4 PLGA NPs. In addition, chitosan-coated PLGA NPs remained in the lungs for ~72 hours after pulmonary administration, whereas most non-coated PLGA NPs were lost at 8 hours after administration. Furthermore, the hypoglycemic efficacy of inhaled chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs was 3.1-fold greater than that of chitosan Ex4 PLGA NPs in db/db mice. The authors believe chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs have considerable potential as a long-acting inhalation delivery system for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. PMID:23976850

General Aviation Activity and Avionics Survey 1984

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-10-01

1-r- 0sn r-C) 1-n4 A rW IniC lol o oo i.VA Cd )’ a .3 -- - I, CdA xd j Cd ’Am. " ’ Ai I-W wU g t 8 weR at lz at w betl wg at i w~ a w~ at ix 8 OM I0at...S ’ TABLE D-1. SDR AIRCRAFT GROUP NAME - FAA MANUFACTURER/MODEL CODES (CONTINUED) SDR FAA SDR FAA SDR FAA PIPER 600 106001... PIPER PAlS 101828 PIPER PA31T 103128 PIPER 600 106010 PIPER PAl8 101832 PIPER PA32 103206 PIPER 600 106012 PIPER PAlS 101834 PIPER PA32 103207 PIPER 600

Expression and Properties of the Highly Alkalophilic Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase of Thermophilic Rubrobacter xylanophilus

PubMed Central

Kovács, Klaudia; Bánóczi, Gergely; Varga, Andrea; Szabó, Izabella; Holczinger, András; Hornyánszky, Gábor; Zagyva, Imre

2014-01-01

The sequence of a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL; EC: 4.3.1.24) of the thermophilic and radiotolerant bacterium Rubrobacter xylanophilus (RxPAL) was identified by screening the genomes of bacteria for members of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase family. A synthetic gene encoding the RxPAL protein was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli TOP 10 in a soluble form with an N-terminal His6-tag and the recombinant RxPAL protein was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The activity assay of RxPAL with l-phenylalanine at various pH values exhibited a local maximum at pH 8.5 and a global maximum at pH 11.5. Circular dichroism (CD) studies showed that RxPAL is associated with an extensive α-helical character (far UV CD) and two distinctive near-UV CD peaks. These structural characteristics were well preserved up to pH 11.0. The extremely high pH optimum of RxPAL can be rationalized by a three-dimensional homology model indicating possible disulfide bridges, extensive salt-bridge formation and an excess of negative electrostatic potential on the surface. Due to these properties, RxPAL may be a candidate as biocatalyst in synthetic biotransformations leading to unnatural l- or d-amino acids or as therapeutic enzyme in treatment of phenylketonuria or leukemia. PMID:24475062

Peer-assisted learning: time for nomenclature clarification.

PubMed

Olaussen, Alexander; Reddy, Priya; Irvine, Susan; Williams, Brett

2016-01-01

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is used throughout all levels of healthcare education. Lack of formalised agreement on different PAL programmes may confuse the literature. Given the increasing interest in PAL as an education philosophy, the terms need clarification. The aim of this review is to 1) describe different PAL programmes, 2) clarify the terminology surrounding PAL, and 3) propose a simple pragmatic way of defining PAL programmes based on their design. A review of current PAL programmes within the healthcare setting was conducted. Each programme was scrutinised based on two aspects: the relationship between student and teacher, and the student to teacher ratio. The studies were then shown to fit exclusively into the novel proposed classification. The 34 programmes found, demonstrate a wide variety in terms used. We established six terms, which exclusively applied to the programmes. The relationship between student and teacher was categorised as peer-to-peer or near-peer. The student to teacher ratio suited three groupings, named intuitively 'Mentoring' (1:1 or 1:2), 'Tutoring' (1:3-10), and 'Didactic' (1:>10). From this, six novel terms - all under the heading of PAL - are suggested: 'Peer Mentoring', 'Peer Tutoring', 'Peer Didactic', 'Near-Peer Mentoring', 'Near-Peer Tutoring', and 'Near-Peer Didactic'. We suggest herein a simple pragmatic terminology to overcome ambiguous terminology. Academically, clear terms will allow effective and efficient research, ensuring furthering of the educational philosophy.

High-pressure homogenization associated hydrothermal process of palygorskite for enhanced adsorption of Methylene blue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhifang; Wang, Wenbo; Wang, Aiqin

2015-02-01

Palygorskite (PAL) was modified by a high-pressure homogenization assisted hydrothermal process. The effects of modification on the morphology, structure and physicochemical properties of PAL were systematically investigated by Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Zeta potential analysis techniques, and the adsorption properties were systematically evaluated using Methylene blue (MB) as the model dye. The results revealed that the crystal bundles were disaggregated and the PAL nanorods became more even after treated via associated high-pressure homogenization and hydrothermal process, and the crystal bundles were dispersed as nanorods. The intrinsic crystal structure of PAL was remained after hydrothermal treatment, and the pore size calculated by the BET method was increased. The adsorption properties of PAL for MB were evidently improved (from 119 mg/g to 171 mg/g) after modification, and the dispersion of PAL before hydrothermal reaction is favorable to the adsorption. The desorption evaluation confirms that the modified PAL has stronger affinity with MB, which is benefit to fabricate a stable organic-inorganic hybrid pigment.

The Differential Roles of Paired Associate Learning in Chinese and English Word Reading Abilities in Bilingual Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chow, Bonnie Wing-Yin

2014-01-01

Paired associated learning (PAL) is a critical skill for making arbitrary associations among print, pronunciation and meaning in reading development. Extended from past research of PAL, this study investigated whether PAL operated flexibly to linguistic demands of languages, by examining word reading abilities in Chinese-English bilingual…

Evaluation of a pet-assisted living intervention for improving functional status in assisted living residents with mild to moderate cognitive impairment: a pilot study.

PubMed

Friedmann, Erika; Galik, Elizabeth; Thomas, Sue A; Hall, P Sue; Chung, Seon Yoon; McCune, Sandra

2015-05-01

In older adults with cognitive impairment (CI), decreased functional status and increased behavioral symptoms require relocation from assisted living (AL) to nursing homes. Studies support positive effects of pets on health/function. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Pet AL (PAL) intervention to support physical, behavioral, and emotional function in AL residents with CI. Cognitively impaired AL residents randomized to 60-90 minute sessions [PAL (n = 22) or reminiscing (n = 18)] twice/week for 12 weeks. PAL interventionist encourages residents to perform skills with the visiting dog; reminiscing interventionist encourages residents to reminisce. Monthly assessment of physical (energy expenditure, activities of daily living), emotional (depression, apathy), and behavioral (agitation) function. In linear mixed models, physical activity depressive symptoms improved more with PAL. Evidence supports that the PAL program helps preserve/enhance function of AL residents with CI. Additional study is required to evaluate the duration and predictors of effectiveness of the PAL intervention. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Effects of a Responsive Parenting Intervention on Parent-Child Interactions during Shared Book Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landry, Susan H.; Smith, Karen E.; Swank, Paul R.; Zucker, Tricia; Crawford, April D.; Solari, Emily F.

2012-01-01

This study examined mother-child shared book reading behaviors before and after participation in a random-assignment responsive parenting intervention called Play and Learning Strategies (PALS) that occurred during infancy (PALS I), the toddler-preschool (PALS II) period, or both as compared with a developmental assessment (DAS) intervention (DAS…

Animals and Inmates: A Sharing Companionship behind Bars.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moneymaker, James M.; Strimle, Earl O.

1991-01-01

Describes People, Animals and Love (PAL), organization dedicated to bringing people and pets together and PAL program implemented in one correctional facility. Notes that PAL program has given prisoners opportunity to learn vocational trade while improving their quality of life by showing compassion and understanding to animals. (Author/NB)

Amphiphilic graft polymer with reduction breakable main chain prepared via click polymerization and grafting onto

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaojin; Dai, Yu

2018-06-01

Amphiphilic graft polymer PSS- g-Pal/PEG with reduction breakable main chain was synthesized via click polymerization of dialkynyl (containing disulfide bond) and diazide (containing pendant diol) and one-pot grafting onto of hydrophobic palmitate (Pal) and hydrophilic methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). PSS- g-Pal/PEG is able to form polymeric micelles by self-assembly in water via dialysis. Polymeric micelles are nano-sized spheres and the particle size is approximately 70 nm. Of note, polymeric micelles are reduction-responsive owing to the disulfide bonds in main chain of PSS- g-Pal/PEG. Therefore, polymeric micelles prepared from amphiphilic graft polymer PSS- g-Pal/PEG are able to fast release the drugs in the presence of the reducing agents such as DL-dithiothreitol (DTT).

Dynamic interactions of eye and head movements when reading with single-vision and progressive lenses in a simulated computer-based environment.

PubMed

Han, Ying; Ciuffreda, Kenneth J; Selenow, Arkady; Ali, Steven R

2003-04-01

To assess dynamic interactions of eye and head movements during return-sweep saccades (RSS) when reading with single-vision (SVL) versus progressive-addition (PAL) lenses in a simulated computer-based business environment. Horizontal eye and head movements were recorded objectively and simultaneously at a rate of 60 Hz during reading of single-page (SP; 14 degrees horizontal [H]) and double-page (DP; 37 degrees H) formats at 60 cm with binocular viewing. Subjects included 11 individuals with normal presbyopic vision aged 45 to 71 years selected by convenience sampling from a clinic population. Reading was performed with three types of spectacle lenses with a different clear near field of view (FOV): a SVL (60 degrees H clear FOV), a PAL-I with a relatively wide intermediate zone (7.85 mm; 18 degrees H clear FOV), and a PAL-II with a relatively narrow intermediate zone (5.60 mm; 13 degrees H clear FOV). Eye movements were initiated before head movements in the SP condition, and the reverse was found in the DP condition, with all three lens types. Duration of eye movements increased as the zone of clear vision decreased in the SP condition, and they were longer with the PALs than with the SVL in the DP condition. Gaze stabilization occurred later with the PALs than with the SVL in both the SP and DP conditions. The duration of head movements was longer with the PAL-II than with the SVL in both the SP and DP conditions. Eye movement peak velocity was greater with the SVL than the PALs in the DP condition. Eye movement and head movement strategies and timing were contingent on viewing conditions. The longer eye movement duration and gaze-stabilization times suggested that additional eye movements were needed to locate the clear-vision zone and commence reading after the RSS. Head movements with PALs for the SP condition were similarly optically induced. These eye movement and head movement results may contribute to the reduced reading rate and related symptoms reported

Perceptions from Athletic Training Students Involved in an Intentional Peer-Assisted Learning Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Dana K.

2016-01-01

Context: Peer-assisted learning (PAL) has been shown to benefit students across educational levels. Current research has investigated perceptions of PAL, postgraduate impact, as well as prevalence. This study investigated athletic training students' perceptions of an intentional PAL pedagogy on both the peer-student and peer-tutor. In this study,…

Prolonged air leak following lobectomy can be predicted in lung cancer patients.

PubMed

Okada, Satoru; Shimada, Junichi; Kato, Daishiro; Tsunezuka, Hiroaki; Inoue, Masayoshi

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with prolonged air leak (PAL) following pulmonary lobectomy for lung cancer. The data of 146 patients who underwent pulmonary lobectomy for lung cancer between August 2010 and July 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Air leaks were assessed daily by a visual evaluation and were categorized as follows: forced expiratory only (Grade 1), expiratory only (Grade 2), or continuous (Grade 3). Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the predictors of PAL (>5 days). PAL occurred in 23 patients (16%). An air leak at rest (Grade ≥ 2) was detected on postoperative day (POD) 1 in 48% of the patients with PAL and 7% of the patients without PAL. A univariate analysis demonstrated that PAL was significantly associated with male sex, a smoking history of ≥ 40 pack years, a serum albumin level of ≤4.0 mg/dL, and an air leak on POD1 (Grade ≥ 2). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that a serum albumin level of ≤4.0 mg/dL (p = 0.027) and an air leak on POD1 (p = 0.006) were independent predictors of PAL. PAL occurred in 75% of the patients with these two risk factors. The preoperative serum albumin level and the presence of a visually evaluated air leak on POD1 may be useful indicators for the perioperative management of air leaks.

A different approach to treatment of phenylketonuria: Phenylalanine degradation with recombinant phenylalanine ammonia lyase

PubMed Central

Sarkissian, Christineh N.; Shao, Zhongqi; Blain, Françoise; Peevers, Rosalie; Su, Hongsheng; Heft, Robert; Chang, Thomas M. S.; Scriver, Charles R.

1999-01-01

Phenylketonuria (PKU), with its associated hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) and mental retardation, is a classic genetic disease and the first to have an identified chemical cause of impaired cognitive development. Treatment from birth with a low phenylalanine diet largely prevents the deviant cognitive phenotype by ameliorating HPA and is recognized as one of the first effective treatments of a genetic disease. However, compliance with dietary treatment is difficult and when it is for life, as now recommended by an internationally used set of guidelines, is probably unrealistic. Herein we describe experiments on a mouse model using another modality for treatment of PKU compatible with better compliance using ancillary phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) to degrade phenylalanine, the harmful nutrient in PKU; in this treatment, PAL acts as a substitute for the enzyme phenylalanine monooxygenase (EC 1.14.16.1), which is deficient in PKU. PAL, a robust enzyme without need for a cofactor, converts phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid, a harmless metabolite. We describe (i) an efficient recombinant approach to produce PAL enzyme, (ii) testing of PAL in orthologous N-ethyl-N′-nitrosourea (ENU) mutant mouse strains with HPA, and (iii) proofs of principle (PAL reduces HPA)—both pharmacologic (with a clear dose–response effect vs. HPA after PAL injection) and physiologic (protected enteral PAL is significantly effective vs. HPA). These findings open another way to facilitate treatment of this classic genetic disease. PMID:10051643

Peer-assisted learning: time for nomenclature clarification.

PubMed

Olaussen, Alexander; Reddy, Priya; Irvine, Susan; Williams, Brett

2016-01-01

Background Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is used throughout all levels of healthcare education. Lack of formalised agreement on different PAL programmes may confuse the literature. Given the increasing interest in PAL as an education philosophy, the terms need clarification. The aim of this review is to 1) describe different PAL programmes, 2) clarify the terminology surrounding PAL, and 3) propose a simple pragmatic way of defining PAL programmes based on their design. Methods A review of current PAL programmes within the healthcare setting was conducted. Each programme was scrutinised based on two aspects: the relationship between student and teacher, and the student to teacher ratio. The studies were then shown to fit exclusively into the novel proposed classification. Results The 34 programmes found, demonstrate a wide variety in terms used. We established six terms, which exclusively applied to the programmes. The relationship between student and teacher was categorised as peer-to-peer or near-peer. The student to teacher ratio suited three groupings, named intuitively 'Mentoring' (1:1 or 1:2), 'Tutoring' (1:3-10), and 'Didactic' (1:>10). From this, six novel terms - all under the heading of PAL - are suggested: 'Peer Mentoring', 'Peer Tutoring', 'Peer Didactic', 'Near-Peer Mentoring', 'Near-Peer Tutoring', and 'Near-Peer Didactic'. Conclusions We suggest herein a simple pragmatic terminology to overcome ambiguous terminology. Academically, clear terms will allow effective and efficient research, ensuring furthering of the educational philosophy.

Peer-assisted learning to train high-school students to perform basic life-support.

PubMed

Choi, Hyung Soo; Lee, Dong Hoon; Kim, Chan Woong; Kim, Sung Eun; Oh, Je Hyeok

2015-01-01

The inclusion of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in formal education has been a useful approach to providing basic life support (BLS) services. However, because not all students have been able to learn directly from certified instructors, we studied the educational efficacy of the use of peer-assisted learning (PAL) to train high-school students to perform BLS services. This study consisted of 187 high-school students: 68 participants served as a control group and received a 1-hour BLS training from a school nurse, and 119 were included in a PAL group and received a 1-hour CPR training from a PAL leader. Participants' BLS training was preceded by the completion of questionnaires regarding their background. Three months after the training, the participants were asked to respond to questionnaires about their willingness to perform CPR on bystander CPR and their retention of knowledge of BLS. We found no statistically significant difference between the control and PAL groups in their willingness to perform CPR on bystanders (control: 55.2%, PAL: 64.7%, P=0.202). The PAL group was not significantly different from the control group (control: 60.78±39.77, PAL: 61.76±17.80, P=0.848) in retention of knowledge about BLS services. In educating high school students about BLS, there was no significant difference between PAL and traditional education in increasing the willingness to provide CPR to bystanders or the ability to retain knowledge about BLS.

Manipulation of Micro Scale Particles in Optical Traps Using Programmable Spatial Light Modulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seibel, Robin E.; Decker, Arthur J. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

1064 nm light, from an Nd:YAG laser, was polarized and incident upon a programmable parallel aligned liquid crystal spatial light modulator (PAL-SLM), where it was phase modulated according to the program controlling the PAL-SLM. Light reflected from the PAL-SLM was injected into a microscope and focused. At the focus, multiple optical traps were formed in which 9.975 m spheres were captured. The traps and the spheres were moved by changing the program of the PAL-SLM. The motion of ordered groups of micro particles was clearly demonstrated.

Are physical activity levels linked to nutrient adequacy? Implications for cancer risk.

PubMed

Csizmadi, Ilona; Kelemen, Linda E; Speidel, Thomas; Yuan, Yan; Dale, Laura C; Friedenreich, Christine M; Robson, Paula J

2014-01-01

Cancer prevention guidelines recommend a healthy body mass index, physical activity, and nutrient intake from food rather than supplements. Sedentary individuals may restrict energy intake to prevent weight gain and in so doing may compromise nutritional intake. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis to determine if adequacy of micronutrients is linked to physical activity levels (PALs) in healthy-weight adults. Tomorrow Project participants in Alberta, Canada (n = 5333), completed past-year diet and physical activity questionnaires. The percent meeting Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) was reported across low and high PAL groups, and the relation between PAL and percent achieved DRI was determined using multiple linear regression analyses. Overall, <50% of healthy-weight participants met DRIs for folate, calcium, and vitamin D. Percent achieved DRI increased linearly with increasing PAL in both genders (P < 0.01). A hypothetical increase in PAL from 1.4 to 1.9 was associated with a DRI that was 8%-13% higher for folate and vitamin C (men) and 5%-15% higher for calcium and iron (women). Healthy-weight adults at higher PALs appear more likely to meet DRIs for potential cancer-preventing nutrients. The benefits of higher PALs may extend beyond the usual benefits attributed to physical activity to include having a more favorable impact on nutrient adequacy.

Structure and characterization of a cDNA clone for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from cut-injured roots of sweet potato

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

Tanaka, Yoshiyuki; Matsuoka, Makoto; Yamanoto, Naoki

A cDNA clone for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) induced in wounded sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) root was obtained by immunoscreening a cDNA library. The protein produced in Escherichia coli cells containing the plasmid pPAL02 was indistinguishable from sweet potato PAL as judged by Ouchterlony double diffusion assays. The M{sub r} of its subunit was 77,000. The cells converted ({sup 14}C)-L-phenylalanine into ({sup 14}C)-t-cinnamic acid and PAL activity was detected in the homogenate of the cells. The activity was dependent on the presence of the pPAL02 plasmid DNA. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA contained a 2,121-base pair (bp) open-reading framemore » capable of coding for a polypeptide with 707 amino acids (M{sub r} 77,137), a 22-bp 5{prime}-noncoding region and a 207-bp 3{prime}-noncoding region. The results suggest that the insert DNA fully encoded the amino acid sequence for sweet potato PAL that is induced by wounding. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with that of a PAL cDNA fragment from Phaseolus vulgaris revealed 78.9% homology. The sequence from amino acid residues 258 to 494 was highly conserved, showing 90.7% homology.« less

Peer Assisted Learning in the Clinical Setting: An Activity Systems Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Deirdre; O'Flynn, Siun; Kelly, Martina

2015-01-01

Peer assisted learning (PAL) is a common feature of medical education. Understanding of PAL has been based on processes and outcomes in controlled settings, such as clinical skills labs. PAL in the clinical setting, a complex learning environment, requires fresh evaluation. Socio-cultural theory is proposed as a means to understand educational…

The Effectiveness of Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies for Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rafdal, Brooke H.; McMaster, Kristen L.; McConnell, Scott R.; Fuchs, Douglas; Fuchs, Lynn S.

2011-01-01

This study determined the effectiveness of Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (K-PALS) for students with disabilities. The researchers randomly assigned 89 kindergartners with individualized education programs (IEPs) from 47 classrooms to control (n = 9); K-PALS Level 1 (teachers received 1-day workshop; n = 19); or K-PALS Level 2…

Patient reported outcomes are associated with physical activity level in adults with congenital heart disease.

PubMed

Bay, Annika; Dellborg, Mikael; Berghammer, Malin; Sandberg, Camilla; Engström, Gunnar; Moons, Philip; Johansson, Bengt

2017-09-15

In general, adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) have impaired exercise capacity, and approximately 50% do not reach current recommendations on physical activity. Herein we analysed factors associated with physical activity level (PAL) in adults with CHD by using patient-reported outcomes (PRO). Patients with CHD (n=471) were randomly selected from the national register on CHD and categorized according to complexity of lesions - simple (n=172, 39.1±14.6years), moderate (n=212, 39±14.1years), and severe (n=87, 31.7±10.7years). Participants completed a standardized questionnaire measuring PRO-domains including PAL. Variables associated with PAL were tested in multivariate logistic regression. PAL was categorized into high (≥3 METs ≥2.5h/week, n=192) and low (≥3 METs <2.5h/week, n=279). Patients with low PAL were older (42.6 vs. 35.8years, p≤0.001), had more prescribed medications (51% vs. 39%, p=0.009), more symptoms (25% vs. 16%, p=0.02) and comorbidity (45% vs. 34% p=0.02). Patients with low PAL rated a lower quality of life (76.6 vs. 83.4, p<0.001), satisfaction with life (25.6 vs. 27.3, p=0.003), a lower Physical Component Summary score (PCS) (78.1 vs. 90.5, p<0.001) and Mental Component Summary score (MCS) (73.5 vs. 79.5, p<0.001). Complexity of heart lesion was not associated with PAL. The included PROs - separately tested in the model, together with age were associated with PAL. PCS and MCS are stronger associated with PAL than age and medical factors. The use of these PROs could therefore provide valuable information of benefit for individualized advice regarding physical activity to patients with CHD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Novel Marking Reader for Progressive Addition Lenses Based on Gabor Holography.

PubMed

Perucho, Beatriz; Picazo-Bueno, José Angel; Micó, Vicente

2016-05-01

Progressive addition lenses (PALs) are marked with permanent engraved marks (PEMs) at standardized locations. Permanent engraved marks are very useful through the manufacturing and mounting processes, act as locator marks to re-ink the removable marks, and contain useful information about the PAL. However, PEMs are often faint and weak, obscured by scratches, partially occluded, and difficult to recognize on tinted lenses or with antireflection or scratch-resistant coatings. The aim of this article is to present a new generation of portable marking reader based on an extremely simplified concept for visualization and identification of PEMs in PALs. Permanent engraved marks on different PALs are visualized using classical Gabor holography as underlying principle. Gabor holography allows phase sample visualization with adjustable magnification and can be implemented in either classical or digital versions. Here, visual Gabor holography is used to provide a magnified defocused image of the PEMs onto a translucent visualization screen where the PEM is clearly identified. Different types of PALs (conventional, personalized, old and scratched, sunglasses, etc.) have been tested to visualize PEMs with the proposed marking reader. The PEMs are visible in every case, and variable magnification factor can be achieved simply moving up and down the PAL in the instrument. In addition, a second illumination wavelength is also tested, showing the applicability of this novel marking reader for different illuminations. A new concept of marking reader ophthalmic instrument has been presented and validated in the laboratory. The configuration involves only a commercial-grade laser diode and a visualization screen for PEM identification. The instrument is portable, economic, and easy to use, and it can be used for identifying patient's current PAL model and for marking removable PALs again or finding test points regardless of the age of the PAL, its scratches, tints, or coatings.

Peer Teaching Experiences of Final Year Paramedic Students: 2011-2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Brett; Fellows, Holly; Eastwood, Kathryn; Wallis, Jamie

2014-01-01

Peer assisted learning (PAL) is one method of teaching which involves peers, or people from similar social groups, in reciprocal learning where one peer educates another and in return learns through the teaching experience. There have been many reported benefits of PAL programs. PAL has a long history of use in healthcare education; however, for…

Student Conceptions of Peer-Assisted Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgson, Yvonne; Benson, Robyn; Brack, Charlotte

2015-01-01

This article reports on a programme in which peer-assisted learning (PAL) was combined with case-based learning (CBL) in a second-year radiologic biology unit of study. Our aim is to explore evidence of whether PAL supported the development of qualitative conceptions of learning. The programme involved students in small PAL groups preparing and…

L2 Writing Practice: Game Enjoyment as a Key to Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Laura K.; Crossley, Scott A.; Snow, Erica L.; McNamara, Danielle S.

2014-01-01

The Writing Pal (W-Pal) is an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) designed to provide students with explicit writing strategy instruction and practice. W-Pal includes a suite of educational games developed to increase writing engagement and provide opportunities to practice writing strategies. In this study, first (L1) (n = 26) and second (L2)…

Predictors of physical activity levels of individuals following traumatic brain injury remain unclear: A systematic review.

PubMed

Hamilton, Megan; Khan, Michelle; Clark, Ross; Williams, Gavin; Bryant, Adam

2016-01-01

To identify factors which influence physical activity levels (PALs) of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Eight electronic databases. A systematic search was performed to identify articles that reported the measurement (quantity) of PALs of individuals with TBI. Two authors reviewed andextracted the data independently. Article quality was evaluated using the Law critical review tool. Six studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. All studies found that PALs of participants with TBI were below those recommended for health benefits. Although a number of environmental and personal barriers restricted PA participation, motivation and exercise self-efficacy were the most frequently identified facilitators of PA in the TBI population. Despite apparent links, the relationship between mobility capacity and PALs was unclear from the results of this systematic review. The results of this systematic review demonstrated that little is known about PALs of individuals with TBI. PALs of participants with TBI were less than required for health maintenance. Self-efficacy to exercise and motivation were the most frequently identified facilitators of PA in the TBI population.

PHENIX measurements of open and hidden heavy flavor in p+p, p+Al, and p/d/3He+Au collisions across a wide range of rapidity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Sanghoon; Phenix Collaboration

2017-11-01

Despite intense theoretical and experimental investigation, the physical mechanisms governing the suppression of bound quark-antiquark states in nuclear collisions are not yet fully understood. While color screening in a plasma phase is expected to play a role, there are numerous other possible suppression mechanisms that do not require deconfinement, as well as effects on the heavy quark initial state in the nucleus which can also play a role. To study these effects, the PHENIX collaboration has used the flexibility of the RHIC accelerator complex to observe the evolution of open heavy flavor and quarkonia dynamics as both the projectile and target nuclei size are varied. Open heavy flavor in small collision systems can serve as the baseline for interpreting quarkonia production in the nuclear environment, and comparisons of the ψ (2 S) with the ψ (1 S) show that in rapidity regions with relatively high hadron density, the larger 2S state is preferentially more suppressed than the more tightly bound ψ (1 S). This suggests that late-stage mechanisms may be at least partially responsible for quarkonia suppression in nuclear collisions. In this talk, we will present results on excited-state quarkonia in p+p, p+Al, and p/d/3He+Au collisions and open heavy flavor in small systems, and discuss how these measurements impact our understanding of heavy quark behavior in the quark-gluon plasma.

Promise for Enhancing Children's Reading Attitudes through Peer Reading: A Mixed Method Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Youngju

2014-01-01

Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) was implemented for supplementary reading classes in a Korean elementary school. The treatment group children were exposed to PALS during 20 min sessions, 4 times a week, for 8 weeks. The impacts of PALS were investigated in 3 aspects using a mixed-methods approach: improvement in reading attitudes, reading…

Assessment of the acceptance and effectiveness of peer-assisted learning in pediatrics.

PubMed

Awasthi, Shally; Yadav, Krishna Kumar

2015-08-01

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is the development of knowledge and skill through active help and support of equals. However, this has not been tested in medical education in India. To assess the effectiveness of PAL on improvement in cognitive assessment scores and its acceptance among undergraduate medical students in one public teaching medical university in North India. After approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee, three PAL sessions, 1 per week, each on specific topic, were conducted using small group discussion methodology with a faculty contact and student leader and 4-6 peer-learners, in 9(th) semester MBBS students. A pretest with multiple choice questions (MCQs) was followed by distribution of learning objectives and list of resource material. PAL session was conducted after 72 h, followed by posttest by MCQs and then focus group discussion (FGD) on students' experiences. Of the 26 students enrolled, three PAL sessions was completed by 22 (84.6%) students. The correlation coefficient between pre- and post-test scores was 0.48 (P < 0.0001), with a 24.2% improvement in posttest scores. In the nine FGDs most said that PALs helped in the better preparation of the topic, clarifying doubts, lessened examination anxiety, improved communication skills, and increased self-confidence. PAL was well accepted, and it improved assessment scores. Therefore, it can be adopted for teaching selected topics across all subjects of MBBS course.

Power maps and wavefront for progressive addition lenses in eyeglass frames.

PubMed

Mejía, Yobani; Mora, David A; Díaz, Daniel E

2014-10-01

To evaluate a method for measuring the cylinder, sphere, and wavefront of progressive addition lenses (PALs) in eyeglass frames. We examine the contour maps of cylinder, sphere, and wavefront of a PAL assembled in an eyeglass frame using an optical system based on a Hartmann test. To reduce the data noise, particularly in the border of the eyeglass frame, we implement a method based on the Fourier analysis to extrapolate spots outside the eyeglass frame. The spots are extrapolated up to a circular pupil that circumscribes the eyeglass frame and compared with data obtained from a circular uncut PAL. By using the Fourier analysis to extrapolate spots outside the eyeglass frame, we can remove the edge artifacts of the PAL within its frame and implement the modal method to fit wavefront data with Zernike polynomials within a circular aperture that circumscribes the frame. The extrapolated modal maps from framed PALs accurately reflect maps obtained from uncut PALs and provide smoothed maps for the cylinder and sphere inside the eyeglass frame. The proposed method for extrapolating spots outside the eyeglass frame removes edge artifacts of the contour maps (wavefront, cylinder, and sphere), which may be useful to facilitate measurements such as the length and width of the progressive corridor for a PAL in its frame. The method can be applied to any shape of eyeglass frame.

Development and feasibility testing of an intervention to support active lifestyles in youths with type 1 diabetes-the ActivPals programme: a study protocol.

PubMed

Mitchell, Fiona; Kirk, Alison; Robertson, Kenneth; Reilly, John J

2016-01-01

The global incidence of type 1 diabetes is rising, and youths with type 1 diabetes continue to suffer poorer health than peers without diabetes. Evidence suggests youths with type 1 diabetes have physical activity (PA) levels well below the recommendations for health and have high levels of sedentary behaviour. An active lifestyle is therefore recommended to improve health. There is limited research showing effective lifestyle behaviour change in this population; therefore, an evidence gap exists between the need to promote physical activity in type 1 diabetes care and lack of understanding on how to do this. This protocol paper describes a feasibility and pilot study of the ActivPals programme-an intervention to support active lifestyles in youths with type 1 diabetes. Key intervention components have been identified from preliminary work (individual and family focus, peer mentoring, technology integration and improved communication and understanding) and are being developed into a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) supported by recruitment pathways. A steering group of health care professionals and managers will refine the intervention to patient needs. A pilot trial is providing data on intervention implementation, acceptability and feasibility. Twenty youths with type 1 diabetes are being recruited and randomised into an intervention or control group. Physical activity is being measured objectively using the Actigraph GT3X+ monitor at baseline and 1-month follow-up. Contextual factors associated with intervention delivery are being explored. This study will contribute to the development of evidence-based, user-informed and pragmatic interventions leading to healthier lifestyles in youths with type 1 diabetes.

The accuracy of the SenseWear Pro3 and the activPAL3 Micro devices for measurement of energy expenditure.

PubMed

Powell, Cormac; Carson, Brian P; Dowd, Kieran P; Donnelly, Alan E

2016-09-21

Activity monitors such as the SenseWear Pro3 (SWP3) and the activPAL3 Micro (aP 3 M) are regularly used by researchers and practitioners to provide estimates of the metabolic cost (METs) of activities in free-living settings. The purpose of this study is to examine the accuracy of the MET predictions from the SWP3 and the aP 3 M compared to the criterion standard MET values from indirect calorimetry. Fifty-six participants (mean age: 39.9 (±11.5), 25M/31F) performed eight activities (four daily living, three ambulatory and one cycling), while simultaneously wearing a SWP3, aP 3 M and the Cosmed K4B 2 (K4B 2 ) mobile metabolic unit. Paired samples T-tests were used to examine differences between device predicted METs and criterion METs. Bland-Altman plots were constructed to examine the mean bias and limits of agreement for predicted METs compared to criterion METs. SWP3 predicted MET values were significantly different from the K4B 2 for each activity (p  ⩽  0.004), excluding sweeping (p  =  0.122). aP 3 M predicted MET values were significantly different (p  <  0.001) from the K4B 2 for each activity. When examining the activities collectively, both devices underestimated activity intensity (0.20 METs (SWP3), 0.95 METs (aP 3 M)). The greatest mean bias for the SWP3 was for cycling (-3.25 METs), with jogging (-5.16 METs) producing the greatest mean bias for the aP 3 M. All of the activities (excluding SWP3 sweeping) were significantly different from the criterion measure. Although the SWP3 predicted METs are more accurate than their aP 3 M equivalent, the predicted MET values from both devices are significantly different from the criterion measure for the majority of activities.

Postoperative air leak grading is useful to predict prolonged air leak after pulmonary lobectomy.

PubMed

Oh, Sang Gi; Jung, Yochun; Jheon, Sanghoon; Choi, Yunhee; Yun, Ju Sik; Na, Kook Joo; Ahn, Byoung Hee

2017-01-23

Results of studies to predict prolonged air leak (PAL; air leak longer than 5 days) after pulmonary lobectomy have been inconsistent and are of limited use. We developed a new scale representing the amount of early postoperative air leak and determined its correlation with air leak duration and its potential as a predictor of PAL. We grade postoperative air leak using a 5-grade scale. All 779 lobectomies from January 2005 to December 2009 with available medical records were reviewed retrospectively. We devised six 'SUM' variables using air leak grades in the initial 72 h postoperatively. Excluding unrecorded cases and postoperative broncho-pleural fistulas, there were 720 lobectomies. PAL occurred in 135 cases (18.8%). Correlation analyses showed each SUM variable highly correlated with air leak duration, and the SUM 4to9 , which was the sum of six consecutive values of air leak grades for every 8 h record on postoperative days 2 and 3, was proved to be the most powerful predictor of PAL; PAL could be predicted with 75.7% and 77.7% positive and negative predictive value, respectively, when SUM 4to9  ≥ 16. When 4 predictors derived from multivariable logistic regression of perioperative variables were combined with SUM 4to9 , there was no significant increase in predictability compared with SUM 4to9 alone. This simple new method to predict PAL using SUM 4to9 showed that the amount of early postoperative air leak is the most powerful predictor of PAL, therefore, grading air leak after pulmonary lobectomy is a useful method to predict PAL.

A Randomized Trial Using Progressive Addition Lenses to Evaluate Theories of Myopia Progression in Children with a High Lag of Accommodation

PubMed Central

Sinnott, Loraine T.; Mutti, Donald O.; Zadnik, Karla

2012-01-01

Purpose. To compare the effect of wearing, then ceasing to wear, progressive addition lenses (PALs) versus single vision lenses (SVLs) on myopia progression in children with high accommodative lag to evaluate accommodative lag and mechanical tension as theories of myopia progression. Methods. Eighty-five children (age range, 6–11 years) with spherical equivalent (SE) cycloplegic autorefraction between −0.75 D and −4.50 D were randomly assigned to wear SVLs or PALs for 1 year; all children wore SVLs a second year. Children had high accommodative lag and also had near esophoria if their myopia was greater than −2.25 D SE. The primary outcome after each year was the previous year's change in SE. Results. When the children were randomly assigned to SVLs or PALs, the adjusted 1-year changes in SE were −0.52 D (SVL group) and −0.35 D (PAL group; treatment effect = 0.18 D; P = 0.01). When all children wore SVLs the second year, there was no difference in myopia progression between SVL and former PAL wearers (0.06 D; P = 0.50). Accommodative lag was not associated with myopia progression. Conclusions. The statistically significant, but clinically small, PAL effect suggests that treatments aimed at reducing foveal defocus may not be as effective as previously thought in myopic children with high accommodative lag. Finding no evidence of treatment loss after discontinuing PAL wear supports hyperopic defocus-based theories such as accommodative lag; however, not finding an association between accommodative lag and myopia progression is inconsistent with the PAL effect being due to decreased foveal blur during near work. (Clinical Trials.gov number, NCT00335049.) PMID:22205604

MK-801 and amphetamine result in dissociable profiles of cognitive impairment in a rodent paired associates learning task with relevance for schizophrenia.

PubMed

Talpos, John; Aerts, Nancy; Waddell, Jason; Steckler, Thomas

2015-11-01

Paired associates learning (PAL) has been suggested to be predictive of functional outcomes in first episode psychosis and of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. An automated touch screen-based rodent PAL (rPAL) task has been developed and is sensitive to manipulations of the dopaminergic and glutamatergic system. Accordingly, rPAL when used with pharmacological models of schizophrenia, like NMDA receptor blockade with MK-801 or dopaminergic stimulation with amphetamine, may have utility as a translational model of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to determine if amphetamine- and MK-801-induced impairment represent distinct models of cognitive impairment by testing their sensitivity to common antipsychotics and determine the relative contributions of D1 versus D2 receptors on performance of PAL. Rats were trained in rPAL and were then treated with MK-801, amphetamine, risperidone, haloperidol, quinpirole, SK-82958, or SCH-23390 alone and in combination. While both amphetamine and MK-801 caused clear impairments in accuracy, MK-801 induced a profound "perseverative" type behavior that was more pronounced when compared to amphetamine. Moreover, amphetamine-induced impairments, but not the effects of MK-801, could be reversed by antipsychotics as well as the D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390, suggesting a role for both the D1 and D2 receptor in the amphetamine impairment model. These data suggest that amphetamine and MK-801 represent dissociable models of impairment in PAL, dependent on different underlying neurobiology. The ability to distinguish dopaminergic versus glutamatergic effects on performance in rPAL makes it a unique and useful tool in the modeling of cognitive impairments in schizophrenia.

Peer Assisted Learning Strategy for Improving Students’ Physiologic Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diana, S.

2017-09-01

Research about the implementation of the Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) strategy in Plant Physiology lecture has carried out, in which it aims to improve students’ physiologic literacy. The PAL strategy began with a briefing by the lecturers to the students tutor about pretest questions, followed by the interaction between student tutors with their peers to discuss response problems, terminated by answering responsiveness questions individually. This study used a quasi-experimental method, one - group pre-test post-test design. This design includes a group of students observed in the pre-test phase (tests carried out before PAL treatment) which is then followed by treatment with PAL and ends with post-test. The other students group (control) was given the pre-test and post-test only. The results showed that the PAL strategy can increase student’s physiologic literacy significantly. One of the weaknesses of students’ physiologic literacy is that they have not been able to read the graph. The faculties are encouraged to begin introducing and teaching material using a variety of strategies with scientific literacy aspects, for example teaching research-based material. All students respond positively to the PAL strategy.

The apical complex couples cell fate and cell survival to cerebral cortical development

PubMed Central

Kim, Seonhee; Lehtinen, Maria K.; Sessa, Alessandro; Zappaterra, Mauro; Cho, Seo-Hee; Gonzalez, Dilenny; Boggan, Brigid; Austin, Christina A.; Wijnholds, Jan; Gambello, Michael J.; Malicki, Jarema; LaMantia, Anthony S.; Broccoli, Vania; Walsh, Christopher A.

2010-01-01

Cortical development depends upon tightly controlled cell fate and cell survival decisions that generate a functional neuronal population, but the coordination of these two processes is poorly understood. Here we show that conditional removal of a key apical complex protein, Pals1, causes premature withdrawal from the cell cycle, inducing excessive generation of early-born postmitotic neurons followed by surprisingly massive and rapid cell death, leading to the abrogation of virtually the entire cortical structure. Pals1 loss shows exquisite dosage sensitivity, so that heterozygote mutants show an intermediate phenotype on cell fate and cell death. Loss of Pals1 blocks essential cell survival signals, including the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, while mTORC1 activation partially rescues Pals1 deficiency. These data highlight unexpected roles of the apical complex protein Pals1 in cell survival through interactions with mTOR signaling. PMID:20399730

Metal abundance of Tal 13

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

Zinn, R.; Diaz, A.I.

1982-08-01

Low-resolution spectrograms have been obtained of the three RR Lyrae variables in the distant and very sparse globular cluster Pal 13. A comparison of these spectrograms with similar ones of several RR Lyrae variables in the globular clusters M4, M5, and M22 reveals that Pal 13 is intermediate to M5 and M22 in metal abundance. A value of (Fe/H) = -1.67 +- 0.15 is obtained for Pal 13 by adopting Zinn's (1980a (Astrophys. J. Suppl. 42,19)) values of (Fe/H) for these other clusters. Pal 13 is another example of a distant halo object that is not extremely metal poor.

Removal of lead from aqueous solution using superparamagnetic palygorskite nanocomposite: Material characterization and regeneration studies.

PubMed

Rusmin, Ruhaida; Sarkar, Binoy; Tsuzuki, Takuya; Kawashima, Nobuyuki; Naidu, Ravi

2017-11-01

A palygorskite-iron oxide nanocomposite (Pal-IO) was synthesized in situ by embedding magnetite into the palygorskite structure through co-precipitation method. The physico-chemical characteristics of Pal-IO and their pristine components were examined through various spectroscopic and micro-analytical techniques. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of Pal-IO in removing Pb(II) from aqueous solution. The surface morphology, magnetic recyclability and adsorption efficiency of regenerated Pal-IO using desorbing agents HCl (Pal-IO-HCl) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-Na 2 ) (Pal-IO-EDTA) were compared. The nanocomposite showed a superparamagnetic property (magnetic susceptibility: 20.2 emu g -1 ) with higher specific surface area (99.8 m 2  g -1 ) than the pristine palygorskite (49.4 m 2  g -1 ) and iron oxide (72.6 m 2  g -1 ). Pal-IO showed a maximum Pb(II) adsorption capacity of 26.6 mg g -1 (experimental condition: 5 g L -1 adsorbent loading, 150 agitations min -1 , initial Pb(II) concentration from 20 to 500 mg L -1 , at 25 °C) with easy separation of the spent adsorbent. The adsorption data best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model (R 2  = 0.9995) and pseudo-second order kinetic model (R 2  = 0.9945). Pb(II) desorption using EDTA as the complexing agent produced no disaggregation of Pal-IO crystal bundles, and was able to preserve the composite's magnetic recyclability. Pal-IO-EDTA exhibited almost 64% removal capacity after three cycles of regeneration and preserved the nanocomposite's structural integrity and magnetic properties (15.6 emu g -1 ). The nanocomposite holds advantages as a sustainable material (easily separable and recyclable) for potential application in purifying heavy metal contaminated wastewaters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal Relationship Among Physical Fitness, Walking-Related Physical Activity, and Fatigue in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

PubMed

Balemans, Astrid C J; van Wely, Leontien; Becher, Jules G; Dallmeijer, Annet J

2015-07-01

A vicious circle of decreased physical fitness, early fatigue, and low physical activity levels (PAL) is thought to affect children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, the relationship of changes in physical fitness to changes in PAL and fatigue is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations among changes in physical fitness, walking-related PAL, and fatigue in children with CP. This study was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial with measurements at baseline, 6 months (after the intervention period), and 12 months. Twenty-four children with bilateral spastic CP and 22 with unilateral spastic CP, aged 7 to 13 years, all walking, participated in this study. Physical fitness was measured by aerobic capacity, anaerobic threshold, anaerobic capacity, and isometric and functional muscle strength. Walking-related PAL was measured using an ankle-worn activity monitor for 1 week. Fatigue was determined with the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Multidimensional Fatigue Scale. Longitudinal associations were analyzed by random coefficient regression analysis. In children with bilateral CP, all fitness parameters showed a positive, significant association with walking-related PAL, whereas no associations between physical fitness and walking-related PAL were seen in children with unilateral CP. No clinically relevant association between physical fitness and fatigue was found. Although random coefficient regression analysis can be used to investigate longitudinal associations between parameters, a causal relationship cannot be determined. The actual direction of the association between physical fitness and walking-related PAL, therefore, remains inconclusive. Children with bilateral spastic CP might benefit from improved physical fitness to increase their PAL or vice versa, although this is not the case in children with unilateral CP. There appears to be no relationship between physical fitness and self-reported fatigue in children

Cross-year peer tutoring on internal medicine wards: results of a qualitative focus group analysis.

PubMed

Krautter, Markus; Andreesen, Sven; Köhl-Hackert, Nadja; Hoffmann, Katja; Herzog, Wolfgang; Nikendei, Christoph

2014-01-01

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) has become a well-accepted teaching method within medical education. However, descriptions of on-ward PAL programs are rare. A focus group analysis of a newly established PAL program on an internal medicine ward was conducted to provide insights into PAL teaching from a student perspective. To provide insights into students' experiences regarding their on-ward training with and without accompanying PAL tutors. A total of N=168 medical students in their sixth semester participated in the investigation (intervention group: N=88; control group: N=80). The intervention group took part in the PAL program, while the control group received standard on-ward training. There were seven focus groups with N=43 participants (intervention group: four focus groups, N=28 participants; control group: three focus groups, N=15 participants). The discussions were analyzed using content analysis. The intervention group emphasized the role of the tutors as competent and well-trained teachers, most beneficial in supervising clinical skills. Tutors motivate students, help them to integrate into the ward team, and provide a non-fear-based working relationship whereby students' anxiety regarding working on ward decreases. The control group had to rely on autodidactic learning strategies when neither supervising physicians nor final-year students were available. On-ward PAL programs represent a particularly valuable tool for students' support in training clinical competencies on ward. The tutor-student working alliance acts through its flat hierarchy. Nevertheless, tutors cannot represent an adequate substitute for experienced physicians.

Pediatric Artificial Lung: A Low-Resistance Pumpless Artificial Lung Alleviates an Acute Lamb Model of Increased Right Ventricle Afterload.

PubMed

Alghanem, Fares; Bryner, Benjamin S; Jahangir, Emilia M; Fernando, Uditha P; Trahanas, John M; Hoffman, Hayley R; Bartlett, Robert H; Rojas-Peña, Alvaro; Hirschl, Ronald B

Lung disease in children often results in pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. The availability of a pediatric artificial lung (PAL) would open new approaches to the management of these conditions by bridging to recovery in acute disease or transplantation in chronic disease. This study investigates the efficacy of a novel PAL in alleviating an animal model of pulmonary hypertension and increased right ventricle afterload. Five juvenile lambs (20-30 kg) underwent PAL implantation in a pulmonary artery to left atrium configuration. Induction of disease involved temporary, reversible occlusion of the right main pulmonary artery. Hemodynamics, pulmonary vascular input impedance, and right ventricle efficiency were measured under 1) baseline, 2) disease, and 3) disease + PAL conditions. The disease model altered hemodynamics variables in a manner consistent with pulmonary hypertension. Subsequent PAL attachment improved pulmonary artery pressure (p = 0.018), cardiac output (p = 0.050), pulmonary vascular input impedance (Z.0 p = 0.028; Z.1 p = 0.058), and right ventricle efficiency (p = 0.001). The PAL averaged resistance of 2.3 ± 0.8 mm Hg/L/min and blood flow of 1.3 ± 0.6 L/min. This novel low-resistance PAL can alleviate pulmonary hypertension in an acute animal model and demonstrates potential for use as a bridge to lung recovery or transplantation in pediatric patients with significant pulmonary hypertension refractory to medical therapies.

One-Pot Enzymatic Synthesis of D-Arylalanines Using Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase and L-Amino Acid Deaminase.

PubMed

Zhu, Longbao; Feng, Guoqiang; Ge, Fei; Song, Ping; Wang, Taotao; Liu, Yi; Tao, Yugui; Zhou, Zhemin

2018-06-08

The phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (AvPAL) from Anabaena variabilis catalyzes the amination of substituent trans-cinnamic acid (t-CA) to produce racemic D,L-enantiomer arylalanine mixture owing to its low stereoselectivity. To produce high optically pure D-arylalanine, a modified AvPAL with high D-selectivity is expected. Based on the analyses of catalytic mechanism and structure, the Asn347 residue in the active site was proposed to control stereoselectivity. Therefore, Asn347 was mutated to construct mutant AvPAL-N347A, the stereoselectivity of AvPAL-N347A for D-enantiomer arylalanine was 2.3-fold higher than that of wild-type AvPAL (WtPAL). Furthermore, the residual L-enantiomer product in reaction solution could be converted into the D-enantiomer product through stereoselective oxidation by PmLAAD and nonselective reduction by reducing agent NH 3 BH 3 . At optimal conditions, the conversion rate of t-CA and optical purity (enantiomeric excess (ee D )) of D-phenylalanine reached 82% and exceeded 99%, respectively. The two enzymes displayed activity toward a broad range of substrate and could be used to efficiently synthesize D-arylalanine with different groups on the phenyl ring. Among these D-arylalanines, the yield of m-nitro-D-phenylalanine was highest and reached 96%, and the ee D exceeded 99%. This one-pot synthesis using AvPAL and PmLAAD has prospects for industrial application.

Allyl isothiocyanate enhances shelf life of minimally processed shredded cabbage.

PubMed

Banerjee, Aparajita; Penna, Suprasanna; Variyar, Prasad S

2015-09-15

The effect of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), in combination with low temperature (10°C) storage on post harvest quality of minimally processed shredded cabbage was investigated. An optimum concentration of 0.05μL/mL AITC was found to be effective in maintaining the microbial and sensory quality of the product for a period of 12days. Inhibition of browning was shown to result from a down-regulation (1.4-fold) of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) gene expression and a consequent decrease in PAL enzyme activity and o-quinone content. In the untreated control samples, PAL activity increased following up-regulation in PAL gene expression that could be linearly correlated with enhanced o-quinone formation and browning. The efficacy of AITC in extending the shelf life of minimally processed shredded cabbage and its role in down-regulation of PAL gene expression resulting in browning inhibition in the product is reported here for the first time. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Extraction Methods on In Vitro Biological Capacities and Rheological Properties of Polysaccharides from Red Pepper Stems

PubMed Central

Yoo, Sang-Hun; Chang, Yoon Hyuk

2017-01-01

The purposes of this study were to produce polysaccharides from red pepper stems using different extraction methods and evaluate their chemical composition, in vitro biological capacities, and rheological properties. Two polysaccharides were extracted from red pepper stems using an autoclave and alkali treatments, and the extracts were named PAU and PAL, respectively. The contents of total phenolics and flavonoids were significantly higher in PAU than those in PAL. PAU exhibited greater scavenging activities on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radicals, superoxide radicals, and nitrite compared to PAL, suggesting that PAU served as better antioxidants. Similarly, in vitro inhibitory abilities against carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes of PAU were higher than those of PAL. Steady shear rheological analysis demonstrated that PAU showed higher psuedoplastic shear-thinning behavior compared to PAL. Based on the results from dynamic shear rheological properties, it was found that both samples had predominantly viscous behavior rather than elastic behavior. PMID:29043221

Verbal task demands are key in explaining the relationship between paired-associate learning and reading ability.

PubMed

Clayton, Francina J; Sears, Claire; Davis, Alice; Hulme, Charles

2018-07-01

Paired-associate learning (PAL) tasks measure the ability to form a novel association between a stimulus and a response. Performance on such tasks is strongly associated with reading ability, and there is increasing evidence that verbal task demands may be critical in explaining this relationship. The current study investigated the relationships between different forms of PAL and reading ability. A total of 97 children aged 8-10 years completed a battery of reading assessments and six different PAL tasks (phoneme-phoneme, visual-phoneme, nonverbal-nonverbal, visual-nonverbal, nonword-nonword, and visual-nonword) involving both familiar phonemes and unfamiliar nonwords. A latent variable path model showed that PAL ability is captured by two correlated latent variables: auditory-articulatory and visual-articulatory. The auditory-articulatory latent variable was the stronger predictor of reading ability, providing support for a verbal account of the PAL-reading relationship. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Red Walnut: Characterization of the Phenolic Profiles, Activities and Gene Expression of Selected Enzymes Related to the Phenylpropanoid Pathway in Pellicle during Walnut Development.

PubMed

Persic, Martina; Mikulic-Petkovsek, Maja; Halbwirth, Heidi; Solar, Anita; Veberic, Robert; Slatnar, Ana

2018-03-21

A rare walnut variant with a red seed coat (pellicle) was examined for alterations in its phenolic profile during development. The red-walnut (RW) pellicle was compared with two commonly colored walnut varieties: 'Lara' (brown) and 'Fernor' (light brown). Furthermore, the activities of selected enzymes of the phenylpropanoid- and flavonoid-related pathways and the relative expressions of the structural genes phenylalanine ammonia lyase ( PAL) and anthocyanidin synthase ( ANS) were examined in the pellicles of the three varieties. In the pellicles of the RWs, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity and related PAL expression was most pronounced in August, about one month before commercial maturity, suggesting a high synthesis rate of phenolic compounds at this development stage. The most pronounced differences between the red and light- and dark-brown varieties were the increased PAL activity, PAL expression, and ANS expression in RWs in August. The vibrant color of the RW pellicle is based on the presence of four derivatives of cyanidin- and delphinidin-hexosides.

Effects of Extraction Methods on In Vitro Biological Capacities and Rheological Properties of Polysaccharides from Red Pepper Stems.

PubMed

Yoo, Sang-Hun; Chang, Yoon Hyuk

2017-09-01

The purposes of this study were to produce polysaccharides from red pepper stems using different extraction methods and evaluate their chemical composition, in vitro biological capacities, and rheological properties. Two polysaccharides were extracted from red pepper stems using an autoclave and alkali treatments, and the extracts were named PAU and PAL, respectively. The contents of total phenolics and flavonoids were significantly higher in PAU than those in PAL. PAU exhibited greater scavenging activities on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radicals, superoxide radicals, and nitrite compared to PAL, suggesting that PAU served as better antioxidants. Similarly, in vitro inhibitory abilities against carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes of PAU were higher than those of PAL. Steady shear rheological analysis demonstrated that PAU showed higher psuedoplastic shear-thinning behavior compared to PAL. Based on the results from dynamic shear rheological properties, it was found that both samples had predominantly viscous behavior rather than elastic behavior.

Resource use and costs of end-of-Life/palliative care: Ontario adult cancer patients dying during 2002 and 2003.

PubMed

Walker, Hugh; Anderson, Mark; Farahati, Farah; Howell, Doris; Librach, S Lawrence; Husain, Amna; Sussman, Jonathan; Viola, Raymond; Sutradhar, Rinku; Barbera, Lisa

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to estimate the direct medical cost of end-of-life and palliative (EOL/PAL) care for cancer patients during the last six months of their lives--or, during the period from diagnosis to death, if briefer--in 2002 and 2003, in Ontario, Canada. A linkage of cancer registry and administrative data is used to determine the costs of health care resources used during the EOL/PAL care period. Costs are analyzed by cancer diagnosis, location of death, and type of service. The total Ontario Ministry of Health-funded cost of EOL/PAL care for cancer patients is estimated to be about CAD$544 million per year, with an average per patient cost of about $25,000 in 2002-2003. Our results suggest that acute care consumes 75 percent of EOL/PAL funding and that only a small proportion of health care services used by EOL/PAL care cancer patients is likely to be formal palliative care.

Low Energy Turnover of Physically Inactive Participants as a Determinant of Insufficient Mineral and Vitamin Intake in NHANES

PubMed Central

Heydenreich, Juliane; Melzer, Katarina; Flury, Céline

2017-01-01

Micronutrient requirements do not scale linearly with physical activity-related energy expenditure (AEE). Inactive persons may have insufficient micronutrient intake because of low energy intake (EI). We extracted data from NHANES 2003–2006 on 4015 adults (53 ± 18 years (mean ± SD), 29 ± 6 kg/m2, 48% women) with valid physical activity (accelerometry) and food intake (2 × 24 h-dietary recall) measures. Total energy expenditure (TEE) was estimated by summing the basal metabolic rate (BMR, Harris-Benedict), AEE, and 10% of TEE for the thermic effect of food, to calculate the physical activity levels (PAL = TEE/BMR). Energy intake (EI) was scaled to match TEE assuming energy balance. Adjusted food intake was then analyzed for energy and micronutrient content and compared to estimated average requirements. The NHANES population was physically insufficiently active. There were 2440 inactive (PAL < 1.4), 1469 lightly to moderately active (PAL1.4 < 1.7), 94 sufficiently active (PAL1.7 < 2.0), and 12 very active participants (PAL ≥ 2.0). The inactive vs. active had significantly lower intake for all micronutrients apart from vitamin A, B12, C, K, and copper (p < 0.05). The inactive participants had insufficient intake for 6/19 micronutrients, while the active participants had insufficient intake for 5/19 (p < 0.05) micronutrients. Multiple linear regression indicated a lower risk for insufficient micronutrient intake for participants with higher PAL and BMI (p < 0.001). Symmetrical up-scaling of PAL and EI to recommended physical activity levels reduced the frequency of micronutrient insufficiencies. It follows that prevalence of insufficient micronutrient intake from food in NHANES might be partly determined by low energy turnover from insufficient PAL. PMID:28708118

Pediatric advanced life support training of pediatricians in New Jersey: cause for concern?

PubMed

van Amerongen, R; Klig, S; Cunningham, F; Sylvester, L; Silber, S

2000-02-01

The Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) course teaches the fundamental basics for pediatric emergency care, and it is recommended that all physicians, nurses, and paramedics who care for children complete training and refresher courses on a regular basis. The purpose of this study was to determine how many pediatricians in general practice participated in PALS courses in the first 3 years since its introduction in New Jersey. A questionnaire was sent to all PALS training centers in New Jersey that administered the course from 1990 through 1993. The questionnaire was designed to determine the number of physicians trained; their specialty, and their practice setting. The questionnaire and follow-up telephone interviews focused on the perceptions of course coordinators as to why primary care pediatricians did or did not take PALS courses, and their recommendations for improving pediatrician participation. Two PALS training centers provided courses for only 1 year and did not maintain records of their students. A total of 3652 individuals completed training in the remaining 11 centers. Only 649 of these students were physicians. The largest groups of physicians who completed training were Emergency Medicine physicians (248) and Pediatric residents (175). Forty-two students were pediatricians in general office-based practice, which represents a crude rate of only 0.81% of New Jersey American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) members. Training center coordinators offered several opinions for these findings. The majority of those students who participated in PALS training were not physicians. Pediatricians in general office practice accounted for a small percentage of those who could have participated. Further research should be conducted to determine attitudes toward PALS training and the barriers that exist to the office-based pediatrician participating in PALS training.

Progressive addition lenses--measurements and ratings.

PubMed

Sheedy, Jim; Hardy, Raymond F; Hayes, John R

2006-01-01

This study is a followup to a previous study in which the optics of several progressive addition lens (PALs) designs were measured and analyzed. The objective was to provide information about various PAL designs to enable eye care practitioners to select designs based on the particular viewing requirements of the patient. The optical properties of 12 lenses of the same power for each of 23 different PAL designs were measured with a Rotlex Class Plus lens analyzer. Lenses were ordered through optical laboratories and specified to be plano with a +2.00 diopters add. Measurements were normalized to plano at the manufacturer-assigned location for the distance power to eliminate laboratory tolerance errors. The magnitude of unwanted astigmatism and the widths and areas of the distance, intermediate, and near viewing zones were calculated from the measured data according to the same criteria used in a previous study. The optical characteristics of the different PAL designs were significantly different from one another. The differences were significant in terms of the sizes and widths of the viewing zones, the amount of unwanted astigmatism, and the minimum fitting height. Ratings of the distance, intermediate, and near viewing areas were calculated for each PAL design based on the widths and sizes of those zones. Ratings for unwanted astigmatism and recommended minimum fitting heights were also determined. Ratings based on combinations of viewing zone ratings are also reported. The ratings are intended to be used to select a PAL design that matches the particular visual needs of the patient and to evaluate the success and performance of currently worn PALs. Reasoning and task analyses suggest that these differences can be used to select a PAL design to meet the individual visual needs of the patient; clinical trials studies are required to test this hypothesis.

The anticipation and management of air leaks and residual spaces post lung resection

PubMed Central

Marzluf, Beatrice A.

2014-01-01

The incidence of any kind of air leaks after lung resections is reportedly around 50% of patients. The majority of these leaks doesn’t require any specific intervention and ceases within a few hours or days. The recent literature defines a prolonged air leak (PAL) as an air leak lasting beyond postoperative day 5. PAL is associated with a generally worse outcome with a more complicated postoperative course anxd prolonged hospital stay and increased costs. Some authors therefore consider any PAL as surgical complication. PAL is the most prevalent postoperative complication following lung resection and the most important determinant of postoperative length of hospital stay. A low predicted postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second (ppoFEV1) and upper lobe disease have been identified as significant risk factors involved in developing air leaks. Infectious conditions have also been reported to increase the risk of PAL. In contrast to the problem of PAL, there is only limited information from the literature regarding apical spaces after lung resection, probably because this common finding rarely leads to clinical consequences. This article addresses the pathogenesis of PAL and apical spaces, their prediction, prevention and treatment with a special focus on surgery for infectious conditions. Different predictive models to identify patients at higher risk for the development of PAL are provided. The discussion of surgical treatment options includes the use of pneumoperitoneum, blood patch, intrabronchial valves (IBV) and the flutter valve, and addresses the old question, whether or not to apply suction to chest tubes. The discussed prophylactic armentarium comprises of pleural tenting, prophylactic intraoperative pneumoperitoneum, sealing of the lung, buttressing of staple lines, capitonnage after resection of hydatid cysts, and plastic surgical options. PMID:24624291

Structurally Integrated Coatings for Wear and Corrosion (SICWC): Arc Lamp, InfraRed (IR) Thermal Processing

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

Mackiewicz-Ludtka, G.; Sebright, J.

2007-12-15

The primary goal of this Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) betwe1311 UT-Battelle (Contractor) and Caterpillar Inc. (Participant) was to develop the plasma arc lamp (PAL), infrared (IR) thermal processing technology 1.) to enhance surface coating performance by improving the interfacial bond strength between selected coatings and substrates; and 2.) to extend this technology base for transitioning of the arc lamp processing to the industrial Participant. Completion of the following three key technical tasks (described below) was necessary in order to accomplish this goal. First, thermophysical property data sets were successfully determined for composite coatings applied to 1010 steel substrates,more » with a more limited data set successfully measured for free-standing coatings. These data are necessary for the computer modeling simulations and parametric studies to; A.) simulate PAL IR processing, facilitating the development of the initial processing parameters; and B.) help develop a better understanding of the basic PAL IR fusing process fundamentals, including predicting the influence of melt pool stirring and heat tnmsfar characteristics introduced during plasma arc lamp infrared (IR) processing; Second, a methodology and a set of procedures were successfully developed and the plasma arc lamp (PAL) power profiles were successfully mapped as a function of PAL power level for the ORNL PAL. The latter data also are necessary input for the computer model to accurately simulate PAL processing during process modeling simulations, and to facilitate a better understand of the fusing process fundamentals. Third, several computer modeling codes have been evaluated as to their capabilities and accuracy in being able to capture and simulate convective mixing that may occur during PAL thermal processing. The results from these evaluation efforts are summarized in this report. The intention of this project was to extend the technology base and

Comparison of three shortened questionnaires for assessment of quality of life in advanced cancer.

PubMed

Chiu, Leonard; Chiu, Nicholas; Chow, Edward; Cella, David; Beaumont, Jennifer L; Lam, Henry; Popovic, Marko; Bedard, Gillian; Poon, Michael; Wong, Erin; Zeng, Liang; Bottomley, Andrew

2014-08-01

Quality of life (QoL) assessment questionnaires can be burdensome to advanced cancer patients, thus necessitating the need for shorter assessment instruments than traditionally available. We compare three shortened QoL questionnaires in regards to their characteristics, validity, and reliability. A literature search was conducted to identify studies that employed or discussed three abridged QoL questionnaires: the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core 15-Palliative Care (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General-7 (FACT-G7), and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care-14 (FACIT-PAL-14). Articles that discussed questionnaire length, intended use, scoring procedure, and validation were included. The 7-item FACT-G7 is the shortest instrument, whereas the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL and the FACIT-PAL-14 contain 14 and 15 items, respectively. All three questionnaires have similar recall period, item organization, and subscale components. Designed as core questionnaires, all three maintain content and concurrent validity of their unabridged original questionnaires. Both the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL and the FACT-G7 demonstrate good internal consistency and reliability, with Cronbach's α ≥0.7 deemed acceptable. The developmental study for the FACIT-PAL-14 was published in 2013 and subsequent validation studies are not yet available. The EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL and the FACT-G7 were found to be reliable and appropriate for assessing health-related QoL issues-the former for palliative cancer patients and the latter for advanced cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Conceptually, the FACIT-PAL-14 holds promise to cover social and emotional support issues that are not completely addressed by the other two questionnaires; however, further validation is needed.

Comparison of three techniques in measuring progressive addition lenses.

PubMed

Huang, Ching-Yao; Raasch, Thomas W; Yi, Allen Y; Sheedy, James E; Andre, Brett; Bullimore, Mark A

2012-11-01

To measure progressive addition lenses (PALs) by three techniques and to compare the differences across techniques. Five contemporary PALs (Varilux Comfort Enhanced, Varilux Physio Enhanced, Hoya Lifestyle, Shamir Autograph, and Zeiss individual) with plano distance power and a +2.00 diopters (D) add were evaluated under the condition of lateral displacement of the lens (no rotation and no tilt) using three methods. A Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor (HSWFS) on a custom-built optical bench was used to capture and measure wavefront aberrations. A Rotlex Class Plus lens analyzer operating as a moiré interferometer was used to measure spherical and cylindrical powers. A coordinate measuring machine (CMM) was used to measure front and back surfaces of PALs and converted to desired optical properties. The data were analyzed with MATLAB programs. Contour plots of spherical equivalent power, cylindrical power, and higher-order aberrations (HOAs) in all PALs were generated to compare their differences. The differences in spherical equivalent and cylinder at distance, near, and progressive corridor areas among the HSWFS, Rotlex, and CMM methods were close to zero in all five PALs. The maximum differences are approximately 0.50 D and located below the near power zone and the edge areas of the lens when comparing the HSWFS and CMM with the Rotlex. HOAs measured both by the HSWFS and CMM were highest in the corridor area and the area surrounding the near zone in all PALs. The HOAs measured by the CMM were lower than those from the HSWFS by 0.02 to 0.04 μm. The three measurement methods are comparable for measuring spherical and cylindrical power across PALs. The non-optical method, CMM, can be used to evaluate the optical properties of a PAL by measuring front and back surface height measurements, although its estimates of HOAs are lower than those from the HSWFS.

Cell origin of pyothorax-associated lymphoma: a lymphoma strongly associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection.

PubMed

Takakuwa, T; Tresnasari, K; Rahadiani, N; Miwa, H; Daibata, M; Aozasa, K

2008-03-01

Pyothorax-associated lymphoma (PAL) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated B cell lymphoma developing in the pleural cavity affected by chronic pyothorax. To clarify the cell origin of PAL, the expression of immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) and light chains in relation to somatic hypermutations (SHMs) of rearranged Ig heavy- and light-chain variable (IgV(H), IgV(L)) genes was examined using cell lines as well as clinical samples. SHMs without ongoing mutations of the IgV(H) gene were found in all PAL cell lines and clinical samples available for sequencing, indicating PAL to be derived from B cells at the postgerminal center (GC) stage of the differentiation process. They could be subdivided into post-GC cells with potentially productive IgV(H) genotypes (Group 1) and with sterile IgV(H) genotypes (Group 2). IgH expression was abrogated in Group 2 as expected and also in two cell lines in Group 1. DNA demethylation experiments with 5-aza-dC induced expression of IgH mRNA and protein in these cell lines. Most PAL cells were derived from crippled post-GC cells, which usually could not survive. Transformation of such B cells through EBV infection might provide a basis for the development of PAL with additional genetic changes.

Low Temperature Induces the Accumulation of Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase and Chalcone Synthase mRNAs of Arabidopsis thaliana in a Light-Dependent Manner.

PubMed Central

Leyva, A.; Jarillo, J. A.; Salinas, J.; Martinez-Zapater, J. M.

1995-01-01

Anthocyanins, which accumulate in leaves and stems in response to low temperature and changes in light intensity, are synthesized through the phenylpropanoid pathway that is controlled by key enzymes that include phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and chalcone synthase (CHS). In this work we demonstrate that PAL and CHS mRNAs accumulate in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. upon exposure to low temperature in a light-dependent manner. The regulation of the PAL1 gene expression by low temperature and light was examined by analyzing the expression of the [beta]-glucuronidase (uidA) reporter gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants containing the uidA gene of Escherichia coli under the control of the PAL1 promoter. The results indicate that the accumulation of PAL1 mRNA is transcriptionally regulated. Histochemical staining for [beta]-glucuronidase activity showed that the PAL1 promoter is preferentially activated in photosynthetically active cells, paralleling anthocyanin accumulation. Moreover, we show that light may also be implicated in the regulation of the CHS gene in response to bacterial infiltration. Finally, using two transparent testa Arabidopsis mutants that are unable to accumulate anthocyanins, we demonstrate that these pigments are not required for successful development of freezing tolerance in this species. PMID:12228452

Theoretical and experimental investigation of design for multioptical-axis freeform progressive addition lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, HuaZhong; Chen, JiaBi; Zhu, TianFen; Wei, YeFei; Fu, DongXiang

2015-11-01

A freeform progressive addition lens (PAL) provides a good solution to correct presbyopia and prevent juvenile myopia by distributing pupils' optical powers of distance zone, near zone, and intermediate zone and is more widely adopted in the present optometric study. However, there is still a lack of a single-optical-axis system for the design of a PAL. This paper focuses on the research for an approach for designing a freeform PAL. A multioptical-axis system based on real viewing conditions using the eyes is employed for the representation of the freeform surface. We filled small pupils in the intermediate zone as a progressive corridor and the distance- and near-vision portions were defined as the standard spherical surfaces delimited by quadratic curves. Three freeform PALs with a spherical surface as the front side and a freeform surface as the backside were designed. We demonstrate the fabrication and measurement technologies for the PAL surface using computer numerical control machine tools from Schneider Smart and a Visionix VM-2000 Lens Power Mapper. Surface power and astigmatic values were obtained. Preliminary results showed that the approach for the design and fabrication is helpful to advance the design procedure optimization and mass production of PALs in optometry.

Intermediate addition multifocals provide safe stair ambulation with adequate 'short-term' reading.

PubMed

Elliott, David B; Hotchkiss, John; Scally, Andrew J; Foster, Richard; Buckley, John G

2016-01-01

A recent randomised controlled trial indicated that providing long-term multifocal wearers with a pair of distance single-vision spectacles for use outside the home reduced falls risk in active older people. However, it also found that participants disliked continually switching between using two pairs of glasses and adherence to the intervention was poor. In this study we determined whether intermediate addition multifocals (which could be worn most of the time inside and outside the home and thus avoid continual switching) could provide similar gait safety on stairs to distance single vision spectacles whilst also providing adequate 'short-term' reading and near vision. Fourteen healthy long-term multifocal wearers completed stair ascent and descent trials over a 3-step staircase wearing intermediate and full addition bifocals and progression-addition lenses (PALs) and single-vision distance spectacles. Gait safety/caution was assessed using foot clearance measurements (toe on ascent, heel on descent) over the step edges and ascent and descent duration. Binocular near visual acuity, critical print size and reading speed were measured using Bailey-Lovie near charts and MNRead charts at 40 cm. Gait safety/caution measures were worse with full addition bifocals and PALs compared to intermediate bifocals and PALs. The intermediate PALs provided similar gait ascent/descent measures to those with distance single-vision spectacles. The intermediate addition PALs also provided good reading ability: Near word acuity and MNRead critical print size were better with the intermediate addition PALs than with the single-vision lenses (p < 0.0001), with a mean near visual acuity of 0.24 ± 0.13 logMAR (~N5.5) which is satisfactory for most near vision tasks when performed for a short period of time. The better ability to 'spot read' with the intermediate addition PALs compared to single-vision spectacles suggests that elderly individuals might better comply with the use of

Protocol for diaphragm pacing in patients with respiratory muscle weakness due to motor neurone disease (DiPALS): a randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Motor neurone disease (MND) is a devastating illness which leads to muscle weakness and death, usually within 2-3 years of symptom onset. Respiratory insufficiency is a common cause of morbidity, particularly in later stages of MND and respiratory complications are the leading cause of mortality in MND patients. Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV) is the current standard therapy to manage respiratory insufficiency. Some MND patients however do not tolerate NIV due to a number of issues including mask interface problems and claustrophobia. In those that do tolerate NIV, eventually respiratory muscle weakness will progress to a point at which intermittent/overnight NIV is ineffective. The NeuRx RA/4 Diaphragm Pacing System was originally developed for patients with respiratory insufficiency and diaphragm paralysis secondary to stable high spinal cord injuries. The DiPALS study will assess the effect of diaphragm pacing (DP) when used to treat patients with MND and respiratory insufficiency. Method/Design 108 patients will be recruited to the study at 5 sites in the UK. Patients will be randomised to either receive NIV (current standard care) or receive DP in addition to NIV. Study participants will be required to complete outcome measures at 5 follow up time points (2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months) plus an additional surgery and 1 week post operative visit for those in the DP group. 12 patients (and their carers) from the DP group will also be asked to complete 2 qualitative interviews. Discussion The primary objective of this trial will be to evaluate the effect of Diaphragm Pacing (DP) on survival over the study duration in patients with MND with respiratory muscle weakness. The project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme (project number 09/55/33) and the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the Henry Smith Charity. Trial Registration: Current controlled trials ISRCTN53817913. The views and opinions

The role of peer-assisted learning in building evaluative judgement: opportunities in clinical medical education.

PubMed

Tai, Joanna Hong-Meng; Canny, Benedict J; Haines, Terry P; Molloy, Elizabeth K

2016-08-01

This study explored the contribution of peer-assisted learning (PAL) in the development of evaluative judgement capacity; the ability to understand work quality and apply those standards to appraising performance. The study employed a mixed methods approach, collecting self-reported survey data, observations of, and reflective interviews with, the medical students observed. Participants were in their first year of clinical placements. Data were thematically analysed. Students indicated that PAL contributed to both the comprehension of notions of quality, and the practice of making comparisons between a given performance and the standards. Emergent themes included peer story-telling, direct observation of performance, and peer-based feedback, all of which helped students to define 'work quality'. By participating in PAL, students were required to make comparisons, therefore using the standards of practice and gaining a deeper understanding of them. The data revealed tensions in that peers were seen as less threatening than supervisors with the advantage of increasing learners' appetites for thoughtful 'intellectual risk taking'. Despite this reported advantage of peer engagement, learners still expressed a preference for feedback from senior teachers as more trusted sources of clinical knowledge. While this study suggests that PAL already contributes to the development of evaluative judgement, further steps could be taken to formalise PAL in clinical placements to improve learners' capacity to make accurate judgements on the performance of self and others. Further experimental studies are necessary to confirm the best methods of using PAL to develop evaluative judgement. This may include both students and educators as instigators of PAL in the workplace.

Visualization of permanent marks in progressive addition lenses by digital in-line holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perucho, Beatriz; Micó, Vicente

2013-04-01

A critical issue in the production of ophthalmic lenses is to guarantee the correct centering and alignment throughout the manufacturing and mounting processes. Aimed to that, progressive addition lenses (PALs) incorporate permanent marks at standardized locations at the lens. Those marks are engraved upon the surface and provide the model identification and addition power of the PAL, as well as to serve as locator marks to re-ink the removable marks again if necessary. Although the permanent marks should be visible by simple visual inspection, those marks are often faint and weak on new lenses providing low contrast, obscured by scratches on older lenses, and partially occluded and difficult to recognize on tinted or anti-reflection coated lenses. In this contribution, we present an extremely simple visualization system for permanent marks in PALs based on digital in-line holography. Light emitted by a superluminescent diode (SLD) is used to illuminate the PAL which is placed just before a digital (CCD) sensor. Thus, the CCD records an in-line hologram incoming from the diffracted wavefront provided by the PAL. As a result, it is possible to recover an in-focus image of the PAL inspected region by means of classical holographic tools applied in the digital domain. This numerical process involves digital recording of the in-line hologram, numerical back propagation to the PAL plane, and some digital processing to reduce noise and present a high quality final image. Preliminary experimental results are provided showing the applicability of the proposed method.

Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori and Its Associated Urease by Palmatine: Investigation on the Potential Mechanism.

PubMed

Zhou, Jiang-Tao; Li, Cai-Lan; Tan, Li-Hua; Xu, Yi-Fei; Liu, Yu-Hong; Mo, Zhi-Zhun; Dou, Yao-Xing; Su, Rui; Su, Zi-Ren; Huang, Ping; Xie, Jian-Hui

2017-01-01

In this paper, we evaluated the anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and the possible inhibitory effect on its associated urease by Palmatine (Pal) from Coptis chinensis, and explored the potential underlying mechanism. Results indicated that Pal exerted inhibitory effect on four tested H. pylori strains (ATCC 43504, NCTC 26695, SS1 and ICDC 111001) by the agar dilution test with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 100 to 200 μg/mL under neutral environment (pH 7.4), and from 75 to 100 μg/mL under acidic conditions (pH 5.3), respectively. Pal was observed to significantly inhibit both H. pylori urease (HPU) and jack bean urease (JBU) in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 0.53 ± 0.01 mM and 0.03 ± 0.00 mM, respectively, as compared with acetohydroxamic acid, a well-known urease inhibitor (0.07 ± 0.01 mM for HPU and 0.02 ± 0.00 mM for JBU, respectively). Kinetic analyses showed that the type of urease inhibition by Pal was noncompetitive for both HPU and JBU. Higher effectiveness of thiol protectors against urease inhibition than the competitive Ni2+ binding inhibitors was observed, indicating the essential role of the active-site sulfhydryl group in the urease inhibition by Pal. DTT reactivation assay indicated that the inhibition on the two ureases was reversible, further supporting that sulfhydryl group should be obligatory for urease inhibition by Pal. Furthermore, molecular docking study indicated that Pal interacted with the important sulfhydryl groups and inhibited the active enzymatic conformation through N-H ∙ π interaction, but did not interact with the active site Ni2+. Taken together, Pal was an effective inhibitor of H. pylori and its urease targeting the sulfhydryl groups, representing a promising candidate as novel urease inhibitor. This investigation also gave additional scientific support to the use of C. chinensis to treat H. pylori-related gastrointestinal diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. Pal might be

Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori and Its Associated Urease by Palmatine: Investigation on the Potential Mechanism

PubMed Central

Tan, Li-Hua; Xu, Yi-Fei; Liu, Yu-Hong; Mo, Zhi-Zhun; Dou, Yao-Xing; Su, Rui; Su, Zi-Ren; Huang, Ping; Xie, Jian-Hui

2017-01-01

In this paper, we evaluated the anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and the possible inhibitory effect on its associated urease by Palmatine (Pal) from Coptis chinensis, and explored the potential underlying mechanism. Results indicated that Pal exerted inhibitory effect on four tested H. pylori strains (ATCC 43504, NCTC 26695, SS1 and ICDC 111001) by the agar dilution test with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 100 to 200 μg/mL under neutral environment (pH 7.4), and from 75 to 100 μg/mL under acidic conditions (pH 5.3), respectively. Pal was observed to significantly inhibit both H. pylori urease (HPU) and jack bean urease (JBU) in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 0.53 ± 0.01 mM and 0.03 ± 0.00 mM, respectively, as compared with acetohydroxamic acid, a well-known urease inhibitor (0.07 ± 0.01 mM for HPU and 0.02 ± 0.00 mM for JBU, respectively). Kinetic analyses showed that the type of urease inhibition by Pal was noncompetitive for both HPU and JBU. Higher effectiveness of thiol protectors against urease inhibition than the competitive Ni2+ binding inhibitors was observed, indicating the essential role of the active-site sulfhydryl group in the urease inhibition by Pal. DTT reactivation assay indicated that the inhibition on the two ureases was reversible, further supporting that sulfhydryl group should be obligatory for urease inhibition by Pal. Furthermore, molecular docking study indicated that Pal interacted with the important sulfhydryl groups and inhibited the active enzymatic conformation through N-H ∙ π interaction, but did not interact with the active site Ni2+. Taken together, Pal was an effective inhibitor of H. pylori and its urease targeting the sulfhydryl groups, representing a promising candidate as novel urease inhibitor. This investigation also gave additional scientific support to the use of C. chinensis to treat H. pylori-related gastrointestinal diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. Pal might be

Multi-optical-axis measurement of freeform progressive addition lenses using a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Huazhong; Guo, Hang; Fu, Dongxiang; Zheng, Gang; Zhuang, Songlin; Chen, JiaBi; Wang, Cheng; Wu, Jie

2018-05-01

To precisely measure the whole-surface characterization of freeform progressive addition lenses (PALs), considering the multi-optical-axis conditions is becoming particularly important. Spherical power and astigmatism (cylinder) measurements for freeform PALs, using a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor (HSWFS) are proposed herein. Conversion formulas for the optical performance results were provided as HSWFS Zernike polynomial expansions. For each selected zone, the studied PALs were placed and tilted to simulate the multi-optical-axis conditions. The results of two tested PALs were analyzed using MATLAB programs and represented as contour plots of the spherical equivalent and cylinder of the whole-surface. The proposed experimental setup can provide a high accuracy as well as a possibility of choosing 12 lines and positions of 193 measurement zones on the entire surface. This approach to PAL analysis is potentially an efficient and useful method to objectively evaluate the optical performances, in which the full lens surface is defined and expressed as the contour plots of power in different regions (i.e., the distance region, progressive region, and near region) of the lens for regions of interest.

[A new strategy of gene therapy for hyperphenylalaninemia rats].

PubMed

Jia, X; Liu, J; Xiang, H

2000-06-01

To construct a recombinant vector which expresses active phenylalanine-amonia-lyase (PAL) in Lactococcus lactis (L. L.), and to convert phe into cinnamic acid in small intestine by the engineering L. L. to decrease the phe level in the peripheral blood, and to cure hyperphenylalaninemia rats. PAL cDNA from Petroselinum crispum was subcloned into expression vector pMG36e and transformed L. L. The pMG36ePAL/L.L. was screened and characterized by using PCR and HPLC, and prepared as enteric-coated microcapsules and oral liquid type preparation that were given orally to hyperphenylalaninemia-rats. Engineering L. L. expressing PAL activity was obtained. The phe levels plasma of in the rats receiving preparations made from the engineering L. L. were significantly reduced compared with non-treated hyperphenylalaninemia rats. And the effects of different preparations were different from each other. The engineering L. L. expressing PAL activity can reduce the blood phe level of the hyperphenylalaninemia rats. This may be a potential way for PKU gene therapeutics.

Persistent air leaks: a review with an emphasis on bronchoscopic management

PubMed Central

Lazarus, Donald R.

2017-01-01

Persistent air leak (PAL) is a cause of significant morbidity in patients who have undergone lung surgery and those with significant parenchymal lung disease suffering from a pneumothorax. Its management can be complex and challenging. Although conservative treatment with chest drain and observation is usually effective, other invasive techniques are needed when conservative treatment fails. Surgical management and medical pleurodesis have long been the usual treatments for PAL. More recently numerous bronchoscopic procedures have been introduced to treat PAL in those patients who are poor candidates for surgery or who decline surgery. These techniques include bronchoscopic use of sealants, sclerosants, and various types of implanted devices. Recently, removable one-way valves have been developed that are able to be placed bronchoscopically in the affected airways, ameliorating air-leaks in patients who are not candidates for surgery. Future comparative trials are needed to refine our understanding of the indications, effectiveness, and complications of bronchoscopic techniques for treating PAL. The following article will review the basic principles of management of PAL particularly focusing on bronchoscopic techniques. PMID:29268535

Reduction of L-phenylalanine in protein hydrolysates using L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Rhodosporidium toruloides.

PubMed

Castañeda, María Teresita; Adachi, Osao; Hours, Roque Alberto

2015-10-01

L-Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.25) from Rhodosporidium toruloides was utilized to remove L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) from different commercial protein hydrolysates. A casein acid hydrolysate (CAH, L-Phe ~2.28 %) was employed as a model substrate. t-Cinnamic acid resulting from deamination of L-Phe was extracted, analyzed at λ = 290 nm, and used for PAL activity determination. Optimum reaction conditions, optimized using successive Doehlert design, were 35 mg mL(-1) of CAH and 800 mU mL(-1) of PAL, while temperature and pH were 42 °C and 8.7, respectively. Reaction kinetics of PAL with CAH was determined under optimized conditions. Then, removal of L-Phe from CAH was tested. Results showed that more than 92 % of initial L-Phe was eliminated. Similar results were obtained with other protein hydrolysates. These findings demonstrate that PAL is a useful biocatalyst for L-Phe removal from protein hydrolysates, which can be evaluated as potential ingredients in foodstuffs for PKU patients.

Using Pictures to Assess Pain Location in Children.

PubMed

Mesko, Phyllis J; Eliades, Aris Beoglos

2018-06-01

This study uses the Pain Area Locator (PAL) tool, a picture communication aid with body and medical equipment icons, to identify pain location in postoperative pediatric patients and assesses discrepancies between nurses' pain location assessment and pain location identified using the PAL tool. This descriptive study used a quantitative, comparative design, with a convenience sample of pediatric postoperative patients undergoing same-day surgeries at a free-standing, acute care, Magnet designated pediatric hospital. The child's pain location was assessed by asking the child to point to one of the 12 pictures on the PAL tool of where they hurt. All 41 (100%) of the postoperative children in the study demonstrated ability to use the PAL tool. The child identified a pain location in 34 assessments (83%) when the nurse documented no pain location. This investigation expands on previous evidence supporting that children can use the PAL tool to identify the pain location postoperatively. Copyright © 2016 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimization of oligomeric enzyme activity in ionic liquids using Rhodotorula glutinis yeast phenylalanine ammonia lyase.

PubMed

Barron, Christiaan C; Sponagle, Brandon J D; Arivalagan, Pugazhendhi; D'Cunha, Godwin B

2017-01-01

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (E.C.4.3.1.24, PAL) activity of Rhodotorula glutinis yeast has been demonstrated in four commonly used ionic liquids. PAL forward reaction was carried out in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methyl sulfate ([BMIM][MeSO 4 ]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF 4 ]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF 6 ]) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium lactate ([BMIM][lactate]). Our experiments have revealed that PAL is catalytically active in ionic liquids and the enzyme activity in ([BMIM][PF 6 ]) is comparable to that obtained in aqueous buffer medium. Different conditions were optimized for maximal PAL forward activity including time of incubation (30.0min) L -phenylalanine substrate concentration (30.0mM), nature of buffer (50.0mM Tris-HCl), pH (9.0), temperature (37°C), and speed of agitation (100 rev min -1 ). Under these optimized conditions, about 83% conversion of substrate to product was obtained for the PAL forward reaction that was determined using UV spectroscopy at 290nm. PAL reverse reaction in ([BMIM][PF 6 ]) was determined spectrophotometrically at 520nm; and about 59% substrate conversion was obtained. This data provides further knowledge in enzyme biocatalysis in non-aqueous media, and may be of importance when studying the function of other oligomeric/multimeric proteins and enzymes in ionic liquids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conformational state interactions provide clues to the pharmacochaperone potential of serotonin transporter partial substrates

PubMed Central

Bhat, Shreyas; Hasenhuetl, Peter S.; Kasture, Ameya; El-Kasaby, Ali; Baumann, Michael H.; Blough, Bruce E.; Sucic, Sonja; Sandtner, Walter; Freissmuth, Michael

2017-01-01

Point mutations in SLC6 transporters cause misfolding, which can be remedied by pharmacochaperones. The serotonin transporter (SERT/SLC6A4) has a rich pharmacology including inhibitors, releasers (amphetamines, which promote the exchange mode), and more recently, discovered partial substrates. We hypothesized that partial substrates trapped the transporter in one or several states of the transport cycle. This conformational trapping may also be conducive to folding. We selected naphthylpropane-2-amines of the phenethylamine library (PAL) including the partial substrate PAL1045 and its congeners PAL287 and PAL1046. We analyzed their impact on the transport cycle of SERT by biochemical approaches and by electrophysiological recordings; substrate-induced peak currents and steady-state currents monitored the translocation of substrate and co-substrate Na+ across the lipid bilayer and the transport cycle, respectively. These experiments showed that PAL1045 and its congeners bound with different affinities (ranging from nm to μm) to various conformational intermediates of SERT during the transport cycle. Consistent with the working hypothesis, PAL1045 was the most efficacious compound in restoring surface expression and transport activity to the folding-deficient mutant SERT-601PG602-AA. These experiments provide a proof-of-principle for a rational search for pharmacochaperones, which may be useful to restore function to clinically relevant folding-deficient transporter mutants. PMID:28842491

A modern view of phenylalanine ammonia lyase.

PubMed

MacDonald, M Jason; D'Cunha, Godwin B

2007-06-01

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL; E.C.4.3.1.5), which catalyses the biotransformation of L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid and ammonia, was first described in 1961 by Koukol and Conn. Since its discovery, much knowledge has been gathered with reference to the enzyme's catabolic role in microorganisms and its importance in the phenyl propanoid pathway of plants. The 3-dimensional structure of the enzyme has been characterized using X-ray crystallography. This has led to a greater understanding of the mechanism of PAL-catalyzed reactions, including the discovery of a recently described cofactor, 3,5-dihydro-5-methyldiene-4H-imidazol-4-one. In the past 3 decades, PAL has gained considerable significance in several clinical, industrial, and biotechnological applications. The reversal of the normal physiological reaction can be effectively employed in the production of optically pure L-phenylalanine, which is a precursor of the noncalorific sweetener aspartame (L-phenylalanyl-L-aspartyl methyl ester). The enzyme's natural ability to break down L-phenylalanine makes PAL a reliable treatment for the genetic condition phenylketonuria. In this mini-review, we discuss prominent details relating to the physiological role of PAL, the mechanism of catalysis, methods of determination and purification, enzyme kinetics, and enzyme activity in nonaqueous media. Two topics of current study on PAL, molecular biology and crystal structure, are also discussed.

Effects of D- and L-govadine on the disruption of touchscreen object-location paired associates learning in rats by acute MK-801 treatment.

PubMed

Lins, Brittney R; Phillips, Anthony G; Howland, John G

2015-12-01

New pharmacological treatments for the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are needed. Tetrahydroprotoberberines, such as govadine, are one class of compounds with dopaminergic activities that may be useful in treating some aspects of the cognitive symptoms of the disorder. The objective of the present studies was to test the effects of the D- and L-enantiomers of govadine on the impairment in a paired-associate learning (PAL) task produced by acute MK-801 in rats. We also assessed effects of the typical antipsychotic haloperidol as a comparator compound. MK-801 (0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 mg/kg), D- and L-govadine (0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/kg), and haloperidol (0.05, 0.1, and 0.25 mg/kg) were administered acutely to rats well trained on the PAL task in touchscreen-equipped operant conditioning chambers. Acute MK-801 impaired performance of PAL in a dose-dependent manner by reducing accuracy and increasing correction trials. L-Govadine (1.0 mg/kg), but not D-govadine, blocked the disruptive effects of MK-801 (0.15 mg/kg) on PAL. Haloperidol failed to affect the MK-801-induced disruption of PAL. Higher doses of L-govadine and haloperidol dramatically impaired performance of the task which confounded interpretation of cognitive outcomes. L-Govadine appears unique in its ability to improve performance of the MK-801-induced impairment in the PAL task. This behavioral effect may relate the ability of L-govadine to antagonize dopamine D2 receptors while also promoting dopamine efflux. Future research should further characterize the role of the dopamine system in the rodent PAL task to elucidate the mechanisms of its pro-cognitive effects.

Estimation of physical activity levels using cell phone questionnaires: a comparison with accelerometry for evaluation of between-subject and within-subject variations.

PubMed

Bexelius, Christin; Sandin, Sven; Trolle Lagerros, Ylva; Litton, Jan-Eric; Löf, Marie

2011-09-25

Physical activity promotes health and longevity. Further elaboration of the role of physical activity for human health in epidemiological studies on large samples requires accurate methods that are easy to use, cheap, and possible to repeat. The use of telecommunication technologies such as cell phones is highly interesting in this respect. In an earlier report, we showed that physical activity level (PAL) assessed using a cell phone procedure agreed well with corresponding estimates obtained using the doubly labeled water method. However, our earlier study indicated high within-subject variation in relation to between-subject variations in PAL using cell phones, but we could not assess if this was a true variation of PAL or an artifact of the cell phone technique. Our objective was to compare within- and between-subject variations in PAL by means of cell phones with corresponding estimates using an accelerometer. In addition, we compared the agreement of daily PAL values obtained using the cell phone questionnaire with corresponding data obtained using an accelerometer. PAL was measured both with the cell phone questionnaire and with a triaxial accelerometer daily during a 2-week study period in 21 healthy Swedish women (20 to 45 years of age and BMI from 17.7 kg/m² to 33.6 kg/m²). The results were evaluated by fitting linear mixed effect models and descriptive statistics and graphs. With the accelerometer, 57% (95% confidence interval [CI] 40%-66%) of the variation was within subjects, while with the cell phone, within-subject variation was 76% (95% CI 59%-83%). The day-to-day variations in PAL observed using the cell phone questions agreed well with the corresponding accelerometer results. Both the cell phone questionnaire and the accelerometer showed high within-subject variations. Furthermore, day-to-day variations in PAL within subjects assessed using the cell phone agreed well with corresponding accelerometer values. Consequently, our cell phone

Hearing in Cichlid Fishes under Noise Conditions

PubMed Central

Ladich, Friedrich; Schulz-Mirbach, Tanja

2013-01-01

Background Hearing thresholds of fishes are typically acquired under laboratory conditions. This does not reflect the situation in natural habitats, where ambient noise may mask their hearing sensitivities. In the current study we investigate hearing in terms of sound pressure (SPL) and particle acceleration levels (PAL) of two cichlid species within the naturally occurring range of noise levels. This enabled us to determine whether species with and without hearing specializations are differently affected by noise. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated auditory sensitivities in the orange chromide Etroplus maculatus, which possesses anterior swim bladder extensions, and the slender lionhead cichlid Steatocranus tinanti, in which the swim bladder is much smaller and lacks extensions. E. maculatus was tested between 0.2 and 3kHz and S. tinanti between 0.1 and 0.5 kHz using the auditory evoked potential (AEP) recording technique. In both species, SPL and PAL audiograms were determined in the presence of quiet laboratory conditions (baseline) and continuous white noise of 110 and 130 dB RMS. Baseline thresholds showed greatest hearing sensitivity around 0.5 kHz (SPL) and 0.2 kHz (PAL) in E. maculatus and 0.2 kHz in S. tinanti. White noise of 110 dB elevated the thresholds by 0–11 dB (SPL) and 7–11 dB (PAL) in E. maculatus and by 1–2 dB (SPL) and by 1–4 dB (PAL) in S. tinanti. White noise of 130 dB elevated hearing thresholds by 13–29 dB (SPL) and 26–32 dB (PAL) in E. maculatus and 6–16 dB (SPL) and 6–19 dB (PAL) in S. tinanti. Conclusions Our data showed for the first time for SPL and PAL thresholds that the specialized species was masked by different noise regimes at almost all frequencies, whereas the non-specialized species was much less affected. This indicates that noise can limit sound detection and acoustic orientation differently within a single fish family. PMID:23469032

Echelle Spectroscopy and Abundances in Ruprecht 106 and ARP 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Jeffery A.; Wallerstein, George; Zucker, Daniel

1996-04-01

This is a preliminary report on abundances for two red giants each in the young globular clusters Ruprecht 106 and Pal 12. For Rup 106, we find [Fe/H] = -1.50 but almost all other elements are more deficient than iron, in reverse of the pattern in most metal-poor stars; the exception is oxygen, with [O/Fe] =~ 0.0. Pal 12 is less depleted, with [Fe/H] = -1.0, and has more nearly solar abundance ratios; we have no data on oxygen in Pal 12.

Positron annihilation response and broadband dielectric spectroscopy: salol.

PubMed

Bartoš, J; Iskrová, M; Köhler, M; Wehn, R; Sauša, O; Lunkenheimer, P; Krištiak, J; Loidl, A

2011-09-01

A phenomenological analysis of the ortho-positronium (o-Ps) annihilation from positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and the dynamics from broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) are reported on a small molecular glass former of intermediate H-bonding and fragility: salol. The dielectric spectra extend over a very broad frequency range of about 2 × 10(-2)-3.5 × 10(11) Hz, providing information on the α-relaxation, the secondary relaxation giving rise to the excess wing, and the shallow high-frequency minimum in the micro- to milli-meter wave range. A number of empirical correlations between the o-Ps lifetime, τ(3)(T), and the various spectral and relaxation features have been observed. Thus, the phenomenological evaluation of the τ(3)(T) dependence of the PALS response of the amorphous sample reveals three characteristic PALS temperatures: T(g)(PALS), T(b1)(L) = 1.15T(g)(PALS) and T(b2)(L) = 1.25T(g)(PALS), which are discussed in relation to similar findings for some typical small molecular vdW- and H-bonded glass formers. A slighter change of the slope at T(b1)(L) appears to be related to the transition from excess wing to the primary α-process-dominated behavior, with the secondary process dominating in the deeply supercooled liquid state below T(b1)(L). The high-temperature plateau effect in the τ (3)(T) plot occurs at T(b2)(L) and agrees with the characteristic Stickel temperature, T(B)(ST), marking a qualitative change of the primary α process, but it does not follow the relation T(b2)(L) < T(α) [τ(3)(T(b2)) < τ(α)]. Both effects at T(b1)(L) and T(b2)(L) correlate with two crossovers in the spectral shape and related non-exponentiality parameter of the structural relaxation, β (KWW). Finally, the application of the two-order parameter (TOP) model to the structural relaxation as represented by the primary α relaxation times from BDS leads to the characteristic TOP temperature, T(m)(c), close to T(b1) from PALS. Within this model the

Physiotherapy students and clinical educators perceive several ways in which incorporating peer-assisted learning could improve clinical placements: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Sevenhuysen, Samantha; Farlie, Melanie K; Keating, Jennifer L; Haines, Terry P; Molloy, Elizabeth

2015-04-01

What are the experiences of students and clinical educators in a paired student placement model incorporating facilitated peer-assisted learning (PAL) activities, compared to a traditional paired teaching approach? Qualitative study utilising focus groups. Twenty-four physiotherapy students and 12 clinical educators. Participants in this study had experienced two models of physiotherapy clinical undergraduate education: a traditional paired model (usual clinical supervision and learning activities led by clinical educators supervising pairs of students) and a PAL model (a standardised series of learning activities undertaken by student pairs and clinical educators to facilitate peer interaction using guided strategies). Peer-assisted learning appears to reduce the students' anxiety, enhance their sense of safety in the learning environment, reduce educator burden, maximise the use of downtime, and build professional skills including collaboration and feedback. While PAL adds to the clinical learning experience, it is not considered to be a substitute for observation of the clinical educator, expert feedback and guidance, or hands-on immersive learning activities. Cohesion of the student-student relationship was seen as an enabler of successful PAL. Students and educators perceive that PAL can help to position students as active learners through reduced dependence on the clinical educator, heightened roles in observing practice, and making and communicating evaluative judgments about quality of practice. The role of the clinical educator is not diminished with PAL, but rather is central in designing flexible and meaningful peer-based experiences and in balancing PAL with independent learning opportunities. ACTRN12610000859088. [Sevenhuysen S, Farlie MK, Keating JL, Haines TP, Molloy E (2015) Physiotherapy students and clinical educators perceive several ways in which incorporating peer-assisted learning could improve clinical placements: a qualitative study

Personalized Progressive Addition Lenses: Correlation between Performance and Design.

PubMed

Forkel, Johanne; Reiniger, Jenny Lorén; Muschielok, Adam; Welk, Andrea; Seidemann, Anne; Baumbach, Peter

2017-02-01

A continuous set of personalized designs (design space) for progressive addition lenses (PALs) is investigated. The main goals are (1) to study how the subjects' perception of a personalized design depends on its position in the design space and (2) to compare the performance of personalized PALs to a conventional PAL with a fixed design. In a double-blind study, 51 subjects compared Rodenstock Impression FreeSign 3, which is a family of PALs with a continuously controllable personalized design, and Rodenstock Progressiv Life Free, which is a conventional PAL with a single fixed design. The positions and sizes of viewing zones and the softness of gradients of mean power and astigmatism of personalized lenses were customized to individual viewing preferences. These designs were represented as points in a design space comprising a continuum of PAL designs. Subjective ratings and experimental measurements were used to study viewing zone widths, blur gradient smoothness, amount of distortion, the feeling of safety during motion, and overall wearing comfort. (1) Far viewing zone width (experiments and ratings), near viewing zone width (experiments), blur gradient smoothness, and the amount of distortion (ratings) were significantly dependent on the position of the personalized lens design in the design space. This was consistent with the structure of the design space. (2) 82% of the subjects chose personalized lenses as their favorite. Most subjects reported higher wearing comfort and tolerability with personalized lenses than with conventional lenses. The designs of the tested personalized lenses were perceived by the subjects as intended. This is a prerequisite to the successful customization of PALs to individual wearing preferences. Possible reasons for the preference of the tested personalized lenses are the optimization with respect to individual wearing conditions and the personalization.

Aeroelastic Response and Protection of Space Shuttle External Tank Cable Trays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, John W.; Keller, Donald F.; Schuster, David M.; Piatak, David J.; Rausch, Russ D.; Bartels, Robert E.; Ivanco, Thomas G.; Cole, Stanley R.; Spain, Charles V.

2005-01-01

Sections of the Space Shuttle External Tank Liquid Oxygen (LO2) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) cable trays are shielded from potentially damaging airloads with foam Protuberance Aerodynamic Load (PAL) Ramps. Flight standard design LO2 and LH2 cable tray sections were tested with and without PAL Ramp models in the United States Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center s (AEDC) 16T transonic wind tunnel to obtain experimental data on the aeroelastic stability and response characteristics of the trays and as part of the larger effort to determine whether the PAL ramps can be safely modified or removed. Computational Fluid Dynamic simulations of the full-stack shuttle launch configuration were used to investigate the flow characeristics around and under the cable trays without the protective PAL ramps and to define maximum crossflow Mach numbers and dynamic pressures experienced during launch. These crossflow conditions were used to establish wind tunnel test conditions which also included conservative margins. For all of the conditions and configurations tested, no aeroelastic instabilities or unacceptable dynamic response levels were encountered and no visible structural damage was experienced by any of the tested cable tray sections. Based upon this aeroelastic characterization test, three potentially acceptable alternatives are available for the LO2 cable tray PAL Ramps: Mini-Ramps, Tray Fences, or No Ramps. All configurations were tested to maximum conditions, except the LH2 trays at -15 deg. crossflow angle. This exception is the only caveat preventing the proposal of acceptable alternative configurations for the LH2 trays as well. Structural assessment of all tray loads and tray response measurements from launches following the Shuttle Return To Flight with the existing PAL Ramps will determine the acceptability of these PAL Ramp alternatives.

Astragalus polysaccharide suppresses palmitate-induced apoptosis in human cardiac myocytes: the role of Nrf1 and antioxidant response.

PubMed

Zhang, Ji; Gu, Jian-Yun; Chen, Zhi-Song; Xing, Kai-Chen; Sun, Bing

2015-01-01

Previous studies have shown that Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) can be used to ameliorate cardiotoxicity due to chemotherapy and improve the cardiac function. However, the mechanism by which APS mediate this effect is unclear. In the present study, the effects of APS, which suppressed ROS-mediated apoptosis through Nrf1 accumulation in human cardiac myocytes (HCMs), was investigated. The cell viability was detected by the CCK8 assay. The cell apoptosis was assessed by annexin V-PI double-labeling staining. Expression of genes and proteins were analyzed by real-time PCR and western blotting respectively. Nrf1 gene was overexpressed using a lentiviral expression vector in HCMs in vitro, in order to explore the mechanism by which the Nrf1 promoted cell growth. CCK8 and Annexin V-PI double-labeling showed that PAL induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner, and suppressed HCMs proliferation. The combination PAL with APS was significantly decreased the percentage of the early phase of apoptosis cells. ROS levels were increased in HCMs by exposure to PAL. APS treatment significantly inhibited generation of ROS in response to palmitate. Moreover, PAL administration significantly decreased the mRNA and proteins expression of Bcl-2 as well as increased the mRNA expression of BAX and the protein expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 as compare to those of control group, but APS treatment could reverse PA-induced HCMs apoptosis. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which was an oxidative stress marker, was significantly increased in cardiomyocytes by exposure to PAL, but overexpressing Nrf1 could ameliorate ROS-induced cardiomyocyte toxicity and increase the expression of SOD1 and SOD2 in HCMs by overexpressing Nrf1. This study demonstrated that the PAL could induce HCMs apoptosis. However, APS could reverse PAL-induced cardiomyocyte toxicity, at least partially, through suppression ROS and Nrf1 accumulation in HCMs.

Removal of metals from industrial wastewater and urban runoff by mineral and bio-based sorbents.

PubMed

Gogoi, Harshita; Leiviskä, Tiina; Heiderscheidt, Elisangela; Postila, Heini; Tanskanen, Juha

2018-03-01

The study was performed to evaluate chemically modified biosorbents, hydrochloric acid treated peat (HCl-P) and citric acid treated sawdust (Citric acid-SD) for their metal removal capacity from dilute industrial wastewater and urban runoff and compare their efficiency with that of commercially available mineral sorbents (AQM PalPower M10 and AQM PalPower T5M5 magnetite). Batch and column experiments were conducted using real water samples to assess the sorbents' metal sorption capacity. AQM PalPower M10 (consisting mainly of magnesium, iron and silicon oxides) exhibited excellent Zn removal from both industrial wastewater and spiked runoff water samples even at low dosages (0.1 g/L and 0.05 g/L, respectively). The high degree of Zn removal was associated with the release of hydroxyl ions from the sorbent and subsequent precipitation of zinc hydroxide. The biosorbents removed Ni and Cr better than AQM PalPower M10 from industrial wastewater and performed well in removing Cr and Cu from spiked runoff water, although at higher dosages (0.3-0.75 g/L). The main mechanism of sorption by biosorbents was ion exchange. The sorbents required a short contact time to reach equilibrium (15-30 min) in both tested water samples. AQM PalPower T5M5 magnetite was the worst performing sorbent, leaching Zn into both industrial and runoff water and Ni into runoff water. Column tests revealed that both HCl-P and AQM PalPower M10 were able to remove metals, although some leaching was witnessed, especially As from AQM PalPower M10. The low hydraulic conductivity observed for HCl-P may restrict the possibilities of using such small particle size peat material in a filter-type passive system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low plasma renin activity and high aldosterone/renin ratio are associated with untreated isolated systolic hypertension.

PubMed

Durukan, Mine; Guray, Umit; Aksu, Tolga; Guray, Yesim; Demirkan, Burcu; Korkmaz, Sule

2012-10-01

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is generally encountered in elderly patients and there are scarce data regarding the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activity in patients with ISH. We aimed to determine the plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone levels (PAL) and aldosterone/PRA ratio (PAL/PRA) in patients (age >50 years) with ISH and to compare these values with patients with essential hypertension (EH) as well as subjects with normal blood pressure values (control) who have similar age and cardiovascular risk profile. Consecutively, 42 untreated ISH patients, 30 patients with EH and 29 normal subjects were included in the study. Parameters were presented as median (interquartile range). There were no significant differences regarding age, gender and other cardiovascular risk factors among groups. As expected, systolic, diastolic blood pressure and pulse pressure values were significantly different among groups. Besides, PRA values were found to be significantly lower in patients with ISH (0.4 [0.2-1.1] ng/ml/h) compared with the EH (0.95 [0.5-2.6] ng/ml/h, p =0.024) and control (1.3 [0.7-2.1] ng/ml/h, p =0.001) groups. Although, PAL were similar among groups, PAL/PRA ratio was significantly higher in ISH group (134.1 [73-224]) compared with those with EH (42.2 [35-84], p <0.001) and the control group (53.3 [30-106], p =0.001). No significant difference was present with respect to PAL/PRA ratio between EH and control groups. Our findings suggested that in patients with ISH, despite lower PRA levels, PAL/PRA ratio is significantly higher compared with the patients with EH and subjects with normal blood pressure. Since higher PAL/PRA levels is an indicator of relative aldosterone excess, medications blocking RAAS activity including aldosterone antagonists may have useful cardiovascular consequences in addition to their antihypertensive effects in ISH.

The validity and reliability of a novel activity monitor as a measure of walking

PubMed Central

Ryan, C G; Grant, P M; Tigbe, W W; Granat, M H

2006-01-01

Background The accurate measurement of physical activity is crucial to understanding the relationship between physical activity and disease prevention and treatment. Objective The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the activPAL physical activity monitor in measuring step number and cadence. Methods The ability of the activPAL monitor to measure step number and cadence in 20 healthy adults (age 34.5±6.9 years; BMI 26.8±4.8 (mean±SD)) was evaluated against video observation. Concurrently, the accuracy of two commonly used pedometers, the Yamax Digi‐Walker SW‐200 and the Omron HJ‐109‐E, was compared to observation for measuring step number. Participants walked on a treadmill at five different speeds (0.90, 1.12, 1.33, 1.56, and 1.78 m/s) and outdoors at three self selected speeds (slow, normal, and fast). Results At all speeds, inter device reliability was excellent for the activPAL (ICC (2,1)⩾0.99) for both step number and cadence. The absolute percentage error for the activPAL was <1.11% for step number and cadence regardless of walking speed. The accuracy of the pedometers was adversely affected by slow walking speeds. Conclusion The activPAL monitor is a valid and reliable measure of walking in healthy adults. Its accuracy is not influenced by walking speed. The activPAL may be a useful device in sports medicine. PMID:16825270

Bistability of atmospheric oxygen and the Great Oxidation.

PubMed

Goldblatt, Colin; Lenton, Timothy M; Watson, Andrew J

2006-10-12

The history of the Earth has been characterized by a series of major transitions separated by long periods of relative stability. The largest chemical transition was the 'Great Oxidation', approximately 2.4 billion years ago, when atmospheric oxygen concentrations rose from less than 10(-5) of the present atmospheric level (PAL) to more than 0.01 PAL, and possibly to more than 0.1 PAL. This transition took place long after oxygenic photosynthesis is thought to have evolved, but the causes of this delay and of the Great Oxidation itself remain uncertain. Here we show that the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis gave rise to two simultaneously stable steady states for atmospheric oxygen. The existence of a low-oxygen (less than 10(-5) PAL) steady state explains how a reducing atmosphere persisted for at least 300 million years after the onset of oxygenic photosynthesis. The Great Oxidation can be understood as a switch to the high-oxygen (more than 5 x 10(-3) PAL) steady state. The bistability arises because ultraviolet shielding of the troposphere by ozone becomes effective once oxygen levels exceed 10(-5) PAL, causing a nonlinear increase in the lifetime of atmospheric oxygen. Our results indicate that the existence of oxygenic photosynthesis is not a sufficient condition for either an oxygen-rich atmosphere or the presence of an ozone layer, which has implications for detecting life on other planets using atmospheric analysis and for the evolution of multicellular life.

A pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis-Pre-clinical trials of controlling the voice onset and offset.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Farzaneh; Noorian, Farzad; Novakovic, Daniel; van Schaik, André

2018-01-01

Despite emergent progress in many fields of bionics, a functional Bionic Voice prosthesis for laryngectomy patients (larynx amputees) has not yet been achieved, leading to a lifetime of vocal disability for these patients. This study introduces a novel framework of Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses as an electronic adaptation of the Pneumatic Artificial Larynx (PAL) device. The PAL is a non-invasive mechanical voice source, driven exclusively by respiration with an exceptionally high voice quality, comparable to the existing gold standard of Tracheoesophageal (TE) voice prosthesis. Following PAL design closely as the reference, Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses seem to have a strong potential to substitute the existing gold standard by generating a similar voice quality while remaining non-invasive and non-surgical. This paper designs the first Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis and evaluates its onset and offset control against the PAL device through pre-clinical trials on one laryngectomy patient. The evaluation on a database of more than five hours of continuous/isolated speech recordings shows a close match between the onset/offset control of the Pneumatic Bionic Voice and the PAL with an accuracy of 98.45 ±0.54%. When implemented in real-time, the Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis controller has an average onset/offset delay of 10 milliseconds compared to the PAL. Hence it addresses a major disadvantage of previous electronic voice prostheses, including myoelectric Bionic Voice, in meeting the short time-frames of controlling the onset/offset of the voice in continuous speech.

The intense slow positron beam facility at the PULSTAR reactor and applications in nano-materials study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ming; Moxom, Jeremy; Hawari, Ayman I.; Gidley, David W.

2013-04-01

An intense slow positron beam has been established at the PULSTAR nuclear research reactor of North Carolina State University. The slow positrons are generated by pair production in a tungsten moderator from gammarays produced in the reactor core and by neutron capture reactions in cadmium. The moderated positrons are electrostatically extracted and magnetically guided out of the region near the core. Subsequently, the positrons are used in two spectrometers that are capable of performing positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and positron Doppler broadening spectroscopy (DBS) to probe the defect and free volume properties of materials. One of the spectrometers (e+-PALS) utilizes an rf buncher to produce a pulsed beam and has a timing resolution of 277 ps. The second spectrometer (Ps-PALS) uses a secondary electron timing technique and is dedicated to positronium lifetime measurements with an approximately 1 ns timing resolution. PALS measurements have been conducted in the e+-PALS spectrometer on a series of nano-materials including organic photovoltaic thin films, membranes for filtration, and polymeric fibers. These studies have resulted in understanding some critical issues related to the development of the examined nano-materials.

Polynomial order selection in random regression models via penalizing adaptively the likelihood.

PubMed

Corrales, J D; Munilla, S; Cantet, R J C

2015-08-01

Orthogonal Legendre polynomials (LP) are used to model the shape of additive genetic and permanent environmental effects in random regression models (RRM). Frequently, the Akaike (AIC) and the Bayesian (BIC) information criteria are employed to select LP order. However, it has been theoretically shown that neither AIC nor BIC is simultaneously optimal in terms of consistency and efficiency. Thus, the goal was to introduce a method, 'penalizing adaptively the likelihood' (PAL), as a criterion to select LP order in RRM. Four simulated data sets and real data (60,513 records, 6675 Colombian Holstein cows) were employed. Nested models were fitted to the data, and AIC, BIC and PAL were calculated for all of them. Results showed that PAL and BIC identified with probability of one the true LP order for the additive genetic and permanent environmental effects, but AIC tended to favour over parameterized models. Conversely, when the true model was unknown, PAL selected the best model with higher probability than AIC. In the latter case, BIC never favoured the best model. To summarize, PAL selected a correct model order regardless of whether the 'true' model was within the set of candidates. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Active noise control using a steerable parametric array loudspeaker.

PubMed

Tanaka, Nobuo; Tanaka, Motoki

2010-06-01

Arguably active noise control enables the sound suppression at the designated control points, while the sound pressure except the targeted locations is likely to augment. The reason is clear; a control source normally radiates the sound omnidirectionally. To cope with this problem, this paper introduces a parametric array loudspeaker (PAL) which produces a spatially focused sound beam due to the attribute of ultrasound used for carrier waves, thereby allowing one to suppress the sound pressure at the designated point without causing spillover in the whole sound field. First the fundamental characteristics of PAL are overviewed. The scattered pressure in the near field contributed by source strength of PAL is then described, which is needed for the design of an active noise control system. Furthermore, the optimal control law for minimizing the sound pressure at control points is derived, the control effect being investigated analytically and experimentally. With a view to tracking a moving target point, a steerable PAL based upon a phased array scheme is presented, with the result that the generation of a moving zone of quiet becomes possible without mechanically rotating the PAL. An experiment is finally conducted, demonstrating the validity of the proposed method.

NeoPalAna: Neoadjuvant palbociclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor, and anastrozole for clinical stage 2 or 3 estrogen receptor positive breast cancer

PubMed Central

Ma, Cynthia X.; Gao, Feng; Luo, Jingqin; Northfelt, Donald W.; Goetz, Matthew; Forero, Andres; Hoog, Jeremy; Naughton, Michael; Ademuyiwa, Foluso; Suresh, Rama; Anderson, Karen S.; Margenthaler, Julie; Aft, Rebecca; Hobday, Timothy; Moynihan, Timothy; Gillanders, William; Cyr, Amy; Eberlein, Timothy J.; Hieken, Tina; Krontiras, Helen; Guo, Zhanfang; Lee, Michelle V.; Spies, Nicholas C.; Skidmore, Zachary L.; Griffith, Obi L.; Griffith, Malachi; Thomas, Shana; Bumb, Caroline; Vij, Kiran; Bartlett, Cynthia Huang; Koehler, Maria; Al-Kateb, Hussam; Sanati, Souzan; Ellis, Matthew J.

2017-01-01

Purpose Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 drives cell proliferation in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. This single-arm phase II neoadjuvant trial (NeoPalAna) assessed the anti-proliferative activity of the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib in primary breast cancer as a prelude to adjuvant studies. Experimental Design Eligible patients with clinical stage II/III ER+/HER2- breast cancer received anastrozole 1mg daily for 4 weeks (cycle 0) (with goserelin if premenopausal), followed by adding palbociclib (125mg daily on days 1-21) on cycle 1 day 1 (C1D1) for four 28-day cycles unless C1D15 Ki67>10%, in which case patients went off study due to inadequately response. Anastrozole was continued until surgery, which occurred 3-5 weeks post palbociclib exposure. Later patients received additional 10-12 days of palbociclib (Cycle 5) immediately before surgery. Serial biopsies at baseline, C1D1, C1D15, and surgery were analyzed for Ki67, gene expression and mutation profiles. The primary endpoint was Complete Cell Cycle Arrest (CCCA: central Ki67<2.7%). Results Fifty patients enrolled. The CCCA rate was significantly higher after adding palbociclib to anastrozole (C1D15 87% vs C1D1 26%, p<0.001). Palbociclib enhanced cell cycle control over anastrozole monotherapy regardless of luminal subtype (A vs B) and PIK3CA status with activity observed across a broad range of clinicopathological and mutation profiles. Ki67 recovery at surgery following palbociclib washout was suppressed by cycle 5 palbociclib. Resistance was associated with non-luminal subtypes and persistent E2F-target gene expression. Conclusions Palbociclib is an active anti-proliferative agent for early-stage breast cancer resistant to anastrozole, however, prolonged administration may be necessary to maintain its effect. PMID:28270497

Cloning and characterization of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and cinnamate 4-hydroxylase and pyranocoumarin biosynthesis in Angelica gigas.

PubMed

Park, Jee Hee; Park, Nam Il; Xu, Hui; Park, Sang Un

2010-08-27

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) are important enzymes in the phenylpropanoid pathway and also in the accumulation of decursin (1) and decursinol angelate (2), which are major secondary metabolites in Angelica gigas. Using PCR with degenerate primers targeted to conserved regions of available orthologous PAL and C4H sequences, cDNAs encoding PAL and C4H from A. gigas were isolated. Both genes were used to show the comparative developmental and inducible accumulation of mRNAs in different organs and in suspension cells of A. gigas. PAL and C4H were induced most strongly in response to 300 microM methyl jasmonate treatment at 6 and 12 h, respectively, and were highly expressed in the fine roots of A. gigas. Similarly, the production of 1 and 2 was most prolific in the fine roots of the plant.

Sensorial and fatty acid profile of ice cream manufactured with milk of crossbred cows fed palm oil and coconut fat.

PubMed

Corradini, S A S; Madrona, G S; Visentainer, J V; Bonafe, E G; Carvalho, C B; Roche, P M; Prado, I N

2014-11-01

This work was carried out to study the nutritional quality of milk of cows fed palm oil (PAL) or coconut fat (COC), and the use of that milk as raw material for ice cream production. Three treatments were tested with 23 healthy cows: control (CON), PAL, and COC. The milk was collected at d 21 and 36 of the experimental diet. Proximate composition (moisture, ash, fat, protein, and carbohydrates) and fatty acid composition were evaluated on milk and ice cream, and sensorial analysis, color (lightness, green/red, and blue/yellow), overrun, and texture were evaluated on the ice cream. Fatty acids present in milk and ice cream were determined by gas chromatography. Sensory analysis results showed that the ice cream acceptability index was above 70%. No difference was observed for proximate composition in milk and ice cream. Chromatographic analysis showed an increase in saturated fatty acid concentration in CON and lower levels in PAL; polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration was higher in PAL and lower in CON, in milk and ice cream; monounsaturated fatty acid concentration in milk was higher in PAL and lower in CON but no difference was found in ice cream. Comparing n-3 content in milk and ice cream, we observed that PAL had higher levels than CON and COC. The results indicate that it is feasible to add sources of fat to the animal feed for fatty acid composition modulation of milk and ice cream. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-resource peer assisted learning in postgraduate setting: a pilot study.

PubMed

Ali, Asif; Evans, Phillip

2013-04-01

To evaluate the satisfaction of participants and the effectiveness of an enhanced and relatively formal type of peer assisted learning (PAL) in postgraduate (PG) setting. An observational study. Layton Rehmat Ullah Benevolent Trust, Eye Hospital, Sargodha between 2008 and 2009. Participants were 6 medical officers and 2 consultants. Resources and sessions were defined and the curriculum agreed through consensus between all peers. Thirty clinically relevant topics on diseases, techniques and practicals were selected for PAL sessions. A 26-item questionnaire was used to evaluate PAL on Likert-scale. It also included a free text question about one strength and one weakness of PAL. The participants consented to all aspects of multi-resource PAL and they completed a questionnaire, from which data was gathered and analysed to reveal the impact of course. As a peer group they were satisfied with the teamwork experience. Seven out of eight peers reported to have increased their motivation level. In addition, as a peer tutor all peers accepted that the course equipped them with teaching skills and that teaching skills should be learnt. Similarly, as a peer tutee, they believe that peer assistance in a multiresource format had a positive impact on their learning and their difficult issues were unravelled. Finally, facilitated small group teaching, discussion and summing-up helped the peers to comprehend a given clinical topic. A pilot multi-resource PAL was evaluated and the participants appraised the course favourably and recommended it to their colleagues. The interest and zeal shown by the participants suggests that further investigation through a larger, prospective study is warranted.

Is advising food allergic patients to avoid food with precautionary allergen labelling out of date?

PubMed

Zurzolo, Giovanni A; de Courten, Maximilian; Koplin, Jennifer; Mathai, Michael L; Allen, Katrina J

2016-06-01

Precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) continues to be used by the food manufacturing industry to alert the food allergic consumer that cross-contact may have occurred during the supply chain for ingredients or the manufacturing process. This review will summarize recent evidence regarding use and interpretation of precautionary labels by industry, healthcare professionals, and food allergic consumers. Consumers find precautionary labels difficult to interpret and often distrust them as disclaimers of product liability. It is unclear from a clinician's perspective how healthcare professionals should advise their patients regarding these statements. Recent studies suggest that consumers do not always read food labels and that these labels are difficult to interpret and are often distrusted by consumers as disclaimers of liability. There is evidence to suggest that this behaviour occurs in all countries assessed that use PAL. The healthcare professional remains confused about the interpretation and value of the current PAL system as it is unclear whether foods that contain no advisory labels are safe to consume. There is a need for improvement in the value and use of precautionary labelling for allergen risk assessment for allergic consumers. New studies have shown the confusion that currently exists in regard to PAL for the healthcare professional and the consumer alike. The studies have also highlighted certain gaps in the literature that, once addressed, will improve the uniformity of PAL and provide the healthcare professional with appropriate advice which they can in turn relay to the allergic consumer. Because of the global supply of food products there is a need for an international approach in improving PAL.

A pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis—Pre-clinical trials of controlling the voice onset and offset

PubMed Central

Noorian, Farzad; Novakovic, Daniel; van Schaik, André

2018-01-01

Despite emergent progress in many fields of bionics, a functional Bionic Voice prosthesis for laryngectomy patients (larynx amputees) has not yet been achieved, leading to a lifetime of vocal disability for these patients. This study introduces a novel framework of Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses as an electronic adaptation of the Pneumatic Artificial Larynx (PAL) device. The PAL is a non-invasive mechanical voice source, driven exclusively by respiration with an exceptionally high voice quality, comparable to the existing gold standard of Tracheoesophageal (TE) voice prosthesis. Following PAL design closely as the reference, Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses seem to have a strong potential to substitute the existing gold standard by generating a similar voice quality while remaining non-invasive and non-surgical. This paper designs the first Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis and evaluates its onset and offset control against the PAL device through pre-clinical trials on one laryngectomy patient. The evaluation on a database of more than five hours of continuous/isolated speech recordings shows a close match between the onset/offset control of the Pneumatic Bionic Voice and the PAL with an accuracy of 98.45 ±0.54%. When implemented in real-time, the Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis controller has an average onset/offset delay of 10 milliseconds compared to the PAL. Hence it addresses a major disadvantage of previous electronic voice prostheses, including myoelectric Bionic Voice, in meeting the short time-frames of controlling the onset/offset of the voice in continuous speech. PMID:29466455

The effect of music-reinforced nonnutritive sucking on state of preterm, low birthweight infants experiencing heelstick.

PubMed

Whipple, Jennifer

2008-01-01

This study examined the physiologic and behavioral effects of music-reinforced nonnutritive sucking (NNS) for preterm, low birthweight (LBW) infants experiencing heelstick. Subjects were 60 infants, age 32 to 37 weeks post conceptional age in a neonatal intensive care unit. Infants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: pacifier-activated lullaby (PAL), pacifier-only, and no-contact. Experimental infants were provided the Sondrex PAL System, which plays music contingent on infant sucking. Pacifier-only infants did not receive music reinforcement for sucking, and no-contact infants were not provided a pacifier or music at any point during the procedure. Stress level and behavior state were assessed continuously and heart, respiratory, and oxygen saturation rates were recorded at 15-second intervals for all infants. Most physiologic data results were inconclusive. However, analysis of behavior state and stress level revealed the following significant differences for the PAL and pacifier-only groups compared to the no-contact group, all of which were greatest between the PAL and no-contact groups: lower during-heelstick behavior state means, less time in undesirable behavior states, lower during- and post-heelstick stress level means, and smaller behavior state and stress level differences between intervals. In addition, the PAL group had a significantly lower pre-heelstick stress level mean than the no-contact group. Behavior state and stress level were also more stable across time for the PAL group than the other groups, and patterns of changes in oxygen saturation, behavior state, and stress level indicate that music-reinforced NNS may facilitate return to homeostasis.

Systematic review of acute physically active learning and classroom movement breaks on children's physical activity, cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour: understanding critical design features.

PubMed

Daly-Smith, Andy J; Zwolinsky, Stephen; McKenna, Jim; Tomporowski, Phillip D; Defeyter, Margaret Anne; Manley, Andrew

2018-01-01

To examine the impact of acute classroom movement break (CMB) and physically active learning (PAL) interventions on physical activity (PA), cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. Systematic review. PubMed, EBSCO, Academic Search Complete, Education Resources Information Center, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, SCOPUS and Web of Science. Studies investigating school-based acute bouts of CMB or PAL on (PA), cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. The Downs and Black checklist assessed risk of bias. Ten PAL and eight CMB studies were identified from 2929 potentially relevant articles. Risk of bias scores ranged from 33% to 64.3%. Variation in study designs drove specific, but differing, outcomes. Three studies assessed PA using objective measures. Interventions replaced sedentary time with either light PA or moderate-to-vigorous PA dependent on design characteristics (mode, duration and intensity). Only one study factored individual PA outcomes into analyses. Classroom behaviour improved after longer moderate-to-vigorous (>10 min), or shorter more intense (5 min), CMB/PAL bouts (9 out of 11 interventions). There was no support for enhanced cognition or academic performance due to limited repeated studies. Low-to-medium quality designs predominate in investigations of the acute impacts of CMB and PAL on PA, cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. Variable quality in experimental designs, outcome measures and intervention characteristics impact outcomes making conclusions problematic. CMB and PAL increased PA and enhanced time on task. To improve confidence in study outcomes, future investigations should combine examples of good practice observed in current studies. CRD42017070981.

Randomization and In Vivo Selection Reveal a GGRG Motif Essential for Packaging Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 RNA ▿ †

PubMed Central

Baig, Tayyba T.; Lanchy, Jean-Marc; Lodmell, J. Stephen

2009-01-01

The packaging signal (ψ) of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) is present in the 5′ noncoding region of RNA and contains a 10-nucleotide palindrome (pal; 5′-392-GGAGUGCUCC) located upstream of the dimerization signal stem-loop 1 (SL1). pal has been shown to be functionally important in vitro and in vivo. We previously showed that the 3′ side of pal (GCUCC-3′) is involved in base-pairing interactions with a sequence downstream of SL1 to make an extended SL1, which is important for replication in vivo and the regulation of dimerization in vitro. However, the role of the 5′ side of pal (5′-GGAGU) was less clear. Here, we characterized this role using an in vivo SELEX approach. We produced a population of HIV-2 DNA genomes with random sequences within the 5′ side of pal and transfected these into COS-7 cells. Viruses from COS-7 cells were used to infect C8166 permissive cells. After several weeks of serial passage in C8166 cells, surviving viruses were sequenced. On the 5′ side of pal there was a striking convergence toward a GGRGN consensus sequence. Individual clones with consensus and nonconsensus sequences were tested in infectivity and packaging assays. Analysis of individuals that diverged from the consensus sequence showed normal viral RNA and protein synthesis but had replication defects and impaired RNA packaging. These findings clearly indicate that the GGRG motif is essential for viral replication and genomic RNA packaging. PMID:18971263

Peer-Assisted Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topping, Keith, Ed.; Ehly, Stewart, Ed.

Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) involves students consciously assisting others to learn, and in so doing, learning more effectively themselves. PAL encompasses peer tutoring, peer modeling, peer education, peer counseling, peer monitoring, and peer assessment, which are differentiated from other more general "cooperative learning" methods.…

Reduced phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and tyrosine ammonia-lyase activities and lignin synthesis in wheat grown under low pressure sodium lamps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guerra, D.; Anderson, A. J.; Salisbury, F. B.

1985-01-01

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Fremont) grown in hydroponic culture under 24-hour continuous irradiation at 560 to 580 micromoles per square meter per second from either metalhalide (MH), high pressure sodium (HPS), or low pressure sodium (LPS) lamps reached maturity in 70 days. Grain yields were similar under all three lamps, although LPS-grown plants lodged at maturity. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and a tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL) with lesser activity were detected in all extracts of leaf, inflorescence, and stem. Ammonia-lyase activities increased with age of the plant, and plants grown under the LPS lamp displayed PAL and TAL activities lower than wheat cultured under MH and HPS radiation. Greenhouse solar-grown wheat had the highest PAL and TAL activities. Lignin content of LPS-grown wheat was also significantly reduced from that of plants grown under MH or HPS lamps or in the greenhouse, showing a correlation with the reduced PAL and TAL activities. Ratios of far red-absorbing phytochrome to total phytochrome were similar for all three lamps, but the data do not yet warrant a conclusion about specific wavelengths missing from the LPS lamps that might have induced PAL and TAL activities in plants under the other lamps.

Loss of function of a rice TPR-domain RNA-binding protein confers broad-spectrum disease resistance.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiaogang; Liao, Haicheng; Chern, Mawsheng; Yin, Junjie; Chen, Yufei; Wang, Jianping; Zhu, Xiaobo; Chen, Zhixiong; Yuan, Can; Zhao, Wen; Wang, Jing; Li, Weitao; He, Min; Ma, Bingtian; Wang, Jichun; Qin, Peng; Chen, Weilan; Wang, Yuping; Liu, Jiali; Qian, Yangwen; Wang, Wenming; Wu, Xianjun; Li, Ping; Zhu, Lihuang; Li, Shigui; Ronald, Pamela C; Chen, Xuewei

2018-03-20

Crops carrying broad-spectrum resistance loci provide an effective strategy for controlling infectious disease because these loci typically confer resistance to diverse races of a pathogen or even multiple species of pathogens. Despite their importance, only a few crop broad-spectrum resistance loci have been reported. Here, we report the identification and characterization of the rice bsr-k1 (broad-spectrum resistance Kitaake-1) mutant, which confers broad-spectrum resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae with no major penalty on key agronomic traits. Map-based cloning reveals that Bsr-k1 encodes a tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs)-containing protein, which binds to mRNAs of multiple OsPAL ( OsPAL1-7 ) genes and promotes their turnover. Loss of function of the Bsr-k1 gene leads to accumulation of OsPAL1-7 mRNAs in the bsr-k1 mutant. Furthermore, overexpression of OsPAL1 in wild-type rice TP309 confers resistance to M. oryzae , supporting the role of OsPAL1 Our discovery of the bsr-k1 allele constitutes a significant conceptual advancement and provides a valuable tool for breeding broad-spectrum resistant rice. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Aerobic exercise did not have compensatory effects on physical activity levels in type 2 diabetes patients.

PubMed

de Moura, Bruno Pereira; Marins, João Carlos Bouzas; Franceschini, Sylvia Do Carmo Castro; Reis, Janice Sepúlveda; Amorim, Paulo Roberto Dos Santos

2015-01-01

Although exercise promotes beneficial effects in diabetic patients, some studies have questioned the degree of their importance in terms of the increase in total energy expenditure. In these studies, the decrease of physical activity levels (PAL) was referred as "compensatory effect of exercise". However, our aim was to investigate whether aerobic exercise has compensatory effects on PAL in type 2 diabetes patients. Eight volunteers (51.1 ± 8.2 years) were enrolled in a supervised exercise programme for 8 weeks (3 d · wk(-1), 50-60% of VO2 peak for 30-60 min). PAL was measured using tri-axial accelerometers in the 1st, 8th and 12th weeks. Biochemical tests, cardiorespiratory fitness, anthropometric assessment and body composition were measured in the 2nd and 11th weeks. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric tests (Friedman and Wilcoxon, P < 0.05). We found no significant differences in PAL between intervention periods, and participants spent the majority of their awake time in sedentary activities. However, the exercise programme generated a significant 14.8% increase in VO2 peak and a 15% reduction in fructosamine. The exercise programme had no compensatory effects on PAL in type 2 diabetes patients, but improved their cardiorespiratory fitness and glycaemic control.

Geovibrio ferrireducens, a phylogenetically distinct dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing bacterium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caccavo, F.; Coates, J.D.; Rossello-Mora, R. A.; Ludwig, W.; Schleifer, K.H.; Lovley, D.R.; McInerney, M.J.

1996-01-01

A new, phylogenetically distinct, dissimilatory, Fe(III)-reducing bacterium was isolated from surface sediment of a hydrocarbon-contaminated ditch. The isolate, designated strain PAL-1, was an obligately anaerobic, non-fermentative, motile, gram-negative vibrio. PAL-1 grew in a defined medium with acetate as electron donor and ferric pyrophosphate, ferric oxyhydroxide, ferric citrate, Co(III)-EDTA, or elemental sulfur as sole electron acceptor. PAL-1 also used proline, hydrogen, lactate, propionate, succinate, fumarate, pyruvate, or yeast extract as electron donors for Fe(III) reduction. It is the first bacterium known to couple the oxidation of an amino acid to Fe(III) reduction. PAI-1 did not reduce oxygen, Mn(IV), U(VI), Cr(VI), nitrate, sulfate, sulfite, or thiosulfate with acetate as the electron donor. Cell suspensions of PAL-1 exhibited dithionite-reduced minus air-oxidized difference spectra that were characteristic of c-type cytochromes. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of PAL-1 showed that the strain is not related to any of the described metal-reducing bacteria in the Proteobacteria and, together with Flexistipes sinusarabici, forms a separate line of descent within the Bacteria. Phenotypically and phylogenetically, strain PAI-1 differs from all other described bacteria, and represents the type strain of a new genus and species. Geovibrio ferrireducens.

Recovery of peripheral muscle function from fatiguing exercise and daily physical activity level in patients with multiple sclerosis: a case-control study.

PubMed

Ickmans, Kelly; Simoens, Fauve; Nijs, Jo; Kos, Daphne; Cras, Patrick; Willekens, Barbara; Meeus, Mira

2014-07-01

Delayed recovery of muscle function following exercise has been demonstrated in the lower limbs of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, studies examining this in the upper limbs are currently lacking. This study compared physical activity level (PAL) and recovery of upper limb muscle function following exercise between MS patients and healthy inactive controls. Furthermore, the relationship between PAL and muscle recovery was examined. PAL of 19 MS patients and 32 controls was measured using an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. Afterwards, recovery of muscle function was assessed by performing a fatiguing upper limb exercise test with subsequent recovery measures. Muscle recovery of the upper limb muscles was similar in both groups. Average activity counts were significantly lower in MS patients than in the control group. MS patients spent significantly more time being sedentary and less time on activities of moderate intensity compared with the control group. No significant correlation between PAL and recovery of muscle function was found in MS patients. Recovery of upper limb muscle function following exercise is normal in MS patients. MS patients are less physically active than healthy inactive controls. PAL and recovery of upper limb muscle function appear unrelated in MS patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioassay of procoagulant albumin in human plasma.

PubMed

Grosset, A; Liu, L; Parker, C J; Rodgers, G M

1994-09-01

Procoagulant albumin (P-Al) is present in normal human plasma and increases monocyte and endothelial cell expression of tissue factor activity. To develop a bioassay for P-Al, we partially purified plasma from healthy volunteers and several patient groups using BaCl2 and (NH4)2SO4 precipitation. The samples were assayed for tissue factor (TF) inducing activity, expressed as a percentage increase compared to a serum-free media control. Over six months, the assay was reproducible in stored samples and in serial samples from normal volunteers. The plasma P-Al activities of 35 volunteers averaged 141 +/- 8.2% (SEM). There was no diurnal variation. There was no difference in the P-Al activity after a 12 hour fast and 2 hours after a large meal in 4 healthy volunteers. There was no increase in activity (r = 0.16) with the subject's age. The average activity from 16 poorly-controlled diabetics was 131 +/- 11% (SEM). No alteration in activity was seen with samples from patients with uremia, liver dysfunction, hemophilia, thrombotic events, or adenocarcinoma. These results indicate that P-Al activity can be bioassayed in individual patient samples; however, pathologic states associated with abnormal P-Al-induced tissue factor activity presently remain unidentified.

Synthesis and degradation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase of Rhodosporidium toruloides.

PubMed Central

Gilbert, H J; Tully, M

1982-01-01

The regulation of the enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), which is of potential use in oral treatment of phenylketonuria, was investigated. Antiserum against PAL was prepared and was shown to be monospecific for the enzyme by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The native enzyme and two inactive mutant forms of the enzyme were purified to homogeneity by immunoaffinity chromatography, using anti-PAL immunoglobulin G-Sepharose 4B. Both mutant enzymes contained intact prosthetic groups. The formation of PAL catalytic activity after phenylalanine was added to yeast cultures was paralleled by the appearance of enzyme antigen. During induction, uptake of [3H]leucine into the enzyme was higher than uptake into total protein. Our results are consistent with de novo synthesis of an enzyme induced by phenylalanine, rather than activation of a proenzyme. The half-lives of PAL and total protein were similar in both exponential and stationary phase cultures. No metabolite tested affected the rate of enzyme degradation. Glucose repressed enzyme synthesis, whereas ammonia reduced phenylalanine uptake and pool size and so may repress enzyme synthesis through inducer exclusion. The synthesis of enzyme antigen by a mutant unable to metabolize phenylalanine indicated that this amino acid is the physiological inducer of the enzyme. PMID:7068528

Synthesis and degradation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase of Rhodosporidium toruloides.

PubMed

Gilbert, H J; Tully, M

1982-05-01

The regulation of the enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), which is of potential use in oral treatment of phenylketonuria, was investigated. Antiserum against PAL was prepared and was shown to be monospecific for the enzyme by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The native enzyme and two inactive mutant forms of the enzyme were purified to homogeneity by immunoaffinity chromatography, using anti-PAL immunoglobulin G-Sepharose 4B. Both mutant enzymes contained intact prosthetic groups. The formation of PAL catalytic activity after phenylalanine was added to yeast cultures was paralleled by the appearance of enzyme antigen. During induction, uptake of [3H]leucine into the enzyme was higher than uptake into total protein. Our results are consistent with de novo synthesis of an enzyme induced by phenylalanine, rather than activation of a proenzyme. The half-lives of PAL and total protein were similar in both exponential and stationary phase cultures. No metabolite tested affected the rate of enzyme degradation. Glucose repressed enzyme synthesis, whereas ammonia reduced phenylalanine uptake and pool size and so may repress enzyme synthesis through inducer exclusion. The synthesis of enzyme antigen by a mutant unable to metabolize phenylalanine indicated that this amino acid is the physiological inducer of the enzyme.

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase, enzyme substitution therapy for phenylketonuria, where are we now?

PubMed

Sarkissian, Christineh N; Gámez, Alejandra

2005-12-01

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder in which mutations in the phenylalanine-4-hydroxylase (PAH) gene result in an inactive enzyme (PAH, EC 1.14.16.1). The effect is an inability to metabolize phenylalanine (Phe), translating into elevated levels of Phe in the bloodstream (hyperphenylalaninemia). If therapy is not implemented at birth, mental retardation can occur. PKU patients respond to treatment with a low-phenylalanine diet, but compliance with the diet is difficult, therefore the development of alternative treatments is desirable. Enzyme substitution therapy with a recombinant phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) is currently being explored. This enzyme converts Phe to the harmless metabolites, trans-cinnamic acid and trace ammonia. Taken orally and when non-absorbable and protected, PAL lowers plasma Phe in mutant hyperphenylalaninemic mouse models. Subcutaneous administration of PAL results in more substantial lowering of plasma and significant reduction in brain Phe levels, however the metabolic effect is not sustained following repeated injections due to an immune response. We have chemically modified PAL by pegylation to produce a protected form of PAL that possesses better specific activity, prolonged half-life, and reduced immunogenicity in vivo. Subcutaneous administration of pegylated molecules to PKU mice has the desired metabolic response (prolonged reduction in blood Phe levels) with greatly attenuated immunogenicity.

A Latent Variable Investigation of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening-Kindergarten Assessment: Construct Identification and Multigroup Comparisons between Spanish-Speaking English-Language Learners (ELLs) and Non-ELL Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Francis L.; Konold, Timothy R.

2014-01-01

Psychometric properties of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening for Kindergarten (PALS-K) instrument were investigated in a sample of 2844 first-time public school kindergarteners. PALS-K is a widely used English literacy screening assessment. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a theoretically defensible measurement structure that was…

Peer-Assisted Leadership: Reducing Educational Managers' Professional Isolation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dussault, Marc; Barnett, Bruce G.

1996-01-01

Presents a study that verified the effects of the peer-assisted leadership program (PAL) on communication networks and professional isolation of 41 Quebec educational managers, using a one-group pretest posttest design. Results showed that PAL significantly reduced professional isolation without widening participants' communication networks. (34…

Detection of atomic scale changes in the free volume void size of three-dimensional colorectal cancer cell culture using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy.

PubMed

Axpe, Eneko; Lopez-Euba, Tamara; Castellanos-Rubio, Ainara; Merida, David; Garcia, Jose Angel; Plaza-Izurieta, Leticia; Fernandez-Jimenez, Nora; Plazaola, Fernando; Bilbao, Jose Ramon

2014-01-01

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) provides a direct measurement of the free volume void sizes in polymers and biological systems. This free volume is critical in explaining and understanding physical and mechanical properties of polymers. Moreover, PALS has been recently proposed as a potential tool in detecting cancer at early stages, probing the differences in the subnanometer scale free volume voids between cancerous/healthy skin samples of the same patient. Despite several investigations on free volume in complex cancerous tissues, no positron annihilation studies of living cancer cell cultures have been reported. We demonstrate that PALS can be applied to the study in human living 3D cell cultures. The technique is also capable to detect atomic scale changes in the size of the free volume voids due to the biological responses to TGF-β. PALS may be developed to characterize the effect of different culture conditions in the free volume voids of cells grown in vitro.

Detection of Atomic Scale Changes in the Free Volume Void Size of Three-Dimensional Colorectal Cancer Cell Culture Using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Castellanos-Rubio, Ainara; Merida, David; Garcia, Jose Angel; Plaza-Izurieta, Leticia; Fernandez-Jimenez, Nora; Plazaola, Fernando; Bilbao, Jose Ramon

2014-01-01

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) provides a direct measurement of the free volume void sizes in polymers and biological systems. This free volume is critical in explaining and understanding physical and mechanical properties of polymers. Moreover, PALS has been recently proposed as a potential tool in detecting cancer at early stages, probing the differences in the subnanometer scale free volume voids between cancerous/healthy skin samples of the same patient. Despite several investigations on free volume in complex cancerous tissues, no positron annihilation studies of living cancer cell cultures have been reported. We demonstrate that PALS can be applied to the study in human living 3D cell cultures. The technique is also capable to detect atomic scale changes in the size of the free volume voids due to the biological responses to TGF-β. PALS may be developed to characterize the effect of different culture conditions in the free volume voids of cells grown in vitro. PMID:24392097

On the AlxGa1-xN/AlyGa1-yN/AlxGa1-xN (x>y) p-electron blocking layer to improve the hole injection for AlGaN based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Chunshuang; Tian, Kangkai; Fang, Mengqian; Zhang, Yonghui; Li, Luping; Bi, Wengang; Zhang, Zi-Hui

2018-01-01

This work proposes the [0001] oriented AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diode (LED) possessing a specifically designed p-electron blocking layer (p-EBL) to achieve the high internal quantum efficiency. Both electrons and holes can be efficiently injected into the active region by adopting the Al0.60Ga0.40N/Al0.50Ga0.50N/Al0.60Ga0.40N structured p-EBL, in which a p-Al0.50Ga0.50N layer is embedded into the p-EBL. Moreover, the impact of different thicknesses for the p-Al0.50Ga0.50N insertion layer on the hole and electron injections has also been investigated. Compared with the DUV LED with the bulk p-Al0.60Ga0.40N as the EBL, the proposed LED architectures improve the light output power if the thickness of the p-Al0.50Ga0.50N insertion layer is properly designed.

Astragalus polysaccharide suppresses palmitate-induced apoptosis in human cardiac myocytes: the role of Nrf1 and antioxidant response

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ji; Gu, Jian-Yun; Chen, Zhi-Song; Xing, Kai-Chen; Sun, Bing

2015-01-01

Objective: Previous studies have shown that Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) can be used to ameliorate cardiotoxicity due to chemotherapy and improve the cardiac function. However, the mechanism by which APS mediate this effect is unclear. In the present study, the effects of APS, which suppressed ROS-mediated apoptosis through Nrf1 accumulation in human cardiac myocytes (HCMs), was investigated. Methods: The cell viability was detected by the CCK8 assay. The cell apoptosis was assessed by annexin V-PI double-labeling staining. Expression of genes and proteins were analyzed by real-time PCR and western blotting respectively. Nrf1 gene was overexpressed using a lentiviral expression vector in HCMs in vitro, in order to explore the mechanism by which the Nrf1 promoted cell growth. Results: CCK8 and Annexin V-PI double-labeling showed that PAL induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner, and suppressed HCMs proliferation. The combination PAL with APS was significantly decreased the percentage of the early phase of apoptosis cells. ROS levels were increased in HCMs by exposure to PAL. APS treatment significantly inhibited generation of ROS in response to palmitate. Moreover, PAL administration significantly decreased the mRNA and proteins expression of Bcl-2 as well as increased the mRNA expression of BAX and the protein expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 as compare to those of control group, but APS treatment could reverse PA-induced HCMs apoptosis. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which was an oxidative stress marker, was significantly increased in cardiomyocytes by exposure to PAL, but overexpressing Nrf1 could ameliorate ROS-induced cardiomyocyte toxicity and increase the expression of SOD1 and SOD2 in HCMs by overexpressing Nrf1. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the PAL could induce HCMs apoptosis. However, APS could reverse PAL-induced cardiomyocyte toxicity, at least partially, through suppression ROS and Nrf1 accumulation in

Peer-Assisted Learning in the Athletic Training Clinical Setting

PubMed Central

Henning, Jolene M; Weidner, Thomas G; Jones, James

2006-01-01

Context: Athletic training educators often anecdotally suggest that athletic training students enhance their learning by teaching their peers. However, peer-assisted learning (PAL) has not been examined within athletic training education in order to provide evidence for its current use or as a pedagogic tool. Objective: To describe the prevalence of PAL in athletic training clinical education and to identify students' perceptions of PAL. Design: Descriptive. Setting: “The Athletic Training Student Seminar” at the National Athletic Trainers' Association 2002 Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposia. Patients or Other Participants: A convenience sample of 138 entry-level male and female athletic training students. Main Outcome Measure(s): Students' perceptions regarding the prevalence and benefits of and preferences for PAL were measured using the Athletic Training Peer-Assisted Learning Assessment Survey. The Survey is a self-report tool with 4 items regarding the prevalence of PAL and 7 items regarding perceived benefits and preferences. Results: A total of 66% of participants practiced a moderate to large amount of their clinical skills with other athletic training students. Sixty percent of students reported feeling less anxious when performing clinical skills on patients in front of other athletic training students than in front of their clinical instructors. Chi-square analysis revealed that 91% of students enrolled in Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs–accredited athletic training education programs learned a minimal to small amount of clinical skills from their peers compared with 65% of students in Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Athletic Training–candidacy schools (χ2 3 = 14.57, P < .01). Multiple analysis of variance revealed significant interactions between sex and academic level on several items regarding benefits and preferences. Conclusions: According to athletic training students, PAL is occurring in

Penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus: role of videokeratoscopy and trephine sizing.

PubMed

Serdarevic, O N; Renard, G J; Pouliquen, Y

1996-11-01

To evaluate whether determining graft-host trephine disparity on the basis of videokeratoscopic data of keratoconus patients having penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) reduces ametropia and to correlate preoperative videokeratoscopic values, posterior axial length (PAL), and trephine disparity with postoperative refractive outcomes. Hôtel-Dieu, University of Paris, France. This randomized clinical trial comprised 18 keratoconus patients who had PKP. After computerized videokeratoscopic analysis, patients were randomly assigned to a test or control group with matching for midperipheral corneal keratoscopic criteria. One surgeon performed all grafts using the same technique (except for donor button punching with an 8.00 or 8.25 mm blade, depending on preoperative keratoscopy) with suction trephination (8.00) and a running 10-0 nylon suture. The PAL (total axial length minus the distance from the anterior corneal surface to the anterior lens surface) was measured by applanation ultrasonography. Refraction and videokeratoscopic analysis were done 18 months postoperatively (6 months after suture removal). The mean deviation from emmetropia corrected for PAL in test group patients who had trephine sizing based on the hypothesis that preoperative videokeratoscopy is a useful determining factor was 1.12 diopters (D) +/- 0.74 (SD), which was significantly smaller (P = .005) than that in the control group (2.19 +/- 0.85 D). The test group had uncorrected visual acuities of 20/50 or better. Postoperative spherical equivalent was affected by PAL (P = .0001), preoperative keratoscopy (P = .0001), and trephine disparity (P = .01). Central corneal power after grafting was influenced by keratoscopy (P = .0001) and trephine disparity (P = .002). Uncorrected visual acuity was affected by PAL (P = .001) and keratoscopic data (P = .01). Parameters for reducing ametropia after grafting of keratoconus patients can be developed for each surgeon based on trephine disparity dependent on

Holistic Growth of College Peer Study Group Participants: Prompting Academic and Personal Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendale, David R.; Hane, Amanda R.

2014-01-01

This qualitative study focused on observed and perceived changes in academic and personal attitudes and behaviors by student participants in the Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) program at the University of Minnesota (UMN). The PAL model employs best practices from national peer learning models including Supplemental Instruction, Peer-led Team…

Psychometric Examination of the Modified Clinical Teaching Preference Questionnaire (CTPQ)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Brett; Winship, Christian

2014-01-01

While peer-assisted learning (PAL) continues to gain momentum internationally among educators and curricula, its use within the paramedic profession is still novel and untested. Therefore having instruments with strong measurement properties to use in paramedic PAL is important. This study is an investigation into the dimensionality and…

8 CFR 287.11 - Pre-enrolled Access Lane.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... prevent any person from passing through the checkpoint in the regular traffic lanes. (2) Only United... the Service for use in the PAL program. (5) Enrolled participants may be issued an identification... authorized persons and vehicles use the PAL. (7) All devices, decals, or other equipment, methodology, or...

Medical students as peer tutors: a systematic review

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background While Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) has long occurred informally in medical education, in the past ten years, there has been increasing international interest in formally organised PAL, with many benefits for both the students and institutions. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to establish why and how PAL has been implemented, focussing on the recruitment and training process for peer tutors, the benefits for peer tutors, and the competency of peer tutors. Method A literature search was conducted in three electronic databases. Selection of titles and abstracts were made based on pre-determined eligibility criteria. We utilized the ‘AMEE Peer assisted learning: a planning and implementation framework: AMEE Guide no. 30’ to assist us in establishing the review aims in a systematic review of the literature between 2002 and 2012. Six key questions were developed and used in our analysis of particular aspects of PAL programs within medical degree programs. Results We found nineteen articles that satisfied our inclusion criteria. The PAL activities fell into three broad categories of teacher training, peer teaching and peer assessment. Variability was found in the reporting of tutor recruitment and training processes, tutor outcomes, and tutor competencies. Conclusion Results from this review suggest that there are many perceived learning benefits for student tutors. However, there were mixed results regarding the accuracy of peer assessment and feedback, and no substantial evidence to conclude that participation as a peer tutor improves one’s own examination performance. Further research into PAL in medicine is required if we are to better understand the relative impact and benefits for student tutors. PMID:24912500

Differential inductions of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and chalcone synthase during wounding, salicylic acid treatment, and salinity stress in safflower, Carthamus tinctorius

PubMed Central

Dehghan, Sara; Sadeghi, Mahnaz; Pöppel, Anne; Fischer, Rainer; Lakes-Harlan, Reinhard; Kavousi, Hamid Reza; Vilcinskas, Andreas; Rahnamaeian, Mohammad

2014-01-01

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) serves as a reference dicot for investigation of defence mechanisms in Asteraceae due to abundant secondary metabolites and high resistance/tolerance to environmental stresses. In plants, phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathways are considered as two central defence signalling cascades in stress conditions. Here, we describe the isolation of two major genes in these pathways, CtPAL (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) and CtCHS (chalcone synthase) in safflower along with monitoring their expression profiles in different stress circumstances. The aa (amino acid) sequence of isolated region of CtPAL possesses the maximum identity up to 96% to its orthologue in Cynara scolymus, while that of CtCHS retains the highest identity to its orthologue in Callistephus chinensis up to 96%. Experiments for gene expression profiling of CtPAL and CtCHS were performed after the treatment of seedlings with 0.1 and 1 mM SA (salicylic acid), wounding and salinity stress. The results of semi-quantitative RT–PCR revealed that both CtPAL and CtCHS genes are further responsive to higher concentration of SA with dissimilar patterns. Regarding wounding stress, CtPAL gets slightly induced upon injury at 3 hat (hours after treatment) (hat), whereas CtCHS gets greatly induced at 3 hat and levels off gradually afterward. Upon salinity stress, CtPAL displays a similar expression pattern by getting slightly induced at 3 hat, but CtCHS exhibits a biphasic expression profile with two prominent peaks at 3 and 24 hat. These results substantiate the involvement of phenylpropanoid and particularly flavonoid pathways in safflower during wounding and especially salinity stress. PMID:24865400

Is nutrient intake associated with physical activity levels in healthy young adults?

PubMed

Yan, Yi; Drenowatz, Clemens; Hand, Gregory A; Shook, Robin P; Hurley, Thomas G; Hebert, James R; Blair, Steven N

2016-08-01

Both physical activity (PA) and diet are important contributors to health and well-being; however, there is limited information on the association of these behaviours and whether observed associations differ by weight. The present study aimed to evaluate whether nutrient intake is associated with PA and if this association varies by weight in young adults. Cross-sectional study to analyse the association between PA and nutrient intake. Participants were stratified as normal weight (18·5 kg/m2 PAL) was calculated (PAL=total daily energy expenditure/RMR) and used to stratify groups (PAL<1·6, 1·6≤PAL<1·9, PAL≥1·9). Adults (n 407; age 27·6 (sd 3·8) years, 48 % male), with BMI between 20 and 35 kg/m2, having at least two 24 h diet recalls and at least 5 d (including two weekend days) of valid, objectively measured PA data were included in the analysis. In normal-weight participants, higher PAL was associated with higher intakes of minerals (except Ca, Fe and Zn), B-vitamins and choline (P for trend <0·05). In the overweight/obese group, higher PAL was associated with higher intakes of fibre, K, Na and Cu (P for trend <0·05). These differences, however, were no longer significant after additionally controlling for total energy intake. More active young adults have higher intakes of essential micronutrients. The benefits of PA may be predominantly due to a higher overall food intake while maintaining energy balance rather than a healthier diet.

Association of dietary pattern and physical activity level with triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio among adults in Jiangsu, China: a cross-sectional study with sex-specific differences.

PubMed

Lyu, Shurong; Su, Jian; Xiang, Quanyong; Wu, Ming

2014-08-01

Our study aims to explore the association between dietary patterns and physical activity levels (PAL) with a triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio, and to examine whether the association is sex dependent among Chinese adults. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected through questionnaires, anthropometric measurement, and biochemical tests. Four food patterns ("meat," "healthy," "high-energy," and "traditional Chinese") were established through factor analysis. Physical activity level was categorized as "active," "moderate," and "inactive." Logistic regression models were used to determine the associations between food patterns and PAL with TG/HDL-C ratio. Compared with quartile 1, quartiles 2 and 3 of meat pattern among men were found to be associated with lower risk of high TG/HDL-C ratio (the highest quartile of TG/HDL-C ratio). Similar decreased risk of high TG/HDL-C ratio was also observed in the highest quartile 4 of healthy pattern among women. Active PAL was protective against high TG/HDL-C ratio among both men (odds ratio [OR], 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55-0.86) and women (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.62-0.96). Although no statistically significant interaction was observed, we found that individuals with active PAL and low healthy diet had a similar OR with those with inactive PAL and high healthy diet (0.62 vs 0.68). In conclusion, dietary patterns were associated with TG/HDL-C ratio in a sex-specific way, and active PAL was consistently related to decreased risk of high TG/HDL-C ratio across genders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determination of phenformin hydrochloride employing a sensitive fluorescent probe.

PubMed

Shi, Lin; Xie, Jian-Hong; Du, Li-Ming; Chang, Yin-xia; Wu, Hao

2016-06-05

A complexation of non-fluorescent phenformin hydrochloride (PFH) with cucurbit [7]uril (CB [7]) in aqueous solution was investigated using the fluorescent probe of palmatine (PAL) coupled with CB [7]. The fluorescent probe of CB [7]-PAL exhibited strong fluorescence in aqueous solution, which was quenched gradually with the increase of PFH. This effect is observed because when PFH was added to the host-guest system of CB [7]-PAL, PFH and PAL competed to occupy the CB [7] cavity. Portions of the PAL molecule were expelled from the CB [7] cavity owing to the introduction of PFH. Based on the significant quenching of the supramolecular complex fluorescence intensity, a fluorescence method of high sensitivity and selectivity was developed to determine PFH with good precision and accuracy for the first time. The linear range of the method was 0.005-1.9 μg mL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.003 μg mL(-1). In this work, association constants (K) of PFH with CB [7] were also determined. KCB [7]-PFH=(2.52±0.05)×10(5) L mol(-1). The ability of PFH to bind with CB [7] is stronger than that of PAL. The results of a density functional theory calculation authenticated that the moiety of PFH was embedded in the hydrophobic cavity of CB [7] tightly, and the nitrogen atom is located in the vicinity of a carbonyl-laced portal in the energy-minimized structure. The molecular modelling of the interaction between PFH and CB [7] was also confirmed by (1)H NMR spectra (Bruker 600 MHz). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of phenformin hydrochloride employing a sensitive fluorescent probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Lin; Xie, Jian-Hong; Du, Li-Ming; Chang, Yin-xia; Wu, Hao

2016-06-01

A complexation of non-fluorescent phenformin hydrochloride (PFH) with cucurbit [7]uril (CB [7]) in aqueous solution was investigated using the fluorescent probe of palmatine (PAL) coupled with CB [7]. The fluorescent probe of CB [7]-PAL exhibited strong fluorescence in aqueous solution, which was quenched gradually with the increase of PFH. This effect is observed because when PFH was added to the host-guest system of CB [7]-PAL, PFH and PAL competed to occupy the CB [7] cavity. Portions of the PAL molecule were expelled from the CB [7] cavity owing to the introduction of PFH. Based on the significant quenching of the supramolecular complex fluorescence intensity, a fluorescence method of high sensitivity and selectivity was developed to determine PFH with good precision and accuracy for the first time. The linear range of the method was 0.005-1.9 μg mL- 1 with a detection limit of 0.003 μg mL- 1. In this work, association constants (K) of PFH with CB [7] were also determined. KCB [7]-PFH = (2.52 ± 0.05) × 105 L mol- 1. The ability of PFH to bind with CB [7] is stronger than that of PAL. The results of a density functional theory calculation authenticated that the moiety of PFH was embedded in the hydrophobic cavity of CB [7] tightly, and the nitrogen atom is located in the vicinity of a carbonyl-laced portal in the energy-minimized structure. The molecular modelling of the interaction between PFH and CB [7] was also confirmed by 1H NMR spectra (Bruker 600 MHz).

Aspherics in spectacle lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dürsteler, Juan Carlos

2016-12-01

A review of the use of aspherics in the last decades, understood in a broad sense as encompassing single-vision lenses with conicoid surfaces and free-form and progressive addition lenses (PALs) as well, is provided. The appearance of conicoid surfaces to correct aphakia and later to provide thinner and more aesthetically appealing plus lenses and the introduction of PALs and free-form surfaces have shaped the advances in spectacle lenses in the last three decades. This document basically considers the main target optical aberrations, the idiosyncrasy of single lenses for correction of refractive errors and the restrictions and particularities of PAL design and their links to science vision and perception.

Photoaffinity labeling in target- and binding-site identification

PubMed Central

Smith, Ewan; Collins, Ian

2015-01-01

Photoaffinity labeling (PAL) using a chemical probe to covalently bind its target in response to activation by light has become a frequently used tool in drug discovery for identifying new drug targets and molecular interactions, and for probing the location and structure of binding sites. Methods to identify the specific target proteins of hit molecules from phenotypic screens are highly valuable in early drug discovery. In this review, we summarize the principles of PAL including probe design and experimental techniques for in vitro and live cell investigations. We emphasize the need to optimize and validate probes and highlight examples of the successful application of PAL across multiple disease areas. PMID:25686004

Strain-specific variation in a soilborne phytopathogenic fungus for the expression of genes involved in pH signal transduction pathway, pathogenesis and saprophytic survival in response to environmental pH changes.

PubMed

Daval, Stéphanie; Lebreton, Lionel; Gracianne, Cécile; Guillerm-Erckelboudt, Anne-Yvonne; Boutin, Morgane; Marchi, Muriel; Gazengel, Kévin; Sarniguet, Alain

2013-12-01

The soilborne fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt) causes take-all, a wheat root disease. In an original strain-specific way, a previous study indicates that inside the Ggt species, some strains grow preferentially at acidic pH and other strains at neutral/alkaline pH. The most important mechanism for a fungal response to the environmental pH is the Pal pathway which integrates the products of the six pal genes and the transcription factor PacC. To evaluate whether the Ggt strain-specific growth in function of the ambient pH is mediated via the Pal pathway, a transcriptional study of the genes encoding this pathway was carried out. This study provided the first evidence that the pH signalling pathway similar to those described in other fungi operated in Ggt. The pacC gene was induced at neutral pH whatever the strain. In an original way, the expression of Ggt genes coding for the different Pal proteins depended on the strain and on the ambient pH. In the strain growing better at acidic pH, few pal genes were pH-regulated, and some were overexpressed at neutral pH when regulated. In the strain growing better at neutral pH, underexpression of most of the pal genes at neutral pH occurred. The strains displayed higher gene expression in the ambient pH that unfavoured their growth as if it was a compensation system. All pH taken together, a globally weaker Pal transcript level occurred in the strains that were less sensitive to acidic pH, and on the contrary, the strain growing better on neutral pH showed higher Pal mRNA levels. The expression of genes involved in pathogenesis and saprophytic growth was also regulated by the ambient pH and the strain: each gene displayed a specific pH-regulation that was similar between strains. But all pH taken together, the global transcript levels of four out of six genes were higher in the strain growing better on neutral pH. Altogether, for the first time, the results show that inside a species, conditions affecting

The Proper Motion of Palomar 5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz, T. K.; Kallivayalil, N.

2015-10-01

Palomar 5 (Pal 5) is a faint halo globular cluster associated with narrow tidal tails. It is a useful system to understand the process of tidal dissolution, as well as to constrain the potential of the Milky Way. A well-determined orbit for Pal 5 would enable detailed study of these open questions. We present here the first CCD-based proper motion measurement of Pal 5 obtained using SDSS as a first epoch and new Large Binocular Telescope/Large Binocular Camera (LBC) images as a second, giving a baseline of 15 years. We perform relative astrometry, using SDSS as a distortion-free reference, and images of the cluster and also of the Pal 5 stream for the derivation of the distortion correction for LBC. The reference frame is made up of background galaxies. We correct for differential chromatic refraction using relations obtained from SDSS colors as well as from flux-calibrated spectra, finding that the correction relations for stars and for galaxies are different. We obtain μα = -2.296 ± 0.186 mas yr-1 and μδ = -2.257 ± 0.181 mas yr-1 for the proper motion of Pal 5. We use this motion, and the publicly available code galpy, to model the disruption of Pal 5 in different Milky Way models consisting of a bulge, a disk, and a spherical dark matter halo. Our fits to the observed stream properties (streak and radial velocity gradient) result in a preference for a relatively large Pal 5 distance of around 24 kpc. A slightly larger absolute proper motion than what we measure also results in better matches but the best solutions need a change in distance. We find that a spherical Milky Way model, with V0 = 220 km s-1 and V20 kpc, i.e., approximately at the apocenter of Pal 5, of 218 km s-1, can match the data well, at least for our choice of disk and bulge parametrization. Based on LBT data. The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are: The Ohio State University, and The Research

An Evaluation of Project iRead: A Program Created to Improve Sight Word Recognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Theresa Meade

2014-01-01

This program evaluation was undertaken to examine the relationship between participation in Project iRead and student gains in word recognition, fluency, and comprehension as measured by the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) Test. Linear regressions compared the 2012-13 PALS results from 5,140 first and second grade students at…

Marine Corps Forces, Pacific

Science.gov Websites

Foreign Travel Mission Statement Marine Rotational Force - Darwin About MRF-Darwin Leadership Mailing participated in the Amphibious Leadership Symposium, or PALS, along with 22 militaries from around the Indo military leadership participated in the Pacific Amphibious Leadership Symposium, or PALS, in Honolulu

WWC Review of the Report "A Written Language Intervention for At-Risk Second Grade Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Process Assessment of the Learner Lesson Plans in a Tier 2 Response-to-Intervention (RtI) Model." What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2014

2014-01-01

The study examined the effects of "Process Assessment of the Learner" ("PAL"), a writing expression curriculum. The program was tested with second-grade students in a suburban-rural school district in the southeastern United States. Three sections of PAL lessons were implemented in the district as a small-group curriculum…

77 FR 59346 - Payday-Alternative Loans

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-27

... increase in the number of participating FCUs, and it commends those FCUs that offer PAL loans to their members. The Board intends to increase the participation level in a meaningful way and ensure that all... improve the PAL regulation. An increase in the permissible application fee may enable FCUs with higher...

Down-regulation of kelch domain-containing F-box protein in Arabidopsis enhances the production of (poly)phenols and tolerance to ultraviolet radiation

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Xuebin; Liu, Chang -Jun; Gou, Mingyue; ...

2014-12-01

Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in plants engenders myriad phenolics with diverse biological functions. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first committed enzyme in the pathway, directing primary metabolic flux into a phenylpropanoid branch. Previously, we demonstrated that the Arabidopsis Kelch-domain containing F-box proteins, AtKFB01, -20, and -50, function as the negative regulators controlling phenylpropanoid biosynthesis via mediating PAL’s ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Here, we reveal that Arabidopsis KFB39, a close homolog of AtKFB50, also interacts physically with PAL isozymes and modulates PALs' stability and activity. Disturbing the expression of KFB39 reciprocally affects the accumulation/deposition of a set of phenylpropanoid end products, suggesting thatmore » KFB39 is an additional post-translational regulator responsible for the turnover of PAL and negatively controlling phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Furthermore, we discover that exposure of Arabidopsis to UV-B radiation suppresses the expression of all four KFB genes while inducing the transcription of PAL isogenes; these data suggest that Arabidopsis consolidates both transcriptional and post-translational regulation mechanisms to maximize its responses to UV stress. Simultaneous down-regulation of all four identified KFBs significantly enhances the production of (poly)phenols and the plant’s tolerance to UV irradiation. This study offers a biotechnological approach for engineering the production of useful phenolic chemicals and for increasing a plant’s resistance to environmental stress.« less

Clinical peri-implant sounding accuracy in the presence of chronic inflammation of peri-implant tissues. Clinical observation study.

PubMed

Romeo, E; Lops, D; Storelli, S; Ghisolfi, M

2009-03-01

The aim of this study was to assess if the probing pocket depth is a reliable clinical parameter in the evaluation of the depth of the peri-implant sulci. In case of chronic inflamed peri-implant tissues, this evaluation is useful for understanding the level of bone resorption. The study enrolled 22 patients. All of them were diagnosed for a peri-implantitis and were scheduled for a resective surgery with implantoplasty. During the surgery, a full thickness flap was raised and resective surgery was performed as well as an implantoplasty procedure. Peri-implant probing values before the surgery (PAL) were recorded, as were values of bone resorption after flap elevation (DIB), at all four sites around each implant (88 sites). The mean value of PAL calculated for all 88 sites was 5.67 mm (+/-1.46); the correspondent value of DIB was 6.37 mm (+/-1.81). In 52 sites out of 88 (59.1%) the values of PAL and DIB were exactly the same (maximum difference 0.5 mm). In only 10 cases (11.3%) the difference between PAL and DIB was >2 mm. The mean values for PAL and DIB were not statistically different. Authors have concluded that in case of chronic inflammation of peri-implant tissues, the probe reaches the bone pick, allowing the clinician to have reliable information on the actual bone resorption.

Assessment of oxygen saturation in dental pulp of permanent teeth with periodontal disease.

PubMed

Giovanella, Larissa Bergesch; Barletta, Fernando Branco; Felippe, Wilson Tadeu; Bruno, Kely Firmino; de Alencar, Ana Helena Gonçalves; Estrela, Carlos

2014-12-01

In individuals with periodontal disease, dental pulp status should be determined before a treatment plan is made. Pulse oximeters are promising diagnostic tools to evaluate pulp vascularization. This study used pulse oximetry to determine the level of oxygen saturation in dental pulp of intact permanent teeth with periodontal attachment loss (PAL) and gingival recession (GR) and to evaluate the correlation between periodontal disease and level of oxygen saturation in the pulp. This study included 67 anterior teeth of 35 patients; all teeth showed intact crowns, PAL, a periodontal pocket (PP), and GR. The teeth underwent periodontal examination, cold and electric pulp testing, and pulse oximetry measurements. The Pearson correlation coefficient and a linear regression coefficient were calculated to evaluate the degree of correlation between periodontal disease markers (PAL, PP, and GR) and the level of oxygen saturation in dental pulp. These tests also evaluated possible associations between oxygen saturation and cold and electric pulp testing. PAL, PP, and GR had negative correlations with oxygen saturation in dental pulp. Conversely, no statistically significant association was found between oxygen saturation in dental pulp and the response to electric sensibility testing. Oxygen saturation was lower in the pulp of permanent teeth with PAL, PP, and GR, indicating that periodontal disease correlates with the level of oxygen saturation in the pulp. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of Self-Reported Physical Activity Levels in Obese Adolescents

PubMed Central

Elliott, Sarah A.; Baxter, Kimberley A.; Davies, Peter S. W.; Truby, Helen

2014-01-01

Introduction. Self-reported measures of habitual physical activity rely completely on the respondent's ability to provide accurate information on their own physical activity behaviours. Our aim was to investigate if obese adolescents could accurately report their physical activity levels (PAL) using self-reported diaries. Methods. Total energy expenditure (TEE) was measured using doubly labelled water (DLW) and resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured via indirect calorimetry. Activity energy expenditure (AEE) and PAL values were derived from measured TEE and REE. Self-reported, four-day activity diaries were used to calculate daily MET values and averaged to give an estimated PAL value (ePAL). Results. Twenty-two obese adolescents, mean age 13.2 ± 1.8 years, mean BMI 31.3 ± 4.6 kg/m2, completed the study. No significant differences between mean measured and estimated PAL values were observed (1.37 ± 0.13 versus 1.40 ± 0.34, P = 0.74). Bland Altman analysis illustrated a significant relationship (r = −0.76, P < 0.05) between the two methods; thus the bias was not consistent across a range of physical activity levels, with the more inactive overreporting their physical activity. Conclusion. At an individual level, obese adolescents are unlikely to be able to provide an accurate estimation of their own activity. PMID:25247095

Down-Regulation of Kelch Domain-Containing F-Box Protein in Arabidopsis Enhances the Production of (Poly)phenols and Tolerance to Ultraviolet Radiation1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xuebin; Gou, Mingyue; Guo, Chunrong; Yang, Huijun; Liu, Chang-Jun

2015-01-01

Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in plants engenders myriad phenolics with diverse biological functions. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first committed enzyme in the pathway, directing primary metabolic flux into a phenylpropanoid branch. Previously, we demonstrated that the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Kelch domain-containing F-box proteins, AtKFB01, AtKFB20, and AtKFB50, function as the negative regulators controlling phenylpropanoid biosynthesis via mediating PAL’s ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Here, we reveal that Arabidopsis KFB39, a close homolog of AtKFB50, also interacts physically with PAL isozymes and modulates PAL stability and activity. Disturbing the expression of KFB39 reciprocally affects the accumulation/deposition of a set of phenylpropanoid end products, suggesting that KFB39 is an additional posttranslational regulator responsible for the turnover of PAL and negatively controlling phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Furthermore, we discover that exposure of Arabidopsis to ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation suppresses the expression of all four KFB genes while inducing the transcription of PAL isogenes; these data suggest that Arabidopsis consolidates both transcriptional and posttranslational regulation mechanisms to maximize its responses to UV light stress. Simultaneous down-regulation of all four identified KFBs significantly enhances the production of (poly)phenols and the plant’s tolerance to UV irradiation. This study offers a biotechnological approach for engineering the production of useful phenolic chemicals and for increasing a plant’s resistance to environmental stress. PMID:25502410

Identifying Attributes of CO2 Leakage Zones in Shallow Aquifers Using a Parametric Level Set Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, A. Y.; Islam, A.; Wheeler, M.

2016-12-01

Leakage through abandoned wells and geologic faults poses the greatest risk to CO2 storage permanence. For shallow aquifers, secondary CO2 plumes emanating from the leak zones may go undetected for a sustained period of time and has the greatest potential to cause large-scale and long-term environmental impacts. Identification of the attributes of leak zones, including their shape, location, and strength, is required for proper environmental risk assessment. This study applies a parametric level set (PaLS) method to characterize the leakage zone. Level set methods are appealing for tracking topological changes and recovering unknown shapes of objects. However, level set evolution using the conventional level set methods is challenging. In PaLS, the level set function is approximated using a weighted sum of basis functions and the level set evolution problem is replaced by an optimization problem. The efficacy of PaLS is demonstrated through recovering the source zone created by CO2 leakage into a carbonate aquifer. Our results show that PaLS is a robust source identification method that can recover the approximate source locations in the presence of measurement errors, model parameter uncertainty, and inaccurate initial guesses of source flux strengths. The PaLS inversion framework introduced in this work is generic and can be adapted for any reactive transport model by switching the pre- and post-processing routines.

Layered double hydroxide intercalated with aromatic acid anions for the efficient capture of aniline from aqueous solution.

PubMed

Yu, Shujun; Wang, Xiangxue; Chen, Zhongshan; Wang, Jian; Wang, Suhua; Hayat, Tasawar; Wang, Xiangke

2017-01-05

Aniline is toxic and hard to be degraded, and thereby causes the environmental pollution seriously. Herein, a practical and green hydrothermal method was applied to fabricate terephthalic acid and pyromellitic acid intercalated layered double hydroxides (LDH) (named as TAL and PAL) for aniline efficient removal. The sorption of aniline on LDH-based materials were investigated at different experimental conditions, and the results indicated that aniline sorption on LDH, TAL and PAL were strongly dependent on pH and independent of ionic strength. The maximum sorption capacities of aniline on TAL and PAL at pH 5.0 and 293K were 90.4 and 130.0mg/g, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of aniline on LDH (52.6mg/g). Based on the BET, FTIR and XPS analysis, the higher sorption capacities of TAL and PAL were mainly due to high surface area and basal spacing as well as the abundant functional groups (e.g. -COO - ). The interactions of aniline with TAL and PAL were mainly dominated by hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. Such a facile synthesis method, efficient removal performance and superior reusability indicated that the aromatic acid modified LDH materials had potential application for efficient treatment of organic pollutants in environmental pollution cleanup. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Esophageal Anastomotic Integrity With Serial Pleural Amylase Levels.

PubMed

Miller, Daniel L; Helms, Gerald A; Mayfield, William R

2018-01-01

An anastomotic leak is the most devastating and potentially fatal complication after esophagectomy. Current detection methods can be inaccurate and place patients at risk of other complications. Analysis of pleural fluid for amylase may be more accurate and place patients at less of a risk for evaluating the integrity of an esophageal anastomosis. We retrospectively reviewed prospective data of 45 consecutive patients who underwent an Ivor Lewis esophagectomy over an 18-month period and evaluated their anastomotic integrity with serial pleural amylase levels (PAL). There were 40 men (89%), and median age was 63 years (range, 35 to 79). Indication for esophagectomy was cancer in 38 patients (84%); 27 (71%) underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation. A barium swallow was performed in the first 25 patients at median postoperative day (POD) 5 (range, 5 to 10); the swallow was negative in 23 patients (93%). Serial PALs were obtained starting on POD 3 and stopped 1 day after toleration of clear liquids. The PALs in the no-leak patients were highest on POD 3 (median 42 IU/L; range, 20 to 102 IU/L) and decreased (median 15 IU/L; range, 8 to 34 IU/L) to the lowest levels 1 day after clear liquid toleration (p = 0.04). Two patients had a leak and had peak PALs of 227 IU/L and 630 IU/L, respectively; both leaks occurred on POD 4, 1 day before their scheduled swallow test. The last 20 patients underwent serial PALs only, without a planned swallow test or computed tomography scan for anastomotic integrity evaluation. One of these patients had a leak on POD 5 with a low PAL of 55 IU/L the day before the spike of more than 4,000 IU/L. Two of the leaks were treated with esophageal stent placement and intravenous antibiotics, and the remaining patient's leak resolved with intravenous antibiotics, no oral intake, and observation only. None of the leak patients required transthoracic esophageal repair or drainage of an empyema. There was 1 postoperative death (2%) secondary to aspiration

American River College Beacon Project Student Catalyst Program: Peer Assisted Learning. Annual Report, 1992-93.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reitz, Nancy; McCuen, Sharon

American River College's (California) Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) project is a 2-year project initiated in 1992 to improve the retention and performance of minority students and others in math, biology, and chemistry through increased contact and involvement with their peers. PAL involves a cadre of 24 student Learning Assistants (LA's) who have…

Introducing Case-Based Peer-Assisted Learning in a Professional Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgson, Yvonne; Brack, Charlotte; Benson, Robyn

2014-01-01

This paper describes students' experience of participating in a case-based peer-assisted learning (PAL) program in order to examine whether the approach is pedagogically effective and likely to contribute to students' professional development. It presents the findings of a study which examined the integration of PAL and case-based learning (CBL)…

Using Peer Assisted Learning Strategies for Boys, Aboriginal Learners, and At-Risk Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattatall, Chris A.

2017-01-01

This study reports on one school district's attempt to address reading gaps in boys, Aboriginal students, and special education students at 1st grade by implementing Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) to supplement classroom reading instruction. Findings indicate that compared to previous years, when PALS was not used, students in this study…

The Investigation of the Relation between Physical Activity and Academic Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iri, Ruchan; Ibis, Serkan; Aktug, Zait Burak

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the interaction among Physical Activity Levels (PAL), academic successes, perceived academic competency and Motor Skills (MS) of male and female students at the age of 14-17 in terms of gender variable. The PALs, perceived academic competency and academic successes were determined through International…

Peer-Assisted Learning in School Physical Education, Sport and Physical Activity Programmes: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkinson, Kate. A.; Naughton, Geraldine; Benson, Amanda C.

2014-01-01

Background: Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is a teaching strategy utilised in both the general classroom and physical education. Through the interaction with same-age or cross-age peers, learning can occur across various domains. Purpose: This review aimed to identify school-based PAL interventions and assess the tutor training provided, as well as…

Language Learning and the Raising of Cultural Awareness through Internet Telephony: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polisca, Elena

2011-01-01

This article seeks to assess the impact of V-Pal (Virtual Partnerships for All Languages) on the student language learning experience within a conventional UK higher education (HE) curriculum. V-Pal is an innovative computer-mediated language scheme, based on a reciprocal, distance-learning language project, run by the University of Manchester in…

Is There a Role for Exercise in the Management of Bulbar Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plowman, Emily K.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The role of exercise in the management of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (PALS) is controversial and currently unclear. The purpose of this review article is to review literature examining the impact of limb, respiratory, and oral motor exercise on function, disease progression, and survival in PALS and the transgenic ALS…

Peer Assisted Learning in Clinical Education: Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henning, Jolene M.; Weidner, Thomas G.; Marty, Melissa C.

2008-01-01

Objective: To examine the occurrence, benefits, and preferences for peer assisted learning (PAL) in medical and allied health clinical education, and to identify areas in athletic training which need further research. Data Sources: Using relevant terms, five databases were searched for the period 1980-2006 regarding literature on the use of PAL in…

Peer-Assisted Learning: Filling the Gaps in Basic Science Education for Preclinical Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sammaraiee, Yezen; Mistry, Ravi D.; Lim, Julian; Wittner, Liora; Deepak, Shantal; Lim, Gareth

2016-01-01

In contrast to peer-assisted learning (PAL) in clinical training, there is scant literature on the efficacy of PAL during basic medical sciences teaching for preclinical students. A group of senior medical students aimed to design and deliver clinically oriented small-group tutorials after every module in the preclinical curriculum at a United…

Total energy expenditure, resting metabolic rate and physical activity level in free-living rural elderly men and women from Cuba, Chile and México.

PubMed

Alemán-Mateo, H; Salazar, G; Hernández-Triana, M; Valencia, M E

2006-11-01

The objective of this study was to assess total energy expenditure (TEE), resting metabolic rate (RMR) and physical activity level (PAL), and to estimate energy requirements (ERs) in free-living elderly subjects from Cuba, Chile and Mexico. Cross-sectional study designed to estimate ERs. Rural regions of Cuba, Chile and Mexico. Forty subjects >60 years old were selected to participate in this study. A dose of doubly labeled water (DLW) was administered and urine samples were collected in the following 12-14 days. From the isotopic analysis, TEE was derived. RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry. TEE in Chilean (8.8+/-1.6 MJ/day) and Cuban (8.3+/-1.3 MJ/day) elderly was not different, and was higher for the Mexican group (9.5+/-1.5 MJ/day) (P < 0.0001). RMR was not different between countries. PAL and activity energy expenditure (AEE) were only different between Chile and Mexico (P < 0.002). For the three regions, overall PALs were 1.70+/-0.16 for male and 1.62+/-0.13 for female subjects (P < 0.02), and AEE was 3.05+/-0.66 and 2.27+/-0.66 MJ/day for male and female subjects, respectively (P < 0.001). Predictive equations (MJ/day) were RMR = 1.6447 + 0.05714 x weight (kg) + 0.449 sex (male = 1; female = 0) (R2 = 0.75; SEE = 0.479) and TEE = 3.414 + 0.0795 x weight (kg) + 1.227 x sex (male = 1; female = 0) (R2 = 0.75; SEE = 0.668). There were differences in TEE and PAL owing to sex and region. The average PAL in men was higher than the PAL reported either with factorial approach or with the DLW method in elderly. Predictive ER equations based on RMR and TEE gave very similar results to calculations from the 2004 FAO/WHO/UNU report.

Year-round high physical activity levels in agropastoralists of Bolivian Andes: Results from repeated measurements of DLW method in peak and slack seasons of agricultural activities

PubMed Central

Kashiwazaki, Hiroshi; Uenishi, Kazuhiro; Kobayashi, Toshio; Rivera, Jose Orias; Coward, William A; Wright, Antony

2009-01-01

By the repeated use of the doubly labeled water method (DLW), this study aimed to investigate (1) the extent of changes in energy expenditure and physical activity level (PAL) in response to increased agricultural work demands, and (2) whether the seasonal work demands induce the changes in the fairly equitable division of work and similarity of energy needs between men and women observed in our previous study (Phase 1 study; Kashiwazaki et al., 1995: Am J Clin Nutr 62: 901–910). In a rural small agropastoral community of the Bolivian Andes, we made the follow-up study (Phase 2, 14 adults; a time of high agricultural activity) of the Phase 1 study (12 adults; a time of low agricultural activity). In the Phase 2 study, both men and women showed very high PAL (mean±SD), but there was no significant difference by sex (men; 2.18 ± 0.23 (age; 64 ± 11 years, n = 7), women; 2.26 ± 0.25 (63 ± 10 years, n = 7)). The increase of PAL by 11% (P = 0.023) in the Phase 2 was equally occurred in both men and women. The factorial approach underestimated PAL significantly by ≈15% (P < 0.05). High PAL throughout the year ranging on average 2.0 and 2.2 was attributable to everyday tasks for subsistence and domestic works undertaking over 9–11 h (men spent 2.7 h on agricultural work and 4.7 h on animal herding, whereas women spent 7.3 h almost exclusively on animal herding). The seasonal increase in PAL was statistically significant, but it was smaller than those anticipated from published reports. A flexible division of labor played an important role in the equitable energetic increase in both men and women. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. PMID:19127525

Plant-rich mixed meals based on Palaeolithic diet principles have a dramatic impact on incretin, peptide YY and satiety response, but show little effect on glucose and insulin homeostasis: an acute-effects randomised study.

PubMed

Bligh, H Frances J; Godsland, Ian F; Frost, Gary; Hunter, Karl J; Murray, Peter; MacAulay, Katrina; Hyliands, Della; Talbot, Duncan C S; Casey, John; Mulder, Theo P J; Berry, Mark J

2015-02-28

There is evidence for health benefits from 'Palaeolithic' diets; however, there are a few data on the acute effects of rationally designed Palaeolithic-type meals. In the present study, we used Palaeolithic diet principles to construct meals comprising readily available ingredients: fish and a variety of plants, selected to be rich in fibre and phyto-nutrients. We investigated the acute effects of two Palaeolithic-type meals (PAL 1 and PAL 2) and a reference meal based on WHO guidelines (REF), on blood glucose control, gut hormone responses and appetite regulation. Using a randomised cross-over trial design, healthy subjects were given three meals on separate occasions. PAL2 and REF were matched for energy, protein, fat and carbohydrates; PAL1 contained more protein and energy. Plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) and peptide YY (PYY) concentrations were measured over a period of 180 min. Satiation was assessed using electronic visual analogue scale (EVAS) scores. GLP-1 and PYY concentrations were significantly increased across 180 min for both PAL1 (P= 0·001 and P< 0·001) and PAL2 (P= 0·011 and P= 0·003) compared with the REF. Concomitant EVAS scores showed increased satiety. By contrast, GIP concentration was significantly suppressed. Positive incremental AUC over 120 min for glucose and insulin did not differ between the meals. Consumption of meals based on Palaeolithic diet principles resulted in significant increases in incretin and anorectic gut hormones and increased perceived satiety. Surprisingly, this was independent of the energy or protein content of the meal and therefore suggests potential benefits for reduced risk of obesity.

Design, methodology, and baseline data of the Personalized Addition Lenses Clinical Trial (PACT)

PubMed Central

Yu, Xinping; Zhang, Binjun; Bao, Jinhua; Zhang, Junxiao; Wu, Ge; Xu, Jinling; Zheng, Jingwei; Drobe, Björn; Chen, Hao

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to describe the design, methods, and baseline characteristics of children enrolled in the Personalized Addition lenses Clinical Trial (PACT). PACT aims to test the myopia control efficacy of progressive addition lenses (PALs) with personalized addition values compared with standard (+2.00 D) addition PALs and single vision lenses (SVLs). Methods: PACT is a randomized, controlled, double-masked clinical trial. Two hundred eleven myopic Chinese children (7–12 years) were enrolled and randomized into 1 of the 3 following groups: personalized addition PALs; +2.00 addition PALs; and SVLs. Personalized addition values were determined based on the highest addition that satisfied Sheard criterion. Axial length and other biometric data were also recorded. Results: At baseline, no differences were found between the right and left eyes for any of the main parameters. The enrolled children were 9.7 ± 1.1 years’ old with cycloplegic autorefraction (right eye [OD]: −2.36 ± 0.64 D), near phoria (1.0 ± 5.0 prism diopter esophoria), lag of accommodation (1.40 ± 0.50 D) and axial length (OD: 24.58 ± 0.74 mm). The personalized addition values ranged from +0.75 to +3.00 (average ± SD: 2.19 ± 0.73 D). Conclusion: PACT is a clinical trial evaluating whether myopia progression in children can be slowed by wearing personalized addition PALs compared with fixed addition PALs and SVLs as measured by cycloplegic autorefraction and axial length. Baseline data were comparable with those of previous myopia control studies in children. Subjects will be followed up every 6 months for 2 years. PMID:28296722

Peripheral Defocus and Myopia Progression in Myopic Children Randomly Assigned to Wear Single Vision and Progressive Addition Lenses

PubMed Central

Berntsen, David A.; Barr, Christopher D.; Mutti, Donald O.; Zadnik, Karla

2013-01-01

Purpose. To determine the effect of progressive addition lenses (PALs) and single vision lenses (SVLs) on peripheral defocus in myopic children, and to compare the effect of myopic versus hyperopic peripheral defocus on foveal myopia progression. Methods. Eighty-four myopic children aged 6 to 11 years with spherical equivalent (SE) cycloplegic autorefraction between −0.75 diopters (D) and −4.50 D were randomly assigned to wear SVLs or PALs. Aberrometry measurements of the eye and spectacles were made centrally, 30° nasally, temporally, and superiorly, and 20° inferiorly on the retina using a Complete Ophthalmic Analysis System for Vision Research (COAS-VR). The association between peripheral defocus and the 1-year change in central myopia was investigated. Results. SVLs caused a hyperopic shift in peripheral defocus at all locations (all P ≤ 0.0003). PALs caused a myopic shift in peripheral defocus in three of four locations measured (all P ≤ 0.01) with the greatest shift superiorly due to the PAL addition (−1.04 ± 0.30 D). Superior retinal defocus when wearing either SVLs or PALs was associated with the 1-year change in central myopia. The adjusted 1-year change in central SE myopia was −0.38 D for children with absolute superior myopic defocus (n = 67) and −0.65 D for children with absolute superior hyperopic defocus (n = 17; difference = 0.27 D; P = 0.002). Conclusions. PALs caused a myopic shift in peripheral defocus. Superior myopic defocus was associated with less central myopia progression. These data support the continued investigation of optical designs that result in peripheral myopic defocus as a potential way to slow myopia progression. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00335049.) PMID:23838771

Extraperitoneal Robotic-Assisted Para-Aortic Lymphadenectomy in Gynecologic Cancer Staging: Current Evidence.

PubMed

Bogani, Giorgio; Ditto, Antonino; Martinelli, Fabio; Signorelli, Mauro; Chiappa, Valentina; Sabatucci, Ilaria; Scaffa, Cono; Lorusso, Domenica; Raspagliesi, Francesco

2016-01-01

We reviewed the current evidence on the safety, effectiveness, and applicability of extraperitoneal robotic-assisted para-aortic lymphadenectomy (ExtRA-PAL) as the staging procedure of gynecologic malignancies. PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, Web of Science databases, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for original studies reporting outcomes of ExtRA-PAL. Quality of the included studies and their level of recommendation were assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines, respectively. Overall, 62 studies were identified; after a process of evidence acquisition 5 original investigations were available for this review that included 98 patients undergoing ExtRA-PAL. The main surgical indication was staging for cervical cancer (n = 71, 72%). The mean (SD) number of para-aortic node yielded was 15.4 (±4.7) nodes. Blood transfusion and intraoperative complication rates were 2% and 6%, respectively. ExtRA-PAL was completed in 88 patients (90%). Six (6%) and 4 (4%) patients had conversion to other minimally invasive procedures and open surgery, respectively. Success rate was 99% among patients undergoing ExtRA-PAL without concomitant procedures. Overall, mean (SD) length of hospital stay was 2.8 (±0.5) days. Twenty-four patients (24%) developed postoperative events. According to the Clavien-Dindo grading system, grades IIIa and IIIb morbidity rates were 12% and 2%, respectively. No grades IV and V morbidity occurred. ExtRA-PAL is associated with a high success rate and a relative low morbidity rate. However, because of the limited data on this issue, further studies are warranted to assess the long-term effectiveness of this procedure. Copyright © 2016 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organizational Learning in Shop Floor Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Che Keung; Geng, Shuang; Chuah, Kong Bieng; Chau, Yiu Chung; Kwong, Kar Fai

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present the result of the pilot run of a research project which aims at evaluating the applicability of project-based action learning (PAL) to shop floor organizational learning (OL) component in a manufacturing company in Dongguan, China. How the PAL framework was introduced and implemented is described. The factors…

Induction of Anthocyanin Accumulation by Cytokinins in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed Central

Deikman, J.; Hammer, P. E.

1995-01-01

Arabidopsis thaliana plants treated with exogenous cytokinins accumulate anthocyanin pigments. We have characterized this response because it is potentially useful as a genetic marker for cytokinin responsiveness. Levels of mRNAs for four genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, phenylalanine ammonia lyase 1 (PAL1), chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI), and dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR) were shown to increase coordinately in response to benzyladenine (BA). However, nuclear run-on transcription experiments suggested that although CHS and DFR are controlled by BA at the transcriptional level, PAL1 and CHI are controlled by BA posttranscriptionally. CHS mRNA levels increased within 2 h of BA spray application, and peaked by 3 h. Levels of PAL1 mRNA did not increase within 6 h of BA spray. We also showed that PAL1, CHS, CHI, and DFR mRNA levels fluctuate during a 24-h period and appear to be controlled by a circadian clock. The relation between cytokinin regulation and light regulation of CHS gene transcription is discussed. PMID:12228453

Effects of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 positive allosteric modulator CDPPB on rats tested with the paired associates learning task in touchscreen-equipped operant conditioning chambers.

PubMed

Lins, Brittney R; Howland, John G

2016-03-15

Effective treatments for the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia are critically needed. Positive allosteric modulation (PAM) of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) is one strategy currently under investigation to improve these symptoms. Examining cognition using touchscreen-equipped operant chambers may increase translation between preclinical and clinical research through analogous behavioral testing paradigms in rodents and humans. We used acute CDPPB (1-30mg/kg) treatment to examine the effects of mGluR5 PAM in the touchscreen paired associates learning (PAL) task using well-trained rats with and without co-administration of acute MK-801 (0.15mg/kg). CDPPB had no consistent effects on task performance when administered alone and failed to reverse the MK-801 induced impairments at any of the examined doses. Overall, the disruptive effects of MK-801 on PAL were consistent with previous research but increasing mGluR5 signaling is not beneficial in the PAL task. Future research should test whether administration of CDPPB during PAL acquisition increases performance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using Eulerian video magnification to enhance detection of fasciculations in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Van Hillegondsberg, Ludo; Carr, Jonathan; Brey, Naeem; Henning, Franclo

2017-12-01

This study seeks to determine whether the use of Eulerian video magnification (EVM) increases the detection of muscle fasciculations in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (PALS) compared with direct clinical observation (DCO). Thirty-second-long video recordings were taken of 9 body regions of 7 PALS and 7 controls, and fasciculations were counted by DCO during the same 30-s period. The video recordings were then motion magnified and reviewed by 2 independent assessors. In PALS, median fasciculation count per body region was 1 by DCO (range 0-10) and 3 in the EVM recordings (range 0-15; P < 0.0001). EVM revealed more fasciculations than DCO in 61% of recordings. In controls, median fasciculation count was 0 for both DCO and EVM. Compared with DCO, EVM significantly increased the detection of fasciculations in body regions of PALS. When it is used to supplement clinical examination, EVM has the potential to facilitate the diagnosis of ALS. Muscle Nerve 56: 1063-1067, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Benzothiadiazole Primes Parsley Cells for Augmented Elicitation of Defense Responses

PubMed Central

Katz, Vera A.; Thulke, Oliver U.; Conrath, Uwe

1998-01-01

Systemic acquired resistance is an important component of the disease-resistance arsenal of plants, and is associated with an enhanced potency for activating local defense responses upon pathogen attack. Here we demonstrate that pretreatment with benzothiadiazole (BTH), a synthetic activator of acquired resistance in plants, augmented the sensitivity for low-dose elicitation of coumarin phytoalexin secretion by cultured parsley (Petroselinum crispum L.) cells. Enhanced coumarin secretion was associated with potentiated activation of genes encoding Phe ammonia-lyase (PAL). The augmentation of PAL gene induction was proportional to the length of pretreatment with BTH, indicating time-dependent priming of the cells. In contrast to the PAL genes, those for anionic peroxidase were directly induced by BTH in the absence of elicitor, thus confirming a dual role for BTH in the activation of plant defenses. Strikingly, the ability of various chemicals to enhance plant disease resistance correlated with their capability to potentiate parsley PAL gene elicitation, emphasizing an important role for defense response potentiation in acquired plant disease resistance. PMID:9701589

On the empirical determination of positron trapping coefficient at nano-scale helium bubbles in steels irradiated in spallation target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krsjak, Vladimir; Kuriplach, Jan; Vieh, Christiane; Peng, Lei; Dai, Yong

2018-06-01

In the present work, the specific positron trapping rate of small helium bubbles was empirically derived from positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of Fe9Cr martensitic steels. Both techniques are well known to be sensitive to nanometer-sized helium-filled cavities induced during irradiation in a mixed proton-neutron spectrum of spallation target. Complementary TEM and PALS studies show that positrons are being trapped to these defects at a rate of 1.2 ± 0.8 × 10-14 m3s-1. This suggests that helium bubbles in ferritic/martensitic steels are attractive traps for positrons comparable to mono-vacancies and quantitative analysis of the bubbles by PALS technique is plausible.

Restriction of a bacteriophage of Streptomyces albus G involving endonuclease SalI.

PubMed Central

Chater, K F; Wilde, L C

1976-01-01

The bacteriophage Pa16, isolated from soil on Streptomyces albus G, was restricted when transferred from an alternative host back to S. albus G. Extracted unmodified Pa16 deoxyribonucleic acid was cleaved at a single site by a cell-free extract of S. albus G. Fractions cleaving Pal6 deoxyribonucleic acid contained the endonuclease SalI first described by J. Arrand, P. Myers, and R. J. Roberts (unpublished data). A mutant of S. albus G was isolated which was defective in both restriction and modification of Pal6. This mutant lacked SalI activity. It is concluded that SalI is the agent of restriction of Pal6 by S. albus G. Images PMID:977549

A clinical study of patient acceptance and satisfaction of Varilux Plus and Varilux Infinity lenses.

PubMed

Cho, M H; Barnette, C B; Aiken, B; Shipp, M

1991-06-01

An independent study was conducted at the UAB School of Optometry to determine the clinical success with Varilux Plus (Varilux 2) and Varilux Infinity progressive addition lenses (PAL). Two hundred eighty patients (280) were fit between June 1988 and May 1989. The acceptance rate of 97.5 percent was based on the number of lenses ordered versus the number of lenses returned. Patients were contacted by telephone and asked to rate their level of satisfaction with their PALs. A chi-square (non-parametric) test revealed no statistically significant differences in levels of satisfaction with respect to gender, PAL type, or degree of presbyopia. Also, neither refractive error nor previous lens history had a measurable impact on patient satisfaction.

Synthesis of d‐ and l‐Phenylalanine Derivatives by Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyases: A Multienzymatic Cascade Process†

PubMed Central

Parmeggiani, Fabio; Lovelock, Sarah L.; Weise, Nicholas J.; Ahmed, Syed T.

2015-01-01

Abstract The synthesis of substituted d‐phenylalanines in high yield and excellent optical purity, starting from inexpensive cinnamic acids, has been achieved with a novel one‐pot approach by coupling phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) amination with a chemoenzymatic deracemization (based on stereoselective oxidation and nonselective reduction). A simple high‐throughput solid‐phase screening method has also been developed to identify PALs with higher rates of formation of non‐natural d‐phenylalanines. The best variants were exploited in the chemoenzymatic cascade, thus increasing the yield and ee value of the d‐configured product. Furthermore, the system was extended to the preparation of those l‐phenylalanines which are obtained with a low ee value using PAL amination. PMID:27478261

Synthesis of d- and l-Phenylalanine Derivatives by Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyases: A Multienzymatic Cascade Process.

PubMed

Parmeggiani, Fabio; Lovelock, Sarah L; Weise, Nicholas J; Ahmed, Syed T; Turner, Nicholas J

2015-04-07

The synthesis of substituted d-phenylalanines in high yield and excellent optical purity, starting from inexpensive cinnamic acids, has been achieved with a novel one-pot approach by coupling phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) amination with a chemoenzymatic deracemization (based on stereoselective oxidation and nonselective reduction). A simple high-throughput solid-phase screening method has also been developed to identify PALs with higher rates of formation of non-natural d-phenylalanines. The best variants were exploited in the chemoenzymatic cascade, thus increasing the yield and ee value of the d-configured product. Furthermore, the system was extended to the preparation of those l-phenylalanines which are obtained with a low ee  value using PAL amination.

Synthesis of d- and l-Phenylalanine Derivatives by Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyases: A Multienzymatic Cascade Process**

PubMed Central

Parmeggiani, Fabio; Lovelock, Sarah L; Weise, Nicholas J; Ahmed, Syed T; Turner, Nicholas J

2015-01-01

The synthesis of substituted d-phenylalanines in high yield and excellent optical purity, starting from inexpensive cinnamic acids, has been achieved with a novel one-pot approach by coupling phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) amination with a chemoenzymatic deracemization (based on stereoselective oxidation and nonselective reduction). A simple high-throughput solid-phase screening method has also been developed to identify PALs with higher rates of formation of non-natural d-phenylalanines. The best variants were exploited in the chemoenzymatic cascade, thus increasing the yield and ee value of the d-configured product. Furthermore, the system was extended to the preparation of those l-phenylalanines which are obtained with a low ee value using PAL amination. PMID:25728350

Materials characterization of free volume and void properties by two-dimensional positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hongmin; Van Horn, J. David; Jean, Y. C.; Hung, Wei-Song; Lee, Kueir-Rarn

2013-04-01

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) has been widely used to determine the free volume and void properties in polymeric materials. Recently, a two dimensional positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (2DPALS) system has been developed for membrane applications. The system measures the coincident signals between the lifetime and the energy which could separate the 2γ and 3γ annihilations and improve the accuracy in the determination of the free volume and void properties. When 2D-PALS is used in coupling with a variable mono-energy slow positron beam, it could be applied to a variety of material characterization. Results of free volumes and voids properties in a multi-layer polymer membrane characterized using 2D-PALS are presented.

Physically Active Lessons: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Sarah; Gildea, Aideen Gildea; Sloan, Seaneen; Thurston, Allen

2015-01-01

This is a report of a pilot study of the Physically Active Lessons (PAL) programme, which was piloted in five primary schools in Hertfordshire between February and July 2014. PAL involves adapting lesson plans to combine short bursts of physical activity with academic content. The study had two aims: (1) to explore the feasibility of adapting a…

Personality Theories Facilitate Integrating the Five Principles and Deducing Hypotheses for Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddi, Salvatore R.

2007-01-01

Comments on the original article "A New Big Five: Fundamental Principles for an Integrative Science of Personality," by Dan P. McAdams and Jennifer L. Pals (see record 2006-03947-002). In presenting their view of personality science, McAdams and Pals (April 2006) elaborated the importance of five principles for building an integrated science of…

The Development and Evaluation of a Parent Training Manual for Home Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yaman, Nancy; Hanson, Ralph A.

The development of a simple and effective means of training parents and other non-professionals in the use of a home-based instructional program is the concern of this paper. The home-based program is the SWRL Parent-Assisted Learning Program (PAL). PAL was created as an adjunct to a broader communication skills program, First Year Communication…

Validity of a Self-Report Recall Tool for Estimating Sedentary Behavior in Adults.

PubMed

Gomersall, Sjaan R; Pavey, Toby G; Clark, Bronwyn K; Jasman, Adib; Brown, Wendy J

2015-11-01

Sedentary behavior is continuing to emerge as an important target for health promotion. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of a self-report use of time recall tool, the Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adults (MARCA) in estimating time spent sitting/lying, compared with a device-based measure. Fifty-eight participants (48% female, [mean ± standard deviation] 28 ± 7.4 years of age, 23.9 ± 3.05 kg/m(2)) wore an activPAL device for 24-h and the following day completed the MARCA. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were used to analyze convergent validity of the adult MARCA compared with activPAL estimates of total sitting/lying time. Agreement was examined using Bland-Altman plots. According to activPAL estimates, participants spent 10.4 hr/day [standard deviation (SD) = 2.06] sitting or lying down while awake. The correlation between MARCA and activPAL estimates of total sit/lie time was r = .77 (95% confidence interval = 0.64-0.86; P < .001). Bland-Altman analyses revealed a mean bias of +0.59 hr/day with moderately wide limits of agreement (-2.35 hr to +3.53 hr/day). This study found a moderate to strong agreement between the adult MARCA and the activPAL, suggesting that the MARCA is an appropriate tool for the measurement of time spent sitting or lying down in an adult population.

Examining the direct and indirect effects of visual-verbal paired associate learning on Chinese word reading.

PubMed

Georgiou, George; Liu, Cuina; Xu, Shiyang

2017-08-01

Associative learning, traditionally measured with paired associate learning (PAL) tasks, has been found to predict reading ability in several languages. However, it remains unclear whether it also predicts word reading in Chinese, which is known for its ambiguous print-sound correspondences, and whether its effects are direct or indirect through the effects of other reading-related skills such as phonological awareness and rapid naming. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of visual-verbal PAL on word reading in an unselected sample of Chinese children followed from the second to the third kindergarten year. A sample of 141 second-year kindergarten children (71 girls and 70 boys; mean age=58.99months, SD=3.17) were followed for a year and were assessed at both times on measures of visual-verbal PAL, rapid naming, and phonological awareness. In the third kindergarten year, they were also assessed on word reading. The results of path analysis showed that visual-verbal PAL exerted a significant direct effect on word reading that was independent of the effects of phonological awareness and rapid naming. However, it also exerted significant indirect effects through phonological awareness. Taken together, these findings suggest that variations in cross-modal associative learning (as measured by visual-verbal PAL) place constraints on the development of word recognition skills irrespective of the characteristics of the orthography children are learning to read. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

G₂/M cell cycle arrest by an N-acetyl-D-glucosamine specific lectin from Psathyrella asperospora.

PubMed

Rouf, Razina; Stephens, Alexandre S; Spaan, Lina; Arndt, Nadia X; Day, Christopher J; May, Tom W; Tiralongo, Evelin; Tiralongo, Joe

2014-01-01

A new N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) specific lectin was identified and purified from the fruiting body of the Australian indigenous mushroom Psathyrella asperospora. The functional lectin, named PAL, showed hemagglutination activity against neuraminidase treated rabbit and human blood types A, B and O, and exhibited high binding specificity towards GlcNAc, as well as mucin and fetuin, but not against asialofetuin. PAL purified to homogeneity by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, chitin affinity chromatography and size exclusion chromatography, was monomeric with a molecular mass of 41.8 kDa, was stable at temperatures up to 55 °C and between pH 6-10, and did not require divalent cations for optimal activity. De novo sequencing of PAL using LC-MS/MS, identified 10 tryptic peptides that revealed substantial sequence similarity to the GlcNAc recognizing lectins from Psathyrella velutina (PVL) and Agrocybe aegerita (AAL-II) in both the carbohydrate binding and calcium binding sites. Significantly, PAL was also found to exert a potent anti-proliferative effect on HT29 cells (IC50 0.48 μM) that was approximately 3-fold greater than that observed on VERO cells; a difference found to be due to the differential expression of cell surface GlcNAc on HT29 and VERO cells. Further characterization of this activity using propidium iodine staining revealed that PAL induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in a manner dependent on its ability to bind GlcNAc.

Predictive factors of overall functioning improvement in patients with chronic schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder treated with paliperidone palmitate and aripiprazole monohydrate.

PubMed

Girardi, Paolo; Del Casale, Antonio; Rapinesi, Chiara; Kotzalidis, Georgios D; Splendori, Francesca; Verzura, Claudio; Trovini, Giada; Sorice, Serena; Carrus, Dario; Mancinelli, Iginia; Comparelli, Anna; De Filippis, Sergio; Francomano, Antonio; Ballerini, Andrea; Marcellusi, Andrea; Mennini, Francesco S; Ducci, Giuseppe; Sani, Gabriele; Pompili, Maurizio; Brugnoli, Roberto

2018-05-01

Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics can improve medication adherence and reduce hospitalisation rates compared with oral treatments. Paliperidone palmitate (PAL) and aripiprazole monohydrate (ARI) LAI treatments were associated with improvements in global functioning in patients with schizophrenia. The objective of this study was to assess the predictive factors of better overall functioning in patients with chronic schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder treated with PAL and ARI. Enrolled were 143 (97 males, 46 females, mean age 38.24 years, SD = 12.65) patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, whom we allocated in two groups (PAL and ARI treatments). We assessed global functioning, amount of oral medications, adherence to oral treatment, and number of hospitalisations before LAI introduction and at assessment time point. Longer treatment time with LAIs (p < .001), lower number of oral drugs (p < .001), and hospitalisations (p = .002) before LAI introduction, and shorter duration of illness (p = .038) predicted better Global Assessment of Functioning scores in the whole sample (R 2  = 0.337). Early administration and longer duration of ARI or PAL treatments could play a significant role in improving global functioning of patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Better improvement in functioning could be achieved with ARI in young individuals with recent illness onset and PAL in patients at risk for recurrent hospitalisations. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cardiometabolic risk is associated with the severity of sleep-disordered breathing in children with obesity.

PubMed

Isacco, Laurie; Roche, Johanna; Quinart, Sylvain; Thivel, David; Gillet, Valérie; Nègre, Véronique; Mougin, Fabienne

2017-03-01

The alarming progression of pediatric obesity is associated with the development of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and both exhibit similar adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes. Physical activity level (PAL) may counteract sleep and metabolic disturbances. The present study investigates i) the association between the metabolic syndrome in childhood obesity and SDB, ii) the impact of SDB severity on cardiometabolic risk scores and PAL in children with obesity. Maturation status (Tanner stages), anthropometric (height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, body adiposity index) and cardiometabolic characteristics (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, lipid and glycemic profiles) were assessed in 83 obese children (mean±SD, age: 10.7±2.7years). PAL and SDB were investigated with a step test and interviews, and an overnight sleep monitor, respectively. The presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MS) was established and continuous cardiometabolic risk scores were calculated (MetScore BMI and MetScore WC ). Obese children with (61.4%) and without (38.6%) MS present similar SDB. SDB severity is associated with increased insulin concentrations, MetScore BMI and MetScore WC (p<0.05) in obese children. There is no association between SDB and PAL. In a context where no consensus exists for SDB diagnosis in children, our results suggest the influence of SDB severity on cardiometabolic risk factors. Further studies are needed to explore the association between PAL and both metabolic and sleep alterations in obese children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Energy expenditure of adults in the city of Niterói, state of Rio de Janeiro: nutrition, Physical activity and Health Survey--PNAFS].

PubMed

Dos Anjos, Luiz Antonio; Ferreira, Bianca Catarina Miranda; de Vasconcellos, Mauricio Teixeira Leite; Wahrlich, Vivian

2008-01-01

The accurate assessment of energy expenditure (EE) and of the physical activity level (PAL) is important for establishing the energy requirements (ER) of populations. Little is known about these variables in the Brazilian population. The purpose of the present study was to assess EE and PAL in the adult population (> 20 years) of Niterói, RJ. An adapted version of the MOSPA time-budget questionnaire was used to assess the duration of the daily activities of the subjects. The energy cost of the activities was obtained from the table published by FAO in 2004, expressed as multiples of the basal metabolic rate (BMR) measured by indirect calorimetry. Total daily EE (TDEE) was calculated as the sum of EE of all activities of a typical daily routine. TDEE was higher in males than in females (2382.0 + 38.0 and 1987.1 + 22.9 kcal.day-1 respectively) but women showed higher PAL values (1.70 + 0.02 and 1.75 + 0.01 respectively). ER estimated using a PAL of 1.40 was the best predictor of EE of the population in all nutritional status categories, particularly for males. In conclusion, it seems prudent to use lower PAL values when estimating the ER of the adult population of Niterói. It is also evident that more data on the energy cost of activities must be generated for establishing the ER of the Brazilian population.

First comparative approach to touchscreen-based visual object-location paired-associates learning in humans (Homo sapiens) and a nonhuman primate (Microcebus murinus).

PubMed

Schmidtke, Daniel; Ammersdörfer, Sandra; Joly, Marine; Zimmermann, Elke

2018-05-10

A recent study suggests that a specific, touchscreen-based task on visual object-location paired-associates learning (PAL), the so-called Different PAL (dPAL) task, allows effective translation from animal models to humans. Here, we adapted the task to a nonhuman primate (NHP), the gray mouse lemur, and provide first evidence for the successful comparative application of the task to humans and NHPs. Young human adults reach the learning criterion after considerably less sessions (one order of magnitude) than young, adult NHPs, which is likely due to faster and voluntary rejection of ineffective learning strategies in humans and almost immediate rule generalization. At criterion, however, all human subjects solved the task by either applying a visuospatial rule or, more rarely, by memorizing all possible stimulus combinations and responding correctly based on global visual information. An error-profile analysis in humans and NHPs suggests that successful learning in NHPs is comparably based either on the formation of visuospatial associative links or on more reflexive, visually guided stimulus-response learning. The classification in the NHPs is further supported by an analysis of the individual response latencies, which are considerably higher in NHPs classified as spatial learners. Our results, therefore, support the high translational potential of the standardized, touchscreen-based dPAL task by providing first empirical and comparable evidence for two different cognitive processes underlying dPAL performance in primates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

All-into-one strategy to synthesize mesoporous hybrid silicate microspheres from naturally rich red palygorskite clay as high-efficient adsorbents

PubMed Central

Wang, Wenbo; Tian, Guangyan; Wang, Dandan; Zhang, Zhifang; Kang, Yuru; Zong, Li; Wang, Aiqin

2016-01-01

A mesoporous hybrid silicate microsphere with superior adsorption performance has been successfully synthesized by employing an “all-into-one” strategy and a simple one-pot hydrothermal process using naturally abundant low-grade red palygorskite (PAL) clay as raw material in the presence of non-toxic SiO32− and Mg2+ ions. As is expected, both the PAL and associated minerals transformed into a new amorphous mesoporous hybrid silicate microsphere without using any additional pore-forming template. The mesoporous silicate microsphere shows a large pore size of 37.74 nm, high specific surface area of 489.81 m2/g (only 54.67 m2/g for raw PAL) and negative surface potential of −43.3 mV, and its maximum adsorption capabilities for Methylene bule (MB) and Crystal violet (CV) reach 407.95 mg/g and 397.22 mg/g, respectively. Meanwhile, 99.8% of MB (only 53% for raw PAL) and 99.7% of CV (only 43% for raw PAL) were sucessfully removed from 200 mg/L of initial dye solution by only using 1 g/L of the adsorbent. In addition, the spent adsorbent can be easily regenerated and repeatly reused for muptiple cycles. The study on adsorption mechanism revealed that electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding and chemical complexing interactions are the main factors contributed to the high dye adsorption. PMID:28000784

A comparison of the Nzi, Horse Pal® and Bite-Lite® H-traps and selected baits for the collection of adult Tabanidae in Florida and North Carolina.

PubMed

Kline, Daniel L; Hogsette, Jerome A; Rutz, Donald A

2018-06-01

Despite the veterinary and medical importance of horse flies, deer flies, and yellow flies, only a few trap types have been evaluated to monitor adult population dynamics. Currently, three trap types are being utilized (H-trap, Horse Pal® (HP), and Nzi trap), but no head-to-head comparisons have been reported. Thus, we conducted comparative trapping studies in Florida and North Carolina. At two study sites in Florida, the efficacy of all three trap types was compared, but only the H-trap and HP were compared in North Carolina. Although trap type was significant at all sites, the trap type which caught the most specimens was not the same. In Florida at the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge (LSWR) site, the H-trap caught the most specimens (2,006), followed in decreasing order by Nzi (938) and HP (541). At the Cedar Ridge Ranch site, the Nzi caught significantly more specimens (1,439) than the H-trap (215) and HP (161), which were not significantly different from each other. In North Carolina, the H-trap caught approximately twice as many specimens as the HP (1,458 vs 720). These trap comparison studies were followed up by a study on the efficacy of various bait combinations: (No Bait (NB), dry ice only (DI), Trap Tech Lure (TTL) only, and DI + TTL), which was conducted only at the two Florida sites with H-traps. At both sites, bait combinations significantly affected trap collections. One pattern (DI +TTL > DI > TTL > NB) was recorded at the LSWR, while at the Cedar River Ranch the pattern was DI > DI +TTL > TTL > NB. Our data showed that trap type and bait combination significantly influence overall adult tabanid abundance as well as individual species composition. © 2018 The Society for Vector Ecology.

Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Emulation for Computer Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

Execution with Versatile, Microarchitecture-Independent Snapshots, PhD thesis, MIT, Sep 2006. [10] Bienia, Christian, Kumar , Sanjeev, Singh , Jaswinder Pal...2] Pixie: MIPS Computer Systems, Inc. Assembly Language Programmer’s Guide, 1986. [3] Agarwal, Anant , Bianchini, Ricardo, Chaiken, David, David...pp. 68–79. [49] Woo, Steven Cameron, Ohara, Moriyoshi, Torrie, Evan, Singh , Jaswinder Pal, and Gupta, Anoop, “The SPLASH-2 programs

The experience of meditation for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their caregivers - a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Marconi, Anna; Gragnano, Gaia; Lunetta, Christian; Gatto, Ramona; Fabiani, Viviana; Tagliaferri, Aurora; Rossi, Gabriella; Sansone, Valeria; Pagnini, Francesco

2016-09-01

There is a lack of studies about psychological interventions for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their caregivers. We investigated the experience of a meditation training program tailored for ALS needs. People with ALS (pALS) and their caregivers that joined a meditation program for ALS were interviewed at the end of the program. Verbatims were analyzed with a qualitative approach. Both pALS and their caregivers reported a positive impact on their psychological well-being, promoted by an increase in acceptance and non-judgmental attitude. Furthermore, coping strategies seem to improve, with a positive effect on resilience skills. The ALS meditation training program seems to be an effective psychological intervention for the promotion of well-being in pALS and their caregivers.

Multifaceted regulations of gateway enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Xuebin; Liu, Chang-Jun

2014-12-11

Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in plants engenders a vast variety of aromatic metabolites critically important for their growth, development, and environmental adaptation. Some of these aromatic compounds have high economic value. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first committed enzyme in the pathway; it diverts the central flux of carbon from primary metabolism to the synthesis of myriad phenolics. Over the decades, many studies have shown that exquisite regulatory mechanisms at multiple levels control the transcription and the enzymatic activity of PALs. In this review, we present a current overview on our understanding of the complicated regulatory mechanisms governing PAL's activity; we particularlymore » highlight recent progresses in unraveling its post-translational modifications, its metabolite feedback regulation, and its enzyme organization.« less

Synthesis of D- and L-phenylalanine derivatives by phenylalanine ammonia lyases: a multienzymatic cascade process.

PubMed

Parmeggiani, Fabio; Lovelock, Sarah L; Weise, Nicholas J; Ahmed, Syed T; Turner, Nicholas J

2015-04-07

The synthesis of substituted D-phenylalanines in high yield and excellent optical purity, starting from inexpensive cinnamic acids, has been achieved with a novel one-pot approach by coupling phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) amination with a chemoenzymatic deracemization (based on stereoselective oxidation and nonselective reduction). A simple high-throughput solid-phase screening method has also been developed to identify PALs with higher rates of formation of non-natural D-phenylalanines. The best variants were exploited in the chemoenzymatic cascade, thus increasing the yield and ee value of the D-configured product. Furthermore, the system was extended to the preparation of those L-phenylalanines which are obtained with a low ee value using PAL amination. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy study of Kapton thin foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanda, G. S.; Ravelli, L.; Löwe, B.; Egger, W.; Keeble, D. J.

2016-01-01

Variable energy positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (VE-PALS) experiments on polyimide material Kapton are reported. Thin Kapton foils are widely used in a variety of mechanical, electronic applications. PALS provides a sensitive probe of vacancy-related defects in a wide range of materials, including open volume in polymers. Varying the positron implantation energy enables direct measurement of thin foils. Thin Kapton foils are also commonly used to enclose the positron source material in conventional PALS measurements performed with unmoderated radionuclide sources. The results of depth-profiled positron lifetime measurements on 7.6 μm and 25 μm Kapton foils are reported and determine a dominant 385(1) ps lifetime component. The absence of significant nanosecond lifetime component due to positronium formation is confirmed.

Volterra model of the parametric array loudspeaker operating at ultrasonic frequencies.

PubMed

Shi, Chuang; Kajikawa, Yoshinobu

2016-11-01

The parametric array loudspeaker (PAL) is an application of the parametric acoustic array in air, which can be applied to transmit a narrow audio beam from an ultrasonic emitter. However, nonlinear distortion is very perceptible in the audio beam. Modulation methods to reduce the nonlinear distortion are available for on-axis far-field applications. For other applications, preprocessing techniques are wanting. In order to develop a preprocessing technique with general applicability to a wide range of operating conditions, the Volterra filter is investigated as a nonlinear model of the PAL in this paper. Limitations of the standard audio-to-audio Volterra filter are elaborated. An improved ultrasound-to-ultrasound Volterra filter is proposed and empirically demonstrated to be a more generic Volterra model of the PAL.

Multifaceted regulations of gateway enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids

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

Zhang, Xuebin; Liu, Chang-Jun

Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in plants engenders a vast variety of aromatic metabolites critically important for their growth, development, and environmental adaptation. Some of these aromatic compounds have high economic value. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first committed enzyme in the pathway; it diverts the central flux of carbon from primary metabolism to the synthesis of myriad phenolics. Over the decades, many studies have shown that exquisite regulatory mechanisms at multiple levels control the transcription and the enzymatic activity of PALs. In this review, we present a current overview on our understanding of the complicated regulatory mechanisms governing PAL's activity; we particularlymore » highlight recent progresses in unraveling its post-translational modifications, its metabolite feedback regulation, and its enzyme organization.« less

Phased Array Laser System (PALS).

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-09

6.2.1.6 Future Plans The planned expansion for MICROCODE includes adding further wave optical evaluation tools: OPD wavefront mapping, rms wavefront...BMCEN 1071.00 1 0.30 20810 NX 512 2 -0.10 3.35 -0.2 -0.3 -0.4 -8.5 PHASE WAVELENGHTS -0.6 -0.7 -0.8 -0.9 -1.0 O. -0.55 .0.39 -0.13 0.00 013 039 055...direction. Meanwhile, the pump boundary condition at the front of the cell and the Stokes bound- ary condition of growth from Stokes noise mainly from the

Molecular Characterization of Watermelon Chlorotic Stunt Virus (WmCSV) from Palestine

PubMed Central

Ali-Shtayeh, Mohammed S.; Jamous, Rana M.; Mallah, Omar B.; Abu-Zeitoun, Salam Y.

2014-01-01

The incidence of watermelon chlorotic stunt disease and molecular characterization of the Palestinian isolate of Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV-[PAL]) are described in this study. Symptomatic leaf samples obtained from watermelon Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants were tested for WmCSV-[PAL] infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA). Disease incidence ranged between 25%–98% in watermelon fields in the studied area, 77% of leaf samples collected from Jenin were found to be mixed infected with WmCSV-[PAL] and SLCV. The full-length DNA-A and DNA-B genomes of WmCSV-[PAL] were amplified and sequenced, and the sequences were deposited in the GenBank. Sequence analysis of virus genomes showed that DNA-A and DNA-B had 97.6%–99.42% and 93.16%–98.26% nucleotide identity with other virus isolates in the region, respectively. Sequence analysis also revealed that the Palestinian isolate of WmCSV shared the highest nucleotide identity with an isolate from Israel suggesting that the virus was introduced to Palestine from Israel. PMID:24956181

Cloning and Expression Analysis of Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase Gene in the Mycelium and Fruit Body of the Edible Mushroom Flammulina velutipes

PubMed Central

Yun, Yeo Hong; Koo, Ja Sun

2015-01-01

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene is known to be expressed in plants, and is involved in the differentiation, growth and synthesis of secondary metabolites. However, its expression in fungi remains to be explored. To understand its expression in mushroom fungi, the PAL gene of the edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes (Fvpal) was cloned and characterized. The cloned Fvpal consists of 2,175 bp, coding for a polypeptide containing 724 amino acids and having 11 introns. The translated amino acid sequence of Fvpal shares a high identity (66%) with that of ectomycorrhizal fungus Tricholoma matsutake. Distinctively, the Fvpal expression in the mycelium was higher in minimal medium supplemented with L-tyrosine than with other aromatic amino acids. During cultivation of the mushroom on sawdust medium, Fvpal expression in the fruit body correspondingly increased as the mushroom grew. In the fruiting body, Fvpal was expressed more in the stipe than in the pileus. These results suggest that F. velutipes PAL activity differs in the different organs of the mushroom. Overall, this is first report to show that the PAL gene expression is associated with mushroom growth in fungi. PMID:26539050

Wavefront holoscopy: application of digital in-line holography for the inspection of engraved marks in progressive addition lenses.

PubMed

Perucho, Beatriz; Micó, Vicente

2014-01-01

Progressive addition lenses (PALs) are engraved with permanent marks at standardized locations in order to guarantee correct centering and alignment throughout the manufacturing and mounting processes. Out of the production line, engraved marks provide useful information about the PAL as well as act as locator marks to re-ink again the removable marks. Even though those marks should be visible by simple visual inspection with the naked eye, engraving marks are often faint and weak, obscured by scratches, and partially occluded and difficult to recognize on tinted or antireflection-coated lenses. Here, we present an extremely simple optical device (named as wavefront holoscope) for visualization and characterization of permanent marks in PAL based on digital in-line holography. Essentially, a point source of coherent light illuminates the engraved mark placed just before a CCD camera that records a classical Gabor in-line hologram. The recorded hologram is then digitally processed to provide a set of high-contrast images of the engraved marks. Experimental results are presented showing the applicability of the proposed method as a new ophthalmic instrument for visualization and characterization of engraved marks in PALs.

Early phenylpropanoid biosynthetic steps in Cannabis sativa: link between genes and metabolites.

PubMed

Docimo, Teresa; Consonni, Roberto; Coraggio, Immacolata; Mattana, Monica

2013-06-28

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), Cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H) and 4-Coumarate: CoA ligase (4CL) catalyze the first three steps of the general phenylpropanoid pathway whereas chalcone synthase (CHS) catalyzes the first specific step towards flavonoids production. This class of specialized metabolites has a wide range of biological functions in plant development and defence and a broad spectrum of therapeutic activities for human health. In this study, we report the isolation of hemp PAL and 4CL cDNA and genomic clones. Through in silico analysis of their deduced amino acid sequences, more than an 80% identity with homologues genes of other plants was shown and phylogenetic relationships were highlighted. Quantitative expression analysis of the four above mentioned genes, PAL and 4CL enzymatic activities, lignin content and NMR metabolite fingerprinting in different Cannabis sativa tissues were evaluated. Furthermore, the use of different substrates to assay PAL and 4CL enzymatic activities indicated that different isoforms were active in different tissues. The diversity in secondary metabolites content observed in leaves (mainly flavonoids) and roots (mainly lignin) was discussed in relation to gene expression and enzymatic activities data.

Efficient preparation of enantiopure D-phenylalanine through asymmetric resolution using immobilized phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis JN-1 in a recirculating packed-bed reactor.

PubMed

Zhu, Longbao; Zhou, Li; Huang, Nan; Cui, Wenjing; Liu, Zhongmei; Xiao, Ke; Zhou, Zhemin

2014-01-01

An efficient enzymatic process was developed to produce optically pure D-phenylalanine through asymmetric resolution of the racemic DL-phenylalanine using immobilized phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (RgPAL) from Rhodotorula glutinis JN-1. RgPAL was immobilized on a modified mesoporous silica support (MCM-41-NH-GA). The resulting MCM-41-NH-GA-RgPAL showed high activity and stability. The resolution efficiency using MCM-41-NH-GA-RgPAL in a recirculating packed-bed reactor (RPBR) was higher than that in a stirred-tank reactor. Under optimal operational conditions, the volumetric conversion rate of L-phenylalanine and the productivity of D-phenylalanine reached 96.7 mM h⁻¹ and 0.32 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively. The optical purity (eeD) of D-phenylalanine exceeded 99%. The RPBR ran continuously for 16 batches, the conversion ratio did not decrease. The reactor was scaled up 25-fold, and the productivity of D-phenylalanine (eeD>99%) in the scaled-up reactor reached 7.2 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹. These results suggest that the resolution process is an alternative method to produce highly pure D-phenylalanine.

Efficient Preparation of Enantiopure D-Phenylalanine through Asymmetric Resolution Using Immobilized Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis JN-1 in a Recirculating Packed-Bed Reactor

PubMed Central

Huang, Nan; Cui, Wenjing; Liu, Zhongmei; Xiao, Ke; Zhou, Zhemin

2014-01-01

An efficient enzymatic process was developed to produce optically pure D-phenylalanine through asymmetric resolution of the racemic DL-phenylalanine using immobilized phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (RgPAL) from Rhodotorula glutinis JN-1. RgPAL was immobilized on a modified mesoporous silica support (MCM-41-NH-GA). The resulting MCM-41-NH-GA-RgPAL showed high activity and stability. The resolution efficiency using MCM-41-NH-GA-RgPAL in a recirculating packed-bed reactor (RPBR) was higher than that in a stirred-tank reactor. Under optimal operational conditions, the volumetric conversion rate of L-phenylalanine and the productivity of D-phenylalanine reached 96.7 mM h−1 and 0.32 g L−1 h−1, respectively. The optical purity (ee D) of D-phenylalanine exceeded 99%. The RPBR ran continuously for 16 batches, the conversion ratio did not decrease. The reactor was scaled up 25-fold, and the productivity of D-phenylalanine (ee D>99%) in the scaled-up reactor reached 7.2 g L−1 h−1. These results suggest that the resolution process is an alternative method to produce highly pure D-phenylalanine. PMID:25268937

Interprofessional Peer-Assisted Learning as a Model of Instruction in Doctor of Audiology Programs.

PubMed

Serpanos, Yula C; Senzer, Deborah; Gordon, Daryl M

2017-09-18

This study reports on interprofessional peer-assisted learning (PAL) as a model of instruction in the preparation of doctoral audiology students. Ten Doctor of Audiology (AuD) students provided training in audiologic screening for 53 graduate speech-language pathology students in 9 individual PAL sessions. Pre- and post-surveys assessed the peer teaching experience for AuD students in 5 areas of their confidence in audiologic screening: knowledge, skill, making a referral based on outcomes, teaching, and supervising. Pre- and post-learning outcomes in audiologic screening for the speech-language pathology student trainees determined the effectiveness of training by their AuD student peers. Survey outcomes revealed significant (p < .001) improvement in the overall confidence of AuD student peer instructors. Speech-language pathology students trained by their AuD peers exhibited significant (p = .003) improvements in their knowledge and skill and making outcome-based referrals in audiologic screening, supporting the effectiveness of the PAL paradigm. In addition to meeting required accreditation and professional certification competency standards, the PAL instructional model offers an innovative curricular approach in interprofessional education and in the teaching and supervisory preparation of students in doctoral audiology programs.

Early Phenylpropanoid Biosynthetic Steps in Cannabis sativa: Link between Genes and Metabolites

PubMed Central

Docimo, Teresa; Consonni, Roberto; Coraggio, Immacolata; Mattana, Monica

2013-01-01

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), Cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H) and 4-Coumarate: CoA ligase (4CL) catalyze the first three steps of the general phenylpropanoid pathway whereas chalcone synthase (CHS) catalyzes the first specific step towards flavonoids production. This class of specialized metabolites has a wide range of biological functions in plant development and defence and a broad spectrum of therapeutic activities for human health. In this study, we report the isolation of hemp PAL and 4CL cDNA and genomic clones. Through in silico analysis of their deduced amino acid sequences, more than an 80% identity with homologues genes of other plants was shown and phylogenetic relationships were highlighted. Quantitative expression analysis of the four above mentioned genes, PAL and 4CL enzymatic activities, lignin content and NMR metabolite fingerprinting in different Cannabis sativa tissues were evaluated. Furthermore, the use of different substrates to assay PAL and 4CL enzymatic activities indicated that different isoforms were active in different tissues. The diversity in secondary metabolites content observed in leaves (mainly flavonoids) and roots (mainly lignin) was discussed in relation to gene expression and enzymatic activities data. PMID:23812081

Improving Hip-Worn Accelerometer Estimates of Sitting Using Machine Learning Methods.

PubMed

Kerr, Jacqueline; Carlson, Jordan; Godbole, Suneeta; Cadmus-Bertram, Lisa; Bellettiere, John; Hartman, Sheri

2018-02-13

To improve estimates of sitting time from hip worn accelerometers used in large cohort studies by employing machine learning methods developed on free living activPAL data. Thirty breast cancer survivors concurrently wore a hip worn accelerometer and a thigh worn activPAL for 7 days. A random forest classifier, trained on the activPAL data, was employed to detect sitting, standing and sit-stand transitions in 5 second windows in the hip worn accelerometer. The classifier estimates were compared to the standard accelerometer cut point and significant differences across different bout lengths were investigated using mixed effect models. Overall, the algorithm predicted the postures with moderate accuracy (stepping 77%, standing 63%, sitting 67%, sit to stand 52% and stand to sit 51%). Daily level analyses indicated that errors in transition estimates were only occurring during sitting bouts of 2 minutes or less. The standard cut point was significantly different from the activPAL across all bout lengths, overestimating short bouts and underestimating long bouts. This is among the first algorithms for sitting and standing for hip worn accelerometer data to be trained from entirely free living activPAL data. The new algorithm detected prolonged sitting which has been shown to be most detrimental to health. Further validation and training in larger cohorts is warranted.This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CCBY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Energy Requirement Assessment in Japanese Table Tennis Players Using the Doubly Labeled Water Method.

PubMed

Sagayama, Hiroyuki; Hamaguchi, Genki; Toguchi, Makiko; Ichikawa, Mamiko; Yamada, Yosuke; Ebine, Naoyuki; Higaki, Yasuki; Tanaka, Hiroaki

2017-10-01

Total daily energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity level (PAL) are important for adequate nutritional management in athletes. The PAL of table tennis has been estimated to about 2.0: it is categorized as a moderateactivity sport (4.0 metabolic equivalents [METs]) in the Compendium of Physical Activities. However, modern table tennis makes high physiological demands. The aims of the current study were to examine (1) TEE and PAL of competitive table tennis players and (2) the physiological demands of various types of table tennis practice. In Experiment 1, we measured TEE and PAL in 10 Japanese college competitive table tennis players (aged 19.9 ± 1.1 years) using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method during training and with an exercise training log and self-reported energy intake. TEE was 15.5 ± 1.9 MJ·day -1 (3695 ± 449 kcal·day -1 ); PAL was 2.53 ± 0.25; and the average training duration was 181 ± 38 min·day -1 . In Experiment 2, we measured METs of five different practices in seven college competition players (20.6 ± 1.2 years). Three practices without footwork were 4.5-5.2 METs, and two practices with footwork were 9.5-11.5 METs. Table tennis practices averaged 7.1 ± 3.2 METS demonstrating similarities with other vigorous racket sports. In conclusion the current Compendium of Physical Activities underestimates the physiological demands of table tennis practice for competition; the estimated energy requirement should be based on DLW method data.

Correlates of physical activity level among hemodialysis patients in Selangor, Malaysia.

PubMed

Wong, S W; Chan, Y M; Lim, T S

2011-12-01

There is mounting evidence demonstrating the importance of adequate physical activity to promote better well-being among hemodialysis patients. Available data pertaining to the levels of physical activity and its determinants among hemodialysis patients is, however, scarce in Malaysia. The objectives of this study are hence to determine the levels of physical activity and it associated factors among hemodialysis patients. A total of 70 subjects were recruited from three dialysis centres in Selangor. A face-to-face interview was conducted to obtain socio-demographic data and subjects' knowledge on dietary sources. Medical history, biochemical parameters and weight status were obtained from medical records. Physical activity level (PAL) was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). A total of 81.4% and 18.6% of the respondents had low and moderate PALs, respectively. Thus, none of the respondents had high PAL. Serum creatinine, education level, personal income and knowledge score on potassium-related medical complications were factors found to correlate significantly with PAL. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that higher PAL was predicted by a lower knowledge score on dietary sodium source, higher education and higher serum creatinine. Despite consistent documentation of the potential positive impact of physical exercise on hemodialysis outcomes, the level of physical activity remains low among these patients. It is hoped that these findings can add to the existing body of knowledge and serve as a supporting document for the formulation of appropriate interventions to improve the status of physical activity among hemodialysis patients in Malaysia.

Social skills training for drug prevention in high-risk female adolescents.

PubMed

Palinkas, L A; Atkins, C J; Miller, C; Ferreira, D

1996-01-01

The effectiveness of social skills training/social network restructuring in the primary and secondary prevention of drug use was examined in a multiethnic cohort of 296 female adolescents ages 14 to 19 years who were pregnant or parenting and/or at risk for drug use. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) PALS Skills Training or (b) a control intervention involving no skills training. PALS Skills Training is a combination of cognitive and behavioral techniques to improve social skills and to restructure the teens' social network. All students also participated in a 16-week normative education "Facts of Life" course. The prevalence of alcohol and any drug use increased significantly over the three assessment periods in the PALS Skills group but not in the No Skills group. Teens in the PALS Skills group who reported no drug use at baseline were 2.9 times as likely to be using marijuana than teens in the No Skills group at 3 months postintervention. PALS Skills Training was no more effective in the secondary prevention of drug use than the control intervention. Social skills training was found to be ineffective as a means of primary prevention among non-drug-using high-risk adolescents and may even be counterproductive as a means of primary prevention of marijuana use in this population. When combined with normative information on drug use prevalence, acceptability, and hazards, social skills training is no more effective as a means of secondary prevention than normative education alone.

A horizontal gene transfer at the origin of phenylpropanoid metabolism: a key adaptation of plants to land.

PubMed

Emiliani, Giovanni; Fondi, Marco; Fani, Renato; Gribaldo, Simonetta

2009-02-16

The pioneering ancestor of land plants that conquered terrestrial habitats around 500 million years ago had to face dramatic stresses including UV radiation, desiccation, and microbial attack. This drove a number of adaptations, among which the emergence of the phenylpropanoid pathway was crucial, leading to essential compounds such as flavonoids and lignin. However, the origin of this specific land plant secondary metabolism has not been clarified. We have performed an extensive analysis of the taxonomic distribution and phylogeny of Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL), which catalyses the first and essential step of the general phenylpropanoid pathway, leading from phenylalanine to p-Coumaric acid and p-Coumaroyl-CoA, the entry points of the flavonoids and lignin routes. We obtained robust evidence that the ancestor of land plants acquired a PAL via horizontal gene transfer (HGT) during symbioses with soil bacteria and fungi that are known to have established very early during the first steps of land colonization. This horizontally acquired PAL represented then the basis for further development of the phenylpropanoid pathway and plant radiation on terrestrial environments. Our results highlight a possible crucial role of HGT from soil bacteria in the path leading to land colonization by plants and their subsequent evolution. The few functional characterizations of sediment/soil bacterial PAL (production of secondary metabolites with powerful antimicrobial activity or production of pigments) suggest that the initial advantage of this horizontally acquired PAL in the ancestor of land plants might have been either defense against an already developed microbial community and/or protection against UV.

Modern psychometrics for assessing achievement goal orientation: a Rasch analysis.

PubMed

Muis, Krista R; Winne, Philip H; Edwards, Ordene V

2009-09-01

A program of research is needed that assesses the psychometric properties of instruments designed to quantify students' achievement goal orientations to clarify inconsistencies across previous studies and to provide a stronger basis for future research. We conducted traditional psychometric and modern Rasch-model analyses of the Achievement Goals Questionnaire (AGQ, Elliot & McGregor, 2001) and the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scale (PALS, Midgley et al., 2000) to provide an in-depth analysis of the two most popular instruments in educational psychology. For Study 1, 217 undergraduate students enrolled in educational psychology courses participated. Thirty-four were male and 181 were female (two did not respond). Participants completed the AGQ in the context of their educational psychology class. For Study 2, 126 undergraduate students enrolled in educational psychology courses participated. Thirty were male and 95 were female (one did not respond). Participants completed the PALS in the context of their educational psychology class. Traditional psychometric assessments of the AGQ and PALS replicated previous studies. For both, reliability estimates ranged from good to very good for raw subscale scores and fit for the models of goal orientations were good. Based on traditional psychometrics, the AGQ and PALS are valid and reliable indicators of achievement goals. Rasch analyses revealed that estimates of reliability for items were very good but respondent ability estimates varied from poor to good for both the AGQ and PALS. These findings indicate that items validly and reliably reflect a group's aggregate goal orientation, but using either instrument to characterize an individual's goal orientation is hazardous.

Effectiveness of disinfectant wipes for decontamination of bacteria on patients' environmental and medical equipment surfaces at Siriraj Hospital.

PubMed

Seenama, Chakkraphong; Tachasirinugune, Peenithi; Jintanothaitavorn, Duangporn; Kachintorn, Kanchana; Thamlikitkul, Visanu

2013-02-01

To determine the effectiveness of Virusolve+ disinfectant wipes and PAL disinfectant wipes for decontamination of inoculated bacteria on patients' environmental and medical equipment surfaces at Siriraj Hospital. Tryptic soy broths containing MRSA and XDR A. baumannii were painted onto the surfaces of patient's stainless steel bed rail, patient's fiber footboard, control panel of infusion pump machine and control panel of respirator. The contaminated surfaces were cleaned by either tap water, tap water containing detergent, Virusolve+ disinfectant wipes or PAL disinfectant wipes. The surfaces without any cleaning procedures served as the control surface. The contaminated surfaces cleaned with the aforementioned procedures and control surfaces were swabbed with cotton swabs. The swabs were streaked on agar plates to determine the presence of MRSA and XDR A. baumannii. MRSA and XDR A. baumannii were recovered from all control surfaces. All surfaces cleaned with tap water or tap water containing detergent revealed presence of both MRSA and XDR A. baumannii. However the amounts of bacteria on the surfaces cleaned with tap water containing detergent were less than those cleaned with tap water alone. All surfaces cleaned with PAL disinfectant wipes also revealed presence of both MRSA and XDR A. baumannii. However the amounts of bacteria on the surfaces cleaned with PAL disinfectant wipes were less than those cleaned with tap water containing detergent. No bacteria were recovered from all surfaces cleaned with Virusolve+ disinfectant wipes. Virusolve+ disinfectant wipes were more effective than tap water; tap water containing detergent and PAL disinfectant wipes for decontamination of bacteria inoculated on patients environmental and medical equipment surfaces at Siriraj Hospital.

Age moderates the effect of acute dopamine depletion on passive avoidance learning.

PubMed

Kelm, Mary Katherine; Boettiger, Charlotte Ann

2015-04-01

Despite extensive links between reinforcement-based learning and dopamine (DA), studies to date have not found consistent effects of acute DA reduction on reinforcement learning in both men and women. Here, we tested the effects of reducing DA on reward- and punishment-based learning using the deterministic passive avoidance learning (PAL) task. We tested 16 (5 female) adults (ages 22-40) in a randomized, cross-over design to determine whether reducing global DA by administering an amino acid beverage deficient in the DA precursors, phenylalanine and tyrosine (P/T[-]), would affect PAL task performance. We found that P/T[-] beverage effects on PAL performance were modulated by age. Specifically, we found that P/T depletion significantly improved learning from punishment with increasing participant age. Participants committed 1.49 fewer passive avoidance errors per additional year of age (95% CI, -0.71 - -2.27, r=-0.74, p=0.001). Moreover, P/T depletion improved learning from punishment in adults (ages 26-40) while it impaired learning from punishment in emerging adults (ages 22-25). We observed similar, but non-significant trends in learning from reward. While there was no overall effect of P/T-depletion on reaction time (RT), there was a relationship between the effect of P/T depletion on PAL performance and RT; those who responded more slowly on the P/T[-] beverage also made more errors on the P/T[-] beverage. When P/T-depletion slowed RT after a correct response, there was a worsening of PAL task performance; there was no similar relationship for the RT after an incorrect response and PAL task performance. Moreover, among emerging adults, changes in mood on the P/T[-] beverage negatively correlated with learning from reward on the P/T[-] beverage. Together, we found that both reward- and punishment-based learning are sensitive to central catecholamine levels, and that these effects of acute DA reduction vary with age. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights

Age Moderates the Effect of Acute Dopamine Depletion on Passive Avoidance Learning

PubMed Central

Kelm, Mary Katherine; Boettiger, Charlotte Ann

2015-01-01

Despite extensive links between reinforcement-based learning and dopamine (DA), studies to date have not found consistent effects of acute DA reduction on reinforcement learning in both men and women. Here, we tested the effects of reducing DA on reward- and punishment-based learning using the deterministic passive avoidance learning (PAL) task We tested 16 (5 female) adults (ages 22–40) in a randomized, cross-over design to determine whether reducing global DA by administering an amino acid beverage deficient in the DA precursors, phenylalanine and tyrosine (P/T[−]), would affect performance on the PAL task. We found that P/T[−] beverage effects on PAL performance were modulated by age. In particular, we found that P/T depletion significantly improved learning from punishment with increasing participant age. Participants committed 1.49 fewer passive avoidance errors per additional year of age (95% CI, −0.71 – −2.27, r=−0.74, p=0.001). Moreover, in this small sample, P/T depletion improved learning from punishment in adults (ages 26–40) while it impaired learning from punishment in emerging adults (ages 22–25). We observed similar, but non-significant trends in learning from reward. While there was no overall effect of P/T-depletion on reaction time (RT), there was a relationship between the effect of P/T depletion on PAL performance and RT; those who responded more slowly on the P/T[−] beverage also made more errors on the P/T[−] beverage. When P/T-depletion slowed RT after a correct response, there was a worsening of PAL task performance; there was no similar relationship for the RT after an incorrect response and PAL task performance. Moreover, among emerging adults, changes in mood on the P/T[−] beverage negatively correlated with learning from reward on the P/T[−] beverage. Together, we found that both reward- and punishment-based learning are sensitive to central catecholamine levels, and that these effects of acute DA reduction vary

Ozone concentrations and ultraviolet fluxes on Earth-like planets around other stars.

PubMed

Segura, Antígona; Krelove, Kara; Kasting, James F; Sommerlatt, Darrell; Meadows, Victoria; Crisp, David; Cohen, Martin; Mlawer, Eli

2003-01-01

Coupled radiative-convective/photochemical modeling was performed for Earth-like planets orbiting different types of stars (the Sun as a G2V, an F2V, and a K2V star). O(2) concentrations between 1 and 10(-5) times the present atmospheric level (PAL) were simulated. The results were used to calculate visible/near-IR and thermal-IR spectra, along with surface UV fluxes and relative dose rates for erythema and DNA damage. For the spectral resolution and sensitivity currently planned for the first generation of terrestrial planet detection and characterization missions, we find that O(2) should be observable remotely in the visible for atmospheres containing at least 10(-2) PAL of O(2). O(3) should be visible in the thermal-IR for atmospheres containing at least 10(-3) PAL of O(2). CH(4) is not expected to be observable in 1 PAL O(2) atmospheres like that of modern Earth, but it might be observable at thermal-IR wavelengths in "mid-Proterozoic-type" atmospheres containing approximately 10(-1) PAL of O(2). Thus, the simultaneous detection of both O(3) and CH(4) - considered to be a reliable indication of life - is within the realm of possibility. High-O(2) planets orbiting K2V and F2V stars are both better protected from surface UV radiation than is modern Earth. For the F2V case the high intrinsic UV luminosity of the star is more than offset by the much thicker ozone layer. At O(2) levels below approximately 10(-2) PAL, planets around all three types of stars are subject to high surface UV fluxes, with the F2V planet exhibiting the most biologically dangerous radiation environment. Thus, while advanced life is theoretically possible on high-O(2) planets around F stars, it is not obvious that it would evolve as it did on Earth.

Peer-assisted learning model enhances clinical clerk's procedural skills.

PubMed

Huang, Chia-Chang; Hsu, Hui-Chi; Yang, Ling-Yu; Chen, Chen-Huan; Yang, Ying-Ying; Chang, Ching-Chih; Chuang, Chiao-Lin; Lee, Wei-Shin; Lee, Fa-Yauh; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

2018-05-17

Failure to transfer procedural skills learned in a laboratory to the bedside is commonly due to a lack of peer support/stimulation. A digital platform (Facebook) allows new clinical clerks to share experiences and tips that help augment their procedural skills in a peer-assisted learning/teaching method. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the innovation of using the digital platform to support the transfer of laboratory-trained procedural skills in the clinical units. Volunteer clinical clerks (n = 44) were enrolled into the peer-assisted learning (PAL) group, which was characterized by the peer-assisted learning of procedural skills during their final 3-month clinical clerkship block. Other clerks (n = 51) did not join the procedural skills-specific Facebook group and served as the self-directed learning regular group. The participants in both the PAL and regular groups completed pre- and post-intervention self-assessments for general self-assessed efficiency ratings (GSER) and skills specific self-assessed efficiency ratings (SSSER) for performing vein puncture, intravenous (IV) catheter and nasogastric (NG) tube insertion. Finally, all clerks received the post-intervention 3-station Objective Structured Clinical Skills Examination (OSCE) to test their proficiency for the abovementioned three procedural skills. Higher cumulative numbers of vein punctures, IV catheter insertions and NG tube insertions at the bedside were carried out by the PAL group than the regular group. A greater improvement in GSERs and SSSERs for medical procedures was found in the PAL group than in the regular group. The PAL group obtained higher procedural skills scores in the post-intervention OSCEs than the regular group. Our study suggested that the implementation of a procedural skill-specific digital platform effectively helps clerks to transfer laboratory-trained procedural skills into the clinical units. In comparison with the regular self-directed learning

Energy expenditure in adults living in developing compared with industrialized countries: a meta-analysis of doubly labeled water studies123

PubMed Central

Dugas, Lara R; Harders, Regina; Merrill, Sarah; Ebersole, Kara; Shoham, David A; Rush, Elaine C; Assah, Felix K; Forrester, Terrence; Durazo-Arvizu, Ramon A; Luke, Amy

2011-01-01

Background: There is an assumption that people in developing countries have a higher total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity level (PAL) than do people in developed nations, but few objective data for this assertion exist. Objective: We conducted a meta-analysis of TEE and PAL by using data from countries that have a low or middle human development index (HDI) compared with those with a high HDI to better understand how energy-expenditure variables are associated with development status and population differences in body size. Design: We performed a literature search for studies in which energy expenditure was measured by using doubly labeled water. Mean data on age, weight, body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2), TEE, and PAL were extracted, and HDI status was assessed. Pooled estimates of the mean effect by sex were obtained, and the extent to which age, weight, HDI status, and year of publication explained heterogeneity was assessed. Results: A total of 98 studies (14 studies from low- or middle-HDI countries) that represented 183 cohorts and 4972 individuals were included. Mean (±SE) BMI was lower in countries with a low or middle HDI than in those with a high HDI for both men and women (22.7 ± 1.0 compared with 26.0 ± 0.7, respectively, in men and 24.3 ± 0.7 compared with 26.6 ± 0.4, respectively, in women). In meta-regression models, there was an inverse association of age (P < 0.001) and a positive association of weight (P < 0.001) with TEE for both sexes; there was an association of age only in men with PAL (P < 0.001). There was no association of HDI status with either TEE or PAL. Conclusion: TEE adjusted for weight and age or PAL did not differ significantly between developing and industrialized countries, which calls into question the role of energy expenditure in the cause of obesity at the population level. PMID:21159791

[Evaluation of a new medium, eggplant (Solanum melongena) agar as a screening medium for Cryptococcus neoformans in environmental samples].

PubMed

Sengul, Mustafa; Ergin, Cağrı; Kartal, Tuğba

2014-04-01

Cryptococcus neofomans is an encapsulated yeast-like fungus that causes life-threatening infections, especially in immunosuppresive patients. C.neoformans infection is believed to be acquired via inhalation of aerosolized particles from the environment. Avian guano, decaying tree hollows and soil are the related known environmental niches. Brown pigmented yeast growth from the precursors in growth media is an important step for the identification and isolation of C.neoformans. Seeds of plants in nature are preferred owing to easy accessibility and low costs for the preparation of such media. Guizotia abysinicca (Niger seed) as Staib agar, Helianthus annus (Sunflower) as Pal's medium, Brassica nigra (Mustard) agar, tobacco agar, Mucuna pruriens (Velvet bean) seed agar, Perilla frutescens (Beefsteak plant) seed agar, Rubus fruticosus (Blackberry) agar and ground red hot pepper agar are pigment-based selective media for the differentiation of C.neoformans. The aim of this study was to observe the pigment production of C.neoformans in a new medium based on eggplant (Solanum melongena) and also to compare its performance with the simplified Staib, Pal's and tobacco agar for isolation from the environment. Three different eggplant-based medium (S.melongena Melanzaza viserba, S.melongena Pinstripe F1 and S.ovigerum Ivory F1) were included in the study. Pigment-forming eggplant medium, simplified Staib agar, Pal's agar and tobacco agar were used for the cultivation of the environmental swabbed samples from 19 Eucalyptus camaldulensis trunk hollows in continuous colonization region. While pigment formation were observed with S.melongena Melanzaza viserba and S.melongena Pinstripe F1 containing media, S.ovigerum Ivory F1 medium was found to be non-reactive. In colonization area (Gökova-Akyaka, Turkey), 11 (57.9%) out of 19 E.camaldulensis samples were positive with simplified Staib agar, Pal's agar and eggplant agar while 10 (52.6%) of them are positive with tobacco agar. C

A Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus (Glomus intraradix) Induces a Defense Response in Alfalfa Roots.

PubMed

Volpin, H.; Elkind, Y.; Okon, Y.; Kapulnik, Y.

1994-02-01

Flavonoid accumulation and activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chalcone isomerase (CHI), and chitinase were followed during early colonization of alfalfa roots (Medicago sativa L. cv Gilboa) by vesicular arbuscular (VA) fungi (Glomus intraradix). Formononetin was the only flavonoid detected that showed a consistent increase in the inoculated roots. This increase depended only on the presence of the fungus in the plant rhizosphere; no colonization of the root tissue was required. CHI and chitinase activities increased in inoculated roots prior to colonization, whereas the increase in PAL activity coincided with colonization. After reaching a maximum, activities of all enzymes declined to below those of uninoculated roots. PAL inactivation was not caused by a soluble inhibitor. Our results indicate that VA fungi initiate a host defense response in alfalfa roots, which is subsequently suppressed.

Development of a high-precision selenodetic coordinate system for the physical surface of the Moon based on LED beacons on its surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirenin, A. M.; Mazurova, E. M.; Bagrov, A. V.

2016-11-01

The paper presents a mathematical algorithm for processing an array of angular measurements of light beacons on images of the lunar surface onboard a polar artificial lunar satellite (PALS) during the Luna-Glob mission and coordinate-time referencing of the PALS for the development of reference selenocentric coordinate systems. The algorithm makes it possible to obtain angular positions of point light beacons located on the surface of the Moon in selenocentric celestial coordinates. The operation of measurement systems that determine the position and orientation of the PALS during its active existence have been numerically simulated. Recommendations have been made for the optimal use of different types of measurements, including ground radio trajectory measurements, navigational star sensors based on the onboard star catalog, gyroscopic orientation systems, and space videos of the lunar surface.

Relationship between the enzymatic browning and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity of cut lettuce, and the prevention of browning by inhibitors of polyphenol biosynthesis.

PubMed

Hisaminato, H; Murata, M; Homma, S

2001-05-01

Cut lettuce stored at 4 degrees C gradually turned brown on the cut section after several days of storage. Three factors for enzymatic browning, the polyphenol content, polyphenol oxidase activity, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, were examined during the cold storage of cut lettuce. A relationship between the browning and PAL activity was apparent. We tried to prevent this browning by using the two enzyme inhibitors, 2-aminoindane-2-phosphonic acid (AIP), an inhibitor of the phenylpropanoid pathway, and glyphosate, an inhibitor of the shikimate pathway. AIP and glyphosate significantly inhibited the browning of cut lettuce. The polyphenol content and PAL activity were both reduced by the treatment with AIP. These results show that regulating the biosynthesis of polyphenols is essential to prevent the browning of cut lettuce.

Experiences of undergraduate nursing students in peer assisted learning in clinical practice: a qualitative systematic review.

PubMed

Carey, Matthew C; Kent, Bridie; Latour, Jos M

2018-05-01

The objective of this qualitative systematic review was to identify and synthesize the best available evidence on experiences of peer assisted learning (PAL) among student nurses in clinical practice so as to understand the value of PAL for this population. Peer-assisted learning considers the benefits of peers working in collaboration and supporting each other in professional roles. This approach to facilitate learning is effective within universities, but there is limited exploration within the clinical practice environment. Within the UK, 50% of student nurses' learning is undertaken within clinical practice, providing a large portion of student allocation within these areas, but is unexplored in relation to PAL. Therefore, existing evidence examining PAL in clinical practice needs further exploration for a better understanding of its value to student nurses' learning. The systematic review considered studies that included male and female nursing students aged 18-50 years that explored undergraduate nursing students' experiences of PAL within the clinical practice environment. Studies that utilized designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research and feminist research were considered. Other text such as opinion papers and reports were to be considered if no qualitative studies could be located. The review excluded quantitative studies, as well as those addressing PAL outside the nursing profession and students within the nursing profession but not including undergraduate student nurses. This review considered studies that included aspects related to experiences of PAL in the clinical practice setting, as seen by undergraduate nursing students and the researcher. A three-step search strategy was undertaken to find both published and unpublished studies in English from 2003 to 2017 in various databases, and included searching of reference lists within articles selected for appraisal. Each of the included studies were assessed for

Demonstration of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Virtualization Capability in the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL)/Sustaining Base Network Assurance Branch (SBNAB) US Army Cyber Analytics Laboratory (ACAL) SCADA Hardware Testbed

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

application ,1 while the simulated PLC software is the open source ModbusPal Java application . When queried using the Modbus TCP protocol, ModbusPal reports...and programmable logic controller ( PLC ) components. The HMI and PLC components were instantiated with software and installed in multiple virtual...creating and capturing HMI– PLC network traffic over a 24-h period in the virtualized network and inspect the packets for errors.  Test the

Marine Mammals Monitoring for Northwest Fisheries: 2005 Field Year

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

killer whale ( orca ) pods (Pods J, K, and L) of Puget Sound . Collectively these three groups of animals are known as Southern Residents (SR). The...with a visual observation program for SR killer whales in Puget Sound (D. Bain). Table 1. Locations for PAL moorings in 2005 Location PAL ID...specific whale pods. In particular, the SR killer whales of Puget Sound have been monitored extensively over many years. Specific call

Impaired Left Atrial Strain as a Predictor of New-onset Atrial Fibrillation After Aortic Valve Replacement Independently of Left Atrial Size.

PubMed

Pessoa-Amorim, Guilherme; Mancio, Jennifer; Vouga, Luís; Ribeiro, José; Gama, Vasco; Bettencourt, Nuno; Fontes-Carvalho, Ricardo

2018-06-01

Left atrial dysfunction in aortic stenosis may precede atrial enlargement and predict the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF). To test this hypothesis, we assessed left atrial function and determined its impact on the incidence of AF after aortic valve replacement. A total of 149 severe aortic stenosis patients (74±8.6 years, 51% men) with no prior AF were assessed using speckle-tracking echocardiography. Left atrial function was evaluated using peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS), peak atrial contraction strain (PACS), and phasic left atrial volumes. The occurrence of AF was monitored in 114 patients from surgery until hospital discharge. In multiple linear regression, PALS and PACS were inversely correlated with left atrial dilation, left ventricular hypertrophy, and diastolic function. Atrial fibrillation occurred in 36 patients within a median time of 3 days [interquartile range, 1-4] after aortic valve replacement. In multiple Cox regression, PALS and PACS were independently associated with the incidence of AF (HR, 0.946; 95%CI, 0.910-0.983; P=.005 and HR, 0.932; 95%CI, 0.883-0.984; P=.011, respectively), even after further adjustment for left atrial dimensions. Both reduced PALS and PACS were associated with the incidence of AF in patients with nondilated left atria (P value for the interaction of PALS with left atrial dimensions=.013). In severe aortic stenosis, left atrial dysfunction predicted the incidence of postoperative AF independently of left atrial dilation, suggesting that speckle-tracking echocardiography before surgery may help in risk stratification, particularly in patients with nondilated left atria. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Nicotinic alpha 7 receptor agonists EVP-6124 and BMS-933043, attenuate scopolamine-induced deficits in visuo-spatial paired associates learning.

PubMed

Weed, Michael R; Polino, Joseph; Signor, Laura; Bookbinder, Mark; Keavy, Deborah; Benitex, Yulia; Morgan, Daniel G; King, Dalton; Macor, John E; Zaczek, Robert; Olson, Richard; Bristow, Linda J

2017-01-01

Agonists at the nicotinic acetylcholine alpha 7 receptor (nAChR α7) subtype have the potential to treat cognitive deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or schizophrenia. Visuo-spatial paired associates learning (vsPAL) is a task that has been shown to reliably predict conversion from mild cognitive impairment to AD in humans and can also be performed by nonhuman primates. Reversal of scopolamine-induced impairment of vsPAL performance may represent a translational approach for the development of nAChR α7 agonists. The present study investigated the effect of treatment with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil, or three nAChR α7 agonists, BMS-933043, EVP-6124 and RG3487, on vsPAL performance in scopolamine-treated cynomolgus monkeys. Scopolamine administration impaired vsPAL performance accuracy in a dose- and difficulty- dependent manner. The impairment of eventual accuracy, a measure of visuo-spatial learning during the task, was significantly ameliorated by treatment with donepezil (0.3 mg/kg, i.m.), EVP-6124 (0.01 mg/kg, i.m.) or BMS-933043 (0.03, 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg, i.m.). Both nAChR α7 agonists showed inverted-U shaped dose-effect relationships with EVP-6124 effective at a single dose only whereas BMS-933043 was effective across at least a 10 fold dose/exposure range. RG3487 was not efficacious in this paradigm at the dose range examined (0.03-1 mg/kg, i.m.). These results are the first demonstration that the nAChR α7 agonists, EVP-6124 and BMS-933043, can ameliorate scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits in nonhuman primates performing the vsPAL task.

Reforming pathology teaching in medical college by peer-assisted learning and student-oriented interest building activities: A pilot study.

PubMed

Grover, Sumit; Sood, Neena; Chaudhary, Anurag

2017-01-01

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is a teaching-learning method in which students act as peer teachers and help other students to learn while also themselves learning by teaching. PAL through modified interest building activities (MIBAs) is seldom tried in teaching pathology in medical colleges. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of peer teaching using MIBA, obtain feedback from students, and compare different activities with each other and with traditional teaching-learning methods. An interventional pilot study was conducted in 2 months on the 2nd MBBS undergraduates learning pathology at a medical college in North India. Students acted as peer teachers and performed different MIBAs including role plays, demonstration of pathogenesis through props, student-led seminars such as PowerPoint teaching, blackboard teaching, multiple choice question seminars, case-based learning (CBL) exercises, and quizzes before teaching sessions. Feedback was obtained through structured questionnaires on a 5-point Likert scale. Paired t-test was used to compare traditional teaching with MIBAs, and Friedman test was used to compare among different MIBAs. Students found ease of understanding and the interaction and involvement of students as the most important benefits of PAL. MIBAs increased voluntary participation, coordination, teamwork, shared responsibility, and group dynamics among students. Quiz sessions followed by PowerPoint seminars and prop demonstrations received highest mean scores from students on most of the parameters. Quizzes, blackboard teaching, prop activities, and CBL helped students understand topics better and generated interest. Learners advocated for making MIBAs and PAL compulsory for future students. PAL complemented by MIBAs may be adopted to make teaching-learning more interesting and effective through the active involvement and participation of students.

Expenditures of medicine use in hypertensive/diabetic elderly and physical activity and engagement in walking: cross secctional analysis of SABE Survey.

PubMed

Bueno, Denise Rodrigues; de Fátima Nunes Marucci, Maria; Gobbo, Luis Alberto; de Almeida-Roediger, Manuela; de Oliveira Duarte, Yeda Aparecida; Lebrão, Maria Lucia

2017-03-20

The literature shows the inverse association between physical activity level (PAL) and chronic diseases that have a significant burden over health care costs. However, in upper-middle income countries and in elderly population this information are scarce. To describe the annual drug expenditures for the hypertensive and diabetic elderly population in Brazil and to analyze the association with PAL and engagement in walking. This cross sectional study is part of SABE Survey and comprised 806 hypertensive and/or diabetic elderly (≥60 years old). The annual expenditures of medicine use was estimated for all medications for hypertension and/or diabetes they were taking. The PAL was considered insufficient when moderate physical activity was <150 min/week or vigorous physical activity was < 75 min/week. Engagement in walking was considered by at least 1 day a week. All expenditures were presented through the descriptive values (in American Dollars US$) according PAL and engagement in walking. The association analysis between annual expenditures, PAL and engagement in walking were performed by multiple logistic regression models adjusted for gender, age and body mass index. The average annual cost was higher in diabetic and insufficient physically activity elderly. The 1-year estimated.cost was US$ 73386,09 and 295% higher in insufficiently physically active. Older people who reported not walking had a higher risk to higher annual expenditures of medicine use (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.03-2.40). The annual expenditures of medicine use for controlling hypertension and diabetes of Brazilian elderly were higher and inversely associated with physical activity level and engagement in walking.

Predictive factors for overall quality of life in patients with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Cramarossa, Gemma; Chow, Edward; Zhang, Liying; Bedard, Gillian; Zeng, Liang; Sahgal, Arjun; Vassiliou, Vassilios; Satoh, Takefumi; Foro, Palmira; Ma, Brigette B Y; Chie, Wei-Chu; Chen, Emily; Lam, Henry; Bottomley, Andrew

2013-06-01

This study examined which domains/symptoms from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative (QLQ-C15-PAL), an abbreviated version of the health-related EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire designed for palliative cancer patients, were predictive of overall quality of life (QOL) in advanced cancer patients. Patients with advanced cancer from six countries completed the QLQ-C15-PAL at consultation and at one follow-up point. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to determine the predictive value of the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL functional/symptom scores for global QOL (question 15). Three hundred forty-nine patients completed the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL at baseline. In the total patient sample, worse emotional functioning, pain, and appetite loss were the most significant predictive factors for worse QOL. In the subgroup of patients with bone metastases (n = 240), the domains mentioned above were also the most significant predictors, whereas in patients with brain metastases (n = 109), worse physical and emotional functioning most significantly predicted worse QOL. One-month follow-up in 267 patients revealed that the significant predictors changed somewhat over time. For example, in the total patient sample, physical functioning, fatigue, and appetite loss were significant predictors at the follow-up point. A sub-analysis of predictive factors affecting QOL by primary cancer (lung, breast, and prostate) was also conducted for the total patient sample. Deterioration of certain EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL functional/symptom scores significantly contributes to worse overall QOL. Special attention should be directed to managing factors most influential on overall QOL to ensure optimal management of advanced cancer patients.

Gender differences in physical activity, sedentary behavior, and their relation to body composition in active Brazilian adolescents.

PubMed

Nogueira, Julia Aparecida Devide; Macedo da Costa, Teresa Helena

2009-01-01

Body weight and composition are determined by genotype, environment, and energy balance. Physical activity or sedentary behavior have different associations with body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass, a relationship that is not clear in adolescents. The aim of this study was to test the associations between gender, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and body composition in physically active adolescents. Weight, height, and skinfold thickness were measured in 326 physically active boys and girls age 11 to 15 years. All subjects answered a questionnaire assessing their usual daily activities for the last month. Time spent on each activity was used to estimate the physical activity level (PAL). PAL was associated with body composition after adjustment for age and maturation, with differences between genders. For boys, PAL was positively and significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) and fat-free mass index (beta=0.14 and 0.15, respectively). For girls, PAL was negatively and significantly associated with BMI and fat mass index (beta=-0.11 and -0.75, respectively). Sedentary behavior, expressed by hours of TV, videogame, and computer use, was not associated with any body-composition outcome for either gender. The accumulated amount of physical activity, but not of sedentary behavior, was related to body composition in active adolescents.

Regulation of cellular responsiveness to inductive signals in the developing C. elegans nervous system.

PubMed

Waring, D A; Kenyon, C

1991-04-25

In Caenorhabditis elegans, cell-cell communication is required to form a simple pattern of sensory ray neurons and cuticular structures (alae). The C. elegans pal-1 gene initiates one developmental pathway (ray lineages) simply by blocking a cell-cell interaction that induces an alternative pathway. Here we show by mosaic analysis that pal-1+ acts by preventing specific cells from responding to inductive signals. The results indicate that although cell signals play a critical role in generating this pattern, they do not provide spatial information. Instead, signals are sent to many, if not all, of the precursor cells, and the ability to respond is spatially restricted. This patterning strategy thus differs from many well known models for pattern formation in which localized inductive signals influence a subset of cells within a field. We find that pal-1 encodes a homeodomain protein and so is likely to regulate transcription. The pal-1+ protein could block the response to cell signals either by repressing genes involved in signal transduction or by acting directly on downstream genes in a way that neutralizes the effects of the intercellular signals. Genetic experiments indicate that one candidate for such a downstream gene is the Antennapedia-like homeotic selector gene mab-5.

Progress in the development of Fasciola hepatica vaccine using recombinant fatty acid binding protein with the adjuvant adaptation system ADAD.

PubMed

López-Abán, J; Casanueva, P; Nogal, J; Arias, M; Morrondo, P; Diez-Baños, P; Hillyer, G V; Martínez-Fernández, A R; Muro, A

2007-04-30

Fatty acid binding proteins (FABP) have been designed as a potential vaccine against fasciolosis. In this work, the immunoprophylaxis of the recombinant Fh15 FABP from F. hepatica (Fh15) in adjuvant/immunomodulator ADAD system was evaluated using mice and sheep challenged with F. hepatica. The ADAD system combines the Fh15 antigen with an immunomodulator (hydroalcoholic extract of Polypodium leucotomos; PAL) and/or an adjuvant (saponins of Quillaja saponaria; Qs) in a water/oil emulsion (30/70) with a non-mineral oil (Montanide). All the infected control mice died by 41-48 days post-infection. The mice vaccinated with ADAD only with PAL+Fh15 present a survival rate of 40-50% and those vaccinated with ADAD containing PAL+Qs+Fh15 had a survival rate of 50-62.5%. IgG1 antibodies were lower in surviving mice in comparison with non-surviving mice. The sheep vaccinated with ADAD PAL+Qs+Fh15 showed lower fluke recovery (43%), less hepatic lesions and higher post-infection daily weight gain than F. hepatica infected control animals. Thus, the ADAD system using recombinant fatty acid binding proteins from F. hepatica could be a good option to develop vaccines against F. hepatica.

Endogenous factors regulating poor-nutrition stress-induced flowering in pharbitis: The involvement of metabolic pathways regulated by aminooxyacetic acid.

PubMed

Koshio, Aya; Hasegawa, Tomomi; Okada, Rieko; Takeno, Kiyotoshi

2015-01-15

The short-day plant pharbitis (also called Japanese morning glory), Ipomoea nil (formerly Pharbitis nil), was induced to flower by poor-nutrition stress. This stress-induced flowering was inhibited by aminooxyacetic acid (AOA), which is a known inhibitor of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and the synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 1-aminocycropropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) and thus regulates endogenous levels of salicylic acid (SA), IAA and polyamine (PA). Stress treatment increased PAL activity in cotyledons, and AOA suppressed this increase. The observed PAL activity and flowering response correlate positively, indicating that AOA functions as a PAL inhibitor. The inhibition of stress-induced flowering by AOA was also overcome by IAA. An antiauxin, 4-chlorophenoxy isobutyric acid, inhibited stress-induced flowering. Both SA and IAA promoted flowering induced by stress. PA also promoted flowering, and the effective PA was found to be putrescine (Put). These results suggest that all of the pathways leading to the synthesis of SA, IAA and Put are responsive to the flowering inhibition by AOA and that these endogenous factors may be involved in the regulation of stress-induced flowering. However, as none of them induced flowering under non-stress conditions, they may function cooperatively to promote flowering. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

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

King, A.G.

The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL)/Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (ACL) and the Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC)/Process Analytical Laboratory (PAL) provide analytical support services to various environmental restoration and waste management projects/programs at Hanford. In response to a US Department of Energy -- Richland Field Office (DOE-RL) audit, which questioned the comparability of analytical methods employed at each laboratory, the Sample Exchange/Exchange (SEE) program was initiated. The SEE Program is a selfassessment program designed to compare analytical methods of the PAL and ACL laboratories using sitespecific waste material. The SEE program is managed by a collaborative, the Quality Assurance Triad (Triad). Triad membershipmore » is made up of representatives from the WHC/PAL, PNL/ACL, and WHC Hanford Analytical Services Management (HASM) organizations. The Triad works together to design/evaluate/implement each phase of the SEE Program.« less

Phenol metabolism in the leaves of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) cv. Picual, Verdial, Arbequina, and Frantoio during ripening.

PubMed

Ortega-García, Francisca; Peragón, Juan

2010-12-08

The kinetic behavior and protein-expression level of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) have been determined in the leaves of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) of cv. Picual, Verdial, Arbequina, and Frantoio during fruit ripening. Moreover, the concentration of total phenolic compounds, oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and tyrosol has been also determined. This study was carried out in 20-year-old olive trees grown in Jaén (Spain). The concentration of total and specific phenols showed a specific pattern in each cultivar. Frantoio showed the highest phenol concentration followed by Arbequina, Picual, and Verdial. A coordinated response between PAL, PPO, and the concentration of total phenols in the four cultivars was found. Also, specific changes were shown over the course of ripening, indicating a regulation of PAL, PPO, and phenol concentration in the olive-tree leaves during fruit ripening.

The STREGA survey - II. Globular cluster Palomar 12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musella, I.; Di Criscienzo, M.; Marconi, M.; Raimondo, G.; Ripepi, V.; Cignoni, M.; Bono, G.; Brocato, E.; Dall'Ora, M.; Ferraro, I.; Grado, A.; Iannicola, G.; Limatola, L.; Molinaro, R.; Moretti, M. I.; Stetson, P. B.; Capaccioli, M.; Cioni, M.-R. L.; Getman, F.; Schipani, P.

2018-01-01

In the framework of the STREGA (STRucture and Evolution of the GAlaxy) survey, two fields around the globular cluster Pal 12 were observed with the aim of detecting the possible presence of streams and/or an extended halo. The adopted stellar tracers are the main sequence, turn-off and red giant branch stars. We discuss the luminosity function and the star counts in the observed region covering about 2 tidal radii, confirming that Pal 12 appears to be embedded in the Sagittarius Stream. Adopting an original approach to separate cluster and field stars, we do not find any evidence of significant extra-tidal Pal 12 stellar populations. The presence of the Sagittarius stream seems to have mimicked a larger tidal radius in previous studies. Indeed, adopting a King model, a redetermination of this value gives rT = 0.22 ± 0.1 deg.

Mathematical modeling of elementary trapping-reduction processes in positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy: methodology of Ps-to-positron trapping conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shpotyuk, Ya; Cebulski, J.; Ingram, A.; Shpotyuk, O.

2017-12-01

Methodological possibilities of positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy in application to nanostructurized substances treated within three-term fitting procedure are reconsidered to parameterize their atomic-deficient structural arrangement. In contrast to conventional three-term fitting analysis of the detected PAL spectra based on admixed positron trapping and positronium (Ps) decaying, the nanostructurization due to guest nanoparticles embedded in host matrix is considered as producing modified trapping, which involves conversion between these channels. The developed approach referred to as x3-x2-coupling decomposition algorithm allows estimation free volumes of interfacial voids responsible for positron trapping and bulk lifetimes in nanoparticle-embedded substances. This methodology is validated using experimental data of Chakraverty et al. [Phys. Rev. B71 (2005) 024115] on PAL study of composites formed by guest NiFe2O4 nanocrystals grown in host SiO2 matrix.

Portable Airborne Laser System Measures Forest-Canopy Height

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Ross

2005-01-01

(PALS) is a combination of laser ranging, video imaging, positioning, and data-processing subsystems designed for measuring the heights of forest canopies along linear transects from tens to thousands of kilometers long. Unlike prior laser ranging systems designed to serve the same purpose, the PALS is not restricted to use aboard a single aircraft of a specific type: the PALS fits into two large suitcases that can be carried to any convenient location, and the PALS can be installed in almost any local aircraft for hire, thereby making it possible to sample remote forests at relatively low cost. The initial cost and the cost of repairing the PALS are also lower because the PALS hardware consists mostly of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) units that can easily be replaced in the field. The COTS units include a laser ranging transceiver, a charge-coupled-device camera that images the laser-illuminated targets, a differential Global Positioning System (dGPS) receiver capable of operation within the Wide Area Augmentation System, a video titler, a video cassette recorder (VCR), and a laptop computer equipped with two serial ports. The VCR and computer are powered by batteries; the other units are powered at 12 VDC from the 28-VDC aircraft power system via a low-pass filter and a voltage converter. The dGPS receiver feeds location and time data, at an update rate of 0.5 Hz, to the video titler and the computer. The laser ranging transceiver, operating at a sampling rate of 2 kHz, feeds its serial range and amplitude data stream to the computer. The analog video signal from the CCD camera is fed into the video titler wherein the signal is annotated with position and time information. The titler then forwards the annotated signal to the VCR for recording on 8-mm tapes. The dGPS and laser range and amplitude serial data streams are processed by software that displays the laser trace and the dGPS information as they are fed into the computer, subsamples the laser range and

Positron lifetime setup based on DRS4 evaluation board

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petriska, M.; Sojak, S.; Slugeň, V.

2014-04-01

A digital positron lifetime setup based on DRS4 evaluation board designed at the Paul Scherrer Institute has been constructed and tested in the Positron annihilation laboratory Slovak University of Technology Bratislava. The high bandwidth, low power consumption and short readout time make DRS4 chip attractive for positron annihilation lifetime (PALS) setup, replacing traditional ADCs and TDCs. A software for PALS setup online and offline pulse analysis was developed with Qt,Qwt and ALGLIB libraries.

ONR Far East Scientific Bulletin, Volume 7, Number 2, April-June 1982,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

contained source code . - PAL (Program Automation Language) PAL is a system design language that automatically generates an executable program from a...NTIS c3&1 DTIC TliB Unn ’l.- A ElJustitt for _ By - Distrib~tion Availability Codes Avail and/or Di st Speojal iii 0- CONTENTS~ P age r’A Gflmpse at...tools exist at ECL in prototype forms. Like most major computer manufacturers, they have also extended high level languages such as FORTRAN , COBOL

A low-cost programmable pulse generator for physiology and behavior

PubMed Central

Sanders, Joshua I.; Kepecs, Adam

2014-01-01

Precisely timed experimental manipulations of the brain and its sensory environment are often employed to reveal principles of brain function. While complex and reliable pulse trains for temporal stimulus control can be generated with commercial instruments, contemporary options remain expensive and proprietary. We have developed Pulse Pal, an open source device that allows users to create and trigger software-defined trains of voltage pulses with high temporal precision. Here we describe Pulse Pal’s circuitry and firmware, and characterize its precision and reliability. In addition, we supply online documentation with instructions for assembling, testing and installing Pulse Pal. While the device can be operated as a stand-alone instrument, we also provide application programming interfaces in several programming languages. As an inexpensive, flexible and open solution for temporal control, we anticipate that Pulse Pal will be used to address a wide range of instrumentation timing challenges in neuroscience research. PMID:25566051

Neurospora crassa Female Development Requires the PACC and Other Signal Transduction Pathways, Transcription Factors, Chromatin Remodeling, Cell-To-Cell Fusion, and Autophagy

PubMed Central

Chinnici, Jennifer L.; Fu, Ci; Caccamise, Lauren M.; Arnold, Jason W.; Free, Stephen J.

2014-01-01

Using a screening protocol we have identified 68 genes that are required for female development in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. We find that we can divide these genes into five general groups: 1) Genes encoding components of the PACC signal transduction pathway, 2) Other signal transduction pathway genes, including genes from the three N. crassa MAP kinase pathways, 3) Transcriptional factor genes, 4) Autophagy genes, and 5) Other miscellaneous genes. Complementation and RIP studies verified that these genes are needed for the formation of the female mating structure, the protoperithecium, and for the maturation of a fertilized protoperithecium into a perithecium. Perithecia grafting experiments demonstrate that the autophagy genes and the cell-to-cell fusion genes (the MAK-1 and MAK-2 pathway genes) are needed for the mobilization and movement of nutrients from an established vegetative hyphal network into the developing protoperithecium. Deletion mutants for the PACC pathway genes palA, palB, palC, palF, palH, and pacC were found to be defective in two aspects of female development. First, they were unable to initiate female development on synthetic crossing medium. However, they could form protoperithecia when grown on cellophane, on corn meal agar, or in response to the presence of nearby perithecia. Second, fertilized perithecia from PACC pathway mutants were unable to produce asci and complete female development. Protein localization experiments with a GFP-tagged PALA construct showed that PALA was localized in a peripheral punctate pattern, consistent with a signaling center associated with the ESCRT complex. The N. crassa PACC signal transduction pathway appears to be similar to the PacC/Rim101 pathway previously characterized in Aspergillus nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In N. crassa the pathway plays a key role in regulating female development. PMID:25333968

Nicotinic alpha 7 receptor agonists EVP-6124 and BMS-933043, attenuate scopolamine-induced deficits in visuo-spatial paired associates learning

PubMed Central

Polino, Joseph; Signor, Laura; Bookbinder, Mark; Keavy, Deborah; Benitex, Yulia; Morgan, Daniel G.; King, Dalton; Macor, John E.; Zaczek, Robert; Olson, Richard; Bristow, Linda J.

2017-01-01

Agonists at the nicotinic acetylcholine alpha 7 receptor (nAChR α7) subtype have the potential to treat cognitive deficits in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or schizophrenia. Visuo-spatial paired associates learning (vsPAL) is a task that has been shown to reliably predict conversion from mild cognitive impairment to AD in humans and can also be performed by nonhuman primates. Reversal of scopolamine-induced impairment of vsPAL performance may represent a translational approach for the development of nAChR α7 agonists. The present study investigated the effect of treatment with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil, or three nAChR α7 agonists, BMS-933043, EVP-6124 and RG3487, on vsPAL performance in scopolamine-treated cynomolgus monkeys. Scopolamine administration impaired vsPAL performance accuracy in a dose- and difficulty- dependent manner. The impairment of eventual accuracy, a measure of visuo-spatial learning during the task, was significantly ameliorated by treatment with donepezil (0.3 mg/kg, i.m.), EVP-6124 (0.01 mg/kg, i.m.) or BMS-933043 (0.03, 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg, i.m.). Both nAChR α7 agonists showed inverted-U shaped dose-effect relationships with EVP-6124 effective at a single dose only whereas BMS-933043 was effective across at least a 10 fold dose/exposure range. RG3487 was not efficacious in this paradigm at the dose range examined (0.03–1 mg/kg, i.m.). These results are the first demonstration that the nAChR α7 agonists, EVP-6124 and BMS-933043, can ameliorate scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits in nonhuman primates performing the vsPAL task. PMID:29261656

Enzymological mechanism for the regulation of lanthanum chloride on flavonoid synthesis of soybean seedlings under enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation.

PubMed

Fan, Caixia; Hu, Huiqing; Wang, Lihong; Zhou, Qing; Huang, Xiaohua

2014-01-01

In order to probe into the enzymological mechanism for the regulation of lanthanum chloride (LaCl3) on flavonoid synthesis in plants under enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, the effects of LaCl₃ (20 and 60 mg l(-1)) on the content of flavonoids as well as the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), 4-coumarate : coenzyme A ligase (4CL), and chalcone synthase (CHS) in soybean seedlings under enhanced UV-B radiation (2.6 and 6.2 kJ m(-2) day(-1)) were investigated. Enhanced UV-B radiation (2.6 and 6.2 kJ m(-2) day(-1)) caused the increase in the content of flavonoids as well as the activities of PAL, C4H, 4CL, and CHS in soybean seedlings. The treatment of 20 mg l(-1) LaCl₃ also efficiently increased these indices, which promoted the flavonoid synthesis and provided protective effects for resisting enhanced UV-B radiation. On the contrary, the treatment of 60 mg l(-1) LaCl₃ decreased the content of flavonoids as well as the activities of C4H, 4CL, and CHS in soybean seedlings except increasing the activity of PAL, which were not beneficial to the flavonoid synthesis and provided negative effects for resisting enhanced UV-B radiation. In conclusion, enhanced UV-B radiation caused the increase in the flavonoid synthesis by promoting the activities of PAL, C4H, 4CL, and CHS in soybean seedlings. The treatment of LaCl₃ could change flavonoid synthesis in soybean seedlings under enhanced UV-B radiation by regulating the activities of PAL, C4H, 4CL, and CHS, which is an enzymological mechanism for the regulation of LaCl₃ on flavonoid synthesis in plants under enhanced UV-B radiation.

Cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects of "norepinephrine-preferring" monoamine releasers: time course and interaction studies in rhesus monkeys.

PubMed

Kohut, Stephen J; Jacobs, David S; Rothman, Richard B; Partilla, John S; Bergman, Jack; Blough, Bruce E

2017-12-01

The therapeutic potential of monoamine releasers with prominent dopaminergic effects is hindered by their high abuse liability. The present study examined the effects of several novel "norepinephrine (NE)-preferring" monoamine releasers relative to non-selective monoamine releasers, d-amphetamine and d-methamphetamine, in rhesus monkeys trained to discriminate cocaine. NE-preferring releasers were approximately 13-fold more potent for NE compared to dopamine release and ranged in potency for serotonin release (PAL-329 < l-methamphetamine < PAL-169). Adult rhesus macaques were trained to discriminate 0.4 mg/kg, IM cocaine on a 30-response fixed ratio schedule of food reinforcement. Substitution studies determined the extent to which test drugs produced cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects and their time course. Drug interaction studies determined whether pretreatment with test drugs altered the discriminable effects of cocaine. Results show that cocaine, d-amphetamine, and d-methamphetamine dose-dependently substituted for cocaine with similar potencies. Among the "NE-preferring" releasers, PAL-329 and l-methamphetamine also dose-dependently substituted for cocaine but differed in potency. PAL-169 failed to substitute for cocaine up to a dose that disrupted responding. When administered prior to cocaine, only d-amphetamine and PAL-329 significantly shifted the cocaine dose-effect function leftward indicating enhancement of cocaine's discriminative stimulus effects. These data suggest that greater potency for NE relative to dopamine release (up to 13-fold) does not interfere with the ability of a monoamine releaser to produce cocaine-like discriminative effects but that increased serotonin release may have an inhibitory effect. Further characterization of these and other "NE-preferring" monoamine releasers should provide insight into their potential for the management of cocaine addiction.

Critical evaluation of energy intake using the Goldberg cut-off for energy intake:basal metabolic rate. A practical guide to its calculation, use and limitations.

PubMed

Black, A E

2000-09-01

To re-state the principles underlying the Goldberg cut-off for identifying under-reporters of energy intake, re-examine the physiological principles and update the values to be substituted into the equation for calculating the cut-off, and to examine its use and limitations. New values are suggested for each element of the Goldberg equation. The physical activity level (PAL) for comparison with energy intake:basal metabolic rate (EI:BMR) should be selected to reflect the population under study; the PAL value of 1.55 x BMR is not necessarily the value of choice. The suggested value for average within-subject variation in energy intake is 23% (unchanged), but other sources of variation are increased in the light of new data. For within-subject variation in measured and estimated BMR, 4% and 8.5% respectively are suggested (previously 2.5% and 8%), and for total between-subject variation in PAL, the suggested value is 15% (previously 12.5%). The effect of these changes is to widen the confidence limits and reduce the sensitivity of the cut-off. The Goldberg cut-off can be used to evaluate the mean population bias in reported energy intake, but information on the activity or lifestyle of the population is needed to choose a suitable PAL energy requirement for comparison. Sensitivity for identifying under-reporters at the individual level is limited. In epidemiological studies information on home, leisure and occupational activity is essential in order to assign subjects to low, medium or high PAL levels before calculating the cut-offs. In small studies, it is desirable to measure energy expenditure, or to calculate individual energy requirements, and to compare energy intake directly with energy expenditure.

Remote Imaging Projects In Research And Astrophotography With Starpals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Audrey; Kingan, J.

2008-05-01

StarPals is a nascent non-profit organization with the goal of providing opportunities for international collaboration between students of all ages within space science research. We believe that by encouraging an interest in the cosmos, the one thing that is truly Universal, from a young age, students will not only further their knowledge of and interest in science but will learn valuable teamwork and life skills. The goal is to foster respect, understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity among all StarPals participants, whether students, teachers, or mentors. StarPals aims to inspire students by providing opportunities in which, more than simply visualizing themselves as research scientists, they can actually become one. The technologies of robotic telescopes, videoconferencing, and online classrooms are expanding the possibilities like never before. In honor of IYA2009, StarPals would like to encourage 400 schools to participate on a global scale in astronomy/cosmology research on various concurrent projects. We will offer in-person or online workshops and training sessions to teach the teachers. We will be seeking publication in scientific journals for some student research. For our current project, the Double Stars Challenge, students use the robotic telescopes to take a series of four images of one of 30 double stars from a list furnished by the US Naval Observatory and then use MPO Canopus software to take distance and position angle measurements. StarPals provides students with hands-on training, telescope time, and software to complete the imaging and measuring. A paper will be drafted from our research data and submitted to the Journal of Double Star Observations. The kids who participate in this project may potentially be the youngest contributors to an article in a vetted scientific journal. Kids rapidly adapt and improve their computer skills operating these telescopes and discover for themselves that science is COOL!

Peer-assisted learning and orthopaedic evaluation psychomotor skills.

PubMed

Weidner, Thomas G; Popp, Jennifer K

2007-01-01

Athletic training educators often anecdotally suggest that athletic training students enhance their learning by teaching their peers. However, peer-assisted learning (PAL) has not been examined within athletic training education to provide evidence for PAL's current use or for its use as a pedagogic tool. To assess the effectiveness of intentional, formal PAL on the performance of psychomotor skills and to identify students' perceptions of PAL. Randomized, pretest-posttest experimental design. Athletic Training Research and Education Laboratory. Fifty-one undergraduate students (27 athletic training majors, 24 nonmajors). Review sessions led by either an Approved Clinical Instructor or peer tutor. We assessed pretest and posttest performance scores (number of correct skills) and the amount of time to complete the psychomotor skills in 3 categories of orthopaedic evaluation of the hand and wrist for subjects assigned to either a peer tutor or an Approved Clinical Instructor review group. Using the Athletic Training Peer-Assisted Learning Assessment Survey, we evaluated the perceptions of students assigned to the peer-tutor group regarding the benefits of, and preferences for, PAL. Differences in the pretest-posttest skill scores were noted in both groups (P < .05). No differences in the posttest skills scores or the times to perform the skills were seen between the groups. The Athletic Training Peer-Assisted Learning Assessment Survey revealed that most (n = 19, 70.4%) of the subjects felt less anxious when practicing psychomotor skills with peer tutors than with the laboratory instructor, and many students (n = 12, 44.4%) felt more self-confident when practicing psychomotor skills with a peer tutor. Peer-assisted learning appears to be a valid method for improving athletic training psychomotor skills. Peers can be resources for practicing clinical skills and report benefiting from the collaboration. Peer-assisted learning should be deliberately integrated into

New antagonists of LHRH. II. Inhibition and potentiation of LHRH by closely related analogues.

PubMed

Bajusz, S; Csernus, V J; Janaky, T; Bokser, L; Fekete, M; Schally, A V

1988-12-01

Modifications of the previously described LHRH antagonists, [Ac-D-Nal(2)1, D-Phe(4Cl)2, D-Trp3, D-Cit6, D-Ala10]LHRH and the corresponding D-Hci6 analogue, have been made to alter the hydrophobicity of the N-terminal acetyl-tripeptide portion. Substitution of D-Trp3 with the less hydrophobic D-Pal(3) had only marginal effects on the antagonistic activities and receptor binding potencies of the D-Cit/D-Hci6 analogues, but it appeared to further improve the toxicity lowering effect of D-Cit/D-Hci6 substitution. Antagonists containing D-Pal(3)3 and D-Cit/D-Hci6 residues, i.e. [Ac-D-Nal(2)1, D-Phe(4Cl)2, D-Pal(3)3, D-Cit6, D-Ala10]LHRH (SB-75) and [Ac-D-Nal(2)1, D-Phe(4Cl)2, D-Pal(3)3, D-Hci6, D-Ala10]LHRH (SB-88), were completely free of the toxic effects, such as cyanosis and respiratory depression leading to death, which have been observed in rats with the D-Trp3, D-Arg6 antagonist and related antagonists. Replacement of the N-acetyl group with the hydrophilic carbamoyl group caused a slight decrease in antagonistic activities, particularly in vitro. Introduction of urethane type acyl group such as methoxycarbonyl (Moc) or t-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) led to analogues that showed LHRH-potentiating effect. The increase in potency induced by these analogues, e.g. [Moc-D-Nal(2)1, D-Phe(4Cl)2, D-Trp3, D-Cit6, D-Ala10]LHRH and [Boc-D-Phe1, D-Phe(4Cl)2, D-Pal(3)3, D-Cit6, D-Ala10]LHRH, was 170-260% and persisted for more than 2 h when studied in a superfused rat pituitary system.

Neurospora crassa female development requires the PACC and other signal transduction pathways, transcription factors, chromatin remodeling, cell-to-cell fusion, and autophagy.

PubMed

Chinnici, Jennifer L; Fu, Ci; Caccamise, Lauren M; Arnold, Jason W; Free, Stephen J

2014-01-01

Using a screening protocol we have identified 68 genes that are required for female development in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. We find that we can divide these genes into five general groups: 1) Genes encoding components of the PACC signal transduction pathway, 2) Other signal transduction pathway genes, including genes from the three N. crassa MAP kinase pathways, 3) Transcriptional factor genes, 4) Autophagy genes, and 5) Other miscellaneous genes. Complementation and RIP studies verified that these genes are needed for the formation of the female mating structure, the protoperithecium, and for the maturation of a fertilized protoperithecium into a perithecium. Perithecia grafting experiments demonstrate that the autophagy genes and the cell-to-cell fusion genes (the MAK-1 and MAK-2 pathway genes) are needed for the mobilization and movement of nutrients from an established vegetative hyphal network into the developing protoperithecium. Deletion mutants for the PACC pathway genes palA, palB, palC, palF, palH, and pacC were found to be defective in two aspects of female development. First, they were unable to initiate female development on synthetic crossing medium. However, they could form protoperithecia when grown on cellophane, on corn meal agar, or in response to the presence of nearby perithecia. Second, fertilized perithecia from PACC pathway mutants were unable to produce asci and complete female development. Protein localization experiments with a GFP-tagged PALA construct showed that PALA was localized in a peripheral punctate pattern, consistent with a signaling center associated with the ESCRT complex. The N. crassa PACC signal transduction pathway appears to be similar to the PacC/Rim101 pathway previously characterized in Aspergillus nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In N. crassa the pathway plays a key role in regulating female development.

The Phenylpropanoid Pathway and Lignin in Defense against Ganoderma boninense Colonized Root Tissues in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.).

PubMed

Govender, Nisha T; Mahmood, Maziah; Seman, Idris A; Wong, Mui-Yun

2017-01-01

Basal stem rot, caused by the basidiomycete fungus, Ganoderma boninense , is an economically devastating disease in Malaysia. Our study investigated the changes in lignin content and composition along with activity and expression of the phenylpropanoid pathway enzymes and genes in oil palm root tissues during G. boninense infection. We sampled control (non-inoculated) and infected (inoculated) seedlings at seven time points [1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-inoculation (wpi)] in a randomized design. The expression profiles of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), and peroxidase (POD) genes were monitored at 1, 2, and 3 wpi using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Seedlings at 4, 8, and 12 wpi were screened for lignin content, lignin composition, enzyme activities (PAL, CAD, and POD), growth (weight and height), and disease severity (DS). Gene expression analysis demonstrated up-regulation of PAL, CAD, and POD genes in the infected seedlings, relative to the control seedlings at 1, 2, and 3 wpi. At 2 and 3 wpi, CAD showed highest transcript levels compared to PAL and POD. DS increased progressively throughout sampling, with 5, 34, and 69% at 4, 8, and 12 wpi, respectively. Fresh weight and height of the infected seedlings were significantly lower compared to the control seedlings at 8 and 12 wpi. Lignin content of the infected seedlings at 4 wpi was significantly higher than the control seedlings, remained elicited with no change at 8 wpi, and then collapsed with a significant reduction at 12 wpi. The nitrobenzene oxidation products of oil palm root lignin yielded both syringyl and guaiacyl monomers. Accumulation of lignin in the infected seedlings was in parallel to increased syringyl monomers, at 4 and 8 wpi. The activities of PAL and CAD enzymes in the infected seedlings at DS = 5-34% were significantly higher than the control seedlings and thereafter collapsed at DS = 69%.

Comparison of the Danish Physical Activity Questionnaire with a validated position and motion instrument.

PubMed

Matthiessen, Jeppe; Biltoft-Jensen, Anja; Rasmussen, Lone B; Hels, Ole; Fagt, Sisse; Groth, Margit V

2008-01-01

To compare the Danish Physical Activity Questionnaire (DPAQ) estimating physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and physical activity level (PAL) and the pattern of physical activity (including health-related physical activity) with measurements from a validated position and motion instrument (ActiReg). One hundred and thirty-eight healthy Danish volunteers aged 20-59 years participated. Participants filled in the DPAQ at the end of the day every day for seven consecutive days and carried the ActiReg on the same days as the DPAQ were filled in. A small, but statistically significant difference was seen between the DPAQ and the ActiReg for PAEE (mean: -0.32 MJ x d(-1); 95% limits of agreement: ((-2.88)-2.24 MJ x d(-1)); P = 0.003) and PAL (-0.03; ((-0.37)-0.31); P = 0.02) for the whole group and for women (P < 0.008 for PAEE and PAL), but not for men. The correlation between methods was good for PAEE (r = 0.71, P < 0.001) and PAL (r = 0.64, P < 0.001). No difference was observed for time spent in moderate plus vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (P = 0.40). Time reported in MVPA with the DPAQ was positively correlated with time spent in MVPA measured by the ActiReg (p = 0.53, P < 0.001). Although the volunteer sample may influence the representativeness of the results, the DPAQ provided a close estimate of PAEE, PAL (2-5% underestimation) and health-related physical activity (MVPA) in healthy adults at group level. The results indicate that the questionnaire can be used to rank individuals according to energy expenditure and level of total physical activity and to provide information on health-related physical activity.

Foliar and Seed Application of Amino Acids Affects the Antioxidant Metabolism of the Soybean Crop.

PubMed

Teixeira, Walquíria F; Fagan, Evandro B; Soares, Luís H; Umburanas, Renan C; Reichardt, Klaus; Neto, Durval D

2017-01-01

In recent years, the application of natural substances on crops has been intensified in order to increase the resistance and yield of the soybean crop. Among these products are included plant biostimulants that may contain algae extracts, amino acids, and plant regulators in their composition. However, there is little information on the isolated effect of each of these constituents. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the application of isolated amino acids on the antioxidant metabolism of the soybean crop. Experiments were carried out in a greenhouse and in the field with the application of the amino acids glutamate, phenylalanine, cysteine, glycine in seed treatment, and foliar application at V 4 growth stage. Antioxidant metabolism constituents evaluated were superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, hydrogen peroxide content, proline, and lipid peroxidation. In addition, resistance enzymes as polyphenol oxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) were evaluated. In both experiments, the use of cysteine, only in seed treatment and in both seed treatment and foliar application increased the activity of the enzyme PAL and catalase. Also in both experiments, the use of phenylalanine increased the activity of the enzyme PAL when the application was carried out as foliar application or both in seed treatment and foliar application. In the field experiment, the application of glutamate led to an increase in the activity of the catalase and PAL enzymes for seed treatment and foliar application. The use of the set of amino acids was only efficient in foliar application, which led to a greater activity of the enzymes peroxidase, PAL, and polyphenol oxidase. The other enzymes as well as lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide presented different results according to the experiment. Therefore, glutamate, cysteine, phenylalanine, and glycine can act as signaling amino acids in soybean plants, since small doses are enough to increase the

Physical activity in young and elderly subjects.

PubMed

Krems, C; Lhrmann, P M; Neuhuser-Berthold, M

2004-03-01

In the current recommendations for energy intake of different countries as well as in the international WHO recommendations for energy intake it is assumed that the elderly are less physically active than young adults. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare physical activity patterns and physical activity level (PAL) of young and elderly subjects. In 178 female (age 67.8+/-5.7 y, BMI 26.4+/-3.7 kg/m(2)) and 107 male (age 66.9+/-5.1 y, BMI 26.3+/-3.1 kg/m(2)) participants of the longitudinal study on nutrition and health status in an aging population of Giessen, Germany as well as in a young age group consisting of 154 women (age 24.8+/-3.0 y, BMI 21.0+/-2.2 kg/m(2)) and 68 men (age 26.8+/-3.4 y, BMI 23.3+/-2.4 kg/m(2)) different activities like occupational work, housework, gardening, walking and sports were assessed by a questionnaire. Energy expenditure of the different activities was calculated using multipliers for resting metabolic rate (RMR) according to the WHO. The same multipliers were used for young and elderly subjects. RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry after an overnight fast. PAL of the subjects was calculated as total energy expenditure divided by RMR. Young adults did more occupational work and performed more sports than elderly subjects. In contrast elderly women did more housework in comparison to young women, and elderly men walked more than young men. Both elderly women and men did more gardening than young women and men. In elderly women, PAL was significantly higher in comparison to young women, whereas PAL of young and elderly men did not differ significantly. The results indicate that despite different activity patterns, the young-old do not necessarily show a lower PAL than young subjects.

Roles and regulation of ketogenesis in cultured astroglia and neurons under hypoxia and hypoglycemia.

PubMed

Takahashi, Shinichi; Iizumi, Takuya; Mashima, Kyoko; Abe, Takato; Suzuki, Norihiro

2014-09-11

Exogenous ketone bodies (KBs), acetoacetate (AA), and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) act as alternative energy substrates in neural cells under starvation. The present study examined the endogenous ketogenic capacity of astroglia under hypoxia with/without glucose and the possible roles of KBs in neuronal energy metabolism. Cultured neurons and astroglia were prepared from Sprague-Dawley rats. Palmitic acid (PAL) and l-carnitine (LC) were added to the assay medium. The 4- to 24-hr production of AA and BHB was measured using the cyclic thio-NADH method. (14)C-labeled acid-soluble products (KBs) and (14)CO2 produced from [1-(14)C]PAL were also measured. l-[U-(14)C]lactic acid ([(14)C]LAC), [1-(14)C]pyruvic acid ([(14)C]PYR), or β-[1-(14)C]hydroxybutyric acid ([(14)C]BHB) was used to compare the oxidative metabolism of the glycolysis end products with that of the KBs. Some cells were placed in a hypoxic chamber (1% O2). PAL and LC induced a higher production of KBs in astroglia than in neurons, while the CO2 production from PAL was less than 5% of the KB production in both astroglia and neurons. KB production in astroglia was augmented by the AMP-activated protein kinase activators, AICAR and metformin, as well as hypoxia with/without glucose. Neuronal KB production increased under hypoxia in the absence of PAL and LC. In neurons, [(14)C]LAC and [(14)C]PYR oxidation decreased after 24 hr of hypoxia, while [(14)C]BHB oxidation was preserved. Astroglia responds to ischemia in vitro by enhancing KB production, and astroglia-produced KBs derived from fatty acid might serve as a neuronal energy substrate for the tricarboxylic acid cycle instead of lactate, as pyruvate dehydrogenase is susceptible to ischemia. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav.

DNA Methylation Influences Chlorogenic Acid Biosynthesis in Lonicera japonica by Mediating LjbZIP8 to Regulate Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase 2 Expression.

PubMed

Zha, Liangping; Liu, Shuang; Liu, Juan; Jiang, Chao; Yu, Shulin; Yuan, Yuan; Yang, Jian; Wang, Yaolong; Huang, Luqi

2017-01-01

The content of active compounds differ in buds and flowers of Lonicera japonica (FLJ) and L. japonica var. chinensis (rFLJ). Chlorogenic acid (CGAs) were major active compounds of L. japonica and regarded as measurements for quality evaluation. However, little is known concerning the formation of active compounds at the molecular level. We quantified the major CGAs in FLJ and rFLJ, and found the concentrations of CGAs were higher in the buds of rFLJ than those of FLJ. Further analysis of CpG methylation of CGAs biosynthesis genes showed differences between FLJ and rFLJ in the 5'-UTR of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase 2 ( PAL2 ). We identified 11 LjbZIP proteins and 24 rLjbZIP proteins with conserved basic leucine zipper domains, subcellular localization, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that the transcription factor LjbZIP8 is a nuclear-localized protein that specifically binds to the G-box element of the LjPAL2 5'-UTR. Additionally, a transactivation assay and LjbZIP8 overexpression in transgenic tobacco indicated that LjbZIP8 could function as a repressor of transcription. Finally, treatment with 5-azacytidine decreased the transcription level of LjPAL2 and CGAs content in FLJ leaves. These results raise the possibility that DNA methylation might influence the recruitment of LjbZIP8, regulating PAL2 expression level and CGAs content in L. japonica .

The international phase 4 validation study of the EORTC QLQ-SWB32: A stand-alone measure of spiritual well-being for people receiving palliative care for cancer.

PubMed

Vivat, B; Young, T E; Winstanley, J; Arraras, J I; Black, K; Boyle, F; Bredart, A; Costantini, A; Guo, J; Irarrazaval, M E; Kobayashi, K; Kruizinga, R; Navarro, M; Omidvari, S; Rohde, G E; Serpentini, S; Spry, N; Van Laarhoven, H W M; Yang, G M

2017-11-01

The EORTC Quality of Life Group has just completed the final phase (field-testing and validation) of an international project to develop a stand-alone measure of spiritual well-being (SWB) for palliative cancer patients. Participants (n = 451)-from 14 countries on four continents; 54% female; 188 Christian; 50 Muslim; 156 with no religion-completed a provisional 36-item measure of SWB plus the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL (PAL), then took part in a structured debriefing interview. All items showed good score distribution across response categories. We assessed scale structure using principal component analysis and Rasch analysis, and explored construct validity, and convergent/divergent validity with the PAL. Twenty-two items in four scoring scales (Relationship with Self, Relationships with Others, Relationship with Someone or Something Greater, and Existential) explained 53% of the variance. The measure also includes a global SWB item and nine other items. Scores on the PAL global quality-of-life item and Emotional Functioning scale weakly-moderately correlated with scores on the global SWB item and two of the four SWB scales. This new validated 32-item SWB measure addresses a distinct aspect of quality-of-life, and is now available for use in research and clinical practice, with a role as both a measurement and an intervention tool. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Effect of exogenous sucrose on growth and active ingredient content of licorice seedlings under salt stress conditions].

PubMed

Liu, Fu-zhi; Yang, Jun

2015-11-01

Licorice seedlings were taken as experimental materials, an experiment was conducted to study the effects of exogenous sucrose on growth and active ingredient content of licorice seedlings under NaCl stress conditions. The results of this study showed that under salt stress conditions, after adding a certain concentration of exogenous sucrose, the licorice seedlings day of relative growth rate was increasing, and this stress can be a significant weakening effect, indicating that exogenous sucrose salt stress-relieving effect. The total flavonoids and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity were significantly increased, the exogenous sucrose can mitigated the seedling roots under salt stress, the licorice flavonoid content in the enhanced growth was largely due to the activity of PAL an increased, when the concentration of exogenous sucrose wae 10 mmol x L(-1), PAL activity reaching a maximum, when the concentration of exogenous sucrose was 15 mmol x L(-1), PAL activity turned into a downward trend, the results indicating that this mitigation has concentration effect. After applying different concentrations of exogenous sugar, the contents of liquiritin changes with the change of flavonoids content was similar. After applying different concentrations of exogenous sucrose, the content of licorice acid under salt stress was higher than the levels were not reached during salt stress, the impact of exogenous sucrose concentration gradient of licorice acid accumulation was not obvious.

Probing the amphiphile micellar to hexagonal phase transition using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Dong, Aurelia W; Fong, Celesta; Hill, Anita J; Boyd, Ben J; Drummond, Calum J

2013-07-15

Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) has been utilised only sparingly for structural characterisation in self assembled materials. Inconsistencies in approaches to experimental configuration and data analysis between studies has complicated comparisons between studies, meaning that the technique has not provided a cohesive data set across the study of different self assembled systems that advance the technique towards an important tool in soft matter research. In the current work a systematic study was conducted using ionic and non-ionic micellar systems with increasing surfactant concentration to probe positron behaviour on changes between micellar phase structures, and data analysed using contemporary approaches to fit four component spectra. A characteristic orthopositronium lifetime (in the organic regions) of 3.5±0.2 ns was obtained for the hexagonal phase for surfactants with C12 alkyl chains. Chemical quenching of the positron species was also observed for systems with ionic amphiphiles. The application of PALS has also highlighted an inconsistency in the published phase diagram for the octa(ethylene oxide) monododecyl ether (C12EO8) system. These results provide new insight into how the physical properties of micellar systems can be related to PALS parameters and means that the PALS technique can be applied to other more complex self-assembled amphiphile systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inefficient skeletal muscle oxidative function flanks impaired motor neuron recruitment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis during exercise.

PubMed

Lanfranconi, F; Ferri, A; Corna, G; Bonazzi, R; Lunetta, C; Silani, V; Riva, N; Rigamonti, A; Maggiani, A; Ferrarese, C; Tremolizzo, L

2017-06-07

This study aimed to evaluate muscle oxidative function during exercise in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients (pALS) with non-invasive methods in order to assess if determinants of reduced exercise tolerance might match ALS clinical heterogeneity. 17 pALS, who were followed for 4 months, were compared with 13 healthy controls (CTRL). Exercise tolerance was assessed by an incremental exercise test on cycle ergometer measuring peak O 2 uptake ([Formula: see text]O 2peak ), vastus lateralis oxidative function by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and breathing pattern ([Formula: see text]E peak ). pALS displayed: (1) 44% lower [Formula: see text]O 2peak vs. CTRL (p < 0.0001), paralleled by a 43% decreased peak skeletal muscle oxidative function (p < 0.01), with a linear regression between these two variables (r 2  = 0.64, p < 0.0001); (2) 46% reduced [Formula: see text]E peak vs. CTRL (p < 0.0001), achieved by using an inefficient breathing pattern (increasing respiratory frequency) from the onset until the end of exercise. Inefficient skeletal muscle O 2 function, when flanking the impaired motor units recruitment, is a major determinant of pALS clinical heterogeneity and working capacity exercise tolerance. CPET and NIRS are useful tools for detecting early stages of oxidative deficiency in skeletal muscles, disclosing individual impairments in the O 2 transport and utilization chain.

Going Metric...PAL (Programmed Assigned Learning).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Jesse D.

This 41-page programed booklet is intended for use by students and adults. It introduces the metric units for length, area, volume, and temperature through a series of questions and answers. The advantages of the metric system over the English system are discussed. Conversion factors are introduced and several applications of the metric system in…

From Pen Pals to Global Citizens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirshner, Jean; Tzib, Eli; Tzib, Zilpa; Fry, Sara

2016-01-01

This compilation of articles describes three projects aimed at offering students authentic opportunities to develop global competencies. The first article describes Out of Eden Learn, an initiative from Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education. The project engages students in learning journeys that follow Pulitzer Prize-winning…

Community health workers on a college campus: Effects on influenza vaccination.

PubMed

Huang, Jack J; Francesconi, Maria; Cooper, Madeline H; Covello, Allyson; Guo, Michelle; Gharib, Soheyla D

2018-01-01

To assess the impact of a campus community health worker program (HealthPALs) on student influenza vaccination. Undergraduate students at a northeastern US university (enrollment 6650), influenza seasons 2011-2012 through 2015-2016. Study design: Difference-in-differences analysis of student vaccination at campus dormitory influenza clinics during intervention vs. baseline. In the first intervention year, HealthPALs conducted in-person peer outreach at several campus dormitory flu clinics. Subsequent years, HealthPALs conducted an enhanced intervention, with the addition of a personalized, dormitory-specific social media campaign appealing to students' community identity. The initial intervention increased vaccinations by 66% (IRR = 1.66, 95%CI 1.39-1.97) at intervention clinics relative to control. The enhanced intervention increased vaccinations by 85% (IRR = 1.85, 95%CI 1.75-1.96). Community health workers can be a highly effective, low-cost strategy for increasing influenza vaccination among college students. This model could also be used to address other campus health challenges where student engagement is key.

Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Healthcare Expenditures Related to Arterial Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus in Older Adults: SABE Study.

PubMed

Bueno, Denise Rodrigues; Marucci, Maria de Fátima Nunes; Rosa, Clara Suemi da Costa; Fernandes, Rômulo Araújo; de Oliveira Duarte, Yeda Aparecida; Lebão, Maria Lucia

2017-10-01

Research using questionnaires has shown that physical activity level (PAL) is associated with healthcare costs. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between objectively measured PAL and healthcare costs among hypertensive and diabetic noninstitutionalized Brazilian older people. The method consisted of a cross-sectional study forming part of the SABE Study, composed of 377 older people interviewed in 2010. Expenditures were estimated taking into account self-reported medicine prescription, outpatient service, and hospitalizations, with the highest quartile of expenditures considered as a risk category. PAL was estimated using an Actigraph accelerometer. Associations were expressed as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for covariates. Overall expenditures were higher in the sedentary group. The insufficiently active group presented greater odds for higher total, outpatient, and hospitalization expenditure. It was concluded that healthcare expenditures were lower in more active hypertensive and diabetic older people. The promotion of physical activity could be relevant in the attenuation of the burden of chronic diseases in economic losses.

Functional handwriting performance in school-age children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Duval-White, Cherie J; Jirikowic, Tracy; Rios, Dianne; Deitz, Jean; Olson, Heather Carmichael

2013-01-01

Handwriting is a critical skill for school success. Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) often present with fine motor and visual-motor impairments that can affect handwriting performance, yet handwriting skills have not been systematically investigated in this clinical group. This study aimed to comprehensively describe handwriting skills in 20 school-age children with FASD. Children were tested with the Process Assessment of the Learner, 2nd Edition (PAL-II), and the Visuomotor Precision subtest of NEPSY, a developmental neuropsychological assessment. Participants performed below average on PAL-II measures of handwriting legibility and speed and on NEPSY visual-motor precision tasks. In contrast, PAL-II measures of sensorimotor skills were broadly within the average range. Results provide evidence of functional handwriting challenges for children with FASD and suggest diminished visual-motor skills and increased difficulty as task complexity increases. Future research is needed to further describe the prevalence and nature of handwriting challenges in this population. Copyright © 2013 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Comparative effects of L-DOPA and velvet bean seed extract on soybean lignification.

PubMed

Bido, Graciene de Souza; Silva, Hingrid Ariane da; Bortolo, Tiara da Silva Coelho; Maldonado, Marcos Rodrigues; Marchiosi, Rogério; Dos Santos, Wanderley Dantas; Ferrarese-Filho, Osvaldo

2018-04-03

Velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) is an efficient cover forage that controls weeds, pathogens and nematodes, and the non-protein amino acid L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is its main allelochemical. The effects of 3 g L -1 of an aqueous extract of velvet bean seeds, along with 0.5 mM L-DOPA for comparison, were evaluated in roots, stems and leaves of soybean (Glycine max). The activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) were determined, along with the lignin content and its monomeric composition. The results revealed similar effects caused by L-DOPA and the aqueous extract. Both treatments reduced PAL and CAD activities, lignin, and lignin monomer contents in roots; PAL and CAD activities in stems, and CAD activity in leaves. These findings provide further evidence that the effects of velvet bean cover forage on root lignification were due to the L-DOPA, its major allelochemical.

Synthesis, characterization, and application of novel biodegradable self-assembled 2-(N-phthalimido) ethyl-palmitate nanoparticles for cancer therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasoju, Naresh; Bora, Debajeet K.; Bhonde, Ramesh R.; Bora, Utpal

2010-03-01

We report the synthesis of novel biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) which can kill the cancer cells without any additional drug loading. The NP was a self-assembled form of a phthalimide based conjugate, in which the phthalimide moiety was responsible for the anticancer activity. We describe the synthesis of a novel 2-(N-phthalimido) ethyl palmitate (PHEP-Pal) conjugate and subsequent preparation of NPs by a simple self assembly process. The successful synthesis of conjugate was confirmed by various characterization studies including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscope, TOF-liquid chromatography mass spectroscope, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction unit. The synthesis, shape, size, and size distribution of PHEP-Pal NPs were determined by transmission electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and dynamic light scattering technique. Finally, cell culture studies using A549 and HeLa cells were done to evaluate the anticancer effect of PHEP-Pal NPs, which demonstrated the potency of these NPs for use in cancer chemotherapy.

Peer assisted learning as a formal instructional tool.

PubMed

Naqi, Syed Asghar

2014-03-01

To explore the utility of peer assisted learning (PAL) in medical schools as a formal instructional tool. Grounded theory approach. King Edward Medical University, Lahore, from July 2011 to December 2011. A study was designed using semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect data from final year medical students (n=6), residents (n=4) and faculty members (n=3), selected on the basis of non-probability purposive sampling. The qualitative data thus generated was first translated in English and transcribed and organized into major categories by using a coding framework. Participants were interviewed two more times to further explore their perceptions and experiences related to emergent categories. An iterative process was employed using grounded theory analysis technique to eventually generate theory. PAL was perceived as rewarding in terms of fostering higher order thinking, effective teaching skills and in improving self efficacy among learners. PAL can offer learning opportunity to medical students, residents and faculty members. It can improve depth of their knowledge and skills.

Designing Probes for Immunodiagnostics: Structural Insights into an Epitope Targeting Burkholderia Infections.

PubMed

Capelli, Riccardo; Matterazzo, Elena; Amabili, Marco; Peri, Claudio; Gori, Alessandro; Gagni, Paola; Chiari, Marcella; Lertmemongkolchai, Ganjana; Cretich, Marina; Bolognesi, Martino; Colombo, Giorgio; Gourlay, Louise J

2017-10-13

Structure-based epitope prediction drives the design of diagnostic peptidic probes to reveal specific antibodies elicited in response to infections. We previously identified a highly immunoreactive epitope from the peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (Pal) antigen from Burkholderia pseudomallei, which could also diagnose Burkholderia cepacia infections. Here, considering the high phylogenetic conservation within Burkholderia species, we ask whether cross-reactivity can be reciprocally displayed by the synthetic epitope from B. cenocepacia. We perform comparative analyses of the conformational preferences and diagnostic performances of the corresponding epitopes from the two Burkholderia species when presented in the context of the full-length proteins or as isolated peptides. The effects of conformation on the diagnostic potential and cross-reactivity of Pal peptide epitopes are rationalized on the basis of the 1.8 Å crystal structure of B. cenocepacia Pal and through computational analyses. Our results are discussed in the context of designing new diagnostic molecules for the early detection of infectious diseases.

Changes in FKBP5 expression and memory functions during cognitive-behavioral therapy in posttraumatic stress disorder: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Szabó, Csilla; Kelemen, Oguz; Kéri, Szabolcs

2014-05-21

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by hyperarousal, flashbacks, avoidance, and memory dysfunctions. Although psychotherapy improves the clinical symptoms, its effect on memory has not been explored. In addition, there is no information about gene expression changes related to hippocampal functions. We assessed PTSD patients (n=20) using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) and a paired associates learning (PAL) test, as well as changes in blood FK506 binding protein (FKBP5) mRNA expression before and after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Results revealed that before CBT PTSD patients were impaired on WAIS-R delayed recall, attention/concentration, and PAL compared with trauma-exposed control subjects (n=20). These memory dysfunctions showed a significant improvement after CBT. Better performance on the PAL test correlated with enhanced blood FKBP5 mRNA expression. These results suggest that elevated FKBP5 expression during CBT is related to improved associative memory linked to the hippocampal formation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrasound treatment on phenolic metabolism and antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut pineapple during cold storage.

PubMed

Yeoh, Wei Keat; Ali, Asgar

2017-02-01

Ultrasound treatment at different power output (0, 25 and 29W) and exposure time (10 and 15min) was used to investigate its effect on the phenolic metabolism enzymes, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut pineapple. Following ultrasound treatment at 25 and 29W, the activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) was increased significantly (P<0.05) by 2.0 and 1.9-fold, when compared to control. Meanwhile, both the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and polyphenol peroxidase (POD) in fresh-cut pineapple was significantly (P<0.05) lower than control upon subjected to ultrasound treatment. In the present study, induction of PAL was found to significantly (P<0.001) correlate with higher total phenolic content and thus higher antioxidant capacity in fresh-cut pineapple. Results suggest that hormetic dosage of ultrasound treatment can enhance the activity of PAL and total phenolic content and hence the total antioxidant capacity to encounter with oxidative stress. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The effect of ultraviolet treatment on enzymatic activity and total phenolic content of minimally processed potato slices.

PubMed

Teoh, Li Shing; Lasekan, Ola; Adzahan, Noranizan Mohd; Hashim, Norhashila

2016-07-01

In this work, potato slices were exposed to different doses of UV-C irradiation (i.e. 2.28, 6.84, 11.41, and 13.68 kJ m -2 ) with or without pretreatment [i.e. ascorbic acid and calcium chloride (AACCl) dip] and stored at 4 ± 1 °C. Changes in enzymatic activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), as well as total phenolic content (TPC) were investigated after 0, 3, 7 and 10 days of storage. Results showed that untreated and UV-C treated potato slices at 13.68 kJ m -2 dosage level showed significantly higher PPO, POD and PAL activities. Conversely, untreated potato slices showed the lowest TPC during storage period. Potato slices subjected to AACCl dip plus UV-C at 6.84 kJ m -2 produced lower PPO, POD and PAL activities, as well as maintained a high TPC during storage.

Validation and Scaling of Soil Moisture in a Semi-Arid Environment: SMAP Validation Experiment 2015 (SMAPVEX15)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colliander, Andreas; Cosh, Michael H.; Misra, Sidharth; Jackson, Thomas J.; Crow, Wade T.; Chan, Steven; Bindlish, Rajat; Chae, Chun; Holifield Collins, Chandra; Yueh, Simon H.

2017-01-01

The NASA SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) mission conducted the SMAP Validation Experiment 2015 (SMAPVEX15) in order to support the calibration and validation activities of SMAP soil moisture data products. The main goals of the experiment were to address issues regarding the spatial disaggregation methodologies for improvement of soil moisture products and validation of the in situ measurement upscaling techniques. To support these objectives high-resolution soil moisture maps were acquired with the airborne PALS (Passive Active L-band Sensor) instrument over an area in southeast Arizona that includes the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW), and intensive ground sampling was carried out to augment the permanent in situ instrumentation. The objective of the paper was to establish the correspondence and relationship between the highly heterogeneous spatial distribution of soil moisture on the ground and the coarse resolution radiometer-based soil moisture retrievals of SMAP. The high-resolution mapping conducted with PALS provided the required connection between the in situ measurements and SMAP retrievals. The in situ measurements were used to validate the PALS soil moisture acquired at 1-km resolution. Based on the information from a dense network of rain gauges in the study area, the in situ soil moisture measurements did not capture all the precipitation events accurately. That is, the PALS and SMAP soil moisture estimates responded to precipitation events detected by rain gauges, which were in some cases not detected by the in situ soil moisture sensors. It was also concluded that the spatial distribution of the soil moisture resulted from the relatively small spatial extents of the typical convective storms in this region was not completely captured with the in situ stations. After removing those cases (approximately10 of the observations) the following metrics were obtained: RMSD (root mean square difference) of0.016m3m3 and correlation of 0.83. The

A technology mapping based on graph of excitations and outputs for finite state machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kania, Dariusz; Kulisz, Józef

2017-11-01

A new, efficient technology mapping method of FSMs, dedicated for PAL-based PLDs is proposed. The essence of the method consists in searching for the minimal set of PAL-based logic blocks that cover a set of multiple-output implicants describing the transition and output functions of an FSM. The method is based on a new concept of graph: the Graph of Excitations and Outputs. The proposed algorithm was tested using the FSM benchmarks. The obtained results were compared with the classical technology mapping of FSM.

Effects of Solvation On One- and Two-Photon Spectra of Coumarin Derivatives: A TDDFT Study (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-01

1999,103,9614. (14) Pal, H.; Nad, S.; Kumbhakar, M. J Chern. Phys. 2003, 119,443. (15) Barik , A.; Nath, S.; Pal, H. J Chern. Phys. 2003, 119, 10202...Signature// TIM J . SCHUMACHER, Chief Survivability and Sensor Materials Division This report is published in the interest of...6-311 ++G(d,p) and the aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. Theory Expt System/Method E(S])f Jlo]Energy (JlO]) [ j ]Solvent C120 CAMB3LYP 4.29 (4.24)0.373 (0.368

The 2010 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiac care: an overview of the changes to pediatric basic and advanced life support.

PubMed

Spencer, Becky; Chacko, Jisha; Sallee, Donna

2011-06-01

The American Heart Association (AHA) has a strong commitment to implementing scientific research-based interventions for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. This article presents the 2010 AHA major guideline changes to pediatric basic life support (BLS) and pediatric advanced life support (PALS) and the rationale for the changes. The following topics are covered in this article: (1) current understanding of cardiac arrest in the pediatric population, (2) major changes in pediatric BLS, and (3) major changes in PALS. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Development of a Web-Based Intervention for Addressing Distress in Caregivers of Patients Receiving Stem Cell Transplants: Formative Evaluation With Qualitative Interviews and Focus Groups

PubMed

Pensak, Nicole Amoyal; Joshi, Tanisha; Simoneau, Teresa; Kilbourn, Kristin; Carr, Alaina; Kutner, Jean; Laudenslager, Mark L

2017-06-22

Caregivers of cancer patients experience significant burden and distress including depression and anxiety. We previously demonstrated the efficacy of an eight session, in-person, one-on-one stress management intervention to reduce distress in caregivers of patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (allo-HSCT). The objective of this study was to adapt and enhance the in-person caregiver stress management intervention to a mobilized website (eg, tablet, smartphone, or computer-based) for self-delivery in order to enhance dissemination to caregiver populations most in need. We used an established approach for development of a mhealth intervention, completing the first two research and evaluation steps: Step One: Formative Research (eg, expert and stakeholder review from patients, caregivers, and palliative care experts) and Step Two: Pretesting (eg, Focus Groups and Individual Interviews with caregivers of patients with autologous HSCT (auto-HSCT). Step one included feedback elicited for a mock-up version of Pep-Pal session one from caregiver, patients and clinician stakeholders from a multidisciplinary palliative care team (N=9 caregivers and patient stakeholders and N=20 palliative care experts). Step two included two focus groups (N=6 caregivers) and individual interviews (N=9 caregivers) regarding Pep-Pal's look and feel, content, acceptability, and potential usability/feasibility. Focus groups and individual interviews were audio-recorded. In addition, individual interviews were transcribed, and applied thematic analysis was conducted in order to gain an in-depth understanding to inform the development and refinement of the mobilized caregiver stress management intervention, Pep-Pal (PsychoEducation and skills for Patient caregivers). Overall, results were favorable. Pep-Pal was deemed acceptable for caregivers of patients receiving an auto-HSCT. The refined Pep-Pal program consisted of 9 sessions (Introduction to Stress, Stress and the

Measuring Physical Activity in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Population Using a Smartphone-Based Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Maddison, Ralph; Jiang, Yannan; Dalleck, Lance; Löf, Marie

2013-01-01

Background Questionnaires are commonly used to assess physical activity in large population-based studies because of their low cost and convenience. Many self-report physical activity questionnaires have been shown to be valid and reliable measures, but they are subject to measurement errors and misreporting, often due to lengthy recall periods. Mobile phones offer a novel approach to measure self-reported physical activity on a daily basis and offer real-time data collection with the potential to enhance recall. Objective The aims of this study were to determine the convergent validity of a mobile phone physical activity (MobilePAL) questionnaire against accelerometry in people with cardiovascular disease (CVD), and to compare how the MobilePAL questionnaire performed compared with the commonly used self-recall International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Methods Thirty adults aged 49 to 85 years with CVD were recruited from a local exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation clinic in Auckland, New Zealand. All participants completed a demographics questionnaire and underwent a 6-minute walk test at the first visit. Subsequently, participants were temporarily provided a smartphone (with the MobilePAL questionnaire preloaded that asked 2 questions daily) and an accelerometer, which was to be worn for 7 days. After 1 week, a follow-up visit was completed during which the smartphone and accelerometer were returned, and participants completed the IPAQ. Results Average daily physical activity level measured using the MobilePAL questionnaire showed moderate correlation (r=.45; P=.01) with daily activity counts per minute (Acc_CPM) and estimated metabolic equivalents (MET) (r=.45; P=.01) measured using the accelerometer. Both MobilePAL (beta=.42; P=.008) and age (beta=–.48, P=.002) were significantly associated with Acc_CPM (adjusted R2=.40). When IPAQ-derived energy expenditure, measured in MET-minutes per week (IPAQ_met), was considered in the predicted model

Lingual–Alveolar Contact Pressure During Speech in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Preliminary Findings

PubMed Central

Knollhoff, Stephanie; Barohn, Richard J.

2017-01-01

Purpose This preliminary study on lingual–alveolar contact pressures (LACP) in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) had several aims: (a) to evaluate whether the protocol induced fatigue, (b) to compare LACP during speech (LACP-Sp) and during maximum isometric pressing (LACP-Max) in people with ALS (PALS) versus healthy controls, (c) to compare the percentage of LACP-Max utilized during speech (%Max) for PALS versus controls, and (d) to evaluate relationships between LACP-Sp and LACP-Max with word intelligibility. Method Thirteen PALS and 12 healthy volunteers produced /t, d, s, z, l, n/ sounds while LACP-Sp was recorded. LACP-Max was obtained before and after the speech protocol. Word intelligibility was obtained from auditory–perceptual judgments. Results LACP-Max values measured before and after completion of the speech protocol did not differ. LACP-Sp and LACP-Max were statistically lower in the ALS bulbar group compared with controls and PALS with only spinal symptoms. There was no statistical difference between groups for %Max. LACP-Sp and LACP-Max were correlated with word intelligibility. Conclusions It was feasible to obtain LACP-Sp measures without inducing fatigue. Reductions in LACP-Sp and LACP-Max for bulbar speakers might reflect tongue weakness. Although confirmation of results is needed, the data indicate that individuals with high word intelligibility maintained LACP-Sp at or above 2 kPa and LACP-Max at or above 50 kPa. PMID:28335033

Pharmacological Targeting of Protease-Activated Receptor 2 Affords Protection from Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis

PubMed Central

Lin, Cong; von der Thüsen, Jan; Daalhuisen, Joost; ten Brink, Marieke; Crestani, Bruno; van der Poll, Tom; Borensztajn, Keren; Spek, C Arnold

2015-01-01

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is the most devastating diffuse fibrosing lung disease that remains refractory to therapy. Despite increasing evidence that protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) contributes to fibrosis, its importance in pulmonary fibrosis is under debate. We addressed whether PAR-2 deficiency persistently reduces bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis or merely delays disease progression and whether pharmacological PAR-2 inhibition limits experimental pulmonary fibrosis. Bleomycin was instilled intranasally into wild-type or PAR-2–deficient mice in the presence/absence of a specific PAR-2 antagonist (P2pal-18S). Pulmonary fibrosis was consistently reduced in PAR-2–deficient mice throughout the fibrotic phase, as evident from reduced Ashcroft scores (29%) and hydroxyproline levels (26%) at d 28. Moreover, P2pal-18S inhibited PAR-2–induced profibrotic responses in both murine and primary human pulmonary fibroblasts (p < 0.05). Once daily treatment with P2pal-18S reduced the severity and extent of fibrotic lesions in lungs of bleomycin-treated wild-type mice but did not further reduce fibrosis in PAR-2–deficient mice. Importantly, P2pal-18S treatment starting even 7 d after the onset of fibrosis limits pulmonary fibrosis as effectively as when treatment was started together with bleomycin instillation. Overall, PAR-2 contributes to the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, and targeting PAR-2 may be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating pulmonary fibrosis. PMID:26147947

DNA Methylation Influences Chlorogenic Acid Biosynthesis in Lonicera japonica by Mediating LjbZIP8 to Regulate Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase 2 Expression

PubMed Central

Zha, Liangping; Liu, Shuang; Liu, Juan; Jiang, Chao; Yu, Shulin; Yuan, Yuan; Yang, Jian; Wang, Yaolong; Huang, Luqi

2017-01-01

The content of active compounds differ in buds and flowers of Lonicera japonica (FLJ) and L. japonica var. chinensis (rFLJ). Chlorogenic acid (CGAs) were major active compounds of L. japonica and regarded as measurements for quality evaluation. However, little is known concerning the formation of active compounds at the molecular level. We quantified the major CGAs in FLJ and rFLJ, and found the concentrations of CGAs were higher in the buds of rFLJ than those of FLJ. Further analysis of CpG methylation of CGAs biosynthesis genes showed differences between FLJ and rFLJ in the 5′-UTR of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase 2 (PAL2). We identified 11 LjbZIP proteins and 24 rLjbZIP proteins with conserved basic leucine zipper domains, subcellular localization, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that the transcription factor LjbZIP8 is a nuclear-localized protein that specifically binds to the G-box element of the LjPAL2 5′-UTR. Additionally, a transactivation assay and LjbZIP8 overexpression in transgenic tobacco indicated that LjbZIP8 could function as a repressor of transcription. Finally, treatment with 5-azacytidine decreased the transcription level of LjPAL2 and CGAs content in FLJ leaves. These results raise the possibility that DNA methylation might influence the recruitment of LjbZIP8, regulating PAL2 expression level and CGAs content in L. japonica. PMID:28740500

Fabrication of CMC-g-PAM Superporous Polymer Monoliths via Eco-Friendly Pickering-MIPEs for Superior Adsorption of Methyl Violet and Methylene Blue

PubMed Central

Wang, Feng; Zhu, Yongfeng; Wang, Wenbo; Zong, Li; Lu, Taotao; Wang, Aiqin

2017-01-01

A series of superporous carboxymethylcellulose-graft-poly(acrylamide)/palygorskite (CMC-g-PAM/Pal) polymer monoliths presenting interconnected pore structure and excellent adsorption properties were prepared by one-step free-radical grafting polymerization reaction of CMC and acrylamide (AM) in the oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering-medium internal phase emulsions (Pickering-MIPEs) composed of non-toxic edible oil as a dispersion phase and natural Pal nanorods as stabilizers. The effects of Pal dosage, AM dosage, and co-surfactant Tween-20 (T-20) on the pore structures of the monoliths were studied. It was revealed that the well-defined pores were formed when the dosages of Pal and T-20 are 9–14 and 3%, respectively. The porous monolith can rapidly adsorb 1,585 mg/g of methyl violet (MV) and 1,625 mg/g of methylene blue (MB). After the monolith was regenerated by adsorption-desorption process for five times, the adsorption capacities still reached 92.1% (for MV) and 93.5% (for MB) of the initial maximum adsorption capacities. The adsorption process was fitted with Langmuir adsorption isotherm model and pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic model very well, which indicate that mono-layer chemical adsorption mainly contribute to the high-capacity adsorption for dyes. The superporous polymer monolith prepared from eco-friendly Pickering-MIPEs shows good adsorption capacity and fast adsorption rate, which is potential adsorbent for the decontamination of dye-containing wastewater. PMID:28642862