Deciphering CD30 ligand biology and its role in humoral immunity

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Mary K; Willis, Cynthia R; Armitage, Richard J

2006-01-01

Ligands and receptors in the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamilies have been the subject of extensive investigation over the past 10–15 years. For certain TNFR family members, such as Fas and CD40, some of the consequences of receptor ligation were predicted before the identification and cloning of their corresponding ligands through in vitro functional studies using agonistic receptor-specific antibodies. For other members of the TNFR family, including CD30, cross-linking the receptor with specific antibodies failed to yield many clues about the functional significance of the relevant ligand–receptor interactions. In many instances, the subsequent availability of TNF family ligands in the form of recombinant protein facilitated the determination of biological consequences of interactions with their relevant receptor in both in vitro and in vivo settings. In the case of CD30 ligand (CD30L; CD153), definition of its biological role remained frustratingly elusive. Early functional studies using CD30L+ cells or agonistic CD30-specific antibodies logically focused attention on cell types that had been shown to express CD30, namely certain lymphoid malignancies and subsets of activated T cells. However, it was not immediately clear how the reported activities from these in vitro studies relate to the biological activity of CD30L in the more complex whole animal setting. Recently, results from in vivo models involving CD30 or CD30L gene disruption, CD30L overexpression, or pharmacological blockade of CD30/CD30L interactions have begun to provide clues about the role played by CD30L in immunological processes. In this review we consider the reported biology of CD30L and focus on results from several recent studies that point to an important role for CD30/CD30L interactions in humoral immune responses. PMID:16771849

Panel reactive HLA antibodies, soluble CD30 levels, and acute rejection six months following renal transplant.

PubMed

Domingues, Elizabeth M F L; Matuck, Teresa; Graciano, Miguel L; Souza, Edison; Rioja, Suzimar; Falci, Mônica C; Monteiro de Carvalho, Deise B; Porto, Luís Cristóvão

2010-01-01

Specific anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies (HLA) in the post-transplant period may be present with acute rejection episodes (ARE), and high soluble CD30 (sCD30) serum levels may be a risk factor for ARE and graft loss. HLA cross-matching, panel reactive antibodies (PRA), and sCD30 levels were determined prior to transplantation in 72 patients. Soluble CD30 levels and PRA were re-assessed at day 7, 14, 21, and 28, and monthly up to the sixth.   Twenty-four subjects had a positive PRA and 17 experienced ARE. Nine of 17 ARE subjects demonstrated positive PRA and 16 had HLA mismatches. Positive PRA was more frequent in ARE subjects (p = 0.03). Eight subjects with ARE had donor-specific antibodies (DSA) in serum samples pre-transplantation, two subjects developed DSA. Three subjects without ARE had positive PRA only in post-transplantation samples. Soluble CD30 levels were higher in pre-transplant samples and ARE subjects than non-ARE subjects (p = 0.03). Post-transplant sCD30 levels were elevated in subjects who experienced rejection and were significantly higher at seven d (p = 0.0004) and six months (p = 0.03). Higher sCD30 levels following transplant were associated with ARE. Elevated sCD30 levels may represent a risk factor for acute rejection. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Substantial contribution of extrinsic risk factors to cancer development | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

Recent research has highlighted a strong correlation between tissue-specific cancer risk and the lifetime number of tissue-specific stem-cell divisions. Whether such correlation implies a high unavoidable intrinsic cancer risk has become a key public health debate with the dissemination of the 'bad luck' hypothesis. Here we provide evidence that intrinsic risk factors contribute only modestly (less than ~10-30% of lifetime risk) to cancer development.

Genetic variation in personality traits explains genetic overlap between borderline personality features and substance use disorders.

PubMed

Few, Lauren R; Grant, Julia D; Trull, Timothy J; Statham, Dixie J; Martin, Nicholas G; Lynskey, Michael T; Agrawal, Arpana

2014-12-01

To examine the genetic overlap between borderline personality features (BPF) and substance use disorders (SUDs) and the extent to which variation in personality traits contributes to this covariance. Genetic structural equation modelling was used to partition the variance in and covariance between personality traits, BPF and SUDs into additive genetic, shared and individual-specific environmental factors. All participants were registered with the Australian Twin Registry. A total of 3127 Australian adult twins participated in the study. Diagnoses of DSM-IV alcohol and cannabis abuse/dependence (AAD; CAD) and nicotine dependence (ND) were derived via computer-assisted telephone interview. BPF and five-factor model personality traits were derived via self-report questionnaires. Personality traits, BPF and substance use disorders were partially influenced by genetic factors with heritability estimates ranging from 0.38 (neuroticism; 95% confidence interval: 0.30-0.45) to 0.78 (CAD; 95% confidence interval: 0.67-0.86). Genetic and individual-specific environmental correlations between BPF and SUDs ranged from 0.33 to 0.56 (95% CI = 0.19-0.74) and 0.19-0.32 (95% CI = 0.06-0.43), respectively. Overall, there was substantial support for genetic influences that were specific to AAD, ND and CAD (30.76-68.60%). Finally, genetic variation in personality traits was responsible for 11.46% (extraversion for CAD) to 59.30% (neuroticism for AAD) of the correlation between BPF and SUDs. Both genetic and individual-specific environmental factors contribute to comorbidity between borderline personality features and substance use disorders. A substantial proportion of this comorbidity can be attributed to variation in normal personality traits, particularly neuroticism. © 2014 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Ecological Factors in Migration in Nonmetropolitan Counties, 1950-1970.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murdock, Steve H.

To determine the dominant ecosystem types in nonmetropolitan counties and the role of ecological factors in determination of levels of total and age-specific migration patterns within nonmetropolitan areas and ecosystem types for 1950-60 and 1960-70, 30 ecological variables representing POET concepts of population, organization, environment, and…

Functions of Marijuana Use in College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Julie K.; Accordino, Michael P.; Hewes, Robert L.

2010-01-01

Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis that specific functional factors of marijuana use would predict past 30-day marijuana use in 425 college students more precisely than demographic variables alone. This hypothesis was confirmed. Functional factors of personal/physical enhancement as well as activity enhancement were…

Impact of stress on cancer metastasis

PubMed Central

Moreno-Smith, Myrthala; Lutgendorf, Susan K; Sood, Anil K

2011-01-01

The influence of psychosocial factors on the development and progression of cancer has been a longstanding hypothesis since ancient times. In fact, epidemiological and clinical studies over the past 30 years have provided strong evidence for links between chronic stress, depression and social isolation and cancer progression. By contrast, there is only limited evidence for the role of these behavioral factors in cancer initiation. Recent cellular and molecular studies have identified specific signaling pathways that impact cancer growth and metastasis. This article provides an overview of the relationship between psychosocial factors, specifically chronic stress, and cancer progression. PMID:21142861

The Relationship Between Index Hospitalizations, Sepsis, and Death or Transition to Hospice Care During 30-Day Hospital Readmissions.

PubMed

Dietz, Brett W; Jones, Tiffanie K; Small, Dylan S; Gaieski, David F; Mikkelsen, Mark E

2017-04-01

Hospital readmissions are common, expensive, and increasingly used as a metric for assessing quality of care. The relationship between index hospitalizations and specific outcomes among those readmitted remains largely unknown. Identify risk factors present during the index hospitalization associated with death or transition to hospice care during 30-day readmissions and examine the contribution of infection in readmissions resulting in death. Retrospective cohort study. A total of 17,716 30-day readmissions in an academic health system. We used mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression models to identify risk factors associated with the primary outcome, in-hospital death, or transition to hospice during 30-day readmissions. Of 17,716 30-day readmissions, 1144 readmissions resulted in death or transition to hospice care (6.5%). Risk factors identified included: age, burden, and type of comorbid conditions, recent hospitalizations, nonelective index admission type, outside hospital transfer, low discharge hemoglobin, low discharge sodium, high discharge red blood cell distribution width, and disposition to a setting other than home. Sepsis (OR=1.33; 95% CI, 1.02-1.72; P=0.03) and shock (OR=1.78; 95% CI, 1.22-2.58; P=0.002) during the index admission were associated with the primary outcome, and in-hospital mortality specifically. In patients who died, infection was the primary cause for readmission in 51.6% of readmissions after sepsis and 28.6% of readmissions after a nonsepsis hospitalization (P=0.009). We identified factors, including sepsis and shock during the index hospitalization, associated with death or transition to hospice care during readmission. Infection was frequently implicated as the cause of a readmission that ended in death.

Evaluation of speciated VOC emission factors for Air Force hush houses

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

Sullivan, P.D.; Stevens, D.K.

1997-12-31

Data published in: ``Engine and Hush House Emissions from a TF30-P109 Jet Engine Tested at Cannon Air Force Base, NM`` by Radian Corporation and ``Aircraft Emissions. Characterization: TF41-A2, TF30-P103 , and TF30-P109 Engines`` by Battelle are reviewed and compared. Specifically CO, NO{sub x}, and VOC emission factors using EPA Method 19 are addressed, with comparisons between JP-4 and JP-8 jet fuels. CO and NO{sub x} emissions for JP-4 and JP-8 jet fuels were found to be essentially the same. VOC emission data exhibited high variability. Problems inherent in speciated VOC emission testing are discussed. A limiting of speciated VOC emissionmore » testing, with emission factor estimation based on fuel content is proposed.« less

Biomotor structures in elite female handball players according to performance.

PubMed

Cavala, Marijana; Rogulj, Nenad; Srhoj, Vatromir; Srhoj, Ljerka; Katić, Ratko

2008-03-01

In order to identify biomotor structures in elite female handball players, factor structures of morphological characteristics and basic motor abilities, and of variables evaluating situation motor abilities of elite female handball players (n = 53) were determined first, followed by determination of differences and relations of the morphological, motor and specific motor space according to handball performance. Factor analysis of 16 morphological measures produced three morphological factors, i.e. factor of absolute voluminosity, i.e. mesoendomorphy, factor of longitudinal skeleton dimensionality, and factor of transverse hand dimensionality. Factor analysis of 15 motor variables yielded five basic motor dimensions, i.e. factor of agility, factor of throwing explosive strength, factor of running explosive strength (sprint), factor of jumping explosive strength and factor of movement frequency rate. Factor analysis of 5 situation motor variables produced two dimensions: factor of specific agility with explosiveness and factor of specific precision with ball manipulation. Analysis of variance yielded greatest differences relative to handball performance in the factor of specific agility and throwing strength, and the factor of basic motoricity that integrates the ability of coordination (agility) with upper extremity throwing explosiveness and lower extremity sprint (30-m sprint) and jumping (standing triple jump). Considering morphological factors, the factor of voluminosity, i.e. mesoendomorphy, which is defined by muscle mass rather than adipose tissue, was found to contribute significantly to the players'performance. Results of regression analysis indicated the handball performance to be predominantly determined by the general specific motor factor based on specific agility and explosiveness, and by the morphological factor based on body mass and volume, i.e. muscle mass. Concerning basic motor abilities, the factor of movement frequency rate, which is associated with the ability of ball manipulation, was observed to predict significantly the handball players' performance.

From Social Identity to Professional Identity: Issues of Language and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velez-Rendon, Gloria

2010-01-01

This study draws from sociocultural theory to examine how biographical factors interplay with contextual factors to shape the professional identity of a Spanish language teacher candidate. Specifically, it explores the student teaching experience of Marcos, a 30-year-old language teacher candidate from South America. Analysis of the data reveals…

Virtual and biomolecular screening converge on a selective agonist for GPR30.

PubMed

Bologa, Cristian G; Revankar, Chetana M; Young, Susan M; Edwards, Bruce S; Arterburn, Jeffrey B; Kiselyov, Alexander S; Parker, Matthew A; Tkachenko, Sergey E; Savchuck, Nikolay P; Sklar, Larry A; Oprea, Tudor I; Prossnitz, Eric R

2006-04-01

Estrogen is a hormone critical in the development, normal physiology and pathophysiology of numerous human tissues. The effects of estrogen have traditionally been solely ascribed to estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and more recently ERbeta, members of the soluble, nuclear ligand-activated family of transcription factors. We have recently shown that the seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor GPR30 binds estrogen with high affinity and resides in the endoplasmic reticulum, where it activates multiple intracellular signaling pathways. To differentiate between the functions of ERalpha or ERbeta and GPR30, we used a combination of virtual and biomolecular screening to isolate compounds that selectively bind to GPR30. Here we describe the identification of the first GPR30-specific agonist, G-1 (1), capable of activating GPR30 in a complex environment of classical and new estrogen receptors. The development of compounds specific to estrogen receptor family members provides the opportunity to increase our understanding of these receptors and their contribution to estrogen biology.

Depressive Symptoms in Patients Scheduled for Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy With Cytoreductive Surgery: Prospective Associations With Morbidity and Mortality

PubMed Central

Bovbjerg, Dana H.; Ahrendt, Steven; Alhelo, Sara; Choudry, Haroon; Holtzman, Matthew; Jones, Heather L.; Pingpank, James F.; Ramalingam, Lekshmi; Zeh, Herbert J.; Zureikat, Amer H.; Bartlett, David L.

2016-01-01

Purpose The current study examined prospective relationships between preoperative depressive symptoms and short-term (30-day morbidity and readmission) and long-term (overall survival) outcomes after hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy with cytoreductive surgery (HIPEC + CS). Methods Ninety-eight patients scheduled for HIPEC + CS completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression (CES-D) scale before surgery. Demographic and disease-specific factors and information about morbidity and readmission within 30 days after discharge were gathered from medical records. Survival was measured from date of surgery to death. Results Twenty-eight percent of patients had CES-D scores indicative of clinically significant depressive symptoms. Thirty-day morbidity occurred in 31.9% of patients and readmission in 22.2%. At the time of analysis (median follow-up of 49 months), 71.6% of patients were deceased, with median survival time of 11 months for those who died. After adjusting for relevant preoperative demographic and disease-specific factors, depressive symptoms were associated with greater odds of 30-day morbidity (n = 68; odds ratio, 5.50; 95% CI, 1.23 to 24.73; P = .03) and greater likelihood of 30-day readmission (n = 72; odds ratio, 5.92; 95% CI, 1.27 to 27.64; P = .02). Depressive symptoms were associated with shorter survival after adjustment for preoperative demographic and disease-specific factors (n = 87; hazard ratio, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.07 to 3.31; P = .03). This association was no longer significant when intraoperative/postoperative prognostic variables were added to the statistical model (n = 87; hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.72 to 2.37; P = .37). Conclusion Patients with clinically significant levels of preoperative depressive symptoms are at risk for poor clinical outcomes after HIPEC + CS, including greater risk of 30-day morbidity and readmission. Further research is warranted to determine biobehavioral mechanisms and examine whether effective interventions targeting preoperative depressive symptoms can reduce postoperative risk in this patient population. PMID:26903574

GPR30: a seven-transmembrane-spanning estrogen receptor that triggers EGF release.

PubMed

Filardo, Edward J; Thomas, Peter

2005-10-01

Heterotrimeric G proteins and seven-transmembrane-spanning (7TM) receptors are implicated in rapid estrogen signaling. The orphan 7TM receptor GPR30 is linked to estrogen-mediated activation of adenylyl cyclase, release of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-related ligands, and specific estrogen binding. GPR30 acts independently of estrogen receptors, ERalpha and ERbeta, and probably functions as a heptahelical ER. 7TM receptors elicit signals that stimulate second messengers, and convey intracellular signals via EGF receptors. Identification of GPR30 as a Gs-coupled 7TM receptor that triggers release of heparin-binding EGF establishes its role in cell signaling cascades initiated by estrogens, and explains their capacity to activate second messengers and promote EGF-like effects. Thus, estrogen can signal by the same mechanism as various other hormones, through a specific 7TM receptor.

Climate Classification is an Important Factor in ­Assessing Hospital Performance Metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boland, M. R.; Parhi, P.; Gentine, P.; Tatonetti, N. P.

2017-12-01

Context/Purpose: Climate is a known modulator of disease, but its impact on hospital performance metrics remains unstudied. Methods: We assess the relationship between Köppen-Geiger climate classification and hospital performance metrics, specifically 30-day mortality, as reported in Hospital Compare, and collected for the period July 2013 through June 2014 (7/1/2013 - 06/30/2014). A hospital-level multivariate linear regression analysis was performed while controlling for known socioeconomic factors to explore the relationship between all-cause mortality and climate. Hospital performance scores were obtained from 4,524 hospitals belonging to 15 distinct Köppen-Geiger climates and 2,373 unique counties. Results: Model results revealed that hospital performance metrics for mortality showed significant climate dependence (p<0.001) after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. Interpretation: Currently, hospitals are reimbursed by Governmental agencies using 30-day mortality rates along with 30-day readmission rates. These metrics allow Government agencies to rank hospitals according to their `performance' along these metrics. Various socioeconomic factors are taken into consideration when determining individual hospitals performance. However, no climate-based adjustment is made within the existing framework. Our results indicate that climate-based variability in 30-day mortality rates does exist even after socioeconomic confounder adjustment. Use of standardized high-level climate classification systems (such as Koppen-Geiger) would be useful to incorporate in future metrics. Conclusion: Climate is a significant factor in evaluating hospital 30-day mortality rates. These results demonstrate that climate classification is an important factor when comparing hospital performance across the United States.

Detection of the CS20 colonization factor antigen in diffuse-adhering E. coli strains

PubMed Central

Ochoa, Theresa J.; Rivera, Fulton P.; Bernal, Maria; Meza, Rina; Ecker, Lucie; Gil, Ana I.; Cepeda, David; Mosquito, Susan; Mercado, Erik; Maves, Ryan C.; Hall, Eric R.; Svennerholm, Ann-Mari; McVeigh, Annette; Savarino, Stephen; Lanata, Claudio F.

2011-01-01

We analyzed a randomly-selected group of 30 diffusely adherent (DAEC), 30 enteropathogenic, 30 enteroaggregative, and 5 shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains isolated from children with diarrhea. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) colonization factors (CFs) were evaluated by dot-blot assay using 21 CF-specific monoclonal antibodies. Out of 95 non-ETEC strains, three DAEC were found to express CS20. No other E. coli expressed CFs. We confirmed the 3 CS20-positive strains as ETEC-negative by repeat PCR and as toxin-negative by GM1-ELISA. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has identified currently-recognized CFs in non-ETEC diarrheagenic E. coli strains identified by molecular methods. CFs may be an unrecognized relevant adherence factor in other E. coli, which may then play a role in pathogenesis and the immune response of the host. PMID:21064230

Cross-linking of initiation factor IF3 to Escherichia coli 30S ribosomal subunit by trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II): characterization of two cross-linking sites in 16S rRNA; a possible way of functioning for IF3.

PubMed Central

Ehresmann, C; Moine, H; Mougel, M; Dondon, J; Grunberg-Manago, M; Ebel, J P; Ehresmann, B

1986-01-01

The initiation factor IF3 is platinated with trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and cross-linked to Escherichia coli 30S ribosomal subunit. Two cross-linking sites are unambiguously identified on the 16S rRNA: a major one, in the region 819-859 in the central domain, and a minor one, in the region 1506-1529 in the 3'-terminal domain. Specific features of these sequences together with their particular location within the 30S subunit lead us to postulate a role for IF3, that conciliates topographical and functional observations made so far. Images PMID:2425339

Induction of nuclear factor kappaB by the CD30 receptor is mediated by TRAF1 and TRAF2.

PubMed Central

Duckett, C S; Gedrich, R W; Gilfillan, M C; Thompson, C B

1997-01-01

CD30 is a lymphoid cell-specific surface receptor which was originally identified as an antigen expressed on Hodgkin's lymphoma cells. Activation of CD30 induces the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) transcription factor. In this study, we define the domains in CD30 which are required for NF-kappaB activation. Two separate elements of the cytoplasmic domain which were capable of inducing NF-kappaB independently of one another were identified. The first domain (domain 1) mapped to a approximately 120-amino-acid sequence in the membrane-proximal region of the CD30 cytoplasmic tail, between residues 410 and 531. A second, more carboxy-terminal region (domain 2) was identified between residues 553 and 595. Domain 2 contains two 5- to 10-amino-acid elements which can mediate the binding of CD30 to members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF) family of signal transducing proteins. Coexpression of CD30 with TRAF1 or TRAF2 but not TRAF3 augmented NF-kappaB activation through domain 2 but not domain 1. NF-kappaB induction through domain 2 was inhibited by coexpression of either full-length TRAF3 or dominant negative forms of TRAF1 or TRAF2. In contrast, NF-kappaB induction by domain 1 was not affected by alterations in TRAF protein levels. Together, these data support a model in which CD30 can induce NF-kappaB by both TRAF-dependent and -independent mechanisms. TRAF-dependent induction of NF-kappaB appears to be regulated by the relative levels of individual TRAF proteins in the cell. PMID:9032281

Predictors of insomnia symptoms and nightmares among individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder: an ecological momentary assessment study.

PubMed

Short, Nicole A; Allan, Nicholas P; Stentz, Lauren; Portero, Amberly K; Schmidt, Norman B

2018-02-01

Despite the high levels of comorbidity between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep disturbance, little research has examined the predictors of insomnia and nightmares in this population. The current study tested both PTSD-specific (i.e. PTSD symptoms, comorbid anxiety and depression, nightmares and fear of sleep) and insomnia-specific (i.e. dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, insomnia-related safety behaviours and daily stressors) predictors of sleep quality, efficiency and nightmares in a sample of 30 individuals with PTSD. Participants participated in ecological momentary assessment to determine how daily changes in PTSD- and insomnia-related factors lead to changes in sleep. Multi-level modelling analyses indicated that, after accounting for baseline PTSD symptom severity, PTSD-specific factors were associated with insomnia symptoms, but insomnia-specific factors were not. Only daytime PTSD symptoms and fear of sleep predicted nightmares. Both sleep- and PTSD-related factors play a role in maintaining insomnia among those with PTSD, while nightmares seem to be linked more closely with only PTSD-related factors. © 2017 European Sleep Research Society.

Fixation Preference and Visual Acuity Testing in a Population-based Cohort of Preschool Children with Amblyopia Risk Factors

PubMed Central

Cotter, Susan A.; Tarczy-Hornoch, Kristina; Song, Erin; Lin, Jesse; Borchert, Mark; Azen, Stanley P.; Varma, Rohit

2009-01-01

Purpose To compare the clinical assessment of fixation preference (FP) to visual acuity (VA) in a population-based sample of preschool children with amblyopia risk factors. Design Evaluation of diagnostic test in a population-based study. Participants Two hundred forty-three children with amblyopia and/or strabismus, aged 30–72 months, living in Los Angeles County, California. Methods Before measuring VA, FP testing was performed at near and usually without correction, using the binocular fixation pattern in children with strabismus >10 diopters (D), or the induced tropia test for children with strabismus ≤10D, or without strabismus. We determined the sensitivity and specificity of FP testing for predicting unilateral amblyopia, defined by optotype VA, among children with amblyopia risk factors. Main Outcome Measure Grade of FP. Results Sensitivity of FP testing for amblyopia among children with anisometropia was 20% (9/44) and specificity was 94% (102/109). Among strabismic children, sensitivity was 69% (9/13; worse in children 30–47 than 48–72 months old) and specificity was 79% (70/89), with similar findings for esotropia and exotropia. Conclusion The ability of FP testing to correctly identify amblyopia in preschool children with amblyopia risk factors is poor. Clinicians should be wary of using FP as a surrogate measure of intraocular difference in VA in young children. PMID:18962921

Blood-based protein biomarkers for diagnosis of Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Doecke, James D; Laws, Simon M; Faux, Noel G; Wilson, William; Burnham, Samantha C; Lam, Chiou-Peng; Mondal, Alinda; Bedo, Justin; Bush, Ashley I; Brown, Belinda; De Ruyck, Karl; Ellis, Kathryn A; Fowler, Christopher; Gupta, Veer B; Head, Richard; Macaulay, S Lance; Pertile, Kelly; Rowe, Christopher C; Rembach, Alan; Rodrigues, Mark; Rumble, Rebecca; Szoeke, Cassandra; Taddei, Kevin; Taddei, Tania; Trounson, Brett; Ames, David; Masters, Colin L; Martins, Ralph N

2012-10-01

To identify plasma biomarkers for the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD). Baseline plasma screening of 151 multiplexed analytes combined with targeted biomarker and clinical pathology data. General community-based, prospective, longitudinal study of aging. A total of 754 healthy individuals serving as controls and 207 participants with AD from the Australian Imaging Biomarker and Lifestyle study (AIBL) cohort with identified biomarkers that were validated in 58 healthy controls and 112 individuals with AD from the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort. A biomarker panel was identified that included markers significantly increased (cortisol, pancreatic polypeptide, insulinlike growth factor binding protein 2, β(2) microglobulin, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, carcinoembryonic antigen, matrix metalloprotein 2, CD40, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α, superoxide dismutase, and homocysteine) and decreased (apolipoprotein E, epidermal growth factor receptor, hemoglobin, calcium, zinc, interleukin 17, and albumin) in AD. Cross-validated accuracy measures from the AIBL cohort reached a mean (SD) of 85% (3.0%) for sensitivity and specificity and 93% (3.0) for the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. A second validation using the ADNI cohort attained accuracy measures of 80% (3.0%) for sensitivity and specificity and 85% (3.0) for area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. This study identified a panel of plasma biomarkers that distinguish individuals with AD from cognitively healthy control subjects with high sensitivity and specificity. Cross-validation within the AIBL cohort and further validation within the ADNI cohort provides strong evidence that the identified biomarkers are important for AD diagnosis.

Do doctors accurately assess coronary risk in their patients? Preliminary results of the coronary health assessment study.

PubMed Central

Grover, S. A.; Lowensteyn, I.; Esrey, K. L.; Steinert, Y.; Joseph, L.; Abrahamowicz, M.

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To evaluate the ability of doctors in primary care to assess risk patients' risk of coronary heart disease. DESIGN--Questionnaire survey. SETTING--Continuing medical education meetings, Ontario and Quebec, Canada. SUBJECTS--Community based doctors who agreed to enroll in the coronary health assessment study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Ratings of coronary risk factors and estimates by doctors of relative and absolute coronary risk of two hypothetical patients and the "average" 40 year old Canadian man and 70 year old Canadian woman. RESULTS--253 doctors answered the questionnaire. For 30 year olds the doctors rated cigarette smoking as the most important risk factor and raised serum triglyceride concentrations as the least important; for 70 year old patients they rated diabetes as the most important risk factor and raised serum triglyceride concentrations as the least important. They rated each individual risk factor as significantly less important for 70 year olds than for 30 year olds (all risk factors, P < 0.001). They showed a strong understanding of the relative importance of specific risk factors, and most were confident in their ability to estimate coronary risk. While doctors accurately estimated the relative risk of a specific patient (compared with the average adult) they systematically overestimated the absolute baseline risk of developing coronary disease and the risk reductions associated with specific interventions. CONCLUSIONS--Despite guidelines on targeting patients at high risk of coronary disease accurate assessment of coronary risk remains difficult for many doctors. Additional strategies must be developed to help doctors to assess better their patients' coronary risk. PMID:7728035

Analysis of Factors Influencing Diagnostic Accuracy of T-SPOT.TB for Active Tuberculosis in Clinical Practice.

PubMed

Zhang, Lifan; Shi, Xiaochun; Zhang, Yueqiu; Zhang, Yao; Huo, Feifei; Zhou, Baotong; Deng, Guohua; Liu, Xiaoqing

2017-08-10

T-SPOT.TB didn't perform a perfect diagnosis for active tuberculosis (ATB), and some factors may influence the results. We did this study to evaluate possible factors associated with the sensitivity and specificity of T-SPOT.TB, and the diagnostic parameters under varied conditions. Patients with suspected ATB were enrolled prospectively. Influencing factors of the sensitivity and specificity of T-SPOT.TB were evaluated using logistic regression models. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values (PV), and likelihood ratios (LR) were calculated with consideration of relevant factors. Of the 865 participants, 205 (23.7%) had ATB, including 58 (28.3%) microbiologically confirmed TB and 147 (71.7%) clinically diagnosed TB. 615 (71.7%) were non-TB. 45 (5.2%) cases were clinically indeterminate and excluded from the final analysis. In multivariate analysis, serous effusion was the only independent risk factor related to lower sensitivity (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.18-0.81) among patients with ATB. Among non-TB patients, age, TB history, immunosuppressive agents/glucocorticoid treatment and lymphocyte count were the independent risk factors related to specificity of T-SPOT.TB. Sensitivity, specificity, PV+, PV-, LR+ and LR- of T-SPOT.TB for diagnosis of ATB were 78.5%, 74.1%, 50.3%, 91.2%, 3.0 and 0.3, respectively. This study suggests that influencing factors of sensitivity and specificity of T-SPOT.TB should be considered for interpretation of T-SPOT.TB results.

Isotretinoin Oil-Based Capsule Formulation Optimization

PubMed Central

Tsai, Pi-Ju; Huang, Chi-Te; Lee, Chen-Chou; Li, Chi-Lin; Huang, Yaw-Bin; Tsai, Yi-Hung; Wu, Pao-Chu

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and optimize an isotretinoin oil-based capsule with specific dissolution pattern. A three-factor-constrained mixture design was used to prepare the systemic model formulations. The independent factors were the components of oil-based capsule including beeswax (X 1), hydrogenated coconut oil (X 2), and soybean oil (X 3). The drug release percentages at 10, 30, 60, and 90 min were selected as responses. The effect of formulation factors including that on responses was inspected by using response surface methodology (RSM). Multiple-response optimization was performed to search for the appropriate formulation with specific release pattern. It was found that the interaction effect of these formulation factors (X 1 X 2, X 1 X 3, and X 2 X 3) showed more potential influence than that of the main factors (X 1, X 2, and X 3). An optimal predicted formulation with Y 10 min, Y 30 min, Y 60 min, and Y 90 min release values of 12.3%, 36.7%, 73.6%, and 92.7% at X 1, X 2, and X 3 of 5.75, 15.37, and 78.88, respectively, was developed. The new formulation was prepared and performed by the dissolution test. The similarity factor f 2 was 54.8, indicating that the dissolution pattern of the new optimized formulation showed equivalence to the predicted profile. PMID:24068886

AtsPLA2-alpha nuclear relocalization by the Arabidopsis transcription factor AtMYB30 leads to repression of the plant defense response.

PubMed

Froidure, Solène; Canonne, Joanne; Daniel, Xavier; Jauneau, Alain; Brière, Christian; Roby, Dominique; Rivas, Susana

2010-08-24

The hypersensitive response (HR), characterized by a rapid and localized cell death at the inoculation site, is one of the most efficient resistance reactions to pathogen attack in plants. The transcription factor AtMYB30 was identified as a positive regulator of the HR and resistance responses during interactions between Arabidopsis and bacteria. Here, we show that AtMYB30 and the secreted phospholipase AtsPLA(2)-alpha physically interact in vivo, following the AtMYB30-mediated specific relocalization of AtsPLA(2)-alpha from cytoplasmic vesicles to the plant cell nucleus. This protein interaction leads to repression of AtMYB30 transcriptional activity and negative regulation of plant HR. Moreover, Atspla(2)-alpha mutant plants are more resistant to bacterial inoculation, whereas AtsPLA(2)-alpha overexpression leads to decreased resistance, confirming that AtsPLA(2)-alpha is a negative regulator of AtMYB30-mediated defense. These data underline the importance of cellular dynamics and, particularly, protein translocation to the nucleus, for defense-associated gene regulation in plants.

Quality of life in Essential Tremor Questionnaire (QUEST): development and initial validation.

PubMed

Tröster, Alexander I; Pahwa, Rajesh; Fields, Julie A; Tanner, Caroline M; Lyons, Kelly E

2005-09-01

Essential tremor (ET) can diminish functioning and quality of life (QOL) but generic QOL measures may be relatively insensitive to ET and its therapies. We sought to develop an ET-specific measure that might be more sensitive, acceptable to patients, relatively brief, and easily used. A sample of 200 patients (average age 70 years, range 30-91; average disease duration 15 years) rated the extent to which tremor impacts a function or state, tremor severity in various body parts, perceived health, and overall QOL. Responses to this initial questionnaire were subjected to principal components analysis (PCA). Inspection of factor coordinates, Eigenvalues, variance accounted for, and correlation matrices were used to select items for confirmatory PCA. Final scale reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Validity was evaluated by correlations between QOL scales and self-rated tremor severity. PCA of 65 initial items yielded 11 factors accounting for 71% of variance. Six factors were discarded. Two items were eliminated for not loading on a factor and 33 for perceived redundancy. Confirmatory PCA of the retained 30 items yielded an almost identical factor structure (six factors, 70% of variance accounted for, and similar item loadings). Because two factors had very few items loading on them, these two factors were combined into one scale. The final measure has five scales: Physical, Psychosocial, Communication, Hobbies/Leisure, and Work/Finance. Reliability was excellent for the whole instrument and four scales (> or =0.89), and good for the Work/Finance scale (0.79). Severity of voice and head tremor were the best correlates of Communication (0.70 and 0.35), while the Physical scale was related to right and left upper extremity tremor (0.59 and 0.56). Scales correlated more highly with patients' rating of their overall QOL than their health perception. A brief, 30-item, ET-specific QOL scale with excellent reliability was developed. Preliminary validity data are encouraging. The Quality of Life in Essential Tremor Questionnaire (QUEST) promises to facilitate QOL measurement in ET.

Criterion 6, indicator 30 : value and volume in round wood equivalents of exports and imports of wood products

Treesearch

James Howard; Rebecca Westby; Kenneth Skog

2010-01-01

This report provides a wide range of specific and statistical information on forest products markets in terms of production, trade, prices and consumption, employment, and other factors influencing forest sustainability.

Marek's disease is a natural model for lymphomas overexpressing Hodgkin's disease antigen (CD30)

PubMed Central

Burgess, S. C.; Young, J. R.; Baaten, B. J. G.; Hunt, L.; Ross, L. N. J.; Parcells, M. S.; Kumar, P. M.; Tregaskes, C. A.; Lee, L. F.; Davison, T. F.

2004-01-01

Animal models are essential for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Hodgkin's and many diverse non-Hodgkin's lymphomas overexpress the Hodgkin's disease antigen CD30 (CD30hi), a tumor necrosis factor receptor II family member. Here we show that chicken Marek's disease (MD) lymphoma cells are also CD30hi and are a unique natural model for CD30hi lymphoma. Chicken CD30 resembles an ancestral form, and we identify a previously undescribed potential cytoplasmic signaling domain conserved in chicken, human, and mouse CD30. Our phylogeneic analysis defines a relationship between the structures of human and mouse CD30 and confirms that mouse CD30 represents the ancestral mammalian gene structure. CD30 expression by MD virus (MDV)-transformed lymphocytes correlates with expression of the MDV Meq putative oncogene (a c-Jun homologue) in vivo. The chicken CD30 promoter has 15 predicted high-stringency Meq-binding transcription factor recognition motifs, and Meq enhances transcription from the CD30 promoter in vitro. Plasma proteomics identified a soluble form of CD30. CD30 overexpression is evolutionarily conserved and defines one class of neoplastic transformation events, regardless of etiology. We propose that CD30 is a component of a critical intracellular signaling pathway perturbed in neoplastic transformation. Specific anti-CD30 Igs occurred after infection of genetically MD-resistant chickens with oncogenic MDV, suggesting immunity to CD30 could play a role in MD lymphoma regression. PMID:15356338

Time of elevation of head of bed for patients receiving mechanical ventilation and its related factors.

PubMed

Martí-Hereu, L; Arreciado Marañón, A

The semirecumbent position is a widespread recommendation for the prevention of pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation. To identify the time of elevation of head of bed for patients under mechanical ventilation and the factors related to such elevation in an intensive care unit. An observational, descriptive cross-sectional study. Conducted in an intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital from April to June 2015. The studied population were mechanically ventilated patients. Daily hours in which patients remained with the head of the bed elevated (≥30°), socio-demographic data and clinical variables were recorded. 261 head elevation measurements were collected. The average daily hours that patients remained at ≥30° was 16h28' (SD ±5h38'), equivalent to 68.6% (SD ±23.5%) of the day. Factors related to elevations ≥30° for longer were: enteral nutrition, levels of deep sedation, cardiac and neurocritical diagnostics. Factors that hindered the position were: sedation levels for agitation and abdominal pathologies. Sex, age and ventilation mode did not show a significant relationship with bed head elevation. Although raising the head of the bed is an easy to perform, economical and measurable preventive measure, its compliance is low due to specific factors specific related o the patient's clinical condition. Using innovations such as continuous measurement of the head position helps to evaluate clinical practice and allows to carry out improvement actions whose impact is beneficial to the patient. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Enfermería Intensiva y Unidades Coronarias (SEEIUC). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Non-specific factor enhancement of human in vitro antigen-dependent antibody synthesis: role of B cell activation and T cell help.

PubMed Central

Brenner, M K; North, M E; Chadda, H R; Farrant, J

1984-01-01

Lectin-free supernatants obtained from PWM-stimulated lymphocytes, enable B cells to proliferate and secrete immunoglobulin. Both functions are augmented by the addition of irradiated T cells. In the presence of antigen, these supernatants also enhance specific anti-tetanus toxoid antibody production. The components of the supernatant responsible for these activities have a molecular weight between 30,000 and 60,000, and have the characteristics of non-specific factors: they are genetically unrestricted, and do not bind to either antigen or anti-DR affinity columns. There is no evidence that the partial T dependency of these factors is an indication that their target is a T cell. Instead, T cells appear necessary to move the B cell into a state of activation in which it becomes responsive to the factor. Alternative activation signals such as Staph. A. Cowan can substitute for T cell help in the proliferative response, but not for immunoglobulin or antibody synthesis. The implications of these results for the approaches used to detect and classify B cell growth factors are discussed. PMID:6608488

Small-Chamber Measurements of Chemical-Specific Emission Factors for Drywall

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

Maddalena, Randy; Russell, Marion; Apte, Michael G.

2010-06-01

Imported drywall installed in U.S. homes is suspected of being a source of odorous and potentially corrosive indoor pollutants. To support an investigation of those building materials by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) measured chemical-specific emission factors for 30 samples of drywall materials. Emission factors are reported for 75 chemicals and 30 different drywall samples encompassing both domestic and imported stock and incorporating natural, synthetic, or mixed gypsum core material. CPSC supplied all drywall materials. First the drywall samples were isolated and conditioned in dedicated chambers, then they were transferred to small chambers wheremore » emission testing was performed. Four sampling and analysis methods were utilized to assess (1) volatile organic compounds, (2) low molecular weight carbonyls, (3) volatile sulfur compounds, and (4) reactive sulfur gases. LBNL developed a new method that combines the use of solid phase microextraction (SPME) with small emission chambers to measure the reactive sulfur gases, then extended that technique to measure the full suite of volatile sulfur compounds. The testing procedure and analysis methods are described in detail herein. Emission factors were measured under a single set of controlled environmental conditions. The results are compared graphically for each method and in detailed tables for use in estimating indoor exposure concentrations.« less

National Hydroclimatic Change and Infrastructure Adaptation Assessment: Region-Specific Adaptation Factors

EPA Science Inventory

Climate change, land use and socioeconomic developments are principal variables that define the need and scope of adaptive engineering and management to sustain water resource and infrastructure development. As described in IPCC (2007), hydroclimatic changes in the next 30-50 ye...

Nuclear Factor kappa B is central to Marek’s Disease herpesvirus induced neoplastic transformation of CD30 expressing lymphocytes in-vivo

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Marek’s Disease (MD) is a hyperproliferative, lymphomatous, neoplastic disease of chickens caused by the oncogenic Gallid herpesvirus type 2 (GaHV-2; MDV). Like several human lymphomas the neoplastic MD lymphoma cells overexpress the CD30 antigen (CD30hi) and are in minority, while the non-neoplastic cells (CD30lo) form the majority of population. MD is a unique natural in-vivo model of human CD30hi lymphomas with both natural CD30hi lymphomagenesis and spontaneous regression. The exact mechanism of neoplastic transformation from CD30lo expressing phenotype to CD30hi expressing neoplastic phenotype is unknown. Here, using microarray, proteomics and Systems Biology modeling; we compare the global gene expression of CD30lo and CD30hi cells to identify key pathways of neoplastic transformation. We propose and test a specific mechanism of neoplastic transformation, and genetic resistance, involving the MDV oncogene Meq, host gene products of the Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) family and CD30; we also identify a novel Meq protein interactome. Results Our results show that a) CD30lo lymphocytes are pre-neoplastic precursors and not merely reactive lymphocytes; b) multiple transformation mechanisms exist and are potentially controlled by Meq; c) Meq can drive a feed-forward cycle that induces CD30 transcription, increases CD30 signaling which activates NF-κB, and, in turn, increases Meq transcription; d) Meq transcriptional repression or activation of the CD30 promoter generally correlates with polymorphisms in the CD30 promoter distinguishing MD-lymphoma resistant and susceptible chicken genotypes e) MDV oncoprotein Meq interacts with proteins involved in physiological processes central to lymphomagenesis. Conclusions In the context of the MD lymphoma microenvironment (and potentially in other CD30hi lymphomas as well), our results show that the neoplastic transformation is a continuum and the non-neoplastic cells are actually pre-neoplastic precursor cells and not merely immune bystanders. We also show that NF-κB is a central player in MDV induced neoplastic transformation of CD30-expressing lymphocytes in vivo. Our results provide insights into molecular mechanisms of neoplastic transformation in MD specifically and also herpesvirus induced lymphoma in general. PMID:22979947

Spanish validation of the Domain-Specific Risk-Taking (DOSPERT-30) Scale.

PubMed

Lozano, Luis M; Megías, Alberto; Catena, Andrés; Perales, José C; Baltruschat, Sabina; Cándido, Antonio

2017-02-01

The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a Spanish version of the short Domain-Specific Risk-Taking (DOSPERT-30) scale, measuring risk-taking behavior, risk perception, and expected beneficial consequences (from taking risks) in five life domains: ethics, finance, health/security, recreational, and social decisions. The scale was back-translated, and administered online to 826 participants. Validity evidence was tested using correlations with construct-related instruments (UPPS-P and SSS-V), as well as using factor analysis. Internal consistency reliability was calculated with the ordinal Alpha coefficient, and gender differences were considered. Internal consistency was good, and factor analysis confirmed the five factors proposed by the authors. With respect to the external validity, high correlations with the positive urgency and the sensation seeking subscales of the UPPS-P, as well as with the thrill and adventure seeking and disinhibition subscales of the SSS-V were found. Finally, gender differences were found in all subscales and domains, with men tending to take more risks, perceive less risk and expect more beneficial consequences, except for the social domain where an inverse pattern was found. As these findings are in line with the original version, they indicate the scale was successfully adapted.

Immunohistochemical detection of active transforming growth factor-beta in situ using engineered tissue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barcellos-Hoff, M. H.; Ehrhart, E. J.; Kalia, M.; Jirtle, R.; Flanders, K.; Tsang, M. L.; Chatterjee, A. (Principal Investigator)

1995-01-01

The biological activity of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta) is governed by dissociation from its latent complex. Immunohistochemical discrimination of active and latent TGF-beta could provide insight into TGF-beta activation in physiological and pathological processes. However, evaluation of immunoreactivity specificity in situ has been hindered by the lack of tissue in which TGF-beta status is known. To provide in situ analysis of antibodies to differentiate between these functional forms, we used xenografts of human tumor cells modified by transfection to overexpress latent TGF-beta or constitutively active TGF-beta. This comparison revealed that, whereas most antibodies did not differentiate between TGF-beta activation status, the immunoreactivity of some antibodies was activation dependent. Two widely used peptide antibodies to the amino-terminus of TGF-beta, LC(1-30) and CC(1-30) showed marked preferential immunoreactivity with active TGF-beta versus latent TGF-beta in cryosections. However, in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue, discrimination of active TGF-beta by CC(1-30) was lost and immunoreactivity was distinctly extracellular, as previously reported for this antibody. Similar processing-dependent extracellular localization was found with a neutralizing antibody raised to recombinant TGF-beta. Antigen retrieval recovered cell-associated immunoreactivity of both antibodies. Two antibodies to peptides 78-109 showed mild to moderate preferential immunoreactivity with active TGF-beta only in paraffin sections. LC(1-30) was the only antibody tested that discriminated active from latent TGF-beta in both frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue. Thus, in situ discrimination of active versus latent TGF-beta depends on both the antibody and tissue preparation. We propose that tissues engineered to express a specific form of a given protein provide a physiological setting in which to evaluate antibody reactivity with specific functional forms of a protein.

Impact of lifestyle-related factors on all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes: the Taichung Diabetes Study.

PubMed

Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Li, Chia-Ing; Liu, Chiu-Shong; Lin, Wen-Yuan; Fuh, Martin Mao-Tsu; Yang, Sing-Yu; Lee, Cheng-Chun; Li, Tsai-Chung

2012-01-01

To examine whether combined lifestyle behaviors have an impact on all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients aged 30-94 years with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Participants included 5,686 patients >30 years old with T2DM who were enrolled in a Diabetes Care Management Program at a medical center in central Taiwan before 2007. Lifestyle behaviors consisted of smoking, alcohol drinking, physical inactivity, and carbohydrate intake. The main outcomes were all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between combined lifestyle behaviors and mortality. The mortality rate among men was 24.10 per 1,000 person-years, and that among women was 17.25 per 1,000 person-years. After adjusting for the traditional risk factors, we found that combined lifestyle behavior was independently associated with all-cause mortality and mortality due to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Patients with three or more points were at a 3.50-fold greater risk of all-cause mortality (95% CI 2.06-5.96) and a 4.94-fold (1.62-15.06), 4.24-fold (1.20-14.95), and 1.31-fold (0.39-4.41) greater risk of diabetes-specific, CVD-specific, and cancer-specific mortality, respectively, compared with patients with zero points. Among these associations, the combined lifestyle behavior was not significantly associated with cancer mortality. Combined lifestyle behavior is a strong predictor of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with T2DM.

30 CFR 254.44 - Calculating response equipment effective daily recovery capacities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL-SPILL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS FOR FACILITIES LOCATED SEAWARD OF THE... operations due to available daylight, sea state, temperature, viscosity, and emulsification of the oil being... specific oil recovery devices, you must submit evidence to substantiate that efficiency factor. Adequate...

30 CFR 254.44 - Calculating response equipment effective daily recovery capacities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL-SPILL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS FOR FACILITIES LOCATED SEAWARD OF THE... operations due to available daylight, sea state, temperature, viscosity, and emulsification of the oil being... specific oil recovery devices, you must submit evidence to substantiate that efficiency factor. Adequate...

Optimizing Surgical Quality Datasets to Care for Older Adults: Lessons from the American College of Surgeons NSQIP Geriatric Surgery Pilot.

PubMed

Berian, Julia R; Zhou, Lynn; Hornor, Melissa A; Russell, Marcia M; Cohen, Mark E; Finlayson, Emily; Ko, Clifford Y; Robinson, Thomas N; Rosenthal, Ronnie A

2017-12-01

Surgical quality datasets can be better tailored toward older adults. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) NSQIP Geriatric Surgery Pilot collected risk factors and outcomes in 4 geriatric-specific domains: cognition, decision-making, function, and mobility. This study evaluated the contributions of geriatric-specific factors to risk adjustment in modeling 30-day outcomes and geriatric-specific outcomes (postoperative delirium, new mobility aid use, functional decline, and pressure ulcers). Using ACS NSQIP Geriatric Surgery Pilot data (January 2014 to December 2016), 7 geriatric-specific risk factors were evaluated for selection in 14 logistic models (morbidities/mortality) in general-vascular and orthopaedic surgery subgroups. Hierarchical models evaluated 4 geriatric-specific outcomes, adjusting for hospitals-level effects and including Bayesian-type shrinkage, to estimate hospital performance. There were 36,399 older adults who underwent operations at 31 hospitals in the ACS NSQIP Geriatric Surgery Pilot. Geriatric-specific risk factors were selected in 10 of 14 models in both general-vascular and orthopaedic surgery subgroups. After risk adjustment, surrogate consent (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.3 to 1.8) and use of a mobility aid (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1 to 1.4) increased the risk for serious morbidity or mortality in the general-vascular cohort. Geriatric-specific factors were selected in all 4 geriatric-specific outcomes models. Rates of geriatric-specific outcomes were: postoperative delirium in 12.1% (n = 3,650), functional decline in 42.9% (n = 13,000), new mobility aid in 29.7% (n = 9,257), and new or worsened pressure ulcers in 1.7% (n = 527). Geriatric-specific risk factors are important for patient-centered care and contribute to risk adjustment in modeling traditional and geriatric-specific outcomes. To provide optimal patient care for older adults, surgical datasets should collect measures that address cognition, decision-making, mobility, and function. Copyright © 2017 American College of Surgeons. All rights reserved.

30 years of NF-κB: a blossoming of relevance to human pathobiology

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qian; Lenardo, Michael J.; Baltimore, David

2016-01-01

NF-κB was discovered thirty years ago as a rapidly inducible transcription factor. Since that time it has been found to have a broad role in gene induction in diverse cellular responses, particularly throughout the immune system. Here we summarize elaborate regulatory pathways involving this transcription factor and use recent discoveries in human genetic diseases to place specific proteins within their relevant medical and biological contexts. PMID:28086098

The genetic and environmental aetiology of spatial, mathematics and general anxiety

PubMed Central

Malanchini, Margherita; Rimfeld, Kaili; Shakeshaft, Nicholas G.; Rodic, Maja; Schofield, Kerry; Selzam, Saskia; Dale, Philip S.; Petrill, Stephen A.; Kovas, Yulia

2017-01-01

Individuals differ in their level of general anxiety as well as in their level of anxiety towards specific activities, such as mathematics and spatial tasks. Both specific anxieties correlate moderately with general anxiety, but the aetiology of their association remains unexplored. Moreover, the factor structure of spatial anxiety is to date unknown. The present study investigated the factor structure of spatial anxiety, its aetiology, and the origins of its association with general and mathematics anxiety in a sample of 1,464 19-21-year-old twin pairs from the UK representative Twins Early Development Study. Participants reported their general, mathematics and spatial anxiety as part of an online battery of tests. We found that spatial anxiety is a multifactorial construct, including two components: navigation anxiety and rotation/visualization anxiety. All anxiety measures were moderately heritable (30% to 41%), and non-shared environmental factors explained the remaining variance. Multivariate genetic analysis showed that, although some genetic and environmental factors contributed to all anxiety measures, a substantial portion of genetic and non-shared environmental influences were specific to each anxiety construct. This suggests that anxiety is a multifactorial construct phenotypically and aetiologically, highlighting the importance of studying anxiety within specific contexts. PMID:28220830

The genetic and environmental aetiology of spatial, mathematics and general anxiety.

PubMed

Malanchini, Margherita; Rimfeld, Kaili; Shakeshaft, Nicholas G; Rodic, Maja; Schofield, Kerry; Selzam, Saskia; Dale, Philip S; Petrill, Stephen A; Kovas, Yulia

2017-02-21

Individuals differ in their level of general anxiety as well as in their level of anxiety towards specific activities, such as mathematics and spatial tasks. Both specific anxieties correlate moderately with general anxiety, but the aetiology of their association remains unexplored. Moreover, the factor structure of spatial anxiety is to date unknown. The present study investigated the factor structure of spatial anxiety, its aetiology, and the origins of its association with general and mathematics anxiety in a sample of 1,464 19-21-year-old twin pairs from the UK representative Twins Early Development Study. Participants reported their general, mathematics and spatial anxiety as part of an online battery of tests. We found that spatial anxiety is a multifactorial construct, including two components: navigation anxiety and rotation/visualization anxiety. All anxiety measures were moderately heritable (30% to 41%), and non-shared environmental factors explained the remaining variance. Multivariate genetic analysis showed that, although some genetic and environmental factors contributed to all anxiety measures, a substantial portion of genetic and non-shared environmental influences were specific to each anxiety construct. This suggests that anxiety is a multifactorial construct phenotypically and aetiologically, highlighting the importance of studying anxiety within specific contexts.

CPSF30 at the Interface of Alternative Polyadenylation and Cellular Signaling in Plants

PubMed Central

Chakrabarti, Manohar; Hunt, Arthur G.

2015-01-01

Post-transcriptional processing, involving cleavage of precursor messenger RNA (pre mRNA), and further incorporation of poly(A) tail to the 3' end is a key step in the expression of genetic information. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) serves as an important check point for the regulation of gene expression. Recent studies have shown widespread prevalence of APA in diverse systems. A considerable amount of research has been done in characterizing different subunits of so-called Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specificity Factor (CPSF). In plants, CPSF30, an ortholog of the 30 kD subunit of mammalian CPSF is a key polyadenylation factor. CPSF30 in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana was reported to possess unique biochemical properties. It was also demonstrated that poly(A) site choice in a vast majority of genes in Arabidopsis are CPSF30 dependent, suggesting a pivotal role of this gene in APA and subsequent regulation of gene expression. There are also indications of this gene being involved in oxidative stress and defense responses and in cellular signaling, suggesting a role of CPSF30 in connecting physiological processes and APA. This review will summarize the biochemical features of CPSF30, its role in regulating APA, and possible links with cellular signaling and stress response modules. PMID:26061761

Substantial contribution of extrinsic risk factors to cancer development

PubMed Central

Wu, Song; Powers, Scott; Zhu, Wei; Hannun, Yusuf A

2015-01-01

Summary Recent research has highlighted a strong correlation between tissue-specific cancer risk and the lifetime number of tissue-specific stem cell divisions. Whether such correlation implies a high unavoidable intrinsic cancer risk has become a key public health debate with dissemination of the ‘bad luck’ hypothesis. Here we provide evidence that intrinsic risk factors contribute only modestly (<10~30%) to cancer development. First, we demonstrate that the correlation between stem-cell division and cancer risk does not distinguish between the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Next, we show that intrinsic risk is better estimated by the lower bound risk controlling for total stem cell divisions. Finally, we show that the rates of endogenous mutation accumulation by intrinsic processes are not sufficient to account for the observed cancer risks. Collectively, we conclude that cancer risk is heavily influenced by extrinsic factors. These results carry immense consequences for strategizing cancer prevention, research, and public health. PMID:26675728

Association between intraoperative opioid administration and 30-day readmission: a pre-specified analysis of registry data from a healthcare network in New England.

PubMed

Long, D R; Lihn, A L; Friedrich, S; Scheffenbichler, F T; Safavi, K C; Burns, S M; Schneider, J C; Grabitz, S D; Houle, T T; Eikermann, M

2018-05-01

The use of intraoperative opioids may influence the rate of postoperative complications. This study evaluated the association between intraoperative opioid dose and the risk of 30-day hospital readmission. We conducted a pre-specified analysis of existing registry data for 153 902 surgical cases performed under general anaesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital and two affiliated medical centres. We examined the association between total intraoperative opioid dose (categorised in quintiles) and 30-day hospital readmission, controlling for several patient-, anaesthetist-, and case-specific factors. Compared with low intraoperative opioid dosing [quintile 1, median (inter-quartile range): 8 (4-9) mg morphine equivalents], exposure to high-dose opioids during surgery [quintile 5: 32 (27-41) equivalents] is an independent predictor of 30-day readmission [odds ratio (OR) 1.15 (95% confidence interval 1.07-1.24); P<0.001]. Ambulatory surgery patients receiving high opioid doses were found to have the greatest adjusted risk of readmission (OR 1.75; P<0.001) with a clear dose-response effect across quintiles (P for trend <0.05), and were more likely to be readmitted early (postoperative days 0-2 vs 3-30; P<0.001). Opioid class modified the association between total opioid dose and readmission, with longer-acting opioids demonstrating a stronger influence (P<0.001). We observed significant practice variability across individual anaesthetists in the utilisation of opioids that could not be explained by patient- and case-specific factors. High intraoperative opioid dose is a modifiable anaesthetic factor that varies in the practice of individual anaesthetists and affects postoperative outcomes. Conservative standards for intraoperative opioid dosing may reduce the risk of postoperative readmission, particularly in ambulatory surgery. Copyright © 2018 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced circulation half-life of site-specific PEGylated rhG-CSF: optimization of PEG molecular weight.

PubMed

Zhai, Yanqin; Zhao, Yongjiang; Lei, Jiandu; Su, Zhiguo; Ma, Guanghui

2009-07-15

Recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) and its PEGylated product "mono-PEG20-GCSF" have already been widely used for treatment of all kinds of neutropenia. However, the high required dosage of mono-PEG20-GCSF made it relatively expensive in clinical use. We postulated that an N-terminal site-specific PEGylated rhG-CSF with higher PEG Mw (PEG30 kDa) might be able to achieve longer circulation half-life while retaining its bioactivity, allowing the reduction of dosage for clinical use. rhG-CSF was PEGylated at the N-terminus by 5 kDa, 10 kDa, 20 kDa and 30 kDa methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-propionaldehyde (mPEG-ALD), and the four PEGylates were compared with respect to reaction, separation, characterization and also in vivo/in vitro activity, results showed that the mPEG-ALD of higher Mw demonstrated better N-terminal site-specific selectivity, separation purity and yield. The production cost and in vitro activity of mono-PEG30-GCSF and mono-PEG20-GCSF were almost the same, while mono-PEG30-GCSF showed longer in vivo circulation half-life and 60% higher drug bioavailability than mono-PEG20-GCSF. Consequently, mono-PEG30-GCSF shall be administered at a lower dosage than mono-PEG20-GCSF while retaining the same therapeutic efficacy.

Trends in Higher Education. Volume 2: Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, 2007

2007-01-01

This volume of "Trends" provides a historical analysis of faculty hiring over the last 30 years, with breakdowns that examine nationwide shifts in gender, age, mobility and attrition as well as within specific disciplines. Following this analysis is a discussion of the factors that will drive change in faculty renewal for the…

Ability of preoperative 3.0-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging to predict the absence of side-specific extracapsular extension of prostate cancer.

PubMed

Hara, Tomohiko; Nakanishi, Hiroyuki; Nakagawa, Tohru; Komiyama, Motokiyo; Kawahara, Takashi; Manabe, Tomoko; Miyake, Mototaka; Arai, Eri; Kanai, Yae; Fujimoto, Hiroyuki

2013-10-01

Recent studies have shown an improvement in prostate cancer diagnosis with the use of 3.0-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging. We retrospectively assessed the ability of this imaging technique to predict side-specific extracapsular extension of prostate cancer. From October 2007 to August 2011, prostatectomy was carried out in 396 patients after preoperative 3.0-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging. Among these, 132 (primary sample) and 134 patients (validation sample) underwent 12-core prostate biopsy at the National Cancer Center Hospital of Tokyo, Japan, and at other institutions, respectively. In the primary dataset, univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to predict side-specific extracapsular extension using variables determined preoperatively, including 3.0-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging findings (T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging). A prediction model was then constructed and applied to the validation study sample. Multivariate analysis identified four significant independent predictors (P < 0.05), including a biopsy Gleason score of ≥8, positive 3.0-Tesla diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging findings, ≥2 positive biopsy cores on each side and a maximum percentage of positive cores ≥31% on each side. The negative predictive value was 93.9% in the combination model with these four predictors, meanwhile the positive predictive value was 33.8%. Good reproducibility of these four significant predictors and the combination model was observed in the validation study sample. The side-specific extracapsular extension prediction by the biopsy Gleason score and factors associated with tumor location, including a positive 3.0-Tesla diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging finding, have a high negative predictive value, but a low positive predictive value. © 2013 The Japanese Urological Association.

Lifetime validation of high-reliability (>30,000hr) rotary cryocoolers for specific customer profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cauquil, Jean-Marc; Seguineau, Cédric; Vasse, Christophe; Raynal, Gaetan; Benschop, Tonny

2018-05-01

The cooler reliability is a major performance requested by the customers, especially for 24h/24h applications, which are a growing market. Thales has built a reliability policy based on accelerate ageing and tests to establish a robust knowledge on acceleration factors. The current trend seems to prove that the RM2 mean time to failure is now higher than 30,000hr. Even with accelerate ageing; the reliability growth becomes hardly manageable for such large figures. The paper focuses on these figures and comments the robustness of such a method when projections over 30,000hr of MTTF are needed.

Age-related differences in recommended anthropometric cut-off point validity to identify cardiovascular risk factors in ostensibly healthy women

PubMed Central

Björkelund, Cecilia; Guo, Xinxin; Skoog, Ingmar; Bosaeus, Ingvar; Lissner, Lauren

2014-01-01

Aim: To investigate validity of widely recommended anthropometric and total fat percentage cut-off points in screening for cardiovascular risk factors in women of different ages. Methods: A population-based sample of 1002 Swedish women aged 38, 50, 75 (younger, middle-aged and elderly, respectively) underwent anthropometry, health examinations and blood tests. Total fat was estimated (bioimpedance) in 670 women. Sensitivity, specificity of body mass index (BMI; ≥25 and ≥30), waist circumference (WC; ≥80 cm and ≥88 cm) and total fat percentage (TF; ≥35%) cut-off points for cardiovascular risk factors (dyslipidaemias, hypertension and hyperglycaemia) were calculated for each age. Cut-off points yielding high sensitivity together with modest specificity were considered valid. Women reporting hospital admission for cardiovascular disease were excluded. Results: The sensitivity of WC ≥80 cm for one or more risk factors was ~60% in younger and middle-aged women, and 80% in elderly women. The specificity of WC ≥80 cm for one or more risk factors was 69%, 57% and 40% at the three ages (p < .05 for age trends). WC ≥80 cm yielded ~80% sensitivity for two or more risk factors across all ages. However, specificity decreased with increasing age (p < .0001), being 33% in elderly. WC ≥88 cm provided better specificity in elderly women. BMI and TF % cut-off points were not better than WC. Conclusions: Validity of recommended anthropometric cut-off points in screening asymptomatic women varies with age. In younger and middle-age, WC ≥80 cm yielded high sensitivity and modest specificity for two or more risk factors, however, sensitivity for one or more risk factor was less than optimal. WC ≥88 cm showed better validity than WC ≥80 cm in elderly. Our results support age-specific screening cut-off points for women. PMID:25294689

Age-related differences in recommended anthropometric cut-off point validity to identify cardiovascular risk factors in ostensibly healthy women.

PubMed

Subramoney, Sreevidya; Björkelund, Cecilia; Guo, Xinxin; Skoog, Ingmar; Bosaeus, Ingvar; Lissner, Lauren

2014-12-01

To investigate validity of widely recommended anthropometric and total fat percentage cut-off points in screening for cardiovascular risk factors in women of different ages. A population-based sample of 1002 Swedish women aged 38, 50, 75 (younger, middle-aged and elderly, respectively) underwent anthropometry, health examinations and blood tests. Total fat was estimated (bioimpedance) in 670 women. Sensitivity, specificity of body mass index (BMI; ≥25 and ≥30), waist circumference (WC; ≥80 cm and ≥88 cm) and total fat percentage (TF; ≥35%) cut-off points for cardiovascular risk factors (dyslipidaemias, hypertension and hyperglycaemia) were calculated for each age. Cut-off points yielding high sensitivity together with modest specificity were considered valid. Women reporting hospital admission for cardiovascular disease were excluded. The sensitivity of WC ≥80 cm for one or more risk factors was ~60% in younger and middle-aged women, and 80% in elderly women. The specificity of WC ≥80 cm for one or more risk factors was 69%, 57% and 40% at the three ages (p < .05 for age trends). WC ≥80 cm yielded ~80% sensitivity for two or more risk factors across all ages. However, specificity decreased with increasing age (p < .0001), being 33% in elderly. WC ≥88 cm provided better specificity in elderly women. BMI and TF % cut-off points were not better than WC. Validity of recommended anthropometric cut-off points in screening asymptomatic women varies with age. In younger and middle-age, WC ≥80 cm yielded high sensitivity and modest specificity for two or more risk factors, however, sensitivity for one or more risk factor was less than optimal. WC ≥88 cm showed better validity than WC ≥80 cm in elderly. Our results support age-specific screening cut-off points for women. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Dynamic phosphorylation of Ebola virus VP30 in NP-induced inclusion bodies.

PubMed

Lier, Clemens; Becker, Stephan; Biedenkopf, Nadine

2017-12-01

Zaire Ebolavirus (EBOV) causes a severe feverish disease with high case fatality rates. Transcription of EBOV is dependent on the activity of the nucleocapsid protein VP30 which represents an essential viral transcription factor. Activity of VP30 is regulated via phosphorylation at six N-terminal serine residues. Recent data demonstrated that dynamic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of serine residue 29 is essential for transcriptional support activity of VP30. To analyze the spatio/temporal dynamics of VP30 phosphorylation, we generated a peptide antibody recognizing specifically VP30 phosphorylated at serine 29. Using this antibody we could demonstrate that (i) the majority of VP30 molecules in EBOV-infected cells is dephosphorylated at the crucial position serine 29, (ii) both, VP30 phosphorylation and dephosphorylation take place in viral inclusion bodies that are induced by the nucleoprotein NP and (iii) NP influences the phosphorylation state of VP30. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combined Functional and Immunochemical Analysis of Normal and Abnormal Human Factor X

PubMed Central

Fair, Daryl S.; Plow, Edward F.; Edgington, Thomas S.

1979-01-01

Human Factor X was isolated from Cohn fraction III and characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, amino acid composition, and isoelectric focusing. Two molecular forms with biological activity were observed at isoelectric points of 4.8 and 5.0. Antisera generated to Factor X was monospecific and used to establish an equilibrium competitive inhibition radioimmunoassay. This assay was specific for human Factor X and did not cross-react with human prothrombin or bovine Factor X within the sensitivity range of 6-300 ng Factor X antigen/ml. The mean concentration of Factor X based on the antigen was 11.9 μg/ml, whereas concentration values based on coagulant activity was 7.8 μg/ml. This 30% difference in measurement appears to result from the presence of a subpopulation of Factor X molecules devoid of coagulant activity. The radioimmunoassay was used to qualitatively and quantitatively compare purified Factor X to plasmic Factor X obtained from normal, warfarintreated, acquired Factor X-deficient, and congenitaldeficient patients. In all but one case, the Factor X present in these plasmas was immunochemically identical to the purified Factor X and permitted precise quantitation of these abnormal Factor X molecules. Factor X procoagulant activity was analyzed relative to Factor X antigen and the specific activities were used to characterize normal and abnormal Factor X molecules. Reduced Factor X activity in plasmas from warfarin-treated and acquired Factor X-deficient patients was attributed to both decreases in Factor X antigen and decreased function of the Factor X molecules. Congenitally deficient patients, in general, showed a reduction in Factor X antigen in parallel with Factor X procoagulant activities resulting from comparable decreases in specific biological activity of the molecules. Images PMID:90058

Evaluation of nonuniform field exposures with coupling factors.

PubMed

Sunohara, Tetsu; Hirata, Akimasa; Laakso, Ilkka; De Santis, Valerio; Onishi, Teruo

2015-10-21

In this study, the safety compliance for nonuniform field exposures is discussed using coupling factor concepts. The coupling factor, which is defined in the International Electrotechnical Commission 62311 standard, is extended to consider the effects of harmonics and also to apply to the specific absorption rate (for frequencies up to 30 MHz). The proposed compliance procedure is applied to and demonstrated for a prototype wireless power transfer (WPT) system with induction coupling operating at the fundamental frequency in 140 kHz band. First, measurements confirm that the perturbation of the external magnetic field strength and S11 parameter of a one-loop antenna by a human-equivalent phantom are sufficiently small, suggesting the applicability of the magneto-quasi-static approximation to frequencies up to 30 MHz. Then, the frequency characteristics of the coupling factor are derived for the WPT system. For the prototype system that is not optimized for commercial usage, the maximum allowable transmitting power is relaxed by a factor of 23 with the proposed procedure. The contribution of the harmonics decreased the allowable transmitting power by 39%, indicating their importance for safety compliance.

Selective redox regulation of cytokine receptor signaling by extracellular thioredoxin-1

PubMed Central

Schwertassek, Ulla; Balmer, Yves; Gutscher, Marcus; Weingarten, Lars; Preuss, Marc; Engelhard, Johanna; Winkler, Monique; Dick, Tobias P

2007-01-01

The thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) is known to be secreted by leukocytes and to exhibit cytokine-like properties. Extracellular effects of Trx1 require a functional active site, suggesting a redox-based mechanism of action. However, specific cell surface proteins and pathways coupling extracellular Trx1 redox activity to cellular responses have not been identified so far. Using a mechanism-based kinetic trapping technique to identify disulfide exchange interactions on the intact surface of living lymphocytes, we found that Trx1 catalytically interacts with a single principal target protein. This target protein was identified as the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 8 (TNFRSF8/CD30). We demonstrate that the redox interaction is highly specific for both Trx1 and CD30 and that the redox state of CD30 determines its ability to engage the cognate ligand and transduce signals. Furthermore, we confirm that Trx1 affects CD30-dependent changes in lymphocyte effector function. Thus, we conclude that receptor–ligand signaling interactions can be selectively regulated by an extracellular redox catalyst. PMID:17557078

Travel style is a major risk factor for diarrhoea in India: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Schindler, V M; Jaeger, V K; Held, L; Hatz, C; Bühler, S

2015-07-01

Although some studies suggested specific foods/beverages as risk factors for travellers' diarrhoea (TD), details of transmission remain unclear. We assessed the influence of travel style (luxury/middle-class versus backpacking) on TD risk. TD attack rates were compared in a prospective study among travellers to India at the University of Zurich's Travel Clinic. Information on consumption of foods/beverages was collected. Seventy-one luxury/middle-class travellers and 21 backpackers completed the study; overall 37% suffered from TD (62% backpackers, 30% luxury/middle-class travellers, OR 4.43, p 0.022). Travel style rather than the consumption of specific foods/beverages appears to be a risk factor for TD development. Copyright © 2015 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On Measuring the Sixth Basic Personality Dimension: A Comparison Between HEXACO Honesty-Humility and Big Six Honesty-Propriety.

PubMed

Thielmann, Isabel; Hilbig, Benjamin E; Zettler, Ingo; Moshagen, Morten

2017-12-01

Recent developments in personality research led to the proposition of two alternative six-factor trait models, the HEXACO model and the Big Six model. However, given the lack of direct comparisons, it is unclear whether the HEXACO and Big Six factors are distinct or essentially equivalent, that is, whether corresponding inventories measure similar or distinct personality traits. Using Structural Equation Modeling (Study 1), we found substantial differences between the traits as measured via the HEXACO-60 and the 30-item Questionnaire Big Six (30QB6), particularly for Honesty-Humility and Honesty-Propriety (both model's critical difference to the Big Five approach). This distinction was further supported by Study 2, showing differential capabilities of the HEXACO-60 and the 30QB6 to account for several criteria representing the theoretical core of Honesty-Humility and/or Honesty-Propriety. Specifically, unlike the indicator of Honesty-Humility, the indicator of Honesty-Propriety showed low predictive power for some conceptually relevant criteria, suggesting a limited validity of the 30QB6.

Association of the membrane estrogen receptor, GPR30, with breast tumor metastasis and transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor.

PubMed

Filardo, Edward J; Quinn, Jeffrey A; Sabo, Edmond

2008-10-01

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family of receptor tyrosine kinases function as a common signaling conduit for membrane receptors that lack intrinsic enzymatic activity, such as G-protein coupled receptors and integrins. GPR30, an orphan member of the seven transmembrane receptor (7TMR) superfamily has been linked to specific estrogen binding, rapid estrogen-mediated activation of adenylyl cyclase and the release of membrane-tethered proHB-EGF. More recently, GPR30 expression in primary breast adenocarcinoma has been associated with pathological parameters commonly used to assess breast cancer progression, including the development of extramammary metastases. This newly appreciated mechanism of cross communication between estrogen and EGF is consistent with the observation that 7TMR-mediated transactivation of the EGFR is a recurrent signaling paradigm and may explain prior data reporting the EGF-like effects of estrogen. The molecular details surrounding GPR30-mediated release of proHB-EGF, the involvement of integrin beta1 as a signaling intermediary in estrogen-dependent EGFR action, and the possible implications of these data for breast cancer progression are discussed herein.

Estradiol attenuates EGF-induced rapid uPAR mobilization and cell migration via the G-protein-coupled receptor 30 in ovarian cancer cells.

PubMed

Henic, Emir; Noskova, Vera; Høyer-Hansen, Gunilla; Hansson, Stefan; Casslén, Bertil

2009-02-01

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates proliferation and migration in ovarian cancer cells, and high tumor expression of the EGF system correlates with poor prognosis. Epidermal growth factor upregulates urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) on the cell surface via 3 distinct mechanisms: rapid mobilization of uPAR from detergent-resistant domains, increased mRNA, and decreased degradation. G-protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) is a newly identified membrane estrogen receptor (ER).The objective of this study was to explore the effects of 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) on uPAR expression and cell migration in ovarian cancer cells and further to identify the ER involved.We used 7 ovarian cancer cell lines, cell migration assay, cellular binding of (125)I-uPA, cellular degradation of (125)I-uPA/PAI-1 complex, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for uPAR, solid-phase enzyme immunoassay for ERalpha, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Estradiol attenuates the stimulatory effect of EGF on cell migration and uPAR expression. Specifically, E(2) reduces the very rapid increase of detergent extractable uPAR, which occurs within minutes of EGF stimulation and probably represents mobilization of uPAR from detergent-resistant domains such as lipid rafts. Estradiol influenced neither the amount of uPAR mRNA nor the rate of uPAR degradation or solubilization. The nuclear ER antagonists ICI 182780 and tamoxifen, which are GPR30 agonists, as well as the specifically constructed GPR30 agonist G1, mimicked the effect of E(2) on uPAR expression and cell migration. OVCAR-3 cells express mRNA for GPR30.Estradiol attenuates EGF-induced mobilization of ligated uPAR from detergent-resistant domains and subsequent migration in ovarian cancer cells. The response to various ER ligands indicates that this effect is mediated via the membrane ER GPR30.

Vape Factor Fast Find-Adult (VF3-A): a prototype survey method for recording brand-specific vaping factors in adult populations.

PubMed

Ross, Craig S; Zhang, Tancy C; DeJong, William; Siegel, Michael

2018-03-23

In population studies, vaping is often treated as a dichotomous exposure (present/absent) without consideration of specific vaping devices and materials being used. A survey instrument is needed to record specific vaping devices and materials. We developed a database of 613 vaping device models and 3196 vaping liquid products, indexed by device brand, device type, liquid brand, liquid name and liquid flavour type. We developed a survey instrument to allow participants to report their vaping device and liquid from the indexed lists. The survey was pilot tested with a convenience sample of 208 adults (≥age 21). We validated the vaping device and liquid responses with a recontact survey. We report the proportion of respondents finding their products, characteristics of people finding their products and survey response times. Devices used most frequently in the past 30 days were electronic cigarettes (33% of respondents), vaping pens (28%) and vaping mods (16%). Fifty-seven per cent used liquids containing nicotine most frequently in the past 30 days, followed by liquids without nicotine (20%) and marijuana or hashish (10%). Most (85%) participants found their vaping device successfully (median 19.7 s) and 74% found their vaping liquid (median 19.8 s). Females and older adults were less likely to find their devices and liquids. Responses were validated for 91% and 76% of devices and e-liquids, respectively. This study demonstrated the feasibility of an internet-based survey instrument to record specific vaping factors for use in studies of vaping and health. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Analysis of large truck collisions with bridge piers : phase 1, report of guidelines for designing bridge piers and abutments for vehicle collisions.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-05-01

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Load and : Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Bridge Design Specifications require that abutments and piers located : within a distance of 30.0 ft of the edge of the road...

Recent Alcohol Use and Episodic Heavy Drinking among Hispanic Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Keith A.; Vidourek, Rebecca A.

2010-01-01

Background: A sizeable percentage of Hispanic youth are affected by alcohol use. Research is needed to identify specific factors placing Hispanic youth at elevated risk. Purpose: This study examined whether recent alcohol use (past 30 days) and frequent episodic heavy drinking among 7th - 12th grade Hispanic students (N = 946) in Greater…

Immunohistochemical distribution of early pregnancy factor in ovary, oviduct and placenta of pregnant gilts.

PubMed

Grosso, M C; Bellingeri, R V; Motta, C E; Alustiza, F E; Picco, N Y; Vivas, A B

2015-01-01

Early pregnancy factor (EPF) is an immunosuppressant that promotes maternal immune system tolerance of the allogenic fetus. Little is known about localization of this factor in different tissues and nothing has been reported about localization in swine reproductive and placental tissues. We determined the concentration of EPF in serum of gilts and porcine placenta conditioned medium (PPCM). We also analyzed the expression of EPF in different reproductive tissues of pregnant gilts at 10, 30, 60 and 90 days of pregnancy. EPF concentration in serum and PPCM was determined by western blot and densitometry. EPF expression in reproductive tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The highest concentration of EPF was observed at 30 days in serum and PPCM; the concentration was higher in PPCM than in serum at the stages we evaluated. All reproductive tissues from the gestational stages analyzed showed specific labeling of EPF, but this labeling did not appear in non-pregnant gilts. At 30 days pregnancy, the EPF expression in the ovary was predominantly in follicular lutein cells, probably owing to its function as a luteotrophic factor. In the oviduct, EPF was expressed in unciliated secretory epithelial cells and in the cilia of ciliated cells. In the placenta, EPF was expressed in the fetal portion (mesoderm chorioallantois and epithelium of endoderm). EPF acts as an autocrine and paracrine growth factor for the trophoblast during the peri-implantation period.

Hydrolysis of platelet-activating factor by human serum paraoxonase.

PubMed Central

Rodrigo, L; Mackness, B; Durrington, P N; Hernandez, A; Mackness, M I

2001-01-01

Human serum paraoxonase (human PON1) has been shown to be important in the metabolism of phospholipid and cholesteryl ester hydroperoxides, thereby preventing the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and retarding atherogenesis. However, the exact substrate specificity of PON1 has not been established. In the present study we show that purified PON1 hydrolyses platelet-activating factor (PAF). We could find no evidence for contamination of our preparation with authentic platelet-activating-factor acetylhydrolase (PAFAH) by immunoblotting with a PAFAH monoclonal antibody or by sequencing the purified protein. In addition the specific PAFAH inhibitor SB-222657 did not affect the ability of PON1 to hydrolyse PAF (30.1+/-2.8 micromol/min per mg of protein with no inhibitor; 31.4+/-2.2 micromol/min per mg of protein with 100 nM inhibitor) or phenyl acetate (242.6+/-30.8 versus 240.8+/-31.5 micromol/min per mg of protein with and without inhibitor respectively). SB-222657 was also unable to inhibit PAF hydrolysis by isolated human high-density lipoprotein (HDL), but completely abolished the activity of human LDL. Ostrich (Struthio camelus) HDL, which does not contain PON1, was unable to hydrolyse PAF. These data provide evidence that PON1 may limit the action of this bioactive pro-inflammatory phospholipid. PMID:11171072

Predicting Risk Factors for 30-Day Readmissions Following Discharge From Post-Acute Care.

PubMed

Flanagan, Nina M; Rizzo, Victoria M; James, Gary D; Spegman, Adele; Barnawi, Najla A

The specific aims of this descriptive study were to (1) examine the relationships between individual-level determinants of health using standard care admission assessments of residents admitted to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) and those residents readmitted to the hospital within 30 days from discharge from the same SNF; (2) identify and describe the risk factors of the residents readmitted to the hospital within 30 days; and (3) use the findings to inform and refine current practice to target the mutable risk factors correlated with 30-day hospital readmission. A 180-bed skilled nursing center in Northeastern Pennsylvania. A retrospective paper medical record review of patients discharged from an SNF to community living was conducted to examine the relationship between individual determinants of health behaviors and 30-day hospital readmissions. The study sample (N = 221) included adults 65 years and older who were admitted to the SNF from January to December 2014 for subacute physical rehabilitation following an acute care hospital stay with a discharge plan to community living. The 30-day readmission rate was 11%. The results of the logistic regression including diagnosis at readmission showed that the odds of readmission before 30 days were nearly three times greater in patients who had congestive heart failure (p < .02). Patients who were at "very high risk" on the Braden Scale were 20 times more likely to be readmitted before 30 days compared with those at low risk. Age and gender were not predictors. None of the other standard screening assessments for delirium, depression, functional status, and fall risk were predictive of 30-day readmission. (1) Care coordination and communication with residents, caregivers, and home health can have an impact on 30-day readmissions post-SNF discharge. (2) Chronic respiratory diseases continue to be a challenge in prevention of hospital readmissions.

Phytonutrient genistein is a survival factor for pancreatic β-cells via GPR30-mediated mechanism.

PubMed

Luo, Jing; Wang, Aihua; Zhen, Wei; Wang, Yao; Si, Hongwei; Jia, Zhenquan; Alkhalidy, Hana; Cheng, Zhiyong; Gilbert, Elizabeth; Xu, Bin; Liu, Dongmin

2018-05-12

We previously discovered that phytonutrient genistein rapidly activates cAMP signaling in β-cells and improves islet mass in diabetic mice. However, the mechanism underlying these actions of genistein is still unclear. Here, we show that pharmacological or molecular inhibition of Gαs blocked genistein-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in plasma membrane and intracellular cAMP production in INS1 cells and islets. Further, genistein stimulation of cAMP generation was abolished in islets exposed to a specific GPR30 inhibitor G15 or islets from GPR30 deficient (GPR30-/-) mice. In vivo, dietary provision of genistein (0.5 g/kg diet) significantly mitigated streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia in male WT mice, which was associated with improved blood insulin levels and pancreatic islet mass and survival, whereas these effects were absent in Gpr30-/- mice. Genistein treatment promoted survival of INS1 cells and human islets chronically exposed to palmitate and high glucose. At molecular level, genistein activated CREB phosphorylation and subsequently induced Bcl-2 expression, and knockdown of CREB diminished the protective effect of genistein on β-cells induced by lipoglucotoxicity. Finally, deletion of GPR30 in β-cells or islets ablated genistein-induced CREB phosphorylation and its cytoprotective effect. These findings demonstrate that genistein is a survival factor for β-cells via GPR30-initiated, Gαs-mediated activation of CREB. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developmental Trajectories in Toddlers’ Self-restraint Predict Individual Differences in Executive Functions 14 Years Later: A Behavioral Genetic Analysis

PubMed Central

Friedman, Naomi P.; Miyake, Akira; Robinson, JoAnn L.; Hewitt, John K.

2011-01-01

We examined whether self-restraint in early childhood predicted individual differences in three executive functions (EFs; inhibiting prepotent responses, updating working memory, and shifting task sets) in late adolescence in a sample of ~950 twins. At ages 14, 20, 24, and 36 months, the children were shown an attractive toy and told not to touch it for 30 seconds. Latency to touch the toy increased with age, and latent class growth modeling distinguished two groups of children that differed in their latencies to touch the toy at all 4 time points. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the three EFs (measured with latent variables at age 17 years) were decomposed into a Common EF factor (isomorphic to response inhibition ability) and two factors specific to updating and shifting, respectively. Less restrained children had significantly lower scores on the Common EF factor, equivalent scores on the Updating-specific factor, and higher scores on the Shifting-specific factor than the more restrained children. The less restrained group also had lower IQ scores, but this effect was entirely mediated by the EF components. Twin models indicated that the associations were primarily genetic in origin for the Common EF variable but split between genetics and nonshared environment for the Shifting-specific variable. These results suggest a biological relation between individual differences in self-restraint and EFs, one that begins early in life and persists into late adolescence. PMID:21668099

School Protective Factors and Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents in California Public Schools.

PubMed

De Pedro, Kris Tunac; Esqueda, Monica Christina; Gilreath, Tamika D

2017-06-01

The majority of studies examining substance use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth have focused on a wide array of risk factors (e.g., victimization). Few studies have explored the protective role of schools. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature and inform programs aimed at reducing substance use among LGB youth. More specifically, this study explores the extent to which school connectedness and support from teachers and other adults at school are associated with substance use among LGB youth in school and within the past 30 days. A secondary analysis of the 2013-2015 California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) was conducted to examine associations between school protective factors (i.e., school connectedness and adult support) and substance use among LGB youth, above and beyond a key risk factor, school victimization. The study outcomes were past 30-day and in-school use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, prescription pain medication, and other illegal drugs. Overall, school connectedness and school adult support were associated with lower odds of substance use. For example, higher levels of school connectedness were associated with 22% decreased odds of past 30-day inhalant use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.72-0.86), and 25% decreased odds of past 30-day prescription pain medication use (AOR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.69-0.82). Higher levels of adult support in school were also associated with 17% decreased odds of marijuana use on school property in the past 30 days (AOR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.77-0.91). The results indicate a need for substance use prevention programs that integrate school connectedness and adult support in school.

The Ebola Virus Nucleoprotein Recruits the Host PP2A-B56 Phosphatase to Activate Transcriptional Support Activity of VP30.

PubMed

Kruse, Thomas; Biedenkopf, Nadine; Hertz, Emil Peter Thrane; Dietzel, Erik; Stalmann, Gertrud; López-Méndez, Blanca; Davey, Norman E; Nilsson, Jakob; Becker, Stephan

2018-01-04

Transcription of the Ebola virus genome depends on the viral transcription factor VP30 in its unphosphorylated form, but the underlying molecular mechanism of VP30 dephosphorylation is unknown. Here we show that the Ebola virus nucleoprotein (NP) recruits the host PP2A-B56 protein phosphatase through a B56-binding LxxIxE motif and that this motif is essential for VP30 dephosphorylation and viral transcription. The LxxIxE motif and the binding site of VP30 in NP are in close proximity, and both binding sites are required for the dephosphorylation of VP30. We generate a specific inhibitor of PP2A-B56 and show that it suppresses Ebola virus transcription and infection. This work dissects the molecular mechanism of VP30 dephosphorylation by PP2A-B56, and it pinpoints this phosphatase as a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender-specific differences in risk for intimate partner violence in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Minjee; Stefani, Katherine M; Park, Eun-Cheol

2014-05-01

Various risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) have been found to vary by gender. South Korea has one of the highest prevalences of IPV in the world; however, little is known about potential risk factors of IPV and whether gender influences this relationship. Using data from the 2006 Korea Welfare Panel Study, 8,877 married participants (4,545 men and 4,332 women) aged ≥30 years were included. Reported IPV was categorized as verbal or physical IPV and the association between IPV and related factors was assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Women were significantly more likely than men were to report IPV victimization (verbal 28.2% vs. 24.4%; physical 6.9% vs. 3.4%). Wor odds of physical perpetration than women satisfied with their family. Moreover, alcohol intake was significantly associated with IPV perpetration and victimization in both genders. Significant gender-specific differences were found among factors related to perpetrating violence and being a victim of violence among adults in heterosexual relationships in South Korea.

Resources and Commitment as Critical Factors in the Development of "Gifted" Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Joseph; Cote, Jean

2003-01-01

Several sport-specific talent detection models have been developed over the last 30 years (Durand-Bush & Salmela, 2001). However, these models have failed in at least one important standard of judgment--accurately predicting who will develop into an elite level athlete. The authors believe that the WICS model presented by Robert Sternberg also…

What Makes Teacher Professional Development Work? The Influence of Instructional Resources on Change in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaughtry, Nate; Martin, Jeffrey; Kulinna, Pamela Hodges; Cothran, Donetta

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand factors that make teacher professional development successful and what success might mean in terms of teachers' instructional practices and feelings about change. Specifically, this study focused on the impact of instructional resources on the large-scale curricular reform of 30 urban physical education…

Developing Employee Assistance Programs: New Roles for School Psychologists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allie, Stephen M.

In the spring of 1988 an independent school district in Texas formed a 30-member strategic planning team which gathered data on factors impacting the school district at that time and into the foreseeable future. Planning was facilitated by the appointment of 15 action teams formed to write specific plans to fulfill various targets and strategies.…

Mental health, migration stressors and suicidal ideation among Latino immigrants in Spain and the United States.

PubMed

Fortuna, L R; Álvarez, K; Ramos Ortiz, Z; Wang, Y; Mozo Alegría, X; Cook, B L; Alegría, M

2016-08-01

Immigration stress appears to augment the risk for suicide behaviors for Latinos. Yet, specific risk factors that contribute to suicidal ideation (SI) among diverse Latino immigrant populations are not well established. Data were collected in Boston, Madrid and Barcelona using a screening battery assessing mental health, substance abuse risk, trauma exposure, demographics, and sociocultural factors. Prevalence rates of lifetime and 30-day SI were compared across sites. Logistic regression modeling was used to identify sociodemographic, clinical, and sociocultural-contextual factors associated with 30-day SI. Five hundred and sixty-seven Latino patients from primary care, behavioral health and HIV clinics and community agencies participated. Rates of lifetime SI ranged from 29-35%; rates for 30-day SI were 21-23%. Rates of SI were not statistically different between sites. Factors associated with SI included exposure to discrimination, lower ethnic identity, elevated family conflict, and low sense of belonging (P<0.01). In the adjusted model, higher scores on depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and trauma exposure were significantly associated with 30-day SI (OR=1.14, 1.04, and 7.76, respectively). Greater number of years living in the host country was significantly associated with increased odds of having SI (OR=2.22) while having citizenship status was associated with lower odds (OR=0.45). Latinos suffering depression, trauma exposure, and immigration stressors are more likely to experience SI. Despite differences in country of origin, education, and other demographic factors between countries, rates of SI did not differ. Recommendations for prevention and clinical practice for addressing suicidal ideation risk among Latino immigrants are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Mental Health, Migration Stressors and Suicidal Ideation among Latino Immigrants in Spain and the United States

PubMed Central

Fortuna, Lisa R.; Álvarez, Kiara; Ortiz, Zorangeli Ramos; Wang, Ye; Alegría, Xulian Mozo; Cook, Benjamin; Alegría, Margarita

2017-01-01

Background Immigration stress appears to augment the risk for suicide behaviors for Latinos. Yet, specific risk factors that contribute to suicidal ideation (SI) among diverse Latino immigrant populations are not well established. Methods Data were collected in Boston, Madrid and Barcelona using a screening battery assessing mental health, substance abuse risk, trauma exposure, demographics, and socio-cultural factors. Prevalence rates of lifetime and 30-day SI were compared across sites. Logistic regression modeling was used to identify socio-demographic, clinical, and socio-cultural-contextual factors associated with 30-day SI. Results 567 Latino patients from primary care, behavioral health and HIV clinics and community agencies participated. Rates of lifetime SI ranged from 29-35%; rates for 30-day SI were 21-23%. Rates of SI were not statistically different between sites. Factors associated with SI included exposure to discrimination, lower ethnic identity, elevated family conflict, and low sense of belonging (p<0.01). In the adjusted model, higher scores on depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and trauma exposure were significantly associated with 30-day SI (OR = 1.14, 1.04, and 7.76, respectively). Greater number of years living in the host country was significantly associated with increased odds of having SI (OR=2.22) while having citizenship status was associated with lower odds (OR=0.45). Conclusion Latinos suffering depression, trauma exposure, and immigration stressors are more likely to experience SI. Despite differences in country of origin, education, and other demographic factors between countries, rates of SI did not differ. Recommendations for prevention and clinical practice for addressing suicidal ideation risk among Latino immigrants are discussed. PMID:27311103

Purification of Xenopus laevis mitochondrial RNA polymerase and identification of a dissociable factor required for specific transcription

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

Bogenhagen, D.F.; Insdorf, N.F.

1988-07-01

The Xenopus laevis mitochondrial RNA (mtRNA) polymerase was purified to near homogeneity with an overall yield approaching 50%. The major polypeptides in the final fraction were a doublet of proteins of approximately 140 kilodaltons that copurified with the mtRNA polymerase activity. It appeared likely that the smaller polypeptide is a breakdown product of the larger one. The highly purified polymerase was active in nonspecific transcription but required a dissociable factor for specific transcription of X. laevis mtDNA. The factor could be resolved from mtRNA polymerase by hydrophobic chromatography and had a sedimentation coefficient of 3.0 S. The transcription factor elutedmore » from both the hydrophobic column and a Mono Q anion-exchange column as a single symmetrical peak. The mtRNA polymerase and this factor together are necessary and sufficient for active transcription from four promoters located in a noncoding region of the mtDNA genome between the gene for tRNA/sup Phe/ and the displacement loop.« less

Risk Factors and Protective Factors for Lower-Extremity Running Injuries A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Gijon-Nogueron, Gabriel; Fernandez-Villarejo, Marina

2015-11-01

A review of the scientific literature was performed 1) to identify studies describing the most common running injuries and their relation to the risk factors that produce them and 2) to search for potential and specific protective factors. Spanish and English biomedical search engines and databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Database Enfermería Fisioterapia Podología [ENFISPO], Cochrane Library, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) were queried (February 1 to November 30, 2013). A critical reading and assessment was then performed by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Spanish tool. In total, 276 abstracts that contained the selected key words were found. Of those, 25 identified and analyzed articles were included in the results. Injuries result from inadequate interaction between the runner's biomechanics and external factors. This leads to an excessive accumulation of impact peak forces in certain structures that tends to cause overuse injuries. The main reasons are inadequate muscle stabilization and pronation. These vary depending on the runner's foot strike pattern, foot arch morphology, and sex. Specific measures of modification and control through running footwear are proposed.

Experimental study on energy absorption of foam filled kraft paper honeycomb subjected to quasi-static uniform compression loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abd Kadir, N.; Aminanda, Y.; Ibrahim, M. S.; Mokhtar, H.

2016-10-01

A statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of factor and to obtain the optimum configuration of Kraft paper honeycomb. The factors considered in this study include density of paper, thickness of paper and cell size of honeycomb. Based on three level factorial design, two-factor interaction model (2FI) was developed to correlate the factors with specific energy absorption and specific compression strength. From the analysis of variance (ANOVA), the most influential factor on responses and the optimum configuration was identified. After that, Kraft paper honeycomb with optimum configuration is used to fabricate foam-filled paper honeycomb with five different densities of polyurethane foam as filler (31.8, 32.7, 44.5, 45.7, 52 kg/m3). The foam-filled paper honeycomb is subjected to quasi-static compression loading. Failure mechanism of the foam-filled honeycomb was identified, analyzed and compared with the unfilled paper honeycomb. The peak force and energy absorption capability of foam-filled paper honeycomb are increased up to 32% and 30%, respectively, compared to the summation of individual components.

Depressive symptomatology among Mexican-American adults: an examination with the CES-D Scale.

PubMed

Garcia, M; Marks, G

1989-02-01

The presence and persistence of specific depressive symptomatology among a large sample of Mexican-American adults (n = 3,084) were examined with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. Compared to studies of Anglos, a substantially larger percentage reported persistent hopelessness about the future (29%), self-depreciation (21%), and lack of enjoyment out of life (14%). The prevalence of these symptoms was higher among those who had not adapted to mainstream American society and among older participants. Women were generally more distressed than men. Factor analyses of the items demonstrated a slightly different factor structure than previously obtained with Anglos. For both sexes and for those under age 30 and ages 30-59, the items "loneliness," "sadness," and "crying" loaded on a common factor. The tendency for these items to group together was stronger for those exhibiting a low or medium degree of cultural adaptation than for those exhibiting a high degree of adaptation. Discussion focuses on the cultural variation of response to items on the CES-D.

Renal magnetic resonance angiography at 3.0 Tesla using a 32-element phased-array coil system and parallel imaging in 2 directions.

PubMed

Fenchel, Michael; Nael, Kambiz; Deshpande, Vibhas S; Finn, J Paul; Kramer, Ulrich; Miller, Stephan; Ruehm, Stefan; Laub, Gerhard

2006-09-01

The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of renal magnetic resonance angiography at 3.0 T using a phased-array coil system with 32-coil elements. Specifically, high parallel imaging factors were used for an increased spatial resolution and anatomic coverage of the whole abdomen. Signal-to-noise values and the g-factor distribution of the 32 element coil were examined in phantom studies for the magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) sequence. Eleven volunteers (6 men, median age of 30.0 years) were examined on a 3.0-T MR scanner (Magnetom Trio, Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, PA) using a 32-element phased-array coil (prototype from In vivo Corp.). Contrast-enhanced 3D-MRA (TR 2.95 milliseconds, TE 1.12 milliseconds, flip angle 25-30 degrees , bandwidth 650 Hz/pixel) was acquired with integrated generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA), in both phase- and slice-encoding direction. Images were assessed by 2 independent observers with regard to image quality, noise and presence of artifacts. Signal-to-noise levels of 22.2 +/- 22.0 and 57.9 +/- 49.0 were measured with (GRAPPAx6) and without parallel-imaging, respectively. The mean g-factor of the 32-element coil for GRAPPA with an acceleration of 3 and 2 in the phase-encoding and slice-encoding direction, respectively, was 1.61. High image quality was found in 9 of 11 volunteers (2.6 +/- 0.8) with good overall interobserver agreement (k = 0.87). Relatively low image quality with higher noise levels were encountered in 2 volunteers. MRA at 3.0 T using a 32-element phased-array coil is feasible in healthy volunteers. High diagnostic image quality and extended anatomic coverage could be achieved with application of high parallel imaging factors.

Enhancement of ovalbumin-specific Th1, Th2, and Th17 immune responses by amorphous silica nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Toda, Tsuguto; Yoshino, Shin

2016-01-01

Nanomaterials present in cosmetics and food additives are used for industrial applications. However, their safety profile is unclear. Amorphous silica nanoparticles (nSPs) are a widely used nanomaterial and have been shown to induce inflammatory cytokines following intratracheal administration in mice. The current study investigated the adjuvant effect of nSP30 (nSP with a diameter of 33 nm) on T helper (Th)1, Th2, and Th17 immune responses as well as immunoglobulin (Ig) levels in mice. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally administered ovalbumin (OVA) with or without varying doses and varying sizes of nSPs. The adjuvant effect of nSPs was investigated by measuring OVA-specific IgG antibodies in sera, OVA-specific proliferative responses of splenocytes, and the production of Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines. Aluminum hydroxide was used as a positive adjuvant control. Anti-OVA IgG production, splenocyte proliferative responses, and secretion of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-17 were increased significantly in mice receiving a combined injection of nSP30 (30 or 300 µg) with OVA compared with OVA alone or a combined injection with nSP30 (3 µg). The responses were nSP30 dose-dependent. When different sized nSPs were used (with 30, 100, and 1000 nm diameters), the responses to OVA were enhanced and were size-dependent. The smaller sized nSP particles had a greater adjuvant effect. nSPs appear to exert a size-dependent adjuvant effect for Th1, Th2, and Th17 immune responses. Understanding the mechanisms of nSP adjuvanticity might lead to the development of novel vaccine adjuvants and therapies for allergic diseases caused by environmental factors. PMID:27343242

Transaction Design Specification Medical Exam Databases System (MED) update Transaction

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-12-01

8217RECOFD IN 51) 73. CORONARY SFAS1 SITE ;CHAR X(6) IN 7:) 74* CORONARY FLAQUES (RECO D IN 51) 75. CCFONARY PLAOUE 3ITE ,CHAR K(60 IN 74) 76* FCT DIAMETER...KETOSTEROIDS YE HYDROXYCARTICOSTEROIDS YO 24 HR URINE TOTAL VOLUME MA URINE OSMOLALITY MB SERUM OSMOLALITY MC 24HR URINE TOTAL VOLUME ZE SERUM COPPER FBS TO...RHEUMATOID FACTOR PA N P -2 2 ANTINUCLEAR ANTIBODY PB N P -2 2 0 FREE FATTY ACIDS QA 5 9 57 200 MG% SERUM COPPER RA 30 70 130 300 JG% URINE COPPER RBM 10 30 90

Specifying the non-specific components of acupuncture analgesia

PubMed Central

Vase, Lene; Baram, Sara; Takakura, Nobuari; Yajima, Hiroyoshi; Takayama, Miho; Kaptchuk, Ted J.; Schou, Søren; Jensen, Troels Staehelin; Zachariae, Robert; Svensson, Peter

2014-01-01

It is well known that acupuncture has pain-relieving effects, but the contribution of specific and especially non-specific factors to acupuncture analgesia is less clear. One hundred and one patients who developed pain ≥ 3 on a visual analog scale (VAS, 0-10) following third molar surgery were randomized to receive active acupuncture, placebo acupuncture, or no treatment for 30 min with acupuncture needles with potential for double-blinding. Patients’ perception of the treatment (active or placebo), and expected pain levels (VAS) were assessed prior to and halfway through the treatment. Looking at actual treatment allocation, there was no specific effect of active acupuncture (P = 0.240), but a large and significant non-specific effect of placebo acupuncture (P < 0.001), which increased over time. Interestingly, however, looking at perceived treatment allocation, there was a significant effect of acupuncture (P < 0.001) indicating that patients who believed they received active acupuncture had significantly lower pain levels than those who believed they received placebo acupuncture. Expected pain levels accounted for significant and progressively larger amounts of the variance in pain ratings following both active and placebo acupuncture (up to 69.8%), This is the first study to show that under optimized blinding conditions non-specific factors such as patients’ perception of and expectations toward treatment are central to the efficacy of acupuncture analgesia and that these factors may contribute to self-reinforcing effects in acupuncture treatment To obtain an effect of acupuncture in clinical practice it may, therefore, be important to incorporate and optimize these factors. PMID:23707680

Analysis of G-Protein Coupled Receptor 30 (GPR30) on Endothelial Inflammation.

PubMed

Chakrabarti, Subhadeep; Davidge, Sandra T

2016-01-01

The female sex hormone estrogen (the most common form 17-β-estradiol or E2) is known to have both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory effects. Given the diversity of estrogen responses mediated through its three distinct receptors, namely, estrogen receptor α (ERα), ERβ, and the G-protein coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), it is plausible that different receptors have specific modulatory effects on inflammation in different tissues. We have shown that activation of GPR30 exerted anti-inflammatory effects as demonstrated by significant attenuation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-mediated upregulation of adhesion molecules in isolated human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Interestingly, estrogen alone had no such effect and blockade of classical ERs restored the anti-inflammatory effect, suggesting that this effect was dependent on GPR30 and opposed to classical ERs. These findings were further validated by the negation of anti-inflammatory GPR30 effects by classical ER agonists. This chapter focuses on multiple pharmacological options to activate GPR30 and the use of TNF activated endothelial cells as a model system for inflammatory response as assessed by adhesion molecule detection through western blotting.

[Combined assay of soluble CD30 and hepatocyte growth factor for diagnosis of acute renal allograft rejection].

PubMed

Li, Chuan-jiang; Yu, Li-xin; Xu, Jian; Fu, Shao-jie; Deng, Wen-feng; Du, Chuan-fu; Wang, Yi-bin

2008-02-01

To study the value of detection of both preoperative soluble CD30 (sCD30) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) level 5 days after transplantation in the diagnosis of acute rejection of renal allograft. Preoperative serum sCD30 levels and HGF level 5 days after transplantation were determined in 65 renal-transplant recipients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The recipients were divided according to the sCD30 levels positivity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the value of HGF level on day 5 posttransplantation for diagnosis of acute renal allograft rejection, and the value of combined assay of the sCD30 and HGF levels was also estimated. After transplantation, 26 recipients developed graft rejection and 39 had uneventful recovery without rejection. With the cut-off value of sCD30 of 120 U/ml, the positivity rate of sCD30 was significantly higher in recipients with graft rejection than in those without (61.5% vs 17.9%, P<0.05). Recipients with acute rejection showed also significantly higher HGF levels on day 5 posttransplantation than those without rejection (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis indicated that HGF levels on day 5 posttransplantation was a good marker for diagnosis of acute renal allograft rejection, and at the cut-off value of 90 ug/L, the diagnostic sensitivity was 84.6% and specificity 76.9%. Evaluation of both the sCD30 and HGF levels significantly enhanced the diagnostic accuracy of acute graft rejection. Combined assay of serum sCD30 and HGF levels offers a useful means for diagnosis of acute renal allograft rejection.

[Epidemiology and risk factors of upper urinary tract tumors: literature review for the yearly scientific report of the French National Association of Urology].

PubMed

Ouzzane, A; Rouprêt, M; Leon, P; Yates, D R; Colin, P

2014-11-01

To describe the epidemiology, the risk and genetic factors involved in carcinogenesis pathways of upper urinary tumors UTUCs. A systematic review of the scientific literature was performed from the database Medline (National Library of Medicine, PubMed) and websites of the HAS and the ANSM using the following keywords: epidemiology; risk factor; tobacco; aristolochic acid; urothelial carcinoma; ureter; renal pelvis. The search was focused on the characteristics, the mode of action, the efficiency and the side effects of the various drugs concerned. The estimated UTUC incidence is 1.2 cases/100,000 inhabitant per year in Europe. The incidence of renal pelvis tumor has been stable for 30years, while the frequency of ureteric locations has increased over time. Locally advanced stage and high grade are more frequent at the time of diagnosis. The median age for diagnosis is 70-years-old. Male-to-female ratio is nearly 2. Main carcinogenic factors are tobacco consumption and occupational exposure. There are specific risk factors for UTUC such acid aristolochic (balkan's nephropathy and Chinese herbs nephropathy). Familial cases are distinct from sporadic cases. UTUCs belong to the HNPCC syndrome and they rank third in its tumor spectrum. UTUCs are scarce tumors with specific epidemiologic characteristics. UTUCs share common risk factors with other urothelial carcinomas such as bladder tumors but have also specific risk factors that clinicians should know. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Writing Juvenile Stories and Novels: How to Write and Sell Fiction for Young People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitney, Phyllis A.

Phyllis Whitney, author of more than 30 juvenile novels and 20 adult novels, offers specific advice to aspiring writers on how to write, and sell, fiction for young people. Telling a good story, entertaining the reader, is the most important factor in each of the four divisions of children's books. These divisions can be structured roughly…

A Body Image and Disordered Eating Intervention for Women in Midlife: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, Sian A.; Paxton, Susan J.; Wertheim, Eleanor H.

2011-01-01

Objective: This study examined the outcome of a body image and disordered eating intervention for midlife women. The intervention was specifically designed to address risk factors that are pertinent in midlife. Method: Participants were 61 women aged 30 to 60 years (M = 43.92, SD = 8.22) randomly assigned to intervention (n = 32) or (delayed…

Baicalein suppresses 17-β-estradiol-induced migration, adhesion and invasion of breast cancer cells via the G protein-coupled receptor 30 signaling pathway.

PubMed

Shang, Dandan; Li, Zheng; Zhu, Zhuxia; Chen, Huamei; Zhao, Lujun; Wang, Xudong; Chen, Yan

2015-04-01

Flavonoids are structurally similar to steroid hormones, particularly estrogens, and therefore have been studied for their potential effects on hormone-dependent cancers. Baicalein is the primary flavonoid derived from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. In the present study, we investigated the effects of baicalein on 17β-estradiol (E2)-induced migration, adhesion and invasion of MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells. The results demonstrated that baicalein suppressed E2-stimulated wound-healing migration and cell‑Matrigel adhesion, and ameliorated E2-promoted invasion across a Matrigel-coated Transwell membrane. Furthermore, baicalein interfered with E2-induced novel G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPR30)-related signaling, including a decrease in tyrosine phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as well as phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and serine/threonine kinase Akt, without affecting GPR30 expression. The results also showed that baicalein suppressed the expression of GPR30 target genes, cysteine-rich 61 (CYR61) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) induced by E2. Furthermore, baicalein prevented GPR30-related signaling activation and upregulation of CYR61 and CTGF mRNA levels induced by G1, a specific GPR 30 agonist. The results suggest that baicalein inhibits E2-induced migration, adhesion and invasion through interfering with GPR30 signaling pathway activation, which indicates that it may act as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of GPR30-positive breast cancer metastasis.

Measuring sleep: accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of wrist actigraphy compared to polysomnography.

PubMed

Marino, Miguel; Li, Yi; Rueschman, Michael N; Winkelman, J W; Ellenbogen, J M; Solet, J M; Dulin, Hilary; Berkman, Lisa F; Buxton, Orfeu M

2013-11-01

We validated actigraphy for detecting sleep and wakefulness versus polysomnography (PSG). Actigraphy and polysomnography were simultaneously collected during sleep laboratory admissions. All studies involved 8.5 h time in bed, except for sleep restriction studies. Epochs (30-sec; n = 232,849) were characterized for sensitivity (actigraphy = sleep when PSG = sleep), specificity (actigraphy = wake when PSG = wake), and accuracy (total proportion correct); the amount of wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO) was also assessed. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model included age, gender, insomnia diagnosis, and daytime/nighttime sleep timing factors. Controlled sleep laboratory conditions. Young and older adults, healthy or chronic primary insomniac (PI) patients, and daytime sleep of 23 night-workers (n = 77, age 35.0 ± 12.5, 30F, mean nights = 3.2). N/A. Overall, sensitivity (0.965) and accuracy (0.863) were high, whereas specificity (0.329) was low; each was only slightly modified by gender, insomnia, day/night sleep timing (magnitude of change < 0.04). Increasing age slightly reduced specificity. Mean WASO/night was 49.1 min by PSG compared to 36.8 min/night by actigraphy (β = 0.81; CI = 0.42, 1.21), unbiased when WASO < 30 min/night, and overestimated when WASO > 30 min/night. This validation quantifies strengths and weaknesses of actigraphy as a tool measuring sleep in clinical and population studies. Overall, the participant-specific accuracy is relatively high, and for most participants, above 80%. We validate this finding across multiple nights and a variety of adults across much of the young to midlife years, in both men and women, in those with and without insomnia, and in 77 participants. We conclude that actigraphy is overall a useful and valid means for estimating total sleep time and wakefulness after sleep onset in field and workplace studies, with some limitations in specificity.

Treatment-Related Predictive and Prognostic Factors in Trimodality Approach in Stage IIIA/N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

PubMed

Jeremić, Branislav; Casas, Francesc; Dubinsky, Pavol; Gomez-Caamano, Antonio; Čihorić, Nikola; Videtic, Gregory; Igrutinovic, Ivan

2018-01-01

While there are no established pretreatment predictive and prognostic factors in patients with stage IIIA/pN2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) indicating a benefit to surgery as a part of trimodality approach, little is known about treatment-related predictive and prognostic factors in this setting. A literature search was conducted to identify possible treatment-related predictive and prognostic factors for patients for whom trimodality approach was reported on. Overall survival was the primary endpoint of this study. Of 30 identified studies, there were two phase II studies, 5 "prospective" studies, and 23 retrospective studies. No study was found which specifically looked at treatment-related predictive factors of improved outcomes in trimodality treatment. Of potential treatment-related prognostic factors, the least frequently analyzed factors among 30 available studies were overall pathologic stage after preoperative treatment and UICC downstaging. Evaluation of treatment response before surgery and by pathologic tumor stage after induction therapy were analyzed in slightly more than 40% of studies and found not to influence survival. More frequently studied factors-resection status, degree of tumor regression, and pathologic nodal stage after induction therapy as well as the most frequently studied factor, the treatment (in almost 75% studies)-showed no discernible impact on survival, due to conflicting results. Currently, it is impossible to identify any treatment-related predictive or prognostic factors for selecting surgery in the treatment of patients with stage IIIA/pN2 NSCLC.

Significant Prognostic Factors for Completely Resected pN2 Non-small Cell Lung Cancer without Neoadjuvant Therapy

PubMed Central

Nakao, Masayuki; Mun, Mingyon; Nakagawa, Ken; Nishio, Makoto; Ishikawa, Yuichi; Okumura, Sakae

2015-01-01

Purpose: To identify prognostic factors for pathologic N2 (pN2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated by surgical resection. Methods: Between 1990 and 2009, 287 patients with pN2 NSCLC underwent curative resection at the Cancer Institute Hospital without preoperative treatment. Results: The 5-year overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were 46%, 55% and 24%, respectively. The median follow-up time was 80 months. Multivariate analysis identified four independent predictors for poor OS: multiple-zone mediastinal lymph node metastasis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.616; p = 0.003); ipsilateral intrapulmonary metastasis (HR, 1.042; p = 0.002); tumor size >30 mm (HR, 1.013; p = 0.002); and clinical stage N1 or N2 (HR, 1.051; p = 0.030). Multivariate analysis identified three independent predictors for poor RFS: multiple-zone mediastinal lymph node metastasis (HR, 1.457; p = 0.011); ipsilateral intrapulmonary metastasis (HR, 1.040; p = 0.002); and tumor size >30 mm (HR, 1.008; p = 0.032). Conclusion: Multiple-zone mediastinal lymph node metastasis, ipsilateral intrapulmonary metastasis, and tumor size >30 mm were common independent prognostic factors of OS, CSS, and RFS in pN2 NSCLC. PMID:25740454

Routine clinical knee MR reports: comparison of diagnostic performance at 1.5 T and 3.0 T for assessment of the articular cartilage.

PubMed

Mandell, Jacob C; Rhodes, Jeffrey A; Shah, Nehal; Gaviola, Glenn C; Gomoll, Andreas H; Smith, Stacy E

2017-11-01

Accurate assessment of knee articular cartilage is clinically important. Although 3.0 Tesla (T) MRI is reported to offer improved diagnostic performance, literature regarding the clinical impact of MRI field strength is lacking. The purpose of this study is to compare the diagnostic performance of clinical MRI reports for assessment of cartilage at 1.5 and 3.0 T in comparison to arthroscopy. This IRB-approved retrospective study consisted of 300 consecutive knees in 297 patients who had routine clinical MRI and arthroscopy. Descriptions of cartilage from MRI reports of 165 knees at 1.5 T and 135 at 3.0 T were compared with arthroscopy. The sensitivity, specificity, percent of articular surfaces graded concordantly, and percent of articular surfaces graded within one grade of the arthroscopic grading were calculated for each articular surface at 1.5 and 3.0 T. Agreement between MRI and arthroscopy was calculated with the weighted-kappa statistic. Significance testing was performed utilizing the z-test after bootstrapping to obtain the standard error. The sensitivity, specificity, percent of articular surfaces graded concordantly, and percent of articular surfaces graded within one grade were 61.4%, 82.7%, 62.2%, and 77.5% at 1.5 T and 61.8%, 80.6%, 59.5%, and 75.6% at 3.0 T, respectively. The weighted kappa statistic was 0.56 at 1.5 T and 0.55 at 3.0 T. There was no statistically significant difference in any of these parameters between 1.5 and 3.0 T. Factors potentially contributing to the lack of diagnostic advantage of 3.0 T MRI are discussed.

Determining size-specific emission factors for environmental tobacco smoke particles

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

Klepeis, Neil E.; Apte, Michael G.; Gundel, Lara A.

Because size is a major controlling factor for indoor airborne particle behavior, human particle exposure assessments will benefit from improved knowledge of size-specific particle emissions. We report a method of inferring size-specific mass emission factors for indoor sources that makes use of an indoor aerosol dynamics model, measured particle concentration time series data, and an optimization routine. This approach provides--in addition to estimates of the emissions size distribution and integrated emission factors--estimates of deposition rate, an enhanced understanding of particle dynamics, and information about model performance. We applied the method to size-specific environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) particle concentrations measured everymore » minute with an 8-channel optical particle counter (PMS-LASAIR; 0.1-2+ micrometer diameters) and every 10 or 30 min with a 34-channel differential mobility particle sizer (TSI-DMPS; 0.01-1+ micrometer diameters) after a single cigarette or cigar was machine-smoked inside a low air-exchange-rate 20 m{sup 3} chamber. The aerosol dynamics model provided good fits to observed concentrations when using optimized values of mass emission rate and deposition rate for each particle size range as input. Small discrepancies observed in the first 1-2 hours after smoking are likely due to the effect of particle evaporation, a process neglected by the model. Size-specific ETS particle emission factors were fit with log-normal distributions, yielding an average mass median diameter of 0.2 micrometers and an average geometric standard deviation of 2.3 with no systematic differences between cigars and cigarettes. The equivalent total particle emission rate, obtained integrating each size distribution, was 0.2-0.7 mg/min for cigars and 0.7-0.9 mg/min for cigarettes.« less

G protein-coupled receptor 30 expression is up-regulated by EGF and TGF alpha in estrogen receptor alpha-positive cancer cells.

PubMed

Vivacqua, Adele; Lappano, Rosamaria; De Marco, Paola; Sisci, Diego; Aquila, Saveria; De Amicis, Francesca; Fuqua, Suzanne A W; Andò, Sebastiano; Maggiolini, Marcello

2009-11-01

In the present study, we evaluated the regulation of G protein-coupled receptor (GPR)30 expression in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive endometrial, ovarian, and estrogen-sensitive, as well as tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells. We demonstrate that epidermal growth factor (EGF) and TGF alpha transactivate the GPR30 promoter and accordingly up-regulate GPR30 mRNA and protein levels only in endometrial and tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells. These effects exerted by EGF and TGF alpha were dependent on EGF receptor (EGFR) expression and activation and involved phosphorylation of the Tyr(1045) and Tyr(1173) EGFR sites. Using gene-silencing experiments and specific pharmacological inhibitors, we have ascertained that EGF and TGF alpha induce GPR30 expression through the EGFR/ERK transduction pathway, and the recruitment of c-fos to the activator protein-1 site located within GPR30 promoter sequence. Interestingly, we show that functional cross talk of GPR30 with both activated EGFR and ER alpha relies on a physical interaction among these receptors, further extending the potential of estrogen to trigger a complex stimulatory signaling network in hormone-sensitive tumors. Given that EGFR/HER2 overexpression is associated with tamoxifen resistance, our data may suggest that ligand-activated EGFR could contribute to the failure of tamoxifen therapy also by up-regulating GPR30, which in turn could facilitates the action of estrogen. In addition, important for resistance is the ability of tamoxifen to bind to and activate GPR30, the expression of which is up-regulated by EGFR activation. Our results emphasize the need for new endocrine agents able to block widespread actions of estrogen without exerting any stimulatory activity on transduction pathways shared by the steroid and growth factor-signaling networks.

Potent CD4+ T-cell epitope P30 enhances HER2/neu-engineered dendritic cell-induced immunity against Tg1-1 breast cancer in transgenic FVBneuN mice by enhanced CD4+ T-cell-stimulated CTL responses.

PubMed

Xie, Y; Chen, Y; Ahmed, K A; Li, W; Ahmed, S; Sami, A; Chibbar, R; Tang, X; Tao, M; Xu, J; Xiang, J

2013-10-01

One of the major obstacles in human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2/neu-specific trastuzumab immunotherapy of HER2/neu-positive breast cancer is the development of trastuzumab resistance, warranting the search for other therapeutic strategies. Although dendritic cell (DC) vaccines have been extensively applied in clinical trials for cancer treatment, the vaccination efficacy is still limited, mostly because DC vaccines are not sufficient to break tumor-associated antigen-specific self-immune tolerance in cancer patients. P30 (FNNFTVSFWLRVPKVSASHLE) derived from tetanus toxin is a universally potent CD4(+) T helper epitope capable of enhancing CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses. In this study, we constructed two recombinant adenoviral vectors (AdVs), AdVOVA-P30 and AdVHER2/neu-P30, expressing ovalbumin (OVA)-P30 and HER2/neu-P30. In order to enhance DC vaccine efficacy, we transfected mouse bone marrow (BM)-derived DCs with AdVOVA-P30 and AdVHER2/neu-P30 to generate engineered DCOVA-P30 and DCHER2/neu-P30 vaccines, respectively. We, then, compared CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses and antitumor immunity derived from DCOVA-P30 and DCHER2/neu-P30 vaccination in wild-type C57BL/6 and transgenic FVBneuN mice, respectively. We demonstrate that engineered DCOVA-P30 vaccine stimulates more efficient CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses than DCOVA in C57BL/6 mice. Interestingly, the increased DCOVA-P30-induced CTL responses are mainly contributed by enhanced CD4(+) T-cell-stimulated CTL proliferation. We show that DCOVA-P30 vaccine also stimulates more efficient therapeutic immunity against OVA-expressing BL6-10OVA melanoma than DCOVA in C57BL/6 mice. In addition, we demonstrate that DCHER2/neu-P30 vaccine stimulates more efficient CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses and protective immunity against HER2/neu-expressing Tg1-1 breast cancer than DCHER2/neu in transgenic FVBneuN mice with HER2/neu-specific self-immune tolerance. Therefore, the engineered DCHER2/neu-P30 vaccine may provide a new immunotherapy alternative for women with HER2/neu(+) breast cancer, especially for trastuzumab-resistant HER2/neu(+) breast cancer patients.

Emerging adulthood and Type 1 diabetes: insights from the DAWN2 Study.

PubMed

Vallis, M; Willaing, I; Holt, R I G

2018-02-01

To compare clinical, psychological, education and social variables in emerging adults (aged 18-30 years) with Type 1 diabetes with their adult counterparts aged >30 years. A single assessment multinational sample was surveyed as part of the larger second Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN2) study. Participants completed a series of surveys incorporating demographic as well as clinical questions (comorbidities, hypoglycaemia) and validated self-report scales concerning psychosocial (health impact, quality of life, beliefs and attitudes, self-management behaviours, healthcare experience and family support) and diabetes education factors. Emerging adults differed from adults aged >30 years with regard to a number of psychosocial variables. Emerging adults reported better overall quality of life, social support and support from their healthcare team compared with adults aged >30 years of age; however, emerging adults experienced greater diabetes-specific distress and were less engaged in self-management. Diabetes education was related to a number of indicators, while experience of discrimination was harmful, but these impacts did not differ between emerging adults and adults aged >30 years. An analysis of geographical regions suggested that emerging adults in North America and Europe had better well-being than older adults, while the opposite was observed in Asia. Emerging adults, particularly those in the later phase (ages 25-30 years) are especially at risk in terms of diabetes-specific distress. There is a need for novel interventions to meet the needs of these vulnerable emerging adults more effectively. © 2017 Diabetes UK.

The Nature and Extent of Flavored Alcoholic Beverage Consumption among Underage Youth: Results of a National Brand-specific Survey

PubMed Central

Giga, Noreen M.; Binakonsky, Jane; Ross, Craig; Siegel, Michael

2011-01-01

Background Flavored alcoholic beverages are popular among underage drinkers. Existing studies that assessed flavored alcoholic beverage use among youth relied upon respondents to correctly classify the beverages they consume, without defining what alcohol brands belong to this category. Objectives To demonstrate a new method for analyzing the consumption of flavored alcoholic beverages among youth on a brand-specific basis, without relying upon youth to correctly classify brands they consume. Methods Using a pre-recruited internet panel developed by Knowledge Networks, we measured the brands of alcohol consumed by a national sample of youth drinkers, ages 16-20 years, in the United States. The sample consisted of 108 youths who had consumed at least one drink of an alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days. We measured the brand-specific consumption of alcoholic beverages within the past 30 days, ascertaining the consumption of 380 alcohol brands, including 14 brands of flavored alcoholic beverages. Results Measuring the brand-specific consumption of flavored alcoholic beverages was feasible. Based on a brand-specific identification of flavored alcoholic beverages, nearly half of youth drinkers in the sample reported having consumed such beverages in the past 30 days. Flavored alcoholic beverage preference was concentrated among the top four brands, which accounted for nearly all of the consumption volume reported in our study. Conclusions and Scientific Significance These findings underscore the need to assess youth alcohol consumption at the brand level and the potential value of such data in better understanding underage youth drinking behavior and the factors that influence it. PMID:21517708

The nature and extent of flavored alcoholic beverage consumption among underage youth: results of a national brand-specific survey.

PubMed

Giga, Noreen M; Binakonsky, Jane; Ross, Craig; Siegel, Michael

2011-07-01

Flavored alcoholic beverages are popular among underage drinkers. Existing studies that assessed flavored alcoholic beverage use among youth relied upon respondents to correctly classify the beverages they consume, without defining what alcohol brands belong to this category. The aim is to demonstrate a new method for analyzing the consumption of flavored alcoholic beverages among youth on a brand-specific basis, without relying upon youth to correctly classify brands they consume. Using a prerecruited Internet panel developed by Knowledge Networks, we measured the brands of alcohol consumed by a national sample of youth drinkers, aged 16?20 years, in the United States. The sample consisted of 108 youths who had consumed at least one drink of an alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days. We measured the brand-specific consumption of alcoholic beverages within the past 30 days, ascertaining the consumption of 380 alcohol brands, including 14 brands of flavored alcoholic beverages. Measuring the brand-specific consumption of flavored alcoholic beverages was feasible. Based on a brand-specific identification of flavored alcoholic beverages, nearly half of the youth drinkers in the sample reported having consumed such beverages in the past 30 days. Flavored alcoholic beverage preference was concentrated among the top four brands, which accounted for almost all of the consumption volume reported in our study. These findings underscore the need to assess youth alcohol consumption at the brand level and the potential value of such data in better understanding underage youth drinking behavior and the factors that influence it.

Durability of structural lumber products at high temperatures. Part I, 66C at 75% RH and 82C at 30% RH

Treesearch

David W. Green; James W. Evans; Bruce A. Craig

2003-01-01

The effect of temperature on properties can be separated into reversible and permanent effects. The National Design Specification (NDS) provides factors (Ct) for reducing properties for reversible effects but provides little guidance on permanent effects. The primary objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect of prolonged heating (permanent effect) on the...

Effects of Specific Vs. Nonspecific and Absolute Vs. Comparative Feedback on Performance and Satisfaction. Final Report for Period 1 July 1975-30 September 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pritchard, Robert D.; Montagno, Ray V.

In a study focusing on intrinsic motivation as a possible approach to improving the motivation and productivity of Air Force personnel, a factors list was generated from a literature review and intuitive analysis. Performance feedback was selected for further study. Fourteen feedback dimensions were identified and defined; and a number of…

[Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Indications, foundations and perspective].

PubMed

Buchholz, S; Ganser, A

2009-05-01

The hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has become a standard therapy for many inherited and acquired disorders of the bone marrow and immune system. Autologous HSCT is mainly done as part of the primary therapy in multiple myeloma and as part of relapse therapy in malignant lymphoma. In contrast, allogeneic HSCT is predominantly performed in patients with acute leukemias. The selection process for allogeneic HSCT takes disease-specific as well as patient-specific factors into account. Risk factors which can predict for poor response to chemotherapy can now be identified in acute myeloid as well as lymphoid leukemia, based on phenotype, cytogenetics, molecular genetics and response to therapy. In these patients allogeneic HSCT can improve overall survival from 0-20% to 30-60%. New conditioning protocols have now raised the upper age limit for transplantation to 70 years. In elderly patients the selection of patients based on absence of comorbidities becomes especially important. The increasing number of long-term survivors requires knowledge of organ-specific late toxicities including secondary malignancies.

Flotation as a remediation technique for heavily polluted dredged material. 1. A feasibility study.

PubMed

Cauwenberg, P; Verdonckt, F; Maes, A

1998-01-19

The flotation behaviour of highly polluted dredged material was investigated at different pH values by mechanical agitated (Denver) flotation. Up to 80% of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc could be concentrated in the froth layer which represented only 30% of the total mass. The maximum specificity for heavy metals, defined as the concentrating factor, was obtained at pH 8-9. The maximum recovery of heavy metals on the other hand was found to be reached at elevated pH values (pH 12). In addition the specificity of the flotation process for the transition metals could be assigned to their presence as metal sulphides in the dredged material. However, the interaction with organic matter is an important factor in determining their flotability. The carbonate fraction was irrelevant for the flotation behaviour of heavy metals.

Space Shuttle Orbiter Structures and Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilmore, Adam L.; Estes, Lynda R.; Eilers, James A.; Logan, Jeffrey S.; Evernden, Brent A.; Decker, William S.; Hagen, Jeffrey D.; Davis, Robert E.; Broughton, James K.; Campbell, Carlisle C.;

Domain-Specific and Domain-General Learning Factors are Expressed in Genetically Heterogeneous CD-1 mice

PubMed Central

Kolata, Stefan; Light, Kenneth; Matzel, Louis D.

2008-01-01

It has been established that both domain-specific (e.g. spatial) as well as domain-general (general intelligence) factors influence human cognition. However, the separation of these processes has rarely been attempted in studies using laboratory animals. Previously, we have found that the performances of outbred mice across a wide range of learning tasks correlate in such a way that a single factor can explain 30– 44% of the variance between animals. This general learning factor is in some ways qualitatively and quantitatively analogous to general intelligence in humans. The complete structure of cognition in mice, however, has not been explored due to the limited sample sizes of our previous analyses. Here we report a combined analysis from 241 CD-1 mice tested in five primary learning tasks, and a subset of mice tested in two additional learning tasks. At least two (possibly three) of the seven learning tasks placed explicit demands on spatial and/or hippocampus-dependent processing abilities. Consistent with previous findings, we report a robust general factor influencing learning in mice that accounted for 38% of the variance across tasks. In addition, a domain-specific factor was found to account for performance on that subset of tasks that shared a dependence on hippocampal and/or spatial processing. These results provide further evidence for a general learning/cognitive factor in genetically heterogeneous mice. Furthermore (and similar to human cognitive performance), these results suggest a hierarchical structure to cognitive processes in this genetically heterogeneous species. PMID:19129932

Measuring Sleep: Accuracy, Sensitivity, and Specificity of Wrist Actigraphy Compared to Polysomnography

PubMed Central

Marino, Miguel; Li, Yi; Rueschman, Michael N.; Winkelman, J. W.; Ellenbogen, J. M.; Solet, J. M.; Dulin, Hilary; Berkman, Lisa F.; Buxton, Orfeu M.

2013-01-01

Objectives: We validated actigraphy for detecting sleep and wakefulness versus polysomnography (PSG). Design: Actigraphy and polysomnography were simultaneously collected during sleep laboratory admissions. All studies involved 8.5 h time in bed, except for sleep restriction studies. Epochs (30-sec; n = 232,849) were characterized for sensitivity (actigraphy = sleep when PSG = sleep), specificity (actigraphy = wake when PSG = wake), and accuracy (total proportion correct); the amount of wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO) was also assessed. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model included age, gender, insomnia diagnosis, and daytime/nighttime sleep timing factors. Setting: Controlled sleep laboratory conditions. Participants: Young and older adults, healthy or chronic primary insomniac (PI) patients, and daytime sleep of 23 night-workers (n = 77, age 35.0 ± 12.5, 30F, mean nights = 3.2). Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: Overall, sensitivity (0.965) and accuracy (0.863) were high, whereas specificity (0.329) was low; each was only slightly modified by gender, insomnia, day/night sleep timing (magnitude of change < 0.04). Increasing age slightly reduced specificity. Mean WASO/night was 49.1 min by PSG compared to 36.8 min/night by actigraphy (β = 0.81; CI = 0.42, 1.21), unbiased when WASO < 30 min/night, and overestimated when WASO > 30 min/night. Conclusions: This validation quantifies strengths and weaknesses of actigraphy as a tool measuring sleep in clinical and population studies. Overall, the participant-specific accuracy is relatively high, and for most participants, above 80%. We validate this finding across multiple nights and a variety of adults across much of the young to midlife years, in both men and women, in those with and without insomnia, and in 77 participants. We conclude that actigraphy is overall a useful and valid means for estimating total sleep time and wakefulness after sleep onset in field and workplace studies, with some limitations in specificity. Citation: Marino M; Li Y; Rueschman MN; Winkelman JW; Ellenbogen JM; Solet JM; Dulin H; Berkman LF; Buxton OM. Measuring sleep: accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of wrist actigraphy compared to polysomnography. SLEEP 2013;36(11):1747-1755. PMID:24179309

Thirty-day readmission rates following hospitalization for pediatric sickle cell crisis at freestanding children's hospitals: risk factors and hospital variation.

PubMed

Sobota, Amy; Graham, Dionne A; Neufeld, Ellis J; Heeney, Matthew M

2012-01-01

Readmission within 30 days after hospitalization for sickle cell crisis was developed by The National Association of Children's Hospitals (NACHRI) to improve hospital quality, however, there have been few studies validating this. We performed a retrospective examination of 12,104 hospitalizations for sickle crisis from July 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008 at 33 freestanding children's hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database. Hospitalizations met NACHRI criteria; inpatient admission, APR DRG code 662, age < 18, discharge home, and length of stay within 2 SD of the mean. We describe 30-day readmission rates, identify factors associated with readmission accounting for patient-level clustering and compare unadjusted versus adjusted variation in readmission rates. We identified 4,762 patients with 12,104 qualifying hospitalizations (1-30 per patient). Two thousand seventy-four (17%) hospitalizations resulted in a readmission within 30 days. Significant factors associated with readmission were age (OR 1.06/year, P < 0.0001), inpatient use of steroids (OR 1.48, P = 0.01) admission for pain without other sickle complications (OR 1.52, P < 0.0001) and simple transfusion (OR 0.58, P = 0.0002). There was significant variation in readmission rates between hospitals, even after accounting for clustering by patient and hospital case mix. In a sample of free-standing children's hospitals, 17% of hospitalizations for sickle cell crisis result in readmission within 30 days. Older patients, those treated with steroids and those admitted for pain are more likely to be readmitted; simple transfusion is protective. Even after adjusting for case mix substantial hospital variation remains, but specific hospital to hospital comparisons differ depending on the exact methods used. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Thirty-Day Readmission Rates Following Hospitalization for Pediatric Sickle Cell Crisis at Freestanding Children’s Hospitals: Risk Factors and Hospital Variation

PubMed Central

Sobota, Amy; Graham, Dionne A.; Neufeld, Ellis J.; Heeney, Matthew M.

2015-01-01

Background Readmission within 30 days after hospitalization for sickle cell crisis was developed by The National Association of Children’s Hospitals (NACHRI) to improve hospital quality, however, there have been few studies validating this. Procedure We performed a retrospective examination of 12,104 hospitalizations for sickle crisis from July 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008 at 33 freestanding children’s hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database. Hospitalizations met NACHRI criteria; inpatient admission, APR DRG code 662, age < 18, discharge home, and length of stay within 2 SD of the mean. We describe 30-day readmission rates, identify factors associated with readmission accounting for patient-level clustering and compare unadjusted versus adjusted variation in readmission rates. Results We identified 4,762 patients with 12,104 qualifying hospitalizations (1–30 per patient). Two thousand seventy-four (17%) hospitalizations resulted in a readmission within 30 days. Significant factors associated with readmission were age (OR 1.06/year, P < 0.0001), inpatient use of steroids (OR 1.48, P = 0.01) admission for pain without other sickle complications (OR 1.52, P < 0.0001) and simple transfusion (OR 0.58, P = 0.0002). There was significant variation in readmission rates between hospitals, even after accounting for clustering by patient and hospital case mix. Conclusions In a sample of free-standing children’s hospitals, 17% of hospitalizations for sickle cell crisis result in readmission within 30 days. Older patients, those treated with steroids and those admitted for pain are more likely to be readmitted; simple transfusion is protective. Even after adjusting for case mix substantial hospital variation remains, but specific hospital to hospital comparisons differ depending on the exact methods used. PMID:21674766

Commitment to personal values and guilt feelings in dementia caregivers.

PubMed

Gallego-Alberto, Laura; Losada, Andrés; Márquez-González, María; Romero-Moreno, Rosa; Vara, Carlos

2017-01-01

Caregivers' commitment to personal values is linked to caregivers' well-being, although the effects of personal values on caregivers' guilt have not been explored to date. The goal of this study is to analyze the relationship between caregivers´ commitment to personal values and guilt feelings. Participants were 179 dementia family caregivers. Face-to-face interviews were carried out to describe sociodemographic variables and assess stressors, caregivers' commitment to personal values and guilt feelings. Commitment to values was conceptualized as two factors (commitment to own values and commitment to family values) and 12 specific individual values (e.g. education, family or caregiving role). Hierarchical regressions were performed controlling for sociodemographic variables and stressors, and introducing the two commitment factors (in a first regression) or the commitment to individual/specific values (in a second regression) as predictors of guilt. In terms of the commitment to values factors, the analyzed regression model explained 21% of the variance of guilt feelings. Only the factor commitment to family values contributed significantly to the model, explaining 7% of variance. With regard to the regression analyzing the contribution of specific values to caregivers' guilt, commitment to the caregiving role and with leisure contributed negatively and significantly to the explanation of caregivers' guilt. Commitment to work contributed positively to guilt feelings. The full model explained 30% of guilt feelings variance. The specific values explained 16% of the variance. Our findings suggest that commitment to personal values is a relevant variable to understand guilt feelings in caregivers.

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

Factors Associated With Utilization of Cardiac Rehabilitation Among Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease in the Veterans Health Administration: A QUALITATIVE STUDY.

PubMed

Schopfer, David W; Priano, Susan; Allsup, Kelly; Helfrich, Christian D; Ho, P Michael; Rumsfeld, John S; Forman, Daniel E; Whooley, Mary A

2016-01-01

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease but are vastly underutilized in the United States, including the Veterans Health Administration (VA) Healthcare System. Numerous barriers affecting utilization have been identified in other health care systems, but the specific factors affecting Veterans are unknown. We sought to identify barriers and facilitators associated with utilization of CR in VA facilities. We performed a qualitative study of 56 VA patients, providers, and CR program managers at 30 VA facilities across the United States. We conducted semistructured interviews with key informants to explore their attitudes and knowledge toward CR. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation occurred. Analyses using grounded theory to identify key themes were conducted using the qualitative data analysis package ATLAS.ti. We identified 6 themes as barriers and 5 as facilitators. The most common barriers to participation in CR were patient transportation issues (68%), lack of patient willingness to participate (41%), and no access to a nearby VA hospital with a CR program (30%). The most common facilitators were involvement of a dedicated provider or "clinical champion" (50%), provider knowledge of or experience with CR (48%), and patient desire for additional medical support (32%). Our findings suggest that addressing access issues and educating and activating providers on CR may increase utilization of CR programs. Targeting these specific factors may improve utilization of CR programs.

Class III obesity is a risk factor for the development of acute-on-chronic liver failure in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

PubMed

Sundaram, Vinay; Jalan, Rajiv; Ahn, Joseph C; Charlton, Michael R; Goldberg, David S; Karvellas, Constantine J; Noureddin, Mazen; Wong, Robert J

2018-04-28

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a syndrome of systemic inflammation and organ failures. Obesity, also characterized by chronic inflammation, is a risk factor among patients with cirrhosis for decompensation, infection, and mortality. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that obesity predisposes patients with decompensated cirrhosis to the development of ACLF. We examined the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database, from 2005-2016, characterizing patients at wait-listing as non-obese (body mass index [BMI] <30), obese class I-II (BMI 30-39.9) and obese class III (BMI ≥40). ACLF was determined based on the CANONIC study definition. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the association between obesity and ACLF development at liver transplantation (LT). We confirmed our findings using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), years 2009-2013, using validated diagnostic coding algorithms to identify obesity, hepatic decompensation and ACLF. Logistic regression evaluated the association between obesity and ACLF occurrence. Among 387,884 patient records with decompensated cirrhosis, 116,704 (30.1%) were identified as having ACLF in both databases. Multivariable modeling from the UNOS database revealed class III obesity to be an independent risk factor for ACLF at LT (hazard ratio 1.24; 95% CI 1.09-1.41; p <0.001). This finding was confirmed using the NIS (odds ratio 1.30; 95% CI 1.25-1.35; p <0.001). Regarding specific organ failures, analysis of both registries demonstrated patients with class I-II and class III obesity had a greater prevalence of renal failure. Class III obesity is a newly identified risk factor for ACLF development in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Obese patients have a particularly high prevalence of renal failure as a component of ACLF. These findings have important implications regarding stratifying risk and preventing the occurrence of ACLF. In this study, we identify that among patients with decompensated cirrhosis, class III obesity (severe/morbid obesity) is a modifiable risk factor for the development of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). We further demonstrate that regarding the specific organ failures associated with ACLF, renal failure is significantly more prevalent in obese patients, particularly those with class III obesity. These findings underscore the importance of weight management in cirrhosis, to reduce the risk of ACLF. Patients with class III obesity should be monitored closely for the development of renal failure. Copyright © 2018 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Diabetes Mellitus as a Risk Factor for Major Complications in Patients Undergoing Aesthetic Surgery.

PubMed

Bamba, Ravinder; Gupta, Varun; Shack, R Bruce; Grotting, James C; Higdon, K Kye

2016-05-01

Diabetes mellitus has been linked with a variety of perioperative adverse events across surgical disciplines. There is a paucity of studies systematically examining risk factors, including diabetes, and complications of aesthetic surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare incidence and type of complications between diabetic and non-diabetic patients undergoing various aesthetic surgical procedures, to identify specific procedures where diabetes significantly increases risk of complications, and to study diabetes as an independent risk factor for major complications following aesthetic surgery. A prospective cohort of 129,007 patients who enrolled into the CosmetAssure insurance program and underwent cosmetic surgical procedures between May 2008 and May 2013 were reviewed. Diabetes was evaluated as risk factor for major complications, requiring hospital admission, emergency room visit, or a reoperation within 30 days after surgery. Multivariate regression analysis was performed controlling for the effects of age, smoking, obesity, gender, type of procedures, and surgical facility. Overall, 2506 patients (1.9%) had a major complication. Diabetics had significantly more complications compared to non-diabetics (3.1% vs 1.9%, P < 0.01). In univariate analysis, infectious (1.1% vs 0.5%, P < 0.01) and pulmonary (0.3% vs 0.1%, P < 0.01) complications were significantly higher among diabetics. Notably, diabetics had higher risks of complication in body cases (4.3% vs 2.6%, P < 0.01) and specifically abdominoplasty (6.1% vs 3.0%, P < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, diabetes was found to be an independent risk factor of any complication (relative risk 1.31, P = 0.03) and infection (relative risk 1.70, P < 0.01). Diabetes is an independent risk factor of major complications, particularly infection, after aesthetic surgical procedures. © 2016 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A mutational analysis of the yeast proliferating cell nuclear antigen indicates distinct roles in DNA replication and DNA repair.

PubMed Central

Ayyagari, R; Impellizzeri, K J; Yoder, B L; Gary, S L; Burgers, P M

1995-01-01

The saccharomyces cerevisiae proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), encoded by the POL30 gene, is essential for DNA replication and DNA repair processes. Twenty-one site-directed mutations were constructed in the POL30 gene, each mutation changing two adjacently located charged amino acids to alanines. Although none of the mutant strains containing these double-alanine mutations as the sole source of PCNA were temperature sensitive or cold sensitive for growth, about a third of the mutants showed sensitivity to UV light. Some of those UV-sensitive mutants had elevated spontaneous mutation rates. In addition, several mutants suppressed a cold-sensitive mutation in the CDC44 gene, which encodes the large subunit of replication factor C. A cold-sensitive mutant, which was isolated by random mutagenesis, showed a terminal phenotype at the restrictive temperature consistent with a defect in DNA replication. Several mutant PCNAs were expressed and purified from Escherichia coli, and their in vitro properties were determined. The cold-sensitive mutant (pol30-52, S115P) was a monomer, rather than a trimer, in solution. This mutant was deficient for DNA synthesis in vitro. Partial restoration of DNA polymerase delta holoenzyme activity was achieved at 37 degrees C but not at 14 degrees C by inclusion of the macromolecular crowding agent polyethylene glycol in the assay. The only other mutant (pol30-6, DD41,42AA) that showed a growth defect was partially defective for interaction with replication factor C and DNA polymerase delta but completely defective for interaction with DNA polymerase epsilon. Two other mutants sensitive to DNA damage showed no defect in vitro. These results indicate that the latter mutants are specifically impaired in one or more DNA repair processes whereas pol30-6 and pol30-52 mutants show their primary defects in the basic DNA replication machinery with probable associated defects in DNA repair. Therefore, DNA repair requires interactions between repair-specific protein(s) and PCNA, which are distinct from those required for DNA replication. PMID:7623835

HRQoL assessment by SRS-30 for Chinese patients with surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS).

PubMed

Ng, Bobby Kin Wah; Chau, Wai-Wang; Hui, Chak-Na; Cheng, Po-Yin; Wong, Chau-Yuet; Wang, Bin; Cheng, Jack Chun Yiu; Lam, Tsz Ping

2015-01-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcome questionnaire, Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-30, had been well received since its establishment in 2003. Literatures from Asia on the use of SRS-30 mainly focused on the translation process and validation process, but not on measuring outcomes, particularly in the Chinese community. We carried out a prospective cohort study to evaluate the HRQoL of Chinese AIS adolescents with severe scoliosis after surgery. One hundred and four Chinese AIS patients with severe scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion between 2009 and 2013 were recruited in this study. They completed SRS-30 questions before surgery, before hospital discharge, and at follow-up. Mean scores and percentages of individual scores in different domains, and composite scores in terms of subtotal and total scores were calculated referring to the scoring system. Gender-specific and period-specific descriptive analyses were described. Correlation of mean domain scores at the three time points were explored to look for any time-specific relationship. Linear regression analysis looking for potential risk factors on domain scores at different time points by gender were also carried out. Mean age was 16.28 at surgery, and 83.6% were female. Significant correlations between pre-op scores and scores after surgery were observed in function/activity domain (p=0.05) in males, and pain (p=0.04) and satisfaction with management (p=0.04) domains in females. No gender difference in all 5 domain scores at the 3 time points was found. Pre-op maximum Cobb angle and corrected angle were found to be risk factors on self-image, as well as satisfaction with management, in male and female patients. This is the first report on the evaluation of the clinical HRQoL outcomes of Chinese AIS patients with severe scoliosis after surgery. Medical professionals should pay attention to take care of the difference in personal perceptions of feelings between boys and girls. Special care should also be allocated to AIS patients, and try to arrange earlier surgical intervention.

21 CFR 809.30 - Restrictions on the sale, distribution and use of analyte specific reagents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... analyte specific reagents. 809.30 Section 809.30 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT... Requirements for Manufacturers and Producers § 809.30 Restrictions on the sale, distribution and use of analyte specific reagents. (a) Analyte specific reagents (ASR's) (§ 864.4020 of this chapter) are restricted...

21 CFR 809.30 - Restrictions on the sale, distribution and use of analyte specific reagents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... analyte specific reagents. 809.30 Section 809.30 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT... Requirements for Manufacturers and Producers § 809.30 Restrictions on the sale, distribution and use of analyte specific reagents. (a) Analyte specific reagents (ASR's) (§ 864.4020 of this chapter) are restricted...

21 CFR 809.30 - Restrictions on the sale, distribution and use of analyte specific reagents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... analyte specific reagents. 809.30 Section 809.30 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT... Requirements for Manufacturers and Producers § 809.30 Restrictions on the sale, distribution and use of analyte specific reagents. (a) Analyte specific reagents (ASR's) (§ 864.4020 of this chapter) are restricted...

Deriving a preference-based utility measure for cancer patients from the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer’s Quality of Life Questionnaire C30: a confirmatory versus exploratory approach

PubMed Central

Costa, Daniel SJ; Aaronson, Neil K; Fayers, Peter M; Grimison, Peter S; Janda, Monika; Pallant, Julie F; Rowen, Donna; Velikova, Galina; Viney, Rosalie; Young, Tracey A; King, Madeleine T

2014-01-01

Background Multi attribute utility instruments (MAUIs) are preference-based measures that comprise a health state classification system (HSCS) and a scoring algorithm that assigns a utility value to each health state in the HSCS. When developing a MAUI from a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire, first a HSCS must be derived. This typically involves selecting a subset of domains and items because HRQOL questionnaires typically have too many items to be amendable to the valuation task required to develop the scoring algorithm for a MAUI. Currently, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by Rasch analysis is recommended for deriving a MAUI from a HRQOL measure. Aim To determine whether confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is more appropriate and efficient than EFA to derive a HSCS from the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer’s core HRQOL questionnaire, Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30), given its well-established domain structure. Methods QLQ-C30 (Version 3) data were collected from 356 patients receiving palliative radiotherapy for recurrent/metastatic cancer (various primary sites). The dimensional structure of the QLQ-C30 was tested with EFA and CFA, the latter informed by the established QLQ-C30 structure and views of both patients and clinicians on which are the most relevant items. Dimensions determined by EFA or CFA were then subjected to Rasch analysis. Results CFA results generally supported the proposed QLQ-C30 structure (comparative fit index =0.99, Tucker–Lewis index =0.99, root mean square error of approximation =0.04). EFA revealed fewer factors and some items cross-loaded on multiple factors. Further assessment of dimensionality with Rasch analysis allowed better alignment of the EFA dimensions with those detected by CFA. Conclusion CFA was more appropriate and efficient than EFA in producing clinically interpretable results for the HSCS for a proposed new cancer-specific MAUI. Our findings suggest that CFA should be recommended generally when deriving a preference-based measure from a HRQOL measure that has an established domain structure. PMID:25395875

PM2.5-induced changes in cardiac function of hypertensive rats depend on wind direction and specific sources in Steubenville, Ohio.

PubMed

Kamal, Ali S; Rohr, Annette C; Mukherjee, Bhramar; Morishita, Masako; Keeler, Gerald J; Harkema, Jack R; Wagner, James G

2011-06-01

Increases in particulate matter less than 2.5 µm (PM(2.5)) in ambient air is linked to acute cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Specific components and potential emission sources of PM(2.5) responsible for adverse health effects of cardiovascular function are unclear. Spontaneously hypertensive rats were implemented with radiotelemeters to record ECG responses during inhalation exposure to concentrated ambient particles (CAPs) for 13 consecutive days in Steubenville, OH. Changes in heart rate (HR) and its variability (HRV) were compared to PM(2.5) trace elements in 30-min time frames to capture acute physiological responses with real-time fluctuations in PM(2.5) composition. Using positive matrix factorization, six major source factors were identified: (i) coal/secondary, (ii) mobile sources, (iii) metal coating/processing, (iv) iron/steel manufacturing, (v) lead and (vi) incineration. Exposure-related changes in HR and HRV were dependant on winds predominately from either the northeast (NE) or southwest (SW). During SW winds, the metal processing factor was associated with increased HR, whereas factors of incineration, lead and iron/steel with NE winds were associated with decreased HR. Decreased SDNN was dominated during NE winds by the incinerator factor, and with SW winds by the metal factor. Metals and mobile source factors also had minor impacts on decreased SDNN with NE winds. Individual elemental components loaded onto these factors generally showed significant associations, although there were some discrepancies. Acute cardiovascular changes in response to ambient PM(2.5) exposure can be attributed to specific PM constituents and sources linked with incineration, metal processing, and iron/steel production.

Localisation of epidermal growth factor (EGF), its specific receptor (EGF-R) and aromatase at the materno-fetal interface during placentation in the pregnant mare.

PubMed

Allen, W R Twink; Gower, Susan; Wilsher, Sandra

2017-02-01

Implantation and placentation in the mare does not commence until as late as day 40 after ovulation. The reasons for this and the growth factors and/or hormones which drive placentation when it does finally occur are of considerable academic and practical interest. Placental interface tissues recovered from 11 accurately aged and perfused-fixed horse uteri between 20 and 68 days of gestation were stained immunocytochemically for Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), its specific receptor (EGF-R) and for the steroid hormone enzyme, aromatase. EGF was present in endometrial gland and lumenal epithelia from day 20 but staining intensity increased noticeably for the protein between days 30 and 40, coincidentally with the commencing secretion of equine Chorionic Gonadotrophin (eCG) from the endometrial cups and immediately prior to attachment and commencing interdigitation between the allantochorion and endometrium. EGF-R, on the other hand, was expressed strongly on the cell surface membrane of both non-invasive and invasive trophoblast and it similarly increased in staining intensity between days 30 and 40. Aromatase, the enzyme necessary for conversion of C-19 androgens to C-18 oestrogens, was expressed strongly and constantly from as early as day 12 in the non-invasive trophoblast of the allantochorion, but not the invasive trophoblast of the chorionic girdle, the progenitor tissue of the endometrial cups. The findings support the hypothesis that, in equine pregnancy, the maternal growth factor EGF synergises with maternally and fetally secreted oestrogens to drive the rapid growth and extensive vascularisation of the non-invasive, epitheliochorial, microcotyledonary placenta which results in the birth of the precocious foal after only 11 months gestation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Qualitative Study of Factors That Influence Contraceptive Choice among Adolescent School-Based Health Center Patients.

PubMed

Hoopes, Andrea J; Gilmore, Kelly; Cady, Janet; Akers, Aletha Y; Ahrens, Kym R

2016-06-01

Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods can prevent teen pregnancy yet remain underutilized by adolescents in the United States. Pediatric providers are well positioned to discuss LARCs with adolescents, but little is known about how counseling should occur in pediatric primary care settings. We explored adolescent womens' attitudes and experiences with LARCs to inform the development of adolescent-centered LARC counseling strategies. Qualitative analysis of one-on-one interviews. Participants were recruited from 2 urban school-based, primary care centers. Thirty adolescent women aged 14-18 years, diverse in race/ethnicity, and sexual experience. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using inductive and deductive coding. Major themes were identified to integrate LARC-specific adolescent preferences into existing counseling approaches. Participants (mean age, 16.2 years; range, 14-18 years) represented a diverse range of racial and/or ethnic identities. Half (15/30) were sexually active and 17% (5/30) reported current or past LARC use. Five themes emerged regarding key factors that influence LARC choice, including: (1) strong preferences about device-specific characteristics; (2) previous exposure to information about LARCs from peers, family members, or health counseling sessions; (3) knowledge gaps about LARC methods that affect informed decision-making; (4) personal circumstances or experiences that motivate a desire for effective and/or long-acting contraception; and (5) environmental constraints and supports that might influence adolescent access to LARCs. We identified 5 factors that influence LARC choice among adolescent women and propose a framework for incorporating these factors into contraceptive counseling services in pediatric primary care settings. Copyright © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A 30-Min Nucleic Acid Amplification Point-of-Care Test for Genital Chlamydia trachomatis Infection in Women: A Prospective, Multi-center Study of Diagnostic Accuracy.

PubMed

Harding-Esch, E M; Cousins, E C; Chow, S-L C; Phillips, L T; Hall, C L; Cooper, N; Fuller, S S; Nori, A V; Patel, R; Thomas-William, S; Whitlock, G; Edwards, S J E; Green, M; Clarkson, J; Arlett, B; Dunbar, J K; Lowndes, C M; Sadiq, S T

2018-02-01

Rapid Point-Of-Care Tests for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) may reduce onward transmission and reproductive sexual health (RSH) sequelae by reducing turnaround times between diagnosis and treatment. The io® single module system (Atlas Genetics Ltd.) runs clinical samples through a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)-based CT cartridge, delivering results in 30min. Prospective diagnostic accuracy study of the io® CT-assay in four UK Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM)/RSH clinics on additional-to-routine self-collected vulvovaginal swabs. Samples were tested "fresh" within 10days of collection, or "frozen" at -80°C for later testing. Participant characteristics were collected to assess risk factors associated with CT infection. CT prevalence was 7.2% (51/709) overall. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the io® CT assay were, respectively, 96.1% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 86.5-99.5), 97.7% (95%CI: 96.3-98.7), 76.6% (95%CI: 64.3-86.2) and 99.7% (95%CI: 98.9-100). The only risk factor associated with CT infection was being a sexual contact of an individual with CT. The io® CT-assay is a 30-min, fully automated, high-performing NAAT currently CE-marked for CT diagnosis in women, making it a highly promising diagnostic to enable specific treatment, initiation of partner notification and appropriately intensive health promotion at the point of care. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of occlusal variables, dental attrition, and age for distinguishing healthy controls from female patients with intracapsular temporomandibular disorders.

PubMed

Seligman, D A; Pullinger, A G

2000-01-01

Confusion about the relationship of occlusion to temporomandibular disorders (TMD) persists. This study attempted to identify occlusal and attrition factors plus age that would characterize asymptomatic normal female subjects. A total of 124 female patients with intracapsular TMD were compared with 47 asymptomatic female controls for associations to 9 occlusal factors, 3 attrition severity measures, and age using classification tree, multiple stepwise logistic regression, and univariate analyses. Models were tested for accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) and total contribution to the variance. The classification tree model had 4 terminal nodes that used only anterior attrition and age. "Normals" were mainly characterized by low attrition levels, whereas patients had higher attrition and tended to be younger. The tree model was only moderately useful (sensitivity 63%, specificity 94%) in predicting normals. The logistic regression model incorporated unilateral posterior crossbite and mediotrusive attrition severity in addition to the 2 factors in the tree, but was slightly less accurate than the tree (sensitivity 51%, specificity 90%). When only occlusal factors were considered in the analysis, normals were additionally characterized by a lack of anterior open bite, smaller overjet, and smaller RCP-ICP slides. The log likelihood accounted for was similar for both the tree (pseudo R(2) = 29.38%; mean deviance = 0.95) and the multiple logistic regression (Cox Snell R(2) = 30.3%, mean deviance = 0.84) models. The occlusal and attrition factors studied were only moderately useful in differentiating normals from TMD patients.

Psychosocial Factors Associated with Diet Quality in a Working Adult Population

PubMed Central

Dunbar, Sandra B.; Higgins, Melinda; Dai, Jun; Ziegler, Thomas R.; Frediani, Jennifer K.; Reilly, Carolyn; Brigham, Kenneth L.

2014-01-01

The associations between specific intra- and inter-personal psychosocial factors and dietary patterns were explored in a healthy, working adult population. Participants (N= 640) were enrolled in a prospective predictive health study and characterized by a mean age of 48(SD = 11) years, 67% women, and 30% minority. Baseline psychosocial measures of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, social support, and family functioning were examined for their relationships with three diet quality indices - AHEI, DASH, and the Mediterranean. Dietary intake was of moderate quality in this high income, well-educated, psychosocially healthy population. Social support was positively associated with better diet quality for all three indices (p< .01). Further research should focus on socio-environmental factors associated with diet quality. PMID:23408456

Australian blue-collar men's health and well-being: contextual issues for workplace health promotion interventions.

PubMed

Du Plessis, Karin; Cronin, David; Corney, Tim; Green, Emma

2013-09-01

In Australia, blue-collar workers are predominantly male and form a unique and large (approximately 30%) subset of the Australian workforce. They exhibit particular health-related issues and, in comparison to other groups, often a lack of health promoting behavior. This article briefly discusses the Australian context and some of the key health issues blue-collar men face, in particular as it relates to construction workers. It reviews the impact of gender and socioeconomic factors in designing workplace health promotion interventions. This article considers practice strategies for health promoters in a specific workplace setting: it looks at meta-factors and industry-based contextual factors, including barriers to implementation and participation, while addressing common misconceptions about Australian blue-collar workers.

Broadband standard dipole antenna for antenna calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koike, Kunimasa; Sugiura, Akira; Morikawa, Takao

1995-06-01

Antenna calibration of EMI antennas is mostly performed by the standard antenna method at an open-field test site using a specially designed dipole antenna as a reference. In order to develop broadband standard antennas, the antenna factors of shortened dipples are theoretically investigated. First, the effects of the dipole length are analyzed using the induced emf method. Then, baluns and loads are examined to determine their influence on the antenna factors. It is found that transformer-type baluns are very effective for improving the height dependence of the antenna factors. Resistive loads are also useful for flattening the frequency dependence. Based on these studies, a specification is developed for a broadband standard antenna operating in the 30 to 150 MHz frequency range.

Sex prevalence of major congenital anomalies in the United Kingdom: a national population-based study and international comparison meta-analysis.

PubMed

Sokal, Rachel; Tata, Laila J; Fleming, Kate M

2014-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess sex differences in major congenital anomaly (CA) diagnoses within a national population sample; to examine the influence of sociodemographic and maternal factors on these risks; and to conduct a meta-analysis using estimates from other population-based studies. We conducted a population-based study in a United Kingdom research database of prospectively collected primary care data (The Health Improvement Network) including children born 1990 to 2009 (n = 794,169) and identified major CA diagnoses using EUROCAT (European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies) classification. Prevalence ratios (PR) were used to estimate the risk of CA in males compared with females for any CA, system-specific subgroups and specific CA diagnoses. In a subpopulation of children whose medical records were linked to their mothers', we assessed the effect of adjusting for sociodemographic and maternal factors on sex odds ratios. PRs were pooled with measures from previously published studies. The prevalence of any CA was 307/10,000 in males (95% CI, 302-313) and 243/10,000 in females (95% CI, 238-248). Overall the risk of any CA was 26% greater in males (PR (male: female) 1.26, 95% CI, 1.23-1.30) however there was considerable variation across specific diagnoses. The magnitude and direction of risk did not change for any specific CA upon adjustment for sociodemographic and maternal factors. Our PRs were highly consistent with those from previous studies. The overall risk of CA is greater in males than females, although this masked substantial variation by specific diagnoses. Sociodemographic and maternal factors do not appear to affect these risks. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Birth Defects Research (Part A) published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sexual dysfunction among Chinese married men aged 30-60 years: a population-based study in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Zhang, Huiping; Yip, Andrew W C; Fan, Susan; Yip, Paul S F

2013-02-01

To estimate the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, sexual dysfunction among Hong Kong Chinese married men aged 30-60 years. The present study was a part of the Ninth Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice survey conducted in 2007 by the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong. The data set consisted of 728 face-to-face interviews with Hong Kong Chinese married men aged 30-60 years living in the community. The classification of sexual dysfunction in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition" was used to measure male sexual dysfunction (MSD). Regarding MSD prevalence, approximately 15% of men reported ≥ 1 form of MSD, with a lack of sexual interest, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation present in 11.1%, 4.3%, and 4.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that age (odds ratio 2.39), employment status (odds ratio 3.62), having a wife who sought medical help for sexual problems (odds ratio 4.47), liberal attitudes toward female sexual initiation (odds ratio 2.07), and marital dissatisfaction (odds ratio 2.35) were all statistically significant risk factors for MSD and its specific components among the sample. However, having traditional attitudes toward female sexual refusal was a protective factor for MSD (odds ratio 0.51) and lack of sexual interest (odds ratio 0.51). The prevalence of MSD was low among young and middle-age married men in Hong Kong. Factors contributing to the risk of MSD spanned the domains of socioeconomic status, attitudes toward sex, and relationship factors. These findings suggest future directions for public health policies and the delivery of services that address the prevention and treatment of MSD. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What to do When Scalar Invariance Fails: The Extended Alignment Method for Multi-Group Factor Analysis Comparison of Latent Means Across Many Groups.

PubMed

Marsh, Herbert W; Guo, Jiesi; Parker, Philip D; Nagengast, Benjamin; Asparouhov, Tihomir; Muthén, Bengt; Dicke, Theresa

2017-01-12

Scalar invariance is an unachievable ideal that in practice can only be approximated; often using potentially questionable approaches such as partial invariance based on a stepwise selection of parameter estimates with large modification indices. Study 1 demonstrates an extension of the power and flexibility of the alignment approach for comparing latent factor means in large-scale studies (30 OECD countries, 8 factors, 44 items, N = 249,840), for which scalar invariance is typically not supported in the traditional confirmatory factor analysis approach to measurement invariance (CFA-MI). Importantly, we introduce an alignment-within-CFA (AwC) approach, transforming alignment from a largely exploratory tool into a confirmatory tool, and enabling analyses that previously have not been possible with alignment (testing the invariance of uniquenesses and factor variances/covariances; multiple-group MIMIC models; contrasts on latent means) and structural equation models more generally. Specifically, it also allowed a comparison of gender differences in a 30-country MIMIC AwC (i.e., a SEM with gender as a covariate) and a 60-group AwC CFA (i.e., 30 countries × 2 genders) analysis. Study 2, a simulation study following up issues raised in Study 1, showed that latent means were more accurately estimated with alignment than with the scalar CFA-MI, and particularly with partial invariance scalar models based on the heavily criticized stepwise selection strategy. In summary, alignment augmented by AwC provides applied researchers from diverse disciplines considerable flexibility to address substantively important issues when the traditional CFA-MI scalar model does not fit the data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Activating transcription factor 3 promotes loss of the acinar cell phenotype in response to cerulein-induced pancreatitis in mice.

PubMed

Fazio, Elena N; Young, Claire C; Toma, Jelena; Levy, Michael; Berger, Kurt R; Johnson, Charis L; Mehmood, Rashid; Swan, Patrick; Chu, Alphonse; Cregan, Sean P; Dilworth, F Jeffrey; Howlett, Christopher J; Pin, Christopher L

2017-09-01

Pancreatitis is a debilitating disease of the exocrine pancreas that, under chronic conditions, is a major susceptibility factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Although down-regulation of genes that promote the mature acinar cell fate is required to reduce injury associated with pancreatitis, the factors that promote this repression are unknown. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a key mediator of the unfolded protein response, a pathway rapidly activated during pancreatic insult. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing, we show that ATF3 is bound to the transcriptional regulatory regions of >30% of differentially expressed genes during the initiation of pancreatitis. Of importance, ATF3-dependent regulation of these genes was observed only upon induction of pancreatitis, with pathways involved in inflammation, acinar cell differentiation, and cell junctions being specifically targeted. Characterizing expression of transcription factors that affect acinar cell differentiation suggested that acinar cells lacking ATF3 maintain a mature cell phenotype during pancreatitis, a finding supported by maintenance of junctional proteins and polarity markers. As a result, Atf3 -/- pancreatic tissue displayed increased tissue damage and inflammatory cell infiltration at early time points during injury but, at later time points, showed reduced acinar-to-duct cell metaplasia. Thus our results reveal a critical role for ATF3 as a key regulator of the acinar cell transcriptional response during injury and may provide a link between chronic pancreatitis and PDAC. © 2017 Fazio et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

MPC and ALI: their basis and their comparison

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

Kennedy, W.E. Jr.; Watson, E.C.

Radiation protection regulations in the United States have evolved from the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP). In 1959, the ICRP issued Publication 2 which contained specific recommendations on dose rate limits, permissible body burdens, metabolic data for radionuclides, and maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) in air or water. Over the next 20 years, new information became available concerning the effects of radiation, the uptake and retention of radionuclides, and the radioactive decay schemes of parent radionuclides. To include this newer information, the ICRP issued Publication 30 inmore » 1978 to supersede Publication 2. One of the secondary limits defined in Publication 30 is the annual limit of intake (ALI). Radionuclide specific ALI values are intended to replace MPC values in determining whether or not ambient air and water concentrations are sufficiently low to maintain the dose to workers within accepted dose rate limits. In this paper, we discuss the derivation of MPC and ALI values, compare inhalation committed dose equivalent factors derived from ICRP Publications 2 and 30, and discuss the practical implications of using either MPC or ALI in determining compliance with occupational exposure limits. 6 references.« less

Loss of p53 protein during radiation transformation of primary human mammary epithelial cells

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

Wazer, D.E.; Chu, Qiuming; Liu, Xiao Long

1994-04-01

The causative factors leading to breast cancer are largely unknown. Increased incidence of breast cancer following diagnostic or therapeutic radiation suggests that radiation may contribute to mammary oncogenesis. This report describes the in vitro neoplastic transformation of a normal human mammary epithelial cell strain, 76N, by fractionated [gamma]-irradiation at a clinically used dose (30 Gy). The transformed cells (76R-30) were immortal, had reduced growth factor requirements, and produced tumors in nude mice. Remarkably, the 76R-30 cells completely lacked the p53 tumor suppressor protein. Loss of p53 was due to deletion of the gene on one allele and a 26-bp deletionmore » within the third intron on the second allele which resulted in abnormal splicing out of either the third or fourth exon from the mRNA. PCR with a mutation-specific primer showed that intron 3 mutation was present in irradiated cells before selection for immortal phenotype. 76R-30 cells did not exhibit G[sub 1] arrest in response to radiation, indicating a loss of p53-mediated function. Expression of the wild-type p53 gene in 76R-30 cells led to their growth inhibition. Thus, loss of p53 protein appears to have contributed to neoplastic transformation of these cells. This unique model should facilitate analyses of molecular mechanisms of radiation-induced breast cancer and allow identification of p53-regulated cellular genes in breast cells. 44 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.« less

Cognitive Systems Engineering: The Next 30 Years

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feary, Michael

2012-01-01

This presentation is part of panel discussion on Cognitive Systems Engineering. The purpose of this panel is to discuss the challenges and future directions of Cognitive Systems Engineering for the next 30 years. I intended to present the work we have been doing with the Aviation Safety program and Space Human Factors Engineering project on Work Domain Analysis and some areas of Research Focus. Specifically, I intend to focus on the shift on the need to understand and model attention in mixed-initiative systems, the need for methods which can generate results to be used in trade-off decisions, and the need to account for a range of human behavior in the design.

Dielectric properties, optimum formulation and microwave baking conditions of chickpea cakes.

PubMed

Alifakı, Yaşar Özlem; Şakıyan, Özge

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to correlate dielectric properties with quality parameters, and to optimize cake formulation and baking conditions by response surface methodology. Weight loss, color, specific volume, hardness and porosity were evaluated. The samples with different DATEM (0.4, 0.8 and 1.2%) and chickpea flour concentrations (30, 40 and 50%) were baked in microwave oven at different power (300, 350, 400 W) and baking times (2.50, 3.0, 3.50 min). It was found that microwave power showed significant effect on color, while baking time showed effect on weight loss, porosity, hardness, specific volume and dielectric properties. Emulsifier level affected porosity, specific volume and dielectric constant. Chickpea flour level affected porosity, color, hardness and dielectric properties of cakes. The optimum microwave power, baking time, DATEM level and chickpea flour level were found as 400 W, 2.84 min, 1.2% and 30%, respectively. The comparison between conventionally baked and the microwave baked cakes at optimum points showed that color difference, weight loss, specific volume and porosity values of microwave baked cakes were less than those of conventionally baked cakes, on the other hand, hardness values were higher. Moreover, a negative correlation between dielectric constant and porosity, and weight loss values were detected for microwave baked samples. A negative correlation between dielectric loss factor and porosity was observed. These correlations indicated that quality characteristics of a microwave baked cake sample can be assessed from dielectric properties. These correlations provides understanding on the behavior of food material during microwave processing.

Predictors of Short-Term Readmission After Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

PubMed

Ramanathan, Rajesh; Mason, Travis; Wolfe, Luke G; Kaplan, Brian J

2018-06-01

Readmissions are a common complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy and are increasingly being used as a performance metric affecting quality assessment, public reporting, and reimbursement. This study aims to identify general and pancreatectomy-specific factors contributing to 30-day readmission after pancreaticoduodenectomy, and determine the additive value of incorporating pancreatectomy-specific factors into a large national dataset. Prospective American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (ACS-NSQIP) data were retrospectively analyzed for patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) between 2011 and 2015. Additionally, a subset of patients with pancreatectomy-targeted data between 2014 and 2015 were analyzed. Outcomes of 18,440 pancreaticoduodenectomies were analyzed, and found to have an 18.7% overall readmission rate. Multivariable modeling with pancreatectomy-specific variables increased the predictive value of the model (area under receiver operator characteristic 0.66 to 0.73). Statistically significant independent contributors to readmission included renal insufficiency, sepsis, septic shock, organ space infection, dehiscence, venous thromboembolism, pancreatic fistula, delayed gastric emptying, need for percutaneous drainage, and reoperation. Large registry analyses of pancreatectomy outcomes are markedly improved by the incorporation of granular procedure-specific data. These data emphasize the need for prevention and careful management of perioperative infectious complications, fluid management, thromboprophylaxis, and pancreatic fistulae.

Cellular stress and innate inflammation in organ-specific autoimmunity: lessons learned from vitiligo

PubMed Central

Harris, John E.

2015-01-01

Summary For decades, research in autoimmunity has focused primarily on immune contributions to disease. Yet recent studies report elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and abnormal activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in cells targeted by autoimmunity, implicating cellular stress originating from the target tissue as a contributing factor. A better understanding of this contribution may help to answer important lingering questions in organ-specific autoimmunity, like what factors initiate disease, and what directs its tissue specificity. Vitiligo, an autoimmune disease of the skin, has been the focus of translational research for over 30 years, and both melanocyte stress and immune mechanisms have been thought to be mutually exclusive explanations for pathogenesis. Chemical-induced vitiligo is a unique clinical presentation that reflects the importance of environmental influences on autoimmunity, provides insight into a new paradigm linking cell stress to the immune response, and serves as a template for other autoimmune diseases. In this review I will discuss the evidence for cell stress contributions to a number of autoimmune diseases, the questions that remain, and how vitiligo, an underappreciated example of organ-specific autoimmunity, helps to answer them. PMID:26683142

Initial description of primate-specific cystine-knot Prometheus genes and differential gene expansions of D-dopachrome tautomerase genes

PubMed Central

Premzl, Marko

2015-01-01

Using eutherian comparative genomic analysis protocol and public genomic sequence data sets, the present work attempted to update and revise two gene data sets. The most comprehensive third party annotation gene data sets of eutherian adenohypophysis cystine-knot genes (128 complete coding sequences), and d-dopachrome tautomerases and macrophage migration inhibitory factor genes (30 complete coding sequences) were annotated. For example, the present study first described primate-specific cystine-knot Prometheus genes, as well as differential gene expansions of D-dopachrome tautomerase genes. Furthermore, new frameworks of future experiments of two eutherian gene data sets were proposed. PMID:25941635

The impact of nutritional deficit on mortality of in-patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

PubMed

Kim, H-J; Lee, C-H; Shin, S; Lee, J H; Kim, Y W; Chung, H S; Han, S K; Shim, Y-S; Kim, D K

2010-01-01

A metropolitan governmental medical centre, Seoul, Republic of Korea. To elucidate the impact of the nutritional deficit assessed by the Nutritional Risk Score (NRS) on the outcomes of in-patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). All hospitalised patients with microbiologically confirmed PTB were enrolled. A four-point NRS included low body mass index (<18.5 kg/m(2)), hypoalbuminaemia (<30.0 g/l), hypocholesterolaemia (<2.33 mmol/l) and severe lymphocytopaenia (<7 x 10(5) cells/l). The primary outcome was overall in-hospital mortality. The degree of radiographical resolution after anti-tuberculosis treatment was also evaluated. In a total of 156 patients, the male to female ratio was 1.6:1. The overall mortality was 13.5% and tuberculosis-specific fatality was 3.9%. Predisposing factors and high NRS (> or = 3 points) were independent risk factors for in-hospital death after adjusting for the severity of PTB. High NRS (OR = 16.8, P < 0.001) and predisposing factors (OR = 5.4, P = 0.032) were independent risk factors for 30-day survival. The NRS was not associated with radiographic improvement. Regardless of disease severity, the high NRS was a significant negative predictor among in-patients with PTB; this finding should therefore be considered in the management of PTB despite the current era of effective anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy.

Thiols decrease cytokine levels and down-regulate the expression of CD30 on human allergen-specific T helper (Th) 0 and Th2 cells

PubMed Central

Bengtsson, Å; Lundberg, M; Avila-Cariño, J; Jacobsson, G; Holmgren, A; Scheynius, A

2001-01-01

The thiol antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), known as a precursor of glutathione (GSH), is used in AIDS treatment trials, as a chemoprotectant in cancer chemotherapy and in treatment of chronic bronchitis. In vitro, GSH and NAC are known to enhance T cell proliferation, production of IL-2 and up-regulation of the IL-2 receptor. The 120-kD CD30 surface antigen belongs to the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily. It is expressed by activated T helper (Th) cells and its expression is sustained in Th2 cells. We have analysed the effect of GSH and NAC on the cytokine profile and CD30 expression on human allergen-specific T cell clones (TCC). TCC were stimulated with anti-CD3 antibodies in the presence of different concentrations of GSH and NAC. Both thiols caused a dose dependent down-regulation of IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-γ levels in Th0 and Th2 clones, with the most pronounced decrease of IL-4. Furthermore, they down-regulated the surface expression of CD30, and the levels of soluble CD30 (sCD30) in the culture supernatants were decreased. In contrast, the surface expression of CD28 or CD40 ligand (CD40L) was not significantly changed after treatment with 20 mm NAC. These results indicate that GSH and NAC favour a Th1 response by a preferential down-regulation of IL-4. In addition, the expression of CD30 was down regulated by GSH and NAC, suggesting that CD30 expression is dependent on IL-4, or modified by NAC. In the likely event that CD30 and its soluble counterpart prove to contribute to the pathogenesis in Th2 related diseases such as allergy, NAC may be considered as a future therapeutic agent in the treatment of these diseases. PMID:11298119

Proteomic profiling of maize opaque endosperm mutants reveals selective accumulation of lysine-enriched proteins

PubMed Central

Morton, Kyla J.; Jia, Shangang; Zhang, Chi; Holding, David R.

2016-01-01

Reduced prolamin (zein) accumulation and defective endoplasmic reticulum (ER) body formation occurs in maize opaque endosperm mutants opaque2 (o2), floury2 (fl2), defective endosperm*B30 (DeB30), and Mucronate (Mc), whereas other opaque mutants such as opaque1 (o1) and floury1 (fl1) are normal in these regards. This suggests that other factors contribute to kernel texture. A liquid chromatography approach coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) proteomics was used to compare non-zein proteins of nearly isogenic opaque endosperm mutants. In total, 2762 proteins were identified that were enriched for biological processes such as protein transport and folding, amino acid biosynthesis, and proteolysis. Principal component analysis and pathway enrichment suggested that the mutants partitioned into three groups: (i) Mc, DeB30, fl2 and o2; (ii) o1; and (iii) fl1. Indicator species analysis revealed mutant-specific proteins, and highlighted ER secretory pathway components that were enriched in selected groups of mutants. The most significantly changed proteins were related to stress or defense and zein partitioning into the soluble fraction for Mc, DeB30, o1, and fl1 specifically. In silico dissection of the most significantly changed proteins revealed novel qualitative changes in lysine abundance contributing to the overall lysine increase and the nutritional rebalancing of the o2 and fl2 endosperm. PMID:26712829

Abdominal obesity and risk of ischemic stroke: the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study.

PubMed

Suk, Seung-Han; Sacco, Ralph L; Boden-Albala, Bernadette; Cheun, Jian F; Pittman, John G; Elkind, Mitchell S; Paik, Myunghee C

2003-07-01

Obesity is well recognized as a risk factor for coronary heart disease and mortality. The relationship between abdominal obesity and ischemic stroke remains less clear. Our aim was to evaluate abdominal obesity as an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke in a multiethnic community. A population-based, incident case-control study was conducted July 1993 through June 1997 in northern Manhattan, New York, NY. Cases (n=576) of first ischemic stroke (66% >or=BORDER="0">65 years of age; 56% women; 17% whites; 26% blacks; 55% Hispanics) were enrolled and matched by age, sex, and race-ethnicity to stroke-free community controls (n=1142). All subjects were interviewed and examined and had measurements of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Odds ratios (ORs) of ischemic stroke were calculated with gender-specific quartiles (GQs) and gender-specific medians of WHR adjusted for stroke risk factors and body mass index (BMI). Compared with the first quartile, the third and fourth quartiles of WHR had an increased risk of stroke (GQ3: OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.5 to 3.9; GQ4: OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.8 to 4.8) adjusted for other risk factors and BMI. Those with WHR equal to or greater than the median had an overall OR of 3.0 (95% CI, 2.1 to 4.2) for ischemic stroke even after adjustment for other risk factors and BMI. Increased WHR was associated with a greater risk of stroke in men and women and in all race-ethnic groups. The effect of WHR was stronger among younger persons (test for heterogeneity, P<0.0002) (<65 years of age: OR, 4.4; 95%CI, 2.2 to 9.0; >or=65 years of age: OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.4 to 3.2). WHR was associated with an increased risk among those with and without large-artery atherosclerotic stroke. Abdominal obesity is an independent, potent risk factor for ischemic stroke in all race-ethnic groups. It is a stronger risk factor than BMI and has a greater effect among younger persons. Prevention of obesity and weight reduction need greater emphasis in stroke prevention programs.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Breast Cancer Screening.

PubMed

Mainiero, Martha B; Moy, Linda; Baron, Paul; Didwania, Aarati D; diFlorio, Roberta M; Green, Edward D; Heller, Samantha L; Holbrook, Anna I; Lee, Su-Ju; Lewin, Alana A; Lourenco, Ana P; Nance, Kara J; Niell, Bethany L; Slanetz, Priscilla J; Stuckey, Ashley R; Vincoff, Nina S; Weinstein, Susan P; Yepes, Monica M; Newell, Mary S

2017-11-01

Breast cancer screening recommendations are based on risk factors. For average-risk women, screening mammography and/or digital breast tomosynthesis is recommended beginning at age 40. Ultrasound (US) may be useful as an adjunct to mammography for incremental cancer detection in women with dense breasts, but the balance between increased cancer detection and the increased risk of a false-positive examination should be considered in the decision. For intermediate-risk women, US or MRI may be indicated as an adjunct to mammography depending upon specific risk factors. For women at high risk due to prior mantle radiation between the ages of 10 to 30, mammography is recommended starting 8 years after radiation therapy but not before age 25. For women with a genetic predisposition, annual screening mammography is recommended beginning 10 years earlier than the affected relative at the time of diagnosis but not before age 30. Annual screening MRI is recommended in high-risk women as an adjunct to mammography. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contacts between the factor TUF and RPG sequences.

PubMed

Vignais, M L; Huet, J; Buhler, J M; Sentenac, A

1990-08-25

The yeast TUF factor binds specifically to RPG-like sequences involved in multiple functions at enhancers, silencers, and telomeres. We have characterized the interaction of TUF with its optimal binding sequence, rpg-1 (1-ACACCCATACATTT-14), using a gel DNA-binding assay in combination with methylation protection and mutagenesis experiments. As many as 10 base pairs appear to be engaged in factor binding. Analysis of a collection of 30 different RPG mutants demonstrated the importance of 8 base pairs at position 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 12 and the critical role of the central GC pair at position 5. Methylation protection data on four different natural sites confirmed a close contact at positions 4, 5, 6, and 10 and suggested additional contacts at base pairs 8, 12, and 13. The derived consensus sequence was RCAAYCCRYNCAYY. A quantitative band shift analysis was used to determine the equilibrium dissociation constant for the complex of TUF and its optimal binding site rpg-1. The specific dissociation constant (K8) was found to be 1.3 x 10(-11) M. The comparison of the K8 value with the dissociation constant obtained for nonspecific DNA sites (Kn8 = 8.7 x 10(-6) M) shows the high binding selectivity of TUF for its specific RPG target.

Tree species, tree genotypes and tree genotypic diversity levels affect microbe-mediated soil ecosystem functions in a subtropical forest.

PubMed

Purahong, Witoon; Durka, Walter; Fischer, Markus; Dommert, Sven; Schöps, Ricardo; Buscot, François; Wubet, Tesfaye

2016-11-18

Tree species identity and tree genotypes contribute to the shaping of soil microbial communities. However, knowledge about how these two factors influence soil ecosystem functions is still lacking. Furthermore, in forest ecosystems tree genotypes co-occur and interact with each other, thus the effects of tree genotypic diversity on soil ecosystem functions merit attention. Here we investigated the effects of tree species, tree genotypes and genotypic diversity levels, alongside soil physicochemical properties, on the overall and specific soil enzyme activity patterns. Our results indicate that tree species identity, tree genotypes and genotypic diversity level have significant influences on overall and specific soil enzyme activity patterns. These three factors influence soil enzyme patterns partly through effects on soil physicochemical properties and substrate quality. Variance partitioning showed that tree species identity, genotypic diversity level, pH and water content all together explained ~30% variations in the overall patterns of soil enzymes. However, we also found that the responses of soil ecosystem functions to tree genotypes and genotypic diversity are complex, being dependent on tree species identity and controlled by multiple factors. Our study highlights the important of inter- and intra-specific variations in tree species in shaping soil ecosystem functions in a subtropical forest.

Tree species, tree genotypes and tree genotypic diversity levels affect microbe-mediated soil ecosystem functions in a subtropical forest

PubMed Central

Purahong, Witoon; Durka, Walter; Fischer, Markus; Dommert, Sven; Schöps, Ricardo; Buscot, François; Wubet, Tesfaye

2016-01-01

Tree species identity and tree genotypes contribute to the shaping of soil microbial communities. However, knowledge about how these two factors influence soil ecosystem functions is still lacking. Furthermore, in forest ecosystems tree genotypes co-occur and interact with each other, thus the effects of tree genotypic diversity on soil ecosystem functions merit attention. Here we investigated the effects of tree species, tree genotypes and genotypic diversity levels, alongside soil physicochemical properties, on the overall and specific soil enzyme activity patterns. Our results indicate that tree species identity, tree genotypes and genotypic diversity level have significant influences on overall and specific soil enzyme activity patterns. These three factors influence soil enzyme patterns partly through effects on soil physicochemical properties and substrate quality. Variance partitioning showed that tree species identity, genotypic diversity level, pH and water content all together explained ~30% variations in the overall patterns of soil enzymes. However, we also found that the responses of soil ecosystem functions to tree genotypes and genotypic diversity are complex, being dependent on tree species identity and controlled by multiple factors. Our study highlights the important of inter- and intra-specific variations in tree species in shaping soil ecosystem functions in a subtropical forest. PMID:27857198

SM-TF: A structural database of small molecule-transcription factor complexes.

PubMed

Xu, Xianjin; Ma, Zhiwei; Sun, Hongmin; Zou, Xiaoqin

2016-06-30

Transcription factors (TFs) are the proteins involved in the transcription process, ensuring the correct expression of specific genes. Numerous diseases arise from the dysfunction of specific TFs. In fact, over 30 TFs have been identified as therapeutic targets of about 9% of the approved drugs. In this study, we created a structural database of small molecule-transcription factor (SM-TF) complexes, available online at http://zoulab.dalton.missouri.edu/SM-TF. The 3D structures of the co-bound small molecule and the corresponding binding sites on TFs are provided in the database, serving as a valuable resource to assist structure-based drug design related to TFs. Currently, the SM-TF database contains 934 entries covering 176 TFs from a variety of species. The database is further classified into several subsets by species and organisms. The entries in the SM-TF database are linked to the UniProt database and other sequence-based TF databases. Furthermore, the druggable TFs from human and the corresponding approved drugs are linked to the DrugBank. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Identifying gender specific risk/need areas for male and female juvenile offenders: Factor analyses with the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY).

PubMed

Hilterman, Ed L B; Bongers, Ilja; Nicholls, Tonia L; van Nieuwenhuizen, Chijs

2016-02-01

By constructing risk assessment tools in which the individual items are organized in the same way for male and female juvenile offenders it is assumed that these items and subscales have similar relevance across males and females. The identification of criminogenic needs that vary in relevance for 1 of the genders, could contribute to more meaningful risk assessments, especially for female juvenile offenders. In this study, exploratory factor analyses (EFA) on a construction sample of male (n = 3,130) and female (n = 466) juvenile offenders were used to aggregate the 30 items of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) into empirically based risk/need factors and explore differences between genders. The factor models were cross-validated through confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) on a validation sample of male (n = 2,076) and female (n = 357) juvenile offenders. In both the construction sample and the validation sample, 5 factors were identified: (a) Antisocial behavior; (b) Family functioning; (c) Personality traits; (d) Social support; and (e) Treatability. The male and female models were significantly different and the internal consistency of the factors was good, both in the construction sample and the validation sample. Clustering risk/need items for male and female juvenile offenders into meaningful factors may guide clinicians in the identification of gender-specific treatment interventions. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved.

42 CFR 414.30 - Conversion factor update.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Conversion factor update. 414.30 Section 414.30 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Practitioners § 414.30 Conversion factor update. Unless Congress acts in accordance with section 1848(d)(3) of...

42 CFR 414.30 - Conversion factor update.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Conversion factor update. 414.30 Section 414.30 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Practitioners § 414.30 Conversion factor update. Unless Congress acts in accordance with section 1848(d)(3) of...

Historical Evolution of Old-Age Mortality and New Approaches to Mortality Forecasting

PubMed Central

Gavrilov, Leonid A.; Gavrilova, Natalia S.; Krut'ko, Vyacheslav N.

2017-01-01

Knowledge of future mortality levels and trends is important for actuarial practice but poses a challenge to actuaries and demographers. The Lee-Carter method, currently used for mortality forecasting, is based on the assumption that the historical evolution of mortality at all age groups is driven by one factor only. This approach cannot capture an additive manner of mortality decline observed before the 1960s. To overcome the limitation of the one-factor model of mortality and to determine the true number of factors underlying mortality changes over time, we suggest a new approach to mortality analysis and forecasting based on the method of latent variable analysis. The basic assumption of this approach is that most variation in mortality rates over time is a manifestation of a small number of latent variables, variation in which gives rise to the observed mortality patterns. To extract major components of mortality variation, we apply factor analysis to mortality changes in developed countries over the period of 1900–2014. Factor analysis of time series of age-specific death rates in 12 developed countries (data taken from the Human Mortality Database) identified two factors capable of explaining almost 94 to 99 percent of the variance in the temporal changes of adult death rates at ages 25 to 85 years. Analysis of these two factors reveals that the first factor is a “young-age” or background factor with high factor loadings at ages 30 to 45 years. The second factor can be called an “oldage” or senescent factor because of high factor loadings at ages 65 to 85 years. It was found that the senescent factor was relatively stable in the past but now is rapidly declining for both men and women. The decline of the senescent factor is faster for men, although in most countries, it started almost 30 years later. Factor analysis of time series of age-specific death rates conducted for the oldest-old ages (65 to 100 years) found two factors explaining variation of mortality at extremely old ages in the United States. The first factor is comparable to the senescent factor found for adult mortality. The second factor, however, is specific to extreme old ages (96 to 100 years) and shows peaks in 1960 and 2000. Although mortality below 90 to 95 years shows a steady decline with time driven by the senescent factor, mortality of centenarians does not decline and remains relatively stable. The approach suggested in this paper has several advantages. First, it is able to determine the total number of independent factors affecting mortality changes over time. Second, this approach allows researchers to determine the time interval in which underlying factors remain stable or undergo rapid changes. Most methods of mortality projections are not able to identify the best base period for mortality projections, attempting to use the longest-possible time period instead. We observe that the senescent factor of mortality continues to decline, and this decline does not demonstrate any indications of slowing down. At the same time, mortality of centenarians does not decline and remains stable. The lack of mortality decline at extremely old ages may diminish anticipated longevity gains in the future. PMID:29170765

Total and Toxocara canis larval excretory/secretory antigen- and allergen-specific IgE in atopic and non-atopic dogs.

PubMed

Zwickl, Lena L M N; Joekel, Deborah E; Fischer, Nina M; Rostaher, Ana; Thamsborg, Kristian; Deplazes, Peter; Favrot, Claude

2018-06-01

Total IgE concentrations are higher in dogs than in humans. Persistent Toxocara canis larval infection is prevalent in dogs and is associated with substantial specific antibody reactions. A correlation, however, between total IgE and T. canis-specific antibody levels in dogs has not been evaluated. To determine the relationship between total IgE, T. canis-specific IgG and IgE, and allergen-specific IgE levels in atopic and non-atopic dogs, and to evaluate possible confounding factors. Sera of 30 atopic and 30 non-atopic client-owned dogs. Total IgE, T. canis-specific antibody and allergen-specific IgE levels were evaluated by ELISA. Total IgE, T. canis-specific antibody and allergen-specific IgE levels were significantly higher in non-atopic compared to atopic dogs. A positive correlation was demonstrated between T. canis-specific IgG and T. canis-specific IgE; T. canis-specific IgG and total IgE; T. canis-specific IgE and total IgE; and allergen-specific IgE and total IgE. No differences were detected on the basis of age, gender, vaccination status; deworming or season between atopic and non-atopic dogs. Previous immunomodulatory treatment and cause of atopy did not influence antibody levels of atopic dogs. Toxocara canis-specific IgE appears to be a major component of total IgE in dogs. Total and T. canis-specific IgE levels are higher in non-atopic compared to atopic dogs. It is speculated that T. canis infection may have a protective effect against the development of canine atopic dermatitis and/or that elevations in total serum IgE level are often not associated with atopic dermatitis. © 2018 ESVD and ACVD.

Women's sexual responses to heterosexual and lesbian erotica: the role of stimulus intensity, affective reaction, and sexual history.

PubMed

Peterson, Zoë D; Janssen, Erick; Laan, Ellen

2010-08-01

Past research has demonstrated that women do not show a "category-specific" genital response to erotic stimuli. That is, on average, heterosexual and lesbian women are indistinguishable in terms of their physiological genital responses to heterosexual versus lesbian erotica. In two studies with heterosexual women (n = 28 for Study 1; n = 30 for Study 2) and lesbians (n = 24 for Study 1; n = 25 for Study 2), results confirmed that, on average, women did not show category-specific genital responses or category-specific subjective sexual arousal. However, there was evidence of notable within-group variability; many women did respond to the stimuli in a category-specific manner. Heterosexual women were more likely than lesbian women to demonstrate category-specificity. Findings also revealed that category-specificity was associated with multiple factors, including affective responses to the erotic stimuli and sexual history. Results of this study highlight the complexity of women's sexual identities and sexual responses.

The trucker strain monitor: an occupation-specific questionnaire measuring psychological job strain.

PubMed

De Croon, E M; Blonk, R W; Van der Beek, J; Frings-Dresen, M H

2001-08-01

To develop and validate a short and user-friendly questionnaire measuring psychological job strain in truck drivers. In cooperation with an occupational physician in the Dutch road transport industry we developed items on the basis of face validity and information of existing questionnaires on the subject. These items were pilot-tested, by means of interviews, in 15 truck drivers. Study I examined the factorial structure of the initial 30-item trucker strain monitor (TSM) in a sample of 153 truck drivers. Subsequently, number of items per factor was reduced on the basis of reliability analyses (Cronbach's alpha). Study II examined construct and criterion validity of the TSM in a randomly selected group of 2,000 truck drivers, of whom 1,111 participated (adjusted response = 63%). Additionally, sensitivity and specificity were assessed by examining the ability of the TSM to identify truck drivers with or without self-reported sickness absence in the past 12 months because of psychological complaints. Factor analyses of the initial 30-item TSM revealed a two-factor solution. Item reduction resulted in a six-item work-related fatigue scale and four-item sleeping problems scale with high internal consistency. Results of study II confirmed the internal consistency of the TSM scales and provided support for construct and criterion validity. The composite, work-related fatigue, and sleeping problems scale had a sensitivity of 83%, 80% and 71% respectively, in identifying truck drivers with prior sickness absence because of psychological complaints. Specificity rates were 72%, 73% and 72% respectively. Despite methodological limitations, the results suggest that the TSM is a reliable and valid indicator of psychological job strain in truck drivers. In particular, the composite and work-related fatigue scale identified drivers with prior absenteeism because of psychological complaints, quite accurately. Future longitudinal research in specific sub-groups of truck drivers including both self-reported and objective psychological health measures should evidence whether (1) the distinction between two indicators of psychological job strain is useful, and whether (2) the TSM can be used in screening out truck drivers at risk of developing psychological health problems.

Adherence to osteoporosis regimens among men and analysis of risk factors of poor compliance: a 2-year analytical review

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background To investigate adherence and patient-specific factors associated with poor compliance with osteoporosis regimens among men. Methods In this retrospective chart review study, we collected data on male patients with osteoporosis treated in accordance with therapeutic recommendations. Adherence was determined by the compliance and persistence of those patients who had been dispensed an osteoporosis regimen after an index prescription. All osteoporosis regimens were considered equivalent for the purpose of investigating adherence. Results The prescriptions of 333 males met the inclusion criteria for data collection. The mean age was 68.6 ± 10.4 years. The median medication possession ratio (MPR, %) at years 1 and 2 was 90.1% (interquartile range (IQR) 19–100) and 53.7% (IQR 10.4-100), respectively; 52.3% of male patients at year 1 and 37.5% at year 2 had good compliance (defined as a MPR≧80%). The 1- and 2-year persistence rates were 45.9% and 30.0%, respectively. Patient-specific factors associated with poor compliance (MPR < 80%) during year 1 were first prescriptions given by orthopedists (odds ratio (OR) = 2.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.58-4.53; adjusted OR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.26-4.22, p = 0.007). Male patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (OR = 0.22, 95% CI = 0.06-0.78, adjusted OR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.04-0.81, p = 0.025) and baseline bone mineral density (BMD) measurements (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.32-0.85; adjusted OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.28-0.93, p = 0.029) were less likely to have poor compliance. Conclusions Adherence to osteoporosis regimens in males was suboptimal in our study. Poor compliance was more likely in prescription of the first anti-osteoporotic regimen by an orthopedist. Men with RA and BMD measurements before therapy had a lower risk of non-adherence. Healthcare professionals need to target patients with specific factors to improve adherence to osteoporotic regimens. PMID:24060442

Directly observed therapy reduces tuberculosis-specific mortality: a population-based follow-up study in Taipei, Taiwan.

PubMed

Yen, Yung-Feng; Yen, Muh-Yong; Lin, Yi-Ping; Shih, Hsiu-Chen; Li, Lan-Huei; Chou, Pesus; Deng, Chung-Yeh

2013-01-01

To determine the effect of directly observed therapy (DOT) on tuberculosis-specific mortality and non-TB-specific mortality and identify prognostic factors associated with mortality among adults with culture-positive pulmonary TB (PTB). All adult Taiwanese with PTB in Taipei, Taiwan were included in a retrospective cohort study in 2006-2010. Backward stepwise multinomial logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with each mortality outcome. Mean age of the 3,487 patients was 64.2 years and 70.4% were male. Among 2471 patients on DOT, 4.2% (105) died of TB-specific causes and 15.4% (381) died of non-TB-specific causes. Among 1016 patients on SAT, 4.4% (45) died of TB-specific causes and 11.8% (120) died of non-TB-specific causes. , After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio for TB-specific mortality was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.30-0.69) among patients treated with DOT as compared with those on self-administered treatment. Independent predictors of TB-specific and non-TB-specific mortality included older age (ie, 65-79 and ≥80 years vs. 18-49 years), being unemployed, a positive sputum smear for acid-fast bacilli, and TB notification from a general ward or intensive care unit (reference: outpatient services). Male sex, end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, malignancy, and pleural effusion on chest radiography were associated with increased risk of non-TB-specific mortality, while presence of lung cavities on chest radiography was associated with lower risk. DOT reduced TB-specific mortality by 55% among patients with PTB, after controlling for confounders. DOT should be given to all TB patients to further reduce TB-specific mortality.

Directly Observed Therapy Reduces Tuberculosis-Specific Mortality: A Population-Based Follow-Up Study in Taipei, Taiwan

PubMed Central

Yen, Yung-Feng; Yen, Muh-Yong; Lin, Yi-Ping; Shih, Hsiu-Chen; Li, Lan-Huei; Chou, Pesus; Deng, Chung-Yeh

2013-01-01

Objectives To determine the effect of directly observed therapy (DOT) on tuberculosis-specific mortality and non-TB-specific mortality and identify prognostic factors associated with mortality among adults with culture-positive pulmonary TB (PTB). Methods All adult Taiwanese with PTB in Taipei, Taiwan were included in a retrospective cohort study in 2006–2010. Backward stepwise multinomial logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with each mortality outcome. Results Mean age of the 3,487 patients was 64.2 years and 70.4% were male. Among 2471 patients on DOT, 4.2% (105) died of TB-specific causes and 15.4% (381) died of non-TB-specific causes. Among 1016 patients on SAT, 4.4% (45) died of TB-specific causes and 11.8% (120) died of non-TB-specific causes. , After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio for TB-specific mortality was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.30–0.69) among patients treated with DOT as compared with those on self-administered treatment. Independent predictors of TB-specific and non-TB-specific mortality included older age (ie, 65–79 and ≥80 years vs. 18–49 years), being unemployed, a positive sputum smear for acid-fast bacilli, and TB notification from a general ward or intensive care unit (reference: outpatient services). Male sex, end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, malignancy, and pleural effusion on chest radiography were associated with increased risk of non-TB-specific mortality, while presence of lung cavities on chest radiography was associated with lower risk. Conclusions DOT reduced TB-specific mortality by 55% among patients with PTB, after controlling for confounders. DOT should be given to all TB patients to further reduce TB-specific mortality. PMID:24278152

Persistency of use of COX-2-specific inhibitors and non-specific non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in Quebec.

PubMed

Moride, Y; Ducruet, T; Rochon, S; Lavoie, F

2003-11-01

The effectiveness of pharmacological therapies is dependent in part on patient persistency with the prescribed therapeutic regimen. In the case of non-specific non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), effectiveness is often compromised by undesirable side-effects, poor compliance or discontinuation of therapy. While patterns of utilization of non-specific NSAIDs have been investigated, few data are available on the patterns of persistency for cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-specific inhibitors. This study used a provincial health-care system database in Quebec, Canada, to determine the duration of treatment in new users of COX-2-specific inhibitors and non-specific NSAIDs over the first 3 months of treatment, and to characterize the factors associated with treatment persistency. Results demonstrate that the median duration of treatment was longer among patients initially prescribed COX-2-specific inhibitors (30 days and 23 days for celecoxib and rofecoxib respectively) than in those prescribed non-selective NSAIDs (10 days). Although the percentage of patients remaining on COX-2-specific drugs declined over the course of treatment, few patients on either celecoxib or rofecoxib switched drugs, either to the other COX-2-specific inhibitor or to non-specific NSAIDs. Factors associated with persistent drug use were: COX-2-specific inhibitors, age, and the use of gastroprotective agents either at treatment initiation or during follow-up. Dosage, chronic disease score and prescriber's specialty were only marginally associated with persistency. Prior use of gastroprotective agents was associated with lower persistency. Although the limitations of this study, which included lack of information on the indication for the prescription and the reason for switch or discontinuation, preclude definite conclusions regarding patterns of use of these drugs, the data suggest that the use of COX-2-specific inhibitors may result in increased persistency with treatment.

Operating characteristics of depression and anxiety disorder phenotype dimensions and trait neuroticism: a theoretical examination of the fear and distress disorders from the Netherlands study of depression and anxiety.

PubMed

Tully, Phillip J; Wardenaar, Klaas J; Penninx, Brenda W J H

2015-03-15

The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) of anhedonic depression and anxious arousal to detect the distress- (major depression, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder) and fear-disorder clusters (i.e. panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia) have not been reported in a large sample. A sample of 2981 persons underwent structured psychiatric interview; n=652 were without lifetime depression and anxiety disorder history. Participants also completed a neuroticism scale (Revised NEO Five Factor Inventory [NEO-FFI]), and the 30-item short adaptation of the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (MASQ-D30) measuring anhedonic depression, anxious arousal and general distress. Maximal sensitivity and specificity was determined by the Youden Index and the area-under-the-curve (AUC) in ROC analysis. A total of 2624 completed all measures (age M=42.4 years±13.1, 1760 females [67.1%]), including 1060 (40.4%) persons who met criteria for a distress-disorder, and 973 (37.1%) who met criteria for a fear-disorder. The general distress dimension provided the highest ROC values in the detection of the distress-disorders (AUC=.814, sensitivity=71.95%, specificity=76.34%, positive predictive value=67.33, negative predictive value=80.07). None of the measures provided suitable operating characteristics in the detection of the fear-disorders with specificity values <75%. Over sampling of depression and anxiety disorders may lead to inflated positive- and negative predictive values. The MASQ-D30 general distress dimension showed clinically suitable operating characteristics in the detection of distress-disorders. Neither neuroticism nor the MASQ-D30 dimensions provided suitable operating characteristics in the detection of the fear-disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemotherapy Use at the End of Life in Uganda

PubMed Central

Merkel, Emily C.; Menon, Manoj; Lyman, Gary H.; Ddungu, Henry; Namukwaya, Elizabeth; Leng, Mhoira; Casper, Corey

2017-01-01

Purpose Avoiding chemotherapy during the last 30 days of life has become a goal of cancer care in the United States and Europe, yet end-of-life chemotherapy administration remains a common practice worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of and factors predicting end-of-life chemotherapy administration in Uganda. Methods Retrospective chart review and surveys and interviews of providers were performed at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), the only comprehensive cancer center in the area, which serves a catchment area of greater than 100 million people. All adult patients at the UCI with reported cancer deaths between January 1, 2014, and August 31, 2015 were included. All UCI physicians were offered a survey, and a subset of physicians were also individually interviewed. Results Three hundred ninety-two patients (65.9%) received chemotherapy. Age less than 55 years (odds ratio [OR], 2.30; P = .004), a cancer diagnosis greater than 60 days before death (OR, 9.13; P < .001), and a presenting Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2 (OR, 2.47; P = .001) were associated with the administration of chemotherapy. More than 45% of patients received chemotherapy in the last 30 days of life. No clinical factors were predictive of chemotherapy use in the last 30 days of life, although doctors reported using performance status, cancer stage, and tumor chemotherapy sensitivity to determine when to administer chemotherapy. Patient expectations and a lack of outcomes data were important nonclinical factors influencing chemotherapy administration. Conclusion Chemotherapy is administered to a high proportion of patients with terminal cancer in Uganda, raising concern about efficacy. Late presentation of cancer in Uganda complicates end-of-life chemotherapy recommendations, necessitating guidelines specific to sub-Saharan Africa. PMID:29244988

Risk Factors for Smoking in Rural Women

PubMed Central

Salsberry, Pamela J.; Ferketich, Amy K.; Ahijevych, Karen L.; Hood, Nancy E.; Paskett, Electra D.

2012-01-01

Abstract Background This study examined the association between social, demographic, and psychologic factors and smoking status among Appalachian Ohio women. A secondary aim examined whether specific factors could be identified and segmented for future tailored treatment of tobacco dependence. Methods A cross-sectional survey (n=570) obtained information about social, demographic, and psychologic factors and smoking. Logistic regression described associations between these characteristics and smoking status. Chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) analyses identified subgroups at risk for smoking. Results Fifty-two percent never smoked, with 20.5% and 27.5% categorized as former and current smokers, respectively. Women with low adult socioeconomic position (SEP) were more likely to smoke (odds ratio [OR] 3.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.74-5.34) compared to high SEP women. Other factors associated with current smoking included age 31–50 (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.22-4.33), age 18–30 (OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.72-5.34), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) score≥16 (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.31-3.05), and first pregnancy at age<20 (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.14-2.66). The prevalence of smoking was 50% among those with four or more risk factors compared to 10% for those reporting no risk factors. CHAID analyses identified low adult SEP and depressive symptoms as the combination of risk factors most strongly associated with smoking; 49.3% of women in this subgroup currently smoked. Conclusions Low SEP in adulthood, maternal circumstances, and depressive symptoms are associated with current smoking. Tailored cessation interventions that address these risk factors should be developed and further evaluated in an attempt to reduce disparities in smoking prevalence among this vulnerable group of women. PMID:22360694

30-day hospital readmission after robotic partial nephrectomy--are we prepared for Medicare readmission reduction program?

PubMed

Brandao, Luis Felipe; Zargar, Homayoun; Laydner, Humberto; Akca, Oktay; Autorino, Riccardo; Ko, Oliver; Samarasekera, Dinesh; Li, Jianbo; Rabets, John; Krishnan, Jayram; Haber, Georges-Pascal; Kaouk, Jihad; Stein, Robert J

2014-09-01

After CMS introduced the concept of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, hospitals and health care centers became financially penalized for exceeding specific readmission rates. We retrospectively reviewed our institutional review board approved database of patients undergoing robotic partial nephrectomy at our institution and included in our analysis patients who were readmitted to any hospital as an inpatient stay within 30 days from discharge home after robotic partial nephrectomy. From March 2006 to March 2013 a total of 627 patients underwent robotic partial nephrectomy at our center and 28 (4.46%) were readmitted within 30 days of surgery. Postoperative bleeding was responsible for 8 (28.5%) readmissions. Pulmonary embolism was reported in 3 cases and retroperitoneal abscess was diagnosed in 2. Urinary leak requiring surgical intervention developed in 2 patients, pneumonia was diagnosed in 2 and 2 patients were readmitted for chest pain. Overall 9 (32.1%) patients presented with major complications requiring intervention. On multivariable analysis Charlson comorbidity index score was the only factor significantly associated with a higher 30-day readmission rate (p = 0.03). If the Charlson score was 5 or greater the chance of hospital readmission would be 2.7 times higher. Increased comorbidity, specifically a Charlson score of 5 or greater, was the only significant predictor of a higher incidence of 30-day readmission. This information can be useful in counseling patients regarding robotic partial nephrectomy and in determining baseline rates if CMS expands the number of conditions they evaluate for excess 30-day readmissions. Copyright © 2014 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Systemic hyperfibrinolysis after trauma: a pilot study of targeted proteomic analysis of superposed mechanisms in patient plasma.

PubMed

Banerjee, Anirban; Silliman, Christopher C; Moore, Ernest E; Dzieciatkowska, Monika; Kelher, Marguerite; Sauaia, Angela; Jones, Kenneth; Chapman, Michael P; Gonzalez, Eduardo; Moore, Hunter B; D'Alessandro, Angelo; Peltz, Erik; Huebner, Benjamin E; Einerson, Peter; Chandler, James; Ghasabayan, Arsen; Hansen, Kirk

2018-06-01

Viscoelastic measurements of hemostasis indicate that 20% of seriously injured patients exhibit systemic hyperfibrinolysis, with increased early mortality. These patients have normal clot formation with rapid clot lysis. Targeted proteomics was applied to quantify plasma proteins from hyperfibrinolytic (HF) patients to elucidate potential pathophysiology. Blood samples were collected in the field or at emergency department arrival and thrombelastography (TEG) was used to characterize in vitro clot formation under native and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-stimulated conditions. Ten samples were taken from injured patients exhibiting normal lysis time at 30 min (Ly30), "eufibrinolytic" (EF), 10 from HF patients, defined as tPA-stimulated TEG Ly30 >50%, and 10 from healthy controls. Trauma patient samples were analyzed by targeted proteomics and ELISA assays for specific coagulation proteins. HF patients exhibited increased plasminogen activation. Thirty-three proteins from the HF patients were significantly decreased compared with healthy controls and EF patients; 17 were coagulation proteins with anti-protease consumption (p < 0.005). The other 16 decreased proteins indicate activation of the alternate complement pathway, depletion of carrier proteins, and four glycoproteins. CXC7 was elevated in all injured patients versus healthy controls (p < 0.005), and 35 proteins were unchanged across all groups (p > 0.1 and fold change of concentrations of 0.75-1.3). HF patients had significant decreases in specific proteins and support mechanisms known in trauma-induced hyperfibrinolysis and also unexpected decreases in coagulation factors, factors II, X, and XIII, without changes in clot formation (SP, R times, or angle). Decreased clot stability in HF patients was corroborated with tPA-stimulated TEGs. Prognostic, level III.

Quantifying daily physical activity and determinants in sedentary patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Dontje, M L; de Greef, M H G; Speelman, A D; van Nimwegen, M; Krijnen, W P; Stolk, R P; Kamsma, Y P T; Bloem, B R; Munneke, M; van der Schans, C P

2013-10-01

Although physical activity is beneficial for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, many do not meet the recommended levels. The range of physical activity among sedentary PD patients is unknown, as are factors that determine this variability. Hence, we aimed to (1) assess daily physical activity in self-identified sedentary PD patients; (2) compare this with criteria of a daily physical activity guideline; and (3) identify determinants of daily physical activity. Daily physical activity of 586 self-identified sedentary PD patients was measured with a tri-axial accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Physical fitness and demographic, disease-specific, and psychological characteristics were assessed. Daily physical activity was compared with the 30-min activity guideline. A linear mixed-effects model was estimated to identify determinants of daily physical activity. Accelerometer data of 467 patients who fulfilled all criteria revealed that >98% of their day was spent on sedentary to light-intensity activities. Eighty-two percent of the participants were 'physically inactive' (0 days/week of 30-min activity); 17% were 'semi-active' (1-4 days/week of 30-min activity). Age, gender, physical fitness, and scores on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale explained 69% of the variability in daily physical activity. Performance-based measurements confirmed that most self-identified sedentary PD patients are 'physically inactive'. However, the variance in daily physical activity across subjects was considerable. Higher age, being female, and lower physical capacity were the most important determinants of reduced daily physical activity. Future therapeutic interventions should aim to improve daily physical activity in these high-risk patients, focusing specifically on modifiable risk factors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Therapeutic Targeting of TRPV1 for the Treatment of Chronic Pain Associated with Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

1 AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-11-1-0333 TITLE: Therapeutic Targeting of TRPV1 for the...01-07-2012 2. REPORT TYPE Annual 3. DATES COVERED 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Therapeutic Targeting of TRPV1 for the...specific inflammatory factors, IL-6 and TNF-α, PTHrP and ET-1 on upregulation of TRPV1 channel function/expression, and nociceptor sensitization

Reduced risk of colorectal cancer among recent generations in New Zealand.

PubMed Central

Cox, B.; Little, J.

1992-01-01

Male and female age standardised mortality and incidence rates of colorectal cancer have increased over the most recent 30 years in New Zealand. Among men and women aged 40 to 74, age standardised mortality and incidence rates increased 18 to 105%. However, age standardised mortality and incidence rates among younger men and women have declined from 14 to 69%. Analysis of trends in age specific mortality and incidence rates indicates that the occurrence of colorectal cancer has been declining equally for men and women in successive cohorts born about 1943 to 1953 in New Zealand. This decline in the frequency of colorectal cancer among recent generations was apparent for both the right and left sides of the colon and the rectum. Age-specific trends in coronary heart disease and breast cancer differed from those apparent for colorectal cancer, suggesting that the factors producing the reduction in colorectal cancer risk may affect these diseases among different age groups or may not be of major aetiological importance in these diseases. These trends provide empirical evidence that the occurrence of colorectal cancer can be reduced by at least 50% with a substantial component of the risk being determined before the age of 30. Further study is needed to establish whether changes in risk factors at older ages contribute to the prevention of the disease. PMID:1503913

Systemic human CR2-targeted complement alternative pathway inhibitor ameliorates mouse laser-induced choroidal neovascularization.

PubMed

Rohrer, Bärbel; Coughlin, Beth; Bandyopadhyay, Mausumi; Holers, V Michael

2012-08-01

Genetic associations and the presence of complement components within pathological structures of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have generated the hypothesis that AMD is caused by chronic local complement activation. Since the majority of activity in the common terminal pathway results from engagement of the amplification loop, the alternative pathway has been proposed as a logical therapeutic target. We recently generated a factor H (fH)-based complement inhibitor (CR2-fH) with the capacity to be "targeted" to sites of complement C3 activation. We asked whether the human therapeutic (TT30) is effective in a mouse model of AMD. Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) was induced by argon laser photocoagulation of Bruch's membrane. Every other day, mice received intravenous injections of TT30 or vehicles, and after 6 days, the presence or absence of CNV and CNV-related changes were evaluated. Area of CNV, photoreceptor cell function, gene expression for complement components and cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein levels, and TT30 bioavailability were determined. CNV development, which has previously been shown to require local complement activation, could be reduced by intravenous TT30 delivery. Specific inhibition of the alternative pathway not only reduced angiogenesis in CNV, but also ameliorated changes in several associated disease-related biomarkers, including diminished retinal function and molecular events known to be involved in AMD such as VEGF production. After intravenous injection, TT30 localized to CNV lesion sites in the retinal pigmented epithelium-choroid. Systemic administration of TT30 was found to reduce CNV pathology. These data may open new avenues for novel systemic AMD treatment strategies.

Soluble CD30 and Cd27 levels in patients undergoing HLA antibody-incompatible renal transplantation.

PubMed

Hamer, Rizwan; Roche, Laura; Smillie, David; Harmer, Andrea; Mitchell, Daniel; Molostvov, Guerman; Lam, For T; Kashi, Habib; Tan, Lam Chin; Imray, Chris; Fletcher, Simon; Briggs, David; Lowe, David; Zehnder, Daniel; Higgins, Rob

2010-08-01

HLA antibody-incompatible transplantation has a higher risk of rejection when compared to standard renal transplantation. Soluble CD30 (sCD30) has been shown in many, but not all, studies to be a biomarker for risk of rejection in standard renal transplant recipients. We sought to define the value of sCD30 and soluble CD27 (sCD27) in patients receiving HLA antibody-incompatible transplants. Serum taken at different time points from 32 HLA antibody-incompatible transplant recipients was retrospectively assessed for sCD30 and sCD27 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This was compared to episodes of acute rejection, post-transplant donor-specific antibody (DSA) levels and 12 month serum creatinine levels. No association was found between sCD27 and sCD30 levels and risk of acute rejection or DSA levels. Higher sCD30 levels at 4-6 weeks post-transplantation were associated with a higher serum creatinine at 12 months. Conclusion patients undergoing HLA antibody-incompatible transplantation are at a high risk of rejection but neither sCD30 (unlike in standard transplantation) nor sCD27 was found to be a risk factor. High sCD30 levels measured at 4-6 weeks post-transplantation was associated with poorer graft function at one year. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Introspection into institutional database allows for focused quality improvement plan in cardiac surgery: example for a new global healthcare system.

PubMed

Lancaster, Elizabeth; Postel, Mackenzie; Satou, Nancy; Shemin, Richard; Benharash, Peyman

2013-10-01

Reducing readmission rates is vital to improving quality of care and reducing healthcare costs. In accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Medicare will cut payments to hospitals with high 30-day readmission rates. We retrospectively reviewed an institutional database to identify risk factors predisposing adult cardiac surgery patients to rehospitalization within 30 days of discharge. Of 2302 adult cardiac surgery patients within the study period from 2008 to 2011, a total of 218 patients (9.5%) were readmitted within 30 days. Factors found to be significant predictors of readmission were nonwhite race (P = 0.003), government health insurance (P = 0.02), ejection fraction less than 40 per cent (P = 0.001), chronic lung disease (P < 0.001), and hospital length of stay greater than 7 days (P = 0.02). Patients undergoing aortic and mitral valve operations had an increased risk of readmission compared with other cardiac operations (P < 0.001). The most common reasons for rehospitalization were pneumonia and other respiratory complications (n = 27 [12.4%]). Recognition of risk factors is crucial to reducing readmissions and improving patient care. Our data suggest that optimizing cardiopulmonary status in patients with comorbidities such as heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, increasing directed pneumonia prophylaxis, patient education tailored to specific patient social needs, earlier patient follow-up, and better communication between inpatient and outpatient physicians may reduce readmission rates.

Early inpatient calculation of laboratory-based 30-day readmission risk scores empowers clinical risk modification during index hospitalization.

PubMed

Horne, Benjamin D; Budge, Deborah; Masica, Andrew L; Savitz, Lucy A; Benuzillo, José; Cantu, Gabriela; Bradshaw, Alejandra; McCubrey, Raymond O; Bair, Tami L; Roberts, Colleen A; Rasmusson, Kismet D; Alharethi, Rami; Kfoury, Abdallah G; James, Brent C; Lappé, Donald L

2017-03-01

Improving 30-day readmission continues to be problematic for most hospitals. This study reports the creation and validation of sex-specific inpatient (i) heart failure (HF) risk scores using electronic data from the beginning of inpatient care for effective and efficient prediction of 30-day readmission risk. HF patients hospitalized at Intermountain Healthcare from 2005 to 2012 (derivation: n=6079; validation: n=2663) and Baylor Scott & White Health (North Region) from 2005 to 2013 (validation: n=5162) were studied. Sex-specific iHF scores were derived to predict post-hospitalization 30-day readmission using common HF laboratory measures and age. Risk scores adding social, morbidity, and treatment factors were also evaluated. The iHF model for females utilized potassium, bicarbonate, blood urea nitrogen, red blood cell count, white blood cell count, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration; for males, components were B-type natriuretic peptide, sodium, creatinine, hematocrit, red cell distribution width, and mean platelet volume. Among females, odds ratios (OR) were OR=1.99 for iHF tertile 3 vs. 1 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.28, 3.08) for Intermountain validation (P-trend across tertiles=0.002) and OR=1.29 (CI=1.01, 1.66) for Baylor patients (P-trend=0.049). Among males, iHF had OR=1.95 (CI=1.33, 2.85) for tertile 3 vs. 1 in Intermountain (P-trend <0.001) and OR=2.03 (CI=1.52, 2.71) in Baylor (P-trend < 0.001). Expanded models using 182-183 variables had predictive abilities similar to iHF. Sex-specific laboratory-based electronic health record-delivered iHF risk scores effectively predicted 30-day readmission among HF patients. Efficient to calculate and deliver to clinicians, recent clinical implementation of iHF scores suggest they are useful and useable for more precise clinical HF treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temporal Trends in Fertility Rates: A Nationwide Registry Based Study from 1901 to 2014.

PubMed

Blomberg Jensen, Martin; Priskorn, Lærke; Jensen, Tina Kold; Juul, Anders; Skakkebaek, Niels Erik

2015-01-01

Increasing age at first childbirth has been suggested to increase the risk for infertility. Our objective is to determine whether women above thirty years of age historically have been able to sustain fertility rates above replacement level. A descriptive nationwide Danish study using birth registries from 1901-2014. Information on women's age at childbirth was obtained by using records from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Mothers to 8,024,969 live births. Mothers were stratified according to age at childbirth to determine total and age specific fertility rates. Total fertility rate (TFR) decreased from 4.1 to 1.8 children per woman and age specific fertility also decreased from 1901 to 2014. Women aged 30-34, 35-39 or 40-44 years in the first decade of the 20th century had higher fertility rates than the corresponding five year younger age groups (25-29, 30-34 and 35-39, respectively) have had for the last 65 years. On average, women gave birth to two children after the age of 30 and one or more child after 35 years of age in the beginning of the 1900s. Furthermore, women more than 40 years of age accounted for 10% of TFR in 1901 compared with 4% in 2014 despite usage of assisted reproduction. This nationwide study shows that women above 30 years of age historically have been able to sustain fertility rates above replacement level. This implies that other factors besides age are strong determinants of fertility in women above 30 years of age.

LDHA is a direct target of miR-30d-5p and contributes to aggressive progression of gallbladder carcinoma.

PubMed

He, Yuting; Chen, Xiaolong; Yu, Yan; Li, Juan; Hu, Qiuyue; Xue, Chen; Chen, Jianan; Shen, Shen; Luo, Yonggang; Ren, Fang; Li, Chao; Bao, Jie; Yan, Jingya; Qian, Guowu; Ren, Zhigang; Sun, Ranran; Cui, Guangying

2018-06-01

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most general biliary tract malignancy, with poor prognosis due to rapid tumor progression and lack of specific symptoms. Lactate dehydrogenase-A (LDHA) can promote Warburg effect to produce lactate and Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) in aerobic condition, which contributes to oncogenesis metastasis and drug resistance in various cancers. However, the expression and functional role of LDHA in GBC are largely unknown. We determined that LDHA was over-expressed in GBC tumor tissues compared with normal tissues, which was also an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival of GBC patients by tissue microarrays analysis. In addition, RNAi-mediated LDHA silencing could suppress the GBC cell proliferation, invasion, colony formation and glycolysis while promoting cell apoptosis in vitro. Similar results were observed in GBC cells treated with LDHA specific inhibitor FX11. Moreover, we confirmed that knockdown of LDHA could inhibit tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, we found that the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of LDHA mRNA was the direct target of microRNA-30d-5p (miR-30d-5p), which was low expressed in GBC tissues and associated with poor prognosis of GBC patients. Our findings disclose a novel role for miR-30d-5p/LDHA axis contribute to aggressive progression by reprogramming the metabolic process in GBC cells, and suggest a potential application of miR-30d-5p/LDHA axis in prognosis prediction and GBC treatment. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The influence of spray properties on intranasal deposition.

PubMed

Foo, Mow Yee; Cheng, Yung-Sung; Su, Wei-Chung; Donovan, Maureen D

2007-01-01

While numerous devices, formulations, and spray characteristics have been shown to influence nasal deposition efficiency, few studies have attempted to identify which of these interacting factors plays the greatest role in nasal spray deposition. The deposition patterns of solutions with a wide range of surface tensions and viscosities were measured using an MRI-derived nasal cavity replica. The resulting spray plumes had angles between 29 degrees and 80 degrees and contained droplet sizes (D(v50)) from 37-157 microm. Each formulation contained rhodamine 590 as a fluorescent marker for detection. Administration angles of 30 degrees , 40 degrees , or 50 degrees above horizontal were tested to investigate the role of user technique on nasal deposition. The amount of spray deposited within specific regions of the nasal cavity was determined by disassembling the replica and measuring the amount of rhodamine retained in each section. Most of the spray droplets were deposited onto the anterior region of the model, but sprays with small plume angles were capable of reaching the turbinate region with deposition efficiencies approaching 90%. Minimal dependence on droplet size, viscosity, or device was observed. Changes in inspiratory flow rate (0-60 L/min) had no significant effect on turbinate deposition efficiency. Both plume angle and administration angle were found to be important factors in determining deposition efficiency. For administration angles of 40 degrees or 50 degrees , maximal turbinate deposition efficiency (30-50%) occurred with plume angles of 55-65 degrees , whereas a 30 degrees administration angle gave an approximately 75% deposition efficiency for similar plume angles. Deposition efficiencies of approximately 90% could be achieved with plume angles <30 degrees using 30 degrees administration angles. Both the plume angle and administration angle are critical factors in determining deposition efficiency, while many other spray parameters, including particle size, have relatively minor influences on deposition within the nasal cavity.

Impact of classical risk factors of type 2 diabetes among Asian Indian, Chinese and Japanese populations.

PubMed

He, L; Tuomilehto, J; Qiao, Q; Söderberg, S; Daimon, M; Chambers, J; Pitkäniemi, J

2015-11-01

This review investigated the population impact of major modifiable type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk factors, with special focus on native Asian Indians, to estimate population attributable risks (PARs) and compare them with estimates from Chinese and Japanese populations. Information was obtained on risk factors in 21,041 Asian Indian, 17,774 Chinese and 17,986 Japanese populations from multiple, large, cross-sectional studies (the DECODA project) of T2D. Crude and adjusted PARs were estimated for the major T2D risk factors. Age had the highest crude and adjusted PARs among Asian Indians and Chinese in contrast to waist-hip ratio among Japanese. After adjusting for age, the PAR for body mass index (BMI) in Asian Indians (41.4% [95% CI: 37.2%; 45.4%]) was second only to triglycerides (46.4% [95% CI: 39.5%; 52.8%]) compared with 35.8% [95% CI: 29.9%; 41.4%] in Japanese and 38.4% [95% CI: 33.5%; 43.2%] in Chinese people. The PAR for BMI adjusted for age, LDL and triglycerides (39.7% [95% CI: 31.6%; 47.2%]) was higher than for any other factor in Asian Indians, and was much higher than in the Chinese (16.8% [95% CI: 3.0%; 30.9%]) and Japanese (30.4% [95% CI: 17.5%; 42.2%]) populations. This review provides estimates of the association between major risk factors and prevalences of T2D among Asian populations by examining their PARs from large population-based samples. From a public-health point of view, the importance of BMI in Asian Indians is especially highlighted in comparison to the other Asian populations. Given these results and other recent findings on the causality link between BMI and T2D, it can be postulated that obesity may be involved in the aetiology of T2D through interaction with ethnic-specific genetic factors, although ethnicity itself is not a direct risk factor for T2D as people of all ethnic backgrounds develop diabetes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The Genetic Liability to Disability Retirement: A 30-Year Follow-Up Study of 24,000 Finnish Twins

PubMed Central

Harkonmäki, Karoliina; Silventoinen, Karri; Levälahti, Esko; Pitkäniemi, Janne; Huunan-Seppälä, Antti; Klaukka, Timo; Koskenvuo, Markku; Kaprio, Jaakko

2008-01-01

Background No previous studies on the effect of genetic factors on the liability to disability retirement have been carried out. The main aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of genetic factors on disability retirement due to the most common medical causes, including depressive disorders. Methods The study sample consisted of 24 043 participants (49.7% women) consisting of 11 186 complete same-sex twin pairs including 3519 monozygotic (MZ) and 7667dizygotic (DZ) pairs. Information on retirement events during 1.1.1975–31.12.2004, including disability pensions (DPs) with diagnoses, was obtained from the Finnish nationwide official pension registers. Correlations in liability for MZ and DZ twins and discrete time correlated frailty model were used to investigate the genetic liability to age at disability retirement. Results The 30 year cumulative incidence of disability retirement was 20%. Under the best fitting genetic models, the heritability estimate for DPs due to any medical cause was 0.36 (95% CI 0.32–0.40), due to musculoskeletal disorders 0.37 (0.30–0.43), cardiovascular diseases 0.48 (0.39–0.57), mental disorders 0.42 (0.35–0.49) and all other reasons 0.24 (0.17–0.31). The effect of genetic factors decreased with increasing age of retirement. For DP due to depressive disorders, 28% of the variance was explained by environmental factors shared by family members (95% CI 21–36) and 58% of the variance by the age interval specific environmental factors (95% CI 44–71). Conclusions A moderate genetic contribution to the variation of disability retirement due to any medical cause was found. The genetic effects appeared to be stronger at younger ages of disability retirement suggesting the increasing influence of environmental factors not shared with family members with increasing age. Familial aggregation in DPs due to depressive disorders was best explained by the common environmental factors and genetic factors were not needed to account for the pattern of familial aggregation. PMID:18923678

The Internal Energy for Molecular Hydrogen in Gravitationally Unstable Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boley, Aaron C.; Hartquist, Thomas W.; Durisen, Richard H.; Michael, Scott

2007-02-01

The gas equation of state may be one of the critical factors for the disk instability theory of gas giant planet formation. This Letter addresses the treatment of H2 in hydrodynamic simulations of gravitationally unstable disks. In our discussion, we point out possible consequences of erroneous specific internal energy relations, approximate specific internal energy relations with discontinuities, and assumptions of constant Γ1. In addition, we consider whether the ortho/para ratio for H 2 in protoplanetary disks should be treated dynamically as if the species are in equilibrium. Preliminary simulations indicate that the correct treatment is particularly critical for the study of gravitational instability when T=30-50 K.

Daily physical activity in stable heart failure patients.

PubMed

Dontje, Manon L; van der Wal, Martje H L; Stolk, Ronald P; Brügemann, Johan; Jaarsma, Tiny; Wijtvliet, Petra E P J; van der Schans, Cees P; de Greef, Mathieu H G

2014-01-01

Physical activity is the only nonpharmacological therapy that is proven to be effective in heart failure (HF) patients in reducing morbidity. To date, little is known about the levels of daily physical activity in HF patients and about related factors. The objectives of this study were to (a) describe performance-based daily physical activity in HF patients, (b) compare it with physical activity guidelines, and (c) identify related factors of daily physical activity. The daily physical activity of 68 HF patients was measured using an accelerometer (SenseWear) for 48 hours. Psychological characteristics (self-efficacy, motivation, and depression) were measured using questionnaires. To have an indication how to interpret daily physical activity levels of the study sample, time spent on moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activities was compared with the 30-minute activity guideline. Steps per day was compared with the criteria for healthy adults, in the absence of HF-specific criteria. Linear regression analyses were used to identify related factors of daily physical activity. Forty-four percent were active for less than 30 min/d, whereas 56% were active for more than 30 min/d. Fifty percent took fewer than 5000 steps per day, 35% took 5000 to 10 000 steps per day, and 15% took more than 10 000 steps per day. Linear regression models showed that New York Heart Association classification and self-efficacy were the most important factors explaining variance in daily physical activity. The variance in daily physical activity in HF patients is considerable. Approximately half of the patients had a sedentary lifestyle. Higher New York Heart Association classification and lower self-efficacy are associated with less daily physical activity. These findings contribute to the understanding of daily physical activity behavior of HF patients and can help healthcare providers to promote daily physical activity in sedentary HF patients.

Acute and long-term dysphagia in critically ill patients with severe sepsis: results of a prospective controlled observational study.

PubMed

Zielske, Joerg; Bohne, Silvia; Brunkhorst, Frank M; Axer, Hubertus; Guntinas-Lichius, Orlando

2014-11-01

Dysphagia is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs). Structured otorhinolaryngological data on dysphagia in ICU survivors with severe sepsis are missing. In a prospective study, 30 ICU patients with severe sepsis and thirty without sepsis as control group were examined using bedside fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing after 14 days in the ICU (T1) and 4 months after onset of critical illness (T2). Swallowing dysfunction was assessed using the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS). The Functional Oral Intake Scale was applied to evaluate the diet needed. Primary endpoint was the burden of dysphagia defined as PAS score >5. At T1, 19 of 30 severe sepsis patients showed aspiration with a PAS score >5, compared to 7 of 30 in critically ill patients without severe sepsis (p = 0.002). Severe sepsis and tracheostomy were independent risk factors for severe dysphagia with aspiration (PAS > 5) at T1 (p = 0.042 and 0.006, respectively). 4-month mortality (T2) was 57 % in severe sepsis patients compared to 20 % in patients without severe sepsis (p = 0.006). At T2, more severe sepsis survivors were tracheostomy-dependent and needed more often tube or parenteral feeding (p = 0.014 and p = 0.040, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed tracheostomy at T1 as independent risk factor for severe dysphagia at T2 (p = 0.030). Severe sepsis appears to be a relevant risk factor for long-term dysphagia. An otorhinolaryngological evaluation of dysphagia at ICU discharge is mandatory for survivors of severe critical illness to plan specific swallowing rehabilitation programs.

Relationship between environmental factors, age of onset and familial history in Japanese patients with psoriasis.

PubMed

Bayaraa, Bolortuya; Imafuku, Shinichi

2018-06-01

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that often involves the skin and joints. Psoriasis develops at any age and the distribution of age of onset of psoriasis is bimodal in Japan. Also, male predominance is distinct in Japanese psoriatic patients. To clarify the relationship between sex difference and habitual/environmental status, age and incidence of familial psoriasis, we analyzed data from the Fukuoka University Psoriasis Registry. A total of 1120 Japanese patients (751 men, 369 women) were analyzed. The male/female ratio was 2.03:1. Smoking and drinking habit, known as risk factors of psoriasis, were significantly more prevalent in men. Age-specific psoriasis-onset rate standardized by population showed bimodal distribution in both men and women; the younger peak was in their 30s for men and 10s in women; the second peak was in the 50s for both sexes. A familial history of psoriasis was seen in 6.3% of patients overall; however, female patients showed a significantly higher rate (8.7%) compared with men (5.1%, P = 0.024). When stratified by age of onset, the frequency of familial history was much higher among women with onset at less than 30 years (15.4%), compared with 30 years or more (5.3%, P = 0.0026). Our data suggest that genetic factors have a stronger influence in young women who experience fewer environmental factors such as smoking and drinking. This is the first study to show that there is a difference in the incidence of familial psoriasis depending on age of onset of psoriasis in Japan. © 2018 Japanese Dermatological Association.

27 CFR 30.24 - Specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... hydrometers. 30.24 Section 30.24 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE... hydrometers. (a) The specific gravity hydrometers furnished by proprietors to appropriate TTB officers shall... instruments. Such specific gravity hydrometers shall be of a precision grade, standardization temperature 60...

MyoR Modulates Cardiac Conduction by Repressing Gata4

PubMed Central

Harris, John P.; Bhakta, Minoti; Bezprozvannaya, Svetlana; Wang, Lin; Lubczyk, Christina; Olson, Eric N.

2014-01-01

The cardiac conduction system coordinates electrical activation through a series of interconnected structures, including the atrioventricular node (AVN), the central connection point that delays impulse propagation to optimize cardiac performance. Although recent studies have uncovered important molecular details of AVN formation, relatively little is known about the transcriptional mechanisms that regulate AV delay, the primary function of the mature AVN. We identify here MyoR as a novel transcription factor expressed in Cx30.2+ cells of the AVN. We show that MyoR specifically inhibits a Cx30.2 enhancer required for AVN-specific gene expression. Furthermore, we demonstrate that MyoR interacts directly with Gata4 to mediate transcriptional repression. Our studies reveal that MyoR contains two nonequivalent repression domains. While the MyoR C-terminal repression domain inhibits transcription in a context-dependent manner, the N-terminal repression domain can function in a heterologous context to convert the Hand2 activator into a repressor. In addition, we show that genetic deletion of MyoR in mice increases Cx30.2 expression by 50% and prolongs AV delay by 13%. Taken together, we conclude that MyoR modulates a Gata4-dependent regulatory circuit that establishes proper AV delay, and these findings may have wider implications for the variability of cardiac rhythm observed in the general population. PMID:25487574

Dynamic Phosphorylation of VP30 Is Essential for Ebola Virus Life Cycle.

PubMed

Biedenkopf, Nadine; Lier, Clemens; Becker, Stephan

2016-05-15

Ebola virus is the causative agent of a severe fever with high fatality rates in humans and nonhuman primates. The regulation of Ebola virus transcription and replication currently is not well understood. An important factor regulating viral transcription is VP30, an Ebola virus-specific transcription factor associated with the viral nucleocapsid. Previous studies revealed that the phosphorylation status of VP30 impacts viral transcription. Together with NP, L, and the polymerase cofactor VP35, nonphosphorylated VP30 supports viral transcription. Upon VP30 phosphorylation, viral transcription ceases. Phosphorylation weakens the interaction between VP30 and the polymerase cofactor VP35 and/or the viral RNA. VP30 thereby is excluded from the viral transcription complex, simultaneously leading to increased viral replication which is supported by NP, L, and VP35 alone. Here, we use an infectious virus-like particle assay and recombinant viruses to show that the dynamic phosphorylation of VP30 is critical for the cotransport of VP30 with nucleocapsids to the sites of viral RNA synthesis, where VP30 is required to initiate primary viral transcription. We further demonstrate that a single serine residue at amino acid position 29 was sufficient to render VP30 active in primary transcription and to generate a recombinant virus with characteristics comparable to those of wild-type virus. In contrast, the rescue of a recombinant virus with a single serine at position 30 in VP30 was unsuccessful. Our results indicate critical roles for phosphorylated and dephosphorylated VP30 during the viral life cycle. The current Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa has caused more than 28,000 cases and 11,000 fatalities. Very little is known regarding the molecular mechanisms of how the Ebola virus transcribes and replicates its genome. Previous investigations showed that the transcriptional support activity of VP30 is activated upon VP30 dephosphorylation. The current study reveals that the situation is more complex and that primary transcription as well as the rescue of recombinant Ebola virus also requires the transient phosphorylation of VP30. VP30 encodes six N-proximal serine residues that serve as phosphorylation acceptor sites. The present study shows that the dynamic phosphorylation of serine at position 29 alone is sufficient to activate primary viral transcription. Our results indicate a series of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation events that trigger binding to and release from the nucleocapsid and transcription complex to be essential for the full activity of VP30. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

40 CFR 268.30 - Waste specific prohibitions-wood preserving wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Waste specific prohibitions-wood preserving wastes. 268.30 Section 268.30 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... specific prohibitions—wood preserving wastes. (a) Effective August 11, 1997, the following wastes are...

40 CFR 268.30 - Waste specific prohibitions-wood preserving wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Waste specific prohibitions-wood preserving wastes. 268.30 Section 268.30 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... specific prohibitions—wood preserving wastes. (a) Effective August 11, 1997, the following wastes are...

Detection of reticuloendotheliosis virus as a contaminant of fowl pox vaccines.

PubMed

Awad, A M; Abd El-Hamid, H S; Abou Rawash, A A; Ibrahim, H H

2010-11-01

This study was designed to detect reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) as a contaminant in fowl pox vaccines. A total of 30 fowl pox vaccine samples were examined for the presence of REV using both in vitro and in vivo methods. In in vitro testing, the fowl pox vaccine samples were inoculated into chicken embryo fibroblast cultures prepared from specific-pathogen-free embryonated chicken eggs, and the cultures were examined using PCR to detect REV. In in vivo testing, each fowl pox vaccine sample was inoculated into 5-d-old specific-pathogen-free chicks, which were kept under observation for up to 12 wk postinoculation; serum samples were collected at 15, 30, and 45 d postinoculation for the detection of REV-specific antibodies using ELISA. Tissue samples were collected at 8 and 12 wk postinoculation for histopathological examination. Of the tested vaccines, only one imported vaccine sample tested positive for REV using PCR. Serum samples collected from chicks infected with the PCR-positive vaccine batch also tested positive for REV-specific antibodies using ELISA. Histopathological examination of the liver, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius demonstrated the presence of tumor cells in these organs, confirming the results obtained using PCR and ELISA, and indicating that the sample was contaminated with REV. These data clearly indicate that the screening of all commercial poultry vaccines for viruses is an important factor in assuring the biosafety of animal vaccines.

Mechanistic Peptidomics: Factors That Dictate Specificity in the Formation of Endogenous Peptides in Human Milk*

PubMed Central

Guerrero, Andres; Dallas, David C.; Contreras, Stephanie; Chee, Sabrina; Parker, Evan A.; Sun, Xin; Dimapasoc, Lauren; Barile, Daniela; German, J. Bruce; Lebrilla, Carlito B.

2014-01-01

An extensive mass spectrometry analysis of the human milk peptidome has revealed almost 700 endogenous peptides from 30 different proteins. Two in-house computational tools were created and used to visualize and interpret the data through both alignment of the peptide quasi-molecular ion intensities and estimation of the differential enzyme participation. These results reveal that the endogenous proteolytic activity in the mammary gland is remarkably specific and well conserved. Certain proteins—not necessarily the most abundant ones—are digested by the proteases present in milk, yielding endogenous peptides from selected regions. Our results strongly suggest that factors such as the presence of specific proteases, the position and concentration of cleavage sites, and, more important, the intrinsic disorder of segments of the protein drive this proteolytic specificity in the mammary gland. As a consequence of this selective hydrolysis, proteins that typically need to be cleaved at specific positions in order to exert their activity are properly digested, and bioactive peptides encoded in certain protein sequences are released. Proteins that must remain intact in order to maintain their activity in the mammary gland or in the neonatal gastrointestinal tract are unaffected by the hydrolytic environment present in milk. These results provide insight into the intrinsic structural mechanisms that facilitate the selectivity of the endogenous milk protease activity and might be useful to those studying the peptidomes of other biofluids. PMID:25172956

G protein-coupled receptor 30 localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum and is not activated by estradiol.

PubMed

Otto, Christiane; Rohde-Schulz, Beate; Schwarz, Gilda; Fuchs, Iris; Klewer, Mario; Brittain, Dominic; Langer, Gernot; Bader, Benjamin; Prelle, Katja; Nubbemeyer, Reinhard; Fritzemeier, Karl-Heinrich

2008-10-01

The classical estrogen receptor (ER) mediates genomic as well as rapid nongenomic estradiol responses. In case of genomic responses, the ER acts as a ligand-dependent transcription factor that regulates gene expression in estrogen target tissues. In contrast, nongenomic effects are initiated at the plasma membrane and lead to rapid activation of cytoplasmic signal transduction pathways. Recently, an orphan G protein-coupled receptor, GPR30, has been claimed to bind to and to signal in response to estradiol. GPR30 therefore might mediate some of the nongenomic estradiol effects. The present study was performed to clarify the controversy about the subcellular localization of GPR30 and to gain insight into the in vivo function of this receptor. In transiently transfected cells as well as cells endogenously expressing GPR30, we confirmed that the receptor localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. However, using radioactive estradiol, we observed only saturable, specific binding to the classical ER but not to GPR30. Estradiol stimulation of cells expressing GPR30 had no impact on intracellular cAMP or calcium levels. To elucidate the physiological role of GPR30, we performed in vivo experiments with estradiol and G1, a compound that has been claimed to act as selective GPR30 agonist. In two classical estrogen target organs, the uterus and the mammary gland, G1 did not show any estrogenic effect. Taken together, we draw the conclusion that GPR30 is still an orphan receptor.

Montana geothermal commercialization planning. Semi-annual progress report, January 1, 1979-June 30, 1979

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

Birkby, J.; Brown, K.; Chapman, M.

1979-06-01

Area development plans were prepared which describe geothermal resources and their potential use on a county or multicounty basis. Development plans for two areas are presented. Cost analyses show that the proximity of the geothermal resource to the end user is the most important criterion in geothermal energy development. Thirteen tentative site-specific plans are being revised. The analysis of institutional factors affecting geothermal development, the outreach, and the state geothermal are discussed briefly. (MHR)

Age- and Sex-Specific Causal Effects of Adiposity on Cardiovascular Risk Factors

PubMed Central

Fall, Tove; Hägg, Sara; Ploner, Alexander; Mägi, Reedik; Fischer, Krista; Draisma, Harmen H.M.; Sarin, Antti-Pekka; Benyamin, Beben; Ladenvall, Claes; Åkerlund, Mikael; Kals, Mart; Esko, Tõnu; Nelson, Christopher P.; Kaakinen, Marika; Huikari, Ville; Mangino, Massimo; Meirhaeghe, Aline; Kristiansson, Kati; Nuotio, Marja-Liisa; Kobl, Michael; Grallert, Harald; Dehghan, Abbas; Kuningas, Maris; de Vries, Paul S.; de Bruijn, Renée F.A.G.; Willems, Sara M.; Heikkilä, Kauko; Silventoinen, Karri; Pietiläinen, Kirsi H.; Legry, Vanessa; Giedraitis, Vilmantas; Goumidi, Louisa; Syvänen, Ann-Christine; Strauch, Konstantin; Koenig, Wolfgang; Lichtner, Peter; Herder, Christian; Palotie, Aarno; Menni, Cristina; Uitterlinden, André G.; Kuulasmaa, Kari; Havulinna, Aki S.; Moreno, Luis A.; Gonzalez-Gross, Marcela; Evans, Alun; Tregouet, David-Alexandre; Yarnell, John W.G.; Virtamo, Jarmo; Ferrières, Jean; Veronesi, Giovanni; Perola, Markus; Arveiler, Dominique; Brambilla, Paolo; Lind, Lars; Kaprio, Jaakko; Hofman, Albert; Stricker, Bruno H.; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Ikram, M. Arfan; Franco, Oscar H.; Cottel, Dominique; Dallongeville, Jean; Hall, Alistair S.; Jula, Antti; Tobin, Martin D.; Penninx, Brenda W.; Peters, Annette; Gieger, Christian; Samani, Nilesh J.; Montgomery, Grant W.; Whitfield, John B.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Groop, Leif; Spector, Tim D.; Magnusson, Patrik K.; Amouyel, Philippe; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Nilsson, Peter M.; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Lyssenko, Valeriya; Metspalu, Andres; Strachan, David P.; Salomaa, Veikko; Ripatti, Samuli; Pedersen, Nancy L.; Prokopenko, Inga; McCarthy, Mark I.

2015-01-01

Observational studies have reported different effects of adiposity on cardiovascular risk factors across age and sex. Since cardiovascular risk factors are enriched in obese individuals, it has not been easy to dissect the effects of adiposity from those of other risk factors. We used a Mendelian randomization approach, applying a set of 32 genetic markers to estimate the causal effect of adiposity on blood pressure, glycemic indices, circulating lipid levels, and markers of inflammation and liver disease in up to 67,553 individuals. All analyses were stratified by age (cutoff 55 years of age) and sex. The genetic score was associated with BMI in both nonstratified analysis (P = 2.8 × 10−107) and stratified analyses (all P < 3.3 × 10−30). We found evidence of a causal effect of adiposity on blood pressure, fasting levels of insulin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides in a nonstratified analysis and in the <55-year stratum. Further, we found evidence of a smaller causal effect on total cholesterol (P for difference = 0.015) in the ≥55-year stratum than in the <55-year stratum, a finding that could be explained by biology, survival bias, or differential medication. In conclusion, this study extends previous knowledge of the effects of adiposity by providing sex- and age-specific causal estimates on cardiovascular risk factors. PMID:25712996

Risk factors of significant pain syndrome 90 days after minor thoracic injury: trajectory analysis.

PubMed

Daoust, Raoul; Emond, Marcel; Bergeron, Eric; LeSage, Natalie; Camden, Stéphanie; Guimont, Chantal; Vanier, Laurent; Chauny, Jean-Marc

2013-11-01

The objective was to identify the risk factors of clinically significant pain at 90 days in patients with minor thoracic injury (MTI) discharged from the emergency department (ED). A prospective, multicenter, cohort study was conducted in four Canadian EDs from November 2006 to November 2010. All consecutive patients aged 16 years or older with MTI were eligible at discharge from EDs. They underwent standardized clinical and radiologic evaluations at 1 and 2 weeks, followed by standardized telephone interviews at 30 and 90 days. A pain trajectory model characterized groups of patients with different pain evolutions and ascertained specific risk factors in each group through multivariate analysis. In this cohort of 1,132 patients, 734 were eligible for study inclusion. The authors identified a pain trajectory that characterized 18.2% of the study population experiencing clinically significant pain (>3 of 10) at 90 days after a MTI. Multivariate modeling found two or more rib fractures, smoking, and initial oxygen saturation below 95% to be predictors of this group of patients. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first prospective study of trajectory modeling to detect risk factors associated with significant pain at 90 days after MTI. These factors may help in planning specific treatment strategies and should be validated in another prospective cohort. © 2013 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Ontogeny of intestinal safety factors: lactase capacities and lactose loads.

PubMed

O'Connor, T P; Diamond, J

1999-03-01

We measured intestinal safety factors (ratio of a physiological capacity to the load on it) for lactose digestion in developing rat pups. Specifically, we assessed the quantitative relationships between lactose load and the series capacities of lactase and the Na+-glucose cotransporter (SGLT-1). Both capacities increased significantly with age in suckling pups as a result of increasing intestinal mass and maintenance of mass-specific activities. The youngest pups examined (5 days) had surprisingly high safety factors of 8-13 for both lactase and SGLT-1, possibly because milk contains lactase substrates other than lactose; it also, however, suggests that their intestinal capacities were being prepared to meet future demands rather than just current ones. By day 10 (and also at day 15), increased lactose loads resulted in lower safety factors of 4-6, values more typical of adult intestines. The safety factor of SGLT-1 in day 30 (weanling) and day 100 (adult) rats was only approximately 1.0. This was initially unexpected, because most adult intestines maintain a modest reserve capacity beyond nutrient load values, but postweaning rats appear to use hindgut fermentation, assessed by gut morphology and hydrogen production assays, as a built-in reserve capacity. The series capacities of lactase and SGLT-1 varied in concert with each other over ontogeny and as lactose load was manipulated by experimental variation in litter size.

Predicting refeeding hypophosphataemia: insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) as a diagnostic biochemical marker for clinical practice.

PubMed

Goyale, Atul; Ashley, Sarah L; Taylor, David R; Elnenaei, Manal O; Alaghband-Zadeh, Jamshid; Sherwood, Roy A; le Roux, Carel W; Vincent, Royce P

2015-01-01

Refeeding syndrome (RS) is a potentially fatal condition that can occur following the re-introduction of nutrition after a period of starvation. Hypophosphataemia following the reintroduction of nutrition is often the only reliable biochemical marker of RS. Refeeding index (RI) generated from baseline insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and leptin has been proposed as a useful biochemical marker for the identification of patients at risk of developing refeeding hypophosphataemia (RH). A prospective study included 52 patients referred for parenteral nutrition (PN). The sensitivity and specificity of IGF-1 measured using a sensitive assay was compared to the RI in predicting the development of RH (a ≥ 30% drop in PO4 during the first 36-h of PN administration). Leptin and IGF-1 were analysed on baseline samples using a quantitative enzyme-linked immunoassay. Daily blood samples were collected from all patients for routine biochemistry for the full duration of PN administration. High sensitivity IGF-1 measurement alone was comparable with the RI, using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, with areas under the curve being 0.79 and 0.80, respectively, and superior to leptin alone (0.72) for predicting ≥ 30% drop in PO4. The cut-off value for IGF-1 that gave best sensitivity (91% [95% CI 75-98%]) and specificity (65% [95% CI 41-85%]) was 63.7 µg/L, with a likelihood ratio of 2.59. Baseline IGF-1 is an objective, sensitive and specific biochemical marker in identifying patients who are at high risk of developing RH prior to PN administration and therefore may have a role in clinical practice. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

The mCpG-binding domain of human MBD3 does not bind to mCpG but interacts with NuRD/Mi2 components HDAC1 and MTA2.

PubMed

Saito, Motoki; Ishikawa, Fuyuki

2002-09-20

Although mammalian MBD3 contains the mCpG-binding domain (MBD) and is highly homologous with the authentic mCpG-binding protein MBD2, it was reported that the protein does not bind to mCpG specifically. Using recombinant human wild type and mutant MBD3 proteins, we demonstrated that atypical amino acids found in MBD3 MBD, namely, His-30 and Phe-34, are responsible for the inability of MBD3 to bind to mCpG. Interestingly, although H30K/F34Y MBD3 mutant protein binds to mCpG efficiently in vitro, it was not localized at the mCpG-rich pericentromeric regions in mouse cells. We also showed that Y34F MBD2b MBD, which possesses not the mCpG-specific DNA-binding activity but the nonspecific DNA-binding activity, was localized at the pericentromeric regions. These results suggested that the mCpG-specific DNA-binding activity is largely dispensable, and another factor(s) is required for the localization of MBD proteins in vivo. MBD3 was identified as a component of the NuRD/Mi2 complex that shows chromatin remodeling and histone deacetylase activities. We demonstrated that MBD3 MBD is necessary and sufficient for binding to HDAC1 and MTA2, two components of the NuRD/Mi2 complex. It was therefore suggested that mCpG-binding-defective MBD3 has evolutionarily conserved its MBD because of the secondary role played by the MBD in protein-protein interactions.

Internet addiction and its facets: The role of genetics and the relation to self-directedness.

PubMed

Hahn, Elisabeth; Reuter, Martin; Spinath, Frank M; Montag, Christian

2017-02-01

A growing body of research focuses on problematic behavior patterns related to the use of the Internet to identify contextual as well as individual risk factors of this new phenomenon called Internet addiction (IA). IA can be described as a multidimensional syndrome comprising aspects such as craving, development of tolerance, loss of control and negative consequences. Given that previous research on other addictive behaviors showed substantial heritability, it can be expected that the vulnerability to IA may also be due to a person's genetic predisposition. However, it is questionable whether distinct components of IA have different etiologies. Using data from a sample of adult monozygotic and dizygotic twins and non-twin siblings (N=784 individuals, N=355 complete pairs, M=30.30years), we investigated the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on generalized IA as well as on specific facets such as excessive use, self-regulation, preference for online social interaction or negative consequences. To explain the heritability in IA, we further examined the relation to Self-Directedness as potential mediating source. Results showed that relative contributions of genetic influences vary considerable for different components of IA. For generalized IA factors, individual differences could be explained by shared and non-shared environmental influences while genetic influences did not play a role. For specific facets of IA and private Internet use in hours per week, heritability estimates ranged between 21% and 44%. Bivariate analysis indicated that Self-Directedness accounted for 20% to 65% of the genetic variance in specific IA facets through overlapping genetic pathways. Implications for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

National Survey of Sensory Features in Children with ASD: Factor Structure of the Sensory Experience Questionnaire (3.0)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ausderau, Karla; Sideris, John; Furlong, Melissa; Little, Lauren M.; Bulluck, John; Baranek, Grace T.

2014-01-01

This national online survey study characterized sensory features in 1,307 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ages 2-12 years using the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire Version 3.0 (SEQ-3.0). Using the SEQ-3.0, a confirmatory factor analytic model with four substantive factors of hypothesized sensory response patterns (i.e.,…

Is income inequality a determinant of population health? Part 2. U.S. National and regional trends in income inequality and age- and cause-specific mortality.

PubMed

Lynch, John; Smith, George Davey; Harper, Sam; Hillemeier, Marianne

2004-01-01

This article describes U.S. income inequality and 100-year national and 30-year regional trends in age- and cause-specific mortality. There is little congruence between national trends in income inequality and age- or cause-specific mortality except perhaps for suicide and homicide. The variable trends in some causes of mortality may be associated regionally with income inequality. However, between 1978 and 2000 those regions experiencing the largest increases in income inequality had the largest declines in mortality (r= 0.81, p < 0.001). Understanding the social determinants of population health requires appreciating how broad indicators of social and economic conditions are related, at different times and places, to the levels and social distribution of major risk factors for particular health outcomes.

Enhanced electrochemical performances with a copper/xylose-based carbon composite electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirisomboonchai, Suchada; Kongparakul, Suwadee; Nueangnoraj, Khanin; Zhang, Haibo; Wei, Lu; Reubroycharoen, Prasert; Guan, Guoqing; Samart, Chanatip

2018-04-01

Copper/carbon (Cu/C) composites were prepared through the simple and environmentally benign hydrothermal carbonization of xylose in the presence of Cu2+ ions. The morphology, specific surface area, phase structure and chemical composition were investigated. Using a three-electrode system in 0.1 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte, the Cu/C composite (10 wt% Cu) heat-treated at 600 °C gave the highest specific capacitance (316.2 and 350.1 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 and 20 mV s-1, respectively). The addition of Cu was the major factor in improving the electrochemical performance, enhancing the specific capacitance more than 30 times that of the C without Cu. Therefore, the Cu/C composite presented promising results in improving biomass-based C electrodes for supercapacitors.

Effect of developmental exposure to chlorpyrifos on the expression of neurotrophin growth factors and cell-specific markers in neonatal rat brain.

PubMed

Betancourt, Angela M; Burgess, Shane C; Carr, Russell L

2006-08-01

Chlorpyrifos (CPS), a known neurotoxicant, is a widely used agricultural organophosphorus insecticide. The effects of postnatal exposure to CPS on the expression of mRNA for two factors critical to brain development, nerve growth factor (NGF) and reelin, were investigated in the forebrain of rats. In addition, the expression of mRNA for the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) M(1) subtype and cell-specific markers for developing neurons (beta-III tubulin), astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP), and oligodendrocytes (myelin-associated glycoprotein, MAG) was also investigated. Oral administration of CPS (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg) or the corn oil vehicle was performed daily from postnatal days (PNDs) 1 through 6. No signs of overt toxicity or of cholinergic hyperstimulation were observed after CPS administration. Body weight was significantly different from controls on PND7 in both males and females exposed to 3.0 mg/kg CPS. Quantitative PCR was performed on the forebrain. The expression of NGF, reelin, and M(1) mAChR mRNA was significantly reduced with both dosages of CPS in both sexes. beta-III Tubulin mRNA expression remained unchanged after exposure, whereas MAG mRNA expression was significantly decreased with both dosages of CPS in both sexes, suggesting effects on the developing oligodendrocytes. In contrast, GFAP mRNA levels were significantly increased with both dosages of CPS in both sexes, suggesting increased astrocyte reactivity. Our findings indicate that dosages of CPS which cause significant cholinesterase inhibition but do not exert overt toxicity can adversely affect the expression levels of critical genes involved in brain development during the early postnatal period in the rat.

Auditing the socio-environmental determinants of motivation towards physical activity or sedentariness in work-aged adults: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Keegan, Richard; Middleton, Geoff; Henderson, Hannah; Girling, Mica

2016-05-26

There is a lack of understanding of work aged adults' (30-60 years old) perspectives on the motivation of physical activity versus sedentariness. This study aims to: (1) identify which socio-environmental factors motivate physical activity and/or sedentary behavior, in adults aged 30-60 years; and (2) explore how these motivators interact and combine. Fifteen work-aged adults who, were able to engage in physical activity (Mean age = 43.9 years; SD 9.6, range 31-59), participated in semi-structured interviews. Inductive content analysis was used to generate an inventory of socio-environmental factors and their specific influences on motivation towards physical activity or sedentariness. Key socio-environmental agents found to influence motivation included: Spouse/partner, parents, children, siblings, whole family, grandchildren, friends, work-mates, neighbors, strangers, team-mates and class-mates, instructors, health care professionals, employers, gyms and health companies, governments, media and social media, cultural norms, and the physical environment. Mechanisms fell into five broad themes of socio-environmental motivation for both physical activity and sedentariness: (1) competence and progress; (2) informational influences, (3) emotional influences, (4) pragmatics and logistics, and (5) relationships. Similar socio-environmental factors were frequently reported as able to motivate both activity and sedentariness. Likewise, individual categories of influence could also motivate both behaviors, depending on context. The findings of this paper 'unpack' theoretical concepts into specific and targeted behavioral recommendations. The data suggested no simple solutions for promoting physical activity or reducing sedentariness, but rather complex and interacting systems surrounding work-aged adults. Findings also suggest that health professionals should be encouraged to support adults' health by examining the socio-environmental motivational influences, or 'motivational atmosphere'.

Choose your menu wisely: cuisine-associated food-poisoning risks in restaurants in England and Wales.

PubMed

Gormley, F J; Rawal, N; Little, C L

2012-06-01

The food service sector continues to be the most common setting for reported foodborne disease outbreaks in England and Wales. Using restaurant-associated foodborne outbreaks reported in England and Wales from 1992 to 2009, cuisine-specific risk factors were examined. Of 677 restaurant outbreaks, there were 11 795 people affected, 491 hospitalizations, and seven deaths; and Chinese, Indian, British and Italian cuisines were the most commonly implicated (26%, 16%, 13% and 10%, respectively). Salmonella spp. accounted for most outbreaks of all cuisine types, and particularly Chinese (76%, 133/175) and Italian (55%, 38/69). Poultry meat was the most frequently implicated food vehicle in outbreaks associated with Indian (30%), Chinese (21%), and British (18%) cuisines while for Italian cuisine, desserts and cakes were more frequently implicated (33%). Rice dishes were also a common outbreak food vehicle in those restaurants serving Chinese (22%) and Indian (16%) cuisine. Cross-contamination was the biggest contributory factor associated with Chinese (46%), British (33%) and Indian (30%) cuisines whereas inadequate cooking (38%) and use of raw shell eggs in lightly cooked or uncooked food (35%) were more often associated with Italian cuisine. Over the surveillance period, the proportion of Salmonella Enteritidis PT4 outbreaks in restaurants serving Chinese cuisine significantly decreased (P<0.0001) and this was mirrored by an increase in S. Enteritidis non-PT4 outbreaks (P<0.0001). Despite this change in proportion, contributory factors such as cross-contamination have continued to cause outbreaks throughout the 18 years. The results show that by stratifying the risks associated with restaurants by cuisine type, specific evidence of food control failures can be used to target foodborne illness reduction strategies.

Ethnicity and birth outcome: New Zealand trends 1980-2001. Part 1. Introduction, methods, results and overview.

PubMed

Craig, Elizabeth D; Mantell, Colin D; Ekeroma, Alec J; Stewart, Alistair W; Mitchell, Ed A

2004-12-01

New Zealand Government policy during the past decade has placed a high priority on closing socioeconomic and ethnic gaps in health outcome. To analyse New Zealand's trends in preterm and small for gestational age (SGA) births and late fetal deaths during 1980-2001 and to undertake ethnic specific analyses, resulting in risk factor profiles, for each ethnic group. De-identified birth registration data from 1 189 120 singleton live births and 5775 stillbirths were analysed for the period 1980-2001. Outcomes of interest included preterm birth, SGA and late fetal death while explanatory variables included maternal ethnicity, age and New Zealand Deprivation Index decile. Trend analysis was undertaken for 1980-1994 while multivariate logistic regression was used to explore risk factors for 1996-2001. During 1980-1994, preterm birth rates were highest amongst Maori women. Preterm rates increased by 30% for European/other women, in contrast to non-significant declines of 7% for Maori women and 4% for Pacific women during this period. During the same period, rates of SGA were highest amongst Maori women. Rates of SGA declined by 30% for Pacific women, 25% for Maori women and 19% for European/other women during this period. Rates of late fetal death were highest amongst Pacific women during 1980-1994, but declined by 49% during this period, the rate of decline being similar for all ethnic groups. The marked differences in both trend data and risk factor profiles for women in New Zealand's largest ethnic groups would suggest that unless ethnicity is specifically taken into account in future policy and planning initiatives, the disparities seen in this analysis might well persist into future generations.

Which Patients Require Extended Thromboprophylaxis After Colectomy? Modeling Risk and Assessing Indications for Post-discharge Pharmacoprophylaxis.

PubMed

Beal, Eliza W; Tumin, Dmitry; Chakedis, Jeffery; Porter, Erica; Moris, Dimitrios; Zhang, Xu-Feng; Arnold, Mark; Harzman, Alan; Husain, Syed; Schmidt, Carl R; Pawlik, Timothy M

2018-07-01

Given the conflicting nature of reported risk factors for post-discharge venous thromboembolism (VTE) and unclear guidelines for post-discharge pharmacoprophylaxis, we sought to determine risk factors for 30-day post-discharge VTE after colectomy to predict which patients will benefit from post-discharge pharmacoprophylaxis. Patients who underwent colectomy in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Participant Use Files from 2011 to 2015 were identified. Logistic regression modeling was used. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used and the best cut-points were determined using Youden's J index (sensitivity + specificity - 1). Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was used to test model calibration. A random sample of 30% of the cohort was used as a validation set. Among 77,823 cases, the overall incidence of VTE after colectomy was 1.9%, with 0.7% of VTE events occurring in the post-discharge setting. Factors associated with post-discharge VTE risk including body mass index, preoperative albumin, operation time, hospital length of stay, race, smoking status, inflammatory bowel disease, return to the operating room and postoperative ileus were included in logistic regression equation model. The model demonstrated good calibration (goodness of fit P = 0.7137) and good discrimination (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.68; validation set, AUC = 0.70). A score of ≥-5.00 had the maxim sensitivity and specificity, resulting in 36.63% of patients being treated with prophylaxis for an overall VTE risk of 0.67%. Approximately one-third of post-colectomy VTE events occurred after discharge. Patients with predicted post-discharge VTE risk of ≥-5.00 should be recommended for extended post-discharge VTE prophylaxis.

Osteopontin inhibits osteoblast responsiveness through the down-regulation of focal adhesion kinase mediated by the induction of low-molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase.

PubMed

Kusuyama, Joji; Bandow, Kenjiro; Ohnishi, Tomokazu; Hisadome, Mitsuhiro; Shima, Kaori; Semba, Ichiro; Matsuguchi, Tetsuya

2017-05-15

Osteopontin (OPN) is an osteogenic marker protein. Osteoblast functions are affected by inflammatory cytokines and pathological conditions. OPN is highly expressed in bone lesions such as those in rheumatoid arthritis. However, local regulatory effects of OPN on osteoblasts remain ambiguous. Here we examined how OPN influences osteoblast responses to mechanical stress and growth factors. Expression of NO synthase 1 ( Nos1 ) and Nos2 was increased by low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) in MC3T3-E1 cells and primary osteoblasts. The increase of Nos1/2 expression was abrogated by both exogenous OPN overexpression and recombinant OPN treatment, whereas it was promoted by OPN-specific siRNA and OPN antibody. Moreover, LIPUS-induced phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a crucial regulator of mechanoresponses, was down-regulated by OPN treatments. OPN also attenuated hepatocyte growth factor-induced vitamin D receptor ( Vdr ) expression and platelet-derived growth factor-induced cell mobility through the repression of FAK activity. Of note, the expression of low-molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP), a FAK phosphatase, was increased in both OPN-treated and differentiated osteoblasts. CD44 was a specific OPN receptor for LWW-PTP induction. Consistently, the suppressive influence of OPN on osteoblast responsiveness was abrogated by LMW-PTP knockdown. Taken together, these results reveal novel functions of OPN in osteoblast physiology. © 2017 Kusuyama et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Mode-specific vibrational excitation and energy redistribution after ultrafast intramolecular electron transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogiu, S.; Werncke, W.; Pfeiffer, M.; Dreyer, J.; Elsaesser, T.

2000-07-01

Vibrational relaxation in the electronic ground state initiated by intramolecular back-electron transfer (b-ET) of betaine-30 (B-30) is studied by picosecond time-resolved anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy. Measurements were carried out with B-30 dissolved in slowly as well as in rapidly relaxing solvents. We observed a risetime of the Raman band with the highest frequency near 1600 cm-1 which is close to the b-ET time τb-ET of B-30. For B-30 dissolved in propylene carbonate (τb-ET˜1 ps), the population of this mode exhibits a rise time of 1 ps whereas vibrational populations between 400 and 1400 cm-1 increase substantially slower. In contrast, in glycerol triacetin (τb-ET˜3.5 ps) and in ethanol (τb-ET˜6 ps) rise times of all modes are close to the respective b-ET times. Within the first few picoseconds, direct vibrational excitation through b-ET is favored for modes with the highest frequencies and high Franck-Condon factors. Later on, indirect channels of population due to vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) become effective. Thermal equilibrium populations of the Raman active modes are established within 10 to 15 ps after optical excitation.

Persistence of Protective Immunity to Malaria Induced by DNA Priming and Poxvirus Boosting: Characterization of Effector and Memory CD8+-T-Cell Populations

PubMed Central

Sedegah, Martha; Brice, Gary T.; Rogers, William O.; Doolan, Denise L.; Charoenvit, Yupin; Jones, Trevor R.; Majam, Victoria F.; Belmonte, Arnel; Lu, Minh; Belmonte, Maria; Carucci, Daniel J.; Hoffman, Stephen L.

2002-01-01

The persistence of immunity to malaria induced in mice by a heterologous DNA priming and poxvirus boosting regimen was characterized. Mice were immunized by priming with DNA vaccine plasmids encoding the Plasmodium yoelii circumsporozoite protein (PyCSP) and murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and boosting with recombinant vaccinia encoding PyCSP. BALB/c mice immunized with either high-dose (100 μg of p PyCSP plus 30 μg of pGM-CSF) or low-dose (1 μg of p PyCSP plus 1 μg of pGM-CSF DNA) priming were protected against challenge with 50 P. yoelii sporozoites. Protection 2 weeks after immunization was 70 to 100%, persisted at this level for at least 20 weeks, and declined to 30 to 40% by 28 weeks. Eight of eight mice protected at 20 weeks were still protected when rechallenged at 40 weeks. The antigen (Ag)-specific effector CD8+-T-cell population present 2 weeks after boosting had ex vivo Ag-specific cytolytic activity, expressed both gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha, and constituted 12 to 20% of splenic CD8+ T cells. In contrast, the memory CD8+-Ag-specific-cell population at 28 weeks lacked cytolytic activity and constituted only 6% of splenic CD8+ T cells, but at the single-cell level it produced significantly higher levels of IFN-γ than the effectors. High levels of Ag- or parasite-specific antibodies present 2 weeks after boosting had declined three- to sevenfold by 28 weeks. Low-dose priming was similarly immunogenic and as protective as high-dose priming against a 50-, but not a 250-, sporozoite challenge. These results demonstrate that a heterologous priming and boosting vaccination can provide lasting protection against malaria in this model system. PMID:12065488

Undergoing Diagnostic Evaluation for Possible Cancer Affects the Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Presenting with Non-Specific Symptoms

PubMed Central

Moseholm, Ellen; Rydahl-Hansen, Susan; Lindhardt, Bjarne Ørskov

2016-01-01

Aim Undergoing diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer can affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aims of this study were to examine the HRQoL in patients undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer due to non-specific symptoms and further to investigate the impact of socio-demographic and medical factors associated with HRQoL at the time of diagnosis. Methods This was a prospective, multicenter survey study that included patients who were referred for a diagnostic evaluation due to non-specific cancer symptoms. Participants completed the EORTC-QLQ-C30 quality of life scale before and after completing the diagnostic evaluation. The baseline and follow-up EORTC-QLQ-C30 scores were compared with reference populations. The impact of socio-demographic and medical factors on HRQoL at follow-up was explored by bootstrapped multivariate linear regression. Results A total of 838 patients participated in the study; 680 (81%) also completed follow-up. Twenty-two percent of the patients received a cancer diagnosis at the end of follow-up. Patients presented initially with a high burden of symptoms, less role and emotional functioning and a lower global health/QoL. Most domains improved after diagnosis and no clinically important difference between baseline and follow-up scores was found. Patients reported effects on HRQoL both at baseline and at follow-up compared with the Danish reference population and had similar scores as a cancer reference population. Co-morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis. Conclusions Patients with non-specific symptoms reported an affected HRQoL while undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer. Morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis. PMID:26840866

Undergoing Diagnostic Evaluation for Possible Cancer Affects the Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Presenting with Non-Specific Symptoms.

PubMed

Moseholm, Ellen; Rydahl-Hansen, Susan; Lindhardt, Bjarne Ørskov

2016-01-01

Undergoing diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer can affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aims of this study were to examine the HRQoL in patients undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer due to non-specific symptoms and further to investigate the impact of socio-demographic and medical factors associated with HRQoL at the time of diagnosis. This was a prospective, multicenter survey study that included patients who were referred for a diagnostic evaluation due to non-specific cancer symptoms. Participants completed the EORTC-QLQ-C30 quality of life scale before and after completing the diagnostic evaluation. The baseline and follow-up EORTC-QLQ-C30 scores were compared with reference populations. The impact of socio-demographic and medical factors on HRQoL at follow-up was explored by bootstrapped multivariate linear regression. A total of 838 patients participated in the study; 680 (81%) also completed follow-up. Twenty-two percent of the patients received a cancer diagnosis at the end of follow-up. Patients presented initially with a high burden of symptoms, less role and emotional functioning and a lower global health/QoL. Most domains improved after diagnosis and no clinically important difference between baseline and follow-up scores was found. Patients reported effects on HRQoL both at baseline and at follow-up compared with the Danish reference population and had similar scores as a cancer reference population. Co-morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis. Patients with non-specific symptoms reported an affected HRQoL while undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer. Morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis.

Advantages of bioconjugated silica-coated nanoparticles as an innovative diagnosis for human toxoplasmosis.

PubMed

Aly, Ibrahim; Taher, Eman E; El Nain, Gehan; El Sayed, Hoda; Mohammed, Faten A; Hamad, Rabab S; Bayoumy, Elsayed M

2018-01-01

Nanotechnology is a promising arena for generating new applications in Medicine. To successfully functionalised nanoparticles for a given biomedical application, a wide range of chemical, physical and biological factors have to be taken into account. Silica-coated nanoparticles, (SiO2NP) exhibit substantial diagnostic activity owing to their large surface to volume ratios and crystallographic surface structure. This work aimed to evaluate the advantage of bioconjugation of SiO2NP with PAb against Toxoplasma lyzate antigen (TLA) as an innovative diagnostic method for human toxoplasmosis. This cross-sectional study included 120 individuals, divided into Group I: 70 patients suspected for Toxoplasma gondii based on the presence of clinical manifestation. Group II: 30 patients harboring other parasites than T. gondii Group III: 20 apparently healthy individuals free from toxoplasmosis and other parasitic infections served as negative control. Detection of circulating Toxoplasma antigen was performed by Sandwich ELISA and Nano-sandwich ELISA on sera and pooled urine of human samples. Using Sandwich ELISA, 10 out of 70 suspected Toxoplasma-infected human serum samples showed false negative and 8 out of 30 of other parasites groups were false positive giving 85.7% sensitivity and 84.0% specificity, while the sensitivity and specificity were 78.6% and 70% respectively in urine samples. Using Nano-Sandwich ELISA, 7 out of 70 suspected Toxoplasma-infected human samples showed false negative results and the sensitivity of the assay was 90.0%, while 4 out of 30 of other parasites groups were false positive giving 92.0% specificity, while the sensitivity and specificity were 82.6% and 80% respectively in urine samples. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that loading SiO2 nanoparticles with pAb increased the sensitivity and specificity of Nano-sandwich ELISA for detection of T.gondii antigens in serum and urine samples, thus active (early) and light infections could be easily detected. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic usefulness of dynamic changes of CMV-specific T-cell responses in predicting CMV infections in HCT recipients.

PubMed

Jung, Jiwon; Lee, Hyun-Jung; Kim, Sun-Mi; Kang, Young-Ah; Lee, Young-Shin; Chong, Yong Pil; Sung, Heungsup; Lee, Sang-Oh; Choi, Sang-Ho; Kim, Yang Soo; Woo, Jun Hee; Lee, Jung-Hee; Lee, Je-Hwan; Lee, Kyoo-Hyung; Kim, Sung-Han

2017-02-01

CMV-specific cell mediated immune responses before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) can categorize patients as at high or low risk of CMV development. We evaluated the usefulness of the CMV-specific T-cell ELISPOT assay for predicting the development of CMV infections after HCT in recipients with donor-positive and recipient-positive CMV serology (D+/R+ ). CMV pp65 and IE1-specific ELISPOT assays were performed before HCT (D0), and at 30 (D30) and 90 (D90) days after HCT. Of the 84 HCT recipients with D+/R+, 42 (50%) developed≥1 episode of CMV infection. Thirty-nine (64%) of 61 patients with Δ(D30-D0) pp65<42 developed CMV infections compared with 3 (14%) of 21 patients with Δ(D30-D0) pp65≥42 (P<0.001). Twenty-three (74%) of 31 patients with Δ(D30-D0) IE1<-4 developed CMV infections compared with 19 (37%) of 51 patients with Δ(D30-D0) IE1≥-4 (P=0.001). pp65 Δ(D30-D0) ≥42 had 93% sensitivity for ruling out subsequent CMV infection, and pp65 Δ(D30-D0)<42 followed by Δ(D30-D0) IE1<-4 had 100% specificity for ruling in the subsequent CMV infection. In addition, 10 (53%) of 19 patients with Δ(D90-D30) pp65<23 had relapsing CMV infections, compared with 3 (15%) of 20 patients with Δ(D90-D30) pp65≥23 (P=0.02). The sensitivity and specificity of Δ(D90-D30) pp65 were 77% (95% CI 50-92) and 65% (95% CI, 46-81). Dynamic change in the CMV-specific ELISPOT assay before versus after HCT appears to predict the subsequent development of CMV infection and relapsing CMV infection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tissue and cell-type co-expression networks of transcription factors and wood component genes in Populus trichocarpa.

PubMed

Shi, Rui; Wang, Jack P; Lin, Ying-Chung; Li, Quanzi; Sun, Ying-Hsuan; Chen, Hao; Sederoff, Ronald R; Chiang, Vincent L

2017-05-01

Co-expression networks based on transcriptomes of Populus trichocarpa major tissues and specific cell types suggest redundant control of cell wall component biosynthetic genes by transcription factors in wood formation. We analyzed the transcriptomes of five tissues (xylem, phloem, shoot, leaf, and root) and two wood forming cell types (fiber and vessel) of Populus trichocarpa to assemble gene co-expression subnetworks associated with wood formation. We identified 165 transcription factors (TFs) that showed xylem-, fiber-, and vessel-specific expression. Of these 165 TFs, 101 co-expressed (correlation coefficient, r > 0.7) with the 45 secondary cell wall cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin biosynthetic genes. Each cell wall component gene co-expressed on average with 34 TFs, suggesting redundant control of the cell wall component gene expression. Co-expression analysis showed that the 101 TFs and the 45 cell wall component genes each has two distinct groups (groups 1 and 2), based on their co-expression patterns. The group 1 TFs (44 members) are predominantly xylem and fiber specific, and are all highly positively co-expressed with the group 1 cell wall component genes (30 members), suggesting their roles as major wood formation regulators. Group 1 TFs include a lateral organ boundary domain gene (LBD) that has the highest number of positively correlated cell wall component genes (36) and TFs (47). The group 2 TFs have 57 members, including 14 vessel-specific TFs, and are generally less correlated with the cell wall component genes. An exception is a vessel-specific basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene that negatively correlates with 20 cell wall component genes, and may function as a key transcriptional suppressor. The co-expression networks revealed here suggest a well-structured transcriptional homeostasis for cell wall component biosynthesis during wood formation.

Prox1 Regulates the Subtype-Specific Development of Caudal Ganglionic Eminence-Derived GABAergic Cortical Interneurons

PubMed Central

Young, Allison; Petros, Timothy; Karayannis, Theofanis; McKenzie Chang, Melissa; Lavado, Alfonso; Iwano, Tomohiko; Nakajima, Miho; Taniguchi, Hiroki; Huang, Z. Josh; Heintz, Nathaniel; Oliver, Guillermo; Matsuzaki, Fumio; Machold, Robert P.

2015-01-01

Neurogliaform (RELN+) and bipolar (VIP+) GABAergic interneurons of the mammalian cerebral cortex provide critical inhibition locally within the superficial layers. While these subtypes are known to originate from the embryonic caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE), the specific genetic programs that direct their positioning, maturation, and integration into the cortical network have not been elucidated. Here, we report that in mice expression of the transcription factor Prox1 is selectively maintained in postmitotic CGE-derived cortical interneuron precursors and that loss of Prox1 impairs the integration of these cells into superficial layers. Moreover, Prox1 differentially regulates the postnatal maturation of each specific subtype originating from the CGE (RELN, Calb2/VIP, and VIP). Interestingly, Prox1 promotes the maturation of CGE-derived interneuron subtypes through intrinsic differentiation programs that operate in tandem with extrinsically driven neuronal activity-dependent pathways. Thus Prox1 represents the first identified transcription factor specifically required for the embryonic and postnatal acquisition of CGE-derived cortical interneuron properties. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Despite the recognition that 30% of GABAergic cortical interneurons originate from the caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE), to date, a specific transcriptional program that selectively regulates the development of these populations has not yet been identified. Moreover, while CGE-derived interneurons display unique patterns of tangential and radial migration and preferentially populate the superficial layers of the cortex, identification of a molecular program that controls these events is lacking. Here, we demonstrate that the homeodomain transcription factor Prox1 is expressed in postmitotic CGE-derived cortical interneuron precursors and is maintained into adulthood. We found that Prox1 function is differentially required during both embryonic and postnatal stages of development to direct the migration, differentiation, circuit integration, and maintenance programs within distinct subtypes of CGE-derived interneurons. PMID:26377473

Mutant protein of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for receptor binding assay.

PubMed

Watanabe, M; Fukamachi, H; Uzumaki, H; Kabaya, K; Tsumura, H; Ishikawa, M; Matsuki, S; Kusaka, M

1991-05-15

A new mutant protein of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) was produced for the studies on receptors for human G-CSF. The mutant protein [(Tyr1, Tyr3]rhG-CSF), the biological activity of which was almost equal to that of rhG-CSF, was prepared by the replacement of threonine-1 and leucine-3 of rhG-CSF with tyrosine. The radioiodinated preparation of the mutant protein showed high specific radioactivity and retained full biological activity for at least 3 weeks. The binding capacity of the radioiodinated ligand was compared with that of [35S]rhG-CSF. Both radiolabeled ligands showed specific binding to murine bone marrow cells. Unlabeled rhG-CSF and human G-CSF purified from the culture supernatant of the human bladder carcinoma cell line 5637 equally competed for the binding of labeled rhG-CSFs in a dose-dependent manner, demonstrating that the sugar moiety of human G-CSF made no contribution to the binding of human G-CSF to target cells. In contrast, all other colony-stimulating factors and lymphokines examined did not affect the binding. Scatchard analysis of the specific binding of both labeled ligands revealed a single class of binding site with an apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of 20-30 pM and 100-200 maximal binding sites per cell. These data indicate that the radioiodinated preparation of the mutant protein binds the same specific receptor with the same affinity as [35S]rhG-CSF. The labeled mutant protein also showed specific binding to human circulating neutrophils.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Risk Factors in Preschool Children for Predicting Asthma During the Preschool Age and the Early School Age: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Bao, Yixia; Chen, Zhimin; Liu, Enmei; Xiang, Li; Zhao, Deyu; Hong, Jianguo

2017-11-18

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors of asthma among children < 6 years old (preschool age) for predicting asthma during the preschool age and early school age (≤ 10 years of age). MEDLINE, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched until June 30, 2017. Prospective or retrospective cohort and case-control studies were included. Studies had to have evaluated risk factors or a predictive model for developing asthma in children ≤ 6 years of age or persistent asthma in early school age. A total of 17 studies were included in the analysis. Factors associated with developing asthma in children ≤ 10 years of age (both pre-school and early school age) included male gender (pooled OR = 1.70, P < 0.001), atopic dermatitis (pooled OR = 2.02, P < 0.001), a family history of asthma (pooled OR = 2.20, P < 0.001), and serum IgE levels ≥ 60 kU/l or having specific IgE (pooled OR = 2.36, P < 0.001). A history of exposure to smoke or wheezing was also associated with persistent asthma in early school age (pooled OR = 1.51, P = 0.030 and pooled OR = 2.59, P < 0.001, respectively). In general, asthma predictive models (e.g., API, PIAMA, PAPS) had relatively low sensitivity (range, 21% to 71.4%) but high specificity (range, 69% to 98%). The study found that male gender, exposure to smoke, atopic dermatitis, family history of asthma, history of wheezing, and serum IgE level ≥ 60 kU/l or having specific IgE were significantly associated with developing asthma by either preschool or early school age. Asthma predictive models can be developed by those risk factors.

Control of main risk factors after ischaemic stroke across Europe: data from the stroke-specific module of the EUROASPIRE III survey.

PubMed

Heuschmann, Peter U; Kircher, Julia; Nowe, Tim; Dittrich, Ralf; Reiner, Zeljko; Cifkova, Renata; Malojcic, Branko; Mayer, Otto; Bruthans, Jan; Wloch-Kopec, Dorota; Prugger, Christof; Heidrich, Jan; Keil, Ulrich

2015-10-01

Previous cross-sectional surveys in different European countries within the EUROASPIRE programme demonstrated a high prevalence of modifiable risk factors, unhealthy lifestyles and inadequate drug treatment in coronary heart disease patients. Comparable data for ischaemic stroke patients is lacking. A stroke-specific study module was added to the EUROASPIRE III core survey. This cross-sectional multicentre survey included consecutive patients with first-ever ischaemic stroke from four European countries. Data were obtained from medical records, patient interviews and patient examinations within 6-36 months after the stroke event. Control of modifiable risk factors after stroke was evaluated against contemporary European guidelines. A total of 881 patients was recruited. Median age was 66 years, 37.5% were female; average time from the stroke event to interview was 550 days. At the time of the interview, 17.6% of stroke patients smoked cigarettes, 35.5% had a body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2), 62.4% showed elevated blood pressure and 75.7% exhibited elevated LDL cholesterol levels. Antiplatelet drugs or oral anticoagulants were used by 87.2%, antihypertensive medication by 84.4% and statins by 56.8% of stroke patients. Among patients using antihypertensive drugs and lipid-lowering medication at the time of the interview, 34.3% and 34.4%, respectively, achieved target blood pressure and total cholesterol values according to current European guidelines. The EUROASPIRE III stroke-specific module shows that secondary prevention and risk factor control in patients after ischaemic stroke need to be improved in four European centres at the time of the study since about half of patients are not achieving risk factor targets defined in European guidelines. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014.

[Measuring job satisfaction: development of a multidimensional scale].

PubMed

Faraci, Palmira; Valenti, Giusy

2016-01-01

Although numerous studies have been done on the topic ofjob satisfaction, as regards the Italian research, the construction of specific psychometric instruments is lacking. The present paper is aimed to develop a scale to measure job satisfaction referring to our cultural context. Participants were 222 workers (36.5% males, 63.5% females) with an average age of 38.39 years (SD = 10.91). The formulated items were selected from a large item pool on the basis of the evaluation by a group of expert judges, and the item analysis procedure. In order to establish test validity, the following instruments were also administered: Occupational Stress Indicator, Satisfaction With Life Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Beck Depression Inventory. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses highlighted a 6-factor structure. Those factors were responsible for 51.30% of the total variance. Reliability analyses indicated satisfying internal consistency (ranging from alpha = .73 to alpha = .86). Construct validity was supported by results obtained calculating correlations with the theoretically associated variables. Our findings suggest promising psychometric properties for the presented measure. The instrument could be used in specific programs developed to promote well-being conditions in work settings.

Obesity and the association with maternal mental health symptoms.

PubMed

Ruhstaller, Kelly E; Elovitz, Michal A; Stringer, Marilyn; Epperson, C Neill; Durnwald, Celeste P

2017-08-01

To evaluate the association between maternal obesity and mood disorders including depression, anxiety, stress, and pregnancy-specific stress during pregnancy. This was a planned secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study investigating factors associated with preterm delivery. The cohort included women who initiated prenatal care before 20 weeks with a singleton pregnancy. Maternal mental health was assessed using four standard psychosocial behavioral measures to screen for depression, pregnancy-specific stress, anxiety, and stress. Screen positive scores for each tool were established based on previously published "high" scores. Of the 1010 women included in the cohort, 355 (35.1%) were obese. There was no significant difference in the number of obese women with stress (64.2% versus 68.4%, p = 0.18), pregnancy-specific stress (26.2% versus 22.1%, p = 0.15), or anxiety (38.6% versus 41.2%, p = 0.42); however, a greater number of obese women did report symptoms consistent with major depression when compared to women with BMIs <30 (30.4% versus 21.2%, p < 0.01). Obese women had higher rates of depression in early pregnancy compared to nonobese women. As many of the health behavior interventions for obese women during pregnancy have proven ineffective, incorporating depression screening and treatment into prenatal care may improve perinatal outcomes.

Identification of a functional element in the promoter of the silkworm (Bombyx mori) fat body-specific gene Bmlp3.

PubMed

Xu, Hanfu; Deng, Dangjun; Yuan, Lin; Wang, Yuancheng; Wang, Feng; Xia, Qingyou

2014-08-01

30K proteins are a group of structurally related proteins that play important roles in the life cycle of the silkworm Bombyx mori and are largely synthesized and regulated in a time-dependent manner in the fat body. Little is known about the upstream regulatory elements associated with the genes encoding these proteins. In the present study, the promoter of Bmlp3, a fat body-specific gene encoding a 30K protein family member, was characterized by joining sequences containing the Bmlp3 promoter with various amounts of 5' upstream sequences to a luciferase reporter gene. The results indicated that the sequences from -150 to -250bp and -597 to -675bp upstream of the Bmlp3 transcription start site were necessary for high levels of luciferase activity. Further analysis showed that a 21-bp sequence located between -230 and -250 was specifically recognized by nuclear factors from silkworm fat bodies and BmE cells, and could enhance luciferase reporter-gene expression 2.8-fold in BmE cells. This study provides new insights into the Bmlp3 promoter and contributes to the further clarification of the function and developmental regulation of Bmlp3. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Simultaneous expression of tissue factor and tissue factor pathway inhibitor by human monocytes. A potential mechanism for localized control of blood coagulation

PubMed Central

1994-01-01

Cells of monocytic lineage can initiate extravascular fibrin deposition via expression of blood coagulation mediators. This report is about experiments on three mechanisms with the potential to modulate monocyte- initiated coagulation. Monocyte procoagulant activity was examined as a function of lipid cofactor, protein cofactor, and specific inhibitor expression during short-term culture in vitro. Lipid cofactor activity was measured as the initial rate of factor X activation by intrinsic- pathway components, the assembly of which depends on this cofactor. Lipid cofactor activity levels changed by < 30% during 48-h culture. Protein cofactor, i.e., tissue factor (TF) antigen was measured by enzyme immunoassay. It increased from 461 pg/ml to a maximum value of 3,550 pg/ml at 24 h and remained at 70% of this value. Specific TF activity, measured as factor VII-dependent factor X activation rate, decreased from 54 to 18 nM FXa/min between 24 and 48 h. TF activity did not correlate well with either lipid cofactor or TF protein levels. In contrast, the decrease in TF activity coincided in time with maximal expression of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) mRNA, which was determined using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR), and with maximal TFPI protein levels measured by immunoassay. The number of mRNA copies coding for TFPI and TF in freshly isolated blood monocytes were 46 and 20 copies/cells, respectively. These values increased to 220 and 63 copies/cell during short-term cell culture in the presence of endotoxin. Results demonstrate concomitant expression by monocytes of genes coding for both the essential protein cofactor and the specific inhibitor of the extrinsic coagulation pathway. Together with functional and antigenic analyses, they also imply that the initiation of blood clotting by extravascular monocyte/macrophages can be modulated locally by TFPI independently of plasma sources of the inhibitor. PMID:8195712

Factoring socioeconomic status into cardiac performance profiling for hospitals: does it matter?

PubMed

Alter, David A; Austin, Peter C; Naylor, C David; Tu, Jack V

2002-01-01

Critics of "scorecard medicine" often highlight the incompleteness of risk-adjustment methods used when accounting for baseline patient differences. Although socioeconomic status is a highly important determinant of adverse outcome for patients admitted to the hospital with acute myocardial infarction, it has not been used in most risk-adjustment models for cardiovascular report cards. To determine the incremental impact of socioeconomic status adjustments on age, sex, and illness severity for hospital-specific 30-day mortality rates after acute myocardial infarction. The authors compared the absolute and relative hospital-specific 30-day acute myocardial infarction mortality rates in 169 hospitals throughout Ontario between April 1, 1994 and March 31, 1997. Patient socioeconomic status was characterized by median neighborhood income using postal codes and 1996 Canadian census data. They examined two risk-adjustment models: the first adjusted for age, sex, and illness severity (standard), whereas the second adjusted for age, sex, illness severity, and median neighborhood income level (socioeconomic status). There was an extremely strong correlation between 'standard' and 'socioeconomic status' risk-adjusted mortality rates (r = 0.99). Absolute differences in 30-day risk-adjusted mortality rates between the socioeconomic status and standard risk-adjustment models were small (median, 0.1%; 25th-75th percentile, 0.1-0.2). The agreement in the quintile rankings of hospitals between the socioeconomic status and standard risk-adjustment models was high (weighted kappa = 0.93). Despite its importance as a determinant of patient outcomes, the effect of socioeconomic status on hospital-specific mortality rates over and above standard risk-adjustment methods for acute myocardial infarction hospital profiling in Ontario was negligible.

Cytokeratin-18 in Diagnosis of HCC in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

PubMed

Ismail, Saber A; El Saadany, Sherif; Ziada, Dina H; Zakaria, Soha S; Mayah, Wael W; Elashry, Heba; Arafa, Mona; Elmashad, Nehal

2017-04-01

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy that occurs secondary to viral hepatitis B and C cirrhosis under the influence of environmental factors. In early stages, clinical diagnosis is often difficult and distinguishing HCC from cirrhosis and other hepatic masses by conventional tests is frequently not feasible. Physicians usually depend on measuring serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), but this marker has low sensitivity and specificity. The aim of this research was to determine any role of serum cytokeratin-18(Ck-18) as a marker for diagnosis of HCC in patients with liver cirrhosis. Patients and methods: We used ELISA to measure the serum levels of AFP and CK 18 in 60 Egyptian patients (30 cirrhotic and 30 with HCC) and 30 controls. Results: The Ck-18 level was significantly elevated in the HCC group (1247.8± 105.3U/L) when compared to the liver cirrhosis (834.1± 38.8 U/L) and control groups (265.2±83.1U/L). Ck-18 as a marker showed 95.6% sensitivity, 93.3% specificity and 98.8% accuracy. The mean serum AFP was 4901.4±2185.8ng/ml in the HCC group, 100.7±71.7 ng/ml in the cirrhotic group, and 4.0±1.2ng/ ml in controls. AFP showed 55. 7% sensitivity, 97. 7% specificity and 84.4% accuracy. Combined use of both Ck-18 and AFP improved the sensitivity to 98%. Conclusion: Serum cytokeratin-18 level can be used as a diagnostic biomarker for HCC with a higher sensitivity than AFP. Creative Commons Attribution License

Cytokeratin-18 in Diagnosis of HCC in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

PubMed Central

Ismail, Saber A; Saadany, Sherif El; Ziada, Dina H; Zakaria, Soha S; Mayah, Wael W; Elashry, Heba; Arafa, Mona; Elmashad, Nehal

2017-01-01

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy that occurs secondary to viral hepatitis B and C cirrhosis under the influence of environmental factors. In early stages, clinical diagnosis is often difficult and distinguishing HCC from cirrhosis and other hepatic masses by conventional tests is frequently not feasible. Physicians usually depend on measuring serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), but this marker has low sensitivity and specificity. The aim of this research was to determine any role of serum cytokeratin-18(Ck-18) as a marker for diagnosis of HCC in patients with liver cirrhosis. Patients and methods: We used ELISA to measure the serum levels of AFP and CK 18 in 60 Egyptian patients (30 cirrhotic and 30 with HCC) and 30 controls. Results: The Ck-18 level was significantly elevated in the HCC group (1247.8± 105.3U/L) when compared to the liver cirrhosis (834.1± 38.8 U/L) and control groups (265.2±83.1U/L). Ck-18 as a marker showed 95.6% sensitivity, 93.3% specificity and 98.8% accuracy. The mean serum AFP was 4901.4±2185.8ng/ml in the HCC group, 100.7±71.7 ng/ml in the cirrhotic group, and 4.0±1.2ng/ml in controls. AFP showed 55. 7% sensitivity, 97. 7% specificity and 84.4% accuracy. Combined use of both Ck-18 and AFP improved the sensitivity to 98%. Conclusion: Serum cytokeratin-18 level can be used as a diagnostic biomarker for HCC with a higher sensitivity than AFP. PMID:28547948

A Bayesian hierarchical approach to comparative audit for carotid surgery.

PubMed

Kuhan, G; Marshall, E C; Abidia, A F; Chetter, I C; McCollum, P T

2002-12-01

the aim of this study was to illustrate how a Bayesian hierarchical modelling approach can aid the reliable comparison of outcome rates between surgeons. retrospective analysis of prospective and retrospective data. binary outcome data (death/stroke within 30 days), together with information on 15 possible risk factors specific for CEA were available on 836 CEAs performed by four vascular surgeons from 1992-99. The median patient age was 68 (range 38-86) years and 60% were men. the model was developed using the WinBUGS software. After adjusting for patient-level risk factors, a cross-validatory approach was adopted to identify "divergent" performance. A ranking exercise was also carried out. the overall observed 30-day stroke/death rate was 3.9% (33/836). The model found diabetes, stroke and heart disease to be significant risk factors. There was no significant difference between the predicted and observed outcome rates for any surgeon (Bayesian p -value>0.05). Each surgeon had a median rank of 3 with associated 95% CI 1.0-5.0, despite the variability of observed stroke/death rate from 2.9-4.4%. After risk adjustment, there was very little residual between-surgeon variability in outcome rate. Bayesian hierarchical models can help to accurately quantify the uncertainty associated with surgeons' performance and rank.

The processivity factor complex of feline herpes virus-1 is a new drug target.

PubMed

Zhukovskaya, Natalia L; Guan, Hancheng; Saw, Yih Ling; Nuth, Manunya; Ricciardi, Robert P

2015-03-01

Feline herpes virus-1 (FHV-1) is ubiquitous in the cat population and is a major cause of blindness for which antiviral drugs, including acyclovir, are not completely effective. Recurrent infections, due to reactivation of latent FHV-1 residing in the trigeminal ganglia, can lead to epithelial keratitis and stromal keratitis and eventually loss of sight. This has prompted the medical need for an antiviral drug that will specifically inhibit FHV-1 infection. A new antiviral target is the DNA polymerase and its associated processivity factor, which forms a complex that is essential for extended DNA strand synthesis. In this study we have cloned and expressed the FHV-1 DNA polymerase (f-UL30) and processivity factor (f-UL42) and demonstrated that both proteins are required to completely synthesize the 7249 nucleotide full-length DNA from the M13 primed-DNA template in vitro. Significantly, a known inhibitor of human herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) processivity complex was shown to inhibit FHV-1 processive DNA synthesis in vitro and block infection of cells. This validates using f-UL42/f-UL30 as a new antiviral drug target to treat feline ocular herpes infection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mild pulmonary emphysema a risk factor for interstitial lung disease when using cetuximab for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

PubMed

Okamoto, Isaku; Tsukahara, Kiyoaki; Sato, Hiroki; Motohashi, Ray; Yunaiyama, Daisuke; Shimizu, Akira

2017-12-01

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an occasionally fatal adverse event associated with cetuximab (Cmab) therapy. Our objective was to clarify to what degree pulmonary emphysema is a risk factor in the treatment of head and neck cancer with Cmab through a retrospective analysis. Subjects were 116 patients who were administered Cmab for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The degree of pulmonary emphysema before initiating treatment with Cmab was visually assessed retrospectively, with scoring according to the Goddard classification used in Japanese chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) guidelines for chest computed tomography (CT). Scoring was conducted by two diagnostic radiologists and mean scores were used. Cutoffs for the development and nondevelopment of ILD were examined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Fisher's exact test. Values of p < .05 were considered to indicate a significant difference. Among the 116 patients, 11 (9.5%) developed ILD, and 105 (90.5%) did not. In ROC analysis, the optimal Goddard score cut-off of <3.0 offered 55% sensitivity and 81% specificity (p = .015). With a cutoff of <3.0, even very mild pulmonary emphysema would represent a risk factor for ILD when using Cmab.

Immuno-PET Imaging of CD30-Positive Lymphoma Using 89Zr-Desferrioxamine-Labeled CD30-Specific AC-10 Antibody.

PubMed

Rylova, Svetlana N; Del Pozzo, Luigi; Klingeberg, Cathrin; Tönnesmann, Roswitha; Illert, Anna L; Meyer, Philipp T; Maecke, Helmut R; Holland, Jason P

2016-01-01

The CD30-specific antibody-drug conjugate, brentuximab vedotin, is approved for the treatment of relapsed, refractory Hodgkin lymphomas and systemic anaplastic large T-cell lymphomas. Multiple ongoing clinical trials are investigating brentuximab vedotin efficacy in other CD30-positive hematologic malignancies. Because CD30 expression varies among different types of lymphoma and can also change during the course of treatment, companion diagnostic imaging of CD30 could be a valuable tool in optimizing patient-specific brentuximab vedotin treatment regimens. The mouse antihuman CD30 antibody AC-10 was radiolabeled with the positron-emitting radionuclide (89)Zr. The stability and specificity of (89)Zr-desferrioxamine (DFO)-labeled CD30-specific AC-10 antibody ((89)Zr-DFO-AC-10) was evaluated in vitro. The pharmacokinetics of (89)Zr-DFO-AC-10 was studied in BALB/c nude mice bearing subcutaneous human Karpas 299 tumors (CD30-positive model) or A-431 tumors (CD30-negative model) using PET/CT imaging, biodistribution studies, and autoradiography. AC-10 was conjugated with a DFO B chelator and radiolabeled with (89)Zr to give formulated (89)Zr-DFO-AC-10 with a radiochemical yield of 80%, radiochemical purity greater than 99%, and specific activity of 111-148 MBq/mg. (89)Zr-DFO-AC-10 was stable in mouse and human sera and preserved the immunoreactivity toward CD30. Biodistribution data showed the highest tissue accumulation of (89)Zr-DFO-AC-10 in CD30-positive tumors, with 37.9% ± 8.2% injected activity per gram of tissue at 72 h after injection, whereas uptake in CD30-negative tumors was 11.0% ± 0.4%. The specificity of (89)Zr-DFO-AC-10 binding to CD30 in vivo was confirmed by blocking studies. Time-activity curves showed that between 24 and 144 h after injection, tumor-to-muscle ratios increased from 18.9 to 51.8 in the CD30-positive model and from 4.8 to 8.7 in the CD30-negative model. Tumor-to-blood ratios also increased, from 3.2 to 13.6 and from 1 to 2 in the CD30-positive and -negative models, respectively. Our results demonstrate that for measuring CD30 expression, (89)Zr-DFO-AC-10 is a sensitive PET agent with high tumor-to-normal-tissue contrast. (89)Zr-DFO-AC-10 is a promising CD30-imaging radiotracer for clinical translation in patients with various lymphomas and other diseases. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Modeling genetic and environmental factors to increase heritability and ease the identification of candidate genes for birth weight: a twin study.

PubMed

Gielen, M; Lindsey, P J; Derom, C; Smeets, H J M; Souren, N Y; Paulussen, A D C; Derom, R; Nijhuis, J G

2008-01-01

Heritability estimates of birth weight have been inconsistent. Possible explanations are heritability changes during gestational age or the influence of covariates (e.g. chorionicity). The aim of this study was to model birth weights of twins across gestational age and to quantify the genetic and environmental components. We intended to reduce the common environmental variance to increase heritability and thereby the chance of identifying candidate genes influencing the genetic variance of birth weight. Perinatal data were obtained from 4232 live-born twin pairs from the East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey, Belgium. Heritability of birth weights across gestational ages was estimated using a non-linear multivariate Gaussian regression with covariates in the means model and in covariance structure. Maternal, twin-specific, and placental factors were considered as covariates. Heritability of birth weight decreased during gestation from 25 to 42 weeks. However, adjusting for covariates increased the heritability over this time period, with the highest heritability for first-born twins of multipara with separate placentas, who were staying alive (from 52% at 25 weeks to 30% at 42 weeks). Twin-specific factors revealed latent genetic components, whereas placental factors explained common and unique environmental factors. The number of placentas and site of the insertion of the umbilical cord masked the effect of chorionicity. Modeling genetic and environmental factors leads to a better estimate of their role in growth during gestation. For birth weight, mainly environmental factors were explained, resulting in an increase of the heritability and thereby the chance of finding genes influencing birth weight in linkage and association studies.

Which aspects of functioning are relevant for patients with ankylosing spondylitis: results of focus group interviews.

PubMed

Boonen, Annelies; van Berkel, Monique; Cieza, Alarcos; Stucki, Gerold; van der Heijde, Désirée

2009-11-01

To investigate whether concepts important to patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are covered by disease-specific self-report health status instruments. A qualitative focus group study was conducted with AS patients on problems in daily functioning. Group sessions with 4 to 5 patients each were organized up to the point that no new information was brought forward. Group sessions were tape-recorded, transcribed, and divided into meaning units. Concepts contained in the meaning units were extracted. Self-report instruments on health status specific for AS were identified in a literature search. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a common reference, it was determined whether the concepts identified in the focus groups were covered by the instruments. Nineteen patients participated in 4 focus group interviews. In total, 332 unique meaning units were linked to 90 second-level ICF categories, of which 25 referred to body functions, 10 to body structures, 35 to activities and participation and 30 to environmental factors. In addition, several concepts relating to personal factors were identified. Only 47 categories were also covered by one of the self-report instruments in AS. Only a minority of concepts addressed by the AS-specific questionnaires were not revealed as relevant in the interviews. Relevant aspects of the influence of AS are not covered by the classic disease-specific instruments. In particular, the influence of AS on socializing and leisure and the relevance of environmental and personal factors are not adequately assessed by available instruments.

Structural Basis for Suppression of a Host Antiviral Response by Influenza A Virus

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

Das,K.; Ma, L.; Xiao, R.

2008-01-01

Influenza A viruses are responsible for seasonal epidemics and high mortality pandemics. A major function of the viral NS1A protein, a virulence factor, is the inhibition of the production of IFN-{beta}{beta} mRNA and other antiviral mRNAs. The NS1A protein of the human influenza A/Udorn/72 (Ud) virus inhibits the production of these antiviral mRNAs by binding the cellular 30-kDa subunit of the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF30), which is required for the 3' end processing of all cellular pre-mRNAs. Here we report the 1.95- Angstroms resolution X-ray crystal structure of the complex formed between the second and third zinc fingermore » domain (F2F3) of CPSF30 and the C-terminal domain of the Ud NS1A protein. The complex is a tetramer, in which each of two F2F3 molecules wraps around two NS1A effector domains that interact with each other head-to-head. This structure identifies a CPSF30 binding pocket on NS1A comprised of amino acid residues that are highly conserved among human influenza A viruses. Single amino acid changes within this binding pocket eliminate CPSF30 binding, and a recombinant Ud virus expressing an NS1A protein with such a substitution is attenuated and does not inhibit IFN-{beta} pre-mRNA processing. This binding pocket is a potential target for antiviral drug development. The crystal structure also reveals that two amino acids outside of this pocket, F103 and M106, which are highly conserved (>99%) among influenza A viruses isolated from humans, participate in key hydrophobic interactions with F2F3 that stabilize the complex.« less

[An instrument in Spanish to evaluate the performance of clinical teachers by students].

PubMed

Bitran, Marcela; Mena, Beltrán; Riquelme, Arnoldo; Padilla, Oslando; Sánchez, Ignacio; Moreno, Rodrigo

2010-06-01

The modernization of clinical teaching has called for the creation of faculty development programs, and the design of suitable instruments to evaluate clinical teachers' performance. To report the development and validation of an instrument in Spanish designed to measure the students' perceptions of their clinical teachers' performance and to provide them with feedback to improve their teaching practices. In a process that included the active participation of authorities, professors in charge of courses and internships, clinical teachers, students and medical education experts, we developed a 30-item questionnaire called MEDUC30 to evaluate the performance of clinical teachers by their students. The internal validity was assessed by factor analysis of 5214 evaluations of 265 teachers, gathered from 2004 to 2007. The reliability was measured with the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the generalizability coefficient (g). MEDUC30 had good content and construct validity. Its internal structure was compatible with four factors: patient-centered teaching, teaching skills, assessment skills and learning climate, and it proved to be consistent with the structure anticipated by the theory. The scores were highly reliable (Cronbach's alpha: 0.97); five evaluations per teacher were sufficient to reach a reliability coefficient (g) of 0.8. MEDUC30 is a valid, reliable and useful instrument to evaluate the performance of clinical teachers. To our knowledge, this is the first instrument in Spanish for which solid validity and reliability evidences have been reported. We hope that MEDUC30 will be used to improve medical education in Spanish-speaking medical schools, providing teachers a specific feedback upon which to improve their pedagogical practice, and authorities with valuable information for the assessment of their faculty.

Specific and combined subjective responses to noise and their association with cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Vandasova, Zdenka; Vencálek, Ondřej; Puklová, Vladimíra

2016-01-01

Noise is one of the most extensive environmental factors affecting the general population. The present study is focused on the association between discomfort caused by noise and the incidence of certain diseases (ischaemic heart disease, stroke and hypertension). This cross-sectional questionnaire study, conducted in 10 cities in the Czech Republic, comprises two stages with 3592 obtained questionnaires in the first phase and 762 in the second phase. Twelve variables describe subjective responses to noise from different sources at different times of day. The intensity of the associations between variables was measured by correlation coefficient. Logistic regression was used for fitting models of morbidity, and confounders such as age and socio-economic status were included. The hypotheses from the first phase were independently validated using data from the second phase. The general rates of noise annoyance/sleep disturbance had greater correlation with traffic noise variables than with neighbourhood noise variables. Factors significantly associated with diseases are: for hypertension - annoyance by traffic noise (the elderly, odds ratio (OR) 1.4) and sleep disturbance by traffic and neighbourhood noise (the elderly, OR 1.6); for ischaemic heart disease - the general rate of noise annoyance (all respondents, OR 1.5 and the adults 30-60 years, OR 1.8) and the general rate of annoyance and sleep disturbance (all respondents, OR 1.3); for stroke - annoyance and sleep disturbance by traffic and neighbourhood noise (all respondents, OR 1.8). Factors that include multiple sources of noise or non-specific noise are associated with the studied diseases more frequently than the source-specific factors.

GPER Mediates Non-Genomic Effects of Estrogen.

PubMed

Pupo, Marco; Maggiolini, Marcello; Musti, Anna Maria

2016-01-01

Estrogens are important modulators of a broad spectrum of physiological functions in humans. However, despite their beneficial actions, a number of lines of evidence correlate the sustained exposure to exogenous estrogen with increased risk of the onset of various cancers. Mainly these steroid hormones induce their effects by binding and activating estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ). These receptors belong to the family of ligand-regulated transcription factors, and upon activation they regulate the expression of different target genes by binding directly to specific DNA sequences. On the other hand, in recent years it has become clear that the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 30 (GPR30/GPER) is able to mediate non-genomic action of estrogens in different cell contexts. In particular, GPER has been shown to specifically bind estrogens, and in turn to functionally cross-react with diverse cell signaling systems such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway, the Notch signaling pathway and the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway. In this chapter we will present some of the different experimental techniques currently used to demonstrate the functional role of GPER in mediating non-genomic actions of estrogens, such as the dual luciferase assay, assessment of the involvement of GPER in the stimulation of cell migration in breast cancer cell lines and in cancer-associated fibroblasts, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Overall, the experimental procedures described herein represent key instruments for assessing the biological role of GPER in mediating non-genomic signals of estrogen.

Factors influencing wound dehiscence.

PubMed

Riou, J P; Cohen, J R; Johnson, H

1992-03-01

Thirty-one abdominal fascial wound dehiscences occurred in 2,761 patients undergoing major abdominal surgery during a 5-year period (1%). Twenty-two specific local and systemic risk factors were analyzed and compared with the risk factors of a control group of 38 patients undergoing similar procedures without dehiscence. Through multivariate analysis, each factor was assessed as an independent statistical variable. Significant factors (p less than 0.05) were found to include age over 65, wound infection, pulmonary disease, hemodynamic instability, and ostomies in the incision. Additional systemic risk factors that were found to be significant included hypoproteinemia, systemic infection, obesity, uremia, hyperalimentation, malignancy, ascites, steroid use, and hypertension. Risk factors not found to be important independent variables included sex, type of incision, type of closure, foreign body in the wound, anemia, jaundice, and diabetes. When dehiscence and control groups were combined, 30% of patients with at least five significant risk factors developed dehiscence, and all the patients with more than eight risk factors developed a wound dehiscence. There was an overall mortality of 29%, which was directly related to the number of significant risk factors. The co-existence of 9 risk factors portended death in one third of the patients, and all the patients with more than 10 risk factors died.

A Review on Platelet Activating Factor Inhibitors: Could a New Class of Potent Metal-Based Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Induce Anticancer Properties?

PubMed Central

Lagopati, Nefeli; Tsilibary, Effie C.

2017-01-01

In this minireview, we refer to recent results as far as the Platelet Activating Factor (PAF) inhibitors are concerned. At first, results of organic compounds (natural and synthetic ones and specific and nonspecific) as inhibitors of PAF are reported. Emphasis is given on recent results about a new class of the so-called metal-based inhibitors of PAF. A small library of 30 metal complexes has been thus created; their anti-inflammatory activity has been further evaluated owing to their inhibitory effect against PAF in washed rabbit platelets (WRPs). In addition, emphasis has also been placed on the identification of preliminary structure-activity relationships for the different classes of metal-based inhibitors. PMID:28458618

Factors affecting the activity of guanylate cyclase in lysates of human blood platelets.

PubMed Central

Adams, A F; Haslam, R J

1978-01-01

1. Under optimal ionic conditions (4 mM-MnCl2) the specific activity of guanylate cyclase in fresh platelet lysates was about 10nmol of cyclic GMP formed/20 min per mg of protein at 30 degrees C. Activity was 15% of optimum with 10mM-MgCl2 and negligible with 4mM-CaCl2. Synergism between MnCl2 and MgCl2 or CaCl2 was observed when [MnCl2] less than or equal to [GPT]. 2. Lower than optimal specific activities were obtained in assays containing large volumes of platelet lysate, owing to the presence of inhibitory factors that could be removed by ultrafiltration. Adenine nucleotides accounted for less than 50% of the inhibitory activity. 3. Preincubation of lysate for 1 h at 30 degrees C increased the specific activity of platelet guanylate cyclase by about 2-fold. 4. Lubrol PX (1%, w/v) stimulated guanylate cyclase activity by 3--5-fold before preincubation and by about 2-fold after preincubation. Triton X-100 was much less effective. 5. Dithiothreitol inhibited the guanylate cyclase activity of untreated, preincubated and Lubrol PX-treated lysates and prevented activation by preincubation provided that it was added beforehand. 6. Oleate stimulated guanylate cyclase activity 3--4-fold and arachidonate 2--3-fold, whereas palmitate was almost inactive. Pretreatment of lysate with indomethacin did not inhibit this effect of arachidonate. Oleate and arachidonate caused marked stimulation of guanylate cyclase in preincubated lysate, but inhibited the enzyme in Lubrol PX-treated lysate. 7. NaN3 (10mM) increased guanylate cyclase activity by up to 7-fold; this effect was both time- and temperature-dependent. NaN3 did not further activate the enzyme in Lubrol PX-treated lysate. 8. The results indicated that preincubation, Lubrol PX, fatty acids and NaN3 activated platelet guanylate cyclase by different mechanisms. 9. Platelet particulate fractions contained no guanylate cyclase activity detectable in the presence or absence of Lubrol PX that could not be accounted for by contaminating soluble enzyme, suggesting that physiological aggregating agents may increase cyclic GMP in intact platelets through the effects of intermediary factors. The activated and inhibited states of the enzyme described in the present paper may be relevant to the actions of these factors. PMID:29607

Factors affecting the activity of guanylate cyclase in lysates of human blood platelets.

PubMed

Adams, A F; Haslam, R J

1978-07-15

1. Under optimal ionic conditions (4 mM-MnCl2) the specific activity of guanylate cyclase in fresh platelet lysates was about 10nmol of cyclic GMP formed/20 min per mg of protein at 30 degrees C. Activity was 15% of optimum with 10mM-MgCl2 and negligible with 4mM-CaCl2. Synergism between MnCl2 and MgCl2 or CaCl2 was observed when [MnCl2] less than or equal to [GPT]. 2. Lower than optimal specific activities were obtained in assays containing large volumes of platelet lysate, owing to the presence of inhibitory factors that could be removed by ultrafiltration. Adenine nucleotides accounted for less than 50% of the inhibitory activity. 3. Preincubation of lysate for 1 h at 30 degrees C increased the specific activity of platelet guanylate cyclase by about 2-fold. 4. Lubrol PX (1%, w/v) stimulated guanylate cyclase activity by 3--5-fold before preincubation and by about 2-fold after preincubation. Triton X-100 was much less effective. 5. Dithiothreitol inhibited the guanylate cyclase activity of untreated, preincubated and Lubrol PX-treated lysates and prevented activation by preincubation provided that it was added beforehand. 6. Oleate stimulated guanylate cyclase activity 3--4-fold and arachidonate 2--3-fold, whereas palmitate was almost inactive. Pretreatment of lysate with indomethacin did not inhibit this effect of arachidonate. Oleate and arachidonate caused marked stimulation of guanylate cyclase in preincubated lysate, but inhibited the enzyme in Lubrol PX-treated lysate. 7. NaN3 (10mM) increased guanylate cyclase activity by up to 7-fold; this effect was both time- and temperature-dependent. NaN3 did not further activate the enzyme in Lubrol PX-treated lysate. 8. The results indicated that preincubation, Lubrol PX, fatty acids and NaN3 activated platelet guanylate cyclase by different mechanisms. 9. Platelet particulate fractions contained no guanylate cyclase activity detectable in the presence or absence of Lubrol PX that could not be accounted for by contaminating soluble enzyme, suggesting that physiological aggregating agents may increase cyclic GMP in intact platelets through the effects of intermediary factors. The activated and inhibited states of the enzyme described in the present paper may be relevant to the actions of these factors.

[Sap flux density in response to rainfall pulses for Pinus tabuliformis and Hippophae rhamnoides from mixed plantation in hilly Loess Plateau].

PubMed

Lu, Sen Bao; Chen, Yun Ming; Tang, Ya Kun; Wu, Xu; Wen, Jie

2017-11-01

Thermal dissipation probe (TDP) was used to continuously measure the sap flux density (F d ) of Pinus tabuliformis and Hippophae rhamnoides individuals in hilly Loess Plateau, from June to October 2015, and the environmental factors, i.e., photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), water vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and soil water content (SWC), were simultaneously monitored to clarify the difference of rainfall utilization between the two tree species in a mixed plantation. Using the methods of a Threshold-delay model, stepwise multiple regression analyses, and partial correlation analyses, this paper studied the process of F d in these two species in response to the rainfall pulses and then determined the effects of environmental factors on F d . The results showed that, with the increase of rainfall, the response percentages of F d in both P. tabuliformis and H. rhamnoides increased at first but then decreased; specifically, in the range of 0-1 mm rainfall, the F d of P. tabuliformis (-16.3%) and H. rhamnoides (-6.3%) clearly decreased; in the range of 1-5 mm rainfall, the F d of P. tabuliformis decreased (-0.4%), whereas that of H. rhamnoides significantly increased (9.0%). The lower rainfall thresholds (R L ) of F d for P. tabuliformis and H. rhamnoides were 6.4 and 1.9 mm, respectively, with a corresponding time-lag (τ) of 1.96 and 1.67 days. In the pre-rainfall period, the peak time of F d of P. tabuliformis converged upon 12:00-12:30 (70%), while the F d of H. rhamnoides peaked twice, between 10:30 and 12:00 (48%) and again between 16:00 and 16:30 (30%). In the post-rainfall period, the peak time of F d of P. tabuliformis converged upon 11:00-13:00 (40%), while that of H. rhamnoides peaked twice, between 12:00 and 13:00 (52%) and again between 16:30 and 17:00 (24%). Among the environmental factors, the rank order of factors associated with the F d of both P. tabuliformis and H. rhamnoides was PAR>VPD, before rainfall. However, the rank order of factors influencing the F d of P. tabuliformis was PAR>VPD>0-20 cm SWC (SWC 0-20 ), whereas this order was different for H. rhamnoides: SWC 0-20 >PAR >VPD, after rainfall. This mixed plantation of P. tabuliformis and H. rhamnoides trees had a high stability of water utilization.

Spatially- explicit Fossil Fuel Carbon Dioxide Inventories for Transportation in the U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchins, M.; Gurney, K. R.

2016-12-01

The transportation sector is the second largest source of Fossil Fuel CO2 (FFCO2) emissions, and is unique in that federal, state, and municipal levels of government are all able to enact transportation policy. However, since data related to transportation activities are reported by multiple different government agencies, the data are not always consistent. As a result, the methods and data used to inventory and account for transportation related FFCO2 emissions have important implications for both science and policy. Aggregate estimates of transportation related FFCO2 emissions can be spatially distributed using traffic data, such as the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT). There are currently two datasets that estimate the spatial distribution of transportation related FFCO2 in the United States- Vulcan 3.0 and the Database of Road Transportation Emissions (DARTE). Both datasets are at 1 km resolution, for the year 2011, and utilize HPMS AADT traffic data. However, Vulcan 3.0 and DARTE spatially distribute emissions using different methods and inputs, resulting in a number of differences. Vulcan 3.0 and DARTE estimate national transportation related FFCO2 emissions within 2.5% of each other, with more significant differences at the county and state level. The differences are most notable in urban versus rural regions, and for specific road classes. The origin of these differences are explored in depth to understand the implication of using specific data sources, such as the National Emissions Inventory and other aggregate transportation statistics from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In addition to comparing Vulcan 3.0 and DARTE to each other, the results from both data sets are compared to independent traffic volume measurements acquired from the FHWA Continuous Count Station (CCS) network. The CCS records hourly traffic counts at fixed locations in space throughout the U.S. We calculate transportation related FFCO2 emissions at a CCS stations using fuel specific emissions factors combined with the raw traffic counts. The CCS network provides a unique opportunity to compare spatially explicit, "bottom-up" models of transportation related FFCO2 emissions to measured traffic volume at over 300 specific locations.

The gender identity/gender dysphoria questionnaire for adolescents and adults.

PubMed

Deogracias, Joseph J; Johnson, Laurel L; Meyer-Bahlburg, Heino F L; Kessler, Suzanne J; Schober, Justine M; Zucker, Kenneth J

2007-11-01

The present study reports on the construction of a dimensional measure of gender identity (gender dysphoria) for adolescents and adults. The 27-item gender identity/gender dysphoria questionnaire for adolescents and adults (GIDYQ-AA) was administered to 389 university students (heterosexual and nonheterosexual) and 73 clinic-referred patients with gender identity disorder. Principal axis factor analysis indicated that a one-factor solution, accounting for 61.3% of the total variance, best fits the data. Factor loadings were all >or= .30 (median, .82; range, .34-.96). A mean total score (Cronbach's alpha, .97) was computed, which showed strong evidence for discriminant validity in that the gender identity patients had significantly more gender dysphoria than both the heterosexual and nonheterosexual university students. Using a cut-point of 3.00, we found the sensitivity was 90.4% for the gender identity patients and specificity was 99.7% for the controls. The utility of the GIDYQ-AA is discussed.

The relations between parents' Big Five personality factors and parenting: a meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Prinzie, Peter; Stams, Geert Jan J M; Deković, Maja; Reijntjes, Albert H A; Belsky, Jay

2009-08-01

To investigate the association between Big Five personality factors and three dimensions of parenting-warmth, behavioral control, and autonomy support-the authors conducted meta-analyses using 5,853 parent-child dyads that were included in 30 studies. Effect sizes were significant and robust across mother and father reports and across assessment methods of parenting (self-report versus observations) but were generally small in magnitude. Higher levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more warmth and behavioral control, whereas higher levels of Agreeableness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more autonomy support. Several factors moderated the relationship between specific personality dimensions and parenting: child and parental age, reliability of observational assessment of parenting behavior, and study design. Taken together, these results indicate that personality can be seen as an inner resource that affects parenting.

27 CFR 30.24 - Specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Specific gravity... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS GAUGING MANUAL Gauging Instruments § 30.24 Specific gravity hydrometers. (a) The specific gravity hydrometers furnished by proprietors to appropriate TTB officers shall...

27 CFR 30.24 - Specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Specific gravity... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS GAUGING MANUAL Gauging Instruments § 30.24 Specific gravity hydrometers. (a) The specific gravity hydrometers furnished by proprietors to appropriate TTB officers shall...

27 CFR 30.24 - Specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Specific gravity... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL GAUGING MANUAL Gauging Instruments § 30.24 Specific gravity hydrometers. (a) The specific gravity hydrometers furnished by proprietors to appropriate TTB officers shall...

27 CFR 30.24 - Specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Specific gravity... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL GAUGING MANUAL Gauging Instruments § 30.24 Specific gravity hydrometers. (a) The specific gravity hydrometers furnished by proprietors to appropriate TTB officers shall...

Multivalent conjugates of basic fibroblast growth factor enhance in vitro proliferation and migration of endothelial cells.

PubMed

Zbinden, Aline; Browne, Shane; Altiok, Eda I; Svedlund, Felicia L; Jackson, Wesley M; Healy, Kevin E

2018-05-01

Growth factors hold great promise for regenerative therapies. However, their clinical use has been halted by poor efficacy and rapid clearance from tissue, necessitating the delivery of extremely high doses to achieve clinical effectiveness which has raised safety concerns. Thus, strategies to either enhance growth factor activity at low doses or to increase their residence time within target tissues are necessary for clinical success. In this study, we generated multivalent conjugates (MVCs) of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a key growth factor involved in angiogenesis and wound healing, to hyaluronic acid (HyA) polymer chains. Multivalent bFGF conjugates (mvbFGF) were fabricated with minimal non-specific interaction observed between bFGF and the HyA chain. The hydrodynamic radii of mvbFGF ranged from ∼50 to ∼75 nm for conjugation ratios of bFGF to HyA chains at low (10 : 1) and high (30 : 1) feed ratios, respectively. The mvbFGF demonstrated enhanced bioactivity compared to unconjugated bFGF in assays of cell proliferation and migration, processes critical to angiogenesis and tissue regeneration. The 30 : 1 mvbFGF outperformed the 10 : 1 conjugate, which could be due to either FGF receptor clustering or interference with receptor mediated internalization and signal deactivation. This study simultaneously investigated the role of both protein to polymer ratio and multivalent conjugate size on their bioactivity, and determined that increasing the protein-to-polymer ratio and conjugate size resulted in greater cell bioactivity.

How important are dual economy effects for aggregate productivity?

PubMed Central

Vollrath, Dietrich

2013-01-01

This paper brings together development accounting techniques and the dual economy model to address the role that factor markets have in creating variation in aggregate total factor productivity (TFP). Development accounting research has shown that much of the variation in income across countries can be attributed to differences in TFP. The dual economy model suggests that aggregate productivity is depressed by having too many factors allocated to low productivity work in agriculture. Data show large differences in marginal products of similar factors within many developing countries, offering prima facie evidence of this misallocation. Using a simple two-sector decomposition of the economy, this article estimates the role of these misallocations in accounting for the cross-country income distribution. A key contribution is the ability to bring sector-specific data on human and physical capital stocks to the analysis. Variation across countries in the degree of misallocation is shown to account for 30–40% of the variation in income per capita, and up to 80% of the variation in aggregate TFP. PMID:23946553

Insights in the Fruit Flesh Browning Mechanisms in Solanum melongena Genetic Lines with Opposite Postcut Behavior.

PubMed

Docimo, T; Francese, G; De Palma, M; Mennella, D; Toppino, L; Lo Scalzo, R; Mennella, G; Tucci, M

2016-06-08

Color, taste, flavor, nutritional value, and shelf life are important factors determining quality and healthiness of food and vegetables. These factors are strongly affected by browning processes, occurring after fruit or vegetable cutting. Characterization of ten eggplant genotypes for chlorogenic acid (CGA) content, total phenols (TP), polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity, and browning tendency corroborated a lack of significant correlations between biochemical factors and fruit flesh browning. Further in-depth molecular and biochemical analyses of two divergent eggplant genetic lines, AM199 (high browning) and AM086 (low browning), within 30 min from cutting, highlighted differences in the physiological mechanisms underlying the browning process. qRT-PCR analysis revealed distinct activation mechanisms of CGA biosynthetic and PPO genes in the two genetic lines. Metabolic data on CGA, sugars, and ascorbic acid contents confirmed that their different browning tendency matched with different metabolic responses to cutting. Our findings suggest that the complex mechanism of flesh browning in the two eggplant genetic lines might be mediated by multiple specific factors.

Association of gain and loss of weight before and after menopause with risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the Iowa women's health study.

PubMed

Harvie, Michelle; Howell, Anthony; Vierkant, Robert A; Kumar, Nagi; Cerhan, James R; Kelemen, Linda E; Folsom, Aaron R; Sellers, Thomas A

2005-03-01

Obesity and adult weight gain are well-established risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer. Although there are a few studies demonstrating the contribution of adult weight gain to breast cancer risk, whether weight gain during a critical time period is specifically associated with risk, or whether subsequent weight loss among women who have gained weight will reduce the excess risk, is not firmly established. We investigated the association of changes in weight (loss or gain in excess of 5% of body weight) using two risk factor models: (a) age 18 to 30 years and age 30 years to menopause and (b) age 30 years to menopause and after the menopause to the baseline study in 1986 on risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in a prospective cohort of 33,660 postmenopausal women in Iowa. Over 15 years of follow-up, 1,987 cases of breast cancer occurred. Data were analyzed using proportional hazards regression models adjusted for established breast cancer risk factors. The most frequently observed pattern of body weight over time was a consistent increase; these women were observed to have the highest rates of breast cancer and served as the reference category for all comparisons. The lowest-risk groups were (a) women who maintained or lost weight from age 18 to 30 years and then lost weight from age 30 years to menopause [risk ratio (RR), 0.36; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.22-0.60] and (b) women who maintained or lost weight from age 30 years to menopause and then lost weight after the menopause (RR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.22-0.65). Women who gained weight from age 30 years to menopause but then lost weight after the menopause experienced risk reductions (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64-0.92) although perhaps slightly smaller in magnitude than women who maintained their weight in both time intervals (RR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.55-0.73). Women who gained weight from age 18 to 30 years and then lost weight from age 30 years to menopause had comparable risk reductions (RR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.46-0.8) with women who maintained their weight in both time intervals (RR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.64-0.84). Women who gained weight during the period from age 30 years to menopause but who had stable weight after menopause had rates similar to the reference group. These data suggest prevention of weight gain between age 18 years and menopause or weight loss and maintenance during these years reduces risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Redrawing the US Obesity Landscape: Bias-Corrected Estimates of State-Specific Adult Obesity Prevalence

PubMed Central

Ward, Zachary J.; Long, Michael W.; Resch, Stephen C.; Gortmaker, Steven L.; Cradock, Angie L.; Giles, Catherine; Hsiao, Amber; Wang, Y. Claire

2016-01-01

Background State-level estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) underestimate the obesity epidemic because they use self-reported height and weight. We describe a novel bias-correction method and produce corrected state-level estimates of obesity and severe obesity. Methods Using non-parametric statistical matching, we adjusted self-reported data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2013 (n = 386,795) using measured data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (n = 16,924). We validated our national estimates against NHANES and estimated bias-corrected state-specific prevalence of obesity (BMI≥30) and severe obesity (BMI≥35). We compared these results with previous adjustment methods. Results Compared to NHANES, self-reported BRFSS data underestimated national prevalence of obesity by 16% (28.67% vs 34.01%), and severe obesity by 23% (11.03% vs 14.26%). Our method was not significantly different from NHANES for obesity or severe obesity, while previous methods underestimated both. Only four states had a corrected obesity prevalence below 30%, with four exceeding 40%–in contrast, most states were below 30% in CDC maps. Conclusions Twelve million adults with obesity (including 6.7 million with severe obesity) were misclassified by CDC state-level estimates. Previous bias-correction methods also resulted in underestimates. Accurate state-level estimates are necessary to plan for resources to address the obesity epidemic. PMID:26954566

Impact of patient-specific factors, irradiated left ventricular volume, and treatment set-up errors on the development of myocardial perfusion defects after radiation therapy for left-sided breast cancer

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

Evans, Elizabeth S.; Prosnitz, Robert G.; Yu Xiaoli

2006-11-15

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of patient-specific factors, left ventricle (LV) volume, and treatment set-up errors on the rate of perfusion defects 6 to 60 months post-radiation therapy (RT) in patients receiving tangential RT for left-sided breast cancer. Methods and Materials: Between 1998 and 2005, a total of 153 patients were enrolled onto an institutional review board-approved prospective study and had pre- and serial post-RT (6-60 months) cardiac perfusion scans to assess for perfusion defects. Of the patients, 108 had normal pre-RT perfusion scans and available follow-up data. The impact of patient-specific factors onmore » the rate of perfusion defects was assessed at various time points using univariate and multivariate analysis. The impact of set-up errors on the rate of perfusion defects was also analyzed using a one-tailed Fisher's Exact test. Results: Consistent with our prior results, the volume of LV in the RT field was the most significant predictor of perfusion defects on both univariate (p = 0.0005 to 0.0058) and multivariate analysis (p = 0.0026 to 0.0029). Body mass index (BMI) was the only significant patient-specific factor on both univariate (p = 0.0005 to 0.022) and multivariate analysis (p = 0.0091 to 0.05). In patients with very small volumes of LV in the planned RT fields, the rate of perfusion defects was significantly higher when the fields set-up 'too deep' (83% vs. 30%, p = 0.059). The frequency of deep set-up errors was significantly higher among patients with BMI {>=}25 kg/m{sup 2} compared with patients of normal weight (47% vs. 28%, p = 0.068). Conclusions: BMI {>=}25 kg/m{sup 2} may be a significant risk factor for cardiac toxicity after RT for left-sided breast cancer, possibly because of more frequent deep set-up errors resulting in the inclusion of additional heart in the RT fields. Further study is necessary to better understand the impact of patient-specific factors and set-up errors on the development of RT-induced perfusion defects.« less

Promoter characteristics of two cyp19 genes differentially expressed in the brain and ovary of teleost fish.

PubMed

Tchoudakova, A; Kishida, M; Wood, E; Callard, G V

2001-11-01

Teleost fish are characterized by exceptionally high levels of neural estrogen biosynthesis when compared with the brains of other vertebrates or to the ovaries of the same fish. Two P450arom mRNAs which derive from separate gene loci (cyp19a and cyp19b) are differentially expressed in brain (b>a) and ovary (a>b) and have a different developmental program (b>a) and estrogen upregulation (b only). A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genomic walking strategy was used to isolate the 5'-flanking regions of the goldfish (Carassius auratus) cyp19 genes. Sequence analysis of the cyp19b gene approximately 1.8 kb upstream of the transcription start site revealed a TATA box at nucleotide (nt) -30, two estrogen responsive elements (EREs; nt -351 and -211) and a consensus binding site (NBRE) for nerve growth factor inducible-B protein (NGFI-B/Nur77) at -286, which includes another ERE half-site. Also present were a sequence at nt -399 (CCCTCCT) required for neural specificity of the zebrafish GATA-2 gene, and 16 copies of an SRY/SOX binding motif. The 5'-flanking region ( approximately 1.0 kb) of the cyp19a gene had TATA (nt -48) and CAAT (nt -71) boxes, a steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) binding site (nt -265), eight copies of the SRY/SOX motif, and two copies of a recognition site for binding the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR)/AhR nuclear translocator factor (ARNT) heterodimer. Both genes had elements previously identified in the brain specific exon I promoter of the mouse aromatase gene. Cyp19a- and -b/luciferase constructs showed basal promoter activity in aromatase-expressing rodent pituitary (GH3) cells, but differences (a>b) did not reflect expression in fish pituitary in vivo (b>a), implying a lack of appropriate cell factors. Consistent with the onset of cyp19b expression in zebrafish embryos, microinjection of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter plasmid into fertilized eggs revealed labeling in neural tissues at 30-48 h post-fertilization (hpf), most prominently in retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and axon-like projections to the optic tectum. Expression of a cyp19a/GFP reporter was not detectable up to 72 hpf. Tandem analysis of cyp19a and cyp19b promoters in living zebrafish embryos can be a useful approach for identifying cis-elements and cellular factors involved in the correct tissue-specific, spatial, temporal and estrogen regulated expression of aromatase genes during CNS and gonadal development.

Worrisome trends in incidence and mortality of candidemia in intensive care units (Paris area, 2002-2010).

PubMed

Lortholary, Olivier; Renaudat, Charlotte; Sitbon, Karine; Madec, Yoann; Denoeud-Ndam, Lise; Wolff, Michel; Fontanet, Arnaud; Bretagne, Stéphane; Dromer, Françoise

2014-09-01

To analyze trends in incidence and mortality of candidemia in intensive care units (ICUs) vs. non-ICU hospitalized patients and to determine risk factors for infection by specific species and for death. Active hospital-based surveillance program of incident episodes of candidemia due to common species in 24 tertiary care hospitals in the Paris area, France between October 2002 and September 2010. Among 2,507 adult cases included, 2,571 Candida isolates were collected and species were C. albicans (56 %), C. glabrata (18.6 %), C. parapsilosis (11.5 %), C. tropicalis (9.3 %), C. krusei (2.9 %), and C. kefyr (1.8 %). Candidemia occurred in ICU in 1,206 patients (48.1 %). When comparing ICU vs. non-ICU patients, the former had significantly more frequent surgery during the past 30 days, were more often preexposed to fluconazole and treated with echinocandin, and were less frequently infected with C. parapsilosis. Risk factors and age remained unchanged during the study period. A significant increased incidence in the overall population and ICU was found. The odds of being infected with a given species in ICU was influenced by risk factors and preexposure to fluconazole and caspofungin. Echinocandins initial therapy increased over time in ICU (4.6 % first year of study, to 48.5 % last year of study, p < 0.0001). ICU patients had a higher day-30 death rate than non-ICU patients (odds ratio [OR] 2.12; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.66-2.72; p < 0.0001). The day-30 and early (

The Gamma Gap and All-Cause Mortality

PubMed Central

Juraschek, Stephen P.; Moliterno, Alison R.; Checkley, William; Miller, Edgar R.

2015-01-01

Background The difference between total serum protein and albumin, i.e. the gamma gap, is a frequently used clinical screening measure for both latent infection and malignancy. However, there are no studies defining a positive gamma gap. Further, whether it is an independent risk factor of mortality is unknown. Methods and Findings This study examined the association between gamma gap, all-cause mortality, and specific causes of death (cardiovascular, cancer, pulmonary, or other) in 12,260 participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999–2004. Participants had a comprehensive metabolic panel measured, which was linked with vital status data from the National Death Index. Cause of death was based on ICD10 codes from death certificates. Analyses were performed with Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for mortality risk factors. The mean (SE) age was 46 (0.3) years and the mean gamma gap was 3.0 (0.01) g/dl. The population was 52% women and 10% black. During a median follow-up period of 4.8 years (IQR: 3.3 to 6.2 years), there were 723 deaths. The unadjusted 5-year cumulative incidences across quartiles of the gamma gap (1.7–2.7, 2.8–3.0, 3.1–3.2, and 3.3–7.9 g/dl) were 5.7%, 4.2%, 5.5%, and 7.8%. After adjustment for risk factors, participants with a gamma gap of ≥3.1 g/dl had a 30% higher risk of death compared to participants with a gamma gap <3.1 g/dl (HR: 1.30; 95%CI: 1.08, 1.55; P = 0.006). Gamma gap (per 1.0 g/dl) was most strongly associated with death from pulmonary causes (HR 2.22; 95%CI: 1.19, 4.17; P = 0.01). Conclusions The gamma gap is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality at values as low as 3.1 g/dl (in contrast to the traditional definition of 4.0 g/dl), and is strongly associated with death from pulmonary causes. Future studies should examine the biologic pathways underlying these associations. PMID:26629820

Specific receptors for epidermal growth factor in rat intestinal microvillus membranes

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

Thompson, J.F.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is present in high concentrations in milk, salivary, and pancreaticobiliary secretions. EGF, delivered to the intestinal lumen by these fluids, appears to influence intestinal proliferation. Because EGF exerts its mitogenic effect through binding to specific membrane-bound receptors, binding studies of {sup 125}I-labeled EGF to purified microvillus membrane (MVM) preparations fetal, newborn, and adult rat small intestine were performed. Using the membrane filter technique, binding of {sup 125}I-EGF to adult MVM was specific, saturable, and reversible. Adult and fetal MVM binding was rapid and reached a plateau after 30 min at both 20 and 37{degree}C. No bindingmore » was detected at 4{degree}C. Specific binding increased linearly from 0 to 75 {mu}g MVM protein. Scatchard analysis revealed a single class of receptors in fetal and adult MVM with an association constant of 1.0 {+-} 0.35 {times} 10{sup 9} and 2.3 {+-} 1.6 {times} 10{sup 9} M{sup {minus}1}, respectively. Binding capacity was 435.0 {+-} 89 and 97.7 {+-} 41.3 fmol {sup 125}I-EGF bound/mg MVM protein for fetal and adult MVM, respectively. Newborn MVM binding was negligible. After binding, cross-linking utilizing disuccinimidyl suberate, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, autoradiography revealed a 170-kDa receptor. These data demonstrate specific receptors for EGF on MVM of rat small intestine and, thus, suggest a mechanism for the intraluminal regulation of enterocyte proliferation by EGF.« less

Seroprevalence of toxoplasma-specific antibodies in patients suspected to have active toxoplasmosis: A cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Eskandarian, Abbas Ali; Jafarnezghad, Gholam-Abbas; Akbari, Mojtaba

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and distribution of anti-toxoplasma-specific IgM and IgG tantibodies in patients suspected to have toxoplasmosis and investigate for any association between IgM and IgG antibodies and some toxoplasmosis risk factors as well. In a comparative cross-sectional study, 70 patients suspected to had active toxoplasmosis and 30 control volunteers, who gave informed consent, entered the study. In each group, patient age, sex, signs of appearance, education level, residency status (urban / rural), occupation, frequency of toxoplasma-specific IgG and IgM antibodies, abortion history, and some risk factors (Direct cat exposure, Occupational exposure to raw meat, and Raw vegetable consumption) were recorded. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits (EUROIMMUN(®), United Kingdom) were used for the evaluation of anti-toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies according to the manufacturer's instructions. All analyses were done using SPSS-20. The frequency of toxoplasma-specific IgG and IgM antibodies like: Direct cat exposures, Occupational exposure to raw meat, and Raw vegetable consumption were not statistically significant between the two groups (P > 0.05). The history of previous abortions in women in the toxoplasmosis-suspected group was significantly higher than that in the controls (31.4% versus 6.7%; P = 0.009). The frequency of specific IgM and IgG antibodies in toxoplasmosis suspected in the toxoplasmosis and control groups was not statistically significant.

Damage characteristics and thermo-physical properties changes of limestone and sandstone during thermal treatment from -30 °C to 1000 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yanjun; Yang, Yang; Yang, Gengshe; Hou, Xin; Ye, Wanjun; You, Zhemin; Xi, Jiami

2018-05-01

A series of experiments were carried out to measure the damage characteristics of two common sedimentary rocks of limestone and sandstone at temperatures ranging from -30 °C to 1000 °C The apparent thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and specific heat capacity were investigated respectively. Then, several discrepancy reasons for the damage characteristics and thermo-physical properties of limestone and sandstone were probed. The results show that water migration and phase transition are two core factors for the frost damage and thermal behaviors improvement during the cooling process(20 °C → -30 °C).The heating process (20 °C → 1000 °C) was divided into three stages of 20 °C → 200 °C, 200 °C → 600 °Cand 600 °C → 1000 °C. The first stage was closely related to pore-water evaporation, and the next two stages were attributed to the thermal reactions of mineral partials. The mineral decomposition tended to be intensified and resulted in the interior damage or even the accelerated degradation of thermal properties until at a threshold temperature of 600 °C. In essential, the structural features and the sensitivity of mineral composition to temperature were two mainly influential factors on the damage effects and heat conduct of the sedimentary rocks during variations in environmental temperature.

Deterioration of the anammox process at decreasing temperatures and long SRTs.

PubMed

Hoekstra, Maaike; de Weerd, Florence A; Kleerebezem, Robbert; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M

2018-03-01

The implementation of autotrophic nitrogen removal in the mainstream of a municipal wastewater treatment plant is currently pursued. Among the crucial unknown factors are the kinetic properties of anaerobic ammonium oxidising (anammox) bacteria at low temperatures. In this study we investigated the adaptation of a fast-growing anammox culture to a lower temperature. In a membrane bioreactor a highly enriched anammox community was obtained at 30°C, 25°C and 20°C. This culture was exposed to long- and short-term temperature changes. In short-term experiments the decrease in biomass-specific activity due to decrease in temperature can be described by an activation energy of 64 ± 28 kJ mol -1 . Prolonged cultivation (months) implies that cultivation at low temperatures resulted in deterioration of biomass-specific activity (Ea LT 239 kJ mol -1 ). The growth rate and specific anammox activity in the system decreased from 0.33 d -1 and 4.47 g NO 2 -N g VSS -1  d -1 at 30°C to 0.0011 d -1 and 0.037 g NO 2 -N g VSS -1  d -1 at 20°C. The reason for the deterioration of the system was related to the required long SRT in the system. The long SRT leads to an increase of non-active and non-anammox cells in the reactor, thereby decreasing the biomass-specific activity.

Night shift work at specific age ranges and chronic disease risk factors

PubMed Central

Ramin, Cody; Devore, Elizabeth E; Wang, Weike; Pierre-Paul, Jeffrey; Wegrzyn, Lani R; Schernhammer, Eva S

2014-01-01

Objectives We examined the association of night shift work history and age when night shift work was performed with cancer and cardiovascular disease risk factors among 54 724 women in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) II. Methods We calculated age-adjusted and socioeconomic status-adjusted means and percentages for cancer and cardiovascular risk factors in 2009 across categories of night shift work history. We used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for key risk factors among 54 724 participants (72% ever shift workers). We further examined these associations by age (20–25, 26–35, 36– 45 and 46+ years) at which shift work was performed. Results Ever night shift workers had increased odds of obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2; OR=1.37, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.43); higher caffeine intake (≥131 mg/day; OR=1.16, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.22) and total calorie intake (≥1715 kcal/day; OR=1.09, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.13); current smoking (OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.42); and shorter sleep durations (≤7 h of sleep/day; OR=1.19, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.24) compared to never night shift workers. These estimates varied depending on age at which night work was performed, with a suggestion that night shift work before age 25 was associated with fewer risk factors compared to night shift work at older ages. Conclusions Our results indicate that night shift work may contribute to an adverse chronic disease risk profile, and that risk factors may vary depending on the age at which night shift work was performed. PMID:25261528

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) and syndecan-1 (SDC1) are potential biomarkers for putative circulating CD15+/CD30+ cells in poor outcome Hodgkin lymphoma patients

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background High risk, unfavorable classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) includes those patients with primary refractory or early relapse, and progressive disease. To improve the availability of biomarkers for this group of patients, we investigated both tumor biopsies and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) of untreated (chemo-naïve, CN) Nodular Sclerosis Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (NS-cHL) patients for consistent biomarkers that can predict the outcome prior to frontline treatment. Methods and materials Bioinformatics data mining was used to generate 151 candidate biomarkers, which were screened against a library of 10 HL cell lines. Expression of FGF2 and SDC1 by CD30+ cells from HL patient samples representing good and poor outcomes were analyzed by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemical (IHC), and immunofluorescence analyses. Results To identify predictive HL-specific biomarkers, potential marker genes selected using bioinformatics approaches were screened against HL cell lines and HL patient samples. Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF2) and Syndecan-1 (SDC1) were overexpressed in all HL cell lines, and the overexpression was HL-specific when compared to 116 non-Hodgkin lymphoma tissues. In the analysis of stratified NS-cHL patient samples, expression of FGF2 and SDC1 were 245 fold and 91 fold higher, respectively, in the poor outcome (PO) group than in the good outcome (GO) group. The PO group exhibited higher expression of the HL marker CD30, the macrophage marker CD68, and metastatic markers TGFβ1 and MMP9 compared to the GO group. This expression signature was confirmed by qualitative immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent data. A Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that samples in which the CD30+ cells carried an FGF2+/SDC1+ immunophenotype showed shortened survival. Analysis of chemo-naive HL blood samples suggested that in the PO group a subset of CD30+ HL cells had entered the circulation. These cells significantly overexpressed FGF2 and SDC1 compared to the GO group. The PO group showed significant down-regulation of markers for monocytes, T-cells, and B-cells. These expression signatures were eliminated in heavily pretreated patients. Conclusion The results suggest that small subsets of circulating CD30+/CD15+ cells expressing FGF2 and SDC1 represent biomarkers that identify NS-cHL patients who will experience a poor outcome (primary refractory and early relapsing). PMID:23988031

Need for recovery across work careers: the impact of work, health and personal characteristics.

PubMed

Gommans, F G; Jansen, N W H; Stynen, D; de Grip, A; Kant, Ij

2015-04-01

Employees experiencing a high need for recovery (NFR) are at risk of long-term adverse effects in both their health and labour participation. So far, the determinants of NFR across age categories remain unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the determinants of the NFR among employees in three age categories (30-44, 45-54 and 55-65 years), for men and women separately. The study was based on data from the prospective Maastricht Cohort Study. Wave T3 (May 1999) was chosen as article baseline (n = 7,900). The follow-up period of 20 months included five follow-up waves. Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate the determinants, which originated from the work environment, health and lifestyle and personal domain of employees, of NFR across age categories over time. Cross-sectional results demonstrated substantial differences in mean scores and proportion of cases of NFR across age categories. Longitudinal analyses demonstrated risk factors in the multifactorial aetiology of NFR that played a role in all age categories, but also showed several age-specific risk factors, e.g. low decision latitude appeared to be a risk factor only in the oldest age category. Although selection effects may have occurred, this study shows that the risk factors for a high NFR were different among the age categories. To prevent and reduce a high NFR among employees, it is important to develop preventive measures that target age-specific risk factors.

Ventilator associated pneumonia: perspectives on the burden of illness.

PubMed

Cook, D

2000-01-01

The objective of this narrative review is to summarize selected current concepts and clinical evidence regarding the burden of illness of VAP, including its epidemiology, diagnosis, attributable mortality and risk factors. Studies were identified through MEDLINE, EMBASE, bibliographies of primary and review articles and personal files. While cross sectional studies inform us about VAP prevalence, longitudinal studies inform us of the cumulative risk and conditional risk of developing VAP. Reported VAP rates are modulated by factors related to case mix, causative microorganisms, interventions that influence risk over time, and VAP definitions employed. Population-specific and organism-specific VAP rates are needed to avoid misleading benchmarking between different ICUs, and to minimize inappropriate between-study comparisons. Observational studies have shown that invasive sampling techniques versus non-invasive approaches to diagnose VAP facilitates more targeted antibiotic treatment; however, the influence of the diagnostic method on endpoints such as mortality is less clear. VAP is associated with approximately a 4 day increase in length of ICU stay and an attributable mortality of approximately 20-30%. Fixed VAP risk factors include underlying cardiorespiratory disease, neurologic injury and trauma. Modifiable VAP risk factors include supine body position, witnessed aspiration, paralytic agents and antibiotic exposure. If modifiable risk factors tested in randomized trials lower VAP rates, such as semirecumbency versus supine positioning, these represent effective VAP prevention strategies. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a major morbid outcome among critically ill patients. Studies evaluating more effective prevention and treatment strategies are needed.

Context-specific Factors and Contraceptive Use: A Mixed Method Study among Women, Men and Health Providers in a Rural Ghanaian District.

PubMed

Ayanore, Martin Amogre; Pavlova, Milena; Groot, Wim

2017-06-01

Suitable options for improving women's access to effective, safe and context-specific contraceptive methods must be explored to curtail rising unmet needs for contraceptive use in rural Ghana. The study aimed to outline context-specific factors associated with contraceptive use, access on demand and future use intentions among women in one district of Ghana. Using mixed method approach, quantitative data (n=720) was collected among women aged 18-28. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were also conducted among women (n=30) aged 18-49 and men (n=10) respectively. IDIs were conducted among 3 midwives. Women who received focused counseling on contraceptive use were twice likely to have ever used (OR=2 95% CI 1.163-3.467) or be current users (OR=2, 95% CI 1.146-4.010) of contraceptives. Male partner support can drive cultural sensitivities towards accepting use of contraception (OR=34.5, CI% 19.01-64.22). Covert use is still preferred by most in the study. Services delivered on good provider-relational grounds and convenient clinic hours encourage contraceptive use among women. Male targeting for improving contraceptive service use must first identify context-specific preferences of the woman, since covert use is highly valued. Ascertaining the prevalence of covert use and how community systems can address this for improved contraceptive uptake is further recommended.

A fungal avirulence factor encoded in a highly plastic genomic region triggers partial resistance to septoria tritici blotch.

PubMed

Meile, Lukas; Croll, Daniel; Brunner, Patrick C; Plissonneau, Clémence; Hartmann, Fanny E; McDonald, Bruce A; Sánchez-Vallet, Andrea

2018-04-25

Cultivar-strain specificity in the wheat-Zymoseptoria tritici pathosystem determines the infection outcome and is controlled by resistance genes on the host side, many of which have been identified. On the pathogen side, however, the molecular determinants of specificity remain largely unknown. We used genetic mapping, targeted gene disruption and allele swapping to characterise the recognition of the new avirulence factor Avr3D1. We then combined population genetic and comparative genomic analyses to characterise the evolutionary trajectory of Avr3D1. Avr3D1 is specifically recognised by wheat cultivars harbouring the Stb7 resistance gene, triggering a strong defence response without preventing pathogen infection and reproduction. Avr3D1 resides in a cluster of putative effector genes located in a genome region populated by independent transposable element insertions. The gene was present in all 132 investigated strains and is highly polymorphic, with 30 different protein variants identified. We demonstrated that specific amino acid substitutions in Avr3D1 led to evasion of recognition. These results demonstrate that quantitative resistance and gene-for-gene interactions are not mutually exclusive. Localising avirulence genes in highly plastic genomic regions probably facilitates accelerated evolution that enables escape from recognition by resistance proteins. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

Correlates of nicotine dependence among adolescent waterpipe smokers.

PubMed

Bahelah, Raed; DiFranza, Joseph R; Ward, Kenneth D; Fouad, Fouad M; Eissenberg, Thomas; Ben Taleb, Ziyad; Jaber, Rana; Osibogun, Olatokunbo; Maziak, Wasim

2016-11-01

Waterpipe smoking is addictive and its use is increasing globally among youth, yet little is known about the factors associated with nicotine dependence (ND) among waterpipe smokers. We investigated the factors associated with ND symptoms among a sample of Lebanese adolescents who smoke a waterpipe. We collected data on factors potentially associated with ND (individual, socio-demographic, environmental, smoking patterns) among 160 current (past 30days) waterpipe smokers recruited from 8th and 9th school grades in Lebanon. We assessed the loss of autonomy over tobacco using the Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC), ND using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10), and the number of ND symptoms endorsed. Depressive symptoms, lower self-esteem, and having at least one sibling who smokes a waterpipe were associated with the presence of ND symptoms, while enrollment in public schools, smoking a waterpipe ≥30min per session, and believing that cigarette smoking is harmful to health were associated with endorsement of a higher number of ND symptoms. Smoking a whole waterpipe head without sharing and being in 9th grade in this study were associated with the presence and endorsement of a higher number of ND symptoms. We identified specific social and psychological characteristics, waterpipe smoking patterns, and beliefs about harmful effects of smoking associated with the presence of ND among adolescent waterpipe smokers. Considering these factors when planning policies to prevent ND among waterpipe smokers is warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heritabilities of somatotype components in a population from rural Mozambique.

PubMed

Saranga, Sílvio Pedro José; Prista, António; Nhantumbo, Leonardo; Beunen, Gaston; Rocha, Jorge; Williams-Blangero, Sarah; Maia, José A

2008-01-01

There have been few genetic studies of normal variation in body size and composition conducted in Africa. In particular, the genetic determinants of somatotype remain to be established for an African population. (1) To estimate the heritabilities of aspects of somatotype and (2) to compare the quantitative genetic effects in an African population to those that have been assessed in European and American populations. The sample composed of 329 subjects (173 males and 156 females) aged 7-17 years, belonging to 132 families. The sibships in the sample ranged in size from two to seven individuals. All sampled individuals were residents of the Calanga region, an area located to the north of Maputo in Mozambique. Somatotype was assessed using the Heath-Carter technique. Herit abilities were estimated using SAGE software. Moderate heritabilities were determined for each trait. Between 30 and 40% of the variation in each somatotype measure was attributable to genetic factors. The heritability of ectomorphy was 31%. Mesomorphy was similarly moderately heritable, with approximately 30% of the variationattributable to genetic factors. The heritability of endomorph was higher in the Calanga population (h(2) = 0.40). Quantitative genetic analyses of somatotype variation among siblings indicate that genetic factors significantly influence endomorphy, mesomorhpy, and ectomorphy. However, environmental factors also have significant effects on the variation in physique present in the population of Calanga. Lack of proper nutrition, housing, medical assistance, and primary health care, together with very demanding and sex-specific daily chores may contribute to the environmental effects on these traits.

Compliance With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in T4 Oral Cancers: Place, Person, Socioeconomic Status, or Assistance

PubMed Central

Patil, Vijay M.; Noronha, Vanita; Joshi, Amit; Muddu, Vamshi; Dhumal, Sachin; Bhattacharjee, Atanu

2015-01-01

Purpose Approximately 15% to 20% of our patients with head and neck cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) discontinue therapy because of various nonmedical reasons. We sought to analyze the factors associated with treatment default and noncompliance among these patients. Patients and Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with T4 oral cancer treated with NACT between January 2011 and December 2012. We included patients who discontinued treatment for nonmedical reasons before the second cycle of NACT. The factors analyzed were income, education, socioeconomic status, age, sex, place of residence, habits, and payment pattern (government supported or personal capacity). Pearson χ2 test was used to identify significant factors associated with noncompliance. Results Of 486 patients, 91 patients (18.7%) were noncompliant. Percentages of noncompliant patients in the age groups < 30, between 30 and 60, and > 60 years were 25.0%, 17.4%, and 25.5%, respectively (P = .27). Percentages of noncompliance in patients residing within the city, same state, or different state were 20.7%, 20.9%, and 17.1%, respectively (P = .44). Noncompliance rates were 20.3%, 15.7%, 18.1%, and 22.5% in upper middle, lower middle, upper lower, and lower economic strata, respectively (P = .60). Similarly, there was no significant difference in noncompliance according to occupation, education level, payment pattern, sex, or habits. Conclusion Our analysis failed to identify any specific significant factor associated with noncompliance with NACT among our patients with T4 oral cancers. PMID:28804775

[Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor mutation specific antibodies in lung adenocarcinoma: evaluation of sensitivity, specificity and relationship to histologic subtypes].

PubMed

Lai, Y M; Feng, Q; Sun, Y; Wang, P; Shi, Y F; Zhao, M; Wu, Q; Li, X H

2016-09-08

To evaluate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation specific antibodies in invasive lung adenocarcinomas, and their sensitivity, specificity, as well as relationship to histological subtypes. Immunostaining with EGFR mutation-specific antibodies, del E746-A750 in exon 19 and L858R in exon 21, was performed in tissue microarrays of 884 cases of resection specimens to study the relationship between the immunophenotypes and morphologic subtypes. The sensitivity and specificity of the stains were compared with gene mutations detected by amplified refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). Of the 884 cases, the expression of del E746-A750 in exon 19 was 3+ , 2+ , 1+ and 0 in 7 cases (0.79%), 38 cases (4.30%), 129 cases (14.59%) and 710 cases (80.32%), respectively. For L858R in exon 21, 3+ , 2+ , 1+ and 0 staining were seen in 82 cases (9.28%), 93 cases (10.52%), 82 cases (9.28%) and 627 cases (70.93%), respectively. For both antibodies, positive expression (1+ or more) was mainly observed in lepidic, acinar and papillary predominant subtypes, and rarely seen in solid subtype or invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (P=0.014 and 0.016). If 1+ to 3+ expression was set as positive, the specificity of exon 19/exon 21 reached 98.59%/92.98%, while the sensitivity was relatively lower (62.86%/88.89%). If 2+ to 3+ expression was read as positive, the specificity and sensitivity were 99.30%/97.37% and 25.71%/74.60% for exon 19/exon 21. If only 3+ expression was considered positive, the specificity was 100.0% for both antibodies, with a low sensitivity (8.57% for exon 19 and 34.92% for exon 21). Of the 18 cases with E746-A750 del in exon 19 based on molecular detection, the sensitivity of immunohistochemistry for exon 19 was 88.89% if a positive cutoff value ≥1+ was used; in contrast, of the 8 cases harboring other deletions in exon 19, only two cases were positive as 1+ . Both the EGFR mutation specific antibodies del E746-A750 in exon 19 and L858R in exon 21 demonstrate high specificity and relatively low sensitivity, and are mostly expressed in lepidic, acinar and papillary predominant subtypes, but rarely in solid subtype or invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma. For cases with 3+ expression, a mutational statue for EGFR is likely. For the 2+ positive cases, the accuracy to predict mutation almost reaches 90%, but molecular detection for confirmation is desirable. For the 1+ and negative cases, DNA-based test is essential to avoid false negativity.

The role of sociocultural factors in obesity aetiology in Pacific adolescents and their parents: a mixed-methods study in Auckland, New Zealand.

PubMed

Teevale, Tasileta; Thomas, David R; Scragg, Robert; Faeamani, Gavin; Nosa, Vili

2010-11-26

To explore sociocultural factors that may promote or prevent obesity in Pacific communities in New Zealand. Specific objectives were to describe the behaviours, beliefs and values of Pacific adolescents and their parents, related to food consumption and physical activity and to examine the patterns among obese and non-obese Pacific adolescents and their parents. A self-completion questionnaire was administered to 2495 Pacific students who participated in the New Zealand arm of the Obesity Prevention In Communities (OPIC) project, with quantitative comparisons between 782 obese and 814 healthy weight students. Sixty-eight people (33 adolescents and 35 parents) from 30 Pacific households were interviewed in the qualitative phase of the study. Healthy eating and higher levels of physical activity were related to parental presence at home, parental occupational type (non-shift) and better health education and experience. Obese adolescents held the same attitudes, beliefs and values about food and physical activity as their healthy-weight counterparts, but these factors were not protective for obesity-risk. This study indicates that social status and environmental factors related to poverty affect the health-promoting behaviours of Pacific communities in New Zealand. To address obesity in Pacific youth, specific macro-environmental changes are recommended including food pricing control policies to mitigate healthy food costs, revising sustained employment hour policies, making changes to school food and physical activity environments.

Long-term record of Argentine ant invasions reveals enduring ecological impacts.

PubMed

Menke, Sean B; Ward, Philip S; Holway, David A

2018-05-01

The ecological effects of species introductions can change in magnitude over time, but an understanding of how and why they do so remains incompletely understood. Clarifying this issue requires consideration of how temporal variation in invader traits affects invasion impacts (e.g., through differential effects on the diversity and composition of native species assemblages). We examine the temporal dynamics of Argentine ant invasions in northern California by resurveying 202 sites first sampled 30-40 yr ago. To test how invasion impacts change over time, we estimated native ant richness and species composition at 20 riparian woodland sites that span a 30-yr invasion chronosequence. We then use these data to test how variation in two invader traits (aggression and relative abundance) is related to time since invasion and invasion impact. Native ant assemblages along the chronosequence exhibited reduced native ant richness and altered species composition (compared to uninvaded control sites), but the magnitude of these impacts was independent of time since invasion. These results are corroborated by additional temporal comparisons of native ant assemblages at riparian sites sampled 20-30 yr ago. Our findings together illustrate that the impacts of invasions can persist undiminished over at least a 30-yr time frame and remain evident at regional scales. Although neither invader trait varied with time since invasion, native ant richness declined as the relative abundance of the Argentine ant increased. This latter result supports the hypothesis that factors reducing invader abundance at particular sites can decrease invasion impacts, but also that such changes may be due to site-specific factors (e.g., abiotic conditions) that affect invader abundance rather than time since invasion per se. Future studies should attempt to differentiate factors that are intrinsic to the process of invasion (e.g., changes in invader populations) from long-term environmental changes (e.g., climate change) that represent extrinsic influences on the dynamics of invasion. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

A prospective, multicenter pilot study to investigate the feasibility and safety of a 1-year controlled exercise training after adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients.

PubMed

Piringer, Gudrun; Fridrik, Michael; Fridrik, Alfred; Leiherer, Andreas; Zabernigg, August; Greil, Richard; Eisterer, Wolfgang; Tschmelitsch, Jörg; Lang, Alois; Frantal, Sophie; Burgstaller, Sonja; Gnant, Michael; Thaler, Josef

2018-04-01

Despite advances in adjuvant chemotherapy, 20-30% of patients in stages II-III colorectal cancer will eventually relapse. Observational studies showed a reduction in relapse rate, colon cancer-specific mortality, and overall mortality by physical activity. Results from prospective randomized interventional studies to confirm these observational data are lacking. The aims of this prospective single-arm multicenter pilot study are to evaluate feasibility and safety of exercise training after adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients. The training was performed three times per week for 1 year and was increased gradually in three phases until reaching 18 metabolic equivalent task hours per week. Overall, 30 patients were included. The planned training intensity could be achieved in all three phases. Patients experienced a performance increase of median 35.5 watt, a weight-loss of a median of 3.0 kg, and a reduction in body fat content of median 1.0% during this exercise training. The analysis showed early study termination due to non-compliance in 10/30 patients (33.3%), disease progression in 4 patients (13.3%), and serious adverse events in 2 patients (6.7%). About half of patients (46.7%) completed the pilot study as planned. Biomarker analysis from 20 patients showed a non-significant reduction in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3) levels, significant increases in adiponectin and leptin levels, and a non-significant increase in C-peptide levels. Exercise training is feasible in patients with colorectal cancer after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy. The main problem encountered during the study was compliance. To improve compliance of exercise training, several measures were adapted for the upcoming prospective randomized ABCSG C08 Exercise II study.

Hypoxia Inducible Factor-2 Alpha and Prolinhydroxylase 2 Polymorphisms in Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

PubMed

Dötsch, Annika; Eisele, Lewin; Rabeling, Miriam; Rump, Katharina; Walstein, Kai; Bick, Alexandra; Cox, Linda; Engler, Andrea; Bachmann, Hagen S; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Adamzik, Michael; Peters, Jürgen; Schäfer, Simon T

2017-06-14

Hypoxia-inducible-factor-2α (HIF-2α) and HIF-2 degrading prolyl-hydroxylases (PHD) are key regulators of adaptive hypoxic responses i.e., in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Specifically, functionally active genetic variants of HIF-2α (single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) [ch2:46441523(hg18)]) and PHD2 (C/T; SNP rs516651 and T/C; SNP rs480902) are associated with improved adaptation to hypoxia i.e., in high-altitude residents. However, little is known about these SNPs' prevalence in Caucasians and impact on ARDS-outcome. Thus, we tested the hypotheses that in Caucasian ARDS patients SNPs in HIF-2α or PHD2 genes are (1) common, and (2) independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. After ethics-committee approval, 272 ARDS patients were prospectively included, genotyped for PHD2 (Taqman SNP Genotyping Assay) and HIF-2α -polymorphism (restriction digest + agarose-gel visualization), and genotype dependent 30-day mortality was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier-plots and multivariate Cox-regression analyses. Frequencies were 99.62% for homozygous HIF-2α CC-carriers (CG: 0.38%; GG: 0%), 2.3% for homozygous PHD2 SNP rs516651 TT-carriers (CT: 18.9%; CC: 78.8%), and 3.7% for homozygous PHD2 SNP rs480902 TT-carriers (CT: 43.9%; CC: 52.4%). PHD2 rs516651 TT-genotype in ARDS was independently associated with a 3.34 times greater mortality risk (OR 3.34, CI 1.09-10.22; p = 0.034) within 30-days, whereas the other SNPs had no significant impact ( p = ns). The homozygous HIF-2α GG-genotype was not present in our Caucasian ARDS cohort; however PHD2 SNPs exist in Caucasians, and PHD2 rs516651 TT-genotype was associated with an increased 30-day mortality suggesting a relevance for adaptive responses in ARDS.

Linking Land Surface Phenology and Growth Limiting Factor Shifts over the Past 30 Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garonna, I.; Schenkel, D.; de Jong, R.; Schaepman, M. E.

2015-12-01

The study of global vegetation dynamics contributes to a better understanding of global change drivers and how these affect ecosystems and ecological diversity. Land-surface phenology (LSP) is a key response and feedback of vegetation to the climate system, and hence a parameter that needs to be accurately represented in terrestrial biosphere models [1]. However, the effects of climatic changes on LSP depend on the relative importance of climatic constraints in specific regions - which are not well understood at global scale. In this study, we analyzed a Phenology Reanalysis dataset [2] to evaluate shifts in three climatic drivers of phenology at global scale and over the last 30 years (1982-2012): incoming radiation, evaporative demand and minimum temperature. As a first step, we compared LAI as modeled from these three factors (LAIre) to remotely sensed observations of LSP (LAI3g, [3]) over the same time period. As a second step, we examined temporal trends in the climatic constraints at Start- and End- of the Growing Season. There was good agreement between phenology metrics as derived form LAI3g and LAIre over the last 30 years - thus providing confidence in the climatic constraints underlying the modeled data. Our analysis reveals inter-annual variation in the relative importance of the three climatic factors in limiting vegetation growth at Start- and End- of the Growing Season over the last 30 years. High northern latitudes, as well as northern Europe and central Asia, appear to have undergone significant changes in dominance between the three controls. We also find that evaporative demand has become increasingly limiting for growth in many parts of the world, in particular in South America and eastern Asia. [1] Richardson, A.D. et al. Global Change Biology 18, 566-584 (2012). [2] Stöckli, R. et al. J. Geophys. Res 116, G03020 (2011). [3] Zhu, Z. et al. Remote Sensing 5, 927-948 (2013).

Gender-specific risk factors for virologic failure in KwaZulu-Natal: Automobile ownership and financial insecurity

PubMed Central

HARE, Anna Q.; ORDÓÑEZ, Claudia E.; JOHNSON, Brent A.; RIO, Carlos DEL; KEARNS, Rachel A.; WU, Baohua; HAMPTON, Jane; WU, Peng; SUNPATH, Henry; MARCONI, Vincent C.

2014-01-01

We sought to examine which socioeconomic indicators are risk factors for virologic failure among HIV-1 infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A case-control study of virologic failure was conducted among patients recruited from the outpatient clinic at McCord Hospital in Durban, South Africa between October 1, 2010 and June 30, 2012. Cases were those failing first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART), defined as viral load > 1000 copies/mL. Univariate logistic regression was performed on sociodemographic data for the outcome of virologic failure. Variables found significant (p<.05) were used in multivariate models and all models were stratified by gender. Of 158 cases and 300 controls, 35% were male and median age was 40 years. Gender stratification of models revealed automobile ownership was a risk factor among males, while variables of financial insecurity (unemployment, non-spouse family paying for care, staying with family) were risk factors for women. In this cohort, financial insecurity among women and automobile ownership among men were risk factors for virologic failure. Risk factor differences between genders demonstrate limitations of generalized risk factor analysis. PMID:25037488

Gender-specific risk factors for virologic failure in KwaZulu-Natal: automobile ownership and financial insecurity.

PubMed

Hare, Anna Q; Ordóñez, Claudia E; Johnson, Brent A; Del Rio, Carlos; Kearns, Rachel A; Wu, Baohua; Hampton, Jane; Wu, Peng; Sunpath, Henry; Marconi, Vincent C

2014-11-01

We sought to examine which socioeconomic indicators are risk factors for virologic failure among HIV-1 infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A case-control study of virologic failure was conducted among patients recruited from the outpatient clinic at McCord Hospital in Durban, South Africa between October 1, 2010 and June 30, 2012. Cases were those failing first-line ART, defined as viral load >1,000 copies/mL. Univariate logistic regression was performed on sociodemographic data for the outcome of virologic failure. Variables found significant (p < 0.05) were used in multivariate models and all models were stratified by gender. Of 158 cases and 300 controls, 35 % were male and median age was 40 years. Gender stratification of models revealed automobile ownership was a risk factor among males, while variables of financial insecurity (unemployment, non-spouse family paying for care, staying with family) were risk factors for women. In this cohort, financial insecurity among women and automobile ownership among men were risk factors for virologic failure. Risk factor differences between genders demonstrate limitations of generalized risk factor analysis.

Genotype-Specific Concordance of Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infection Within Heterosexual Partnerships.

PubMed

Schillinger, Julia A; Katz, Barry P; Markowitz, Lauri E; Braslins, Phillip G; Shrier, Lydia A; Madico, Guillermo; Van Der Pol, Barbara; Orr, Donald P; Rice, Peter A; Batteiger, Byron E

2016-12-01

Sexual transmission rates of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) cannot be measured directly; however, the study of concordance of Ct infection in sexual partnerships (dyads) can help to illuminate factors influencing Ct transmission. Heterosexual men and women with Ct infection and their sex partners were enrolled and partner-specific coital and behavioral data collected for the prior 30 days. Microbiological data included Ct culture, and nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), quantitative Ct polymerase chain reaction, and ompA genotyping. We measured Ct concordance in dyads and factors (correlates) associated with concordance. One hundred twenty-one women and 125 men formed 128 dyads. Overall, 72.9% of male partners of NAAT-positive women and 68.6% of female partners of NAAT-positive men were Ct-infected. Concordance was more common in dyads with culture-positive members (78.6% of male partners, 77% of female partners). Partners of women and men who were NAAT-positive only had lower concordance (33.3%, 46.4%, respectively). Women in concordant dyads had significantly higher median endocervical quantitative Ct polymerase chain reaction values (3,032) compared with CT-infected women in discordant dyads (1013 inclusion forming units DNA equivalents per mL; P < 0.01). Among 54 Ct-concordant dyads with ompA genotype data for both members, 96.2% had identical genotypes. Higher organism load appears associated with concordance among women. Same-genotype chlamydial concordance was high in sexual partnerships. No behavioral factors were sufficiently discriminating to guide partner services activities. Findings may help model coitus-specific transmission probabilities.

Genetic Complexity of Episodic Memory: A Twin Approach to Studies of Aging

PubMed Central

Kremen, William S.; Spoon, Kelly M.; Jacobson, Kristen C.; Vasilopoulos, Terrie; McCaffery, Jeanne M.; Panizzon, Matthew S.; Franz, Carol E.; Vuoksimaa, Eero; Xian, Hong; Rana, Brinda K.; Toomey, Rosemary; McKenzie, Ruth; Lyons, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Episodic memory change is a central issue in cognitive aging, and understanding that process will require elucidation of its genetic underpinnings. A key limiting factor in genetically informed research on memory has been lack of attention to genetic and phenotypic complexity, as if “memory is memory” and all well-validated assessments are essentially equivalent. Here we applied multivariate twin models to data from late-middle-aged participants in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging to examine the genetic architecture of 6 measures from 3 standard neuropsychological tests: the California Verbal Learning Test-2, and Wechsler Memory Scale-III Logical Memory (LM) and Visual Reproductions (VR). An advantage of the twin method is that it can estimate the extent to which latent genetic influences are shared or independent across different measures before knowing which specific genes are involved. The best-fitting model was a higher order common pathways model with a heritable higher order general episodic memory factor and three test-specific subfactors. More importantly, substantial genetic variance was accounted for by genetic influences that were specific to the latent LM and VR subfactors (28% and 30%, respectively) and independent of the general factor. Such unique genetic influences could partially account for replication failures. Moreover, if different genes influence different memory phenotypes, they could well have different age-related trajectories. This approach represents an important step toward providing critical information for all types of genetically informative studies of aging and memory. PMID:24956007

Clinical roundtable monograph: CD30 in lymphoma: its role in biology, diagnostic testing, and targeted therapy.

PubMed

Sotomayor, Eduardo M; Young, Ken H; Younes, Anas

2014-04-01

CD30, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is a transmembrane glycoprotein receptor consisting of an extracellular domain, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular domain. CD30 has emerged as an important molecule in the field of targeted therapy because its expression is generally restricted to specific disease types and states. The major cancers with elevated CD30 expression include Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma, and CD30 expression is considered essential to the differential diagnosis of these malignancies. Most commonly, CD30 expression is detected and performed by immunohistochemical staining of biopsy samples. Alternatively, flow cytometry analysis has also been developed for fresh tissue and cell aspiration specimens, including peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirate. Over the past several years, several therapeutic agents were developed to target CD30, with varying success in clinical trials. A major advance in the targeting of CD30 was seen with the development of the antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin, which consists of the naked anti-CD30 antibody SGN-30 conjugated to the synthetic antitubulin agent monomethyl auristatin E. In 2011, brentuximab vedotin was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma based on clinical trial data showing high response rates in these indications. Ongoing trials are examining brentuximab vedotin after autologous stem cell transplantation, as part of chemotherapy combination regimens, and in other CD30-expressing malignancies, including primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphomas, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, lymphoma positive for Epstein-Barr virus, peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified, and cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Short- and long-term quantitation reproducibility of brain metabolites in the medial wall using proton echo planar spectroscopic imaging.

PubMed

Tsai, Shang-Yueh; Lin, Yi-Ru; Wang, Woan-Chyi; Niddam, David M

2012-11-15

Proton echo planar spectroscopic imaging (PEPSI) is a fast magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) technique that allows mapping spatial metabolite distributions in the brain. Although the medial wall of the cortex is involved in a wide range of pathological conditions, previous MRSI studies have not focused on this region. To decide the magnitude of metabolic changes to be considered significant in this region, the reproducibility of the method needs to be established. The study aims were to establish the short- and long-term reproducibility of metabolites in the right medial wall and to compare regional differences using a constant short-echo time (TE30) and TE averaging (TEavg) optimized to yield glutamatergic information. 2D sagittal PEPSI was implemented at 3T using a 32 channel head coil. Acquisitions were repeated immediately and after approximately 2 weeks to assess the coefficients of variation (COV). COVs were obtained from eight regions-of-interest (ROIs) of varying size and location. TE30 resulted in better spectral quality and similar or lower quantitation uncertainty for all metabolites except glutamate (Glu). When Glu and glutamine (Gln) were quantified together (Glx) reduced quantitation uncertainty and increased reproducibility was observed for TE30. TEavg resulted in lowered quantitation uncertainty for Glu but in less reliable quantification of several other metabolites. TEavg did not result in a systematically improved short- or long-term reproducibility for Glu. The ROI volume was a major factor influencing reproducibility. For both short- and long-term repetitions, the Glu COVs obtained with TEavg were 5-8% for the large ROIs, 12-17% for the medium sized ROIs and 16-26% for the smaller cingulate ROIs. COVs obtained with TE30 for the less specific Glx were 3-5%, 8-10% and 10-15%. COVs for N-acetyl aspartate, creatine and choline using TE30 with long-term repetition were between 2-10%. Our results show that the cost of more specific glutamatergic information (Glu versus Glx) is the requirement of an increased effect size especially with increasing anatomical specificity. This comes in addition to the loss of sensitivity for other metabolites. Encouraging results were obtained with TE30 compared to other previously reported MRSI studies. The protocols implemented here are reliable and may be used to study disease progression and intervention mechanisms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An evolutionarily conserved motif in the TAB1 C-terminal region is necessary for interaction with and activation of TAK1 MAPKKK.

PubMed

Ono, K; Ohtomo, T; Sato, S; Sugamata, Y; Suzuki, M; Hisamoto, N; Ninomiya-Tsuji, J; Tsuchiya, M; Matsumoto, K

2001-06-29

TAK1, a member of the MAPKKK family, is involved in the intracellular signaling pathways mediated by transforming growth factor beta, interleukin 1, and Wnt. TAK1 kinase activity is specifically activated by the TAK1-binding protein TAB1. The C-terminal 68-amino acid sequence of TAB1 (TAB1-C68) is sufficient for TAK1 interaction and activation. Analysis of various truncated versions of TAB1-C68 defined a C-terminal 30-amino acid sequence (TAB1-C30) necessary for TAK1 binding and activation. NMR studies revealed that the TAB1-C30 region has a unique alpha-helical structure. We identified a conserved sequence motif, PYVDXA/TXF, in the C-terminal domain of mammalian TAB1, Xenopus TAB1, and its Caenorhabditis elegans homolog TAP-1, suggesting that this motif constitutes a specific TAK1 docking site. Alanine substitution mutagenesis showed that TAB1 Phe-484, located in the conserved motif, is crucial for TAK1 binding and activation. The C. elegans homolog of TAB1, TAP-1, was able to interact with and activate the C. elegans homolog of TAK1, MOM-4. However, the site in TAP-1 corresponding to Phe-484 of TAB1 is an alanine residue (Ala-364), and changing this residue to Phe abrogates the ability of TAP-1 to interact with and activate MOM-4. These results suggest that the Phe or Ala residue within the conserved motif of the TAB1-related proteins is important for interaction with and activation of specific TAK1 MAPKKK family members in vivo.

Fast stack activation procedure and effective long-term storage for high-performance polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Seung Yong; Seo, Dong-Jun; Kim, Myeong-Ri; Seo, Min Ho; Hwang, Sun-Mi; Jung, Yong-Min; Kim, Beom-Jun; Yoon, Young-Gi; Han, Byungchan; Kim, Tae-Young

2016-10-01

Time-saving stack activation and effective long-term storage are one of most important issues that must be resolved for the commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Herein, we developed the cost-effective stack activation method to finish the whole activation within 30 min and the long-term storage method by using humidified N2 without any significant decrease in cell's performance for 30 days. Specifically, the pre-activation step with the direct injection of DI water into the stack and storage at 65 or 80 °C for 2 h increases the distinctive phase separation between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions in Nafion membrane, which significantly reduces the total activation time within 30 min. Additionally, the long-term storage with humidified N2 has no effect on the Pt oxidation and drying of Nafion membrane for 30 days due to its exergonic reaction in the cell. As a result, the high water content in Nafion membrane and the decrease of Pt oxidation are the critical factors that have a strong influence on the activation and long-term storage for high-performance PEMFC.

Epidemiological risk factors associated with inflammatory breast cancer subtypes.

PubMed

Atkinson, Rachel L; El-Zein, Randa; Valero, Vicente; Lucci, Anthony; Bevers, Therese B; Fouad, Tamer; Liao, Weiqin; Ueno, Naoto T; Woodward, Wendy A; Brewster, Abenaa M

2016-03-01

In this single-institution case-control study, we identified risk factors associated with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) subtypes based on staining of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and expression of human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2neu) to determine distinct etiologic pathways. We identified 224 women with IBC and 396 cancer-free women seen at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between breast cancer risk factors and the IBC tumor subtypes: luminal (ER+ and/or PR+/HER2neu-), HER2neu+ (any ER and PR, HER2neu+), and triple-negative (ER-/PR-/HER2neu-). In multivariable analysis, compared with women age ≥26 at first pregnancy, women age <26 had a higher risk of triple-negative IBC (OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.37-8.05). Women with a history of breast-feeding had a lower risk of triple-negative (OR 0.30; 95% CI 0.15-0.62) and luminal IBC (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.18-0.68). A history of smoking was associated with an increased risk of luminal IBC (OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.24-4.52). Compared with normal-weight women, those who were overweight or obese (body mass index ≥25 kg/m(2)) had a higher risk of all three tumor subtypes (p < 0.01 for all subtypes). Overweight or obese status is important modifiable risk factor for IBC of any subtype. Modifiable risk factors, age at first pregnancy (≥26), breast-feeding, and smoking may be associated with specific IBC subtypes. These results highlight the importance of evaluating epidemiologic risk factors for IBC for the identification of subtype-specific prevention strategies.

CD30 expression in malignant vascular tumors and its diagnostic and clinical implications: a study of 146 cases.

PubMed

Alimchandani, Meghna; Wang, Zeng-Feng; Miettinen, Markku

2014-01-01

Angiosarcoma (AS) is a rare malignant vascular tumor, whereas epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a vascular tumor of low-grade malignancy. CD30 is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 8 (TNFRSF8). Although the expression of CD30 is most commonly associated with lymphoid malignancies or germ cell tumors, occasional ASs have been reported as CD30 positive. However, there are limited data to evaluate its role definitively in malignant vascular tumors. In this study, we evaluated 91 ASs, 30 EHEs from various sites, and 25 Kaposi sarcomas. Overall, CD30 was expressed in 31/91 cases (34%) of AS, in 7/30 cases (30%) of EHE, but in none of the Kaposi sarcomas. CD30 was expressed in a membranous staining pattern and positivity in tumor cells varied from focal to diffuse. The positive ASs included vasoformative more differentiated tumors and also solid, undifferentiated, lymphoma-like examples, one of which was classified as lymphoma before the era of immunohistochemistry. The CD30 expression was seen in >50% of tumor cells in a majority of ASs but only in 7% of EHEs. None of the 55 ASs studied were immunohistochemically positive for TIA-1 or Granzyme B, antigens used as more specific markers for anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. Compared with AS, normal vascular endothelia of capillaries and muscular vessels showed variable positivity. Among hemangiomas, cavernous and spindle cell hemangiomas showed most frequent endothelial CD30 positivity, whereas in most other hemangiomas, CD30 positivity was scant. In conclusion, CD30 expression occurs in a significant subset of ASs and EHEs and needs to be included in the differential diagnosis with other CD30-positive malignancies to avoid a diagnostic pitfall. It remains to be determined whether patients with strongly CD30-positive ASs could be candidates for targeted therapy using the recently introduced CD30 antibody drug conjugates.

A novel member of glycoside hydrolase family 30 subfamily 8 with altered substrate specificity

Treesearch

Franz J. St John; Diane Dietrich; Casey Crooks; Edwin Pozharski; Javier M. González; Elizabeth Bales; Kennon Smith; Jason C. Hurlbert

2014-01-01

Endoxylanases classified into glycoside hydrolase family 30 subfamily 8 (GH30-8) are known to hydrolyze the hemicellulosic polysaccharide glucuronoxylan (GX) but not arabinoxylan or neutral xylooligosaccharides. This is owing to the specificity of these enzymes for the

Personality traits and mental health states of methamphetamine-dependent and methamphetamine non-using MSM.

PubMed

Solomon, Todd M; Kiang, Mathew V; Halkitis, Perry N; Moeller, Robert W; Pappas, Molly K

2010-02-01

This analysis considers the relation between personality traits, mental health states and methamphetamine (MA) use in 60 men who have sex with men (MSM). Thirty MA-dependent and 30 MA non-using MSM were assessed on the Neo Five Factor Inventory, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version tests. Our results indicate differences between groups on a variety of measures of personality traits and mental states. Specifically, MA-dependent participants were found to be more Neurotic, less Open, less Agreeable, and less Conscientious. Further, MA-dependent participants were found to have higher levels of Paranoid Ideation and higher levels of Interpersonal Sensitivity. Given the high prevalence of MA use in the MSM community and the association between MA use and sexual risk taking, our findings provided a clearer understanding of how individual personality traits may be a factor in the continued use of this drug among MSM. Further research should seek to incorporate individual personality traits into the development of efficacious MA-specific treatment interventions.

Cell-free protein synthesis from genomically recoded bacteria enables multisite incorporation of noncanonical amino acids.

PubMed

Martin, Rey W; Des Soye, Benjamin J; Kwon, Yong-Chan; Kay, Jennifer; Davis, Roderick G; Thomas, Paul M; Majewska, Natalia I; Chen, Cindy X; Marcum, Ryan D; Weiss, Mary Grace; Stoddart, Ashleigh E; Amiram, Miriam; Ranji Charna, Arnaz K; Patel, Jaymin R; Isaacs, Farren J; Kelleher, Neil L; Hong, Seok Hoon; Jewett, Michael C

2018-03-23

Cell-free protein synthesis has emerged as a powerful approach for expanding the range of genetically encoded chemistry into proteins. Unfortunately, efforts to site-specifically incorporate multiple non-canonical amino acids into proteins using crude extract-based cell-free systems have been limited by release factor 1 competition. Here we address this limitation by establishing a bacterial cell-free protein synthesis platform based on genomically recoded Escherichia coli lacking release factor 1. This platform was developed by exploiting multiplex genome engineering to enhance extract performance by functionally inactivating negative effectors. Our most productive cell extracts enabled synthesis of 1,780 ± 30 mg/L superfolder green fluorescent protein. Using an optimized platform, we demonstrated the ability to introduce 40 identical p-acetyl-L-phenylalanine residues site specifically into an elastin-like polypeptide with high accuracy of incorporation ( ≥ 98%) and yield (96 ± 3 mg/L). We expect this cell-free platform to facilitate fundamental understanding and enable manufacturing paradigms for proteins with new and diverse chemistries.

Mud crab ecology encourages site-specific approaches to fishery management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumas, P.; Léopold, M.; Frotté, L.; Peignon, C.

2012-01-01

Little is known about the effects of mud crabs population patterns on their exploitation. We used complementary approaches (experimental, fisher-based) to investigate how small-scale variations in density, size and sex-ratio related to the ecology of S. serrata may impact fishing practices in New Caledonia. Crabs were measured/sexed across 9 stations in contrasted mangrove systems between 2007 and 2009. Stations were described and classified in different kinds of mangrove forests (coastal, riverine, and estuarine); vegetation cover was qualitatively described at station scale. Annual catch was used as an indicator of fishing pressure. Middle-scale environmental factors (oceanic influence, vegetation cover) had significant contributions to crab density (GLM, 84.8% of variance), crab size and sex-ratio (< 30%). While small-scale natural factors contributed significantly to population structure, current fishing levels had no impacts on mud crabs. The observed, ecologically-driven heterogeneity of crab resource has strong social implications in the Pacific area, where land tenure system and traditional access rights prevent most fishers from freely selecting their harvest zones. This offers a great opportunity to encourage site-specific management of mud crab fisheries.

Performance of the Spot Vision Screener in Children Younger Than 3 Years of Age.

PubMed

Forcina, Blake D; Peterseim, M Millicent; Wilson, M Edward; Cheeseman, Edward W; Feldman, Samuel; Marzolf, Amanda L; Wolf, Bethany J; Trivedi, Rupal H

2017-06-01

To evaluate the use of the Spot Vision Screener (Spot; Welch Allyn, Skaneateles Falls, New York, USA) for detection of amblyopia risk factors in children aged 6 months to 3 years, as defined by the 2013 guidelines of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Reliability analysis. In this study, children seen from June 1, 2012, to April 30, 2016 were tested with the Spot during a routine visit. Enrolled children underwent a comprehensive eye examination including cycloplegic refraction and sensorimotor testing within 6 months of the testing date by a pediatric ophthalmologist masked to the Spot results. A total of 184 children were included. The Spot successfully obtained readings in 89.7% of patients. Compared with the ophthalmologist's examination, the Spot had an overall sensitivity of 89.8% and a specificity of 70.4%. The Spot achieved good sensitivity and specificity for detection of amblyopia risk factors in this young cohort, particularly in the older subgroup. Our data offer support for automated vision screening in young children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis and classification of pernicious anemia.

PubMed

Bizzaro, Nicola; Antico, Antonio

2014-01-01

Pernicious anemia (PA) is a complex disorder consisting of hematological, gastric and immunological alterations. Diagnosis of PA relies on histologically proven atrophic body gastritis, peripheral blood examination showing megaloblastic anemia with hypersegmented neutrophils, cobalamin deficiency and antibodies to intrinsic factor and to gastric parietal cells. Anti-parietal cell antibodies are found in 90% of patients with PA, but have low specificity and are seen in atrophic gastritis without megaloblastic anemia as well as in various autoimmune disorders. Anti-intrinsic factor antibodies are less sensitive, being found in only 60% of patients with PA, but are considered highly specific for PA. The incidence of PA increases with age and is rare in persons younger than 30 years of age. The highest prevalence is seen in Northern Europeans, especially those in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, although PA has been reported in virtually every ethnic group. Because of the complexity of the diagnosis, PA prevalence is probably underestimated and no reliable data are available on the risk of gastric cancer as the end-stage evolution of atrophic gastritis in these patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

33 CFR 137.30 - Objectives and performance factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Objectives and performance factors. 137.30 Section 137.30 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) MARINE POLLUTION FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATION OIL SPILL LIABILITY...

33 CFR 137.30 - Objectives and performance factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Objectives and performance factors. 137.30 Section 137.30 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) MARINE POLLUTION FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATION OIL SPILL LIABILITY...

33 CFR 137.30 - Objectives and performance factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Objectives and performance factors. 137.30 Section 137.30 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) MARINE POLLUTION FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATION OIL SPILL LIABILITY...

33 CFR 137.30 - Objectives and performance factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Objectives and performance factors. 137.30 Section 137.30 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) MARINE POLLUTION FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATION OIL SPILL LIABILITY...

The Volume-Outcome Relationship in Critical Care

PubMed Central

Wallace, David J.; Yordanov, Youri; Trinquart, Ludovic; Blomkvist, Josefin; Angus, Derek C.; Kahn, Jeremy M.; Ravaud, Philippe; Guidet, Bertrand

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to systematically review the research on volume and outcome relationships in critical care. METHODS: From January 1, 2001, to April 30, 2014, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for studies assessing the relationship between admission volume and clinical outcomes in critical illness. Bibliographies were reviewed to identify other articles of interest, and experts were contacted about missing or unpublished studies. Of 127 studies reviewed, 46 met inclusion criteria, covering seven clinical conditions. Two investigators independently reviewed each article using a standardized form to abstract information on key study characteristics and results. RESULTS: Overall, 29 of the studies (63%) reported a statistically significant association between higher admission volume and improved outcomes. The magnitude of the association (mortality OR between the lowest vs highest stratum of volume centers), as well as the thresholds used to characterize high volume, varied across clinical conditions. Critically ill patients with cardiovascular (n = 7, OR = 1.49 [1.11-2.00]), respiratory (n = 12, OR = 1.20 [1.04-1.38]), severe sepsis (n = 4, OR = 1.17 [1.03-1.33]), hepato-GI (n = 3, OR = 1.30 [1.08-1.78]), neurologic (n = 3, OR = 1.38 [1.22-1.57]), and postoperative admission diagnoses (n = 3, OR = 2.95 [1.05-8.30]) were more likely to benefit from admission to higher-volume centers compared with lower-volume centers. Studies that controlled for ICU or hospital organizational factors were less likely to find a significant volume-outcome relationship than studies that did not control for these factors. CONCLUSIONS: Critically ill patients generally benefit from care in high-volume centers, with more substantial benefits in selected high-risk conditions. This relationship may in part be mediated by specific ICU and hospital organizational factors. PMID:25927593

Risk factors for 30-day postoperative complications and mortality after below-knee amputation: a study of 2,911 patients from the national surgical quality improvement program.

PubMed

Belmont, Philip J; Davey, Shaunette; Orr, Justin D; Ochoa, Leah M; Bader, Julia O; Schoenfeld, Andrew J

2011-09-01

This investigation sought to evaluate risk factors for morbidity and mortality from a large series of below-knee amputees prospectively entered in a national database. All patients undergoing below-knee amputations in the years 2005-2008 were identified in the database of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Demographic data, medical comorbidities, and medical history were obtained. Mortality and postoperative complications within 30 days of the below-knee amputation were also documented. Chi-square test, univariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the effect of specific risk factors on mortality, as well as the likelihood of developing major, minor, or any complications developing. Below-knee amputations were performed in 2,911 patients registered in the NSQIP database between 2005 and 2008. The average age of patients was 65.8 years old and 64.3% were male. There was a 7.0% 30-day mortality rate and 1,627 complications occurred in 1,013 patients (34.4%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified renal insufficiency, cardiac issues, history of sepsis, steroid use, COPD, and increased patient age as independent predictors of mortality. The most common major complications were return to the operating room (15.6%), wound infection (9.3%), and postoperative sepsis (9.3%). History of sepsis, alcohol use, steroid use, cardiac issues, renal insufficiency, and contaminated/infected wounds were independent predictors of one or more complications developing. Renal disease, cardiac issues, history of sepsis, steroid use, COPD, and increased patient age were identified as predictors of mortality after below-knee amputation. Renal disease, cardiac issues, history of sepsis, steroid use, contaminated/infected wounds, and alcohol use were also found to be predictors of postoperative complications. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A nomogram to predict prognostic values of various inflammatory biomarkers in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

PubMed Central

Liu, Jin-Shi; Huang, Ying; Yang, Xun; Feng, Ji-Feng

2015-01-01

Background: Inflammation plays an important role in cancer progression and prognosis. However, the prognostic values of inflammatory biomarkers in esophageal cancer (EC) were not established. In the present study, therefore, we initially used a nomogram to predict prognostic values of various inflammatory biomarkers in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods: A total of 326 ESCC patients were included in this retrospective study. Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and lymphocyte monocyte ratio (LMR) were analyzed in the current study. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cancer-specific survival (CSS). Cox regression analysis was also performed to evaluate the prognostic factors. A nomogram was established to predict the prognosis for CSS. Results: Patients were divided into 3 groups according to GPS (GPS 0, 1 and 2) and 2 groups according to NLR (≤3.45 and >3.45), PLR (≤166.5 and >166.5) and LMR (≤2.30 and >2.30). The 5-year CSS in patients with GPS 0, 1 and 2 were 49.2%, 26.8% and 11.9%, respectively (P<0.001). In addition, patients with NLR (>3.45), PLR (>166.5) and LMR (≤2.30) were significantly associated with decreased CSS, respectively (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that GPS (P<0.001), PLR (P=0.002) and LMR (P=0.002) were independent prognostic factors in patients with ESCC. In addition, a nomogram was established according to all significantly independent factors for CSS. The Harrell’s c-index for CSS prediction was 0.72. Conclusion: GPS, PLR and LMR were potential prognostic biomarkers in patients with ESCC. The nomogram based on CSS could be used as an accurately prognostic prediction for patients with ESCC. PMID:26328248

27 CFR 30.41 - Bulk spirits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... specific gravity at the temperature of the spirits is not more than 1.0) and reference to Table 4 for the wine gallons per pound, or (b) Use of a specific gravity hydrometer, in accordance with the provisions of § 30.25, to determine the specific gravity of the spirits (if the specific gravity at the...

27 CFR 30.41 - Bulk spirits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... specific gravity at the temperature of the spirits is not more than 1.0) and reference to Table 4 for the wine gallons per pound, or (b) Use of a specific gravity hydrometer, in accordance with the provisions of § 30.25, to determine the specific gravity of the spirits (if the specific gravity at the...

27 CFR 30.41 - Bulk spirits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... specific gravity at the temperature of the spirits is not more than 1.0) and reference to Table 4 for the wine gallons per pound, or (b) Use of a specific gravity hydrometer, in accordance with the provisions of § 30.25, to determine the specific gravity of the spirits (if the specific gravity at the...

27 CFR 30.41 - Bulk spirits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... specific gravity at the temperature of the spirits is not more than 1.0) and reference to Table 4 for the wine gallons per pound, or (b) Use of a specific gravity hydrometer, in accordance with the provisions of § 30.25, to determine the specific gravity of the spirits (if the specific gravity at the...

Prostate-specific antigen density is predictive of outcome in suboptimal prostate seed brachytherapy.

PubMed

Benzaquen, David; Delouya, Guila; Ménard, Cynthia; Barkati, Maroie; Taussky, Daniel

In prostate seed brachytherapy, a D 90 of <130 Gy is an accepted predictive factor for biochemical failure (BF). We studied whether there is a subpopulation that does not need additional treatment after a suboptimal permanent seed brachytherapy implantation. A total of 486 patients who had either BF or a minimum followup of 48 months without BF were identified. BF was defined according to the Phoenix definition (nadir prostate-specific antigen + 2). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed, adjusting for known prognostic factors such as D 90 and prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) of ≥0.15 ng/mL/cm 3 , to evaluate their ability to predict BF. Median followup for patients without BF was 72 months (interquartile range 56-96). BF-free recurrence rate at 5 years was 95% and at 8 years 88%. In univariate analysis, PSAD and cancer of the prostate risk assessment score were predictive of BF. On multivariate analysis, none of the factors remained significant. The best prognosis had patients with a low PSAD (<0.15 ng/mL/cm 3 ) and an optimal implant at 30 days after implantation (as defined by D 90  ≥ 130 Gy) compared to patients with both factors unfavorable (p = 0.006). A favorable PSAD was associate with a good prognosis, independently of the D 90 (<130 Gy vs. ≥130 Gy, p = 0.7). Patients with a PSAD of <0.15 ng/mL/cm 3 have little risk of BF, even in the case of a suboptimal implant. These results need to be validated in other patients' cohorts. Copyright © 2016 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adolescent sexual victimization: a prospective study on risk factors for first time sexual assault.

PubMed

Bramsen, Rikke Holm; Lasgaard, Mathias; Koss, Mary P; Elklit, Ask; Banner, Jytte

2012-09-01

The present study set out to investigate predictors of first time adolescent peer-on-peer sexual victimization (APSV) among 238 female Grade 9 students from 30 schools in Denmark. A prospective research design was utilized to examine the relationship among five potential predictors as measured at baseline and first time APSV during a 6-month period. Data analysis was a binary logistic regression analysis. Number of sexual partners and displaying sexual risk behaviors significantly predicted subsequent first time peer-on-peer sexual victimization, whereas a history of child sexual abuse, early sexual onset and failing to signal sexual boundaries did not. The present study identifies specific risk factors for first time sexual victimization that are potentially changeable. Thus, the results may inform prevention initiatives targeting initial experiences of APSV.

Estimation of Rainfall Erosivity via 1-Minute to Hourly Rainfall Data from Taipei, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ting-Yin; Yang, Ssu-Yao; Jan, Chyan-Deng

2017-04-01

Soil erosion is a natural process on hillslopes that threats people's life and properties, having a considerable environmental and economic implications for soil degradation, agricultural activity and water quality. The rainfall erosivity factor (R-factor) in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), composed of total kinetic energy (E) and the maximum 30-min rainfall intensity (I30), is widely used as an indicator to measure the potential risks of soil loss caused by rainfall at a regional scale. This R factor can represent the detachment and entrainment involved in climate conditions on hillslopes, but lack of 30-min rainfall intensity data usually lead to apply this factor more difficult in many regions. In recent years, fixed-interval, hourly rainfall data is readily available and widely used due to the development of automatic weather stations. Here we assess the estimations of R, E, and I30 based on 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 30-, 60-minute rainfall data, and hourly rainfall data obtained from Taipei weather station during 2004 to 2010. Results show that there is a strong correlation among R-factors estimated from different interval rainfall data. Moreover, the shorter time-interval rainfall data (e.g., 1-min) yields larger value of R-factor. The conversion factors of rainfall erosivity (ratio of values estimated from the resolution lower than 30-min rainfall data to those estimated from 60-min and hourly rainfall data, respectively) range from 1.85 to 1.40 (resp. from 1.89 to 1.02) for 60-min (resp. hourly) rainfall data as the time resolution increasing from 30-min to 1-min. This paper provides useful information on estimating R-factor when hourly rainfall data is only available.

Intra-Specific Latitudinal Clines in Leaf Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus and their Underlying Abiotic Correlates in Ruellia Nudiflora.

PubMed

Abdala-Roberts, Luis; Covelo, Felisa; Parra-Tabla, Víctor; Terán, Jorge C Berny Mier Y; Mooney, Kailen A; Moreira, Xoaquín

2018-01-12

While plant intra-specific variation in the stoichiometry of nutrients and carbon is well documented, clines for such traits have been less studied, despite their potential to reveal the mechanisms underlying such variation. Here we analyze latitudinal variation in the concentration of leaf nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), carbon (C) and their ratios across 30 populations of the perennial herb Ruellia nudiflora. In addition, we further determined whether climatic and soil variables underlie any such latitudinal clines in leaf traits. The sampled transect spanned 5° latitude (ca. 900 km) and exhibited a four-fold precipitation gradient and 2 °C variation in mean annual temperature. We found that leaf P concentration increased with precipitation towards lower latitudes, whereas N and C did not exhibit latitudinal clines. In addition, N:P and C:P decreased towards lower latitudes and latitudinal variation in the former was weakly associated with soil conditions (clay content and cation exchange capacity); C:N did not exhibit a latitudinal gradient. Overall, these results emphasize the importance of addressing and disentangling the simultaneous effects of abiotic factors associated with intra-specific clines in plant stoichiometric traits, and highlight the previously underappreciated influence of abiotic factors on plant nutrients operating under sharp abiotic gradients over smaller spatial scales.

The Story of Ever Diminishing Vehicle Tailpipe Emissions as Observed in the Chicago, Illinois Area.

PubMed

Bishop, Gary A; Haugen, Molly J

2018-05-15

The University of Denver has collected on-road fuel specific vehicle emissions measurements in the Chicago area since 1989. This nearly 30 year record illustrates the large reductions in light-duty vehicle tailpipe emissions and the remarkable improvements in emissions control durability to maintain low emissions over increasing periods of time. Since 1989 fuel specific carbon monoxide (CO) emissions have been reduced by an order of magnitude and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions by more than a factor of 20. Nitric oxide (NO) emissions have only been collected since 1997 but have seen reductions of 79%. This has increased the skewness of the emissions distribution where the 2016 fleet's 99th percentile contributes ∼3 times more of the 1990 total for CO and HC emissions. There are signs that these reductions may be leveling out as the emissions durability of Tier 2 vehicles in use today has almost eliminated the emissions reduction benefit of fleet turnover. Since 1997, the average age of the Chicago on-road fleet has increased 2 model years and the percentage of passenger vehicles has dropped from 71 to 52% of the fleet. Emissions are now so well controlled that the influence of driving mode has been completely eliminated as a factor for fuel specific CO and NO emissions.

Prediction of non-biochemical recurrence rate after radical prostatectomy in a Japanese cohort: development of a postoperative nomogram.

PubMed

Okubo, Hidenori; Ohori, Makoto; Ohno, Yoshio; Nakashima, Jun; Inoue, Rie; Nagao, Toshitaka; Tachibana, Masaaki

2014-05-01

To develop a nomogram based on postoperative factors and prostate-specific antigen levels to predict the non-biochemical recurrence rate after radical prostatectomy ina Japanese cohort. A total of 606 Japanese patients with T1-3N0M0 prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection at Tokyo Medical University hospital from 2000 to 2010 were studied. A nomogram was constructed based on Cox hazard regression analysis evaluating the prognostic significance of serum prostate-specific antigen and pathological factors in the radical prostatectomy specimens. The discriminating ability of the nomogram was assessed by the concordance index (C-index), and the predicted and actual outcomes were compared with a bootstrapped calibration plot. With a mean follow up of 60.0 months, a total of 187 patients (30.9%) experienced biochemical recurrence, with a 5-year non-biochemical recurrence rate of 72.3%. Based on a Cox hazard regression model, a nomogram was constructed to predict non-biochemical recurrence using serum prostate-specific antigen level and pathological features in radical prostatectomy specimens. The concordance index was 0.77, and the calibration plots appeared to be accurate. The postoperative nomogram described here can provide valuable information regarding the need for adjuvant/salvage radiation or hormonal therapy in patients after radical prostatectomy.

The nuclear import factor importin α4 can protect against oxidative stress.

PubMed

Young, Julia C; Ly-Huynh, Jennifer D; Lescesen, Helen; Miyamoto, Yoichi; Browne, Cate; Yoneda, Yoshihiro; Koopman, Peter; Loveland, Kate L; Jans, David A

2013-10-01

The importin (IMP) superfamily of nuclear transport proteins is essential to key developmental pathways, including in the murine testis where expression of the 6 distinct IMPα proteins is highly dynamic. Present predominantly from the spermatocyte stage onwards, IMPα4 is unique in showing a striking nuclear localization, a property we previously found to be linked to maintenance of pluripotency in embryonic stem cells and to the cellular stress response in cultured cells. Here we examine the role of IMPα4 in vivo for the first time using a novel transgenic mouse model in which we overexpress an IMPα4-EGFP fusion protein from the protamine 1 promoter to recapitulate endogenous testicular germ cell IMPα4 expression in spermatids. IMPα4 overexpression did not affect overall fertility, testis morphology/weight or spermatogenic progression under normal conditions, but conferred significantly (>30%) increased resistance to oxidative stress specifically in the spermatid subpopulation expressing the transgene. Consistent with a cell-specific role for IMPα4 in protecting against oxidative stress, haploid germ cells from IMPα4 null mice were significantly (c. 30%) less resistant to oxidative stress than wild type controls. These results from two unique and complementary mouse models demonstrate a novel protective role for IMPα4 in stress responses specifically within haploid male germline cells, with implications for male fertility and genetic integrity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk factors, incidence, consequences and prevention strategies for falls and fall-injury within older indigenous populations: a systematic review.

PubMed

Lukaszyk, Caroline; Harvey, Lara; Sherrington, Cathie; Keay, Lisa; Tiedemann, Anne; Coombes, Julieann; Clemson, Lindy; Ivers, Rebecca

2016-12-01

To examine the risk factors, incidence, consequences and existing prevention strategies for falls and fall-related injury in older indigenous people. Relevant literature was identified through searching 14 electronic databases, a range of institutional websites, online search engines and government databases, using search terms pertaining to indigenous status, injury and ageing. Thirteen studies from Australia, the United States, Central America and Canada were identified. Few studies reported on fall rates but two reported that around 30% of indigenous people aged 45 years and above experienced at least one fall during the past year. The most common hospitalised fall injuries among older indigenous people were hip fracture and head injury. Risk factors significantly associated with falls within indigenous populations included poor mobility, a history of stroke, epilepsy, head injury, poor hearing and urinary incontinence. No formally evaluated, indigenous-specific fall prevention interventions were identified. Falls are a significant and growing health issue for older indigenous people worldwide that can lead to severe health consequences and even death. No fully-evaluated, indigenous-specific fall prevention programs were identified. Implications for Public Health: Research into fall patterns and fall-related injury among indigenous people is necessary for the development of appropriate fall prevention interventions. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

Health Outcomes of Sexual-Minority Youth in Canada: An Overview

PubMed Central

Blais, Martin; Bergeron, Félix-Antoine; Duford, Julie; Boislard, Marie-Aude; Hébert, Martine

2016-01-01

Objectives The objectives of this review are to (1) document health outcomes among sexual-minority youth (SMY) in Canada; and (2) identify sexual-minority-specific risk and protective factors Data Sources We conducted a review of Canadian data published after 2005 on the mental, physical and sexual health outcomes of SMY using relevant keywords. A total of 19 empirical studies and 2 research reports was included. Data Synthesis The study reviewed included 53 to 30 588 respondents (total = 81 567). SMY counted for 15.86% of the total sample. Overall, SMY in Canada show negative health outcomes in proportions varying from 7% to 69.4%, the most common issues being psychological distress and maladjustment. SMY are more likely than their heterosexual peers to report psychological distress/malfunctioning, suicidality, substance misuse, condomless intercourse, pregnancy involvement. Main SMY-specific risk factors were family rejection of one’s minority sexual orientation, homophobic bullying and victimization, and internalized homophobia. Among the few protective factors that were reported, school and family connectedness, school safety, parental support and sports involvement decreased the odds of negative health outcomes. Conclusions Canadian data show that SMY are more likely to experience negative health outcomes than their heterosexual peers. These results are consistent with data from around the world. Recommendations for research and intervention are discussed. PMID:28111592

Cross-Linguistic Differences in Bilinguals' Fundamental Frequency Ranges.

PubMed

Ordin, Mikhail; Mennen, Ineke

2017-06-10

We investigated cross-linguistic differences in fundamental frequency range (FFR) in Welsh-English bilingual speech. This is the first study that reports gender-specific behavior in switching FFRs across languages in bilingual speech. FFR was conceptualized as a behavioral pattern using measures of span (range of fundamental frequency-in semitones-covered by the speaker's voice) and level (overall height of fundamental frequency maxima, minima, and means of speaker's voice) in each language. FFR measures were taken from recordings of 30 Welsh-English bilinguals (14 women and 16 men), who read 70 semantically matched sentences, 35 in each language. Comparisons were made within speakers across languages, separately in male and female speech. Language background and language use information was elicited for qualitative analysis of extralinguistic factors that might affect the FFR. Cross-linguistic differences in FFR were found to be consistent across female bilinguals but random across male bilinguals. Most female bilinguals showed distinct FFRs for each language. Most male bilinguals, however, were found not to change their FFR when switching languages. Those who did change used different strategies than women when differentiating FFRs between languages. Detected cross-linguistic differences in FFR can be explained by sociocultural factors. Therefore, sociolinguistic factors are to be taken into account in any further study of language-specific pitch setting and cross-linguistic differences in FFR.

An analysis of early oncologic head and neck free flap reoperations from the 2005-2012 ACS-NSQIP dataset.

PubMed

Ligh, Cassandra A; Nelson, Jonas A; Wink, Jason D; Gerety, Patrick A; Fischer, John P; Wu, Liza C; Kanchwala, Suhail K

2016-01-01

There are limited population-based studies that examine perioperative factors that influence postoperative surgical take-backs to the OR following free flap (FF) reconstruction for head/neck cancer extirpation. The purpose of this study was to critically analyse head/neck free flaps (HNFF) captured in the ACS-NSQIP dataset with a specific focus on postoperative complications and the incidence of factors associated with re-operation. The 2005-2012 ACS-NSQIP datasets were accessed to identify patients undergoing FF reconstruction after a diagnosis of head/neck cancer. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and perioperative risk factors were examined as covariates, and the primary outcome was return to OR within 30 days of surgery. A multivariate regression was performed to determine independent preoperative factors associated with this complication. In total, 855 patients underwent FF for head/neck reconstruction most commonly for the Tongue (24.7%) and Mouth/Floor/cavity (25.0%). Of these, 153 patients (17.9%) returned to the OR within 30 days of surgery. Patients in this cohort had higher rates of wound infections and dehiscence (p < 0.01). Medical complications were significantly higher and included pneumonia (12.4% vs 5.0%, p < 0.01), prolonged ventilation (16.3% vs 4.8%, p < 0.01), myocardial infarction (2.6% vs 0.6%, p = 0.017), and sepsis (7.2% vs 3.4%, p = 0.033). Regression analysis demonstrated that visceral flaps (OR = 9.7, p = 0.012) and hypoalbuminemia (OR = 2.4, p = 0.009) were significant predictors of a return to the OR. Based on data from the nationwide NSQIP dataset, up to 17% of HNFF return to the OR within 30 days. Although this data-set has some significant limitations, these results can cautiously help to improve preoperative patient optimisation and surgical decision-making.

Risk Factors for Obesity in Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

PubMed Central

Green, Daniel M.; Cox, Cheryl L.; Zhu, Liang; Krull, Kevin R.; Srivastava, Deo Kumar; Stovall, Marilyn; Nolan, Vikki G.; Ness, Kirsten K.; Donaldson, Sarah S.; Oeffinger, Kevin C.; Meacham, Lillian R.; Sklar, Charles A.; Armstrong, Gregory T.; Robison, Leslie L.

2012-01-01

Purpose Many Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) participants are at increased risk for obesity. The etiology of their obesity is likely multifactorial but not well understood. Patients and Methods We evaluated the potential contribution of demographic, lifestyle, treatment, and intrapersonal factors and self-reported pharmaceutical use to obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2) among 9,284 adult (> 18 years of age) CCSS participants. Independent predictors were identified using multivariable regression models. Interrelationships were determined using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results Independent risk factors for obesity included cancer diagnosed at 5 to 9 years of age (relative risk [RR], 1.12; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.24; P = .03), abnormal Short Form–36 physical function (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.33; P < .001), hypothalamic/pituitary radiation doses of 20 to 30 Gy (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.30; P = .01), and paroxetine use (RR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.54; P = .01). Meeting US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for vigorous physical activity (RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.97; P = .01) and a medium amount of anxiety (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = .04) reduced the risk of obesity. Results of SEM (N = 8,244; comparative fit index = 0.999; Tucker Lewis index = 0.999; root mean square error of approximation = 0.014; weighted root mean square residual = 0.749) described the hierarchical impact of the direct predictors, moderators, and mediators of obesity. Conclusion Treatment, lifestyle, and intrapersonal factors, as well as the use of specific antidepressants, may contribute to obesity among survivors. A multifaceted intervention, including alternative drug and other therapies for depression and anxiety, may be required to reduce risk. PMID:22184380

Integrative Cardiac Health Project, Windber Research Institute

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

ABSTRACT There is an increasing prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in the military population, which is negatively...and integrate information on dietary , behavioral, and lifestyle factors to provide important information on CVD risk reduction and (2) discover new...Outcomes 30 9. Other Achievements 30 10. References 30 11. Appendices 30 1. INTRODUCTION: There is an increasing prevalence of obesity and

10 CFR 30.33 - General requirements for issuance of specific licenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General requirements for issuance of specific licenses. 30.33 Section 30.33 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION RULES OF GENERAL APPLICABILITY TO DOMESTIC... other benefits against environmental costs and considering available alternatives, that the action...

10 CFR 30.33 - General requirements for issuance of specific licenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false General requirements for issuance of specific licenses. 30.33 Section 30.33 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION RULES OF GENERAL APPLICABILITY TO DOMESTIC... other benefits against environmental costs and considering available alternatives, that the action...

Predictive factors of mortality within 30 days in patients with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

PubMed

Lee, Yoo Jin; Min, Bo Ram; Kim, Eun Soo; Park, Kyung Sik; Cho, Kwang Bum; Jang, Byoung Kuk; Chung, Woo Jin; Hwang, Jae Seok; Jeon, Seong Woo

2016-01-01

Nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is a common medical emergency that can be life threatening. This study evaluated predictive factors of 30-day mortality in patients with this condition. A prospective observational study was conducted at a single hospital between April 2010 and November 2012, and 336 patients with symptoms and signs of gastrointestinal bleeding were consecutively enrolled. Clinical characteristics and endoscopic findings were reviewed to identify potential factors associated with 30-day mortality. Overall, 184 patients were included in the study (men, 79.3%; mean age, 59.81 years), and 16 patients died within 30 days (8.7%). Multivariate analyses revealed that comorbidity of diabetes mellitus (DM) or metastatic malignancy, age ≥ 65 years, and hypotension (systolic pressure < 90 mmHg) during hospitalization were significant predictive factors of 30-day mortality. Comorbidity of DM or metastatic malignancy, age ≥ 65 years, and hemodynamic instability during hospitalization were predictors of 30-day mortality in patients with NVUGIB. These results will help guide the management of patients with this condition.

Vasculogenesis of decidua side population cells of first-trimester pregnancy.

PubMed

Wang, Qiushi; Shen, Licong; Huang, Wei; Song, Yong; Xiao, Li; Xu, Wenming; Liu, Ying

2013-05-07

Sufficient uterine blood supply is essential for the fetus to develop normally in the uterus. Several mechanisms are involved in the process of vessel development in deciduas and villus. We focus on whether first-trimester decidua side population (SP) cells contain cells capable of differentiating into endothelial cells. Eight decidua samples were collected from healthy women, 22- to 30-years old, undergoing elective terminations of early pregnancy (six to eight gestational weeks). The cell suspensions from human deciduas were stained by Hoechst 33342 and sorted by flow cytometry, further cultured under differentiation conditions and analyzed for specific markers. These cells were implanted into ischemic limbs of nude mice to test the capacity of angiogenesis in vivo by DiI tracers and immunohistochemistry. Decidua CD31(-)CD146(-) SP cells of first-trimester human pregnancy can differentiate into endothelial cells, express the corresponding specific markers of endothelial cells, such as CD31 and CD146, and form tube-like structures on Matrigel and part of newly formed vessels in the ischemic limbs of nude mice. Vascular endothelial growth factor was more effective in promoting proliferation of CD31(-)CD146(-)SP cells compared with other growth factors, and estrogen and progesterone at a final concentration of 10 μmol/L and 30 μmol/L, respectively, promoted the migration of CD31()-CD146(-)SP cells in a dose-dependent manner. CD31(-)CD146(-) SP cells may be involved in the formation of new vessels in the maternal aspect of the placenta in the first trimester.

Risk factors associated with the different categories of piglet perinatal mortality in French farms.

PubMed

Pandolfi, F; Edwards, S A; Robert, F; Kyriazakis, I

2017-02-01

We aimed to identify mortality patterns and to establish risk factors associated with different categories of piglet perinatal mortality in French farms. At farm level, the analyses were performed on data from 146 farms that experienced perinatal mortality problems. At piglet level, the analyses were performed on data from 155 farms (7761 piglets). All data were collected over a period of 10 years (2004-14) by a consulting company, using a non-probability sampling at farm level and a random sampling at sow level. Six main categories of mortality, determined by standardised necropsy procedure, represented 84.5% of all the perinatal deaths recorded. These six categories were, in order of significance: Death during farrowing, Non- viable, Early sepsis, Mummified, Crushing and Starvation. At farm level, the percentage of deaths due to starvation was positively correlated to the percentage of deaths due to crushing and the percentage of deaths during farrowing (r>0.30, P<0.05) .The percentage of deaths due to crushing was negatively correlated to the percentage of deaths due to early sepsis (r<-0.30, P<0.05) and positively correlated to the deaths due to acute disease (r>0.30, P<0.05). Patterns of perinatal mortality at farm level were identified using a principal component analysis. Based on these, the farms could be classified, using ascending hierarchical classification, into three different clusters, highlighting issues that underlie farm differences. Risk factors were compared at piglet level for the different categories of death. Compared to other categories of death, deaths during farrowing were significantly fewer during the night than during the day. Compared to other categories of death, the likelihood of non-viable piglets tended to be higher in summer than other seasons. A smaller number of deaths in the litter was also identified for the piglets classified as non-viable or mummified. For the six main categories of perinatal mortality, the piglets which died from a specific category tended to have more littermates which died from the same category. Parity and litter size also had more significant effects on certain categories of death compared to others. The study provides novel information on the risk factors associated with specific categories of piglet perinatal mortality. The classification of farms into the 3 different clusters could lead to a more targeted management of perinatal mortality on individual farms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compacted Multiparticulate Systems for Colon-Specific Delivery of Ketoprofen.

PubMed

de Alencar, Rodrigo Gomes; de Oliveira, Aline Carlos; Lima, Eliana Martins; da Cunha-Filho, Marcílio Sérgio Soares; Taveira, Stephânia Fleury; Marreto, Ricardo Neves

2017-08-01

Pellet-containing tablets for colon-specific drug delivery present higher targeting efficiency and lower costs when compared with monolithic tablets and pellet-filled capsules, respectively. In this study, pellets containing ketoprofen were coated with different acrylic polymers and submitted to compaction. The influence of formulation and process factors on film integrity was then evaluated. Pellets were prepared via extrusion-spheronization and coated using two acrylic polymers (Eudragit® FS 30 D and Opadry® 94 k28327, PMMA and PMA, respectively). The resulting pellets were mixed with placebo granules and compressed in a hydraulic press. Multiple regression showed that ketoprofen release from pellet-containing tablets is predominantly influenced by pellet content, hardness, friability, and disintegration time. PMA-containing tablets prepared under low compaction force or with low pellet content showed rapid disintegration (<1 min) and ketoprofen release similar to those of uncompressed coated pellets (∼30% at 360 min of experiment). On the other hand, PMMA-containing tablets showed a higher rupture level, and those prepared with higher pellet content gave rise to a non-disintegrating matrix. Coated pellets were shown to be able to target ketoprofen to the colonic region. Targeting capacity was dependent on the physicochemical characteristics of the tablets.

Expression of CD30 mRNA, CD30L mRNA and a variant form of CD30 mRNA in restimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with helminthic infections resembling a Th2 disease

PubMed Central

Kilwinski, J; Berger, T; Mpalaskas, J; Reuter, S; Flick, W; Kern, P

1999-01-01

It has been proposed that CD30, a member of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily, is preferentially up-regulated on Th2-type human T cells. In order to investigate a correlation between infection with Echinococcus multilocularis and CD30 expression, we analysed regulation of CD30 mRNA, a variant form of CD30 mRNA (CD30v) and CD30 ligand (CD30L) mRNA expression on PBMC from patients with alveolar echinococcosis (AE) using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In PBMC of patients with AE as well as healthy donors, spontaneous expression of CD30L mRNA and the CD30v mRNA could be detected. However, the intact form of CD30 mRNA could be detected neither in freshly isolated PBMC of patients nor in PBMC of healthy individuals. Expression of CD30L mRNA and the variant form of CD30 mRNA was frequently detected at individual time points during 72 h of culture of PBMC stimulated with crude Echinococcus antigen. In contrast to CD30v or CD30L mRNA expression, induction of CD30 mRNA expression was detected only in three out of six (50%) healthy donors and in 10 out of 21 (48%) patients with alveolar echinococcosis after 72 h of incubation. As a control, mitogenic stimulation of PBMC of both healthy individuals and infected patients led to expression of intact CD30 mRNA within 24 h of culture. These data demonstrate the different expression of two different forms of CD30 mRNA in PBMC of human individuals. The specific induction of CD30 expression is correlated only in rare cases with the clinical status of patients with AE, indicating the lack of a general induction of CD30 mRNA in this Th2-type-dominated helminthic disease. The data provide further evidence that the CD30 receptor is not an exclusive marker for a Th2-type response. PMID:9933429

Countermeasure development : Specific Immunoprophylaxis and Immunotherapy of Combined Acute Radiation Syndromes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, Dmitri; Maliev, Slava

Introduction: Combined Acute Radiation Syndromes (CARS) are extremely severe injuries. Combination of Radiation and Thermal factors induce development of the acute pathologi-cal processes in irradiated mammals: systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), toxic multiple organ injury (TMOI), toxic multiple organ dysfunction syndromes (TMOD), toxic multiple organ failure (TMOF). Also, high doses of Radiation and Thermal injury induce for-mation of following Toxin groups: A. Specific Radiation Toxins; B. Specific Thermal Toxins; C. Nonspecific Histiogenic Pro-inflammatory and Inflammatory Toxins (NHIT). Specific Radi-ation Toxins (SRT) include four major group of Toxins: Cerebrovascular Radiation Toxins (Cv RT), Cardiovascular Radiation Toxins (Cr RT), Gastrointestinal Radiation Toxins (Gi RT), and Hematopoietic Radiation Toxins (Hp RT). CvRT, Cr RT, Gi RT groups of toxins are defined as Neurotoxins and Hp RT group is defined as Hematotoxins. Specific Thermal Toxins (STT) were isolated from the burned skin (Voul S., Colker I. 1972). The group of Nonspecific Histio-genic Inflammatory Toxins (NHIT) includes high amount of tissue toxins which are peptides with medium molecular weight. This group of polypeptides can be a significant factor as a part of developing of the general inflammation reaction. However, NHIT toxins can't induce many reactions and changes which are specific for radiation. Specific Radiation Toxins (SRT) can induce specific processes and reactions such as clonogenic cell death -programmed apoptotic necrosis. Although besides high doses of radiation, other forms of cell death such as Pyroptosis or Oncosis should be considered. We postulate that NHIT toxins are similar for high doses of radiation and thermal injury. Specific Radiation Toxins (SRT) are induced by high doses of radiation. Specific Thermal Toxins (STT) toxins which formation is induced by a Thermal Factor are different from SRT. Administration of STT toxins or NHIT toxins (IV or IM) to healthy mammals induces development of lymphocytosis, leukocytosis, trombocytosis, and ac-tivation of blood coagulation cascade. Administration of SRT (IV or IM) to radiation naive animals induces leukopeina, thrombopenia, lymphopenia as a result of clonogenic programmed cell death. Blood coagulation cascade suppression is registered. Materials and Methods: Cows, horses, rabbits, rats, mice were used for different stages of our experiments. Animals were quarantined at laboratory conditions for three weeks prior to experimentation. Isolation of the SRT was provided from the central lymphatic duct of irradiated cows. Immunization of horses and rabbits to obtain Antiradiation Antibodies (Specific Antiradiation Antidote -SAR) was provided. Animals: cows, mice, rats were irradiated in the VSRI (Kazan), Academy of Vet-erinary Medicine (Moscow), Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology (Gomel), Scientific Research Nuclear Center (Dubna). Equipment for gamma-irradiation: " Pyma", "Panorama" -Co gamma radiation source. Irradiation was performed by different doses corresponding to induction of severe forms of the Acute Radiation Syndromes (ARS). Mice and rats were re-ceiving the combined radiation and thermal injury. Model of the thermal injury: Burns -10% of total body surface. Third grade of burns was used as a model. Thermal Injury was given after irradiation. Preparations of Antiradiation Vaccine -contained a toxoid form of Radiation Toxins were used for immune-prophylaxis. Preparations of Antiradiation Antidote IgG con-tained antibodies to Radiation Toxins was used for immune-therapy. Scheme of experiments: I. Control: Group A. Animals with the ARS not received any treatment. Group B. Animals with the thermal injury not received any treatment. Group C. Animals with combined forms of the ARS not received any treatment. II. Specific Immune-prophylaxis with Antiradiation Vaccine (AV): Group D. Animals undergone immune-prophylaxis by AV. Irradiation was provided 24 days after vaccination. Group E. Animals undergone immune-prophylaxis by AV. Thermal injury was provided 24 days after vaccination. Group F. Animals undergone vaccination by AV and with combined injury. Irradiation was provided 24 days after vaccination. Thermal injury was provided immediately after irradiation. III. Specific Immune-therapy with Antiradiation Antidote IgG (AA IgG): Group G. Animals with ARS undergone immune-therapy by AA IgG. Group H. Animals with the thermal injury undergone immune-therapy by AA IgG. Group I. Animals with the combined radiation thermal injury undergone treatment by AA IgG. Results: The Lethality Doses (LD) 100/30 of radiation caused 100 % mortality rate in next 30 days after irradiation with development of different forms of the ARS in all groups. The thermal injury induced the third degree burns with area of dry necrosis in Group B. Mortality rate in this group with thermal injury without treatment was almost 100 % within next 30 days. Lethality rate at Combined Radiation and Thermal injury without any treatment in group C was 100 % within next 30 days. Immune-prophylaxis by the specific AV was most effective for animals with the ARS and survival rate was up to 70 %. Although, immune-therapy by the specific AA IgG demonstrated less effectiveness and demonstrated survival rate 50%-60% in different groups of irradiated animals. For animals with the thermal injury only, immune-therapy by the AV and immune-prophylaxis by AA IgG were significantly ineffective and the survival rate had not exceeded 15 %. Results of specific immune-therapy and immune-prophylaxis provided at combined radiation thermal injury (CRTI) had demonstrated 30% of survival rate. Conclusion: Effects of Different Biological Response to specific immune-prophylaxis with AV and specific immune-therapy with AA IgG had demonstrated effective radio-protection for irradiated ani-mals with different forms of the ARS. The recovery phases demonstrated a shorter period of reconvalescence. Effects of the specific immune-prophylaxis by the AV and immune-therapy by AA IgG provided for animals with thermal and combined injury were less effective although use-ful. However,Immune-prophylaxis and Immune-therapy by the Specific Immune-modifiers used at combined and Thermal injury demonstrated a prolonged life time after immune-prophylaxis. Demarcation zone of burns and necrotic tissues rejection were more expressed after immune-therapy. Additional specific Immune-prophylaxis with the Thermal Injury Toxins and Specific Immune-therapy with the specific anti-thermal injury antibodies (serum of IgG preparation) can significantly improve results of therapy of thermal and combined injury.

Childhood Risk Factors for Lifetime Anorexia Nervosa by Age 30 Years in a National Birth Cohort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholls, Dasha E.; Viner, Russell M.

2009-01-01

Whether previously identified childhood risk factors for anorexia nervosa (AN) predict self-reported lifetime AN by age 30 is examined. The cohort confirmed four risk and two protective factors out of the 22 suggested risk factors. The study used data from the 1970 British Cohort Study.

A novel member of glycoside hydrolase family 30 subfamily 8 with altered substrate specificity

PubMed Central

St John, Franz J.; Dietrich, Diane; Crooks, Casey; Pozharski, Edwin; González, Javier M.; Bales, Elizabeth; Smith, Kennon; Hurlbert, Jason C.

2014-01-01

Endoxylanases classified into glycoside hydrolase family 30 subfamily 8 (GH30-8) are known to hydrolyze the hemicellulosic polysaccharide glucuronoxylan (GX) but not arabinoxylan or neutral xylooligosaccharides. This is owing to the specificity of these enzymes for the α-1,2-linked glucuronate (GA) appendage of GX. Limit hydrolysis of this substrate produces a series of aldouronates each containing a single GA substituted on the xylose penultimate to the reducing terminus. In this work, the structural and biochemical characterization of xylanase 30A from Clostridium papyro­solvens (CpXyn30A) is presented. This xylanase possesses a high degree of amino-acid identity to the canonical GH30-8 enzymes, but lacks the hallmark β8–α8 loop region which in part defines the function of this GH30 subfamily and its role in GA recognition. CpXyn30A is shown to have a similarly low activity on all xylan substrates, while hydrolysis of xylohexaose revealed a competing transglycosylation reaction. These findings are directly compared with the model GH30-8 enzyme from Bacillus subtilis, XynC. Despite its high sequence identity to the GH30-8 enzymes, CpXyn30A does not have any apparent specificity for the GA appendage. These findings confirm that the typically conserved β8–α8 loop region of these enzymes influences xylan substrate specificity but not necessarily β-1,4-xylanase function. PMID:25372685

Rapid ELISA Using a Film-Stack Reaction Field with Micropillar Arrays

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Yuma; Morioka, Kazuhiro; Ohata, Soichiro; Nakajima, Hizuru; Uchiyama, Katsumi; Yang, Ming

2017-01-01

A film-stack reaction field with a micropillar array using a motor stirrer was developed for the high sensitivity and rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) reaction. The effects of the incubation time of a protein (30 s, 5 min, and 10 min) on the fluorescence intensity in ELISAs were investigated using a reaction field with different micropillar array dimensions (5-µm, 10-µm and 50-µm gaps between the micropillars). The difference in fluorescence intensity between the well with the reaction field of 50-µm gap for the incubation time of 30 s and the well without the reaction field with for incubation time of 10 min was 6%. The trend of the fluorescence intensity in the gap between the micro pillars in the film-stack reaction field was different between the short incubation time and the long incubation time. The theoretical analysis of the physical parameters related with the biomolecule transport indicated that the reaction efficiency defined in this study was the dominant factor determining the fluorescence intensity for the short incubation time, whereas the volumetric rate of the circulating flow through the space between films and the specific surface area were the dominant factors for the long incubation time. PMID:28696378

Rapid ELISA Using a Film-Stack Reaction Field with Micropillar Arrays.

PubMed

Suzuki, Yuma; Morioka, Kazuhiro; Ohata, Soichiro; Shimizu, Tetsuhide; Nakajima, Hizuru; Uchiyama, Katsumi; Yang, Ming

2017-07-11

A film-stack reaction field with a micropillar array using a motor stirrer was developed for the high sensitivity and rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) reaction. The effects of the incubation time of a protein (30 s, 5 min, and 10 min) on the fluorescence intensity in ELISAs were investigated using a reaction field with different micropillar array dimensions (5-µm, 10-µm and 50-µm gaps between the micropillars). The difference in fluorescence intensity between the well with the reaction field of 50-µm gap for the incubation time of 30 s and the well without the reaction field with for incubation time of 10 min was 6%. The trend of the fluorescence intensity in the gap between the micro pillars in the film-stack reaction field was different between the short incubation time and the long incubation time. The theoretical analysis of the physical parameters related with the biomolecule transport indicated that the reaction efficiency defined in this study was the dominant factor determining the fluorescence intensity for the short incubation time, whereas the volumetric rate of the circulating flow through the space between films and the specific surface area were the dominant factors for the long incubation time.

A review of factors associated with greater likelihood of suicide attempts and suicide deaths in bipolar disorder: Part II of a report of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Task Force on Suicide in Bipolar Disorder.

PubMed

Schaffer, Ayal; Isometsä, Erkki T; Azorin, Jean-Michel; Cassidy, Frederick; Goldstein, Tina; Rihmer, Zoltán; Sinyor, Mark; Tondo, Leonardo; Moreno, Doris H; Turecki, Gustavo; Reis, Catherine; Kessing, Lars Vedel; Ha, Kyooseob; Weizman, Abraham; Beautrais, Annette; Chou, Yuan-Hwa; Diazgranados, Nancy; Levitt, Anthony J; Zarate, Carlos A; Yatham, Lakshmi

2015-11-01

Many factors influence the likelihood of suicide attempts or deaths in persons with bipolar disorder. One key aim of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Task Force on Suicide was to summarize the available literature on the presence and magnitude of effect of these factors. A systematic review of studies published from 1 January 1980 to 30 May 2014 identified using keywords 'bipolar disorder' and 'suicide attempts or suicide'. This specific paper examined all reports on factors putatively associated with suicide attempts or suicide deaths in bipolar disorder samples. Factors were subcategorized into: (1) sociodemographics, (2) clinical characteristics of bipolar disorder, (3) comorbidities, and (4) other clinical variables. We identified 141 studies that examined how 20 specific factors influenced the likelihood of suicide attempts or deaths. While the level of evidence and degree of confluence varied across factors, there was at least one study that found an effect for each of the following factors: sex, age, race, marital status, religious affiliation, age of illness onset, duration of illness, bipolar disorder subtype, polarity of first episode, polarity of current/recent episode, predominant polarity, mood episode characteristics, psychosis, psychiatric comorbidity, personality characteristics, sexual dysfunction, first-degree family history of suicide or mood disorders, past suicide attempts, early life trauma, and psychosocial precipitants. There is a wealth of data on factors that influence the likelihood of suicide attempts and suicide deaths in people with bipolar disorder. Given the heterogeneity of study samples and designs, further research is needed to replicate and determine the magnitude of effect of most of these factors. This approach can ultimately lead to enhanced risk stratification for patients with bipolar disorder. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

A review of factors associated with greater likelihood of suicide attempts and suicide deaths in bipolar disorder: Part II of a report of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Task Force on Suicide in Bipolar Disorder

PubMed Central

Schaffer, Ayal; Isometsä, Erkki T; Azorin, Jean-Michel; Cassidy, Frederick; Goldstein, Tina; Rihmer, Zoltán; Sinyor, Mark; Tondo, Leonardo; Moreno, Doris H; Turecki, Gustavo; Reis, Catherine; Kessing, Lars Vedel; Ha, Kyooseob; Weizman, Abraham; Beautrais, Annette; Chou, Yuan-Hwa; Diazgranados, Nancy; Levitt, Anthony J; Zarate, Carlos A; Yatham, Lakshmi

2018-01-01

Objectives Many factors influence the likelihood of suicide attempts or deaths in persons with bipolar disorder. One key aim of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Task Force on Suicide was to summarize the available literature on the presence and magnitude of effect of these factors. Methods A systematic review of studies published from 1 January 1980 to 30 May 2014 identified using keywords ‘bipolar disorder’ and ‘suicide attempts or suicide’. This specific paper examined all reports on factors putatively associated with suicide attempts or suicide deaths in bipolar disorder samples. Factors were subcategorized into: (1) sociodemographics, (2) clinical characteristics of bipolar disorder, (3) comorbidities, and (4) other clinical variables. Results We identified 141 studies that examined how 20 specific factors influenced the likelihood of suicide attempts or deaths. While the level of evidence and degree of confluence varied across factors, there was at least one study that found an effect for each of the following factors: sex, age, race, marital status, religious affiliation, age of illness onset, duration of illness, bipolar disorder subtype, polarity of first episode, polarity of current/recent episode, predominant polarity, mood episode characteristics, psychosis, psychiatric comorbidity, personality characteristics, sexual dysfunction, first-degree family history of suicide or mood disorders, past suicide attempts, early life trauma, and psychosocial precipitants. Conclusion There is a wealth of data on factors that influence the likelihood of suicide attempts and suicide deaths in people with bipolar disorder. Given the heterogeneity of study samples and designs, further research is needed to replicate and determine the magnitude of effect of most of these factors. This approach can ultimately lead to enhanced risk stratification for patients with bipolar disorder. PMID:26175498

Risk factors for operated carpal tunnel syndrome: a multicenter population-based case-control study

PubMed Central

Mattioli, Stefano; Baldasseroni, Alberto; Bovenzi, Massimo; Curti, Stefania; Cooke, Robin MT; Campo, Giuseppe; Barbieri, Pietro G; Ghersi, Rinaldo; Broccoli, Marco; Cancellieri, Maria Pia; Colao, Anna Maria; dell'Omo, Marco; Fateh-Moghadam, Pirous; Franceschini, Flavia; Fucksia, Serenella; Galli, Paolo; Gobba, Fabriziomaria; Lucchini, Roberto; Mandes, Anna; Marras, Teresa; Sgarrella, Carla; Borghesi, Stefano; Fierro, Mauro; Zanardi, Francesca; Mancini, Gianpiero; Violante, Francesco S

2009-01-01

Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a socially and economically relevant disease caused by compression or entrapment of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. This population-based case-control study aims to investigate occupational/non-occupational risk factors for surgically treated CTS. Methods Cases (n = 220) aged 18-65 years were randomly drawn from 13 administrative databases of citizens who were surgically treated with carpal tunnel release during 2001. Controls (n = 356) were randomly sampled from National Health Service registry records and were frequency matched by age-gender-specific CTS hospitalization rates. Results At multivariate analysis, risk factors were blue-collar/housewife status, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, sibling history of CTS and coexistence of trigger finger. Being relatively tall (cut-offs based on tertiles: women ≥165 cm; men ≥175 cm) was associated with lower risk. Blue-collar work was a moderate/strong risk factor in both sexes. Raised risks were apparent for combinations of biomechanical risk factors that included frequent repetitivity and sustained force. Conclusion This study strongly underlines the relevance of biomechanical exposures in both non-industrial and industrial work as risk factors for surgically treated CTS. PMID:19758429

Clustering of four major lifestyle risk factors among Korean adults with metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Ha, Shin; Choi, Hui Ran; Lee, Yo Han

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clustering pattern of four major lifestyle risk factors-smoking, heavy drinking, poor diet, and physical inactivity-among people with metabolic syndrome in South Korea. There were 2,469 adults with metabolic syndrome aged 30 years or older available with the 5th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey dataset. We calculated the ratio of the observed to expected (O/E) prevalence for the 16 different combinations and the prevalence odds ratios (POR) of four lifestyle risk factors. The four lifestyle risk factors tended to cluster in specific multiple combinations. Smoking and heavy drinking was clustered (POR: 1.86 for male, 4.46 for female), heavy drinking and poor diet were clustered (POR: 1.38 for male, 1.74 for female), and smoking and physical inactivity were also clustered (POR: 1.48 for male). Those who were male, younger, low-educated and living alone were much more likely to have a higher number of lifestyle risk factors. Some helpful implications can be drawn from the knowledge on clustering pattern of lifestyle risk factors for more effective intervention program targeting metabolic syndrome.

RegPrecise 3.0--a resource for genome-scale exploration of transcriptional regulation in bacteria.

PubMed

Novichkov, Pavel S; Kazakov, Alexey E; Ravcheev, Dmitry A; Leyn, Semen A; Kovaleva, Galina Y; Sutormin, Roman A; Kazanov, Marat D; Riehl, William; Arkin, Adam P; Dubchak, Inna; Rodionov, Dmitry A

2013-11-01

Genome-scale prediction of gene regulation and reconstruction of transcriptional regulatory networks in prokaryotes is one of the critical tasks of modern genomics. Bacteria from different taxonomic groups, whose lifestyles and natural environments are substantially different, possess highly diverged transcriptional regulatory networks. The comparative genomics approaches are useful for in silico reconstruction of bacterial regulons and networks operated by both transcription factors (TFs) and RNA regulatory elements (riboswitches). RegPrecise (http://regprecise.lbl.gov) is a web resource for collection, visualization and analysis of transcriptional regulons reconstructed by comparative genomics. We significantly expanded a reference collection of manually curated regulons we introduced earlier. RegPrecise 3.0 provides access to inferred regulatory interactions organized by phylogenetic, structural and functional properties. Taxonomy-specific collections include 781 TF regulogs inferred in more than 160 genomes representing 14 taxonomic groups of Bacteria. TF-specific collections include regulogs for a selected subset of 40 TFs reconstructed across more than 30 taxonomic lineages. Novel collections of regulons operated by RNA regulatory elements (riboswitches) include near 400 regulogs inferred in 24 bacterial lineages. RegPrecise 3.0 provides four classifications of the reference regulons implemented as controlled vocabularies: 55 TF protein families; 43 RNA motif families; ~150 biological processes or metabolic pathways; and ~200 effectors or environmental signals. Genome-wide visualization of regulatory networks and metabolic pathways covered by the reference regulons are available for all studied genomes. A separate section of RegPrecise 3.0 contains draft regulatory networks in 640 genomes obtained by an conservative propagation of the reference regulons to closely related genomes. RegPrecise 3.0 gives access to the transcriptional regulons reconstructed in bacterial genomes. Analytical capabilities include exploration of: regulon content, structure and function; TF binding site motifs; conservation and variations in genome-wide regulatory networks across all taxonomic groups of Bacteria. RegPrecise 3.0 was selected as a core resource on transcriptional regulation of the Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase, an emerging software and data environment designed to enable researchers to collaboratively generate, test and share new hypotheses about gene and protein functions, perform large-scale analyses, and model interactions in microbes, plants, and their communities.

21 CFR 74.2330 - D&C Red No. 30.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2330 D&C Red No. 30. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive D&C Red No. 30 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74... cosmetics generally in amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling...

42 CFR 1000.30 - Definitions specific to Medicaid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Definitions specific to Medicaid. 1000.30 Section 1000.30 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Government's share of a State's expenditures under the Medicaid program. FMAP stands for the Federal medical...

42 CFR 1000.30 - Definitions specific to Medicaid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Definitions specific to Medicaid. 1000.30 Section 1000.30 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Government's share of a State's expenditures under the Medicaid program. FMAP stands for the Federal medical...

42 CFR 1000.30 - Definitions specific to Medicaid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Definitions specific to Medicaid. 1000.30 Section 1000.30 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Government's share of a State's expenditures under the Medicaid program. FMAP stands for the Federal medical...

42 CFR 1000.30 - Definitions specific to Medicaid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Definitions specific to Medicaid. 1000.30 Section 1000.30 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Government's share of a State's expenditures under the Medicaid program. FMAP stands for the Federal medical...

42 CFR 1000.30 - Definitions specific to Medicaid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Definitions specific to Medicaid. 1000.30 Section 1000.30 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Government's share of a State's expenditures under the Medicaid program. FMAP stands for the Federal medical...

10 CFR 30.33 - General requirements for issuance of specific licenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false General requirements for issuance of specific licenses. 30.33 Section 30.33 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION RULES OF GENERAL APPLICABILITY TO DOMESTIC..., and other benefits against environmental costs and considering available alternatives, that the action...

10 CFR 30.33 - General requirements for issuance of specific licenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false General requirements for issuance of specific licenses. 30.33 Section 30.33 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION RULES OF GENERAL APPLICABILITY TO DOMESTIC... benefits against environmental costs and considering available alternatives, that the action called for is...

21 CFR 74.2330 - D&C Red No. 30.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2330 D&C Red No. 30. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive D&C Red No. 30 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74... cosmetics generally in amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling...

21 CFR 74.2330 - D&C Red No. 30.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2330 D&C Red No. 30. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive D&C Red No. 30 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74... cosmetics generally in amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling...

21 CFR 74.2330 - D&C Red No. 30.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2330 D&C Red No. 30. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive D&C Red No. 30 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74... cosmetics generally in amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling...

Reoperative surgery: a critical risk factor for complications inadequately captured by operative reporting and coding of lysis of adhesions.

PubMed

Aloia, Thomas A; Cooper, Amanda; Shi, Weiming; Vauthey, Jean-Nicolas; Lee, Jeffrey E

2014-07-01

Reoperative surgery is suspected, but not proven, to increase postoperative complication rates. In the absence of a specific definition for reoperative surgery, the American College of Surgeons NSQIP has proposed using procedural coding for lysis of adhesions (LOA) as a surrogate for reoperative surgery to risk adjust hospitals. We hypothesized that coding of reoperative surgery will be associated with worse 30-day outcomes and, for abdominal procedures, will be more accurate than operative dictation and coding of "lysis of adhesions." Reoperative surgery was categorized at the time of data abstraction from February 2012 to December 2012 for all NSQIP cases collected at a single institution by independent surgical clinical reviewers. Reoperative surgery classification and coding of LOA were compared with each other and with 30-day outcomes. The setting was a tertiary cancer center, multispecialty NSQIP model. During the study period, 1,289 operations were classified as nonreoperative (n = 793), regionally reoperative (n = 39; prior surgery in an adjacent area of current operation), or locally reoperative (n = 457; prior surgery at same site or organ). In the multispecialty cohort, the non-risk-adjusted rates of overall 30-day morbidity, serious morbidity, and mortality were 21.5%, 17.7%, and 0.5%. Compared with nonreoperative surgery (overall 30-day morbidity 16.8%, serious morbidity 13.9%, and mortality .38%), both regionally reoperative surgery (overall 30-day morbidity 30.8%, serious morbidity 28.2%, and mortality 2.5%) and locally reoperative surgery (overall 30-day morbidity 28.9%, serious morbidity 23.4%, and mortality .66%) were associated with worse outcomes (p < 0.001). One hundred ninety-nine of the 327 gastrointestinal/laparotomy cases were recorded as reoperative, but only of 20 of these were CPT coded as LOA (sensitivity = 10%). Reoperative surgery is frequent, increases the risk of complications, and can be captured. Operative LOA coding vastly under reports reoperative surgery and, therefore, is not an adequate surrogate for this important risk factor. Copyright © 2014 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Absence of Association between Cord Specific Antibody Levels and Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Disease in Early Infants: A Case Control Study from Coastal Kenya.

PubMed

Nyiro, Joyce Uchi; Sande, Charles Jumba; Mutunga, Martin; Kiyuka, Patience Kerubo; Munywoki, Patrick Kioo; Scott, John Anthony G; Nokes, David James

2016-01-01

The target group for severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease prevention is infants under 6 months of age. Vaccine boosting of antibody titres in pregnant mothers could protect these young infants from severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated disease. Quantifying protective levels of RSV-specific maternal antibody at birth would inform vaccine development. A case control study nested in a birth cohort (2002-07) was conducted in Kilifi, Kenya; where 30 hospitalised cases of RSV-associated severe disease were matched to 60 controls. Participants had a cord blood and 2 subsequent 3-monthly blood samples assayed for RSV-specific neutralising antibody by the plaque reduction neutralisation test (PRNT). Two sample paired t test and conditional logistic regression were used in analyses of log2PRNT titres. The mean RSV log2PRNT titre at birth for cases and controls were not significantly different (P = 0.4) and remained so on age-stratification. Cord blood PRNT titres showed considerable overlap between cases and controls. The odds of RSV disease decreased with increase in log2PRNT cord blood titre. There was a 30% reduction in RSV disease per unit increase in log2PRNT titre (<3months age group) but not significant (P = 0.3). From this study, there is no strong evidence of protection by maternal RSV specific antibodies from severe RSV disease. Cord antibody levels show wide variation with considerable overlap between cases and controls. It is likely that, there are additional factors to specific PRNT antibody levels which determine susceptibility to severe RSV disease. In addition, higher levels of neutralizing antibody beyond the normal range may be required for protection; which it is hoped can be achieved by a maternal RSV vaccine.

Holocene paleoseismicity, temporal clustering, and probabilities of future large (M > 7) earthquakes on the Wasatch fault zone, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCalpin, J.P.; Nishenko, S.P.

1996-01-01

The chronology of M>7 paleoearthquakes on the central five segments of the Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) is one of the best dated in the world and contains 16 earthquakes in the past 5600 years with an average repeat time of 350 years. Repeat times for individual segments vary by a factor of 2, and range from about 1200 to 2600 years. Four of the central five segments ruptured between ??? 620??30 and 1230??60 calendar years B.P. The remaining segment (Brigham City segment) has not ruptured in the past 2120??100 years. Comparison of the WFZ space-time diagram of paleoearthquakes with synthetic paleoseismic histories indicates that the observed temporal clusters and gaps have about an equal probability (depending on model assumptions) of reflecting random coincidence as opposed to intersegment contagion. Regional seismicity suggests that for exposure times of 50 and 100 years, the probability for an earthquake of M>7 anywhere within the Wasatch Front region, based on a Poisson model, is 0.16 and 0.30, respectively. A fault-specific WFZ model predicts 50 and 100 year probabilities for a M>7 earthquake on the WFZ itself, based on a Poisson model, as 0.13 and 0.25, respectively. In contrast, segment-specific earthquake probabilities that assume quasi-periodic recurrence behavior on the Weber, Provo, and Nephi segments are less (0.01-0.07 in 100 years) than the regional or fault-specific estimates (0.25-0.30 in 100 years), due to the short elapsed times compared to average recurrence intervals on those segments. The Brigham City and Salt Lake City segments, however, have time-dependent probabilities that approach or exceed the regional and fault specific probabilities. For the Salt Lake City segment, these elevated probabilities are due to the elapsed time being approximately equal to the average late Holocene recurrence time. For the Brigham City segment, the elapsed time is significantly longer than the segment-specific late Holocene recurrence time.

Obesity and Risk of Biochemical Failure for Patients Receiving Salvage Radiotherapy After Prostatectomy

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

King, Christopher R.; Spiotto, Michael T.; Kapp, Daniel S.

Purpose: Obesity has been proposed as an independent risk factor for patients undergoing surgery or radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer. Using body mass index (BMI) as a measure of obesity, we tested its role as a risk factor for patients receiving salvage RT after prostatectomy. Methods and Materials: Rates of subsequent biochemical relapse were examined in 90 patients who underwent salvage RT between 1984 and 2004 for biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy. Median follow-up was 3.7 years. The BMI was tested as a continuous and categorical variable (stratified as <25, 25-<30, and {>=}30 kg/m{sup 2}). Univariate and multivariate proportional hazardsmore » regression analyses were performed for clinical, pathologic, and treatment factors associated with time to relapse after salvage RT. Results: There were 40 biochemical failures after salvage RT with a median time to failure of 1.2 years. The BMI was not associated with adverse clinical, pathologic, or treatment factors. On multivariate analysis, obesity was independently significant (hazard ratio [HR], 1.2; p = 0.01), along with RT dose (HR, 0.7; p = 0.003) and pre-RT prostate-specific antigen level (HR, 1.2; p = 0.0003). Conclusions: This study is weakly suggestive that obesity may be a risk factor for salvage RT patients. Whether this results from greater biologic aggressiveness or technical inadequacies cannot be answered by this study. Given the very high failure rate observed for severely obese patients, we propose that technical difficulties with RT are at play. This hypothesis is supported by the RT literature and could be prospectively investigated. Techniques that optimize targeting, especially in obese patients, perhaps seem warranted at this time.« less

The application of multilevel modeling in the analysis of longitudinal periodontal data--part I: absolute levels of disease.

PubMed

Tu, Yu-Kang; Gilthorpe, Mark S; Griffiths, Gareth S; Maddick, Ian H; Eaton, Kenneth A; Johnson, Newell W

2004-01-01

Statistical analyses of periodontal data that average site measurements to subject mean values are unable to explore the site-specific nature of periodontal diseases. Multilevel modeling (MLM) overcomes this, taking hierarchical structure into account. MLM was used to investigate longitudinal relationships between the outcomes of lifetime cumulative attachment loss (LCAL) and probing depth (PD) in relation to potential risk factors for periodontal disease progression. One hundred males (mean age 17 years) received a comprehensive periodontal examination at baseline and at 12 and 30 months. The resulting data were analyzed in two stages. In stage one (reported here), the absolute levels of disease were analyzed in relation to potential risk factors; in stage two (reported in a second paper), changes in disease patterns over time were analyzed in relation to the same risk factors. Each approach yielded substantially different insights. For absolute levels of disease, subject-level risk factors (covariates) had limited prediction for LCAL/PD throughout the 30-month observation period. Tooth position demonstrated a near linear relationship for both outcomes, with disease increasing from anterior to posterior teeth. Sites with subgingival calculus and bleeding on probing demonstrated more LCAL and PD, and supragingival calculus had an apparently protective effect. Covariates had more "explanatory power" for the variation in PD than for the variation in LCAL, suggesting that LCAL and PD might be generally associated with a different profile of covariates. This study provides, for a relatively young cohort, considerable insights into the factors associated with early-life periodontal disease and its progression at all levels of the natural hierarchy of sites within teeth within subjects.

Development and Validation of the Pediatric Medical Complexity Algorithm (PMCA) Version 3.0.

PubMed

Simon, Tamara D; Haaland, Wren; Hawley, Katherine; Lambka, Karen; Mangione-Smith, Rita

2018-02-26

To modify the Pediatric Medical Complexity Algorithm (PMCA) to include both International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revisions, Clinical Modification (ICD-9/10-CM) codes for classifying children with chronic disease (CD) by level of medical complexity and to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the new PMCA version 3.0 for correctly identifying level of medical complexity. To create version 3.0, PMCA version 2.0 was modified to include ICD-10-CM codes. We applied PMCA version 3.0 to Seattle Children's Hospital data for children with ≥1 emergency department (ED), day surgery, and/or inpatient encounter from January 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017. Starting with the encounter date, up to 3 years of retrospective discharge data were used to classify children as having complex chronic disease (C-CD), noncomplex chronic disease (NC-CD), and no CD. We then selected a random sample of 300 children (100 per CD group). Blinded medical record review was conducted to ascertain the levels of medical complexity for these 300 children. The sensitivity and specificity of PMCA version 3.0 was assessed. PMCA version 3.0 identified children with C-CD with 86% sensitivity and 86% specificity, children with NC-CD with 65% sensitivity and 84% specificity, and children without CD with 77% sensitivity and 93% specificity. PMCA version 3.0 is an updated publicly available algorithm that identifies children with C-CD, who have accessed tertiary hospital emergency department, day surgery, or inpatient care, with very good sensitivity and specificity when applied to hospital discharge data and with performance to earlier versions of PMCA. Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of scheduled return visits for emergency department patients with non-specific abdominal pain.

PubMed

Boendermaker, Annemieke E; Coolsma, Constant W; Emous, Marloes; Ter Avest, Ewoud

2018-06-02

Many patients presenting with abdominal pain to emergency departments (EDs) are discharged without a definitive diagnosis. For these patients, often designated as having non-specific abdominal pain, re-evaluation is often advocated. We aimed to investigate how often re-evaluation changes the diagnosis and clinical management and discern factors that could help identify patients likely to benefit from re-evaluation. This was a retrospective study conducted in the Netherlands between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2015 of patients asked to return to the ED after an initial presentation with acute non-traumatic abdominal pain. The primary outcome was a clinically relevant change in treatment (surgery, endoscopy during admission and/or hospitalisation) and diagnosis at ED re-evaluation within 30 hours. During the 2-year study period, 358 ED patients with non-specific abdominal pain were scheduled for re-evaluation. Of these, 14% (11%-18%)) did not present for re-evaluation. Re-evaluation resulted in a clinically relevant change in diagnosis and treatment in, respectively, 21.3% (17%-29%)) and 22.3% (18%-27%)) of the subjects. Of the clinical, biochemical and radiological factors available at the index visit, C reactive protein (CRP) at the index visit predicted a change in treatment (CRP >27 mg/L likelihood ratio (LR)+ 1.69 (1.21-2.36)), while an increase in CRP of >25 mg/L between index and re-evaluation visit (LR+ 2.85 (1.88-4.32)) and the conduct of radiological studies at the re-evaluation visit were associated with changes in treatment (LR+ 3.05 (2.41-3.86)). Re-evaluation within 30 hours for ED patients discharged with non-specific abdominal pain resulted in a clinically relevant change in diagnosis and therapy in almost one-quarter of patients. Elevated CRP at the index visit might assist in correctly identifying patients with a greater likelihood of needing treatment in follow-up, and a low threshold for radiological studies should be considered during re-evaluation. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Combined associations of body weight and lifestyle factors with all cause and cause specific mortality in men and women: prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Veronese, Nicola; Li, Yanping; Manson, JoAnn E; Willett, Walter C; Fontana, Luigi; Hu, Frank B

2016-11-24

 To evaluate the combined associations of diet, physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, and smoking with body weight on risk of all cause and cause specific mortality.  Longitudinal study with up to 32 years of follow-up.  Nurses' Health Study (1980-2012) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2012).  74 582 women from the Nurses' Health Study and 39 284 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who were free from cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline.  Exposures included body mass index (BMI), score on the alternate healthy eating index, level of physical activity, smoking habits, and alcohol drinking while outcome was mortality (all cause, cardiovascular, cancer). Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios of all cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality with their 95% confidence intervals across categories of BMI, with 22.5-24.9 as the reference.  During up to 32 years of follow-up, there were 30 013 deaths (including 10 808 from cancer and 7189 from cardiovascular disease). In each of the four categories of BMI studied (18.5-22.4, 22.5-24.9, 25-29.9, ≥30), people with one or more healthy lifestyle factors had a significantly lower risk of total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality than individuals with no low risk lifestyle factors. A combination of at least three low risk lifestyle factors and BMI between 18.5-22.4 was associated with the lowest risk of all cause (hazard ratio 0.39, 95% confidence interval 0.35 to 0.43), cancer (0.40, 0.34 to 0.47), and cardiovascular (0.37, 0.29 to 0.46) mortality, compared with those with BMI between 22.5-24.9 and none of the four low risk lifestyle factors.  Although people with a higher BMI can have lower risk of premature mortality if they also have at least one low risk lifestyle factor, the lowest risk of premature mortality is in people in the 18.5-22.4 BMI range with high score on the alternate healthy eating index, high level of physical activity, moderate alcohol drinking, and who do not smoke. It is important to consider diet and lifestyle factors in the evaluation of the association between BMI and mortality. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Determinants of survival after liver resection for metastatic colorectal carcinoma.

PubMed

Parau, Angela; Todor, Nicolae; Vlad, Liviu

2015-01-01

Prognostic factors for survival after liver resection for metastatic colorectal cancer identified up to date are quite inconsistent with a great inter-study variability. In this study we aimed to identify predictors of outcome in our patient population. A series of 70 consecutive patients from the oncological hepatobiliary database, who had undergone curative hepatic surgical resection for hepatic metastases of colorectal origin, operated between 2006 and 2011, were identified. At 44.6 months (range 13.7-73), 30 of 70 patients (42.85%) were alive. Patient demographics, primary tumor and liver tumor factors, operative factors, pathologic findings, recurrence patterns, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were analyzed. Clinicopathologic variables were tested using univariate and multivariate analyses. The 3-year CSS after first hepatic resection was 54%. Median CSS survival after first hepatic resection was 40.2 months. Median CSS after second hepatic resection was 24.2 months. The 3-year DFS after first hepatic resection was 14%. Median disease free survival after first hepatic resection was 18 months. The 3-year DFS after second hepatic resection was 27% and median DFS after second hepatic resection 12 months. The 30-day mortality and morbidity rate after first hepatic resection was 5.71% and 12.78%, respectively. In univariate analysis CSS was significantly reduced for the following factors: age >53 years, advanced T stage of primary tumor, moderately- poorly differentiated tumor, positive and narrow resection margin, preoperative CEA level >30 ng/ml, DFS <18 months. Perioperative chemotherapy related to metastasectomy showed a trend in improving CSS (p=0.07). Perioperative chemotherapy improved DFS in a statistically significant way (p=0.03). Perioperative chemotherapy and achievement of resection margins beyond 1 mm were the major determinants of both CSS and DFS after first liver resection in multivariate analysis. In our series predictors of outcome in multivariate analysis were resection margins beyond 1mm and perioperative chemotherapy. Studies on larger population and analyses of additional clinicopathologic factors like genetic markers could contribute to development of clinical scoring models to assess the risk of relapse and survival.

Mortality rates and risk factors for emergent open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms in the endovascular era.

PubMed

Pecoraro, Felice; Gloekler, Steffen; Mader, Caecilia E; Roos, Malgorzata; Chaykovska, Lyubov; Veith, Frank J; Cayne, Neal S; Mangialardi, Nicola; Neff, Thomas; Lachat, Mario

2018-03-01

The background of this paper is to report the mortality at 30 and 90 days and at mean follow-up after open abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) emergent repair and to identify predictive risk factors for 30- and 90-day mortality. Between 1997 and 2002, 104 patients underwent emergent AAA open surgery. Symptomatic and ruptured AAAs were observed, respectively, in 21 and 79% of cases. Mean patient age was 70 (SD 9.2) years. Mean aneurysm maximal diameter was 7.4 (SD 1.6) cm. Primary endpoints were 30- and 90-day mortality. Significant mortality-related risk factor identification was the secondary endpoint. Open repair trend and its related perioperative mortality with a per-year analysis and a correlation subanalysis to identify predictive mortality factor were performed. Mean follow-up time was 23 (SD 23) months. Overall, 30-day mortality was 30%. Significant mortality-related risk factors were the use of computed tomography (CT) as a preoperative diagnostic tool, AAA rupture, preoperative shock, intraoperative cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use of aortic balloon occlusion, intraoperative massive blood transfusion (MBT), and development of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Previous abdominal surgery was identified as a protective risk factor. The mortality rate at 90 days was 44%. Significant mortality-related risk factors were AAA rupture, aortocaval fistula, peripheral artery disease (PAD), preoperative shock, CPR, MBT, and ACS. The mortality rate at follow-up was 45%. Correlation analysis showed that MBT, shock, and ACS are the most relevant predictive mortality factor at 30 and 90 days. During the transition period from open to endovascular repair, open repair mortality outcomes remained comparable with other contemporary data despite a selection bias for higher risk patients. MBT, shock, and ACS are the most pronounced predictive mortality risk factors.

Accuracy of body fat percent and adiposity indicators cut off values to detect metabolic risk factors in a sample of Mexican adults

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Although body fat percent (BF%) may be used for screening metabolic risk factors, its accuracy compared to BMI and waist circumference is unknown in a Mexican population. We compared the classification accuracy of BF%, BMI and WC for the detection of metabolic risk factors in a sample of Mexican adults; optimized cutoffs as well as sensitivity and specificity at commonly used BF% and BMI international cutoffs were estimated. We also estimated conditional BF% means at BMI international cutoffs. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data on body composition, anthropometry and metabolic risk factors(high glucose, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and hypertension) from 5,100 Mexican men and women. The association between BMI, WC and BF%was evaluated with linear regression models. The BF%, BMI and WC optimal cutoffs for the detection of metabolic risk factors were selected at the point where sensitivity was closest to specificity. Areas under the ROC Curve (AUC) were compared among classifiers using a non-parametric method. Results After adjustment for WC, a 1% increase in BMI was associated with a BF% rise of 0.05 percentage points (p.p.) in men (P < 0.05) and 0.25 p.p. in women (P < 0.001). At BMI = 25.0 predicted BF% was 27.6 ± 0.16 (mean ± SE) in men and 41.2 ± 0.07 in women. Estimated BF% cutoffs for detection of metabolic risk factors were close to 30.0 in men and close to 44.0 in women. In men WC had higher AUC than BF% for the classification of all conditions whereas BMI had higher AUC than BF% for the classification of high triglycerides and hypertension. In womenBMI and WC had higher AUC than BF% for the classification of all metabolic risk factors. Conclusions BMI and WC were more accurate than BF% for classifying the studied metabolic disorders. International BF% cutoffs had very low specificity and thus produced a high rate of false positives in both sexes. PMID:24721260

The use of patient factors to improve the prediction of operative duration using laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Thiels, Cornelius A; Yu, Denny; Abdelrahman, Amro M; Habermann, Elizabeth B; Hallbeck, Susan; Pasupathy, Kalyan S; Bingener, Juliane

2017-01-01

Reliable prediction of operative duration is essential for improving patient and care team satisfaction, optimizing resource utilization and reducing cost. Current operative scheduling systems are unreliable and contribute to costly over- and underestimation of operative time. We hypothesized that the inclusion of patient-specific factors would improve the accuracy in predicting operative duration. We reviewed all elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed at a single institution between 01/2007 and 06/2013. Concurrent procedures were excluded. Univariate analysis evaluated the effect of age, gender, BMI, ASA, laboratory values, smoking, and comorbidities on operative duration. Multivariable linear regression models were constructed using the significant factors (p < 0.05). The patient factors model was compared to the traditional surgical scheduling system estimates, which uses historical surgeon-specific and procedure-specific operative duration. External validation was done using the ACS-NSQIP database (n = 11,842). A total of 1801 laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients met inclusion criteria. Female sex was associated with reduced operative duration (-7.5 min, p < 0.001 vs. male sex) while increasing BMI (+5.1 min BMI 25-29.9, +6.9 min BMI 30-34.9, +10.4 min BMI 35-39.9, +17.0 min BMI 40 + , all p < 0.05 vs. normal BMI), increasing ASA (+7.4 min ASA III, +38.3 min ASA IV, all p < 0.01 vs. ASA I), and elevated liver function tests (+7.9 min, p < 0.01 vs. normal) were predictive of increased operative duration on univariate analysis. A model was then constructed using these predictive factors. The traditional surgical scheduling system was poorly predictive of actual operative duration (R 2  = 0.001) compared to the patient factors model (R 2  = 0.08). The model remained predictive on external validation (R 2  = 0.14).The addition of surgeon as a variable in the institutional model further improved predictive ability of the model (R 2  = 0.18). The use of routinely available pre-operative patient factors improves the prediction of operative duration during cholecystectomy.

What are the Rates, Reasons, and Risk Factors of 90-day Hospital Readmission After Lumbar Discectomy?: An Institutional Experience.

PubMed

Kohls, Morgan R; Jain, Nikhil; Khan, Safdar N

2018-06-07

This is a retrospective cohort study. To report the rate, reasons, and risk factors for 90-day readmissions after lumbar discectomy at an academic medical center. Several studies have reported complications and readmissions after spine surgery; however, only one previous study has focused specifically on lumbar discectomy. As the patient profile and morbidity of various spine procedures is different, focus on procedure-specific complications and readmissions will be beneficial. Patients who underwent lumbar discectomy for unrelieved symptoms of prolapsed intervertebral disk and had at least 90 days of follow-up at an academic institution (2013-2014) were included. Retrospective review of electronic medical record was performed to record demographic and clinical profile of patients. Details of lumbar discectomy, index hospital stay, discharge disposition, hospital readmission within 90 days, reason for readmission and treatment given have been reported. Risk factors for hospital readmission were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 356 patients with a mean age of 45.0±13.8 years were included. The 90-day readmission rate was 5.3% (19/360) of which two-third patients were admitted within 30 days giving a 30-day readmission rate of 3.7% (13/356). The top 2 primary reasons for readmission included back and/or leg pain, numbness, or tingling (42.9%), and persistent cerebrospinal fluid leak or seroma (25.0%). On adjusted analysis, risk factors associated with higher risk of readmission included incidental durotomy [odds ratio (OR), 26.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 5.3-129.9] and discharge to skilled nursing facility/inpatient rehabilitation (OR, 25.2; 95% CI, 2.7-235.2). Increasing age was a negative predictor of readmission (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.99). Incidental durotomy, younger age, and discharge to nursing facility were associated with higher risk of 90-day hospital readmission after lumbar discectomy. As compared with extensive spine procedures, patient comorbidity burden may not be as significant in predicting readmission after this relatively less invasive procedure.

Frequency of Fanconi anemia in Brazil and efficacy of screening for the FANCA 3788-3790del mutation.

PubMed

Magdalena, N; Pilonetto, D V; Bitencourt, M A; Pereira, N F; Ribeiro, R C; Jeng, M; Pasquini, R

2005-05-01

Fanconi anemia (FA) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease characterized by progressive bone marrow failure, susceptibility to cancer and multiple congenital anomalies. There is important clinical variability among patients and the knowledge of factors which might predict outcome would greatly help the decision making regarding the choices of treatment and the appropriate time to start it. Future studies of the possible correlation between specific mutations with specific clinical presentations will provide the answer to one of these factors. At our Center we standardized a rapid and precise screening test using a mismatch PCR assay for a specific mutation (3788-3790del in exon 38 of gene FANCA) in Brazilian FA patients. We present the results obtained after screening 80 non-consanguineous FA patients referred from all regions of Brazil with a clinical diagnosis of FA supported by cellular hypersensitivity to diepoxybutane. We were able to detect the 3788-3790del allele in 24 of the 80 (30%) FA patients studied. Thirteen of the 80 (16.25%) were homozygotes and 11 of the 80 (13.75%) were compound heterozygotes, thus confirming the high frequency of the FANCA 3788-3790del mutation in Brazilian FA patients. The identification of patients with specific mutations in the FA genes may lead to a better clinical description of this condition, also providing data for genotype-phenotype correlations, to a better understanding of the interaction of this specific mutation with other mutations in compound heterozygote patients, and ultimately to the right choices of treatment for each patient with improvement of the prognosis on future studies.

Human Lineage-Specific Transcriptional Regulation through GA-Binding Protein Transcription Factor Alpha (GABPa)

PubMed Central

Perdomo-Sabogal, Alvaro; Nowick, Katja; Piccini, Ilaria; Sudbrak, Ralf; Lehrach, Hans; Yaspo, Marie-Laure; Warnatz, Hans-Jörg; Querfurth, Robert

2016-01-01

A substantial fraction of phenotypic differences between closely related species are likely caused by differences in gene regulation. While this has already been postulated over 30 years ago, only few examples of evolutionary changes in gene regulation have been verified. Here, we identified and investigated binding sites of the transcription factor GA-binding protein alpha (GABPa) aiming to discover cis-regulatory adaptations on the human lineage. By performing chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing experiments in a human cell line, we found 11,619 putative GABPa binding sites. Through sequence comparisons of the human GABPa binding regions with orthologous sequences from 34 mammals, we identified substitutions that have resulted in 224 putative human-specific GABPa binding sites. To experimentally assess the transcriptional impact of those substitutions, we selected four promoters for promoter-reporter gene assays using human and African green monkey cells. We compared the activities of wild-type promoters to mutated forms, where we have introduced one or more substitutions to mimic the ancestral state devoid of the GABPa consensus binding sequence. Similarly, we introduced the human-specific substitutions into chimpanzee and macaque promoter backgrounds. Our results demonstrate that the identified substitutions are functional, both in human and nonhuman promoters. In addition, we performed GABPa knock-down experiments and found 1,215 genes as strong candidates for primary targets. Further analyses of our data sets link GABPa to cognitive disorders, diabetes, KRAB zinc finger (KRAB-ZNF), and human-specific genes. Thus, we propose that differences in GABPa binding sites played important roles in the evolution of human-specific phenotypes. PMID:26814189

[Choledocholithiasis in Edgardo Rebagliati Martins Hospital. Lima-Peru. 2010-2011. Incidence, risk factors, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects].

PubMed

Llatas Pérez, Juan; Hurtado Roca, Yamilee; Frisancho Velarde, Oscar

2011-01-01

to determine the incidence, frequency of risk factors, diagnostic aspects (clinics, biochemical, and images) and therapeutic aspects of the choledocholithiasis. Descriptive and prospective analysis of 51 patients who signed informed consent for study of choledocholithiasis by ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography). Of the 51 patients, 36 (70.6%) confirmed choledocholithiasis by ERCP. Its incidence was 10.4%. The mean age was 63.75 years, BMI 25.59 kg/m2 and 55.6% were women. Abdominal pain was present in 94.4% of patients. Total bilirubin in the group with choledocholithiasis was 5.8 mg / dl at baseline and 4.2 mg / dl in hospitalization. 11.1% debuted with pancreatitis and 30.6% with cholangitis. In 68.7% of patients with cholangitis was confirmed choledocholithiasis by ERCP. The specificity of ultrasound was 0.80 (95% CI 0.6- 1). The specificity of the nuclear magnetic resonance was 0.25 (95% CI 0.17-0.67). Of the 51 patients with ERCP, 4 (7.80%) do pancreatitis, 1(1.96%) cholangitis and 2 (3.92%) bleeding Choledocholithiasis occurs in older people, female and overweight with an incidence of 10.4%. Abdominal pain is the most common symptom. A total bilirubin more tan 4mg/dl occurs in patients with choledocholithiasis. The complications of choledocholithiasis (pancreatitis and cholangitis) were more frequent than reported in the literature. Both the specificity of cholangitis for choledocholithiasis, the specificity of ultrasound and the specificity of the nuclear magnetic resonance were lower than reported in the literature. ERCP complications were slightly higher than that reported in the literature.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder After High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer With 2 Fractions in 1 Application Under Spinal/Epidural Anesthesia: Incidence and Risk Factors

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

Kirchheiner, Kathrin, E-mail: kathrin.kirchheiner@meduniwien.ac.at; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Medical Radiation Research for Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna; Czajka-Pepl, Agnieszka

Purpose: To investigate the psychological consequences of high-dose-rate brachytherapy with 2 fractions in 1 application under spinal/epidural anesthesia in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: In 50 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, validated questionnaires were used for prospective assessment of acute and posttraumatic stress disorder (ASD/PTSD) (Impact of Event Scale–Revision), anxiety/depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), quality of life (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30/Cervical Cancer 24), physical functioning (World Health Organization performance status), and pain (visual analogue scale), before and during treatment and 1 week and 3 monthsmore » after treatment. Qualitative interviews were recorded in open format for content analysis. Results: Symptoms of ASD occurred in 30% of patients 1 week after treatment; and of PTSD in 41% 3 months after treatment in association with this specific brachytherapy procedure. Pretreatment predictive variables explain 82% of the variance of PTSD symptoms. Helpful experiences were the support of the treatment team, psychological support, and a positive attitude. Stressful factors were pain, organizational problems during treatment, and immobility between brachytherapy fractions. Conclusions: The specific brachytherapy procedure, as performed in the investigated mono-institutional setting with 2 fractions in 1 application under spinal/epidural anesthesia, bears a considerable risk of traumatization. The source of stress seems to be not the brachytherapy application itself but the maintenance of the applicator under epidural anesthesia in the time between fractions. Patients at risk may be identified before treatment, to offer targeted psycho-social support. The patients' open reports regarding helpful experiences are an encouraging feedback for the treatment team; the reported stressful factors serve as a basis for improvement of patient management, especially regarding pain control.« less

Typical patterns of modifiable health risk factors (MHRFs) in elderly women in Germany: results from the cross-sectional German Health Update (GEDA) study, 2009 and 2010.

PubMed

Jentsch, Franziska; Allen, Jennifer; Fuchs, Judith; von der Lippe, Elena

2017-04-04

Modifiable health risk factors (MHRFs) significantly affect morbidity and mortality rates and frequently occur in specific combinations or risk clusters. Using five MHRFs (smoking, high-risk alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, low intake of fruits and vegetables, and obesity) this study investigates the extent to which risk clusters are observed in a representative sample of women aged 65 and older in Germany. Additionally, the structural composition of the clusters is systematically compared with data and findings from other countries. A pooled data set of Germany's representative cross-sectional surveys GEDA09 and GEDA10 was used. The cohort comprised 4,617 women aged 65 and older. Specific risk clusters based on five MHRFs are identified, using hierarchical cluster analysis. The MHRFs were defined as current smoking (daily or occasionally), risk alcohol consumption (according to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, a sum score of 4 or more points), physical inactivity (less active than 5 days per week for at least 30 min and lack of sports-related activity in the last three months), low intake of fruits and vegetables (less than one serving of fruits and one of vegetables per day), and obesity (a body mass index equal to or greater than 30). A total of 4,292 cases with full information on these factors are included in the cluster analysis. Extended analyses were also performed to include the number of chronic diseases by age and socioeconomic status of group members. A total of seven risk clusters were identified. In a comparison with data from international studies, the seven risk clusters were found to be stable with a high degree of structural equivalency. Evidence of the stability of risk clusters across various study populations provides a useful starting point for long-term targeted health interventions. The structural clusters provide information through which various MHRFs can be evaluated simultaneously.

Factors related to outcome of bloodstream infections due to Candida parapsilosis complex.

PubMed

Barchiesi, Francesco; Orsetti, Elena; Osimani, Patrizia; Catassi, Carlo; Santelli, Fabio; Manso, Esther

2016-08-09

Although Candida albicans is the most common cause of fungal blood stream infections (BSIs), infections due to Candida species other than C. albicans are rising. Candida parapsilosis complex has emerged as an important fungal pathogen and became one of the main causes of fungemia in specific geographical areas. We analyzed the factors related to outcome of candidemia due to C. parapsilosis in a single tertiary referral hospital over a five-year period. A retrospective observational study of all cases of candidemia was carried out at a 980-bedded University Hospital in Italy. Data regarding demographic characteristics and clinical risk factors were collected from the patient's medical records. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed and MIC results were interpreted according to CLSI species-specific clinical breakpoints. Of 270 patients diagnosed with Candida BSIs during the study period, 63 (23 %) were infected with isolates of C. parapsilosis complex which represented the second most frequently isolated yeast after C. albicans. The overall incidence rate was 0.4 episodes/1000 hospital admissions. All the strains were in vitro susceptible to all antifungal agents. The overall crude mortality at 30 days was 27 % (17/63), which was significantly lower than that reported for C. albicans BSIs (42 % [61/146], p = 0.042). Being hospitalized in ICU resulted independently associated with a significant higher risk of mortality (HR 4.625 [CI95% 1.015-21.080], p = 0.048). Conversely, early CVC removal was confirmed to be significantly associated with a lower risk of mortality (HR 0.299 [CI95% 0.102-0.874], p = 0.027). Finally, the type of primary antifungal therapy did not influence the outcome of infection. Candidemia due to C. parapsilosis complex, the second most commonly causative agent of yeast BSIs in our center, is characterized by a non-negligible mortality at 30 days. An early CVC removal is associated with a significant reduced mortality.

Perioperative outcomes for pediatric neurosurgical procedures: analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatrics.

PubMed

Kuo, Benjamin J; Vissoci, Joao Ricardo N; Egger, Joseph R; Smith, Emily R; Grant, Gerald A; Haglund, Michael M; Rice, Henry E

2017-03-01

OBJECTIVE Existing studies have shown a high overall rate of adverse events (AEs) following pediatric neurosurgical procedures. However, little is known regarding the morbidity of specific procedures or the association with risk factors to help guide quality improvement (QI) initiatives. The goal of this study was to describe the 30-day mortality and AE rates for pediatric neurosurgical procedures by using the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatrics (NSQIP-Peds) database platform. METHODS Data on 9996 pediatric neurosurgical patients were acquired from the 2012-2014 NSQIP-Peds participant user file. Neurosurgical cases were analyzed by the NSQIP-Peds targeted procedure categories, including craniotomy/craniectomy, defect repair, laminectomy, shunts, and implants. The primary outcome measure was 30-day mortality, with secondary outcomes including individual AEs, composite morbidity (all AEs excluding mortality and unplanned reoperation), surgical-site infection, and unplanned reoperation. Univariate analysis was performed between individual AEs and patient characteristics using Fischer's exact test. Associations between individual AEs and continuous variables (duration from admission to operation, work relative value unit, and operation time) were examined using the Student t-test. Patient characteristics and continuous variables associated with any AE by univariate analysis were used to develop category-specific multivariable models through backward stepwise logistic regression. RESULTS The authors analyzed 3383 craniotomy/craniectomy, 242 defect repair, 1811 laminectomy, and 4560 shunt and implant cases and found a composite overall morbidity of 30.2%, 38.8%, 10.2%, and 10.7%, respectively. Unplanned reoperation rates were highest for defect repair (29.8%). The mortality rate ranged from 0.1% to 1.2%. Preoperative ventilator dependence was a significant predictor of any AE for all procedure groups, whereas admission from outside hospital transfer was a significant predictor of any AE for all procedure groups except craniotomy/craniectomy. CONCLUSIONS This analysis of NSQIP-Peds, a large risk-adjusted national data set, confirms low perioperative mortality but high morbidity for pediatric neurosurgical procedures. These data provide a baseline understanding of current expected clinical outcomes for pediatric neurosurgical procedures, identify the need for collecting neurosurgery-specific risk factors and complications, and should support targeted QI programs and clinical management interventions to improve care of children.

[Validation of the French version of the Maternal Self-report Inventory (short form)].

PubMed

Denis, A; Séjourné, N; Callahan, S

2013-06-01

Self-esteem is defined as the opinion of one's self that one establishes and maintains during the lifetime. Self-esteem is considered to be based on general as well as specific elements that define the individual's identity. Whereas overall self-esteem evolves over the lifespan, specific elements change regularly and thus have an impact on these specific types of self-esteem. Maternity is a central defining element of a woman's life, and it is believed that a woman can develop a specific self-esteem based on her experience of motherhood. Many studies have shown how overall self-esteem is affected during the perinatal period, and the relationship between self-esteem and other variables, notably post-partum depression. The objective of this study was to translate, evaluate, and validate the short version of the Maternal Self-Esteem Inventory (MSI, Shea & Tronick in 1988) for use in French populations. The MSI short form is a 26-item questionnaire using a Likert response format in five points. The sample was composed of 251 French female participants (mean age 30; SD=4.52) who had given birth two days earlier. Participants completed the MSI and the Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale (EDPS). The results of a factorial analysis showed five factors which partially correspond to the original English version of the MSI short form. These five factors were negatively correlated to the EPDS. The five factors showed good to excellent internal consistency. The current study provides a translated and validated version of the MSI short form in French. It provides a specific indicator of self-esteem with regards to motherhood and the experience of maternity. The MSI can provide useful data that can help identify women at risk for negative feelings about themselves, which can lead later to manifestations of perinatal psychopathology (e.g, post-partum depression). Copyright © 2012 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Microgeographic factors and patterns of aeroallergen sensitisation.

PubMed

Kam, Andrew W; Tong, Winnie Wy; Christensen, Jenna M; Katelaris, Constance H; Rimmer, Janet; Harvey, Richard J

2016-10-03

To examine patterns of airborne allergen (aeroallergen) sensitisation in the Greater Sydney area (Sydney), and their relationships with climate, coastal proximity and environment (urban v regional). Retrospective cross-sectional study of patients who underwent aeroallergen skin prick testing at three Sydney allergy clinics, January 2001 - October 2014. Proportions of patients sensitised to specific aeroallergen types; relationships between sensitisation patterns and climate and geography. Of 1421 patients who met the selection criteria (mean age, 28.3 years [SD, 21.3]; 53.3% were female), 1092 (76.8%) were sensitised to at least one aeroallergen. Those living less than 15 km from the coast were less commonly sensitised to cockroach (< 15 km, 15.1%; 15-30 km, 40.0%; > 30 km, 39.7%; P < 0.001) and grass aeroallergens (< 15 km, 36.5%; 15-30 km, 52.2%; > 30 km, 58.1%; P < 0.001) than patients further inland; the same applied to mould, weed and tree aeroallergens. Subtropical grass sensitisation was more common in temperate/warm summer climates (about 50%) than in temperate/hot summer (27.1%) or subtropical climates (15%) (P < 0.001), and less common in urban (36.7%) than in regional areas (54%; P = 0.014). 72.4% of grass-sensitised patients were co-sensitised to both temperate and subtropical grasses. A selected ten-aeroallergen skin prick test panel identified 98.5% of atopic patients in this Sydney sample. Environmental and geographic factors are associated with different patterns of allergic sensitisation in Sydney. Extensive co-sensitisation to subtropical and temperate grasses has implications for immunotherapy in Australia, where most currently available therapies are based on formulations directed at temperate grasses only.

Predictors of Acute Esophagitis in Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Concurrent Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy

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

Rodriguez, Nuria; Department of Medicine, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona; Algara, Manuel

2009-03-01

Purpose: To evaluate the risk factors for acute esophagitis (AET) in lung cancer patients treated with concurrent 3D-CRT and chemotherapy. Methods and Materials: Data from 100 patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with a mean dose of 62.05 {+-} 4.64 Gy were prospectively evaluated. Esophageal toxicity was graded according to criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. The following dosimetric parameters were analyzed: length and volume of esophagus in treatment field, percentage of esophagus volume treated to {>=}10, {>=}20, {>=}30, {>=}35, {>=}40, {>=}45, {>=}50, {>=}55, and {>=}60 Gy, and the maximum (D{sub max}) and mean doses (D{sub mean}) delivered to themore » esophagus. Also, we developed an esophagitis index (EI) to account the esophagitis grades over treatment time. Results: A total of 59 patients developed AET (Grade 1, 26 patients; Grade 2, 29 patients; and Grade 3, 4 patients). V50 was associated with AET duration (p = 0.017), AET Grade 1 duration (p = 0.016), maximum analgesia (p = 0.019), esophagitis index score (p = 0.024), and AET Grade {>=}1 (p = 0.058). If V50 is <30% there is a 47.3% risk of AET Grade {>=}1, which increases to 73.3% if V50 is {>=}30% (p = 0.008). The predictive abilities of models (sensitivity and specificity) were calculated by receiver operating characteristic curves. Conclusions: According to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the 30% of esophageal volume receiving {>=}50 Gy was the most statistically significant factor associated with AET Grade {>=}1 and maximum analgesia (A{sub max}). There was an association with AET Grade {>=}2 but it did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.076)« less

Effectiveness and outcome of management strategies for dabigatran- or warfarin-related major bleeding events.

PubMed

Majeed, Ammar; Hwang, Hun-Gyu; Eikelboom, John W; Connolly, Stuart; Wallentin, Lars; Feuring, Martin; Brueckmann, Martina; Noack, Herbert; Yusuf, Salim; Schulman, Sam

2016-04-01

Strategies used for the management of dabigatran-related major bleeding events (MBEs), and their effectiveness have not been systematically evaluated. Reports on 1034 individuals experiencing 1121 MBEs (696 on dabigatran, and 425 on warfarin) in 5 phase III randomized controlled trials were assessed independently by two investigators. MBEs were managed either by drug discontinuation only (37%), or drug discontinuation with either transfusion of only red cell concentrates (38%), or plasma (23%). Few MBEs (2%) were treated with coagulation factor concentrates. The effectiveness of the management was assessed as good in significantly larger proportion of MBEs on dabigatran (91%) than on warfarin (84%, odds ratio [OR] 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-2.49), which was consistent with the lower 30-day mortality (OR (OR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.44-1.00)). The effectiveness of bleeding management in non-traumatic bleeding was better in patients with dabigatran than with warfarin (OR 1.82; 95% CI, 1.18-2.79) but was similar in traumatic bleeding (OR 0.75; 95% CI, 0.25-2.30). The relative effectiveness of management of bleeding and 30-day mortality rates across other key subgroups of patients or sites of bleeding, the use of platelet inhibitors, age-, sex- and renal function subgroups, were comparable in MBEs on dabigatran or warfarin. Despite the unavailability of a specific antidote at the time of these studies, bleeding in patients receiving dabigatran was managed in the overwhelming majority of patients without coagulation factor concentrates, with comparable or superior effectiveness and lower 30-day mortality rates versus those who bleed while receiving warfarin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictors of acute esophagitis in lung cancer patients treated with concurrent three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Núria; Algara, Manuel; Foro, Palmira; Lacruz, Marti; Reig, Anna; Membrive, Ismael; Lozano, Joan; López, José Luis; Quera, Jaime; Fernández-Velilla, Enric; Sanz, Xavier

2009-03-01

To evaluate the risk factors for acute esophagitis (AET) in lung cancer patients treated with concurrent 3D-CRT and chemotherapy. Data from 100 patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with a mean dose of 62.05 +/- 4.64 Gy were prospectively evaluated. Esophageal toxicity was graded according to criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. The following dosimetric parameters were analyzed: length and volume of esophagus in treatment field, percentage of esophagus volume treated to >or=10, >or=20, >or=30, >or=35, >or=40, >or=45, >or=50, >or=55, and >or=60 Gy, and the maximum (D(max)) and mean doses (D(mean)) delivered to the esophagus. Also, we developed an esophagitis index (EI) to account the esophagitis grades over treatment time. A total of 59 patients developed AET (Grade 1, 26 patients; Grade 2, 29 patients; and Grade 3, 4 patients). V50 was associated with AET duration (p = 0.017), AET Grade 1 duration (p = 0.016), maximum analgesia (p = 0.019), esophagitis index score (p = 0.024), and AET Grade >or=1 (p = 0.058). If V50 is <30% there is a 47.3% risk of AET Grade >or=1, which increases to 73.3% if V50 is >or=30% (p = 0.008). The predictive abilities of models (sensitivity and specificity) were calculated by receiver operating characeristic curves. According to the receiver operating characeristic curve analysis, the 30% of esophageal volume receiving >or=50 Gy was the most statistically significant factor associated with AET Grade >or=1 and maximum analgesia (A(max)). There was an association with AET Grade >or=2 but it did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.076).

Persistence of Specific Phobia From Adolescence to Early Adulthood: Longitudinal Follow-Up of the Mexican Adolescent Mental Health Survey.

PubMed

Albor, Yesica C; Benjet, Corina; Méndez, Enrique; Medina-Mora, María Elena

2017-03-01

Specific phobia is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in the general population, begins at a younger age, and has high comorbidity. However, it receives less treatment than other disorders, perhaps because it is circumscribed to a specific object or situation that can be avoided or is difficult to differentiate from developmentally adaptive fear. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify its clinical significance, risk factors, and course. This study was designed to determine the persistence of specific phobia in participants during an 8-year period from adolescence to young adulthood and its predictors in a Mexican cohort. 1,071 respondents from a representative 2-wave panel sample participated in the Mexican Adolescent Mental Health Survey in 2005 and in the follow-up survey in 2013. DSM-IV disorders were evaluated with the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Of adolescents with specific phobia at baseline, 17.46% persisted into adulthood. Persistence of specific phobia was predicted by an age of onset of disorder in adolescence (risk ratio [RR] = 2.83, 95% CI, 1.30-6.13), parental neglect (RR = 2.76, 95% CI, 1.35-5.65), a first-degree relative with specific phobia (RR = 2.69, 95% CI, 1.34-5.39) and economic adversities (RR = 2.06, 95% CI, 1.21-3.53). Noncomorbid specific phobia in adolescence predicted incidence of other anxiety and substance use disorders in early adulthood (RR = 1.98; 95% CI, 1.11-3.54 and RR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.07-1.69, respectively). While many adolescents with specific phobia remit in adulthood, there are early adult consequences of adolescent phobia and identifiable risk factors for persistence that suggest a group of adolescents that might benefit from early intervention. © Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Age- and sex-specific causal effects of adiposity on cardiovascular risk factors.

PubMed

Fall, Tove; Hägg, Sara; Ploner, Alexander; Mägi, Reedik; Fischer, Krista; Draisma, Harmen H M; Sarin, Antti-Pekka; Benyamin, Beben; Ladenvall, Claes; Åkerlund, Mikael; Kals, Mart; Esko, Tõnu; Nelson, Christopher P; Kaakinen, Marika; Huikari, Ville; Mangino, Massimo; Meirhaeghe, Aline; Kristiansson, Kati; Nuotio, Marja-Liisa; Kobl, Michael; Grallert, Harald; Dehghan, Abbas; Kuningas, Maris; de Vries, Paul S; de Bruijn, Renée F A G; Willems, Sara M; Heikkilä, Kauko; Silventoinen, Karri; Pietiläinen, Kirsi H; Legry, Vanessa; Giedraitis, Vilmantas; Goumidi, Louisa; Syvänen, Ann-Christine; Strauch, Konstantin; Koenig, Wolfgang; Lichtner, Peter; Herder, Christian; Palotie, Aarno; Menni, Cristina; Uitterlinden, André G; Kuulasmaa, Kari; Havulinna, Aki S; Moreno, Luis A; Gonzalez-Gross, Marcela; Evans, Alun; Tregouet, David-Alexandre; Yarnell, John W G; Virtamo, Jarmo; Ferrières, Jean; Veronesi, Giovanni; Perola, Markus; Arveiler, Dominique; Brambilla, Paolo; Lind, Lars; Kaprio, Jaakko; Hofman, Albert; Stricker, Bruno H; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Ikram, M Arfan; Franco, Oscar H; Cottel, Dominique; Dallongeville, Jean; Hall, Alistair S; Jula, Antti; Tobin, Martin D; Penninx, Brenda W; Peters, Annette; Gieger, Christian; Samani, Nilesh J; Montgomery, Grant W; Whitfield, John B; Martin, Nicholas G; Groop, Leif; Spector, Tim D; Magnusson, Patrik K; Amouyel, Philippe; Boomsma, Dorret I; Nilsson, Peter M; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Lyssenko, Valeriya; Metspalu, Andres; Strachan, David P; Salomaa, Veikko; Ripatti, Samuli; Pedersen, Nancy L; Prokopenko, Inga; McCarthy, Mark I; Ingelsson, Erik

2015-05-01

Observational studies have reported different effects of adiposity on cardiovascular risk factors across age and sex. Since cardiovascular risk factors are enriched in obese individuals, it has not been easy to dissect the effects of adiposity from those of other risk factors. We used a Mendelian randomization approach, applying a set of 32 genetic markers to estimate the causal effect of adiposity on blood pressure, glycemic indices, circulating lipid levels, and markers of inflammation and liver disease in up to 67,553 individuals. All analyses were stratified by age (cutoff 55 years of age) and sex. The genetic score was associated with BMI in both nonstratified analysis (P = 2.8 × 10(-107)) and stratified analyses (all P < 3.3 × 10(-30)). We found evidence of a causal effect of adiposity on blood pressure, fasting levels of insulin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides in a nonstratified analysis and in the <55-year stratum. Further, we found evidence of a smaller causal effect on total cholesterol (P for difference = 0.015) in the ≥55-year stratum than in the <55-year stratum, a finding that could be explained by biology, survival bias, or differential medication. In conclusion, this study extends previous knowledge of the effects of adiposity by providing sex- and age-specific causal estimates on cardiovascular risk factors. © 2015 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

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

Hong, Taehoon, E-mail: hong7@yonsei.ac.kr; Kim, Jimin, E-mail: cookie6249@yonsei.ac.kr; Jeong, Kwangbok, E-mail: kbjeong7@yonsei.ac.kr

To systematically manage the energy consumption of existing buildings, the government has to enforce greenhouse gas reduction policies. However, most of the policies are not properly executed because they do not consider various factors from the urban level perspective. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a dynamic analysis of an urban-based low-carbon policy using system dynamics, with a specific focus on housing and green space. This study was conducted in the following steps: (i) establishing the variables of urban-based greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions; (ii) creating a stock/flow diagram of urban-based GHGs emissions; (iii) conducting an information analysis using the systemmore » dynamics; and (iv) proposing the urban-based low-carbon policy. If a combined energy policy that uses the housing sector (30%) and the green space sector (30%) at the same time is implemented, 2020 CO{sub 2} emissions will be 7.23 million tons (i.e., 30.48% below 2020 business-as-usual), achieving the national carbon emissions reduction target (26.9%). The results of this study could contribute to managing and improving the fundamentals of the urban-based low-carbon policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.« less

How Veterans Health Administration Suicide Prevention Coordinators Assess Suicide Risk.

PubMed

Pease, James L; Forster, Jeri E; Davidson, Collin L; Holliman, Brooke Dorsey; Genco, Emma; Brenner, Lisa A

2017-03-01

This cross-sectional study was designed to examine the suicide risk assessment practices of Suicide Prevention Coordinators (SPCs) within the Veterans Health Administration. Specifically, this study sought to (1) identify factors SPCs consider most important in assessing risk and patient priority; (2) measure the level of consistency and agreement between SPCs in assessing suicide risk and prioritizing cases; and (3) measure individual SPC consistency between cases. SPCs (n = 63) responded to online survey questions about imminent and prolonged risk for suicide in response to 30 fictional vignettes. Combinations of 12 acute and chronic suicide risk factors were systematically distributed throughout the 30 vignettes using the Fedorov () procedure. The SPCs were also asked to identify the level of priority for further assessment both disregarding and assuming current caseloads. Data were analysed using clinical judgement analysis. Suicidal plan, β = 1.64; 95% CI (1.45, 1.82), and preparatory behaviour, β = 1.40; 95% CI (1.23, 1.57), were considered the most important acute or imminent risk factors by the SPCs. There was less variability across clinicians in the assessment of risk when alcohol use (p = 0.02) and hopelessness (p = 0.03) were present. When considering acute or imminent risk factors, there was considerable variability between clinicians on a vignette-by-vignette basis, median SD = 0.86 (range = 0.47, 1.13), and within individual clinicians across vignettes, median R 2  = 0.80 (0.49, 0.95). These findings provide insight into how this group of providers think about acute and chronic risk factors contributing to imminent suicide risk in Veterans. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Identifies factors that practitioners consider most important in suicide risk assessment Discusses how to distinguish between chronic and acute risk for suicide Identifies factors that lead to more consistent clinical judgments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Association between all-cause and cause-specific mortality and the GOLD stages 1-4: A 30-year follow-up among Finnish adults.

PubMed

Mattila, Tiina; Vasankari, Tuula; Kanervisto, Merja; Laitinen, Tarja; Impivaara, Olli; Rissanen, Harri; Knekt, Paul; Jousilahti, Pekka; Saarelainen, Seppo; Puukka, Pauli; Heliövaara, Markku

2015-08-01

Mortality correlates with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria of airway obstruction. Yet, little data exist concerning the long-term survival of patients presenting with different levels of obstruction. We studied the association between all-cause and cause-specific mortality and GOLD stages 1-4 in a 30-year follow-up among 6636 Finnish men and women aged 30 or older participating in the Mini-Finland Health Study between 1978 and 1980. After adjusting for age, sex, and smoking history, the GOLD stage of the subject showed a strong direct relationship with all-cause mortality, mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and cancer. The adjusted hazard ratios of death were 1.27 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.51), 1.40 (1.21-1.63), 1.55 (1.21-1.97) and 2.85 (1.65-4.94) for GOLD stages 1-4, respectively, with FEV1/FVC ≥70% as the reference. The association between GOLD stages 2-4 and mortality was strongest among subjects under 50 years of age at the baseline measurement. Cardiovascular mortality increased consistently for all GOLD stages. Airway obstruction indicates an increased risk for all-cause mortality according to the severity of the GOLD stage. We found that even stage 1 carries a risk for cardiovascular death independently of smoking history and other known risk factors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Echovirus 30 meningitis epidemic followed by an outbreak-specific RT-qPCR.

PubMed

Österback, Riikka; Kalliokoski, Teemu; Lähdesmäki, Tuire; Peltola, Ville; Ruuskanen, Olli; Waris, Matti

2015-08-01

An outbreak of enteroviral aseptic meningitis emerged in Southwestern Finland in August 2009. The same enterovirus reappeared with increasing incidence of meningitis in other parts of Finland in 2010. To identify the incidence and molecular epidemiology of enteroviral meningitis outbreak. The causative agent was identified as echovirus 30 (E-30) by sequencing partial viral protein 1 capsid genome, and a virus type-specific RT-qPCR was set up for sensitive detection of the virus in cerebrospinal fluid specimens. Enterovirus positive CSF specimens were subjected to the E-30-specific assay to investigate this unusual occurrence of aseptic meningitis and facilitate case confirmation during the outbreaks between August 2009 and September 2010. E-30 was detected in 106 (72%) enterovirus positive cerebrospinal fluid specimens. All the meningitis cases in 2009 and most of them in 2010 were among adolescents and several were members of sport teams. Between August 2009 and September 2010, E-30 caused an extensive outbreak with two peaks in Finland. Type-specific RT-PCR allowed rapid diagnostic follow-up of the epidemic. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Removal of inhibitor(s) of the polymerase chain reaction from formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded tissues.

PubMed

An, S F; Fleming, K A

1991-11-01

A problem associated with use of the polymerase chain reaction to amplify specific DNA fragments from formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded tissues is the not infrequent failure of amplification. One possible reason for this could be the presence of inhibitor(s), which interfere with the activity of the reaction. It has been shown that such inhibitor(s) exist when amplifying the human beta globin gene (which exists in human genomic DNA as a single copy gene) from routine clinical samples. A variety of methods to remove such inhibitor(s) were investigated. The results indicate that inhibitor(s) are removed by proteinase K digestion, followed by purification with phenol/chloroform, and centrifugation through a Centricon-30 membrane (30,000 molecular weight cut off). Other factors, including the length and concentration of the DNA sequence to be amplified, can also affect amplification.

The relevance of public health research for practice: A 30-year perspective.

PubMed

Diderichsen, Finn

2018-06-01

The Nordic context where public health responsibility is strongly devolved to municipalities raises specific demands on public health research. The demands for causal inference of disease aetiology and intervention efficacy is not different, but in addition there is a need for population health science that describes local prevalence, distribution and clustering of determinants. Knowledge of what interventions and policies work, for whom and under what conditions is essential, but instead of assuming context independence and demanding high external validity it is important to understand how contextual factors linked to groups and places modify both effects and implementation. More implementation studies are needed, but the infrastructure for that research in terms of theories and instruments for monitoring implementation is needed. Much of this was true also 30 years ago, but with increasing spending on both public health research and practice, the demands are increasing that major improvement of population health and health equity are actually achieved.

The Role of Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) Family Members in CD30-Positive Lymphomas

PubMed Central

Garces de los Fayos Alonso, Ines; Lagger, Sabine; Merkel, Olaf; Kenner, Lukas

2018-01-01

The Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factor (TF) family, composed of a variety of members including c-JUN, c-FOS and ATF, is involved in mediating many biological processes such as proliferation, differentiation and cell death. Since their discovery, the role of AP-1 TFs in cancer development has been extensively analysed. Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have highlighted the complexity of these TFs, mainly due to their cell-type specific homo- or hetero-dimerization resulting in diverse transcriptional response profiles. However, as a result of the increasing knowledge of the role of AP-1 TFs in disease, these TFs are being recognized as promising therapeutic targets for various malignancies. In this review, we focus on the impact of deregulated expression of AP-1 TFs in CD30-positive lymphomas including Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma and Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma. PMID:29597249

Relative Impact of Surgeon and Hospital Volume on Operative Mortality and Complications Following Pancreatic Resection in Medicare Patients

PubMed Central

Mehta, Hemalkumar B.; Parmar, Abhishek D.; Adhikari, Deepak; Tamirisa, Nina P.; Dimou, Francesca; Jupiter, Daniel; Riall, Taylor S.

2016-01-01

Background Surgeon and hospital volume are both known to affect outcomes for patients undergoing pancreatic resection. The objective was to evaluate the relative effects of surgeon and hospital volume on 30-day mortality and 30-day complications after pancreatic resection among older patients. Materials and Methods The study used Texas Medicare data (2000–2012), identifying high-volume surgeons as those performing ≥4 pancreatic resections/year, and high-volume hospitals as those performing ≥11 pancreatic resections/year, on Medicare patients. Three-level hierarchical logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relative effects of surgeon and hospital volumes on mortality and complications, after adjusting for case mix differences. Results There were 2,453 pancreatic resections performed by 490 surgeons operating in 138 hospitals. 4.5% of surgeons and 6.5% of hospitals were high-volume. The overall 30-day mortality was 9.0%, and the 30-day complication rate was 40.6%. Overall, 8.9% of the variance in 30-day mortality was attributed to surgeon factors and 9.8% to hospital factors. For 30-day complications, 4.7% of the variance was attributed to surgeon factors and 1.2% to hospital factors. After adjusting for patient, surgeon and hospital characteristics, high surgeon volume (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.33–0.87) and high hospital volume (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.30–0.92) were associated with lower risk of mortality; high surgeon volume (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55–0.93) was also associated lower risk of 30-day complications. Conclusions Both hospital and surgeon factors contributed significantly to the observed variance in mortality, but only surgeon factors impacted complications. PMID:27565068

Involvement of Sp1 and Microsatellite Repressor Sequences in the Transcriptional Control of the Human CD30 Gene

PubMed Central

Croager, Emma J.; Gout, Alexander M.; Abraham, Lawrence J.

2000-01-01

CD30, as a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family, is expressed on the surface of activated lymphoid cells. CD30 overexpression is a characteristic of lymphoproliferative diseases such as Hodgkin’s/non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, embryonal carcinoma, and a number of Th2-associated diseases. The CD30 gene has been mapped to a region of the murine genome that is involved in susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus. Functionally, CD30 may play a role in the deletion of autoreactive T cells. We were interested in determining the molecular nature of CD30 overexpression. Sequence comparison has revealed significant identity between the TATA-less human and murine CD30 promoters; they share a number of common consensus binding motifs. Transfection assays identified three regions of transcriptional importance; the region between position −1.2 kb and −336 bp, containing a CCAT microsatellite sequence, a conserved Sp1 site at positions −43 to −38, and a downstream promoter element (DPE) at positions +24 to +29. EMSA and DNase I footprinting showed specific DNA-protein interactions of the CD30 promoter with the Sp1 site and the CCAT repeat region. The DPE element was shown to be essential for start site selection. We conclude that the conserved Sp1 site at −43 to −38 is associated with maximum reporter gene activity, the DPE element is required for start site selection, and the CCAT tetranucleotide repeats act to repress transcription. We also have shown that the microsatellite is multiallelic, when we screened a random healthy population. Further studies are required to determine whether microsatellite instability in the repressor predisposes susceptible individuals to CD30 overexpression. PMID:10793083

Nonstructural NSs protein of rift valley fever virus interacts with pericentromeric DNA sequences of the host cell, inducing chromosome cohesion and segregation defects.

PubMed

Mansuroglu, Z; Josse, T; Gilleron, J; Billecocq, A; Leger, P; Bouloy, M; Bonnefoy, E

2010-01-01

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging, highly pathogenic virus; RVFV infection can lead to encephalitis, retinitis, or fatal hepatitis associated with hemorrhagic fever in humans, as well as death, abortions, and fetal deformities in animals. RVFV nonstructural NSs protein, a major factor of the virulence, forms filamentous structures in the nuclei of infected cells. In order to further understand RVFV pathology, we investigated, by chromatin immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and confocal microscopy, the capacity of NSs to interact with the host genome. Our results demonstrate that even though cellular DNA is predominantly excluded from NSs filaments, NSs interacts with some specific DNA regions of the host genome such as clusters of pericentromeric gamma-satellite sequence. Targeting of these sequences by NSs was correlated with the induction of chromosome cohesion and segregation defects in RVFV-infected murine, as well as sheep cells. Using recombinant nonpathogenic virus rZHDeltaNSs210-230, expressing a NSs protein deleted of its region of interaction with cellular factor SAP30, we showed that the NSs-SAP30 interaction was essential for NSs to target pericentromeric sequences, as well as for induction of chromosome segregation defects. The effect of RVFV upon the inheritance of genetic information is discussed with respect to the pathology associated with fetal deformities and abortions, highlighting the main role played by cellular cofactor SAP30 on the establishment of NSs interactions with host DNA sequences and RVFV pathogenesis.

Geographical variability of the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in subjects younger than 30 years in Catalonia, Spain.

PubMed

Abellana, Rosa; Ascaso, Carlos; Carrasco, Josep L; Castell, Conxa; Tresserras, Ricard

2009-04-04

We decided to assess the geographical variability of the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Catalonia (Spain) in subjects younger than 30 years at onset during the period 1989-1998. The effect of sex, age at onset, periods of years, and population density was also analyzed. Data were obtained from the prospective Catalan Registry of Diabetes Mellitus. Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine the effects of the risk factors and to find out the geographical distribution. The best model was selected by the AKAIKE information criterion. The crude incidence of type 1 diabetes in subjects younger than 30 years was 11.8/100,000/year (95% CI 11.4-12.3). The incidence was similar between males and females in the 0-14 age group. However, there was a male preponderance in young adults. The incidence did not vary annually and was not associated with population density. The incidence did not present a spatial pattern around Catalonia. There was an unstructured geographical variability. Some regions of Catalonia displayed values of type I diabetes higher or lower than the expected incidence. Counties with extreme values of incidence were specific for each demographic group and in no case did these counties make up clusters, suggesting that there are explanatory factors with patterns of geographic distribution. The incidence of diabetes in young male adults in some counties was similar to that of European countries with a high incidence.

A molecular mechanism of optic nerve regeneration in fish: the retinoid signaling pathway.

PubMed

Kato, Satoru; Matsukawa, Toru; Koriyama, Yoshiki; Sugitani, Kayo; Ogai, Kazuhiro

2013-11-01

The fish optic nerve regeneration process takes more than 100 days after axotomy and comprises four stages: neurite sprouting (1-4 days), axonal elongation (5-30 days), synaptic refinement (35-80 days) and functional recovery (100-120 days). We screened genes specifically upregulated in each stage from axotomized fish retina. The mRNAs for heat shock protein 70 and insulin-like growth factor-1 rapidly increased in the retinal ganglion cells soon after axotomy and function as cell-survival factors. Purpurin mRNA rapidly and transiently increased in the photoreceptors and purpurin protein diffusely increased in all nuclear layers at 1-4 days after injury. The purpurin gene has an active retinol-binding site and a signal peptide. Purpurin with retinol functions as a sprouting factor for thin neurites. This neurite-sprouting effect was closely mimicked by retinoic acid and blocked by its inhibitor. We propose that purpurin works as a retinol transporter to supply retinoic acid to damaged RGCs which in turn activates target genes. We also searched for genes involved in the second stage of regeneration. The mRNA of retinoid-signaling molecules increased in retinal ganglion cells at 7-14 days after injury and tissue transglutaminase and neuronal nitric oxide synthase mRNAs, RA-target genes, increased in retinal ganglion cells at 10-30 days after injury. They function as factors for the outgrowth of thick, long neurites. Here we present a retinoid-signaling hypothesis to explain molecular events during the early stages of optic nerve regeneration in fish. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variability of Sex Disparities in Cancer Incidence over 30 Years: The Striking Case of Kidney Cancer.

PubMed

Scelo, Ghislaine; Li, Peng; Chanudet, Estelle; Muller, David C

2017-01-31

It is well established that men are at higher risk of most non-sex-specific cancers than women, but there has been surprisingly little research investigating these differences. This is possibly because differences in exposure to established risk factors and hypothesised protection by female sex hormones are thought to account for the totality of the sex differences. These explanations remain somewhat speculative, as the magnitude of the sex ratio in cancer incidence has not been systematically studied, with no quantitative estimate of the variability of the sex ratio across countries, age groups, and periods of diagnosis. We analysed worldwide cancer incidence data for the years 1978-2007 in terms of sex disparities, and explicitly quantified the variability in sex disparities by age, year, and geographical region. Our analysis highlights several cancer types for which suspected and commonly accepted factors are unlikely to fully explain the observed sex disparity. In particular, kidney cancer showed a 2:1 male/female case incidence ratio that was constant by age, year, and region, suggesting that factors other than sociocultural habits and health behaviours are responsible for this sex disparity. We quantified the difference in the incidence of various cancer types between men and women across the world over 30 years. While the trends for some cancers such as lung cancer are clearly correlated with known variations in lifestyle habits, we found that the sex disparity observed for others such as kidney cancer is unlikely to be explained by known risk factors. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) mediates gene expression changes and growth response to 17beta-estradiol and selective GPR30 ligand G-1 in ovarian cancer cells.

PubMed

Albanito, Lidia; Madeo, Antonio; Lappano, Rosamaria; Vivacqua, Adele; Rago, Vittoria; Carpino, Amalia; Oprea, Tudor I; Prossnitz, Eric R; Musti, Anna Maria; Andò, Sebastiano; Maggiolini, Marcello

2007-02-15

Estrogens play a crucial role in the development of ovarian tumors; however, the signal transduction pathways involved in hormone action are still poorly defined. The orphan G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) mediates the nongenomic signaling of 17beta-estradiol (E2) in a variety of estrogen-sensitive cancer cells through activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway. Whether estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) also contributes to GPR30/EGFR signaling is less understood. Here, we show that, in ERalpha-positive BG-1 ovarian cancer cells, both E2 and the GPR30-selective ligand G-1 induced c-fos expression and estrogen-responsive element (ERE)-independent activity of a c-fos reporter gene, whereas only E2 stimulated an ERE-responsive reporter gene, indicating that GPR30 signaling does not activate ERalpha-mediated transcription. Similarly, both ligands up-regulated cyclin D1, cyclin E, and cyclin A, whereas only E2 enhanced progesterone receptor expression. Moreover, both GPR30 and ERalpha expression are required for c-fos stimulation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in response to either E2 or G-1. Inhibition of the EGFR transduction pathway inhibited c-fos stimulation and ERK activation by either ligand, suggesting that in ovarian cancer cells GPR30/EGFR signaling relays on ERalpha expression. Interestingly, we show that both GPR30 and ERalpha expression along with active EGFR signaling are required for E2-stimulated and G-1-stimulated proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. Because G-1 was able to induce both c-fos expression and proliferation in the ERalpha-negative/GPR30-positive SKBR3 breast cancer cells, the requirement for ERalpha expression in GPR30/EGFR signaling may depend on the specific cellular context of different tumor types.

Effect of specific surface area of MWCNTS on surface roughness and delamination in drilling Epoxy/Glass Fabric Composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponnuvel, S.; Ananth, M. Prem

2018-03-01

In this study the effect of specific surface area of the MWCNTs on the drilled hole qualities was investigated. Epoxy araldite LY556 with hardener HY951 and E-glass coarse plain weave fabric are used for the fabrication of reference material (specimen A). Multi-WalledCarbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) with diameters <8 nm and 20–30 nm are used for the fabrication of study materials, namely specimen B and specimen C respectively. In specimen B the epoxy resin was filled with MWCNTs having a specific surface area >500 m2 g‑1. MWCNTs in specimen C had a specific surface area >110 m2 g‑1. Drilling experiments were conducted on all the three specimens. Two dimensional delamination factor and the surface roughness of the inner wall of the drilled holes were investigated using Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and Analysis of variance (ANOVA). Two dimensional delamination factor showed better performance from specimen B and specimen C in comparison with specimen A suggesting improvement in the bonding between epoxy and the glass fiber in the presence of MWCNTs. Similar observations were made for surface roughness of the inner wall of the drilled holes at 1250 rpm. Whereas the presence of MWCNTs (Specimen B and specimen C) produced poor surface finish at 500 rpm in comparison with specimen A. Variations in the hole quality characteristics between specimen B and specimen C was marginal with better observations in specimen C.

Constructing a short form of the hierarchical personality inventory for children (HiPIC): the HiPIC-30.

PubMed

Vollrath, Margarete E; Hampson, Sarah E; Torgersen, Svenn

2016-05-01

Children's personality traits are invaluable predictors of concurrent and later mental and physical health. Several validated longer inventories for assessing the widely recognized Five-Factor Model of personality in children are available, but short forms are scarce. This study aimed at constructing a 30-item form of the 144-item Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children (HiPIC) (Mervielde & De Fruyt, ). Participants were 1543 children aged 6-12 years (sample 1) and 3895 children aged 8 years (sample 2). Sample 1 completed the full HiPIC, from which we constructed the HiPIC-30, and the Child Behaviour Checklist (Achenbach, ). Sample 2 completed the HiPIC-30. The HiPIC-30 personality domains correlated over r = .90 with the full HiPIC domains, had good Cronbach's alphas and correlated similarly with CBCL behaviour problems and gender as the full HiPIC. The factor structures of the HiPIC-30 were convergent across samples, but the imagination factor was not clear-cut. We conclude that the HiPIC-30 is a reliable and valid questionnaire for the Five-Factor personality traits in children. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

30 CFR 23.7 - Specific requirements for approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS TELEPHONES AND SIGNALING DEVICES § 23.7 Specific requirements for... apply. (g) Line powered telephones and signaling devices or systems shall be equipped with standby power... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Specific requirements for approval. 23.7...

30 CFR 23.7 - Specific requirements for approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS TELEPHONES AND SIGNALING DEVICES § 23.7 Specific requirements for... apply. (g) Line powered telephones and signaling devices or systems shall be equipped with standby power... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Specific requirements for approval. 23.7...

30 CFR 23.7 - Specific requirements for approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS TELEPHONES AND SIGNALING DEVICES § 23.7 Specific requirements for... apply. (g) Line powered telephones and signaling devices or systems shall be equipped with standby power... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Specific requirements for approval. 23.7...

30 CFR 19.6 - Specific requirements for approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Specific requirements for approval. 19.6 Section 19.6 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS ELECTRIC CAP LAMPS § 19.6 Specific requirements for approval. (a...

Detection of compression vessels in trigeminal neuralgia by surface-rendering three-dimensional reconstruction of 1.5- and 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Shimizu, Masahiro; Imai, Hideaki; Kagoshima, Kaiei; Umezawa, Eriko; Shimizu, Tsuneo; Yoshimoto, Yuhei

2013-01-01

Surface-rendered three-dimensional (3D) 1.5-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is useful for presurgical simulation of microvascular decompression. This study compared the sensitivity and specificity of 1.5- and 3.0-T surface-rendered 3D MR imaging for preoperative identification of the compression vessels of trigeminal neuralgia. One hundred consecutive patients underwent microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia. Forty and 60 patients were evaluated by 1.5- and 3.0-T MR imaging, respectively. Three-dimensional MR images were constructed on the basis of MR imaging, angiography, and venography data and evaluated to determine the compression vessel before surgery. MR imaging findings were compared with the microsurgical findings to compare the sensitivity and specificity of 1.5- and 3.0-T MR imaging. The agreement between MR imaging and surgical findings depended on the compression vessels. For superior cerebellar artery, 1.5- and 3.0-T MR imaging had 84.4% and 82.7% sensitivity and 100% and 100% specificity, respectively. For anterior inferior cerebellar artery, 1.5- and 3.0-T MR imaging had 33.3% and 50% sensitivity and 92.9% and 95% specificity, respectively. For the petrosal vein, 1.5- and 3.0-T MR imaging had 75% and 64.3% sensitivity and 79.2% and 78.1% specificity, respectively. Complete pain relief was obtained in 36 of 40 and 55 of 60 patients undergoing 1.5- and 3.0-T MR imaging, respectively. The present study showed that both 1.5- and 3.0-T MR imaging provided high sensitivity and specificity for preoperative assessment of the compression vessels of trigeminal neuralgia. Preoperative 3D imaging provided very high quality presurgical simulation, resulting in excellent clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of Fe content on the creep properties of olivine under anhydrous and hydrous conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trimmer, M. B.; Zhao, Y.; Zimmerman, M. E.; Kohlstedt, D. L.

2007-12-01

High-temperature, high-pressure compressive creep experiments were performed on both wet and dry aggregates of Fa75 in a gas-medium deformation apparatus. The results from these experiments are compared with those for San Carlos olivine, Fa10, and our previous results on Fa30 and Fa50 in order to provide a basis for comparing convection models for the mantle of Earth with those for the more iron-rich mantle of Mars. Samples were fabricated from powders of Fa75 that were synthesized from mixtures of Fe2O3 and SiO2 combined with San Carlos olivine. The Fa75 powders were cold-pressed into Fe capsules and then hot-pressed at 300 MPa, 1473 K for 3 h. The average grain size of the resultant hot-pressed samples was ~40 μm. For experiments under hydrous conditions, three drops of deionized water were added before sealing the sample within telescoping Fe cans for deformation. Water bubbles were present both within olivine grains and along grain boundaries, demonstrating that the samples were water-saturated. Triaxial compressive creep experiments were carried out in a servo-controlled, internally heated gas-medium apparatus at 50 K intervals between 1273 and 1423 K and a confining pressure of 300 MPa with differential stress of 10 to 300 MPa. For each sample, creep tests were performed at several differential stresses at a constant temperature to determine the stress exponent or at several temperatures to determine the activation energy for creep. Under anhydrous conditions the viscosity of samples of Fa75 is more than a factor of 10 lower than the viscosity of Fa50. Previous experiments showed a similar relationship between Fa50 and Fa30 and Fa30 and Fa10. Under hydrous conditions the viscosity of samples of Fa75 are about a factor of 5 lower than the viscosity of Fa50, which is less than that observed between Fa50 and Fa30 or Fa30 and Fa10. The viscosity of a sample of a specific Fe:Mg ratio deformed under hydrous conditions is a factor of 10 lower than its counterpart deformed under anhydrous conditions. Therefore, at the same thermodynamic conditions (e.g. P, T, water fugacity), the viscosity of the more Fe-rich mantle of Mars will be a factor of about 3 lower than the mantle of Earth.

Method and computer program product for maintenance and modernization backlogging

DOEpatents

Mattimore, Bernard G; Reynolds, Paul E; Farrell, Jill M

2013-02-19

According to one embodiment, a computer program product for determining future facility conditions includes a computer readable medium having computer readable program code stored therein. The computer readable program code includes computer readable program code for calculating a time period specific maintenance cost, for calculating a time period specific modernization factor, and for calculating a time period specific backlog factor. Future facility conditions equal the time period specific maintenance cost plus the time period specific modernization factor plus the time period specific backlog factor. In another embodiment, a computer-implemented method for calculating future facility conditions includes calculating a time period specific maintenance cost, calculating a time period specific modernization factor, and calculating a time period specific backlog factor. Future facility conditions equal the time period specific maintenance cost plus the time period specific modernization factor plus the time period specific backlog factor. Other embodiments are also presented.

[Validation of a questionnaire to evaluate patient safety in clinical laboratories].

PubMed

Giménez Marín, Ángeles; Rivas-Ruiz, Francisco

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to prepare, pilot and validate a questionnaire to evaluate patient safety in the specific context of clinical laboratories. A specific questionnaire on patient safety in the laboratory, with 62 items grouped into six areas, was developed, taking into consideration the diverse human and laboratory contextual factors which may contribute to producing errors. A pilot study of 30 interviews was carried out, including validity and reliability analyses using principal components factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. Subsequently, 240 questionnaires were sent to 21 hospitals, followed by a test-retest of 41 questionnaires with the definitive version. The sample analyzed was composed of 225 questionnaires (an overall response rate of 80%). Of the 62 items initially assessed, 17 were eliminated due to non-compliance with the criteria established before the principal components factor analysis was performed. For the 45 remaining items, 12 components were identified, with an cumulative variance of 69.5%. In seven of the 10 components with two or more items, Cronbach's alpha was higher than 0.7. The questionnaire items assessed in the test-retest were found to be stable. We present the first questionnaire with sufficiently proven validity and reliability for evaluating patient safety in the specific context of clinical laboratories. This questionnaire provides a useful instrument to perform a subsequent macrostudy of hospital clinical laboratories in Spain. The questionnaire can also be used to monitor and promote commitment to patient safety within the search for continuous quality improvement. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Changes in skin reactivity and associated factors in patients sensitized to house dust mites after 1 year of allergen-specific immunotherapy.

PubMed

Son, Jeong-Yeop; Jung, Mann-Hong; Koh, Kwang-Wook; Park, Eun-Kee; Heo, Jeong-Hoon; Choi, Gil-Soon; Kim, Hee-Kyoo

2017-04-01

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) can significantly improve symptoms and reduce the need for symptomatic medication. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in skin reactivity to house dust mites (HDMs) as an immunologic response and associated factors after 1 year of immunotherapy. A total of 80 patients with allergic airway diseases who received subcutaneous SIT with HDMs from 2009 to 2014 were evaluated. The investigated parameters were basic demographic characteristics, skin reactivity and specific IgE for HDM, serum total IgE level, blood eosinophil counts, and medication score. The mean levels of skin reactivity to HDMs, blood eosinophil counts, and medication scores after 1 year were significantly reduced from baseline. In univariate comparison of the changes in skin reactivity to HDMs, age ≤30 years, HDMs only as target of immunotherapy, and high initial skin reactivity (≥2) to HDMs were significantly associated with the reduction in skin test reactivity. In multivariate analysis, high initial skin reactivity and HDMs only as target allergens were significantly associated with changes in skin reactivity to HDMs. In the receiver operating characteristic curve of the initial mean skin reactivity to HDMs for more than 50% reduction, the optimal cutoff value was 2.14. This study showed significant reductions in allergen skin reactivity to HDMs after 1 year of immunotherapy in patients sensitized to HDMs. The extent of initial allergen skin reactivity and only HDMs as target allergen were important predictive factors for changes in skin reactivity.

Sex and age differences in the associations between sleep behaviors and all-cause mortality in older adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

PubMed Central

Beydoun, Hind A.; Beydoun, May A.; Chen, Xiaoli; Chang, Jen Jen; Gamaldo, Alyssa A.; Eid, Shaker M.; Zonderman, Alan B.

2017-01-01

Objective Our aim was to examine sex- and age-specific relationships of sleep behaviors with all-cause mortality rates. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 5288 adults (≥50 years) from the 2005–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys who were followed-up for 54.9 ± 1.2 months. Sleep duration was categorized as < 7 h, 7—8 h and >8 h. Two sleep quality indices were generated through factor analyses. ‘Help-seeking behavior for sleep problems’ and ‘diagnosis with sleep disorders’ were defined as yes/no questions. Sociodemographic covariates-adjusted Cox regression models were applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results A positive relationship was observed between long sleep and all-cause mortality rate in the overall sample (HR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.38, 2.60), among males (HR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.09), females (HR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.48, 3.61) and elderly (≥65 years) people (HR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.30, 2.50). ‘Sleepiness/sleep disturbance’ (Factor I) and all-cause mortality rate were positively associated among males (HR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.03,1.45), whereas ‘poor sleep-related daytime dysfunction’ (Factor II) and all-cause mortality (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.91) were negatively associated among elderly people. Conclusions Sex- and age-specific relationships were observed between all-cause mortality rate and specific sleep behaviors among older adults. PMID:28735912

The impact of the work environment of nurses on patient safety outcomes: a multi-level modelling approach.

PubMed

Kirwan, Marcia; Matthews, Anne; Scott, P Anne

2013-02-01

Patient safety is a priority for health services in all countries. The importance of the nurse's role in patient safety has been established. Effective nurse staffing levels, nurse education levels, and a positive work environment for nurses are factors which are known to impact on patient safety outcomes. This study sought to explore the relationship between the ward environment in which nurses practice and specific patient safety outcomes, using ward level variables as well as nurse level variables. The outcomes were nurse-reported patient safety levels in the wards in which they work, and numbers of formal adverse events reports submitted by nurses in the last year. This cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out within a European FP7 project: Nurse Forecasting: Human Resources Planning in Nursing (RN4CAST) project. 108 general medical and surgical wards in 30 hospitals throughout Ireland. All nurses in direct patient care in the study wards were invited to participate. Data from 1397 of these nurses were used in this analysis. A nurse survey was carried out using a questionnaire incorporating the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI). Ethical approval was obtained from the authors' institution and all ethics committees representing the 30 study hospitals. Multilevel modelling was carried out to examine the impact of ward level factors on patient safety. These included proportions of nurses on the ward educated to degree level, and aggregated ward-level mean for PES-NWI scores. The study results support other research findings indicating that a positive practice environment enhances patient safety outcomes. Specifically at ward level, factors such as the ward practice environment and the proportion of nurses with degrees were found to significantly impact safety outcomes. The models developed for this study predicted 76% and 51% of the between-ward variance of these outcomes. The results can be used to enhance patient safety within hospitals by demonstrating factors at ward-level which enable nurses to effectively carry out this aspect of their role. The importance of ward-level nurse factors such as nurse education level and the work environment should be recognised and manipulated as important influences on patient safety. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk factors for obesity in children and adults.

PubMed

Siddarth, Divya

2013-08-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether modifiable lifestyle factors such as eating habits, physical activity, and screen-viewing time, as well as ethnicity, sex, and family income level, were associated with obesity in children and adults and whether the associations differed across age groups. The data were drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used, with obesity (defined as a body mass index of >30 kg/m for adults and ≥95th percentile for children of the same age and sex) as the outcome variable. For children, screen-viewing (TV/computer) time was the only significant factor; in contrast, for adolescents, eating habits were the only significant predictor. For young and middle-aged adults, lack of physical exercise and time spent in sedentary activities were the determinants of obesity, whereas for older adults, both eating habits and physical activity measures were related to obesity. Distinct lifestyle factors have significant associations with obesity in different age groups, and this study underscores the need for age-specific intervention programs to address the obesity epidemic.

Maladaptive behaviour in Prader-Willi syndrome in adult life.

PubMed

Clarke, D J; Boer, H; Chung, M C; Sturmey, P; Webb, T

1996-04-01

Thirty adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) were compared with 30 adults with non-specific learning disability matched for age, sex and severity of mental retardation. Maladaptive behaviour was assessed with the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), a 58-item structured interview which rates behaviours from 0 (not a problem) to 3 (severe problem) and which yields five factors (I) irritability, agitation; (II) lethargy, withdrawal; (III) stereotypic behavior; (IV) hyperactivity, non-compliance; and (V) inappropriate speech). The PWS sample had significantly higher factor I (P < 0.001) and factor V (P < 0.05) scores. The PWS sample had mean scores above 1 for 17 ABC items; the contrast subjects had no mean scores above 1. The factor I scores for the PWS sample were similar to those of inpatients in hospital facilities for adults with mental retardation and mental illness or severely challenging behaviour. The results support previous work, and extend it by suggesting that temper tantrums, self-injury, impulsiveness, lability of mood, inactivity and repetitive speech are characteristic behaviours in PWS in adult life. Studies of the reasons for heterogeneity in behaviour are now needed.

The effect of water volume and mixing time on physical properties of bread made from modified cassava starch-wheat composite flour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srirejeki, S.; Manuhara, G. J.; Amanto, B. S.; Atmaka, W.; Laksono, P. W.

2018-03-01

Modification of cassava starch with soaking in the whey (by product on cheese production) resulted in changes of the flour characteristics. Adjustments of processing condition are important to be studied in the making of bread from modified cassava starch and wheat composite flour (30:70). This research aims to determine the effect of water volume and mixing time on the physical properties of the bread. The experimental design of this research was Completely Randomized Factorial Design (CRFD) with two factors which were water volume and mixing time. The variation of water volume significantly affected on bread height, dough volume, dough specific volume, and crust thickness. The variation of mixing time had a significant effect on the increase of dough volume and dough specific volume. The combination of water volume and mixing time had a significant effect on dough height, bread volume, bread specific volume, baking expansion, and weight loss.

Patient-specific positioning guides versus manual instrumentation for total knee arthroplasty: an intraoperative comparison.

PubMed

Kassab, Safa; Pietrzak, William S

2014-01-01

Traditional manual instruments for total knee arthroplasty are associated with a malalignment rate of nearly 30%. Patient-specific positioning guides, developed to help address alignment, may also influence other intraoperative factors. This study compared a consecutive series of 270 Vanguard total knee replacements performed with Signature patient-specific positioning guides (study group) to a consecutive series of 595 similar knee replacements performed with manual instrumentation (control group). The study group averaged 16.7 fewer minutes in the operating room (p < .001), utilized tibial inserts that averaged 0.4 mm thinner with a smaller proportion of "thick" tibial inserts (14-18 mm) (p < .001), and required fewer transfusions (p = .022). The Signature-derived surgical plan accurately predicted correct femoral and tibial component sizes in 86.3% and 70.3% of the cases, respectively. These rates increased to 99.3% and 99.2%, respectively, for accuracy to within one size of the surgical plan, similar to published values for manual instrumentation.

Incidence and Short-term Mortality From Perforated Peptic Ulcer in Korea: A Population-Based Study

PubMed Central

Bae, SeungJin; Shim, Ki-Nam; Kim, Nayoung; Kang, Jung Mook; Kim, Dong-Sook; Kim, Kyoung-Min; Cho, Yu Kyung; Jung, Sung Woo

2012-01-01

Background Perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) is associated with serious health and economic outcomes. However, few studies have estimated the incidence and health outcomes of PPU using a nationally representative sample in Asia. We estimated age- and sex-specific incidence and short-term mortality from PPU among Koreans and investigated the risk factors for mortality associated with PPU development. Methods A retrospective population-based study was conducted from 2006 through 2007 using the Korean National Health Insurance claims database. A diagnostic algorithm was derived and validated to identify PPU patients, and PPU incidence rates and 30-day mortality rates were determined. Results From 2006 through 2007, the PPU incidence rate per 100 000 population was 4.4; incidence among men (7.53) was approximately 6 times that among women (1.24). Incidence significantly increased with advanced age, especially among women older than 50 years. Among 4258 PPU patients, 135 (3.15%) died within 30 days of the PPU event. The 30-day mortality rate increased with advanced age and reached almost 20% for patients older than 80 years. The 30-day mortality rate was 10% for women and 2% for men. Older age, being female, and higher comorbidity were independently associated with 30-day mortality rate among PPU patients in Korea. Conclusions Special attention should be paid to elderly women with high comorbidity who develop PPU. PMID:22955110

Risk factors for increased immune reconstitution in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in tuberculosis HIV-infected, antiretroviral-naïve patients.

PubMed

da Silva, Tatiana Pereira; Giacoia-Gripp, Carmem Beatriz Wagner; Schmaltz, Carolina A; Sant'Anna, Flavia Marinho; Saad, Maria Helena; Matos, Juliana Arruda de; de Lima E Silva, Julio Castro Alves; Rolla, Valeria Cavalcanti; Morgado, Mariza Gonçalves

2017-09-06

Little is known regarding the restoration of the specific immune response after combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) and anti-tuberculosis (TB) therapy introduction among TB-HIV patients. In this study, we examined the immune response of TB-HIV patients to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens to evaluate the response dynamics to different antigens over time. Moreover, we also evaluated the influence of two different doses of efavirenz and the factors associated with immune reconstitution. This is a longitudinal study nested in a clinical trial, where cART was initiated during the baseline visit (D0), which occurred 30 ± 10 days after the introduction of anti-TB therapy. Follow-up visits were performed at 30, 60, 90 and 180 days after cART initiation. The production of IFN-γ upon in vitro stimulation with Mtb antigens purified protein derivative (PPD), ESAT-6 and 38 kDa/CFP-10 using ELISpot was examined at baseline and follow-up visits. Sixty-one patients, all ART-naïve, were selected and included in the immune reconstitution analysis; seven (11.5%) developed Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS). The Mtb specific immune response was higher for the PPD antigen followed by 38 kDa/CFP-10 and increased in the first 60 days after cART initiation. In multivariate analysis, the variables independently associated with increased IFN-γ production in response to PPD antigen were CD4 + T cell counts <200 cells/mm 3 at baseline, age, site of tuberculosis, 800 mg efavirenz dose and follow-up CD4 + T cell counts. Moreover, the factors associated with the production of IFN-γ in response to 38 kDa/CFP-10 were detectable HIV viral load (VL) and CD4 + T cell counts at follow-up visits of ≥200 cells/mm 3 . These findings highlight the differences in immune response according to the specificity of the Mtb antigen, which contributes to a better understanding of TB-HIV immunopathogenesis. IFN-γ production elicited by PPD and 38 kDa/CFP-10 antigens have a greater magnitude compared to ESAT-6 and are associated with different factors. The low response to ESAT-6, even during immune restoration, suggests that this antigen is not adequate to assess the immune response of immunosuppressed TB-HIV patients.

Specific antibodies to porcine zona pellucida detected by quantitative radioimmunoassay in both fertile and infertile women

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

Kurachi, H.; Wakimoto, H.; Sakumoto, T.

1984-02-01

The specific radioimmunoassay system was developed for the titration of the antibodies to porcine zona pellucida (ZP) in human sera by using /sup 125/I-labeled purified porcine ZP as antigen, which is known to have cross-reactivity with human ZP. The antibodies in human sera were detected in 3 of 11 (27%) women with unexplained infertility, in 16 of 48 (33%) amenorrheic patients, in 4 of 12 (33%) fertile women, and in 3 of 10 (30%) men. Moreover, antibody titers in infertile women were no higher than those in fertile women and in men. These results seem to suggest that the antibodiesmore » in human sera that cross-react with porcine ZP may not be an important factor in causing infertility in women.« less

Automated Enrichment of Sulfanilamide in Milk Matrices by Utilization of Aptamer-Linked Magnetic Particles.

PubMed

Fischer, Christin; Kallinich, Constanze; Klockmann, Sven; Schrader, Jil; Fischer, Markus

2016-12-07

The present work demonstrates the first automated enrichment approach for antibiotics in milk using specific DNA aptamers. First, aptamers toward the antibiotic sulfanilamide were selected and characterized regarding their dissociation constants and specificity toward relevant antibiotics via fluorescence assay and LC-MS/MS detection. The performed enrichment was automated using the KingFisherDuo and compared to a manual approach. Verifying the functionality, trapping was realized in different milk matrices: (i) 0.3% fat milk, (ii) 1.5% fat milk, (iii) 3.5% fat milk, and (iv) 0.3% fat cocoa milk drink. Enrichment factors up to 8-fold could be achieved. Furthermore, it could be shown that novel implementation of a magnetic separator increases the reproducibility and reduces the hands-on time from approximately half a day to 30 min.

The Predictive Factors for Diabetic Remission in Chinese Patients with BMI > 30 kg/m2 and BMI < 30 kg/m2 Are Different.

PubMed

Liang, Hui; Cao, Qing; Liu, Huan; Guan, Wei; Wong, Claudia; Tong, Daniel

2018-01-15

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass has been proven to be beneficial for patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In less-obese patient (BMI 30-35 kg/m 2 ), surgical treatment is indicated when medication fails to control the T2DM. Asian develops diabetes at a lower BMI. For lower-BMI patients, the rate of diabetes amelioration varies significantly with patients of higher BMI after surgical treatment. The factors that contribute to the post-operative diabetes response rate in lower-BMI patients have not been elucidated. Between 2010 and 2014, a total of 144 patients who underwent gastric bypass for the treatment of T2DM were included for study. Patients were divided into two groups for subgroup analysis, namely BMI > 30 kg/m 2 and BMI < 30 kg/m 2 . Factors affecting the remission rate were examined. Of the studied patients, the DM remission rate for the high-BMI group (BMI > 30 kg/m 2 ) was 80% (n = 90) whereas for the lower BMI (BMI < 30 kg/m 2 ) was 50% (n = 54), p < 0.001. For high-BMI group, low HbA1c and high fasting C-peptide are predictive factors whereas for lower-BMI group, along with elevated C-peptide level, disease duration is the positive predictive factor for DM remission. Patients with BMI > 30 kg/m 2 and those with BMI < 30 kg/m 2 have distinct remission predicting factors. Low HbA1c is a predictor of remission in low-high-BMI patients while duration of diabetes is for high-low-BMI patients. C-peptide is a predictor of remission in both groups. Further large-scale studies are required to define the predictors of diabetes remission after gastric bypass in low- and high-BMI patients.

Corrigendum to 'Emissions of particulate-bound elements from stationary diesel engine: Characterization and risk assessment' [Atmos. Environ. 45/30 (2011) 5273-5281

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betha, Raghu; Balasubramanian, Rajasekhar

2018-03-01

The authors regret that inadvertent errors occurred in the estimation of excess life time cancer risk (ELCR) in the above-referenced published paper due to an oversight. Specifically, the slope factor of nickel (Ni) we used in the ELCR calculation should have been 8.4 × 10-1 mg-1 kg day instead of 8.4 × 101 (mg-1 kg day). Further, to be consistent with other publications where we assumed the measured chromium (Cr) to exist entirely as hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), we revised the slope factor of Cr to the USEPA recommended value of 42 and recalculated the ELCR accordingly. These revised slope factors do not affect, or influence our overall qualitative conclusion made earlier in the published paper in that biodiesel (BD) has higher carcinogenic risk compared to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD). The revised ELCR estimates are given below in Tables 4 and 5.

Risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections at a tertiary care hospital in New Caledonia, South Pacific.

PubMed

Le Hello, Simon; Falcot, Virginie; Lacassin, Flore; Mikulski, Marc; Baumann, Francine

2010-12-01

In New Caledonia, South Pacific, Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen. OXA-23 carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) has been ranked third among all multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria at the main hospital of Nouméa in New Caledonia (24.8%, 50/202 isolates). In the present study, risk factors and outcomes for 50 patients with CRAB infection were compared with those of 152 patients infected with other MDR bacteria. Independent risk factors for infection with CRAB were respiratory ward admission (odds ratio 2.8, 95% confidence interval 1.1-7.1) and previous treatment with quinolones, β-lactams and anti-MRSA antibiotics. The 30-day mortality was higher for CRAB infections compared with other MDR infections (14% vs 3.3%, p = 0.006). These findings highlight the importance of knowing specific local characteristics relating to the ecology and patterns of resistance of MDR bacteria so as to avoid the emergence of unexpected pan-resistant bacteria.

Racism in digital era: Development and initial validation of the Perceived Online Racism Scale (PORS v1.0).

PubMed

Keum, Brian TaeHyuk; Miller, Matthew J

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to develop the Perceived Online Racism Scale (PORS) to assess perceived online racist interpersonal interactions and exposure to online racist content among people of color. Items were developed through a multistage process involving a comprehensive literature review, focus-groups, qualitative data collection, and survey of online racism experiences. Based on a sample of 1,023 racial minority participants, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for a 30-item bifactor model accounted by the general factor and the following 3 specific factors: (a) personal experience of racial cyber-aggression, (b) vicarious exposure to racial cyber-aggression, and (c) online-mediated exposure to racist reality. The PORS demonstrated measurement invariance across racial/ethnic groups in our sample. Internal reliability estimates for the total and subscale scores of the PORS were above .88 and the 4-week test-retest reliability was adequate. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Crime, Teenage Abortion, and Unwantedness

PubMed Central

Shoesmith, Gary L.

2015-01-01

This article disaggregates Donohue and Levitt’s (DL’s) national panel-data models to the state level and shows that high concentrations of teenage abortions in a handful of states drive all of DL’s results in their 2001, 2004, and 2008 articles on crime and abortion. These findings agree with previous research showing teenage motherhood is a major maternal crime factor, whereas unwanted pregnancy is an insignificant factor. Teenage abortions accounted for more than 30% of U.S. abortions in the 1970s, but only 16% to 18% since 2001, which suggests DL’s panel-data models of crime/arrests and abortion were outdated when published. The results point to a broad range of future research involving teenage behavior. A specific means is proposed to reconcile DL with previous articles finding no relationship between crime and abortion. PMID:28943645

Factors influencing the quality of life of infertile women in United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Khayata, G M; Rizk, D E E; Hasan, M Y; Ghazal-Aswad, S; Asaad, M A N

2003-02-01

To measure the quality of life in a representative sample of infertile women and evaluate their sociocultural attitude to this condition. Two hundred sixty-nine infertile women attending the Assisted Reproduction clinic, Tawam Hospital were consecutively selected. They were interviewed about the effect of infertility on their quality of life using a structured, measurement-specific and pre-tested questionnaire. Parameters mostly affected were mood-related mainly in women above 30 years, with primary and female factor infertility and those in polygamous marriages. Quality of life did not affect sexual performance and was not affected by duration of infertility or cost of treatment. The results highlight the importance of bearing children and the stresses exerted on infertile women in Eastern societies. Thorough counseling and continuing support of infertile women is therefore indicated to improve their quality of life.

Gender differences in nonfatal suicidal behavior in Pakistan: significance of sociocultural factors.

PubMed

Khan, M M; Reza, H

1998-01-01

Suicidal behavior is an understudied subject in Pakistan. A variety of social, legal, and religious factors make reporting and data collection on suicide and nonfatal suicidal behavior difficult. To study the problem, a retrospective case-note analysis was carried out in which the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of 262 female and 185 male suicidal individuals admitted to a university hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, are compared. Three quarters of the suicidal persons were under the age of 30 years. Compared to men, women were younger and more often married. Both women and men tended to use self-poisoning with benzodiazepines, but more women used organophosphate insecticides. In Pakistani society, legal, social, and economic discrimination predisposes women to psychological distress and subsequent suicidal behavior. The study highlights the need for culture-specific research on suicidal behavior in Pakistan.

Multicenter Comparison of Roche COBAS AMPLICOR MONITOR Version 1.5, Organon Teknika NucliSens QT with Extractor, and Bayer Quantiplex Version 3.0 for Quantification of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 RNA in Plasma

PubMed Central

Murphy, Donald G.; Côté, Louise; Fauvel, Micheline; René, Pierre; Vincelette, Jean

2000-01-01

The performance and characteristics of Roche COBAS AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITOR version 1.5 (CA MONITOR 1.5) UltraSensitive (usCA MONITOR 1.5) and Standard (stCA MONITOR 1.5) procedures, Organon Teknika NucliSens HIV-1 RNA QT with Extractor (NucliSens), and Bayer Quantiplex HIV RNA version 3.0 (bDNA 3.0) were compared in a multicenter trial. Samples used in this study included 460 plasma specimens from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 (HIV-1)-infected persons, 100 plasma specimens from HIV antibody (anti-HIV)-negative persons, and culture supernatants of HIV-1 subtype A to E isolates diluted in anti-HIV-negative plasma. Overall, bDNA 3.0 showed the least variation in RNA measures upon repeat testing. For the Roche assays, usCA MONITOR 1.5 displayed less variation in RNA measures than stCA MONITOR 1.5. NucliSens, at an input volume of 2 ml, showed the best sensitivity. Deming regression analysis indicated that the results of all three assays were significantly correlated (P < 0.0001). However, the mean difference in values between CA MONITOR 1.5 and bDNA 3.0 (0.274 log10 RNA copies/ml; 95% confidence interval, 0.192 to 0.356) was significantly different from 0, indicating that CA MONITOR 1.5 values were regularly higher than bDNA 3.0 values. Upon testing of 100 anti-HIV-negative plasma specimens, usCA MONITOR 1.5 and NucliSens displayed 100% specificity, while bDNA 3.0 showed 98% specificity. NucliSens quantified 2 of 10 non-subtype B viral isolates at 1 log10 lower than both CA MONITOR 1.5 and bDNA 3.0. For NucliSens, testing of specimens with greater than 1,000 RNA copies/ml at input volumes of 0.1, 0.2, and 2.0 ml did not affect the quality of results. Additional factors differing between assays included specimen throughput and volume requirements, limit of detection, ease of execution, instrument work space, and costs of disposal. These characteristics, along with assay performance, should be considered when one is selecting a viral load assay. PMID:11060065

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Readmissions: National Rates, Causes, Risk Factors, and Outcomes in 16,001 Hospitalized Patients.

PubMed

Rumalla, Kavelin; Smith, Kyle A; Arnold, Paul M; Mittal, Manoj K

2018-02-01

The acute complications of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) often lead to readmissions, which are linked to hospital reimbursement. The national rates, causes, risk factors, and outcomes associated with 30-day and 90-day readmission after aSAH have not previously been reported. The Nationwide Readmissions Database was queried from January to September 2013 for all patients (age ≥18 years) with a diagnosis of aSAH. Data points included demographics, comorbidities, complications, and discharge outcomes. Causes and risk factors for 30-day and 90-day readmission were identified in univariate and multivariable analysis. In 12,777 patients discharged alive after hospitalization for aSAH, 962 (7.5%) were readmitted within 30 days and 2153 (16.7%) within 90 days. Common causes of readmission included stroke, hydrocephalus, septicemia, and headache. At 30-day and 90-day readmission, 39.7% and 51.2% of patients with diagnosis of hydrocephalus underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement, respectively. In multivariable analysis, cannabis use and diabetes were predictors of both 30-day and 90-day readmission and older patients were uniquely susceptible to 30-day readmissions. Risk factors for 90-day readmission included Medicare insurance, hypothyroidism, initial discharge to skilled nursing facility, and several index complications including bowel obstruction, gastrostomy, acute lung injury, and cerebral edema. Average cost and length of stay were calculated at 30-day ($16.647, 7.1 days) and 90-day readmission ($17,926, 6.7 days). Mortality was 2.8% within 30 days and 3.8% within 90 days. Many readmissions occur outside the 30-day follow-up period in patients subarachnoid hemorrhage and possess unique risk factors, which may help identify high-risk patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What influences the impact of pressure ulcers on health-related quality of life? A qualitative patient-focused exploration of contributory factors.

PubMed

Gorecki, C; Nixon, J; Madill, A; Firth, J; Brown, J M

2012-02-01

With the recognition of health-related quality of life (HRQL) as an important and relevant outcome in pressure ulceration, it is important to gain better understanding of the complex relationship among the various factors that affect it. A problem with existing literature in this area is that the impact of having a pressure ulcer on HRQL is combined conceptually with contributory factors which may influence outcome. This study identified contributory factors affecting pressure ulcer-related HRQL and explored interrelationships between factors based on views of adults with pressure ulcers. We obtained patient-reported qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with 30 patients with pressure ulcers recruited from hospital and community settings around England and Northern Ireland. Patients described how pressure ulcers affected their lives by recounting specific relevant events. Events (patient-reported issues) were sorted into categories and data framework analysed to produce a taxonomy of contributory factors. Inter-rater reliability established the extent of agreement between two independent raters. We identified 16 contributory factors, into two theme taxonomy: experience-of-care and individual-patient factors, defined by descriptive components. Our taxonomy is a comprehensive theoretical model of factors that contribute to pressure ulcer-related HRQL. We have also identified further research priorities to inform clinical practice. Copyright © 2011 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is the Distance Worth It? Patients With Rectal Cancer Traveling to High-Volume Centers Experience Improved Outcomes.

PubMed

Xu, Zhaomin; Becerra, Adan Z; Justiniano, Carla F; Boodry, Courtney I; Aquina, Christopher T; Swanger, Alex A; Temple, Larissa K; Fleming, Fergal J

2017-12-01

It is unclear whether traveling long distances to high-volume centers would compensate for travel burden among patients undergoing rectal cancer resection. The purpose of this study was to determine whether operative volume outweighs the advantages of being treated locally by comparing the outcomes of patients with rectal cancer treated at local, low-volume centers versus far, high-volume centers. This was a population-based study. The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with rectal cancer. Patients with stage II or III rectal cancer who underwent surgical resection between 2006 and 2012 were included. The outcomes of interest were margins, lymph node yield, receipt of neoadjuvant chemoradiation, adjuvant chemotherapy, readmission within 30 days, 30-day and 90-day mortality, and 5-year overall survival. A total of 18,605 patients met inclusion criteria; 2067 patients were in the long-distance/high-volume group and 1362 in the short-distance/low-volume group. The median travel distance was 62.6 miles for the long-distance/high-volume group and 2.3 miles for the short-distance/low-volume group. Patients who were younger, white, privately insured, and stage III were more likely to have traveled to a high-volume center. When controlled for patient factors, stage, and hospital factors, patients in the short-distance/low-volume group had lower odds of a lymph node yield ≥12 (OR = 0.51) and neoadjuvant chemoradiation (OR = 0.67) and higher 30-day (OR = 3.38) and 90-day mortality (OR = 2.07) compared with those in the long-distance/high-volume group. The short-distance/low-volume group had a 34% high risk of overall mortality at 5 years compared with the long-distance/high-volume group. We lacked data regarding patient and physician decision making and surgeon-specific factors. Our results indicate that when controlled for patient, tumor, and hospital factors, patients who traveled a long distance to a high-volume center had improved lymph node yield, neoadjuvant chemoradiation receipt, and 30- and 90-day mortality compared with those who traveled a short distance to a low-volume center. They also had improved 5-year survival. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A446.

Effect of iron content on the creep behavior of Olivine: 2. Hydrous conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yong-Hong; Zimmerman, Mark E.; Kohlstedt, David L.

2018-05-01

We have undertaken an experimental investigation of the effect of iron content on the viscosity of Fe-Mg olivine aggregates deformed under hydrous conditions in order to provide a basis for comparing convection models for the mantle of Earth with those for the more iron-rich mantle of Mars. Fine-grained samples of Fe-bearing olivine with fayalite contents, Fax, of x = 100, 75, 50, 30 and 10 were deformed in triaxial compressive creep primarily in the dislocation creep regime under water-saturated conditions at temperatures of 1273 to 1473 K and a confining pressure of 300 MPa. Nickel sleeves around the samples of Fa10, Fa30 and Fa50 set the oxygen fugacity at the Ni:NiO buffer and thus the water fugacity at ≲300 MPa, while Fe sleeves around samples of Fa75 and Fa100 set the oxygen fugacity at the Fe:FeO buffer and thus the water fugacity at ≲200 MPa. Samples were deformed in triaxial compression to a maximum strain of 0.2 at differential stresses from 10 to 300 MPa and strain rates from 10-7 to 10-3 s-1. In the dislocation creep field at a given temperature, the viscosity of samples of Fa50 is a factor of ∼10 smaller than the viscosity of samples of Fa30, while the viscosity of samples of Fa30 is a factor of ∼10 smaller than that of samples of Fa10. Our experimental results can be described by the flow law ε˙disl =Cdisl(σ/μ) ndisl XFa pdisl exp(-(Qdisl0 +αdislXFa)/RT) fH2Omdisl with Cdisl = 99.7 MPa-5/4 s-1, ndisl = 3.7, pdisl = 0.5, Qdisl0 = 510 kJ/mol, αdisl = -120 kJ/mol, and mdisl = 5/4. This flow law indicates that the viscosity of olivine of a specific Fe:Mg ratio is a factor of ∼10 smaller than its counterpart deformed under anhydrous conditions. In a hydrous environment at the same thermodynamic conditions, the viscosity of the more Fe-rich mantle (∼Fa19) of Mars is a factor of ∼5 lower than that of the mantle (∼Fa8) of Earth.

Measurement characteristics of the levels of institutionalization scales: examining reliability and validity.

PubMed

Barab, S A; Redman, B K; Froman, R D

1998-01-01

The Level of Institutionalization (LoIn) scales were developed to assess the extent to which a health promotion program has become integrated into a health care organization. The instrument was designed specifically to measure the amount of routinization and niche saturation of four subsystems (production, maintenance, supportive, and managerial) believed to make up an organization. In this study, the LoIn scales were completed for diabetes programs in 102 general hospitals and 30 home health agencies in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Reliability estimates across the four subsystems for routines (alpha = .61) and for niche saturation (alpha = .44) were substandard. Average correlation among the four subsystems for routines was .67, and among the four subsystems for niche saturation was .38, indicating moderate to large amounts of shared variance among subsystems and challenging claims of discriminant validity. Given these large correlations and a poor fit when testing the eight-factor model, higher-order confirmatory factor analyses were carried out. Results supported the existence of two second-order factors. When collapsed into two factors, the reliabilities were adequate (routines alpha = .90; niche saturation alpha = .80). Criterion-related validity also was found between length of program existence and the routine factor.

Sustained release of nerve growth factor from biodegradable polymer microspheres.

PubMed

Camarata, P J; Suryanarayanan, R; Turner, D A; Parker, R G; Ebner, T J

1992-03-01

Although grafted adrenal medullary tissue to the striatum has been used both experimentally and clinically in parkinsonism, there is a definite need to augment long-term survival. Infusion of nerve growth factor (NGF) or implantation of NGF-rich tissue into the area of the graft prolongs survival and induces differentiation into neural-like cells. To provide for prolonged, site-specific delivery of this growth factor to the grafted tissue in a convenient manner, we fabricated biodegradable polymer microspheres of poly(L-lactide)co-glycolide (70:30) containing NGF. Biologically active NGF was released from the microspheres, as assayed by neurite outgrowth in a dorsal root ganglion tissue culture system. Anti-NGF could block this outgrowth. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected NGF still being released in vitro for longer than 5 weeks. In vivo immunohistochemical studies showed release over a 4.5-week period. This technique should prove useful for incorporating NGF and other growth factors into polymers and delivering proteins and other macromolecules intracerebrally over a prolonged time period. These growth factor-containing polymer microspheres can be used in work aimed at prolonging graft survival, treating experimental Alzheimer's disease, and augmenting peripheral nerve regeneration.

Risk Factors for 30-Day Readmission in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease.

PubMed

Brodsky, Max A; Rodeghier, Mark; Sanger, Maureen; Byrd, Jeannie; McClain, Brandi; Covert, Brittany; Roberts, Dionna O; Wilkerson, Karina; DeBaun, Michael R; Kassim, Adetola A

2017-05-01

Readmission to the hospital within 30 days is a measure of quality care; however, only few modifiable risk factors for 30-day readmission in adults with sickle cell disease are known. We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of adults with sickle cell disease at a tertiary care center, to identify potentially modifiable risk factors for 30-day readmission due to vasoocclusive pain episodes. A total of 88 patients ≥18 years of age were followed for 3.5 years between 2010 and 2013, for 158 first admissions for vasoocclusive pain episodes. Of these, those subsequently readmitted (cases) or not readmitted (controls) within 30 days of their index admissions were identified. Seven risk factors were included in a multivariable model to predict readmission: age, sex, hemoglobin phenotype, median oxygen saturation level, listing of primary care provider, type of health insurance, and number of hospitalized vasoocclusive pain episodes in the prior year. Mean age at admission was 31.7 (18-59) years; median time to readmission was 11 days (interquartile range 20 days). Absence of a primary care provider listed in the electronic medical record (odds ratio 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.91; P = .030) and the number of vasoocclusive pain episodes requiring hospitalization in the prior year were significant risk factors for 30-day readmission (odds ratio 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.44; P <.001). Improved discharge planning and ensuring access to a primary care provider may decrease the 30-day readmission rate in adults with sickle cell disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expression pattern of G protein-coupled receptor 30 in human seminiferous tubular cells.

PubMed

Oliveira, Pedro F; Alves, Marco G; Martins, Ana D; Correia, Sara; Bernardino, Raquel L; Silva, Joaquina; Barros, Alberto; Sousa, Mário; Cavaco, José E; Socorro, Sílvia

2014-05-15

The role of estrogens in male reproductive physiology has been intensively studied over the last few years. Yet, the involvement of their specific receptors has long been a matter of debate. The selective testicular expression of the classic nuclear estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) argues in favor of ER-specific functions in the spermatogenic event. Recently, the existence of a G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPR30) mediating non-genomic effects of estrogens has also been described. However, little is known about the specific testicular expression pattern of GPR30, as well as on its participation in the control of male reproductive function. Herein, by means of immunohistochemical and molecular biology techniques (RT-PCR and Western blot), we aimed to present the first exhaustive evaluation of GPR30 expression in non-neoplastic human testicular cells. Indeed, we were able to demonstrate that GPR30 was expressed in human testicular tissue and that the staining pattern was consistent with its cytoplasmic localization. Additionally, by using cultured human Sertoli cells (SCs) and isolated haploid and diploid germ cells fractions, we confirmed that GPR30 is expressed in SCs and diploid germ cells but not in haploid germ cells. This specific expression pattern suggests a role for GPR30 in spermatogenesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of particulate emissions from a diesel generator fueled with varying blends of biodiesel and fossil diesel.

PubMed

Tsai, Jen-Hsiung; Chen, Shui-Jen; Huang, Kuo-Lin; Lee, Wen-Jhy; Kuo, Wen-Chien; Lin, Wen-Yinn

2011-01-01

This study investigated the particulate matter (PM), particle-bound carbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted from a diesel-engine generator fuelled with blends of pure fossil diesel oil (D100) and varying percentages of waste-edible-oil biodiesel (W10, 10 vol %; W20, 20 vol %; W30, 30 vol %; and W50, 50 vol %) under generator loads of 0, 1.5, and 3 kW. On average, the PM emission factors of all blends was 30.5 % (range, 13.7-52.3 %) lower than that of D100 under the tested loads. Substituting pure fossil diesel oil with varying percentages of waste-edible-oil biodiesel reduced emissions of particle-bound total carbon (TC) and elemental carbon (EC). The W20 blend had the lowest particle-bound organic carbon (OC) emissions. Notably, W10, W20, and W30 also had lower Total-PAH emissions and lower total equivalent toxicity (Total-BaP(eq)) compared to D100. Additionally, the brake-specific fuel consumption of the generator correlated positively with the ratio of waste-edible-oil biodiesel to pure fossil diesel. However, generator energy efficiency correlated negatively with the ratio of waste-edible-oil biodiesel to pure fossil diesel.

The activation of G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) inhibits proliferation of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Wei, W; Chen, Z-J; Zhang, K-S; Yang, X-L; Wu, Y-M; Chen, X-H; Huang, H-B; Liu, H-L; Cai, S-H; Du, J; Wang, H-S

2014-10-02

There is an urgent clinical need for safe and effective treatment agents and therapy targets for estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer. G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), which mediates non-genomic signaling of estrogen to regulate cell growth, is highly expressed in ER--breast cancer cells. We here showed that activation of GPR30 by the receptor-specific agonist G-1 inhibited the growth of ER--breast cancer cells in vitro. Treatment of ER--breast cancer cells with G-1 resulted in G2/M-phase arrest, downregulation of G2-checkpoint regulator cyclin B, and induction of mitochondrial-related apoptosis. The G-1 treatment increased expression of p53 and its phosphorylation levels at Serine 15, promoted its nuclear translocation, and inhibited its ubiquitylation, which mediated the growth arrest effects on cell proliferation. Further, the G-1 induced sustained activation and nuclear translocation of ERK1/2, which was mediated by GPR30/epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signals, also mediated its inhibition effects of G-1. With extensive use of siRNA-knockdown experiments and inhibitors, we found that upregulation of p21 by the cross-talk of GPR30/EGFR and p53 was also involved in G-1-induced cell growth arrest. In vivo experiments showed that G-1 treatment significantly suppressed the growth of SkBr3 xenograft tumors and increased the survival rate, associated with proliferation suppression and upregulation of p53, p21 while downregulation of cyclin B. The discovery of multiple signal pathways mediated the suppression effects of G-1 makes it a promising candidate drug and lays the foundation for future development of GPR30-based therapies for ER- breast cancer treatment.

Depression as a Risk Factor for the Initial Presentation of Twelve Cardiac, Cerebrovascular, and Peripheral Arterial Diseases: Data Linkage Study of 1.9 Million Women and Men.

PubMed

Daskalopoulou, Marina; George, Julie; Walters, Kate; Osborn, David P; Batty, G David; Stogiannis, Dimitris; Rapsomaniki, Eleni; Pujades-Rodriguez, Mar; Denaxas, Spiros; Udumyan, Ruzan; Kivimaki, Mika; Hemingway, Harry

2016-01-01

Depression is associated with coronary heart disease and stroke, but associations with a range of pathologically diverse cardiovascular diseases are not well understood. We examine the risk of 12 cardiovascular diseases according to depression status (history or new onset). Cohort study of 1,937,360 adult men and women, free from cardiovascular disease at baseline, using linked UK electronic health records between 1997 and 2010. The exposures were new-onset depression (a new GP diagnosis of depression and/or prescription for antidepressants during a one-year baseline), and history of GP-diagnosed depression before baseline. The primary endpoint was initial presentation of 12 cardiovascular diseases after baseline. We used disease-specific Cox proportional hazards models with multiple imputation adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors (age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol). Over a median [IQR] 6.9 [2.1-10.5] years of follow-up, 18.9% had a history of depression and 94,432 incident cardiovascular events occurred. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, history of depression was associated with: stable angina (Hazard Ratio = 1.38, 95%CI 1.32-1.45), unstable angina (1.70, 1.60-1.82), myocardial infarction (1.21, 1.16-1.27), unheralded coronary death (1.23, 1.14-1.32), heart failure (1.18, 1.13-1.24), cardiac arrest (1.14, 1.03-1.26), transient ischemic attack (1.31, 1.25-1.38), ischemic stroke (1.26, 1.18-1.34), subarachnoid haemorrhage (1.17, 1.01-1.35), intracerebral haemorrhage (1.30, 1.17-1.45), peripheral arterial disease (1.24, 1.18-1.30), and abdominal aortic aneurysm (1.12,1.01-1.24). New onset depression developed in 2.9% of people, among whom 63,761 cardiovascular events occurred. New onset depression was similarly associated with each of the 12 diseases, with no evidence of stronger associations compared to history of depression. The strength of association between depression and these cardiovascular diseases did not differ between women and men. Depression was prospectively associated with cardiac, cerebrovascular, and peripheral diseases, with no evidence of disease specificity. Further research is needed in understanding the specific pathophysiology of heart and vascular disease triggered by depression in healthy populations.

LAND AND WATER USE CHARACTERISTICS AND HUMAN HEALTH INPUT PARAMETERS FOR USE IN ENVIRONMENTAL DOSIMETRY AND RISK ASSESSMENTS AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE

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

Jannik, T.; Karapatakis, D.; Lee, P.

2010-08-06

Operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS) result in releases of small amounts of radioactive materials to the atmosphere and to the Savannah River. For regulatory compliance purposes, potential offsite radiological doses are estimated annually using computer models that follow U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regulatory Guides. Within the regulatory guides, default values are provided for many of the dose model parameters but the use of site-specific values by the applicant is encouraged. A detailed survey of land and water use parameters was conducted in 1991 and is being updated here. These parameters include local characteristics of meat, milk andmore » vegetable production; river recreational activities; and meat, milk and vegetable consumption rates as well as other human usage parameters required in the SRS dosimetry models. In addition, the preferred elemental bioaccumulation factors and transfer factors to be used in human health exposure calculations at SRS are documented. Based on comparisons to the 2009 SRS environmental compliance doses, the following effects are expected in future SRS compliance dose calculations: (1) Aquatic all-pathway maximally exposed individual doses may go up about 10 percent due to changes in the aquatic bioaccumulation factors; (2) Aquatic all-pathway collective doses may go up about 5 percent due to changes in the aquatic bioaccumulation factors that offset the reduction in average individual water consumption rates; (3) Irrigation pathway doses to the maximally exposed individual may go up about 40 percent due to increases in the element-specific transfer factors; (4) Irrigation pathway collective doses may go down about 50 percent due to changes in food productivity and production within the 50-mile radius of SRS; (5) Air pathway doses to the maximally exposed individual may go down about 10 percent due to the changes in food productivity in the SRS area and to the changes in element-specific transfer factors; and (6) Air pathway collective doses may go down about 30 percent mainly due to the decrease in the inhalation rate assumed for the average individual.« less

Burns in Tanzania: morbidity and mortality, causes and risk factors: a review

PubMed Central

Outwater, Anne H; Ismail, Hawa; Mgalilwa, Lwidiko; Justin Temu, Mary; Mbembati, Naboth A

2013-01-01

Burn injuries in low and middle income countries still remain a significant health problem, even though numbers of burn injuries in high income countries have decreased showing that such events are not “accidents” but are usually preventable. WHO states that the vast majority (over 95%) of fire-related burns occur in low and middle income countries. Burn injuries are a major cause of prolonged hospital stays, disfigurement, disability, and death in Africa Region. Evidence shows that prevention strategies can work. However prevention strategies need to be tailored to the specific environment taking into account local risk factors and available resources. An examination of the patterns and causes of burns should allow site specific recommendations for interventions. This literature review, specific to the United Republic of Tanzania, was conducted by researching PubMed, SafetyLit, and African Journals on Line data bases for primary sources using key words plus . Two sets of student data collected as part of Bachelor’s degree final dissertations at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences were used. In all, twenty two primary sources were found. Risk factors for burn morbidity in Tanzania are: 1/ a young age, especially years 1-3, 2/ home environment, especially around cooking fires, 3/ epilepsy, during seizures, and 4/ perceived inevitability of the incident. It was expected that ground level cooking fires would be found to be a risk factor, but several studies have shown non-significant results about raised cooking fires, types of fuel used, and cooking appliances. Risk factors for burn mortality are: being male, between 20-30 years of age, and being punished for alleged thieving by community mobs. An important factor in reducing burn morbidity, especially in children, is to educate people that burns are preventable in most cases and that most burns occur in the home around cooking fires. Children need to be kept away from fires. Epileptics should be monitored for medication and kept away from cooking fires as well. Community members need to be encouraged to bring wrong doers to the police. PMID:23386982

Disparate rates of acute rejection and donor-specific antibodies among high-immunologic risk renal transplant subgroups receiving antithymocyte globulin induction.

PubMed

Patel, Samir J; Suki, Wadi N; Loucks-DeVos, Jennifer; Graviss, Edward A; Nguyen, Duc T; Knight, Richard J; Kuten, Samantha A; Moore, Linda W; Teeter, Larry D; Gaber, Lillian W; Gaber, A Osama

2016-08-01

Lymphocyte-depleting induction lowers acute rejection (AR) rates among high-immunologic risk (HIR) renal transplant recipients, including African Americans (AAs), retransplants, and the sensitized. It is unclear whether different HIR subgroups experience similarly low rates of AR. We aimed to describe the incidence of AR and de novo donor-specific antibody (dnDSA) among HIR recipients categorized by age, race, or donor type. All received antithymocyte globulin (ATG) induction and triple maintenance immunosuppression. A total of 464 HIR recipients from 2007 to 2014 were reviewed. AR and dnDSA rates at 1 year for the entire population were 14% and 27%, respectively. AR ranged from 6.7% among living donor (LD) recipients to 30% in younger AA deceased donor (DD) recipients. De novo donor-specific antibody at 1 year ranged from 7% in older non-AA LD recipients to 32% in AAs. AA race remained as an independent risk factor for AR among DD recipients and for dnDSA among all HIR recipients. Development of both AR and dnDSA within the first year was associated with a 54% graft survival at 5 years and was an independent risk factor for graft loss. Despite utilization of recommended immunosuppression for HIR recipients, substantial disparities exist among subgroups, warranting further consideration of individualized immunosuppression in certain HIR subgroups. © 2016 Steunstichting ESOT.

Flow and free running speed characterization of dental air turbine handpieces.

PubMed

Dyson, J E; Darvell, B W

1999-09-01

Dental air turbine handpieces have been widely used in clinical dentistry for over 30 years, yet little work has been reported on their performance. A few studies have been concerned with measurement of speed (i.e. rotation rate), torque and power performance of these devices, but neither investigations of functional relationships between controlling variables nor theory dealing specifically with this class of turbine have been reported. This has hindered the development of satisfactory methods of handpiece specification and of testing dental rotary cutting tools. It was the intention of the present work to remedy that deficiency. Measurements of pressure, temperature, gas flow rate and rotation rate were made with improved accuracy and precision for 14 ball bearing turbine handpieces on several gases. Functional relationships between gas properties, supply pressure, flow rate, turbine design factors and free running speed were identified and equations describing these aspects of behaviour of this class of turbine developed. The rotor radius, through peripheral Mach number, was found to be a major determinant of speed performance. In addition, gas flow was found to be an important limiting factor through the effect of choke. Each dental handpiece can be treated as a simple orifice of a characteristic cross-sectional area. Free running speed can be explained in terms of gas properties and pressure, with allowance for a design-specific performance coefficient.

Frontline treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in adults

PubMed Central

Tamamyan, Gevorg; Kadia, Tapan; Ravandi, Farhad; Borthakur, Gautam; Cortes, Jorge; Jabbour, Elias; Daver, Naval; Ohanian, Maro; Kantarjian, Hagop; Konopleva, Marina

2017-01-01

Recent years have highlighted significant progress in understanding the underlying genetic and epigenetic signatures of acute myeloid leukemia(AML). Most importantly, novel chemotherapy and targeted strategies have led to improved outcomes in selected genetic subsets. AML is a remarkably heterogeneous disease, and individualized therapies for disease-specific characteristics (considering patients’ age, cytogenetics, and mutations) could yield better outcomes. Compared with the historical 5-to 10-year survival rate of 10%, the survival of patients who undergo modern treatment approaches reaches up to 40–50%, and for specific subsets, the improvements are even more dramatic; for example, in acute promyelocytic leukemia, the use of all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide improved survival from 30–40% up to 80–90%. Similar progress has been documented in core-binding-factor-AML, with an increase in survival from 30% to 80% upon the use of high-dose cytarabine/fludarabine/granulocyte colony-stimulating factor combination regimens. AML treatment was also recently influenced by the discovery of the superiority of regimens with higher dose Ara-C and nucleoside analogues compared with the “7+3” regimen, with about a 20% improvement in overall survival. Despite these significant differences, most centers continue to use the “7+3” regimen, and greater awareness will improve the outcome. The discovery of targetable molecular abnormalities and recent studies of targeted therapies (gemtuzumab ozagomycin, FLT3 inhibitors, isocitrate dehydrogenase inhibitors, and epigenetic therapies), future use of checkpoint inhibitors and other immune therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, and maintenance strategies based on the minimal residual disease evaluation represent novel, exciting clinical leads aimed to improve AML outcomes in the near future. PMID:28109402

T/T homozygosity of the tenascin-C gene polymorphism rs2104772 negatively influences exercise-induced angiogenesis.

PubMed

Valdivieso, Paola; Toigo, Marco; Hoppeler, Hans; Flück, Martin

2017-01-01

Mechanical stress, including blood pressure related factors, up-regulate expression of the pro-angiogenic extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C in skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that increased capillarization of skeletal muscle with the repeated augmentation in perfusion during endurance training is associated with blood vessel-related expression of tenascin-C and would be affected by the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2104772, which characterizes the non-synonymous exchange of thymidine (T)-to-adenosine (A) in the amino acid codon 1677 of tenascin-C. Sixty-one healthy, untrained, male white participants of Swiss descent performed thirty 30-min bouts of endurance exercise on consecutive weekdays using a cycling ergometer. Genotype and training interactions were called significant at Bonferroni-corrected p-value of 5% (repeated measures ANOVA). Endurance training increased capillary-to-fiber-ratio (+11%), capillary density (+7%), and mitochondrial volume density (+30%) in m. vastus lateralis. Tenascin-C protein expression in this muscle was confined to arterioles and venules (80% of cases) and increased after training in A-allele carriers. Prior to training, volume densities of subsarcolemmal and myofibrillar mitochondria in m. vastus lateralis muscle were 49% and 18%, respectively, higher in A/A homozygotes relative to T-nucleotide carriers (A/T and T/T). Training specifically increased capillary-to-fiber ratio in A-nucleotide carriers but not in T/T homozygotes. Genotype specific regulation of angiogenesis was reflected by the expression response of 8 angiogenesis-associated transcripts after exercise, and confirmed by training-induced alterations of the shear stress related factors, vimentin and VEGF A. Our findings provide evidence for a negative influence of T/T homozygosity in rs2104772 on capillary remodeling with endurance exercise.

T/T homozygosity of the tenascin-C gene polymorphism rs2104772 negatively influences exercise-induced angiogenesis

PubMed Central

Toigo, Marco; Hoppeler, Hans

2017-01-01

Background Mechanical stress, including blood pressure related factors, up-regulate expression of the pro-angiogenic extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C in skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that increased capillarization of skeletal muscle with the repeated augmentation in perfusion during endurance training is associated with blood vessel-related expression of tenascin-C and would be affected by the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2104772, which characterizes the non-synonymous exchange of thymidine (T)-to-adenosine (A) in the amino acid codon 1677 of tenascin-C. Methods Sixty-one healthy, untrained, male white participants of Swiss descent performed thirty 30-min bouts of endurance exercise on consecutive weekdays using a cycling ergometer. Genotype and training interactions were called significant at Bonferroni-corrected p-value of 5% (repeated measures ANOVA). Results Endurance training increased capillary-to-fiber-ratio (+11%), capillary density (+7%), and mitochondrial volume density (+30%) in m. vastus lateralis. Tenascin-C protein expression in this muscle was confined to arterioles and venules (80% of cases) and increased after training in A-allele carriers. Prior to training, volume densities of subsarcolemmal and myofibrillar mitochondria in m. vastus lateralis muscle were 49% and 18%, respectively, higher in A/A homozygotes relative to T-nucleotide carriers (A/T and T/T). Training specifically increased capillary-to-fiber ratio in A-nucleotide carriers but not in T/T homozygotes. Genotype specific regulation of angiogenesis was reflected by the expression response of 8 angiogenesis-associated transcripts after exercise, and confirmed by training-induced alterations of the shear stress related factors, vimentin and VEGF A. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence for a negative influence of T/T homozygosity in rs2104772 on capillary remodeling with endurance exercise. PMID:28384286

Heritability of insomnia symptoms in youth and their relationship to depression and anxiety.

PubMed

Gehrman, Philip R; Meltzer, Lisa J; Moore, Melisa; Pack, Allan I; Perlis, Michael L; Eaves, Lindon J; Silberg, Judy L

2011-12-01

Insomnia is a highly prevalent sleep disorder yet little is known about the role of genetic factors in its pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to examine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors in explaining variability in insomnia symptoms. Traditional twin design. Academic medical center. 1412 twin pairs aged 8-16 years (48.8% MZ, 47.2% DZ, 4.0% indeterminate). None. Ratings of insomnia symptoms, depression, and overanxious disorder were made by trained interviewers based on DSM-III-R criteria. ACE models were conducted using Mx statistical software. Insomnia symptoms were prevalent in this sample based both on parental (6.6%) and youth (19.5%) reports. The overall heritability of insomnia symptoms was modest (30.7%), with the remaining variance attributed to unique environmental effects. There was no evidence of sex differences in the prevalence of insomnia symptoms or in the contribution of genetic and environmental effects. In multivariate models, there was support for insomnia-specific unique environmental effects over and above overlapping effects with depression and overanxious disorder, but no evidence for insomnia-specific genetic effects. Genetic factors play a modest role in the etiology of insomnia symptoms in 8-16 year-olds. These effects overlap with the genetics of depression and overanxious disorder. Further work is needed to determine which genes confer risk for all three disorders.

Cytokines, chemokines, and colony-stimulating factors in human milk: the 1997 update.

PubMed

Garofalo, R P; Goldman, A S

1998-01-01

Epidemiologic studies conducted over the past 30 years to investigate the protective functions of human milk strongly support the notion that breast-feeding prevents infantile infections, particularly those affecting the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. However, more recent clinical and experimental observations also suggest that human milk not only provides passive protection, but also can directly modulate the immunological development of the recipient infant. The study of this remarkable defense system in human milk has been difficult due to its biochemical complexity, the small concentration of certain bioactive components, the compartmentalization of some of these agents, the dynamic quantitative and qualitative changes of milk during lactation, and the lack of specific reagents to quantify these agents. Nevertheless, a host of bioactive substances including hormones, growth factors, and immunological factors such as cytokines have been identified in human milk. Cytokines are pluripotent polypeptides that act in autocrine/paracrine fashions by binding to specific cellular receptors. They operate in networks and orchestrate the development and functions of the immune system. Several different cytokines and chemokines have been discovered in human milk over the past years, and the list is growing very rapidly. This article will review the current knowledge about the increasingly complex network of chemoattractants, activators, and anti-inflammatory cytokines present in human milk and their potential role in compensating for the developmental delay of the neonate immune system.

Identification of Potentially Neuroprotective Genes Upregulated by Neurotrophin Treatment of CA3 Neurons in the Injured Brain

PubMed Central

Malik, Saafan Z.; Motamedi, Shahab; Royo, Nicolas C.; LeBold, David

2011-01-01

Abstract Specific neurotrophic factors mediate histological and/or functional improvement in animal models of traumatic brain injury (TBI). In previous work, several lines of evidence indicated that the mammalian neurotrophin NT-4/5 is neuroprotective for hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons after experimental TBI. We hypothesized that NT-4/5 neuroprotection is mediated by changes in the expression of specific sets of genes, and that NT-4/5-regulated genes are potential therapeutic targets for blocking delayed neuronal death after TBI. In this study, we performed transcription profiling analysis of CA3 neurons to identify genes regulated by lateral fluid percussion injury, or by treatment with the trkB ligands NT-4/5 or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The results indicate extensive overlap between genes upregulated by neurotrophins and genes upregulated by injury, suggesting that the mechanism behind neurotrophin neuroprotection may mimic the brain's endogenous protective response. A subset of genes selected for further study in vitro exhibited neuroprotection against glutamate excitotoxicity. The neuroprotective genes identified in this study were upregulated at 30 h post-injury, and are thus expected to act during a clinically useful time frame of hours to days after injury. Modulation of these factors and pathways by genetic manipulation or small molecules may confer hippocampal neuroprotection in vivo in preclinical models of TBI. PMID:21083427

A self-report critical incident assessment tool for army night vision goggle helicopter operations.

PubMed

Renshaw, Peter F; Wiggins, Mark W

2007-04-01

The present study sought to examine the utility of a self-report tool that was designed as a partial substitute for a face-to-face cognitive interview for critical incidents involving night vision goggles (NVGs). The use of NVGs remains problematic within the military environment, as these devices have been identified as a factor in a significant proportion of aircraft accidents and incidents. The self-report tool was structured to identify some of the cognitive features of human performance that were associated with critical incidents involving NVGs. The tool incorporated a number of different levels of analysis, ranging from specific behavioral responses to broader cognitive constructs. Reports were received from 30 active pilots within the Australian Army using the NVG Critical Incident Assessment Tool (NVGCIAT). The results revealed a correspondence between specific types of NVG-related errors and elements of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). In addition, uncertainty emerged as a significant factor associated with the critical incidents that were recalled by operators. These results were broadly consistent with previous research and provide some support for the utility of subjective assessment tools as a means of extracting critical incident-related data when face-to-face cognitive interviews are not possible. In some circumstances, the NVGCIAT might be regarded as a substitute cognitive interview protocol with some level of diagnosticity.

Elevated serum BAFF levels in patients with localized scleroderma in contrast to other organ-specific autoimmune diseases.

PubMed

Matsushita, Takashi; Hasegawa, Minoru; Matsushita, Yukiyo; Echigo, Takeshi; Wayaku, Takamasa; Horikawa, Mayuka; Ogawa, Fumihide; Takehara, Kazuhiko; Sato, Shinichi

2007-02-01

Serum levels of B-cell activating factor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF), a potent B-cell survival factor, are elevated in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis (SSc). The objective of this study was to determine serum BAFF levels and relate the results to the clinical features in patients with organ-specific autoimmune diseases of the skin, such as localized scleroderma and autoimmune bullous diseases. Serum BAFF levels were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 44 patients with localized scleroderma, 20 with pemphigus vulgaris/pemphigus foliaceus, 20 with bullous pemphigoid and 30 healthy controls. Twenty patients with SSc and 20 with SLE were also examined as disease controls. Serum BAFF levels were elevated in localized scleroderma patients compared with healthy controls. Concerning localized scleroderma subgroups, patients with generalized morphea, the severest form of localized scleroderma, had higher serum BAFF levels than linear scleroderma or morphea patients. The BAFF levels of generalized morphea were comparable with those of SSc or SLE. Furthermore, serum BAFF levels correlated positively with antihistone antibody levels and the severity of skin lesion as well as the number of skin lesions. By contrast, serum BAFF levels were not significantly elevated in patients with pemphigus or pemphigoid. These results suggest that BAFF may be contributing to autoimmunity and disease development in localized scleroderma.

Current status of health among workers in Japan: Results from the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study

PubMed Central

KUWAHARA, Keisuke; UEHARA, Akihiko; YAMAMOTO, Makoto; NAKAGAWA, Tohru; HONDA, Toru; YAMAMOTO, Shuichiro; OKAZAKI, Hiroko; SASAKI, Naoko; OGASAWARA, Takayuki; HORI, Ai; NISHIURA, Chihiro; MIYAMOTO, Toshiaki; KOCHI, Takeshi; EGUCHI, Masafumi; TOMITA, Kentaro; IMAI, Teppei; NISHIHARA, Akiko; NAGAHAMA, Satsue; MURAKAMI, Taizo; SHIMIZU, Makiko; KABE, Isamu; MIZOUE, Tetsuya; KUNUGITA, Naoki; SONE, Tomofumi; DOHI, Seitaro

2016-01-01

Data are limited on the sex-specific prevalence of diseases and their risk factors in middle-aged and older workers in Japan. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the age- and sex-specific prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome (defined using joint statement criteria), obesity, underweight, abdominal obesity, and smoking among approximately 70,000 to 90,000 Japanese workers (predominantly men) aged 20–69 years in 2014. We also investigated the prevalence of low cardiorespiratory fitness in 2012 and no leisure-time exercise in 2014. In both sexes, the prevalence of lifestyle-related risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and abdominal obesity, was increased with aging. In contrast, the prevalence of underweight was decreased with aging. Smoking prevalence exceeded 30% in men regardless of age, whereas the prevalence was around 10% in women of all age groups. Prevalence of no leisure-time exercise exceeded 50% among middle-aged and older workers in both sexes. Among workers aged 50–64 years, less than half of men had low fitness, whereas more than half of women had low fitness. Given the high prevalence of lifestyle-related risk factors among middle-aged and older workers, effective strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease in this age group are needed in Japan. PMID:27430963

Empirical Site Amplification Factors Incorporating Soil Nonlinearity in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, C. H.; Chung, C. H.; Che-Min, L.; Huang, J. Y.; Wen, K. L.

2017-12-01

Characteristics of site amplifications caused by both crustal and subduction earthquakes are important in Taiwan. For example, seismic waves were amplified and led to significant building damages in the Taipei Basin by the 1986 Hualien offshore (subduction interface) and the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquakes (crustal), for which the epicentral distances were about 100 km. To understand local site amplifications in Taiwan, empirical site amplification factors for horizontal ground motions are studied using recently constructed strong motion and site databases for the free-field TSMIP stations in Taiwan. Records of large magnitude earthquakes of ML larger than six from 1994 to 2014 were selected for this study. Site amplification factors at site conditions with Vs30 of 120 m/s to 1500 m/s and base accelerations up to 0.7g were inferred from intensity ratios of station pairs within specific distances. The reference site condition is assumed as Vs30 of 760 m/s (B/C boundary). Preliminary results indicate: 1. Soil nonlinearity is more obviously at short periods (PGA, Sa0.3) than long periods (PGV, Sa1.0). 2. Soil nonlinearity is significant for stations belong to site classes of B, C, D, and E in Taiwan. 3. Effect of station-pair distance is seen at short periods (PGA and Sa0.3). 4. No significant different is found in site amplifications of crustal and subduction earthquakes. The result could be a reference for the Fa and Fv in Taiwan's building code.

Night shift work at specific age ranges and chronic disease risk factors.

PubMed

Ramin, Cody; Devore, Elizabeth E; Wang, Weike; Pierre-Paul, Jeffrey; Wegrzyn, Lani R; Schernhammer, Eva S

2015-02-01

We examined the association of night shift work history and age when night shift work was performed with cancer and cardiovascular disease risk factors among 54 724 women in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) II. We calculated age-adjusted and socioeconomic status-adjusted means and percentages for cancer and cardiovascular risk factors in 2009 across categories of night shift work history. We used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for key risk factors among 54 724 participants (72% ever shift workers). We further examined these associations by age (20-25, 26-35, 36-45 and 46+ years) at which shift work was performed. Ever night shift workers had increased odds of obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2); OR=1.37, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.43); higher caffeine intake (≥131 mg/day; OR=1.16, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.22) and total calorie intake (≥1715 kcal/day; OR=1.09, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.13); current smoking (OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.42); and shorter sleep durations (≤7 h of sleep/day; OR=1.19, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.24) compared to never night shift workers. These estimates varied depending on age at which night work was performed, with a suggestion that night shift work before age 25 was associated with fewer risk factors compared to night shift work at older ages. Our results indicate that night shift work may contribute to an adverse chronic disease risk profile, and that risk factors may vary depending on the age at which night shift work was performed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Transcription Factor Information System (TFIS): A Tool for Detection of Transcription Factor Binding Sites.

PubMed

Narad, Priyanka; Kumar, Abhishek; Chakraborty, Amlan; Patni, Pranav; Sengupta, Abhishek; Wadhwa, Gulshan; Upadhyaya, K C

2017-09-01

Transcription factors are trans-acting proteins that interact with specific nucleotide sequences known as transcription factor binding site (TFBS), and these interactions are implicated in regulation of the gene expression. Regulation of transcriptional activation of a gene often involves multiple interactions of transcription factors with various sequence elements. Identification of these sequence elements is the first step in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism(s) that regulate the gene expression. For in silico identification of these sequence elements, we have developed an online computational tool named transcription factor information system (TFIS) for detecting TFBS for the first time using a collection of JAVA programs and is mainly based on TFBS detection using position weight matrix (PWM). The database used for obtaining position frequency matrices (PFM) is JASPAR and HOCOMOCO, which is an open-access database of transcription factor binding profiles. Pseudo-counts are used while converting PFM to PWM, and TFBS detection is carried out on the basis of percent score taken as threshold value. TFIS is equipped with advanced features such as direct sequence retrieving from NCBI database using gene identification number and accession number, detecting binding site for common TF in a batch of gene sequences, and TFBS detection after generating PWM from known raw binding sequences in addition to general detection methods. TFIS can detect the presence of potential TFBSs in both the directions at the same time. This feature increases its efficiency. And the results for this dual detection are presented in different colors specific to the orientation of the binding site. Results obtained by the TFIS are more detailed and specific to the detected TFs as integration of more informative links from various related web servers are added in the result pages like Gene Ontology, PAZAR database and Transcription Factor Encyclopedia in addition to NCBI and UniProt. Common TFs like SP1, AP1 and NF-KB of the Amyloid beta precursor gene is easily detected using TFIS along with multiple binding sites. In another scenario of embryonic developmental process, TFs of the FOX family (FOXL1 and FOXC1) were also identified. TFIS is platform-independent which is publicly available along with its support and documentation at http://tfistool.appspot.com and http://www.bioinfoplus.com/tfis/ . TFIS is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 3 (GPL-3.0).

Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Open Reading Frame II-Encoded p30II Is Required for In Vivo Replication: Evidence of In Vivo Reversion

PubMed Central

Silverman, Lee R.; Phipps, Andrew J.; Montgomery, Andrew; Ratner, Lee; Lairmore, Michael D.

2004-01-01

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and exhibits high genetic stability in vivo. HTLV-1 contains four open reading frames (ORFs) in its pX region. ORF II encodes two proteins, p30II and p13II, both of which are incompletely characterized. p30II localizes to the nucleus or nucleolus and has distant homology to the transcription factors Oct-1, Pit-1, and POU-M1. In vitro studies have demonstrated that at low concentrations, p30II differentially regulates cellular and viral promoters through an interaction with CREB binding protein/p300. To determine the in vivo significance of p30II, we inoculated rabbits with cell lines expressing either a wild-type clone of HTLV-1 (ACH.1) or a clone containing a mutation in ORF II, which eliminated wild-type p30II expression (ACH.30.1). ACH.1-inoculated rabbits maintained higher HTLV-1-specific antibody titers than ACH.30.1-inoculated rabbits, and all ACH.1-inoculated rabbits were seropositive for HTLV-1, whereas only two of six ACH.30.1-inoculated rabbits were seropositive. Provirus could be consistently PCR amplified from peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA in all ACH.1-inoculated rabbits but in only three of six ACH.30.1-inoculated rabbits. Quantitative competitive PCR indicated higher PBMC proviral loads in ACH.1-inoculated rabbits. Interestingly, sequencing of ORF II from PBMC of provirus-positive ACH.30.1-inoculated rabbits revealed a reversion to wild-type sequence with evidence of early coexistence of mutant and wild-type sequence. Our data provide evidence that HTLV-1 must maintain its key accessory genes to survive in vivo and that in vivo pressures select for maintenance of wild-type ORF II gene products during the early course of infection. PMID:15047799

The expression and function of hsp30-like small heat shock protein genes in amphibians, birds, fish, and reptiles.

PubMed

Heikkila, John J

2017-01-01

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are a superfamily of molecular chaperones with important roles in protein homeostasis and other cellular functions. Amphibians, reptiles, fish and birds have a shsp gene called hsp30, which was also referred to as hspb11 or hsp25 in some fish and bird species. Hsp30 genes, which are not found in mammals, are transcribed in response to heat shock or other stresses by means of the heat shock factor that is activated in response to an accumulation of unfolded protein. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that representative HSP30s from different classes of non-mammalian vertebrates were distinct from other sHSPs including HSPB1/HSP27. Studies with amphibian and fish recombinant HSP30 determined that they were molecular chaperones since they inhibited heat- or chemically-induced aggregation of unfolded protein. During non-mammalian vertebrate development, hsp30 genes were differentially expressed in selected tissues. Also, heat shock-induced stage-specific expression of hsp30 genes in frog embryos was regulated at the level of chromatin structure. In adults and/or tissue culture cells, hsp30 gene expression was induced by heat shock, arsenite, cadmium or proteasomal inhibitors, all of which enhanced the production of unfolded/damaged protein. Finally, immunocytochemical analysis of frog and chicken tissue culture cells revealed that proteotoxic stress-induced HSP30 accumulation co-localized with aggresome-like inclusion bodies. The congregation of damaged protein in aggresomes minimizes the toxic effect of aggregated protein dispersed throughout the cell. The current availability of probes to detect the presence of hsp30 mRNA or encoded protein has resulted in the increased use of hsp30 gene expression as a marker of proteotoxic stress in non-mammalian vertebrates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk modelling study for carotid endarterectomy.

PubMed

Kuhan, G; Gardiner, E D; Abidia, A F; Chetter, I C; Renwick, P M; Johnson, B F; Wilkinson, A R; McCollum, P T

2001-12-01

The aims of this study were to identify factors that influence the risk of stroke or death following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and to develop a model to aid in comparative audit of vascular surgeons and units. A series of 839 CEAs performed by four vascular surgeons between 1992 and 1999 was analysed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to model the effect of 15 possible risk factors on the 30-day risk of stroke or death. Outcome was compared for four surgeons and two units after adjustment for the significant risk factors. The overall 30-day stroke or death rate was 3.9 per cent (29 of 741). Heart disease, diabetes and stroke were significant risk factors. The 30-day predicted stroke or death rates increased with increasing risk scores. The observed 30-day stroke or death rate was 3.9 per cent for both vascular units and varied from 3.0 to 4.2 per cent for the four vascular surgeons. Differences in the outcomes between the surgeons and vascular units did not reach statistical significance after risk adjustment. Diabetes, heart disease and stroke are significant risk factors for stroke or death following CEA. The risk score model identified patients at higher risk and aided in comparative audit.

Associations between nursing home performance and hospital 30-day readmissions for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia at the healthcare community level in the United States.

PubMed

Pandolfi, Michelle M; Wang, Yun; Spenard, Ann; Johnson, Florence; Bonner, Alice; Ho, Shih-Yieh; Elwell, Timothy; Bakullari, Anila; Galusha, Deron; Leifheit-Limson, Erica; Lichtman, Judith H; Krumholz, Harlan M

2017-12-01

To evaluate community-specific nursing home performance with community-specific hospital 30-day readmissions for Medicare patients discharged with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure or pneumonia. Cross-sectional study using 2009-2012 hospital risk-standardised 30-day readmission data for Medicare fee-for-service patients hospitalised for all three conditions and nursing home performance data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five-Star Quality Rating System. Medicare-certified nursing homes and acute care hospitals. 12,542 nursing homes and 3,039 hospitals treating 30 or more Medicare fee-for-service patients for all three conditions across 2,032 hospital service areas in the United States. Community-specific hospital 30-day risk-standardised readmission rates. Community-specific nursing home performance measures: health inspection, staffing, Registered Nurses and quality performance; and an aggregated performance score. Mixed-effects models evaluated associations between nursing home performance and hospital 30-day risk-standardised readmission rates for all three conditions. The relationship between community-specific hospital risk-standardised readmission rates and community-specific overall nursing home performance was statistically significant for all three conditions. Increasing nursing home performance by one star resulted in decreases of 0.29% point (95% CI: 0.12-0.47), 0.78% point (95% CI: 0.60-0.95) and 0.46% point (95% CI: 0.33-0.59) of risk-standardised readmission rates for AMI, HF and pneumonia, respectively. Among the specific measures, higher performance in nursing home overall staffing and Registered Nurse staffing measures was statistically significantly associated with lower hospital readmission rates for all three conditions. Notable geographic variation in the community-specific nursing home performance was observed. Community-specific nursing home performance is associated with community-specific hospital 30-day readmission rates for Medicare fee-for-service patients for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure or pneumonia. Coordinated care between hospitals and nursing homes is essential to reduce readmissions. Nursing homes can improve performance and reduce readmissions by increasing registered nursing homes. Further, communities can work together to create cross-continuum care teams comprised of hospitals, nursing homes, patients and their families, and other community-based service providers to reduce unplanned readmissions. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Heterogeneity of the jealousy phenomenon in the general population: an Italian study.

PubMed

Marazziti, Donatella; Sbrana, Alfredo; Rucci, Paola; Cherici, Luca; Mungai, Francesco; Gonnelli, Chiara; Massimetti, Enrico; Raimondi, Francesca; Doria, Maria Rosaria; Spagnolli, Sabrina; Ravani, Laura; Consoli, Giorgio; Catena Dell Osso, Mario

2010-01-01

Despite the general agreement that normal jealousy is heterogenous, little is known about this specific topic. In the present study, we explored the possibility of distinguishing between four subtypes of "normal" jealousy (depressive, anxious, obsessive, and paranoid) amongst a cohort of 500 healthy university students by means of a specifically designed questionnaire, "Ouestionario della gelosia" (QUEGE). QUEGE is a self-report instrument of 30 items which explores the presence, frequency, and duration of feelings and behaviors related to jealousy. It was devised to investigate four hypothetical psychopathological profiles: depressive, paranoid, obsessive, and anxious. The factor analysis identified five rather than four clear-cut factors: self-esteem, paranoia, interpersonal Sensitivity, fear of being abandoned, and obsessionality. Women showed statistically significant lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of obsessionality than men. Younger age (<25 years) was associated with lower self-esteem and higher levels of paranoia and obsessionality, while being single was associated with lower self-esteem and higher levels of obsessionality. The present study provides evidence of the reliability and validity of the QUEGE instrument, which seems to identify the presence of five psychopathological dimensions within the jealousy phenomenon in the general population.

Suicide rates in the national and expatriate population in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Dervic, Kanita; Amiri, Leena; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas; Yousef, Said; Salem, Mohamed O; Voracek, Martin; Sonneck, Gernot

2012-11-01

Reports on suicide from the Gulf region are scarce. Dubai is a city with a large expatriate population. However, total and gender-specific suicide rates for the national and expatriate populations are not known. To investigate total and gender-specific suicide rates in the national and expatriate population in Dubai and to elicit socio-demographic characteristics of suicide victims. Registered suicides in Dubai from 2003 to 2009, and aggregated socio-demographic data of suicide victims were analysed. Suicide rates per 100,000 population were calculated. Suicide rate among expatriates (6.3/100,000) was seven times higher than the rate among the nationals (0.9/100,000). In both groups, male suicide rate was more than three times higher than the female rate. Approximately three out of four expatriate suicides were committed by Indians. The majority of suicide victims were male, older than 30 years, expatriate, single and employed, with an education of secondary school level and below. Further research on risk factors for and protective factors against suicide, particularly among the expatriate population, is needed. Epidemiological monitoring of suicide trends at the national level and improvement of UAE suicide statistics would provide useful information for developing suicide prevention strategies.

Increased serum levels of interleukin-17 and transforming growth factor-β in patients with Graves’ disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elvira, D.; Nasrul, E.; Sofyan, Y.; Decroli, E.; Darwin, E.

2018-03-01

Graves’ disease (GD) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease, characterized by excessive autoantibody levels due to tolerance breakdown of thyroid-specific autoantigens. To determine the role of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-β) in GD, we assessed their serum levels in patients with GD and healthy controls. Thirty patients with hyperthyroidism, goiter, and positive thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody diagnosed as GD, according to the clinical diagnostic criteria for autoimmune thyroid disease. Blood samples were also from 30 healthy individuals matched for age and sex as a control. Serum levels of IL-17 and TGF-ß were by using ELISA. IL-17 and TGF-ß levels (14.43 ± 2.15 pg/mL and 10.44 ± 3.19 pg/mL, respectively) were significantly higher in patients with GD than in controls (7.07 ± 1.45 pg/mL and 4.95 ± 1.35 pg/mL, respectively). However, no correlation between IL-17 and TGF-β level in patients with GD. The elevated serum level of IL-17 and TGF-β in patients with GD reflects Th-2 predominance, which causes increasing of these pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Effects of crop management, soil type, and climate on N2O emissions from Austrian Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zechmeister-Boltenstern, Sophie; Sigmund, Elisabeth; Kasper, Martina; Kitzler, Barbara; Haas, Edwin; Wandl, Michael; Strauss, Peter; Poetzelsberger, Elisabeth; Dersch, Georg; Winiwarter, Wilfried; Amon, Barbara

2015-04-01

Within the project FarmClim ("Farming for a better climate") we assessed recent N2O emissions from two selected regions in Austria. Our aim was to deepen the understanding of Austrian N2O fluxes regarding region specific properties. Currently, N2O emissions are estimated with the IPCC default emission factor which only considers the amount of N-input as an influencing factor for N2O emissions. We evaluated the IPCC default emission factor for its validity under spatially distinct environmental conditions. For this two regions for modeling with LandscapeDNDC have been identified in this project. The benefit of using LandscapeDNDC is the detailed illustration of microbial processes in the soil. Required input data to run the model included daily climate data, vegetation properties, soil characteristics and land management. The analysis of present agricultural practices was basis for assessing the hot spots and hot moments of nitrogen emissions on a regional scale. During our work with LandscapeDNDC we were able to adapt specific model algorithms to Austrian agricultural conditions. The model revealed a strong dependency of N2O emissions on soil type. We could estimate how strongly soil texture affects N2O emissions. Based on detailed soil maps with high spatial resolution we calculated region specific contribution to N2O emissions. Accordingly we differentiated regions with deviating gas fluxes compared to the predictions by the IPCC inventory methodology. Taking region specific management practices into account (tillage, irrigation, residuals) calculation of crop rotation (fallow, catch crop, winter wheat, barley, winter barley, sugar beet, corn, potato, onion and rapeseed) resulted in N2O emissions differing by a factor of 30 depending on preceding crop and climate. A maximum of 2% of N fertilizer input was emitted as N2O. Residual N in the soil was a major factor stimulating N2O emissions. Interannual variability was affected by varying N-deposition even in case of constant management practices. High temporal resolution of model outputs enabled us to identify hot moments of N-turnover and total N2O emissions according to extreme weather events. We analysed how strongly these event based emissions, which are not accounted for by classical inventories, affect emission factors. The evaluation of the IPCC default emission factor for its validity under spatially distinct environmental conditions revealed which environmental conditions are responsible for major deviations of actual emissions from the theoretical values. Scrutinizing these conditions can help to improve climate reporting and greenhouse gas mitigation measures.

Do the digestive tract symptoms in eating disorder patients represent functional gastrointestinal disorders?

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in patients with eating disorders. The aim of this study was to determine, using factor analysis, whether these GI symptom factors (clusters) in eating disorder patients hold true to the Rome II classification of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Methods Inpatients in a specialised eating disorder unit completed the Rome II questionnaire. Data from 185 patients were analysed using factor analysis of 17 questions cited as present in 30% to 70% of the patients. Results Five factors emerged accounting for 68% of the variance and these were termed: ‘oesophageal discomfort’, ‘bowel dysfunction’, ‘abdominal discomfort’, ‘pelvic floor dysfunction’, and ‘self-induced vomiting’. These factors are significantly related to the Rome II FGID categories of functional oesophageal, bowel and anorectal disorders, and to the specific FGIDs of IBS, functional abdominal bloating, functional constipation and pelvic floor dyssynergia. Both heartburn and chest pain were included in the oesophageal discomfort factor. The ‘pelvic floor dysfunction’ factor was distinct from functional constipation. Conclusions The GI symptoms common in eating disorder patients very likely represent the same FGIDs that occur in non-ED patients. Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in the absence of functional constipation, however, are prominent in eating disorder patients. Further investigation of the items comprising the ‘pelvic floor dysfunction’ factor in other patient populations may yield useful results. PMID:23448363

12 CFR 404.30 - Factors General Counsel may consider in determining whether to authorize testimony and/or the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Factors General Counsel may consider in determining whether to authorize testimony and/or the production of records. 404.30 Section 404.30 Banks and Banking EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES INFORMATION DISCLOSURE Demands for Testimony of Current...

Scoping review: Hospital nursing factors associated with 30-day readmission rates of patients with heart failure.

PubMed

Jun, Jin; Faulkner, Kenneth M

2018-04-01

To review the current literature on hospital nursing factors associated with 30-day readmission rates of patients with heart failure. Heart failure is a common, yet debilitating chronic illness with high mortality and morbidity. One in five patients with heart failure will experience unplanned readmission to a hospital within 30 days. Given the significance of heart failure to individuals, families and healthcare system, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has made reducing 30-day readmission rates a priority. Scoping review, which maps the key concepts of a research area, is used. Published primary studies in English assessing factors related to nurses in hospitals and readmission of patients with heart failure were included. Other inclusion criteria were written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals. The search resulted in 2,782 articles. After removing duplicates and reviewing the inclusion and exclusion criteria, five articles were selected. Three nursing workforce factors emerged as follows: (i) nursing staffing, (ii) nursing care and work environment, and (iii) nurses' knowledge of heart failure. This is the first scoping review examining the association between hospital nursing factors and 30-day readmission rates of patients with heart failure. Further studies examining the extent of nursing structural and process factors influencing the outcomes of patients with heart failure are needed. Nurses are an integral part of the healthcare system. Identifying the factors related to nurses in hospitals is important to ensure comprehensive delivery of care to the chronically ill population. Hospital administrators, managers and policymakers can use the findings from this review to implement strategies to reduce 30-day readmission rates of patients with heart failure. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hcm1 integrates signals from Cdk1 and calcineurin to control cell proliferation.

PubMed

Arsenault, Heather E; Roy, Jagoree; Mapa, Claudine E; Cyert, Martha S; Benanti, Jennifer A

2015-10-15

Cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk1) orchestrates progression through the cell cycle by coordinating the activities of cell-cycle regulators. Although phosphatases that oppose Cdk1 are likely to be necessary to establish dynamic phosphorylation, specific phosphatases that target most Cdk1 substrates have not been identified. In budding yeast, the transcription factor Hcm1 activates expression of genes that regulate chromosome segregation and is critical for maintaining genome stability. Previously we found that Hcm1 activity and degradation are stimulated by Cdk1 phosphorylation of distinct clusters of sites. Here we show that, upon exposure to environmental stress, the phosphatase calcineurin inhibits Hcm1 by specifically removing activating phosphorylations and that this regulation is important for cells to delay proliferation when they encounter stress. Our work identifies a mechanism by which proliferative signals from Cdk1 are removed in response to stress and suggests that Hcm1 functions as a rheostat that integrates stimulatory and inhibitory signals to control cell proliferation. © 2015 Arsenault, Roy, et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Alcohol use variability in a community-based sample of nonstudent emerging adult heavy drinkers

PubMed Central

Lau-Barraco, Cathy; Braitman, Abby L.; Stamates, Amy L.; Linden-Carmichael, Ashley N.

2017-01-01

Background While nonstudent emerging adults are at elevated risk for experiencing alcohol-related problems, there remains a paucity of research devoted specifically to addressing drinking in this group. Objectives The present study sought to offer unique insights into nonstudent drinking by examining drinking variability across 30 days using a retrospective diary method. Specific aims were to: (1) compare within- and between-person variability in alcohol use across 30 days, and (2) determine the extent to which central social-cognitive between-person factors (i.e., social expectancies, perceived drinking norms, social drinking motivations) predict between-person alcohol use as well as within-person variability in drinking. Methods Participants were 195 (65.1% men) nonstudent emerging adults recruited from the community with a mean age of 21.88 (SD = 2.08) years. Results Findings showed that a substantial portion of variation in daily alcohol consumption was attributable to the within-person (83%) rather than between-person (17.2%) level. Social expectancies, perceived drinking norms, and social motives were found to influence variability in daily alcohol consumption. Conclusion Our findings contribute to knowledge that could guide efforts to design and tailor intervention strategies to minimize the harms experienced by an understudied and at-risk population of drinkers. PMID:27314308

Kawasaki syndrome: a controlled study of an outbreak in Wisconsin.

PubMed

Klein, B S; Rogers, M F; Patrican, L A; White, M C; Burgdorfer, W; Schell, W L; Kochel, R L; Marchette, N J; McPherson, J T; Nelson, D B

1986-08-01

The etiology of Kawasaki syndrome remains unestablished, although a possible role has been suggested for exposure to the application of carpet shampoo, house dust mites, and rickettsial infection. During an outbreak of 20 cases of Kawasaki syndrome that occurred in southeastern Wisconsin from November 1982 through March 1983, a case-control study was done of 15 cases and 30 matched controls. The study included questionnaire administration, dust collection from homes, and serum specimen collection. Only one patient had been exposed to a shampooed carpet within 30 days before onset of illness. No differences were noted between cases and controls in the degree of exposure to house dust mite-associated factors in the home, nor in the occurrence, density and species-specific prevalence of house dust mites in the home. Meadow voles exposed to house dust mites from the homes of patients did not develop serologic or pathologic evidence of infection due to rickettsiae in the spotted fever and typhus groups or Coxiella burnetii. Anti-mite-specific immunoglobulin E was not detected in serum specimens from cases or controls. Results from this study do not support hypotheses suggesting that the development of Kawasaki syndrome is associated with exposure to application of carpet shampoo, house dust mites, or rickettsial infection.

Protein markers for identification of Yersinia pestis and their variation related to culture

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

Wunschel, David S.; Engelmann, Heather E.; Victry, Kristin D.

2013-12-11

The detection of high consequence pathogens, such as Yersinia pestis, is well established in biodefense laboratories for bioterror situations. Laboratory protocols are well established using specified culture media and a growth temperature of 37 °C for expression of specific antigens. Direct detection of Y. pestis protein markers, without prior culture, depends on their expression. Unfortunately protein expression can be impacted by the culture medium which cannot be predicted ahead of time. Furthermore, higher biomass yields are obtained at the optimal growth temperature (i.e. 28 °C–30 °C) and therefore are more likely to be used for bulk production. Analysis of Y.more » pestis grown on several types of media at 30 °C showed that several protein markers were found to be differentially detected in different media. Analysis of the identified proteins against a comprehensive database provided an additional level of organism identification. Peptides corresponding to variable regions of some proteins could separate large groups of strains and aid in organism identification. This work illustrates the need to understand variability of protein expression for detection targets. The potential for relating expression changes of known proteins to specific media factors, even in nutrient rich and chemically complex culture medium, may provide the opportunity to draw forensic information from protein profiles.« less

Rehospitalization in a national population of home health care patients with heart failure.

PubMed

Madigan, Elizabeth A; Gordon, Nahida H; Fortinsky, Richard H; Koroukian, Siran M; Piña, Ileana; Riggs, Jennifer S

2012-12-01

Patients with heart failure (HF) have high rates of rehospitalization. Home health care (HHC) patients with HF are not well studied in this regard. The objectives of this study were to determine patient, HHC agency, and geographic (i.e., area variation) factors related to 30-day rehospitalization in a national population of HHC patients with HF, and to describe the extent to which rehospitalizations were potentially avoidable. Chronic Condition Warehouse data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Retrospective cohort design. The 2005 national population of HHC patients was matched with hospital and HHC claims, the Provider of Service file, and the Area Resource File. The 30-day rehospitalization rate was 26 percent with 42 percent of patients having cardiac-related diagnoses for the rehospitalization. Factors with the strongest association with rehospitalization were consistent between the multilevel model and Cox proportional hazard models: number of prior hospital stays, higher HHC visit intensity category, and dyspnea severity at HHC admission. Substantial numbers of rehospitalizations were judged to be potentially avoidable. The persistently high rates of rehospitalization have been difficult to address. There are health care-specific actions and policy implications that are worth examining to improve rehospitalization rates. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Climate variability, perceptions and political ecology: Factors influencing changes in pesticide use over 30 years by Zimbabwean smallholder cotton producers.

PubMed

Zinyemba, Cliff; Archer, Emma; Rother, Hanna-Andrea

2018-01-01

Pesticides represent a potential public health hazard of note in farming communities. Accumulating evidence indicates that some pesticides used in agriculture act as hormone disrupters, with the potential to result in chronic health effects. Despite such a growing evidence base, pesticides remain the preferred method of pest control in agriculture worldwide. In many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, usage is on the increase. This qualitative study assessed changes in the usage of pesticides by Zimbabwean smallholder cotton farmers in the past 30 years. Farmers reported an increase in the usage of pesticides, specifically insecticides, since the early 1980s. An increase in pest populations was also reported. The findings suggested a bi-directional causal relationship between the increase in pest population and the increase in pesticide use. Factors which emerged to have collectively impacted on the changes include climate variability, limited agency on the part of farmers, power dynamics involving the government and private cotton companies and farmers' perceptions and practices. An Integrated Pest Management Policy for Zimbabwe is recommended to facilitate integration of chemical controls with a broad range of other pest control tactics. Continuous farmer education and awareness raising is further recommended, since farmers' perceptions can influence their practices.

Climate variability, perceptions and political ecology: Factors influencing changes in pesticide use over 30 years by Zimbabwean smallholder cotton producers

PubMed Central

Archer, Emma; Rother, Hanna-Andrea

2018-01-01

Pesticides represent a potential public health hazard of note in farming communities. Accumulating evidence indicates that some pesticides used in agriculture act as hormone disrupters, with the potential to result in chronic health effects. Despite such a growing evidence base, pesticides remain the preferred method of pest control in agriculture worldwide. In many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, usage is on the increase. This qualitative study assessed changes in the usage of pesticides by Zimbabwean smallholder cotton farmers in the past 30 years. Farmers reported an increase in the usage of pesticides, specifically insecticides, since the early 1980s. An increase in pest populations was also reported. The findings suggested a bi-directional causal relationship between the increase in pest population and the increase in pesticide use. Factors which emerged to have collectively impacted on the changes include climate variability, limited agency on the part of farmers, power dynamics involving the government and private cotton companies and farmers’ perceptions and practices. An Integrated Pest Management Policy for Zimbabwe is recommended to facilitate integration of chemical controls with a broad range of other pest control tactics. Continuous farmer education and awareness raising is further recommended, since farmers’ perceptions can influence their practices. PMID:29746510

Warmer weather as a risk factor for hospitalisations due to urinary tract infections.

PubMed

Simmering, J E; Cavanaugh, J E; Polgreen, L A; Polgreen, P M

2018-02-01

The incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) is seasonal, and this seasonality may be explained by changes in weather, specifically, temperature. Using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified the geographic location for 581 813 hospital admissions with the primary diagnosis of a UTI and 56 630 773 non-UTI hospitalisations in the United States. Next, we used data from the National Climatic Data Center to estimate the monthly average temperature for each location. Using a case-control design, we modelled the odds of a hospital admission having a primary diagnosis of UTI as a function of demographics, payer, location, patient severity, admission month, year and the average temperature for the admission month. We found, after controlling for patient factors and month of admission, the odds of a UTI diagnosis increased with higher temperatures in a dose-dependent manner. For example, relative to months with average temperatures of 5-7.5 °C, an admission in a month with an average temperature of 27.5-30 °C has 20% higher odds of a primary diagnosis of UTI. However, in months with extremely high average temperatures (above 30 °C), the odds of a UTI admissions decrease, perhaps due to changes in behaviour. Thus, at a population level, UTI-related hospitalisations are associated with warmer weather.

Distinct work-related, clinical and psychological factors predict return to work following treatment in four different cancer types.

PubMed

Cooper, Alethea F; Hankins, Matthew; Rixon, Lorna; Eaton, Emma; Grunfeld, Elizabeth A

2013-03-01

Many factors influence return to work (RTW) following cancer treatment. However specific factors affecting RTW across different cancer types are unclear. This study examined the role of clinical, sociodemographic, work and psychological factors in RTW following treatment for breast, gynaecological, head and neck, and urological cancer. A 12-month prospective questionnaire study was conducted with 290 patients. Cox regression analyses were conducted to calculate hazard ratios (HR) for time to RTW. Between 89-94% of cancer survivors returned to work. Breast cancer survivors took the longest to return (median 30 weeks), and urology cancer survivors returned the soonest (median 5 weeks). Earlier return among breast cancer survivors was predicted by a greater sense of control over their cancer at work (HR 1.2; 95% CI: 1.09-1.37) and by full-time work (HR 2.1; CI: 1.24-3.4). Predictive of a longer return among gynaecological cancer survivors was a belief that cancer treatment may impair ability to work (HR 0.75; CI: 0.62-0.91). Among urological cancer survivors constipation was predictive of longer RTW (HR 0.99; CI: 0.97-1.00), whereas undertaking flexible working was predictive of returning sooner (HR 1.70; CI: 1.07-2.7). Head and neck cancer survivors who perceived greater negative consequences of their cancer took longer to return (HR 0.27; CI: 0.11-0.68). Those reporting better physical functioning returned sooner (HR1.04; CI: 1.01-1.08). A different profile of predictive factors emerged for the four cancer types. In addition to optimal symptom management and workplace adaptations, the findings suggest that eliciting and challenging specific cancer and treatment-related perceptions may facilitate RTW. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Towards a threshold climate for emergency lower respiratory hospital admissions.

PubMed

Islam, Muhammad Saiful; Chaussalet, Thierry J; Koizumi, Naoru

2017-02-01

Identification of 'cut-points' or thresholds of climate factors would play a crucial role in alerting risks of climate change and providing guidance to policymakers. This study investigated a 'Climate Threshold' for emergency hospital admissions of chronic lower respiratory diseases by using a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM). We analysed a unique longitudinal dataset (10 years, 2000-2009) on emergency hospital admissions, climate, and pollution factors for the Greater London. Our study extends existing work on this topic by considering non-linearity, lag effects between climate factors and disease exposure within the DLNM model considering B-spline as smoothing technique. The final model also considered natural cubic splines of time since exposure and 'day of the week' as confounding factors. The results of DLNM indicated a significant improvement in model fitting compared to a typical GLM model. The final model identified the thresholds of several climate factors including: high temperature (≥27°C), low relative humidity (≤ 40%), high Pm10 level (≥70-µg/m 3 ), low wind speed (≤ 2 knots) and high rainfall (≥30mm). Beyond the threshold values, a significantly higher number of emergency admissions due to lower respiratory problems would be expected within the following 2-3 days after the climate shift in the Greater London. The approach will be useful to initiate 'region and disease specific' climate mitigation plans. It will help identify spatial hot spots and the most sensitive areas and population due to climate change, and will eventually lead towards a diversified health warning system tailored to specific climate zones and populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temporal trends in cardiovascular disease risk factors among white, South Asian, Chinese and black groups in Ontario, Canada, 2001 to 2012: a population-based study.

PubMed

Chiu, Maria; Maclagan, Laura C; Tu, Jack V; Shah, Baiju R

2015-08-10

To determine ethnic-specific temporal trends in cardiovascular risk factors in Ontario between 2001 and 2012. A population-based repeated cross-sectional study. Ontario, Canada. 219,276 participants of the Canadian Community Health Survey (205,326 white, 5620 South Asian, 4368 Chinese and 3962 black) during the period 2001 to 2012. Age-standardised ethnic-sex-specific prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors for three time periods: 2001-2004, 2005-2008 and 2009-2012 among Canada's four major ethnic groups: white, South Asian, Chinese and black. During the study period, the prevalence of diabetes increased 2.3-fold (p = 0.0001) among South Asian males and 1.9-fold (p = 0.02) among black females. The prevalence of obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) increased over time across all ethnic groups, with the largest relative increases observed among males of Chinese (2.1-fold increase, p = 0.04) and black (1.7-fold increase, p = 0.06) descent. The prevalence of hypertension increased the most among black females. Smoking prevalence decreased by more than 20% among South Asian, Chinese and white females. Overall, South Asian males and black males and females showed the greatest declines in cardiovascular health over the study period. We observed important ethnic differences in the temporal trends in cardiovascular risk factor profiles in Ontario. Awareness of the direction and magnitude of these risk factor trends may be useful in informing targeted strategies for preventing cardiovascular diseases in multiethnic populations. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Current Status of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Targeting in Nuclear Medicine: Clinical Translation of Chelator Containing Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Ligands Into Diagnostics and Therapy for Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Kratochwil, Clemens; Afshar-Oromieh, Ali; Kopka, Klaus; Haberkorn, Uwe; Giesel, Frederik L

2016-09-01

The prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is expressed by approximately 90% of prostate carcinomas. The expression correlates with unfavorable prognostic factors, such as a high Gleason score, infiltrative growth, metastasis, and hormone-independence. The high specificity, especially in the undifferentiated stage, makes it an excellent target for diagnosis and therapy. Therefore, antibodies and small molecule inhibitors have been developed for imaging and therapy. In 2011 PSMA-11, a ligand that consists of the Glu-urea-motif and the chelator HBED-CC, which can be exclusively radiolabeled with (68)Ga for PET imaging, presented the clinical breakthrough for prostate cancer diagnostics. In two large diagnostic studies (n = 319 and n = 248) PET/CT with PSMA-11 successfully localized the recurrent tumor in approximately 90% of patients with biochemical relapse. Integrating PSMA-PET/CT into the planning phase of radiotherapy, the treatment concept is changed in 30%-50% of the patients. The combination of the Glu-urea-motif with DOTA, which can be labeled with several diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides, opened new avenues for therapeutic usage of the small-molecule PSMA ligands. In the beginning of 2016, there are four confirmative reports (n = 19, n = 24, n = 30, and n = 56) from four different centers reporting a PSA response in approximately 70% of patients treated with (177)Lu-labeled PSMA ligands. In conclusion, the data available up to now indicate a widespread use of PSMA ligands for diagnostic applications with respect to staging, detection of recurrence, or metastases in patients with rising tumor markers and for therapy in case of failure of guideline-compliant treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Androgen Deprivation Therapy Use in the Setting of High-dose Radiation Therapy and the Risk of Prostate Cancer–Specific Mortality Stratified by the Extent of Competing Mortality

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

Rose, Brent S., E-mail: brose44@gmail.com; Chen, Ming-Hui; Wu, Jing

Purpose: The addition of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to radiation therapy (RT) is the standard of care for men with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer (PC). However, whether competing mortality (CM) affects the ability of ADT to improve, survival remains unanswered. Methods and Materials: We calculated a CM risk score using a Fine-Gray semiparametric model that included age and cardiometabolic comorbidities from a cohort of 17,669 men treated with high-dose RT with or without supplemental ADT for nonmetastatic PC. Fine and Gray competing risk regression analysis was used to assess whether ADT reduced the risk of PC-specific mortality for menmore » with a low versus a high risk of CM among the 4550 patients within the intermediate- and high-risk cohort after adjustment for established PC prognostic factors, year of treatment, site, and ADT propensity score. Results: After a median follow-up of 8.4 years, 1065 men had died, 89 (8.36%) of PC. Among the men with a low CM score, ADT use was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of PC-specific mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 0.35, 95% confidence interval 0.14-0.87, P=.02) but was not for men with high CM (adjusted hazard ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 0.77-2.30, P=.30). Conclusions: Adding ADT to high-dose RT appears to be associated with decreased PC-specific mortality risk in men with a low but not a high CM score. These data should serve to heighten awareness about the importance of considering competing risks when determining whether to add ADT to RT for older men with intermediate- or high-risk PC.« less

Determinants of Cervical Cancer Screening Accuracy for Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) and Lugol’s Iodine (VILI) Performed by Nurse and Physician

PubMed Central

Raifu, Amidu O.; El-Zein, Mariam; Sangwa-Lugoma, Ghislain; Ramanakumar, Agnihotram; Walter, Stephen D.

2017-01-01

Background Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and Lugol’s iodine (VILI) are used to screen women for cervical cancer in low-resource settings. Little is known about correlates of their diagnostic accuracy by healthcare provider. We examined determinants of VIA and VILI screening accuracy by examiner in a cross-sectional screening study of 1528 women aged 30 years or older in a suburb of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods We used a logistic regression model for sensitivity and specificity to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of VIA and VILI, independently performed by nurse and physician, as a function of sociodemographic and reproductive health characteristics. Results Nurses rated tests as positive more often than physicians (36.3% vs 30.2% for VIA, 26.2% vs 25.2% for VILI). Women’s age was the most important determinant of performance. It was inversely associated with sensitivity (nurse’s VIA: p<0.001, nurse’s VILI: p = 0.018, physician’s VIA: p = 0.005, physician’s VILI: p = 0.006) but positively associated with specificity (all four combinations: p<0.001). Increasing parity adversely affected sensitivity and specificity, but the effects on sensitivity were significant for nurses only. The screening performance of physician’s assessment was significantly better than the nurse’s (difference in sensitivity: VIA = 13%, VILI = 16%; difference in specificity: VIA = 6%, VILI = 1%). Conclusions Age and parity influence the performance of visual tests for cervical cancer screening. Proper training of local healthcare providers in the conduct of these tests should take into account these factors for improved performance of VIA and VILI in detecting cervical precancerous lesions among women in limited-resource settings. PMID:28107486

Clostridial Strain-Specific Characteristics Associated with Necrotizing Enterocolitis.

PubMed

Schönherr-Hellec, Sophia; Klein, Geraldine L; Delannoy, Johanne; Ferraris, Laurent; Rozé, Jean Christophe; Butel, Marie José; Aires, Julio

2018-04-01

We aimed at identifying potential bacterial factors linking clostridia with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We compared the phenotypic traits, stress responses, cellular cytotoxicity, and inflammatory capabilities of the largest collection of Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium neonatale strains isolated from fecal samples of NEC preterm neonates (PN) and control PNs. When strain characteristics were used as explanatory variables, a statistical discriminant analysis allowed the separation of NEC and control strains into separate groups. Strains isolated from NEC PN were characterized by a higher viability at 30°C ( P = 0.03) and higher aerotolerance ( P = 0.01), suggesting that NEC strains may have a competitive and/or survival advantage in the environmental gastrointestinal tract conditions of NEC PN. Heat-treated NEC bacteria induced higher production of interleukin-8 in Caco-2 cells ( P = 0.03), suggesting proinflammatory activity. In vitro , bacteria, bacterial components, and fecal filtrates showed variable cytotoxic effects affecting the cellular network and/or cell viability, without specific association with NEC or control samples. Altogether, our data support the existence of a specific clostridial strain signature associated with NEC. IMPORTANCE Clostridia are part of the commensal microbiota in preterm neonates (PN). However, microbiota analyses by culture and metagenomics have linked necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and intestinal colonization with clostridial species. Nevertheless, little is known about the specific characteristics that may be shared by clostridia associated with NEC compared to commensal clostridia. Therefore, our goal was to identify specific bacterial factors linking clostridial strains with NEC. We report the existence of a specific bacterial signature associated with NEC and propose that activation of the innate immune response may be a unifying causative mechanism for the development of NEC independent of a specific pathogenic organism. The present study provides new insights into NEC pathophysiology that are needed for better diagnostics and strategies for implementing prevention of the disease. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Components of Mathematics Anxiety: Factor Modeling of the MARS30-Brief

PubMed Central

Pletzer, Belinda; Wood, Guilherme; Scherndl, Thomas; Kerschbaum, Hubert H.; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph

2016-01-01

Mathematics anxiety involves feelings of tension, discomfort, high arousal, and physiological reactivity interfering with number manipulation and mathematical problem solving. Several factor analytic models indicate that mathematics anxiety is rather a multidimensional than unique construct. However, the factor structure of mathematics anxiety has not been fully clarified by now. This issue shall be addressed in the current study. The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) is a reliable measure of mathematics anxiety (Richardson and Suinn, 1972), for which several reduced forms have been developed. Most recently, a shortened version of the MARS (MARS30-brief) with comparable reliability was published. Different studies suggest that mathematics anxiety involves up to seven different factors. Here we examined the factor structure of the MARS30-brief by means of confirmatory factor analysis. The best model fit was obtained by a six-factor model, dismembering the known two general factors “Mathematical Test Anxiety” (MTA) and “Numerical Anxiety” (NA) in three factors each. However, a more parsimonious 5-factor model with two sub-factors for MTA and three for NA fitted the data comparably well. Factors were differentially susceptible to sex differences and differences between majors. Measurement invariance for sex was established. PMID:26924996

Components of Mathematics Anxiety: Factor Modeling of the MARS30-Brief.

PubMed

Pletzer, Belinda; Wood, Guilherme; Scherndl, Thomas; Kerschbaum, Hubert H; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph

2016-01-01

Mathematics anxiety involves feelings of tension, discomfort, high arousal, and physiological reactivity interfering with number manipulation and mathematical problem solving. Several factor analytic models indicate that mathematics anxiety is rather a multidimensional than unique construct. However, the factor structure of mathematics anxiety has not been fully clarified by now. This issue shall be addressed in the current study. The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) is a reliable measure of mathematics anxiety (Richardson and Suinn, 1972), for which several reduced forms have been developed. Most recently, a shortened version of the MARS (MARS30-brief) with comparable reliability was published. Different studies suggest that mathematics anxiety involves up to seven different factors. Here we examined the factor structure of the MARS30-brief by means of confirmatory factor analysis. The best model fit was obtained by a six-factor model, dismembering the known two general factors "Mathematical Test Anxiety" (MTA) and "Numerical Anxiety" (NA) in three factors each. However, a more parsimonious 5-factor model with two sub-factors for MTA and three for NA fitted the data comparably well. Factors were differentially susceptible to sex differences and differences between majors. Measurement invariance for sex was established.

Psychosocial Risk Factors and the Association With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Mansfield, Michael; Thacker, Michael; Sandford, Fiona

2017-10-01

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy of the upper limb. Research has shown that associative factors for CTS include occupational and biomechanical elements, gender, and age. To date, no systematic review has been undertaken to determine specifically whether there are any psychosocial risk factors in developing CTS. The objective is to determine whether psychosocial factors are associated with and/or predict the development of CTS. A systematic review was conducted including searches of PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, and CINAHL from inception to May 30, 2017. Quantitative studies must have investigated a minimum of 1 or more psychosocial factors-cognitive, affective, behavioral, vocational, or interpersonal processes (eg, social support)-and include a point or risk estimate. One reviewer conducted the search and 2 reviewers independently assessed eligibility and completed methodological quality assessment using a modified Downs and Black checklist. Data were analyzed narratively. Six moderate- to high-quality studies were included in the final review. Five studies reported a positive association between psychosocial factors and CTS, where psychosocial factors were more in those who reported CTS. One study reported no positive or negative association with CTS development. Four studies reported a negative association between psychosocial factors and CTS, where psychosocial factors were less in those who reported CTS. There is limited evidence for a positive association between psychosocial factors and CTS. However, this was not a consistent finding across all included studies. Further research is indicated in standardizing CTS diagnostic criteria and investigating other working environments.

Validation and Application of the Survey of Teaching Beliefs and Practices for Undergraduates (STEP-U): Identifying Factors Associated with Valuing Important Workplace Skills among Biology Students.

PubMed

Marbach-Ad, Gili; Rietschel, Carly; Thompson, Katerina V

2016-01-01

We present a novel assessment tool for measuring biology students' values and experiences across their undergraduate degree program. Our Survey of Teaching Beliefs and Practices for Undergraduates (STEP-U) assesses the extent to which students value skills needed for the workplace (e.g., ability to work in groups) and their experiences with teaching practices purported to promote such skills (e.g., group work). The survey was validated through factor analyses in a large sample of biology seniors (n = 1389) and through response process analyses (five interviewees). The STEP-U skills items were characterized by two underlying factors: retention (e.g., memorization) and transfer (e.g., knowledge application). Multiple linear regression models were used to examine relationships between classroom experiences, values, and student characteristics (e.g., gender, cumulative grade point average [GPA], and research experience). Student demographic and experiential factors predicted the extent to which students valued particular skills. Students with lower GPAs valued retention skills more than those with higher GPAs. Students with research experience placed greater value on scientific writing and interdisciplinary understanding. Greater experience with specific teaching practices was associated with valuing the corresponding skills more highly. The STEP-U can provide feedback vital for designing curricula that better prepare students for their intended postgraduate careers. © 2016 G. Marbach-Ad et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Goal orientation in surgical residents: a study of the motivation behind learning.

PubMed

Hoffman, Rebecca L; Hudak-Rosander, Cristina; Datta, Jashodeep; Morris, Jon B; Kelz, Rachel R

2014-08-01

The subconscious way in which an individual approaches learning, goal orientation (GO), has been shown to influence job satisfaction, job performance, and burnout in nonmedical cohorts. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate an instrument to assess GO in surgical residents, so that in the future, we can better understand how differences in motivation affect professional development. Residents were recruited to complete a 17-item survey adapted from the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS). The survey included three scales assessing GO in residency-specific terms. Items were scored on a 5-point Likert scale, and the psychometric properties of the adapted and original PALS were compared. Ninety-five percent of residents (61/64) participated. Median age was 30 y and 33% were female. Mean (standard deviation) scale scores for the adapted PALS were: mastery 4.30 (0.48), performance approach (PAP) 3.17 (0.99), and performance avoid 2.75 (0.88). Mean (standard deviation) scale scores for the original PALS items were: mastery 3.35 (1.02), PAP 2.76 (1.15), and performance avoid 2.41 (0.91). Cronbach alpha were α = 0.89 and α = 0.84 for the adapted PAP and avoid scales, respectively, which were comparable with the original scales. For the adapted mastery scale, α = 0.54. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors, and factor loadings for individual mastery items did not load consistently onto a single factor. This study represents the first steps in the development of a novel tool to measure GO among surgical residents. Understanding motivational psychology in residents may facilitate improved education and professional development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and determinants of albuminuria in a cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon.

PubMed

Taleb, Nadine; Salti, Haytham; Al-Mokaddam, Mona; Merheb, Marie; Salti, Ibrahim; Nasrallah, Mona

2008-01-01

Few data are available on the extent of albuminuria in diabetic populations in the Middle East generally and in Lebanon specifically. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of albuminuria and its major risk factors in a cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon. Diabetic patients followed in the outpatient department at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) were included in a prospective observational study. AUBMC is a tertiary referral center and the outpatient department typically handles patients of low socioeconomic status with advanced disease. Patients were classified according to their urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) as having normoalbuminuria (ACR<30 mg/g creatinine), microalbuminuria (ACR=30 to <300 mg/g creatinine), or macroalbuminuria (ACR > or =300 mg/g creatinine). The three groups were compared to analyze the association between albuminuria and its risk factors. In addition, independent predictors of albuminuria were determined using multivariate logistic regression and presented as an odds ratio. Microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria were present in 33.3% and 12.7% of 222 patients (mean age 56.4 years, mean deviation of diabetes 8.6 years, 58.7% women, 43.8% obese), respectively. Factors significantly associated with microalbuminuria included glycemic control, insulin use, and total and LDL cholesterol. Those associated with macroalbuminuria included in addition to glycemic control and insulin use, duration of diabetes, hypertension, elevated mean arterial pressure (MAP), and presence of neuropathy, retinopathy and peripheral vascular disease by bivariate analysis. Only glycemic control was an independent risk factor for both in addition to MAP and retinopathy for macroalbuminuria by multivariate analysis. Albuminuria is highly prevalent among this cohort of diabetic patients in Lebanon. Both glycemic control and blood pressure need to be better targeted in its management.

Risk Factors for Influenza A(H7N9) Disease in China, a Matched Case Control Study, October 2014 to April 2015

PubMed Central

Zhou, Lei; Ren, Ruiqi; Ou, Jianming; Kang, Min; Wang, Xiaoxiao; Havers, Fiona; Huo, Xiang; Liu, Xiaoqing; Sun, Qianlai; He, Yongchao; Liu, Bo; Wu, Shenggen; Wang, Yali; Sui, Haitian; Zhang, Yongjie; Tang, Shaopei; Chang, Caiyun; Xiang, Lunhui; Wang, Dong; Zhao, Shiguang; Zhou, Suizan; Chen, Tao; Xiang, Nijuan; Greene, Carolyn M.; Zhang, Yanping; Shu, Yuelong; Feng, Zijian; Li, Qun

2016-01-01

Background. Human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been associated with exposure to poultry and live poultry markets (LPMs). We conducted a case-control study to identify additional and more specific risk factors. Methods. Cases were laboratory-confirmed A(H7N9) infections in persons in China reported from October 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015. Poultry workers, those with insufficient data, and those refusing participation were excluded. We matched up to 4 controls per case by sex, age, and residential community. Using conditional logistic regression, we examined associations between A(H7N9) infection and potential risk factors. Results. Eighty-five cases and 334 controls were enrolled with similar demographic characteristics. Increased risk of A(H7N9) infection was associated with the following: visiting LPMs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 6.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6–15.3), direct contact with live poultry in LPMs (aOR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.1–15.6), stopping at a live poultry stall when visiting LPMs (aOR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.1–6.9), raising backyard poultry at home (aOR, 7.7; 95% CI, 2.0–30.5), direct contact with backyard poultry (aOR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.1–22.1), and having ≥1 chronic disease (aOR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.5–6.5). Conclusions. Our study identified raising backyard poultry at home as a risk factor for illness with A(H7N9), suggesting the need for enhanced avian influenza surveillance in rural areas. PMID:27704029

Suicide ideation in stomach cancer survivors and possible risk factors.

PubMed

Choi, Ye-Ni; Kim, Young-Ae; Yun, Young Ho; Kim, Sung; Bae, Jae-Moon; Kim, Young-Woo; Ryu, Keun Won; Lee, Jun Ho; Noh, Jae-Hyung; Sohn, Tae-Sung

2014-02-01

Although the suicide rate of cancer survivors is higher than that of the general population, few studies have examined the potential risk factors. We assessed suicide ideation (SI) and investigated its correlates among survivors of stomach cancer, which is one of the most prevalent cancers in Korea. We surveyed 378 stage I-III stomach cancer survivors who had been disease free for at least 1 year. The survey contained demographic questions and quality of life assessments from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and its stomach cancer-specific module, the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Brief Fatigue Inventory, and one question from the Beck Depression Inventory. We found that 131/378 stomach cancer survivors (34.7 %) experienced SI. Univariate analyses showed that SI was significantly associated with income, comorbidity, smoking, and the following quality of life factors: general health status, emotional functioning, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, dyspnea, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, financial problems, eating restriction, anxiety, dry mouth, trouble belching, hair loss, body image, existential well-being, and social support. Multivariate logistic regression confirmed that SI was independently associated with diarrhea (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.84; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.44-5.62), hair loss (aOR 2.77; 95 % CI 1.04-7.36), existential well-being (aOR 6.18; 95 % CI 2.91-13.1), and usual fatigue (aOR 2.29; 95 % CI 1.30-4.06). Our findings reveal a high prevalence of SI among stomach cancer survivors and identify health-related quality of life issues such as diarrhea, hair loss, existential well-being, and fatigue as important risk factors of SI.

High effort, low reward, and cardiovascular risk factors in employed Swedish men and women: baseline results from the WOLF Study

PubMed Central

Peter, R.; Alfredsson, L.; Hammar, N.; Siegrist, J.; Theorell, T.; Westerholm, P.

1998-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between measures of work stress (that is, the combination of high effort and low reward) and cardiovascular risk factors. DESIGN: Cross sectional first screening of a prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The study was conducted among 5720 healthy employed men and women living in the greater Stockholm area aged 19-70 years. All analyses were restricted to subjects with complete data (n = 4958). The investigation of associations between indicators of effort-reward imbalance and cardiovascular risk factors was restricted to the age group 30-55 years (n = 3427). MAIN RESULTS: Subjects reporting high effort and low reward at work had a higher prevalence of well known risk factors for coronary heart disease. After adjustment for relevant confounders, associations between a measure of extrinsic effort and reward (the effort-reward ratio) and hypertension (multivariate prevalence odds ratio (POR) 1.62- 1.68), increased total cholesterol (upper tertile 220 mg/dl)(POR = 1.24) and the total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein(HDL)- cholesterol ratio (upper tertile 4.61)(POR 1.26-1.30) were found among men. Among women a measure of high intrinsic effort (immersion) was related to increased low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (upper tertile 130 mg/dl)(POR 1.37-1.39). Analyses of variance showed increasing mean values of LDL cholesterol with an increasing degree of the effort-reward ratio among men and increased LDL-cholesterol among women with high levels of intrinsic effort (upper tertile of immersion). CONCLUSIONS: Findings lend support to the hypothesis that effort-reward imbalance represents a specific constellation of stressful experience at work related to cardiovascular risk. The relation was not explained by relevant confounders (for example, lack of physical exercise, body weight, cigarette smoking).   PMID:10320854

Risk Factors and Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in Five Largest Islands of Indonesia: A Preliminary Study.

PubMed

Syam, Ari Fahrial; Miftahussurur, Muhammad; Makmun, Dadang; Nusi, Iswan Abbas; Zain, Lukman Hakim; Zulkhairi; Akil, Fardah; Uswan, Willi Brodus; Simanjuntak, David; Uchida, Tomohisa; Adi, Pangestu; Utari, Amanda Pitarini; Rezkitha, Yudith Annisa Ayu; Subsomwong, Phawinee; Nasronudin; Suzuki, Rumiko; Yamaoka, Yoshio

2015-01-01

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Indonesia is still controversial and mainly investigated in the largest ethnic group, Javanese. We examined the prevalence of H. pylori infection using four different tests including culture, histology confirmed by immunohistochemistry and rapid urease test. We also analyzed risk factors associated with H. pylori infection in five largest islands in Indonesia. From January 2014-February 2015 we consecutively recruited a total of 267 patients with dyspeptic symptoms in Java, Papua, Sulawesi, Borneo and Sumatera Island. Overall, the prevalence of H. pylori infection was 22.1% (59/267). Papuan, Batak and Buginese ethnics had higher risk for H. pylori infection than Javanese, Dayak and Chinese ethnics (OR = 30.57, 6.31, 4.95; OR = 28.39, 5.81, 4.61 and OR = 23.23, 4.76, 3.77, respectively, P <0.05). The sensitivity and specificity for RUT and culture were 90.2%, 92.9% and 80.5%, 98.2%, respectively. The patients aged 50-59 years group had significantly higher H. pylori infection than 30-39 years group (OR 2.98, P = 0.05). Protestant had significantly higher H. pylori infection rate than that among Catholic (OR 4.42, P = 0.008). It was also significantly lower among peoples who used tap water as source of drinking water than from Wells/river (OR 9.67, P = 0.03). However only ethnics as become independent risk factors for H. pylori infection. Although we confirmed low prevalence of H. pylori in Javanese; predominant ethnic in Indonesia, several ethnic groups had higher risk of H. pylori infection. The age, religion and water source may implicate as a risk factor for H. pylori infection in Indonesia.

Non-LDL dyslipidemia is prevalent in the young and determined by lifestyle factors and age: The LifeLines cohort.

PubMed

de Vries, Jeroen K; Balder, Jan W; Pena, Michelle J; Denig, Petra; Smit, Andries J

2018-05-21

Non-LDL dyslipidemia (NLD) confers cardiovascular risk, and prevalence rates appear to be high in elderly populations. Small cohorts have identified several lifestyle, anthropometric, and medical factors associated with NLD. We aimed to assess sex- and age-specific prevalence of NLD in a contemporary population cohort (n = 167 729), and to identify independent determinants of NLD, focusing on lifestyle, anthropometric, and medical factors. The prevalence of NLD was assessed per 10-year age intervals in adults without cardiovascular disease not using lipid-modifying drugs from the Dutch LifeLines cohort. NLD was defined as low HDL-cholesterol or high triglycerides or high remnant cholesterol as per guideline cut-off values. Multivariable regression was used to identify factors independently associated with NLD. Determinants included age, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, diet, BMI, diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease, and in women, menopausal state and oral contraceptive use. NLD occurred in 15-19% of women and 13-30% of men in this cohort, with the highest prevalence of 30% in 35-55 year old men. In most age groups, the prevalence in women was lower than in men. Obesity (both sexes: Odds ratio (OR) 5.3, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 5.0-5.7), current smoking (men: OR 1.8, 95%CI 1.7-1.9; women OR 2.2, 95%CI 2.1-2.3), and DM (men: OR 2.2, 95%CI 1.8-2.6; women: OR 2.7, 95%CI 2.3-3.1) were strongly associated with NLD. NLD already occurs frequently at an early age. Modifiable lifestyle choices, obesity, and DM were strong determinants of NLD. Public health efforts could substantially contribute to decrease NLD. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Combined Association of Modifiable Risk Factors with Breast Cancer Risk in the Women's Health Initiative.

PubMed

Arthur, Rhonda; Wassertheil-Smoller, Sylvia; Manson, JoAnn E; Luo, Juhua; Snetselaar, Linda; Hastert, Theresa; Caan, Bette; Qi, Lihong; Rohan, Thomas

2018-06-01

Although several modifiable risk factors have been independently associated with risk of breast cancer, few studies have investigated their joint association with breast cancer risk. Using a healthy lifestyle index (HLI) score, we assessed the association of a combination of selected modifiable risk factors (diet, alcohol, physical activity, BMI, and smoking) with risk of invasive breast cancer in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). This study comprised 131,833 postmenopausal women, of whom 8,168 had breast cancer, who were enrolled in the WHI Observational Study or the WHI clinical trials. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of the score with the risk of developing breast cancer overall and according to specific breast cancer clinicopathologic characteristics. There was a 4% reduction in the risk of breast cancer per unit increase in the HLI score. Compared with those with an HLI score in the lowest quintile level, those in the highest quintile level had 30%, 37%, and 30% lower risk for overall, ER + /PR + , and HER2 + breast cancer, respectively (HR = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.64-0.76; 0.63, 0.57-0.69; and 0.70; 0.55-0.90, respectively). We also observed inverse associations between the score and risk of breast cancer irrespective of nodal status, tumor grade, and stage of the disease. Most individual lifestyle factors were independently associated with the risk of breast cancer. Our findings support the view that promoting healthy lifestyle practices may be beneficial with respect to lowering risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women. Cancer Prev Res; 11(6); 317-26. ©2018 AACR See related editorial by Friedenreich and McTiernan, p. 313 . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for stage I histologically proven non-small cell lung cancer: an Italian multicenter observational study.

PubMed

Ricardi, Umberto; Frezza, Giovanni; Filippi, Andrea Riccardo; Badellino, Serena; Levis, Mario; Navarria, Piera; Salvi, Fabrizio; Marcenaro, Michela; Trovò, Marco; Guarneri, Alessia; Corvò, Renzo; Scorsetti, Marta

2014-06-01

Aim of this retrospective multicenter observational study was to provide data on outcomes and prognostic factors in patients affected with stage I histologically confirmed NSCLC treated with Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR, or Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy, SBRT) outside clinical trials. We analyzed a cohort of 196 patients with histological/cytological diagnosis of NSCLC. Median age at treatment was 75 years old; median tumor diameter was 2.48 cm, and median GTV 13.3 cc. One hundred fifty-five patients had stage IA disease (79.1%) and 41 patients stage IB disease (20.9%). Total doses ranged from 48 to 60 Gy in 3-8 fractions. Primary endpoints of the study were safety (acute and late toxicity) and efficacy (Local Control, Disease-Free Survival, Overall and Cancer-Specific Survival). Median follow-up time was 30 months. The percentage of grade ≥2 pulmonary toxicity was 3%, and the 30 and 60 days mortality rate was 0%. Local Recurrence-Free Survival was 89.7% at 3 years. Fifty-nine patients (30.1%) had at least one failure (local and/or nodal and/or distant), with a Disease-Free Survival (DFS) rate at 3 years of 65.5%. Overall Survival (OS) and Cancer-Specific Survival (CSS) rates were 68% and 82.1% at 3 years, respectively. Median time to any recurrence was 15 months, while median overall survival time was 54 months. At multivariate analysis, stage IB was the only variable associated to a decrease in DFS, OS and CSS (HR 2.77, p = 0.006; HR 2.38, p = 0.009; HR 4.06, p ≤ 0.001, respectively). A difference in survival according to stage was also evident at the log-rank test (p ≤ 0.0001 for CSS and OS). The results of the present study support the routine use of SABR for stage I NSCLC in a daily practice environment. The only prognostic factor that has been confirmed by our analysis was tumor stage (IA vs. IB). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic values of vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor for benign and malignant hydrothorax.

PubMed

Gu, Yan; Zhang, Min; Li, Guo-Hua; Gao, Jun-Zhen; Guo, Liping; Qiao, Xiao-Juan; Wang, Li-Hong; He, Lan; Wang, Mei-Ling; Yan, Li; Fu, Xiu-Hua

2015-02-05

Hydrothorax, as one of the common complications of malignant tumors, still cannot be sensitively detected in clinical practice, thus requiring a sensitive, specific method for diagnosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in patients with benign and malignant hydrothorax. The contents of VEGF in the pleural effusion and serum of the patients with malignant pleural effusion (n = 35) and benign pleural effusion (n = 30) were detected by double antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The gene copy number level of EGFR in pleural effusion was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The points with the highest sensitivity and specificity were selected as the critical values to calculate the diagnostic value of the VEGF in pleural effusion and serum, and EGFR gene copy number in pleural effusion. The contents of VEGF in pleural effusion and serum of patients with malignant hydrothorax were (384.91 ± 120.18), and (129.62 ± 46.35) ng/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the patients with benign hydrothorax (207.97 ± 64.04), (63.49 ± 24.58) ng/L (P < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity of detecting VEGF in pleural effusion were 80.0% and 96.7% (the boundary value was 297.06 ng/L), respectively for diagnosing benign and malignant hydrothorax. The sensitivity and specificity of serum were 74.3% and 96.7%, respectively (the boundary value was 99.21 ng/L) for diagnosing benign and malignant hydrothorax. The diagnostic efficiencies of EGFR and VEGF in hydrothorax were similar. There was a significant correlation between EGFR and VEGF in hydrothorax (P < 0.01). VEGF and EGFR play important roles in the formation of pleural effusion. VEGF differed significantly in benign and malignant pleural effusions, which contributed to differential diagnosis results of benign and malignant pleural effusions. It is feasible to detect the gene copy number of the pleural effusion cell mass EGFR by FISH technique. Joint detection can improve the diagnostic sensitivity.