Impact of treatment and insurance on socioeconomic disparities in survival after adolescent and young adult Hodgkin lymphoma: A population-based study

PubMed Central

Keegan, Theresa H.M.; DeRouen, Mindy C.; Parsons, Helen M.; Clarke, Christina A.; Goldberg, Debbie; Flowers, Christopher R.; Glaser, Sally L.

2015-01-01

Background Previous studies documented racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in survival after Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) among adolescents and young adults (AYAs), but did not consider the influence of combined-modality treatment and health insurance. Methods Data for 9,353 AYA patients aged 15–39 when diagnosed with HL during 1988–2011 were obtained from the California Cancer Registry. Using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression, we examined the impact of socio-demographic characteristics (race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), and health insurance), initial combined-modality treatment, and subsequent cancers on survival. Results Over the 24-year study period, we observed improvements in HL-specific survival by diagnostic period and differences in survival by race/ethnicity, neighborhood SES and health insurance for a subset of more recently diagnosed patients (2001–2011). In multivariable analyses, HL-specific survival was worse for Blacks than Whites with early-stage (Hazard Ratio (HR): 1.68; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.14, 2.49) and late-stage disease (HR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.17, 2.41) and for Hispanics than Whites with late-stage disease (HR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.22, 2.04). AYAs diagnosed with early-stage disease experienced worse survival if they also resided in lower SES neighborhoods (HR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.59, 2.68). Furthermore, more recently diagnosed AYAs with public health insurance or who were uninsured experienced worse HL-specific survival (HR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.52, 2.84). Conclusion Our findings identify several subgroups of HL patients at higher risk for HL mortality. Impact Identifying and reducing barriers to recommended treatment and surveillance in these AYAs at much higher risk of mortality is essential to ameliorating these survival disparities. PMID:26826029

Impact of Increasing Age on Cause-Specific Mortality and Morbidity in Patients With Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Competing Risks Analysis.

PubMed

Eguchi, Takashi; Bains, Sarina; Lee, Ming-Ching; Tan, Kay See; Hristov, Boris; Buitrago, Daniel H; Bains, Manjit S; Downey, Robert J; Huang, James; Isbell, James M; Park, Bernard J; Rusch, Valerie W; Jones, David R; Adusumilli, Prasad S

2017-01-20

Purpose To perform competing risks analysis and determine short- and long-term cancer- and noncancer-specific mortality and morbidity in patients who had undergone resection for stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods Of 5,371 consecutive patients who had undergone curative-intent resection of primary lung cancer at our institution (2000 to 2011), 2,186 with pathologic stage I NSCLC were included in the analysis. All preoperative clinical variables known to affect outcomes were included in the analysis, specifically, Charlson comorbidity index, predicted postoperative (ppo) diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, and ppo forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Cause-specific mortality analysis was performed with competing risks analysis. Results Of 2,186 patients, 1,532 (70.1%) were ≥ 65 years of age, including 638 (29.2%) ≥ 75 years of age. In patients < 65, 65 to 74, and ≥ 75 years of age, 5-year lung cancer-specific cumulative incidence of death (CID) was 7.5%, 10.7%, and 13.2%, respectively (overall, 10.4%); noncancer-specific CID was 1.8%, 4.9%, and 9.0%, respectively (overall, 5.3%). In patients ≥ 65 years of age, for up to 2.5 years after resection, noncancer-specific CID was higher than lung cancer-specific CID; the higher noncancer-specific, early-phase mortality was enhanced in patients ≥ 75 years of age than in those 65 to 74 years of age. Multivariable analysis showed that low ppo diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide was an independent predictor of severe morbidity ( P < .001), 1-year mortality ( P < .001), and noncancer-specific mortality ( P < .001), whereas low ppo forced expiratory volume in 1 second was an independent predictor of lung cancer-specific mortality ( P = .002). Conclusion In patients who undergo curative-intent resection of stage I NSCLC, noncancer-specific mortality is a significant competing event, with an increasing impact as patient age increases.

[Incidence of melanoma and changes in stage-specific incidence after implementation of skin cancer screening in Schleswig-Holstein].

PubMed

Eisemann, N; Waldmann, A; Katalinic, A

2014-01-01

A pilot project in skin cancer screening (SCREEN) was conducted in Schleswig-Holstein from July 2003 to June 2004. Although the impact of this screening on the stage-specific incidence of melanoma is of great importance for screening evaluation, it remains unknown. In theory, an effective skin cancer screening program should result in a medium-term incidence decrease of melanomas with a prognostically unfavorable stage. This is studied on a population-based level by using cancer registry data. Based on data from the Cancer Registry of Schleswig-Holstein for 1999-2009, stage-specific (T-category of the TNM-classification system) age-standardized incidence rates were calculated. After implementation of the SCREEN project, the incidence of prognostically favorable melanomas (in situ and T1) was higher than before, while the incidence of advanced melanomas (T2, T3, and for women also T4) decreased considerably. The classification of tumor stages changed during the project period, which may have contributed to an artificial decrease of the stages with a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, the results are in agreement with the observed decrease of melanoma mortality in the screening region.

New technologies - How to assess environmental effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, P. J.; Lavin, M. L.

1981-01-01

A method is provided for assessing the environmental effects of a room-and-pillar mining system (RP) and a new hydraulic borehole mining system (HBM). Before environmental assessment can begin, each technology is defined in terms of its engineering characteristics at both the conceptual and preliminary design stages. The mining sites are also described in order to identify the significant advantages and constraints for each system. This can be a basic physical and biological survey of the region at the conceptual stage, but a more specific representation of site characteristics is required at the preliminary stage. Assessment of potential environmental effects of each system at the conceptual design is critical to its hardware development and application. A checklist can be used to compare and identify the negative impacts of each method, outlining the resource affected, the type of impact involved, and the exact activity causing that impact. At the preliminary design stage, these impacts should be evaluated as a result of either utilization or alteration. Underground coal mining systems have three major utilization impacts - the total area disturbed, the total water resources withdrawn from other uses, and the overall energy efficiency of the process - and one major alteration impact - the degradation of water quality by sedimentation and acid contamination. A comparison of the RP and HBM systems shows the HBM to be an environmentally less desirable system for the Central Appalachia region.

Diagnostic value of sleep stage dissociation as visualized on a 2-dimensional sleep state space in human narcolepsy.

PubMed

Olsen, Anders Vinther; Stephansen, Jens; Leary, Eileen; Peppard, Paul E; Sheungshul, Hong; Jennum, Poul Jørgen; Sorensen, Helge; Mignot, Emmanuel

2017-04-15

Type 1 narcolepsy (NT1) is characterized by symptoms believed to represent Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep stage dissociations, occurrences where features of wake and REM sleep are intermingled, resulting in a mixed state. We hypothesized that sleep stage dissociations can be objectively detected through the analysis of nocturnal Polysomnography (PSG) data, and that those affecting REM sleep can be used as a diagnostic feature for narcolepsy. A Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) model using 38 features extracted from EOG, EMG and EEG was used in control subjects to select features differentiating wake, stage N1, N2, N3 and REM sleep. Sleep stage differentiation was next represented in a 2D projection. Features characteristic of sleep stage differences were estimated from the residual sleep stage probability in the 2D space. Using this model we evaluated PSG data from NT1 and non-narcoleptic subjects. An LDA classifier was used to determine the best separation plane. This method replicates the specificity/sensitivity from the training set to the validation set better than many other methods. Eight prominent features could differentiate narcolepsy and controls in the validation dataset. Using a composite measure and a specificity cut off 95% in the training dataset, sensitivity was 43%. Specificity/sensitivity was 94%/38% in the validation set. Using hypersomnia subjects, specificity/sensitivity was 84%/15%. Analyzing treated narcoleptics the specificity/sensitivity was 94%/10%. Sleep stage dissociation can be used for the diagnosis of narcolepsy. However the use of some medications and presence of undiagnosed hypersomnolence patients impacts the result. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prostate-specific antigen screening impacts on biochemical recurrence in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Takeshi; Ohori, Makoto; Shimodaira, Kenji; Kaburaki, Naoto; Hirasawa, Yosuke; Satake, Naoya; Gondo, Tatsuo; Nakagami, Yoshihiro; Namiki, Kazunori; Ohno, Yoshio

2018-06-01

To clarify the impact of prostate-specific antigen screening on surgical outcomes of prostate cancer. Patients who underwent radical prostatectomy were divided into two groups according to prostate-specific antigen testing opportunity (group 1, prostate-specific antigen screening; group 2, non-prostate-specific antigen screening). Perioperative clinical characteristics were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum and χ 2 -tests. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify independent predictors of postoperative biochemical recurrence-free survival. In total, 798 patients (63.2%) and 464 patients (36.8%) were categorized into groups 1 and 2, respectively. Group 2 patients were more likely to have a higher prostate-specific antigen level and age at diagnosis and larger prostate volume. Clinical T stage, percentage of positive cores and pathological Gleason score did not differ between the groups. The 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rate was 83.9% for group 1 and 71.0% for group 2 (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, prostate-specific antigen testing opportunity (hazard ratio 2.530; P < 0.001) was an independent predictive factor for biochemical recurrence after surgery, as well as pathological T stage, pathological Gleason score, positive surgical margin and lymphovascular invasion. Additional analyses showed that prostate-specific antigen screening had a greater impact on biochemical recurrence in a younger patients, patients with a high prostate-specific antigen level, large prostate volume and D'Amico high risk, and patients meeting the exclusion criteria of the Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance study. Detection by screening results in favorable outcomes after surgery. Prostate-specific antigen screening might contribute to reducing biochemical recurrence in patients with localized prostate cancer. © 2018 The Japanese Urological Association.

Residual pathological stage at radical cystectomy significantly impacts outcomes for initial T2N0 bladder cancer.

PubMed

Isbarn, Hendrik; Karakiewicz, Pierre I; Shariat, Shahrokh F; Capitanio, Umberto; Palapattu, Ganesh S; Sagalowsky, Arthur I; Lotan, Yair; Schoenberg, Mark P; Amiel, Gilad E; Lerner, Seth P; Sonpavde, Guru

2009-08-01

We hypothesized that in patients with T2N0 stage disease at transurethral bladder tumor resection a lower residual cancer stage (P1N0 or less) at radical cystectomy may correlate with improved outcomes relative to those with residual P2N0 disease. We analyzed 208 patients with T2N0 stage disease at transurethral bladder tumor resection whose tumors were organ confined at radical cystectomy (P2 or lower, pN0). None received perioperative chemotherapy. Kaplan-Meier as well as univariable and multivariable Cox regression models addressed the effect of residual pT stage at radical cystectomy on recurrence and cancer specific mortality rates. Covariates consisted of age, gender, grade, lymphovascular invasion, carcinoma in situ, number of lymph nodes removed and year of surgery. Residual pT stage at radical cystectomy was P0 in 24 (11.5%) patients, Pa in 9 (4.3%), PCIS in 22 (10.6%), P1 in 35 (16.8%) and P2 in 118 (56.7%). Median followup of censored patients was 55.7 months for recurrence and 52.1 months for cancer specific mortality analyses. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rates of patients with P0/Pa/PCIS, P1 and P2 stage disease were 100%, 85% and 75%, respectively. The 5-year cancer specific survival rates for the same cohorts were 100%, 93% and 81%, respectively. On multivariable analysis the effect of residual stage P1 or lower at radical cystectomy achieved independent predictor status for recurrence (adjusted HR 0.20, p = 0.002) and cancer specific mortality (adjusted HR 0.24, p = 0.02). Down staging from initial T2N0 bladder cancer at transurethral bladder tumor resection to lower stage at radical cystectomy significantly reduces recurrence and cancer specific mortality. Further validation of this finding is warranted.

A new computerized cognitive and social cognition training specifically designed for patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder in early stages of illness: A pilot study.

PubMed

Fernandez-Gonzalo, Sol; Turon, Marc; Jodar, Merce; Pousa, Esther; Hernandez Rambla, Carla; García, Rebeca; Palao, Diego

2015-08-30

People with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorders at early stages of the illness present cognitive and social cognition deficits that have a great impact in functional outcomes. Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) has demonstrated consistent effect in cognitive performance, symptoms and psychosocial functioning. However, any CRT intervention or social cognition training have been specifically designed for patients in the early stages of psychosis. The aim of this pilot study is to assess the efficacy of a new computerized cognitive and social cognition program for patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder with recent diagnosis. A comprehensive assessment of clinical, social and non-social cognitive and functional measures was carried out in 53 randomized participants before and after the 4-months treatment. Significant results were observed in Spatial Span Forwards, Immediate Logical Memory and Pictures of Facial Affect (POFA) total score. None of these results were explained by medication, premorbid social functioning or psychopathological symptoms. No impact of the intervention was observed in other cognitive and social cognition outcome neither in clinical and functional outcomes. This new computerized intervention may result effective ameliorating visual attention, logical memory and emotional processing in patients in the early stages of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Fertility Reduction upon Heat Stress Reveals Developmental Stage-Specific QTLs in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Bac-Molenaar, Johanna A; Fradin, Emilie F; Becker, Frank F M; Rienstra, Juriaan A; van der Schoot, J; Vreugdenhil, Dick; Keurentjes, Joost J B

2015-07-01

For crops that are grown for their fruits or seeds, elevated temperatures that occur during flowering and seed or fruit set have a stronger effect on yield than high temperatures during the vegetative stage. Even short-term exposure to heat can have a large impact on yield. In this study, we used Arabidopsis thaliana to study the effect of short-term heat exposure on flower and seed development. The impact of a single hot day (35°C) was determined in more than 250 natural accessions by measuring the lengths of the siliques along the main inflorescence. Two sensitive developmental stages were identified, one before anthesis, during male and female meiosis, and one after anthesis, during fertilization and early embryo development. In addition, we observed a correlation between flowering time and heat tolerance. Genome-wide association mapping revealed four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) strongly associated with the heat response. These QTLs were developmental stage specific, as different QTLs were detected before and after anthesis. For a number of QTLs, T-DNA insertion knockout lines could validate assigned candidate genes. Our findings show that the regulation of complex traits can be highly dependent on the developmental timing. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Fertility Reduction upon Heat Stress Reveals Developmental Stage-Specific QTLs in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Bac-Molenaar, Johanna A.; Fradin, Emilie F.; Becker, Frank F.M.; Rienstra, Juriaan A.; van der Schoot, J.; Vreugdenhil, Dick; Keurentjes, Joost J.B.

2015-01-01

For crops that are grown for their fruits or seeds, elevated temperatures that occur during flowering and seed or fruit set have a stronger effect on yield than high temperatures during the vegetative stage. Even short-term exposure to heat can have a large impact on yield. In this study, we used Arabidopsis thaliana to study the effect of short-term heat exposure on flower and seed development. The impact of a single hot day (35°C) was determined in more than 250 natural accessions by measuring the lengths of the siliques along the main inflorescence. Two sensitive developmental stages were identified, one before anthesis, during male and female meiosis, and one after anthesis, during fertilization and early embryo development. In addition, we observed a correlation between flowering time and heat tolerance. Genome-wide association mapping revealed four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) strongly associated with the heat response. These QTLs were developmental stage specific, as different QTLs were detected before and after anthesis. For a number of QTLs, T-DNA insertion knockout lines could validate assigned candidate genes. Our findings show that the regulation of complex traits can be highly dependent on the developmental timing. PMID:26163573

Appreciating "Thirdspace": An Alternative Way of Viewing and Valuing Site-Specific Dance Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munjee, Tara

2014-01-01

Site-specific dance performance involves the presentation of choreography in connection with a site. The context of the site combined with a viewer's personal history, beliefs, and identity impact the reading and appreciation of the performance. Although both stage and site dance performance valuing elicit multiple interpretations of artistic…

Estimation of plant protection product application dates for environmental fate modeling based on phenological stages of crops.

PubMed

Gericke, Dirk; Nekovar, Jiri; Horold, Claudia

2010-10-01

According to the EU directive 91/414/EEC potential environmental concentrations of pesticides have to be assessed with environmental fate models. For the calculation of pesticide concentrations it is necessary to provide an application date which has to match the specific Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundesamt, Chemische Industrie (BBCH) stage at which the pesticide shall be applied. If these application dates are not available for a specific stage, crop and country they must be estimated, which adds an additional uncertainty to the predicted concentrations. In the present study, we therefore evaluate to which extent application dates can be derived from phenological data. For this analysis phenological data, converted to BBCH stages, of two field crops provided by the German Weather Service (DWD) were analyzed. We found a linear correlation between BBCH stages and the respective appearance dates, which can be used for interpolation of appearance dates of specific BBCH stages. Remarkably, when comparing BBCH stages from Germany and the Czech Republic almost identical correlations of appearance dates and BBCH stages were found. In the next step, soil and climate data from Joint Research Centre (JRC) were analyzed together with phenological data in order to evaluate if BBCH stages can be estimated for countries with other climate or soil conditions. This analysis revealed that temperature, global radiation and evaporation were the parameters with the strongest impact. These parameters were used for estimating appearance dates of BBCH stages for other countries. Exemplarily, appearance dates for maize BBCH were calculated for Italy. Estimated and observed appearance dates showed a high concordance (on average six days difference). Finally, the political of impact a variation of a few days on calculated pesticide concentration was analyzed. Exemplarily, the pesticide fate model FOCUS PEARL was used to estimate pesticide groundwater concentrations. When calculating concentrations for application dates varying by ± two weeks, concentrations in groundwater usually varied very little. The highest variation was found for application at BBCH 30 in maize (6.6 % variation over all scenarios). These results showed that the uncertainty included in the estimation of appearance dates of BBCH stages for other countries has a relatively small effect on the results of PEARL and consequentially on the decision of the pesticide risk assessment by changing only the application date.

Small Launch Vehicle Concept Development for Affordable Multi-Stage Inline Configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beers, Benjamin R.; Waters, Eric D.; Philips, Alan D.; Threet, Grady E., Jr.

2014-01-01

The Advanced Concepts Office at NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center conducted a study of two configurations of a three stage, inline, liquid propellant small launch vehicle concept developed on the premise of maximizing affordability by targeting a specific payload capability range based on current industry demand. The initial configuration, NESC-1, employed liquid oxygen as the oxidizer and rocket propellant grade kerosene as the fuel in all three stages. The second and more heavily studied configuration, NESC-4, employed liquid oxygen and rocket propellant grade kerosene on the first and second stages and liquid oxygen and liquid methane fuel on the third stage. On both vehicles, sensitivity studies were first conducted on specific impulse and stage propellant mass fraction in order to baseline gear ratios and drive the focus of concept development. Subsequent sensitivity and trade studies on the NESC-4 configuration investigated potential impacts to affordability due to changes in gross liftoff weight and/or vehicle complexity. Results are discussed at a high level to understand the severity of certain sensitivities and how those trade studies conducted can either affect cost, performance or both.

Sex-specific gene expression during asexual development of Neurospora crassa.

PubMed

Wang, Zheng; Kin, Koryu; López-Giráldez, Francesc; Johannesson, Hanna; Townsend, Jeffrey P

2012-07-01

The impact of loci that determine sexual identity upon the asexual, dominant stage of fungal life history has been well studied. To investigate their impact, expression differences between strains of different mating type during asexual development were assayed, with RNA sampled from otherwise largely isogenic mat A and mat a strains of Neurospora crassa at early, middle, and late clonal stages of development. We observed significant differences in overall gene expression between mating types across clonal development, especially at late development stages. The expression levels of mating-type genes and pheromone genes were assayed by reverse transcription and quantitative PCR, revealing expression of pheromone and receptor genes in strains of both mating types in all development stages, and revealing that mating type (mat) genes were increasingly expressed over the course of asexual development. Interestingly, among differentially expressed genes, the mat A genotype more frequently exhibited a higher expression level than mat a, and demonstrated greater transcriptional regulatory dynamism. Significant up-regulation of expression was observed for many late light-responsive genes at late asexual development stages. Further investigation of the impact of light and the roles of light response genes in asexual development of both mating types are warranted. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NASA Broad Specification Fuels Combustion Technology program - Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Phase I results and status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohmann, R. P.; Fear, J. S.

1982-01-01

In connection with increases in the cost of fuels and the reduced availability of high quality petroleum crude, a modification of fuel specifications has been considered to allow acceptance of poorer quality fuels. To obtain the information upon which a selection of appropriate fuels for aircraft can be based, the Broad Specification Fuels Combustion Technology program was formulated by NASA. A description is presented of program-related investigations conducted by an American aerospace company. The specific objective of Phase I of this program has been to evaluate the impact of the use of broadened properties fuels on combustor design through comprehensive combustor rig testing. Attention is given to combustor concepts, experimental evaluation, results obtained with single stage combustors, the stage combustor concept, and the capability of a variable geometry combustor.

Environmental Impacts and Hotspots of Food Losses: Value Chain Analysis of Swiss Food Consumption.

PubMed

Beretta, Claudio; Stucki, Matthias; Hellweg, Stefanie

2017-10-03

Reducing food losses and waste is crucial to making our food system more efficient and sustainable. This is the first paper that quantifies the environmental impacts of food waste by distinguishing the various stages of the food value chain, 33 food categories that represent the whole food basket in Switzerland, and including food waste treatment. Environmental impacts are expressed in terms of climate change and biodiversity impacts due to water and land use. Climate change impacts of food waste are highest for fresh vegetables, due to the large amounts wasted, while the specific impact per kg is largest for beef. Biodiversity impacts are mainly caused by cocoa and coffee (16% of total) and by beef (12%). Food waste at the end of the food value chain (households and food services) causes almost 60% of the total climate impacts of food waste, because of the large quantities lost at this stage and the higher accumulated impacts per kg of product. The net environmental benefits from food waste treatment are only 5-10% of the impacts from production and supply of the wasted food. Thus, avoiding food waste should be a first-line priority, while optimizing the method of treatment is less relevant.

Analytical evaluation of the impact of broad specification fuels on high bypass turbofan engine combustors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohmann, R. P.; Szetela, E. J.; Vranos, A.

1978-01-01

The impact of the use of broad specification fuels on the design, performance durability, emissions and operational characteristics of combustors for commercial aircraft gas turbine engines was assessed. Single stage, vorbix and lean premixed prevaporized combustors, in the JT9D and an advanced energy efficient engine cycle were evaluated when operating on Jet A and ERBS (Experimental Referee Broad Specification) fuels. Design modifications, based on criteria evolved from a literature survey, were introduced and their effectiveness at offsetting projected deficiencies resulting from the use of ERBS was estimated. The results indicate that the use of a broad specification fuel such as ERBS, will necessitate significant technology improvements and redesign if deteriorated performance, durability and emissions are to be avoided. Higher radiant heat loads are projected to seriously compromise liner life while the reduced thermal stability of ERBS will require revisions to the engine-airframe fuel system to reduce the thermal stress on the fuel. Smoke and emissions output are projected to increase with the use of broad specification fuels. While the basic geometry of the single stage and vorbix combustors are compatible with the use of ERBS, extensive redesign of the front end of the lean premixed prevaporized burner will be required to achieve satisfactory operation and optimum emissions.

Social contact and other-race face processing in the human brain

PubMed Central

Silvert, Laetitia; Hewstone, Miles; Nobre, Anna C.

2008-01-01

The present study investigated the influence social factors upon the neural processing of faces of other races using event-related potentials. A multi-tiered approach was used to identify face-specific stages of processing, to test for effects of race-of-face upon processing at these stages and to evaluate the impact of social contact and individuating experience upon these effects. The results showed that race-of-face has significant effects upon face processing, starting from early perceptual stages of structural encoding, and that social factors may play an important role in mediating these effects. PMID:19015091

Impacts of new highways and subsequent landscape urbanization on stream habitat and biota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wheeler, A.P.; Angermeier, P.L.; Rosenberger, A.E.

2005-01-01

New highways are pervasive, pernicious threats to stream ecosystems because of their short- and long-term physical, chemical, and biological impacts. Unfortunately, standard environmental impact statements (EISs) and environmental assessments (EAs) focus narrowly on the initial direct impacts of construction and ignore other long-term indirect impacts. More thorough consideration of highway impacts, and, ultimately, better land use decisions may be facilitated by conceptualizing highway development in three stages: initial highway construction, highway presence, and eventual landscape urbanization. Highway construction is characterized by localized physical disturbances, which generally subside through time. In contrast, highway presence and landscape urbanization are characterized by physical and chemical impacts that are temporally persistent. Although the impacts of highway presence and landscape urbanization are of similar natures, the impacts are of a greater magnitude and more widespread in the urbanization phase. Our review reveals that the landscape urbanization stage is clearly the greatest threat to stream habitat and biota, as stream ecosystems are sensitive to even low levels (<10%) of watershed urban development. Although highway construction is ongoing, pervasive, and has severe biological consequences, we found few published investigations of its impacts on streams. Researchers know little about the occurrence, loading rates, and biotic responses to specific contaminants in highway runoff. Also needed is a detailed understanding of how highway crossings, especially culverts, affect fish populations via constraints on movement and how highway networks alter natural regimes (e.g., streamflow, temperature). Urbanization research topics that may yield especially useful results include a) the relative importance and biological effects of specific components of urban development - e.g., commercial or residential; b) the scenarios under which impacts are reversible; and c) the efficacy of mitigation measures - e.g., stormwater retention or treatment and forested buffers. Copyright ?? Taylor & Francis Inc.

Development and initial psychometric evaluation of patient-reported outcome questionnaires to evaluate the symptoms and impact of hidradenitis suppurativa.

PubMed

Kimball, Alexa B; Sundaram, Murali; Banderas, Benjamin; Foley, Catherine; Shields, Alan L

2018-03-01

Two patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires, the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Symptom Assessment (HSSA) and Hidradenitis Suppurativa Impact Assessment (HSIA), were developed to measure signs, symptoms and impacts of HS in treatment efficacy studies. In accordance with FDA guidelines and published best practices, four stages of research were conducted to create the questionnaires: concept elicitation, questionnaire construction, content evaluation and psychometric evaluation. Subjects (N = 20) who participated in the concept elicitation stage reported 15 unique HS-related signs and symptoms and 51 impacts. Following this, eight sign and symptom concepts and 21 impacts were selected for construction of the HSSA and HSIA, respectively. During content evaluation, cognitive debriefing interviews with HS subjects (N = 20) confirmed subjects could read, comprehend and meaningfully respond to both questionnaires. Modifications made after this stage of work resulted in a nine-item HSSA and a 17-item HSIA. The HSSA and HSIA were subsequently entered into a US-based observational study (N = 40), and the scores produced by each were found to be reliable, construct valid, and able to distinguish among clinically distinct groups. The HSSA and HSIA are content-valid, HS-specific, PRO questionnaires with demonstrated ability to generate reliable, valid scores when administered to patients with HS in a research setting.

Reentry survivability modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fudge, Michael L.; Maher, Robert L.

1997-10-01

Statistical methods for expressing the impact risk posed to space systems in general [and the International Space Station (ISS) in particular] by other resident space objects have been examined. One of the findings of this investigation is that there are legitimate physical modeling reasons for the common statistical expression of the collision risk. A combination of statistical methods and physical modeling is also used to express the impact risk posed by re-entering space systems to objects of interest (e.g., people and property) on Earth. One of the largest uncertainties in the expressing of this risk is the estimation of survivable material which survives reentry to impact Earth's surface. This point was recently demonstrated in dramatic fashion by the impact of an intact expendable launch vehicle (ELV) upper stage near a private residence in the continental United States. Since approximately half of the missions supporting ISS will utilize ELVs, it is appropriate to examine the methods used to estimate the amount and physical characteristics of ELV debris surviving reentry to impact Earth's surface. This paper examines reentry survivability estimation methodology, including the specific methodology used by Caiman Sciences' 'Survive' model. Comparison between empirical results (observations of objects which have been recovered on Earth after surviving reentry) and Survive estimates are presented for selected upper stage or spacecraft components and a Delta launch vehicle second stage.

Estimation of infection prevalence and sensitivity in a stratified two-stage sampling design employing highly specific diagnostic tests when there is no gold standard.

PubMed

Miller, Ezer; Huppert, Amit; Novikov, Ilya; Warburg, Alon; Hailu, Asrat; Abbasi, Ibrahim; Freedman, Laurence S

2015-11-10

In this work, we describe a two-stage sampling design to estimate the infection prevalence in a population. In the first stage, an imperfect diagnostic test was performed on a random sample of the population. In the second stage, a different imperfect test was performed in a stratified random sample of the first sample. To estimate infection prevalence, we assumed conditional independence between the diagnostic tests and develop method of moments estimators based on expectations of the proportions of people with positive and negative results on both tests that are functions of the tests' sensitivity, specificity, and the infection prevalence. A closed-form solution of the estimating equations was obtained assuming a specificity of 100% for both tests. We applied our method to estimate the infection prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis according to two quantitative polymerase chain reaction tests performed on blood samples taken from 4756 patients in northern Ethiopia. The sensitivities of the tests were also estimated, as well as the standard errors of all estimates, using a parametric bootstrap. We also examined the impact of departures from our assumptions of 100% specificity and conditional independence on the estimated prevalence. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Setting the Stage for California Coffee Farming

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Traditional coffee farming has occurred worldwide at equatorial latitudes below 25° under very specific growing conditions with acidic soils, warm temperatures and high humidity. Environmental conditions have been found to have large impacts on the quality and taste of the berry, which in turn affec...

Compliance with gastric cancer guidelines is associated with improved outcomes.

PubMed

Worhunsky, David J; Ma, Yifei; Zak, Yulia; Poultsides, George A; Norton, Jeffrey A; Rhoads, Kim F; Visser, Brendan C

2015-03-01

Limited data are available on the implementation and effectiveness of NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Gastric Cancer. We sought to assess rates of compliance with NCCN Guidelines, specifically stage-specific therapy during the initial episode of care, and to determine its impact on outcomes. The California Cancer Registry was used to identify cases of gastric cancer from 2001 to 2006. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to predict guideline compliance and the adjusted hazard ratio for mortality. Patients with TNM staging or summary stage (SS) were also analyzed separately. Compliance with NCCN Guidelines occurred in just 45.5% of patients overall. Patients older than 55 years were less likely to receive guideline-compliant care, and compliance was associated with a median survival of 20 versus 7 months for noncompliant care (P<.001). Compliant care was also associated with a 55% decreased hazard of mortality (P<.001). Further analysis revealed that 50% of patients had complete TNM staging versus an SS, and TNM-staged patients were more likely to receive compliant care (odds ratio, 1.59; P<.001). TNM-staged patients receiving compliant care had a median survival of 25.3 months compared with 15.1 months for compliant SS patients. Compliance with NCCN Guidelines and stage-specific therapy at presentation for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer was poor, which was a significant finding given that compliant care was associated with a 55% reduction in the hazard of death. Additionally, patients with TNM-staged cancer were more likely to receive compliant care, perhaps a result of having received more intensive therapy. Combined with the improved survival among compliant TNM-staged patients, these differences have meaningful implications for health services research. Copyright © 2015 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

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

Raszewski, F; Tommy Edwards, T; David Peeler, D

The Liquid Waste Organization (LWO) has requested that the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to assess the impact of a 100K gallon decant volume from Tank 40H on the existing sludge-only Sludge Batch 4 (SB4)-Frit 510 flowsheet and the coupled operations flowsheet (SB4 with the Actinide Removal Process (ARP)). Another potential SB4 flowsheet modification of interest includes the addition of 3 wt% sodium (on a calcined oxide basis) to a decanted sludge-only or coupled operations flowsheet. These potential SB4 flowsheet modifications could result in significant compositional shifts to the SB4 system. This paper study provides an assessment of the impactmore » of these compositional changes to the projected glass operating windows and to the variability study for the Frit 510-SB4 system. The influence of the compositional changes on melt rate was not assessed in this study nor was it requested. Nominal Stage paper study assessments were completed using the projected compositions for the various flowsheet options coupled with Frit 510 (i.e., variation was not applied to the sludge and frit compositions). In order to gain insight into the impacts of sludge variation and/or frit variation (due to the procurement specifications) on the projected operating windows, three versions of the Variation Stage assessment were performed: (1) the traditional Variation Stage assessment in which the nominal Frit 510 composition was coupled with the extreme vertices (EVs) of each sludge, (2) an assessment of the impact of possible frit variation (within the accepted frit specification tolerances) on each nominal SB4 option, and (3) an assessment of the impact of possible variation in the Frit 510 composition due to the vendor's acceptance specifications coupled with the EVs of each sludge case. The results of the Nominal Stage assessment indicate very little difference among the various flowsheet options. All of the flowsheets provide DWPF with the possibility of targeting waste loadings (WLs) from the low 30s to the low 40s with Frit 510. In general, the Tank 40H decant has a slight negative impact on the operating window, but DWPF still has the ability to target current WLs (34%) and higher WLs if needed. While the decant does not affect practical WL targets in DWPF, melt rate could be reduced due to the lower Na{sub 2}O content. If true, the addition of 3 wt% Na{sub 2}O to the glass system may regain melt rate, assuming that the source of alkali is independent of the impact on melt rate. Coupled operations with Frit 510 via the addition of ARP to the decanted SB4 flowsheet also appears to be viable based on the projected operating windows. The addition of both ARP and 3 wt% Na{sub 2}O to a decanted Tank 40H sludge may be problematic using Frit 510. Although the Nominal Stage assessments provide reasonable operating windows for the SB4 flowsheets being considered with Frit 510, introduction of potential sludge and/or frit compositional variation does have a negative impact. The magnitude of the impact on the projected operating windows is dependent on the specific flowsheet options as well as the applied variation. The results of the traditional Variation Stage assessments indicate that the three proposed Tank 40H decanted flowsheet options (Case No.2--100K gallon decant, Case No.3--100K gallon decant and 3 wt% Na{sub 2}O addition and Case No.4--100K gallon decant and ARP) demonstrate a relatively high degree of robustness to possible sludge variation over WLs of interest with Frit 510. However, the case where the addition of both ARP and 3 wt% Na{sub 2}O is considered was problematic during the traditional Variation Stage assessment. The impact of coupling the frit specifications with the nominal SB4 flowsheet options on the projected operating windows is highly dependent on whether the upper WLs are low viscosity or liquidus temperature limited in the Nominal Stage assessments. Systems that are liquidus temperature limited exhibit a high degree of robustness to the applied frit and sludge variation, while those that are low viscosity limited show significant reductions (6 percentage points) in the upper WLs that can be obtained. When both frit and sludge variations are applied, the paper study results indicate that DWPF could be severely restricted in terms of projected operating windows for the ARP and Na{sub 2}O addition options. An experimental variability study was not performed using the final SB4 composition and Frit 510 since glasses in the ComPro{trademark} data base were identified that bounded the potential operating window of this system. The bounding ARP case was not considered in that assessment. After the flowsheet cases were identified, an electronic search of ComPro{trademark} identified approximately 12 historical glasses within the compositional regions defined by at least one of the five flowsheet options, but the compositional coverage did not appear adequate to bound all cases.« less

Omission of axillary staging in elderly patients with early stage breast cancer impacts regional control but not survival: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Liang, Shuyin; Hallet, Julie; Simpson, Jory S; Tricco, Andrea C; Scheer, Adena S

2017-03-01

Management of early breast cancer in the elderly population is challenging due to different breast cancer biology and limited tolerance to aggressive treatments. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the omission of axillary staging impacts breast cancer outcomes in elderly patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The electronic databases were searched in August 2014 using the following inclusion criteria: RESULTS: Two RCTs met the eligibility criteria and were included. A meta-analysis of the included RCTs of 692 patients found that axillary staging reduced the risk of axillary recurrence compared to no axillary staging (RR 0.24, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.95, I 2 =0%, p=0.04). There were no differences observed in in-breast recurrence or distant recurrence (RR 1.20, 95% CI: 0.55 to 2.64, I 2 =62%, p=0.65, RR 1.17, 95% CI: 0.75 to 1.82, I 2 =0%, p=0.48, respectively). There were no differences observed in overall or breast-cancer specific mortality (RR 0.99, 95% CI: 0.79 to 1.24, I 2 =0%, p=0.92, RR 1.07, 95% CI: 0.72 to 1.57, I 2 =0%, p=0.75, respectively). Omission of axillary staging in elderly patients with clinically negative axillae results in increased regional recurrence but does not appear to impact survival. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating distributed medical education: what are the community's expectations?

PubMed

Lovato, Chris; Bates, Joanna; Hanlon, Neil; Snadden, David

2009-05-01

This study aimed to explore community members' perceptions of present and future impacts of the implementation of an undergraduate medical education programme in an underserved community. We conducted semi-structured interviews with eight key informants representing the health, education, business, economy, media and political sectors. A two-stage approach was used. In the first stage, the interviews were analysed to identify sector-specific impacts informants perceived as already occurring or which they hoped to see in the future. The transcripts were then re-analysed to determine any underlying themes that crossed sectors. Community leaders described impacts that were already occurring in all sectors and also described changes in the community itself. Four underlying themes emerged: an increase in pride and status; partnership development; community self-efficacy, and community development. These underlying themes appear to characterise the development of social capital in the community. The implementation of distributed undergraduate medical education programmes in rural and underserved communities may impact their host communities in ways other than the production of a rural doctor workforce. Further studies to quantify impacts in diverse sectors and to explore possible links with social capital are needed.

EFFECTS OF PERFLUOROOCTANOIC ACID (PFOA) ON MICE EXPOSED IN UTERO AT SPECIFIC GESTATIONAL STAGES

EPA Science Inventory

Perfluorooctanoic acid is developmentally toxic resulting in embryonic and postnatal deaths and growth retardation. Previous studies showed that dosing mice from gestation day (GD)2-18 with 5 mg PFOA/kg body weight impacts the growth and development of the fetus and newborns. The...

The Role of Feedback in Young People's Academic Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skipper, Yvonne; Leman, Patrick J.

2017-01-01

Women are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects with more girls leaving these subjects at every stage in education. The current research used a scenario methodology to examine the impact of teacher feedback on girls' and boys' choices to study a specific science subject, engineering. British participants…

Context-dependent conservation responses to emerging wildlife diseases

Treesearch

Kate E Langwig; Jamie Voyles; Mark Q Wilber; Winifred F Frick; Kris A Murray; Benjamin M Bolker; James P Collins; Tina L Cheng; Matthew C Fisher; Joseph R Hoyt; Daniel L Lindner; Hamish I McCallum; Robert Puschendorf; Erica Bree Rosenblum; Mary Toothman; Craig KR Willis; Cheryl J Briggs; A Marm Kilpatrick

2015-01-01

Emerging infectious diseases pose an important threat to wildlife. While established protocols exist for combating outbreaks of human and agricultural pathogens, appropriate management actions before, during, and after the invasion of wildlife pathogens have not been developed. We describe stage-specific goals and management actions that minimize disease impacts on...

The ecological impact assessment of a proposed road development (the Slovak approach)

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

Igondova, Erika, E-mail: erika.igondova@gmail.com; Pavlickova, Katarina, E-mail: pavlickova60@gmail.com; Majzlan, Oto, E-mail: majzlan@fns.uniba.sk

The construction of roads is one of the most widespread forms of natural landscape modification. Over the last 20 years, dozens of road constructions have been assessed in Slovakia, which makes it possible to talk about methodological positives and negatives. A special feature of Slovakia is that many planned or renovated roads are located in protected areas or are in contact with them (including Natura 2000 sites). Therefore, it is important to understand the scope of the roads' ecological impacts and find ways for their appropriate evaluation and incorporation into the Environmental Impact Assessment process. For this reason, the Ecologicalmore » Impact Assessment methodology can be used as a basis for our research, which consists of three stages. In the first stage (scoping), a buffer circumventing the proposed road is created to determine the area for impact prediction and evaluation. Subsequently, the landscape structure and baseline landscape conditions are discussed, a map of current landscape structure is created and the current ecological status of the affected area is calculated. In the second stage (the evaluation of ecological resources), important ecological parts of the landscape are delineated. This step is based on the importance of previous information and its vulnerability, and leads to the mapping of the road ecological impact zone. In the third stage (impact assessment), important ecological parts are spatially correlated with the proposed road construction. Finally, the significance of ecological impacts of the activity is evaluated by applying specific criteria (duration, reversibility, magnitude, size and road ecological impact zone significance). A scale is proposed for each criterion to evaluate the total significance of impacts. In this way, detailed significant ecological impacts can be found which will help lead to proposed correct mitigation measures and a post-project analysis. - Highlights: • This paper proposes a methodology for the EcIA of road construction. • It tries to understand the spatial structure and configuration of landscape elements. • The most important ecological parts within the territory are identified. • The total significance of ecological receptors is evaluated by applying criteria.« less

Gene expression profiles in stage I uterine serous carcinoma in comparison to grade 3 and grade 1 stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Mhawech-Fauceglia, Paulette; Wang, Dan; Kesterson, Joshua; Syriac, Susanna; Clark, Kimberly; Frederick, Peter J; Lele, Shashikant; Liu, Song

2011-03-23

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the developed countries. Clinical studies have shown that early stage uterine serous carcinoma (USC) has outcomes similar to early stage high grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC-G3) than to early stage low grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC-G1). However, little is known about the origin of these different clinical outcomes. This study applied the whole genome expression profiling to explore the expression difference of stage I USC (n = 11) relative to stage I EAC-G3 (n = 11) and stage I EAC-G1 (n = 11), respectively. We found that the expression difference between USC and EAC-G3, as measured by the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), is consistently less than that found between USC and EAC-G1. Pathway enrichment analyses suggested that DEGs specific to USC vs. EAC-G3 are enriched for genes involved in signaling transduction, while DEGs specific to USC vs. EAC-G1 are enriched for genes involved in cell cycle. Gene expression differences for selected DEGs are confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR with a high validation rate. This data, although preliminary, indicates that stage I USC is genetically similar to stage I EAC-G3 compared to stage I EAC-G1. DEGs identified from this study might provide an insight in to the potential mechanisms that influence the clinical outcome differences between endometrial cancer subtypes. They might also have potential prognostic and therapeutic impacts on patients diagnosed with uterine cancer.

Impact of fetal gender on the labor curve.

PubMed

Cahill, Alison G; Roehl, Kimberly A; Odibo, Anthony O; Zhao, Qiuhong; Macones, George A

2012-04-01

We sought to estimate the association between fetal gender and first-stage labor curve at term. Within a large, retrospective cohort study of consecutive, singleton term labor patients who delivered in the second stage, we compared the active phase of first-stage labor by fetal gender. The primary outcome was length of active stage 1. Interval-censored regression was used to estimate the effect of fetal gender on the duration of active first stage (4-10 cm) and was adjusted for relevant covariates. Of 2400 women, 2373 women had complete labor information and were available for this analysis. Male gender was associated with both a statistically significantly longer active first stage of labor (4.6 vs 4.0 hours; P = .002) and stratified analyses by parity and labor type. Male fetuses are associated with longer active phase of the first stage of labor and, specifically, may need to be considered in the setting of arrest diagnoses. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chromogenic assay for BAY 81-8973 potency assignment has no impact on clinical outcome or monitoring in patient samples.

PubMed

Kitchen, S; Katterle, Y; Beckmann, H; Maas Enriquez, M

2016-06-01

Essentials Discrepancies can exist in factor VIII activity measured by the one-stage or chromogenic assays. LEOPOLD trial data were used to assess clinical impact of BAY 81-8973 potency assignment assay. Efficacy was not affected by the assay used for potency assignment and dosing of BAY 81-8973. Either assay may be used to measure factor VIII activity after BAY 81-8973 infusion. Background Product-specific discrepancies have been reported for factor VIII (FVIII) activity determined with one-stage or chromogenic assays. Objective To assess the clinical impact of potency assignment of BAY 81-8973, a full-length, unmodified, recombinant human FVIII, by use of the chromogenic assay or chromogenic assay adjusted to mimic results obtained with the one-stage assay Patients/methods Patients aged 12-65 years with severe hemophilia A received BAY 81-8973 in LEOPOLD I (20-50 IU kg(-1) two or three times weekly [investigator decision]) and LEOPOLD II (randomized to 20-30 IU kg(-1) twice weekly, 30-40 IU kg(-1) three times weekly, or on-demand treatment). Both trials included two 6-month crossover periods in which potency labeling was determined with the chromogenic substrate assay as per the European Pharmacopoeia (CS/EP) or the chromogenic substrate assay adjusted to mimic results obtained with the one-stage assay (CS/ADJ). The annualized bleeding rate (ABR) and FVIII incremental recovery were assessed by the use of pooled data. Results The analysis was perfomed on 121 patients. Median (quartile [Q] 1; Q3) ABRs during the CS/EP and CS/ADJ periods were 1.98 (0; 5.92) and 1.98 (0; 7.34), respectively. The mean incremental recovery was > 2 IU dL(-1) per IU kg(-1) in both periods with the use of either assay for postinfusion FVIII measurements. The median (Q1; Q3) chromogenic/one-stage assay recovery ratio was 1.054 (0.892; 1.150) for the CS/EP period when a plasma standard was used for calibration. Conclusions No impact on the ABR was observed with chromogenic-based as compared with one-stage assay-based potency and dosing. Either assay may be used to determine FVIII plasma activity after infusion of BAY 81-8973 without the need for a product-specific standard. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

The development of ecological impact assessment in China.

PubMed

Liu, Xuehua; Li, Zhouyuan; Liao, Chenghao; Wang, Qing; Zhu, Annah; Li, Dong; Li, Yajun; Tang, Zhuo

2015-12-01

The balance between economic development and ecological conservation in China has become a critical issue in recent decades. Ecological impact assessment (EcoIA) was established beginning in the 1980s as a component of environmental impact assessment (EIA) that focuses specifically on human-related changes in ecosystem structure and function. EcoIA has since been widely applied throughout the country with continuous refinements in theory and practice. As compared to EIA, EcoIA is often performed at a larger scale in the long-term, and thus requires more advanced tools and techniques to quantify and assess. This paper reviews the development of EcoIA over the past 30years in China, with specific consideration given to refinements in legislation and methodology. Three stages in the development of EcoIA in China are identified, along with their achievements and limitations. Supplementing this qualitative analysis, the paper also provides a quantitative bibliometrics review of academic publications concerning EcoIA in China over the three identified stages. Lastly, general trends in the development of EcoIA are summarized with the aim of conveying potential future trajectories. This review is intended to introduce the EcoIA system to scholars interested in the growing field of environmental management in China. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Block oscillation model for impact crater collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, B. A.; Kostuchenko, V. N.

1997-03-01

Previous investigations of the impact crater formation mechanics have shown that the late stage, a transient cavity collapse in a gravity field, may be modeled with a traditional rock mechanics if one ascribes very specific mechanical properties of rock in the vicinity of a crater: an effective strength of rock needed is around 30 bar, and effective angle of internal friction below 5 deg. The rock media with such properties may be supposed 'temporary fluidized'. The nature of this fluidization is now poorly understood; an acoustic (vibration) nature of this fluidization has been suggested. This model now seems to be the best approach to the problem. The open question is how to implement the model (or other possible models) in a hydrocode for numerical simulation of a dynamic crater collapse. We study more relevant models of mechanical behavior of rocks during cratering. The specific of rock deformation is that the rock media deforms not as a plastic metal-like continuum, but as a system of discrete rock blocks. The deep drilling of impact craters revealed the system of rock blocks of 50 m to 200 m in size. We used the model of these block oscillations to formulate the appropriate rheological law for the subcrater flow during the modification stage.

76 FR 3539 - Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-20

... harvest guideline (HG) for Pacific mackerel in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Pacific... Management Plan (FMP) and establishes allowable harvest levels for Pacific mackerel off the Pacific coast... Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action would not have significant economic impact on a...

14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...

14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...

14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...

14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...

14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...

Deficit irrigation strategies and their impact on yield and nutritional quality of pomegranate fruit

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In arid regions of the world, farmers use deficit irrigation (DI) strategies to supply water at levels below full crop evapotranspiration throughout the growing season or at specific phenological stages. In water-sensitive regions, growing crops that are water stress-resistant and tolerant of arid e...

Upper stages utilizing electric propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byers, D. C.

1980-01-01

The payload characteristics of geocentric missions which utilize electron bombardment ion thruster systems are discussed. A baseline LEO to GEO orbit transfer mission was selected to describe the payload capabilities. The impacts on payloads of both mission parameters and electric propulsion technology options were evaluated. The characteristics of the electric propulsion thrust system and the power requirements were specified in order to predict payload mass. This was completed by utilizing a previously developed methodology which provides a detailed thrust system description after the final mass on orbit, the thrusting time, and the specific impulse are specified. The impact on payloads of total mass in LEO, thrusting time, propellant type, specific impulse, and power source characteristics was evaluated.

Is knowledge translation adequate? A quality assurance study of staging investigations in early stage breast cancer patients.

PubMed

Han, Dolly; Hogeveen, Sophie; Sweet Goldstein, Miriam; George, Ralph; Brezden-Masley, Christine; Hoch, Jeffrey; Haq, Rashida; Simmons, Christine E

2012-02-01

After primary surgery, patients diagnosed with early stage breast cancer undergo radiological investigations based on pathologic stage of disease to rule out distant metastases. Published guidelines can aid clinicians in determining which tests are appropriate based on stage of disease. We wished to assess the consistency of radiological staging in an academic community oncology setting with standard guidelines and to determine the overall impact of non-adherence to these guidelines. A retrospective cohort study was conducted for new breast cancer patients seen at a single institution between January 2009 and April 2010. Patients were included if initial diagnosis and primary surgery was at this institution. Pathologic stage and radiological tests completed were recorded. A literature review was performed and the results were compared with those from this study to determine overall adherence rates. Subsequently, a cost analysis was performed to determine the financial impact at this centre. 231 patients met eligibility criteria for inclusion in this study. A large proportion of patients were over-staged with 129 patients (55%) undergoing unnecessary investigations according to guidelines. Specifically, 59% of stage I patients and 58% of stage II patients were over-investigated. Distant metastases at the time of diagnosis were found in three patients, all of whom had stage III disease (1.3%). The literature reviewed revealed similar non-adherence rates in other centres. The estimated cost of such non-adherence is in the range of $78 (CDN) per new early stage breast cancer patient seen at this centre. This oncology centre has a low adherence to practice guidelines for staging investigations in breast cancer patients, with 55% of patients undergoing unnecessary tests. Very few patients had metastases at diagnosis, and all had pathological stage III disease. Efforts may need to focus on improving knowledge translation across clinical oncology settings to increase guideline adherence.

Modeling the competition between PHA-producing and non-PHA-producing bacteria in feast-famine SBR and staged CSTR systems.

PubMed

Marang, Leonie; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M; Kleerebezem, Robbert

2015-12-01

Although the enrichment of specialized microbial cultures for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) is generally performed in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), the required feast-famine conditions can also be established using two or more continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTRs) in series with partial biomass recirculation. The use of CSTRs offers several advantages, but will result in distributed residence times and a less strict separation between feast and famine conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the reactor configuration, and various process and biomass-specific parameters, on the enrichment of PHA-producing bacteria. A set of mathematical models was developed to predict the growth of Plasticicumulans acidivorans-as a model PHA producer-in competition with a non-storing heterotroph. A macroscopic model considering lumped biomass and an agent-based model considering individual cells were created to study the effect of residence time distribution and the resulting distributed bacterial states. The simulations showed that in the 2-stage CSTR system the selective pressure for PHA-producing bacteria is significantly lower than in the SBR, and strongly affected by the chosen feast-famine ratio. This is the result of substrate competition based on both the maximum specific substrate uptake rate and substrate affinity. Although the macroscopic model overestimates the selective pressure in the 2-stage CSTR system, it provides a quick and fairly good impression of the reactor performance and the impact of process and biomass-specific parameters. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Gene Expression Profiles in Stage I Uterine Serous Carcinoma in Comparison to Grade 3 and Grade 1 Stage I Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Mhawech-Fauceglia, Paulette; Wang, Dan; Kesterson, Joshua; Syriac, Susanna; Clark, Kimberly; Frederick, Peter J.; Lele, Shashikant; Liu, Song

2011-01-01

Background Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the developed countries. Clinical studies have shown that early stage uterine serous carcinoma (USC) has outcomes similar to early stage high grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC-G3) than to early stage low grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC-G1). However, little is known about the origin of these different clinical outcomes. This study applied the whole genome expression profiling to explore the expression difference of stage I USC (n = 11) relative to stage I EAC-G3 (n = 11) and stage I EAC-G1 (n = 11), respectively. Methodology/Principal Finding We found that the expression difference between USC and EAC-G3, as measured by the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), is consistently less than that found between USC and EAC-G1. Pathway enrichment analyses suggested that DEGs specific to USC vs. EAC-G3 are enriched for genes involved in signaling transduction, while DEGs specific to USC vs. EAC-G1 are enriched for genes involved in cell cycle. Gene expression differences for selected DEGs are confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR with a high validation rate. Conclusion This data, although preliminary, indicates that stage I USC is genetically similar to stage I EAC-G3 compared to stage I EAC-G1. DEGs identified from this study might provide an insight in to the potential mechanisms that influence the clinical outcome differences between endometrial cancer subtypes. They might also have potential prognostic and therapeutic impacts on patients diagnosed with uterine cancer. PMID:21448288

Gene signatures distinguish stage-specific prostate cancer stem cells isolated from transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate lesions and predict the malignancy of human tumors.

PubMed

Mazzoleni, Stefania; Jachetti, Elena; Morosini, Sara; Grioni, Matteo; Piras, Ignazio Stefano; Pala, Mauro; Bulfone, Alessandro; Freschi, Massimo; Bellone, Matteo; Galli, Rossella

2013-09-01

The relevant social and economic impact of prostate adenocarcinoma, one of the leading causes of death in men, urges critical improvements in knowledge of the pathogenesis and cure of this disease. These can also be achieved by implementing in vitro and in vivo preclinical models by taking advantage of prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs). The best-characterized mouse model of prostate cancer is the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. TRAMP mice develop a progressive lesion called prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia that evolves into adenocarcinoma (AD) between 24 and 30 weeks of age. ADs often metastasize to lymph nodes, lung, bones, and kidneys. Eventually, approximately 5% of the mice develop an androgen-independent neuroendocrine adenocarcinoma. Here we report the establishment of long-term self-renewing PCSC lines from the different stages of TRAMP progression by application of the neurosphere assay. Stage-specific prostate cell lines were endowed with the critical features expected from malignant bona fide cancer stem cells, namely, self-renewal, multipotency, and tumorigenicity. Notably, transcriptome analysis of stage-specific PCSCs resulted in the generation of well-defined, meaningful gene signatures, which identify distinct stages of human tumor progression. As such, TRAMP-derived PCSCs represent a novel and valuable preclinical model for elucidating the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to prostate adenocarcinoma and for the identification of molecular mediators to be pursued as therapeutic targets.

Multi-site precipitation downscaling using a stochastic weather generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jie; Chen, Hua; Guo, Shenglian

2018-03-01

Statistical downscaling is an efficient way to solve the spatiotemporal mismatch between climate model outputs and the data requirements of hydrological models. However, the most commonly-used downscaling method only produces climate change scenarios for a specific site or watershed average, which is unable to drive distributed hydrological models to study the spatial variability of climate change impacts. By coupling a single-site downscaling method and a multi-site weather generator, this study proposes a multi-site downscaling approach for hydrological climate change impact studies. Multi-site downscaling is done in two stages. The first stage involves spatially downscaling climate model-simulated monthly precipitation from grid scale to a specific site using a quantile mapping method, and the second stage involves the temporal disaggregating of monthly precipitation to daily values by adjusting the parameters of a multi-site weather generator. The inter-station correlation is specifically considered using a distribution-free approach along with an iterative algorithm. The performance of the downscaling approach is illustrated using a 10-station watershed as an example. The precipitation time series derived from the National Centers for Environment Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis dataset is used as the climate model simulation. The precipitation time series of each station is divided into 30 odd years for calibration and 29 even years for validation. Several metrics, including the frequencies of wet and dry spells and statistics of the daily, monthly and annual precipitation are used as criteria to evaluate the multi-site downscaling approach. The results show that the frequencies of wet and dry spells are well reproduced for all stations. In addition, the multi-site downscaling approach performs well with respect to reproducing precipitation statistics, especially at monthly and annual timescales. The remaining biases mainly result from the non-stationarity of NCEP precipitation. Overall, the proposed approach is efficient for generating multi-site climate change scenarios that can be used to investigate the spatial variability of climate change impacts on hydrology.

Choosing Models for Health Care Cost Analyses: Issues of Nonlinearity and Endogeneity

PubMed Central

Garrido, Melissa M; Deb, Partha; Burgess, James F; Penrod, Joan D

2012-01-01

Objective To compare methods of analyzing endogenous treatment effect models for nonlinear outcomes and illustrate the impact of model specification on estimates of treatment effects such as health care costs. Data Sources Secondary data on cost and utilization for inpatients hospitalized in five Veterans Affairs acute care facilities in 2005–2006. Study Design We compare results from analyses with full information maximum simulated likelihood (FIMSL); control function (CF) approaches employing different types and functional forms for the residuals, including the special case of two-stage residual inclusion; and two-stage least squares (2SLS). As an example, we examine the effect of an inpatient palliative care (PC) consultation on direct costs of care per day. Data Collection/Extraction Methods We analyzed data for 3,389 inpatients with one or more life-limiting diseases. Principal Findings The distribution of average treatment effects on the treated and local average treatment effects of a PC consultation depended on model specification. CF and FIMSL estimates were more similar to each other than to 2SLS estimates. CF estimates were sensitive to choice and functional form of residual. Conclusions When modeling cost or other nonlinear data with endogeneity, one should be aware of the impact of model specification and treatment effect choice on results. PMID:22524165

Polyfunctional analysis of Gag and Nef specific CD8+ T-cell responses in HIV-1 infected Indian individuals.

PubMed

Mendiratta, Sanjay; Vajpayee, Madhu; Mojumdar, Kamalika; Chauhan, Neeraj K; Sreenivas, Vishnubhatla

2011-02-01

Polyfunctional CD8+ T-cells have been described as most competent in controlling viral replication. We studied the impact of antigen persistence on the polyfunctional immune responses of CD8+ T-lymphocytes to HIV Gag and Nef peptides and polyclonal stimuli in 40 ART naïve HIV infected individuals and analyzed the alterations in T-cell functionality in early and late stages of infection. Significantly elevated level of global response and polyfunctional profile of CD8+ T-cells were observed to polyclonal stimulation, than HIV specific antigens in chronically infected individuals. However no key differences were observed in CD8+ T-cell functional profile in any of the 15 unique subsets for Gag and Nef specific antigens. The subjects in early stage of infection (defined as a gap of 6 months or less between seroconversion and enrolment and with no apparent clinical symptoms) had a higher degree of response functionality (4+ or 3+ different functions simultaneously) than in the late stage infection (defined as time duration since seroconversion greater than 6 months). The data suggest that persistence of antigen during chronic infection leads to functional impairment of HIV specific responses. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Policy Building Blocks: Helping Policymakers Determine Policy Staging for the Development of Distributed PV Markets: Preprint

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

Doris, E.

2012-04-01

There is a growing body of qualitative and a limited body of quantitative literature supporting the common assertion that policy drives development of clean energy resources. Recent work in this area indicates that the impact of policy depends on policy type, length of time in place, and economic and social contexts of implementation. This work aims to inform policymakers about the impact of different policy types and to assist in the staging of those policies to maximize individual policy effectiveness and development of the market. To do so, this paper provides a framework for policy development to support the marketmore » for distributed photovoltaic systems. Next steps include mathematical validation of the framework and development of specific policy pathways given state economic and resource contexts.« less

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the vitiligo-specific health-related quality of life instrument (VitiQoL) into Brazilian Portuguese.

PubMed

Boza, Juliana Catucci; Kundu, Roopal V; Fabbrin, Amanda; Horn, Roberta; Giongo, Natalia; Cestari, Tania Ferreira

2015-01-01

Vitiligo, although asymptomatic, highly compromises patients' quality of life (QoL). Therefore, an adequate evaluation of QoL is essential. Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of VitiQol (Vitiligo-specific health-related quality of life instrument) into Brazilian Portuguese. The study was conducted in two stages; the first stage was the translation and cultural/linguistic adaptation of the instrument; the second stage was the instrument's validation. The translated VitiQol showed high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.944) and high test-retest reliability and intraclass correlation coefficient=0.95 (CI 95% 0.86 - 0.98), p<0.001. There was no statistically significant difference between the means of the first completion of the VitiQoL questionnaire and the retest, p = 0.661. There was a significant correlation between VitiQoL and DLQI (r = 0.776, p <0.001) and also between VitiQoL-PB and subjects' assessment of the severity of their disease (r = 0.702, p <0.001). The impact of vitiligo on the QoL of Brazilian patients can be assessed by a specific questionnaire.

Ontogeny influences sensitivity to climate change stressors in an endangered fish

PubMed Central

Komoroske, L. M.; Connon, R. E.; Lindberg, J.; Cheng, B. S.; Castillo, G.; Hasenbein, M.; Fangue, N. A.

2014-01-01

Coastal ecosystems are among the most human-impacted habitats globally, and their management is often critically linked to recovery of declining native species. In the San Francisco Estuary, the Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is an endemic, endangered fish strongly tied to Californian conservation planning. The complex life history of Delta Smelt combined with dynamic seasonal and spatial abiotic conditions result in dissimilar environments experienced among ontogenetic stages, which may yield stage-specific susceptibility to abiotic stressors. Climate change is forecasted to increase San Francisco Estuary water temperature and salinity; therefore, understanding the influences of ontogeny and phenotypic plasticity on tolerance to these critical environmental parameters is particularly important for Delta Smelt and other San Francisco Estuary fishes. We assessed thermal and salinity limits in several ontogenetic stages and acclimation states of Delta Smelt, and paired these data with environmental data to evaluate sensitivity to climate-change stressors. Thermal tolerance decreased among successive stages, with larval fish exhibiting the highest tolerance and post-spawning adults having the lowest. Delta Smelt had limited capacity to increase tolerance through thermal acclimation, and comparisons with field temperature data revealed that juvenile tolerance limits are the closest to current environmental conditions, which may make this stage especially susceptible to future climate warming. Maximal water temperatures observed in situ exceeded tolerance limits of juveniles and adults. Although these temperature events are currently rare, if they increase in frequency as predicted, it could result in habitat loss at these locations despite other favourable conditions for Delta Smelt. In contrast, Delta Smelt tolerated salinities spanning the range of expected environmental conditions for each ontogenetic stage, but salinity did impact survival in juvenile and adult stages in exposures over acute time scales. Our results underscore the importance of considering ontogeny and phenotypic plasticity in assessing the impacts of climate change, particularly for species adapted to spatially and temporally heterogeneous environments. PMID:27293629

Ontogeny influences sensitivity to climate change stressors in an endangered fish.

PubMed

Komoroske, L M; Connon, R E; Lindberg, J; Cheng, B S; Castillo, G; Hasenbein, M; Fangue, N A

2014-01-01

Coastal ecosystems are among the most human-impacted habitats globally, and their management is often critically linked to recovery of declining native species. In the San Francisco Estuary, the Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is an endemic, endangered fish strongly tied to Californian conservation planning. The complex life history of Delta Smelt combined with dynamic seasonal and spatial abiotic conditions result in dissimilar environments experienced among ontogenetic stages, which may yield stage-specific susceptibility to abiotic stressors. Climate change is forecasted to increase San Francisco Estuary water temperature and salinity; therefore, understanding the influences of ontogeny and phenotypic plasticity on tolerance to these critical environmental parameters is particularly important for Delta Smelt and other San Francisco Estuary fishes. We assessed thermal and salinity limits in several ontogenetic stages and acclimation states of Delta Smelt, and paired these data with environmental data to evaluate sensitivity to climate-change stressors. Thermal tolerance decreased among successive stages, with larval fish exhibiting the highest tolerance and post-spawning adults having the lowest. Delta Smelt had limited capacity to increase tolerance through thermal acclimation, and comparisons with field temperature data revealed that juvenile tolerance limits are the closest to current environmental conditions, which may make this stage especially susceptible to future climate warming. Maximal water temperatures observed in situ exceeded tolerance limits of juveniles and adults. Although these temperature events are currently rare, if they increase in frequency as predicted, it could result in habitat loss at these locations despite other favourable conditions for Delta Smelt. In contrast, Delta Smelt tolerated salinities spanning the range of expected environmental conditions for each ontogenetic stage, but salinity did impact survival in juvenile and adult stages in exposures over acute time scales. Our results underscore the importance of considering ontogeny and phenotypic plasticity in assessing the impacts of climate change, particularly for species adapted to spatially and temporally heterogeneous environments.

DNA Mismatch Repair Deficiency in Rectal Cancer: Benchmarking Its Impact on Prognosis, Neoadjuvant Response Prediction, and Clinical Cancer Genetics

PubMed Central

de Rosa, Nicole; Rodriguez-Bigas, Miguel A.; Chang, George J.; Veerapong, Jula; Borras, Ester; Krishnan, Sunil; Bednarski, Brian; Messick, Craig A.; Skibber, John M.; Feig, Barry W.; Lynch, Patrick M.; Vilar, Eduardo

2016-01-01

Purpose DNA mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) hallmarks consensus molecular subtype 1 of colorectal cancer. It is being routinely tested, but little is known about dMMR rectal cancers. The efficacy of novel treatment strategies cannot be established without benchmarking the outcomes of dMMR rectal cancer with current therapy. We aimed to delineate the impact of dMMR on prognosis, the predicted response to fluoropyrimidine-based neoadjuvant therapy, and implications of germline alterations in the MMR genes in rectal cancer. Methods Between 1992 and 2012, 62 patients with dMMR rectal cancers underwent multimodality therapy. Oncologic treatment and outcomes as well as clinical genetics work-up were examined. Overall and rectal cancer–specific survival were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results The median age at diagnosis was 41 years. MMR deficiency was most commonly due to alterations in MSH2 (53%) or MSH6 (23%). After a median follow-up of 6.8 years, the 5-year rectal cancer–specific survival was 100% for stage I and II, 85.1% for stage III, and 60.0% for stage IV disease. Fluoropyrimidine-based neoadjuvant chemoradiation was associated with a complete pathologic response rate of 27.6%. The extent of surgical resection was influenced by synchronous colonic disease at presentation, tumor height, clinical stage, and pelvic radiation. An informed decision for a limited resection focusing on proctectomy did not compromise overall survival. Five of the 11 (45.5%) deaths during follow-up were due to extracolorectal malignancies. Conclusion dMMR rectal cancer had excellent prognosis and pathologic response with current multimodality therapy including an individualized surgical treatment plan. Identification of a dMMR rectal cancer should trigger germline testing, followed by lifelong surveillance for both colorectal and extracolorectal malignancies. We herein provide genotype-specific outcome benchmarks for comparison with novel interventions. PMID:27432916

DNA Mismatch Repair Deficiency in Rectal Cancer: Benchmarking Its Impact on Prognosis, Neoadjuvant Response Prediction, and Clinical Cancer Genetics.

PubMed

de Rosa, Nicole; Rodriguez-Bigas, Miguel A; Chang, George J; Veerapong, Jula; Borras, Ester; Krishnan, Sunil; Bednarski, Brian; Messick, Craig A; Skibber, John M; Feig, Barry W; Lynch, Patrick M; Vilar, Eduardo; You, Y Nancy

2016-09-01

DNA mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) hallmarks consensus molecular subtype 1 of colorectal cancer. It is being routinely tested, but little is known about dMMR rectal cancers. The efficacy of novel treatment strategies cannot be established without benchmarking the outcomes of dMMR rectal cancer with current therapy. We aimed to delineate the impact of dMMR on prognosis, the predicted response to fluoropyrimidine-based neoadjuvant therapy, and implications of germline alterations in the MMR genes in rectal cancer. Between 1992 and 2012, 62 patients with dMMR rectal cancers underwent multimodality therapy. Oncologic treatment and outcomes as well as clinical genetics work-up were examined. Overall and rectal cancer-specific survival were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The median age at diagnosis was 41 years. MMR deficiency was most commonly due to alterations in MSH2 (53%) or MSH6 (23%). After a median follow-up of 6.8 years, the 5-year rectal cancer-specific survival was 100% for stage I and II, 85.1% for stage III, and 60.0% for stage IV disease. Fluoropyrimidine-based neoadjuvant chemoradiation was associated with a complete pathologic response rate of 27.6%. The extent of surgical resection was influenced by synchronous colonic disease at presentation, tumor height, clinical stage, and pelvic radiation. An informed decision for a limited resection focusing on proctectomy did not compromise overall survival. Five of the 11 (45.5%) deaths during follow-up were due to extracolorectal malignancies. dMMR rectal cancer had excellent prognosis and pathologic response with current multimodality therapy including an individualized surgical treatment plan. Identification of a dMMR rectal cancer should trigger germline testing, followed by lifelong surveillance for both colorectal and extracolorectal malignancies. We herein provide genotype-specific outcome benchmarks for comparison with novel interventions. © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Evaluating the Usability of a Professional Modeling Tool Repurposed for Middle School Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Vanessa L.; Songer, Nancy Butler

2013-01-01

This paper reports the results of a three-stage usability test of a modeling tool designed to support learners' deep understanding of the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. The design process involved repurposing an existing modeling technology used by professional scientists into a learning tool specifically designed for middle school…

Gender Approach at Physical Culture Lessons at the Second Stage of Basic High Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vorotilkin?, Irina M.; Anokhina, Olga V.; Galitsyn, Sergey V.; Byankina, Larisa V.; Chiligin, Dmitriy V.

2016-01-01

Gender approach in education is a specific impact on the development of boys and girls by the set of factors of education and training process. The objective of this research is the reasoning of applying gender approach at physical culture lessons and creating comfortable environment taking into account the psychophysiological differences of the…

75 FR 932 - Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-07

... harvest guideline (HG) for Pacific mackerel in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Pacific...) and establishes allowable harvest levels for Pacific mackerel off the Pacific coast. The total HG for... proposed rule stage that this action would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number...

Can microscale meteorological conditions predict the impact of white pine blister rust in Colorado and Wyoming?

Treesearch

William R. Jacobi; Betsy A. Goodrich; Holly S. J. Kearns; Kelly S. Burns; Brian W. Geils

2011-01-01

White pine blister rust occurs when there are compatible interactions between susceptible hosts (white pines and Ribes spp.), inoculum (Cronartium ribicola spores), and local weather conditions during infection. The five spore stages of the white pine blister rust (WPBR) fungus have specific temperature and moisture conditions necessary for production, germination, and...

Results of Two-Stage Light-Gas Gun Development Efforts and Hypervelocity Impact Tests of Advanced Thermal Protection Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornelison, C. J.; Watts, Eric T.

1998-01-01

Gun development efforts to increase the launching capabilities of the NASA Ames 0.5-inch two-stage light-gas gun have been investigated. A gun performance simulation code was used to guide initial parametric variations and hardware modifications, in order to increase the projectile impact velocity capability to 8 km/s, while maintaining acceptable levels of gun barrel erosion and gun component stresses. Concurrent with this facility development effort, a hypervelocity impact testing series in support of the X-33/RLV program was performed in collaboration with Rockwell International. Specifically, advanced thermal protection system materials were impacted with aluminum spheres to simulate impacts with on-orbit space debris. Materials tested included AETB-8, AETB-12, AETB-20, and SIRCA-25 tiles, tailorable advanced blanket insulation (TABI), and high temperature AFRSI (HTA). The ballistic limit for several Thermal Protection System (TPS) configurations was investigated to determine particle sizes which cause threshold TPS/structure penetration. Crater depth in tiles was measured as a function of impact particle size. The relationship between coating type and crater morphology was also explored. Data obtained during this test series was used to perform a preliminary analysis of the risks to a typical orbital vehicle from the meteoroid and space debris environment.

High-volume ovarian cancer care: survival impact and disparities in access for advanced-stage disease.

PubMed

Bristow, Robert E; Chang, Jenny; Ziogas, Argyrios; Randall, Leslie M; Anton-Culver, Hoda

2014-02-01

To characterize the impact of hospital and physician ovarian cancer case volume on survival for advanced-stage disease and investigate socio-demographic variables associated with access to high-volume providers. Consecutive patients with stage IIIC/IV epithelial ovarian cancer (1/1/96-12/31/06) were identified from the California Cancer Registry. Disease-specific survival analysis was performed using Cox-proportional hazards model. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate for differences in access to high-volume hospitals (HVH) (≥20 cases/year), high-volume physicians (HVP) (≥10 cases/year), and cross-tabulations of high- or low-volume hospital (LVH) and physician (LVP) according to socio-demographic variables. A total of 11,865 patients were identified. The median ovarian cancer-specific survival for all patients was 28.2 months, and on multivariate analysis the HVH/HVP provider combination (HR = 1.00) was associated with superior ovarian cancer-specific survival compared to LVH/LVP (HR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.16-1.49). Overall, 2119 patients (17.9%) were cared for at HVHs, and 1791 patients (15.1%) were treated by HVPs. Only 4.3% of patients received care from HVH/HVP, while 53.1% of patients were treated by LVH/LVP. Both race and socio-demographic characteristics were independently associated with an increased likelihood of being cared for by the LVH/LVP combination and included: Hispanic race (OR = 1.72, 95%CI = 1.22-2.42), Asian/Pacific Islander race (OR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.07-2.32), Medicaid insurance (OR = 2.51, 95%CI = 1.46-4.30), and low socioeconomic status (OR = 2.84, 95%CI = 1.90-4.23). Among patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer, the provider combination of HVH/HVP is an independent predictor of improved disease-specific survival. Access to high-volume ovarian cancer providers is limited, and barriers are more pronounced for patients with low socioeconomic status, Medicaid insurance, and racial minorities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A prospective randomized multicentre study of the impact of gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT imaging for staging high-risk prostate cancer prior to curative-intent surgery or radiotherapy (proPSMA study): clinical trial protocol.

PubMed

Hofman, Michael S; Murphy, Declan G; Williams, Scott G; Nzenza, Tatenda; Herschtal, Alan; Lourenco, Richard De Abreu; Bailey, Dale L; Budd, Ray; Hicks, Rodney J; Francis, Roslyn J; Lawrentschuk, Nathan

2018-05-03

Accurate staging of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) is important for therapeutic decision-making. Relapse after surgery or radiotherapy of curative intent is not uncommon and, in part, represents a failure of staging with current diagnostic imaging techniques to detect disease spread. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron-emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is a new whole-body scanning technique that enables visualization of PCa with high contrast. The hypotheses of this study are that: (i) PSMA-PET/CT has improved diagnostic performance compared with conventional imaging; (ii) PSMA-PET/CT should be used as a first-line diagnostic test for staging; (iii) the improved diagnostic performance of PSMA-PET/CT will result in significant management impact; and (iv) there are economic benefits if PSMA-PET/CT is incorporated into the management algorithm. The proPSMA trial is a prospective, multicentre study in which patients with untreated high-risk PCa will be randomized to gallium-68-PSMA-11 PET/CT or conventional imaging, consisting of CT of the abdomen/pelvis and bone scintigraphy with single-photon emission CT/CT. Patients eligible for inclusion are those with newly diagnosed PCa with select high-risk features, defined as International Society of Urological Pathology grade group ≥3 (primary Gleason grade 4, or any Gleason grade 5), prostate-specific antigen level ≥20 ng/mL or clinical stage ≥T3. Patients with negative, equivocal or oligometastatic disease on first line-imaging will cross over to receive the other imaging arm. The primary objective is to compare the accuracy of PSMA-PET/CT with that of conventional imaging for detecting nodal or distant metastatic disease. Histopathological, imaging and clinical follow-up at 6 months will define the primary endpoint according to a predefined scoring system. Secondary objectives include comparing management impact, the number of equivocal studies, the incremental value of second-line imaging in patients who cross over, the cost of each imaging strategy, radiation exposure, inter-observer agreement and safety of PSMA-PET/CT. Longer-term follow-up will also assess the prognostic value of a negative PSMA-PET/CT. This trial will provide data to establish whether PSMA-PET/CT should replace conventional imaging in the primary staging of select high-risk localized PCa, or whether it should be used to provide incremental diagnostic information in selected cases. © 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impact evaluation to communicate and improve conservation non-governmental organization performance: the case of Conservation International.

PubMed

McKinnon, Madeleine C; Mascia, Michael B; Yang, Wu; Turner, Will R; Bonham, Curan

2015-11-05

The rising prominence of more rigorous approaches to measuring conservation outcomes has included greater adoption of impact evaluation by conservation non-governmental organizations (CNGOs). Within the scientific literature, however, little consideration has been given to the unique and specific roles of CNGOs in advancing impact evaluation. We explore these issues in the context of one CNGO-Conservation International (CI)-and its experiences producing, using and funding impact evaluations over the past decade. We examine the contributions of impact evaluation to CI's mission at three different stages of CI's strategy: innovation, demonstration and amplification. Furthermore, we review incentives and barriers encountered by CI in its 10+ years' experience in impact evaluation. More coordinated and strategic use of impact evaluation by CNGOs would facilitate learning and promote accountability across the conservation community. © 2015 The Author(s).

Impact evaluation to communicate and improve conservation non-governmental organization performance: the case of Conservation International

PubMed Central

McKinnon, Madeleine C.; Mascia, Michael B.; Yang, Wu; Turner, Will R.; Bonham, Curan

2015-01-01

The rising prominence of more rigorous approaches to measuring conservation outcomes has included greater adoption of impact evaluation by conservation non-governmental organizations (CNGOs). Within the scientific literature, however, little consideration has been given to the unique and specific roles of CNGOs in advancing impact evaluation. We explore these issues in the context of one CNGO—Conservation International (CI)—and its experiences producing, using and funding impact evaluations over the past decade. We examine the contributions of impact evaluation to CI's mission at three different stages of CI's strategy: innovation, demonstration and amplification. Furthermore, we review incentives and barriers encountered by CI in its 10+ years' experience in impact evaluation. More coordinated and strategic use of impact evaluation by CNGOs would facilitate learning and promote accountability across the conservation community. PMID:26460134

Marital status and survival in patients with rectal cancer: An analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.

PubMed

Wang, Xiangyang; Cao, Weilan; Zheng, Chenguo; Hu, Wanle; Liu, Changbao

2018-06-01

Marital status has been validated as an independent prognostic factor for survival in several cancer types, but is controversial in rectal cancer (RC). The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of marital status on the survival outcomes of patients with RC. We extracted data of 27,498 eligible patients diagnosed with RC between 2004 and 2009 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Patients were categorized into married, never married, divorced/separated and widowed groups.We used Chi-square tests to compare characteristics of patients with different marital status.Rectal cancer specific survival was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method,and multivariate Cox regression analyses was used to analyze the survival outcome risk factors in different marital status. The widowed group had the highest percentage of elderly patients and women,higher proportion of adenocarcinomas, and more stage I/II in tumor stage (P < 0.05),but with a lower rate of surgery compared to the married group (76.7% VS 85.4%). Compared with the married patients, the never married (HR 1.40), widowed (HR 1.61,) and divorced/separated patients (HR 1.16) had an increased overall 5-year mortality. A further analysis showed that widowed patients had an increased overall 5-year cause-specific survival(CSS) compared with married patients at stage I(HR 1.92),stage II (HR 1.65),stage III (HR 1.73),and stage IV (HR 1.38). Our study showed marriage was associated with better outcomes of RC patients, but unmarried RC patients, especially widowed patients,are at greater risk of cancer specific mortality. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of 17OHPreg and DHEAS by LC-MS/MS: Impact of Age, Sex, Pubertal Stage, and BMI on the Δ5 Steroid Pathway.

PubMed

Kulle, Alexandra E; Reinehr, Thomas; Simic-Schleicher, Gunter; Hornig, Nadine C; Holterhus, Paul-Martin

2017-01-01

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and 17-hydroxypregnenolone (17OHPreg) are important for understanding the Δ5 pathway (e.g., in adrenarche and obesity). Although mass spectrometry has become the state-of-the-art method for quantifying steroids, there are few comprehensive age-, sex-, and pubertal stage-specific reference ranges for children. To develop a sensitive and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous quantification of DHEAS and 17OHPreg and to establish entire age-, sex- and pubertal stage-specific reference ranges in children. A total of 684 children, 453 (243 female, 210 male) with normal body mass index (BMI; <90th) and 231 (132 female, 99 male) obese subjects (>97th), were categorized into 11 age groups, and age- and Tanner stage (PH)-specific reference ranges were determined. The limit of detection was 0.05 nmol/L for 17OHPreg and 0.5 nmol/L for DHEAS. Levels of both steroids declined after the neonatal period. Comparisons with RIA assays (Siemens, Munich, Germany) (DHEAS) and an in-house kit (17OHPreg) revealed 0.95 and 0.93, respectively, as coefficients of determination. Although DHEAS-generally higher in boys-increased continuously starting at 3 to 6 years, 17OHPreg remained largely constant. In obese patients, both were significantly elevated, also in part after alignment to Tanner stages (PH). UPLC-MS/MS is sensitive and reliable for quantifying DHEAS and 17OHPreg. Our data support differential maturation of CYP17 during adrenarche with successively increasing 17,20-lyase activity but largely constant 17α-hydroxylation activity. Endocrine interpretation of 17OHPreg and DHEAS must consider differential patterns for age, sex, pubertal stage, and BMI. Copyright © 2017 by the Endocrine Society

Thermal modelling approaches to enable mitigation measures implementation for salmonid gravel stages in hydropeaking rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casas-Mulet, R.; Alfredsen, K. T.

2016-12-01

The dewatering of salmon spawning redds can lead to early life stages mortality due to hydropeaking operations, with higher impact on the alevins stages as they have lower tolerance to dewatering than the eggs. Targeted flow-related mitigations measures can reduce such mortality, but it is essential to understand how hydropeaking change thermal regimes in rivers and may impact embryo development; only then optimal measures can be implemented at the right development stage. We present a set of experimental approaches and modelling tools for the estimation of hatch and swim-up dates based on water temperature data in the river Lundesokna (Norway). We identified critical periods for gravel-stages survival and through comparing hydropeaking vs unregulated thermal and hydrological regimes, we established potential flow-release measures to minimise mortality. Modelling outcomes were then used assess the cost-efficiency of each measure. The combinations of modelling tools used in this study were overall satisfactory and their application can be useful especially in systems where little field data is available. Targeted measures built on well-informed modelling approaches can be pre-tested based on their efficiency to mitigate dewatering effects vs. the hydropower system capacity to release or conserve water for power production. Overall, environmental flow releases targeting specific ecological objectives can provide better cost-effective options than conventional operational rules complying with general legislation.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen-based imaging in prostate cancer: impact on clinical decision making process.

PubMed

Demirkol, Mehmet Onur; Acar, Ömer; Uçar, Burcu; Ramazanoğlu, Sultan Rana; Sağlıcan, Yeşim; Esen, Tarık

2015-05-01

There is an ongoing need for an accurate imaging modality which can be used for staging purposes, metastatic evaluation, predicting biologic aggresiveness and investigating recurrent disease in prostate cancer. Prostate specific membrane antigen, given its favorable molecular characteristics, holds a promise as an ideal target for prostate cancer-specific nuclear imaging. In this study, we evaluated our initial results of PSMA based PET/CT imaging in prostate cancer. A total of 22 patients with a median age and serum PSA level of 68 years and 4.15 ng/ml, respectively underwent Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT in our hospital between Februrary and August 2014. Their charts were retrospectively reviewed in order to document the clinical characteristics, the indications for and the results of PSMA based imaging and the impact of Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT findings on disease management. The most common indications were rising PSA after local ± adjuvant treatment followed by staging and metastatic evaluation before definitive or salvage treatment. All except 2 patients had prostatic ± extraprostatic PSMA positive lesions. For those who had a positive result; treatment strategies were tailored accordingly. Above the PSA level of 2 ng/ml, none of the PSMA based nuclear imaging studies revealed negative results. PSMA based nuclear imaging has significantly impacted our way of handling patients with prostate cancer. Its preliminary performance in different clinical scenarios and ability to detect lesions even in low PSA values seems fairly promising and deserves to be supplemented with further clinical studies. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lower body mass index predicts worse cancer-specific prognosis in octogenarians with colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Adachi, Tomohiro; Hinoi, Takao; Kinugawa, Yusuke; Enomoto, Toshiyuki; Maruyama, Satoshi; Hirose, Hajime; Naito, Masanori; Tanaka, Keitaro; Miyake, Yasuhiro; Watanabe, Masahiko

2016-08-01

High body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. However, the prognostic impact of BMI and other factors may differ between elderly and younger colorectal cancer patients. We analyze here prognostic factors in the surgical management of octogenarians with colorectal cancer and clarify the prognostic impact of BMI. Cox regression analysis and propensity score methods were used to retrospectively examine the association of BMI with mortality in 1613 octogenarian patients who underwent curative surgery for stage 0-III colorectal cancer. In the Cox regression analysis, lower BMI (<18.5 kg/m(2); p = 0.001), age ≥83 years (p = 0.008), American Society of Anesthesiology class ≥3: (p = 0.001), performance status ≥2 (p = 0.003), Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage ≥III (p = 0.001), and postoperative adverse events (p = 0.001) were independently associated with decreased overall survival. Lower BMI (p = 0.001) and UICC stage ≥III (p = 0.001) were independently associated with decreased cancer-specific survival. After covariate adjustment, lower BMI was a risk factor for overall [hazard ratio (HR) 1.62; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.26-2.05; p = 0.0004] and cancer-specific survival (HR 2.00; 95 % CI 1.39-2.87; p = 0.0038) compared with normal BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)). Lower BMI is significantly and independently associated with increased mortality risk in octogenarians who undergo curative surgery for colorectal cancer. Lower BMI should be used for prognosis assessment in octogenarians with colorectal cancer.

An interval kicking progression for return to soccer following lower extremity injury.

PubMed

Arundale, Amelia; Silvers, Holly; Logerstedt, David; Rojas, Jaime; Snyder-Mackler, Lynn

2015-02-01

The majority of all soccer injuries affect the lower extremities. Regardless of whether the injured limb is an athlete's preferred kicking or stance leg, a lower extremity injury may affect their ability to impact the ball. Sport-specific biomechanical progressions to augment loading and gradually reintroduce a player to the demands of sport have been developed for upper extremity sports such as baseball, softball, tennis, and golf. Generalized return to soccer progressions have also been published in order to assist clinicians in safely returning athletes to sport; however, there are no specific progressions for the early stages of kicking designed to introduce stance leg loading and kicking leg impact. Thus, the purpose of this clinical commentary was to review the existing literature elucidating the biomechanics of kicking a soccer ball and propose a progressive kicking program to support clinicians in safely returning their soccer athletes to the demands of sport. The interval kicking program (IKP) describes clinical guidelines for readiness to begin a kicking program as well as possible readiness to return to sport measures. The program is performed on alternate days integrating therapeutic exercise and cardiovascular fitness. The IKP gradually introduces a player to the loading and impact of kicking. The progression increases kicking distance (using the markings of a soccer field as a guide), volume, and intensity and uses proposed soreness rules, effusion guidelines, and player feedback in order to assist clinicians in determining readiness for advancement though the stages. The IKP also recommends utility of specific tests and measures to determine readiness for return to sport. Gradual reintroduction to sport specific demands is essential for a safe return to soccer. This return to sport progression provides a framework integrating injury specific therapeutic exercise, cardiovascular fitness, and the return to kicking progression, to assist clinicians in initiating an athletes' return to soccer. Level 5.

Re-entry survivability and risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fudge, Michael L.

1998-11-01

This paper is the culmination of the research effort which was reported on last year while still in-progress. As previously reported, statistical methods for expressing the impact risk posed to space systems in general [and the International Space Station (ISS) in particular] by other resident space objects have been examined. One of the findings of this investigation is that there are legitimate physical modeling reasons for the common statistical expression of the collision risk. A combination of statistical methods and physical modeling is also used to express the impact risk posed by reentering space systems to objects of interest (e.g., people and property) on Earth. One of the largest uncertainties in the expressing of this risk is the estimation of survivable material which survives reentry to impact Earth's surface. This point was demonstrated in dramatic fashion in January 1997 by the impact of an intact expendable launch vehicle (ELV) upper stage near a private residence in the continental United States. Since approximately half of the missions supporting ISS will utilize ELVs, it is appropriate to examine the methods used to estimate the amount and physical characteristics of ELV debris surviving reentry to impact Earth's surface. This report details reentry survivability estimation methodology, including the specific methodology used by ITT Systems' (formerly Kaman Sciences) 'SURVIVE' model. The major change to the model in the last twelve months has been the increase in the fidelity with which upper- atmospheric aerodynamics has been modeled. This has resulted in an adjustment in the factor relating the amount of kinetic energy loss to the amount of heating entering and reentering body, and also validated and removed the necessity for certain empirically-based adjustments made to the theoretical heating expressions. Comparisons between empirical results (observations of objects which have been recovered on Earth after surviving reentry) and SURVIVE estimates are presented for selected generic upper stage or spacecraft components, a Soyuz launch vehicle second stage, and for a Delta II launch vehicle second stage and its significant components. Significant similarity is demonstrated between the type and dispersion pattern of the recovered debris from the January 1997 Delta II 2nd stage event and the simulation of that reentry and breakup.

Broad specification fuels technology program, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohmann, R. P.; Jeroszko, R. A.

1982-01-01

An experimental evaluation was conducted to assess the impact of the use of broadened properties fuels on combustor design concepts. Emphasis was placed on establishing the viability of design modifications to current combustor concepts and the use of advanced technology concepts to facilitate operation on Experimental Referee Broad Specification (ERBS) fuel while meeting exhaust emissions and performance specifications and maintaining acceptable durability. Three different combustor concepts, representative of progressively more aggressive technology levels, were evaluated. When operated on ERBS rather than Jet A fuel, a single stage combustor typical of that in the most recent versions of the JT9D-7 engine was found to produce excess carbon monoxide emissions at idle and elevated liner temperatures at high power levels that were projected to reduced liner life by 13 percent. The introduction of improved component technology, such as refined fuel injectors and advanced liner cooling concepts were shown to have the potential of enhancing the fuel flexibility of the single stage combustor.

Borrowing and Working of Low-Income Students: The Impact of a Summer Transition Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De La Rosa, Mari Luna

2012-01-01

This study focuses on how low-income students determine employment and student loan borrowing options before they begin college, as part of the final stages of their college choice process. More specifically, this study asks, "during a six-week summer transition program, what choices are made by low-income students with employment or borrowing…

Multistate comparison of attractants and the impact of fruit development stage on trapping Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in raspberry and blueberry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive pest of maturing and ripe soft-skinned fruits in the United States. D. suzukii monitoring is a necessary component of an effective integrated pest management program, but require a lure that is highly attractive and as specific to D. suzuki...

Evidence That Bimanual Motor Timing Performance Is Not a Significant Factor in Developmental Stuttering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilger, Allison I.; Zelaznik, Howard; Smith, Anne

2016-01-01

Purpose: Stuttering involves a breakdown in the speech motor system. We address whether stuttering in its early stage is specific to the speech motor system or whether its impact is observable across motor systems. Method: As an extension of Olander, Smith, and Zelaznik (2010), we measured bimanual motor timing performance in 115 children: 70…

Evaluating the Effects of Competency-Based Web Learning on Self-Directed Learning Aptitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Chi-Cheng

2007-01-01

The main aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of the competency-based web learning material (CBWLM) on the self-directed learning aptitude (SDLA) of college students. Specifically, it seeks to investigate, statistically, the changes in SDLAs at different stages of competency-based web learning (CBWL) over an eight-week period. The sample of…

A two-stage cluster sampling method using gridded population data, a GIS, and Google Earth(TM) imagery in a population-based mortality survey in Iraq.

PubMed

Galway, Lp; Bell, Nathaniel; Sae, Al Shatari; Hagopian, Amy; Burnham, Gilbert; Flaxman, Abraham; Weiss, Wiliam M; Rajaratnam, Julie; Takaro, Tim K

2012-04-27

Mortality estimates can measure and monitor the impacts of conflict on a population, guide humanitarian efforts, and help to better understand the public health impacts of conflict. Vital statistics registration and surveillance systems are rarely functional in conflict settings, posing a challenge of estimating mortality using retrospective population-based surveys. We present a two-stage cluster sampling method for application in population-based mortality surveys. The sampling method utilizes gridded population data and a geographic information system (GIS) to select clusters in the first sampling stage and Google Earth TM imagery and sampling grids to select households in the second sampling stage. The sampling method is implemented in a household mortality study in Iraq in 2011. Factors affecting feasibility and methodological quality are described. Sampling is a challenge in retrospective population-based mortality studies and alternatives that improve on the conventional approaches are needed. The sampling strategy presented here was designed to generate a representative sample of the Iraqi population while reducing the potential for bias and considering the context specific challenges of the study setting. This sampling strategy, or variations on it, are adaptable and should be considered and tested in other conflict settings.

A two-stage cluster sampling method using gridded population data, a GIS, and Google EarthTM imagery in a population-based mortality survey in Iraq

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Mortality estimates can measure and monitor the impacts of conflict on a population, guide humanitarian efforts, and help to better understand the public health impacts of conflict. Vital statistics registration and surveillance systems are rarely functional in conflict settings, posing a challenge of estimating mortality using retrospective population-based surveys. Results We present a two-stage cluster sampling method for application in population-based mortality surveys. The sampling method utilizes gridded population data and a geographic information system (GIS) to select clusters in the first sampling stage and Google Earth TM imagery and sampling grids to select households in the second sampling stage. The sampling method is implemented in a household mortality study in Iraq in 2011. Factors affecting feasibility and methodological quality are described. Conclusion Sampling is a challenge in retrospective population-based mortality studies and alternatives that improve on the conventional approaches are needed. The sampling strategy presented here was designed to generate a representative sample of the Iraqi population while reducing the potential for bias and considering the context specific challenges of the study setting. This sampling strategy, or variations on it, are adaptable and should be considered and tested in other conflict settings. PMID:22540266

Counteracting wetland overgrowth increases breeding and staging bird abundances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehikoinen, Petteri; Lehikoinen, Aleksi; Mikkola-Roos, Markku; Jaatinen, Kim

2017-01-01

Human actions have led to loss and degradation of wetlands, impairing their suitability as habitat especially for waterbirds. Such negative effects may be mitigated through habitat management. To date scientific evidence regarding the impacts of these actions remains scarce. We studied guild specific abundances of breeding and staging birds in response to habitat management on 15 Finnish wetlands. In this study management actions comprised several means of vegetation removal to thwart overgrowth. Management cost efficiency was assessed by examining the association between site-specific costs and bird abundances. Several bird guilds exhibited positive connections with both habitat management as well as with invested funds. Most importantly, however, red-listed species and species with special conservation concern as outlined by the EU showed positive correlations with management actions, underlining the conservation value of wetland management. The results suggest that grazing was especially efficient in restoring overgrown wetlands. As a whole this study makes it clear that wetland habitat management constitutes a feasible conservation tool. The marked association between invested funds and bird abundance may prove to be a valuable tool for decision makers when balancing costs and impact of conservation measures against one another.

Impact of chemotherapy relative dose intensity on cause-specific and overall survival for stage I-III breast cancer: ER+/PR+, HER2- vs. triple-negative.

PubMed

Zhang, Lu; Yu, Qingzhao; Wu, Xiao-Cheng; Hsieh, Mei-Chin; Loch, Michelle; Chen, Vivien W; Fontham, Elizabeth; Ferguson, Tekeda

2018-05-01

To investigate the impact of chemotherapy relative dose intensity (RDI) on cause-specific and overall survival for stage I-III breast cancer: estrogen receptor or progesterone receptor positive, human epidermal-growth factor receptor negative (ER+/PR+ and HER2-) vs. triple-negative (TNBC) and to identify the optimal RDI cut-off points in these two patient populations. Data were collected by the Louisiana Tumor Registry for two CDC-funded projects. Women diagnosed with stage I-III ER+/PR+, HER2- breast cancer, or TNBC in 2011 with complete information on RDI were included. Five RDI cut-off points (95, 90, 85, 80, and 75%) were evaluated on cause-specific and overall survival, adjusting for multiple demographic variables, tumor characteristics, comorbidity, use of granulocyte-growth factor/cytokines, chemotherapy delay, chemotherapy regimens, and use of hormone therapy. Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were estimated and adjusted by stabilized inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) of propensity score. Of 494 ER+/PR+, HER2- patients and 180 TNBC patients, RDI < 85% accounted for 30.4 and 27.8%, respectively. Among ER+/PR+, HER2- patients, 85% was the only cut-off point at which the low RDI was significantly associated with worse overall survival (HR = 1.93; 95% CI 1.09-3.40). Among TNBC patients, 75% was the cut-off point at which the high RDI was associated with better cause-specific (HR = 2.64; 95% CI 1.09, 6.38) and overall survival (HR = 2.39; 95% CI 1.04-5.51). Higher RDI of chemotherapy is associated with better survival for ER+/PR+, HER2- patients and TNBC patients. To optimize survival benefits, RDI should be maintained ≥ 85% in ER+/PR+, HER2- patients, and ≥ 75% in TNBC patients.

Influence of occupation and education level on breast cancer stage at diagnosis, and treatment options in China: A nationwide, multicenter 10-year epidemiological study.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Zhang, Jian; Huang, Rong; Feng, Wei-Liang; Kong, Ya-Nan; Xu, Feng; Zhao, Lin; Song, Qing-Kun; Li, Jing; Zhang, Bao-Ning; Fan, Jin-Hu; Qiao, You-Lin; Xie, Xiao-Ming; Zheng, Shan; He, Jian-Jun; Wang, Ke

2017-04-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of occupation and education level of Chinese female breast cancer patients on their cancer staging at diagnosis, clinical and pathological features, rate of implementation, and selection of treatment.The medical charts of 4211 confirmed female breast cancer cases diagnosed between 1999 and 2008, from 7 breast cancer centers spread across the whole of China, were reviewed. Data including information on the patient's sociodemographic status, clinical and pathological characteristics, implementation of clinical examination and treatment modalities were analyzed. In parallel, the associations between different occupations and level of educational attainment were analyzed in relation to tumor stage through TNM staging, clinical and pathological characteristics, implementation of clinical examination, and treatment patterns. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify whether the occupation and education level of patients are independent factors of TNM staging at diagnosis.There were significant differences among different occupation groups and the education level of patients in regards to pathological characteristics and treatment choice. Both the occupation and education level of patients were independent factors of TNM staging at diagnosis. For patients within the lower-income occupation or lower educational attainment group, the tumor stage was later, the rates of implementation of relevant investigations were lower, as were the rates of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy.This study suggests that strategies should work toward developing more accurate and effective breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies aimed specifically at patients with lower educational attainment levels and at specific occupation groups.

Influence of occupation and education level on breast cancer stage at diagnosis, and treatment options in China

PubMed Central

Liu, Yang; Zhang, Jian; Huang, Rong; Feng, Wei-Liang; Kong, Ya-Nan; Xu, Feng; Zhao, Lin; Song, Qing-Kun; Li, Jing; Zhang, Bao-Ning; Fan, Jin-Hu; Qiao, You-Lin; Xie, Xiao-Ming; Zheng, Shan; He, Jian-Jun; Wang, Ke

2017-01-01

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of occupation and education level of Chinese female breast cancer patients on their cancer staging at diagnosis, clinical and pathological features, rate of implementation, and selection of treatment. The medical charts of 4211 confirmed female breast cancer cases diagnosed between 1999 and 2008, from 7 breast cancer centers spread across the whole of China, were reviewed. Data including information on the patient's sociodemographic status, clinical and pathological characteristics, implementation of clinical examination and treatment modalities were analyzed. In parallel, the associations between different occupations and level of educational attainment were analyzed in relation to tumor stage through TNM staging, clinical and pathological characteristics, implementation of clinical examination, and treatment patterns. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify whether the occupation and education level of patients are independent factors of TNM staging at diagnosis. There were significant differences among different occupation groups and the education level of patients in regards to pathological characteristics and treatment choice. Both the occupation and education level of patients were independent factors of TNM staging at diagnosis. For patients within the lower-income occupation or lower educational attainment group, the tumor stage was later, the rates of implementation of relevant investigations were lower, as were the rates of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy. This study suggests that strategies should work toward developing more accurate and effective breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies aimed specifically at patients with lower educational attainment levels and at specific occupation groups. PMID:28403116

Removal of pharmaceuticals in pre-denitrifying MBBR - Influence of organic substrate availability in single- and three-stage configurations.

PubMed

Polesel, Fabio; Torresi, Elena; Loreggian, Luca; Casas, Mònica Escolà; Christensson, Magnus; Bester, Kai; Plósz, Benedek Gy

2017-10-15

Due to the limited efficiency of conventional biological treatment, innovative solutions are being explored to improve the removal of trace organic chemicals in wastewater. Controlling biomass exposure to growth substrate represents an appealing option for process optimization, as substrate availability likely impacts microbial activity, hence organic trace chemical removal. This study investigated the elimination of pharmaceuticals in pre-denitrifying moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs), where biofilm exposure to different organic substrate loading and composition was controlled by reactor staging. A three-stage MBBR and a single-stage reference MBBR (with the same operating volume and filling ratio) were operated under continuous-flow conditions (18 months). Two sets of batch experiments (day 100 and 471) were performed to quantify and compare pharmaceutical removal and denitrification kinetics in the different MBBRs. Experimental results revealed the possible influence of retransformation (e.g., from conjugated metabolites) and enantioselectivity on the removal of selected pharmaceuticals. In the second set of experiments, specific trends in denitrification and biotransformation kinetics were observed, with highest and lowest rates/rate constants in the first (S1) and the last (S3) staged sub-reactors, respectively. These observations were confirmed by removal efficiency data obtained during continuous-flow operation, with limited removal (<10%) of recalcitrant pharmaceuticals and highest removal in S1 within the three-stage MBBR. Notably, biotransformation rate constants obtained for non-recalcitrant pharmaceuticals correlated with mean specific denitrification rates, maximum specific growth rates and observed growth yield values. Overall, these findings suggest that: (i) the long-term exposure to tiered substrate accessibility in the three-stage configuration shaped the denitrification and biotransformation capacity of biofilms, with significant reduction under substrate limitation; (ii) biotransformation of pharmaceuticals may have occurred as a result of cometabolism by heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coping with Fear of and Exposure to Terrorism among Expatriates.

PubMed

Beutell, Nicholas J; O'Hare, Marianne M; Schneer, Joy A; Alstete, Jeffrey W

2017-07-19

This paper examines existing research on the impact of terrorism on expatriate coping strategies. We consider pre-assignment fear of terrorism, in-country coping strategies, and anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with repatriation. The extant research is small but growing. Our model for expatriate coping at the pre-departure, in-country, and repatriation stages includes strategies specific to each stage. Preparation using proactive coping, systematic desensitization, problem and emotion focused coping, social support, and virtual reality explorations are recommended. Selecting expatriate candidates who are well-adjusted, emotionally intelligent, and possessing good coping skills is essential for successful assignments in terror-prone regions.

Coping with Fear of and Exposure to Terrorism among Expatriates

PubMed Central

O’Hare, Marianne M.

2017-01-01

This paper examines existing research on the impact of terrorism on expatriate coping strategies. We consider pre-assignment fear of terrorism, in-country coping strategies, and anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with repatriation. The extant research is small but growing. Our model for expatriate coping at the pre-departure, in-country, and repatriation stages includes strategies specific to each stage. Preparation using proactive coping, systematic desensitization, problem and emotion focused coping, social support, and virtual reality explorations are recommended. Selecting expatriate candidates who are well-adjusted, emotionally intelligent, and possessing good coping skills is essential for successful assignments in terror-prone regions. PMID:28753940

Health and safety impacts of nuclear, geothermal, and fossil-fuel electric generation in California. Volume 9. Methodologies for review of the health and safety aspects of proposed nuclear, geothermal, and fossil-fuel sites and facilities

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

Nero, A.V.; Quinby-Hunt, M.S.

1977-01-01

This report sets forth methodologies for review of the health and safety aspects of proposed nuclear, geothermal, and fossil-fuel sites and facilities for electric power generation. The review is divided into a Notice of Intention process and an Application for Certification process, in accordance with the structure to be used by the California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the first emphasizing site-specific considerations, the second examining the detailed facility design as well. The Notice of Intention review is divided into three possible stages: an examination of emissions and site characteristics, a basic impact analysis, and an assessment of publicmore » impacts. The Application for Certification review is divided into five possible stages: a review of the Notice of Intention treatment, review of the emission control equipment, review of the safety design, review of the general facility design, and an overall assessment of site and facility acceptability.« less

The activities of current antimalarial drugs on the life cycle stages of Plasmodium: a comparative study with human and rodent parasites.

PubMed

Delves, Michael; Plouffe, David; Scheurer, Christian; Meister, Stephan; Wittlin, Sergio; Winzeler, Elizabeth A; Sinden, Robert E; Leroy, Didier

2012-02-01

Malaria remains a disease of devastating global impact, killing more than 800,000 people every year-the vast majority being children under the age of 5. While effective therapies are available, if malaria is to be eradicated a broader range of small molecule therapeutics that are able to target the liver and the transmissible sexual stages are required. These new medicines are needed both to meet the challenge of malaria eradication and to circumvent resistance. Little is known about the wider stage-specific activities of current antimalarials that were primarily designed to alleviate symptoms of malaria in the blood stage. To overcome this critical gap, we developed assays to measure activity of antimalarials against all life stages of malaria parasites, using a diverse set of human and nonhuman parasite species, including male gamete production (exflagellation) in Plasmodium falciparum, ookinete development in P. berghei, oocyst development in P. berghei and P. falciparum, and the liver stage of P. yoelii. We then compared 50 current and experimental antimalarials in these assays. We show that endoperoxides such as OZ439, a stable synthetic molecule currently in clinical phase IIa trials, are strong inhibitors of gametocyte maturation/gamete formation and impact sporogony; lumefantrine impairs development in the vector; and NPC-1161B, a new 8-aminoquinoline, inhibits sporogony. These data enable objective comparisons of the strengths and weaknesses of each chemical class at targeting each stage of the lifecycle. Noting that the activities of many compounds lie within achievable blood concentrations, these results offer an invaluable guide to decisions regarding which drugs to combine in the next-generation of antimalarial drugs. This study might reveal the potential of life-cycle-wide analyses of drugs for other pathogens with complex life cycles.

Health related quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, end stage renal disease and geriatric subjects. Experience from a General Hospital in Mexico.

PubMed

Ambriz Murillo, Yesenia; Menor Almagro, Raul; Campos-González, Israel David; Cardiel, Mario H

2015-01-01

Chronic diseases have a great impact in the morbidity and mortality and in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients around the world. The impact of rheumatic diseases has not been fully recognized. We conducted a comparative study to evaluate the HRQoL in different chronic diseases. The aim of the present study was to assess the HRQoL and identify specific areas affected in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), diabetes mellitus, end-stage renal disease, geriatric subjects and a control group. We conducted a cross-sectional study, in a General Hospital in Morelia, Mexico. All patients met classification criteria for RA, OA, diabetes mellitus, end-stage renal disease; the geriatric subjects group was≥65 years, and the control group≥30 years. Demographic characteristics were recorded, different instruments were applied: SF-36, visual analogue scale for pain, patient's and physician's global assessments, Beck Depression Inventory and specific instruments (DAS-28, HAQ-Di, WOMAC, Diabetes Quality of Life [DQOL] and Kidney Disease Questionnaire of Life [KDQOL]). Biochemical measures: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, blood count, glucose, HbA1C, serum creatinine and urea. We evaluated 290 subjects (control group: 100; geriatric subjects: 30 and 160 for the rest of groups). Differences were detected in baseline characteristics (P<.0001). The SF-36 scores were different between control group and others groups (P=0.007). The worst HRQoL was in end-stage renal disease group (±SD: 48.06±18.84 x/SD). The general health was the principal affected area in RA. The pain was higher in rheumatic diseases: OA (5.2±2.4) and RA (5.1±3). HAQ was higher in OA compared to RA (1.12±0.76 vs 0.82±0.82, respectively; P=.001). Forty five percent of all subjects had depression. The HRQoL in RA patients is poor and comparable to other chronic diseases (end-stage renal disease and diabetes mellitus). Rheumatic diseases should be considered high impact diseases and therefore should receive more attention. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The effect of distant metastases sites on survival in de novo stage-IV breast cancer: A SEER database analysis.

PubMed

Wu, San-Gang; Li, Hui; Tang, Li-Ying; Sun, Jia-Yuan; Zhang, Wen-Wen; Li, Feng-Yan; Chen, Yong-Xiong; He, Zhen-Yu

2017-06-01

To investigate the effect of distant metastases sites on survival in patients with de novo stage-IV breast cancer. From 2010 to 2013, patients with a diagnosis of de novo stage-IV breast cancer were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to analyze the effect of distant metastases sites on breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival. A total of 7575 patients were identified. The most common metastatic sites were bone, followed by lung, liver, and brain. Patients with hormone receptor+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2- and hormone receptor+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2+ status were more prone to bone metastases. Lung and brain metastases were common in hormone receptor-/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2+ and hormone receptor-/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2- subtypes, and patients with hormone receptor+/ human epidermal growth factor receptor 2+ and hormone receptor-/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2+ subtypes were more prone to liver metastases. Patients with liver and brain metastases had unfavorable prognosis for breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival, whereas bone and lung metastases had no effect on patient survival in multivariate analyses. The hormone receptor-/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2- subtype conferred a significantly poorer outcome in terms of breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival. hormone receptor+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2+ disease was associated with the best prognosis in terms of breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival. Patients with liver and brain metastases were more likely to experience poor prognosis for breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival by various breast cancer subtypes. Distant metastases sites have differential impact on clinical outcomes in stage-IV breast cancer. Follow-up screening for brain and liver metastases might be effective in improving breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival.

Trichinella spiralis newborn larvae: characterization of a stage specific serine proteinase expression, NBL1, using monoclonal antibodies.

PubMed

Yang, Yong; Lacour, Sandrine A; Lainé-Prade, Véronique; Versillé, Nicolas; Grasset-Chevillot, Aurélie; Feng, Shuang; Liu, Ming Yuan; Boireau, Pascal; Vallée, Isabelle

2015-05-01

Trichinella spiralis is an intracellular parasitic nematode of mammalian skeletal muscle, causing a serious zoonotic disease in humans and showing a high economic impact mainly in pig breeding. Serine proteinases of T. spiralis play important roles in the host-parasite interactions mediating host invasion. In this study, we have focused on newborn larvae (NBL-1), the first identified serine proteinase from the NBL stage of T. spiralis. Five monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against the C-terminal part of NBL1, were produced. These mAbs were IgG1κ isotype and specifically recognized as a common motif of 10 amino acids (PSSGSRPTYP). Selected mAbs were further characterized using antigens from various developmental stages of T. spiralis. Western blot revealed that selected mAbs reacted with the native NBL1 at Mr 50 kDa in the adult and NBL mixed antigens and NBL stage alone. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis revealed that selected mAbs intensely stained only the embryos within the gravid females and the NBL. Thus, the produced mAbs are useful tools for the characterization of NBL1 as a major antigen of Trichinella involved in the invasion of the host but also for the development of new serological tests with an early detection of T. spiralis infection.

A study comparing two consecutive historical periods in breast cancer with a focus on surgical treatment, loco-regional recurrence, distant metastases and mortality.

PubMed

García-Fernández, A; Chabrera, C; García-Font, M; Fraile, M; Barco, I; González, S; Cirera, L; Lain, J M; González, C; Veloso, E; Codina, L; Piqueras, M; Pessarrodona, A; Gimenez, N

2015-04-01

Recent introduction of breast units, mass-screening programmes (SP) and sentinel node biopsy (SNB) has impacted on the clinical care of breast cancer patients (BC), resulting in a significant increase of breast-conserving surgery with the goal of achieving completely free margins and good cosmetic outcome, along with significantly less axillary morbidity. In order to ascertain the combined impact of SP and SNB on BC patients, we have reviewed the primary therapeutic approach of patients diagnosed with invasive breast carcinoma in our centre, both before and after implementation of the two new procedures. 1,942 patients operated for BC between 1997 and 2013 in two clinical centres. Two historical periods were considered: before and after the advent of the Breast Unit in our institutions and the concurrent implementation of SP and SNB (September 2002). Rates of breast-conserving surgery and re-operations improved in the second period. Intraoperative margin re-excision increased in the second period. Breast-conserving surgery decreased in parallel to stage: from 79 % for stage I to 31 % for stage III. The Cox analysis, including stage as adjusted for all significant variables, showed statistically significant differences in favour of the initial stages but only for specific mortality, not overall mortality. Combined implementation of breast units, SP, and SNB have resulted in a significant improvement of BC treatment leading to increased rates of breast-conserving surgery and decreased disease recurrence and mortality.

First Colombian Solar Radio Interferometer: current stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guevara Gómez, J. C.; Martínez Oliveros, J. C.; Calvo-Mozo, B.

2017-10-01

Solar radio astronomy is a fast developing research field in Colombia. Here, we present the scientific goals, specifications and current state of the First Colombian Solar Radio Interferometer consisting of two log-periodic antennas covering a frequency bandwidth op to 800 MHz. We describe the importance and benefits of its development to the radioastronomy in Latin America and its impact on the scientific community and general public.

Adaptive Disclosure: A Combat Specific PTSD Treatment

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-31

to determine whether AD is as least as effective as CPT, cognitive only version (CPT-C), in terms of its impact on deployment-related psychological ...be used to determine treatment efficacy. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Active-duty, Marine Corps, Posttraumatic stress disorder, Cognitive Therapy 16...the early stages of the wars suggest that 10-18% of combat troops experience deployment-related psychological health problems, such as posttraumatic

Optogenetic stimulation in a computational model of the basal ganglia biases action selection and reward prediction error.

PubMed

Berthet, Pierre; Lansner, Anders

2014-01-01

Optogenetic stimulation of specific types of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum has been shown to bias the selection of mice in a two choices task. This shift is dependent on the localisation and on the intensity of the stimulation but also on the recent reward history. We have implemented a way to simulate this increased activity produced by the optical flash in our computational model of the basal ganglia (BG). This abstract model features the direct and indirect pathways commonly described in biology, and a reward prediction pathway (RP). The framework is similar to Actor-Critic methods and to the ventral/dorsal distinction in the striatum. We thus investigated the impact on the selection caused by an added stimulation in each of the three pathways. We were able to reproduce in our model the bias in action selection observed in mice. Our results also showed that biasing the reward prediction is sufficient to create a modification in the action selection. However, we had to increase the percentage of trials with stimulation relative to that in experiments in order to impact the selection. We found that increasing only the reward prediction had a different effect if the stimulation in RP was action dependent (only for a specific action) or not. We further looked at the evolution of the change in the weights depending on the stage of learning within a block. A bias in RP impacts the plasticity differently depending on that stage but also on the outcome. It remains to experimentally test how the dopaminergic neurons are affected by specific stimulations of neurons in the striatum and to relate data to predictions of our model.

Measuring the Impact of Online Evidence Retrieval Systems using Critical Incidents & Journey Mapping.

PubMed

Westbrook, Johanna I; Coiera, Enrico W; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

2005-01-01

Online evidence retrieval systems are one potential tool in supporting evidence-based practice. We have undertaken a program of research to investigate how hospital-based clinicians (doctors, nurses and allied health professionals) use these systems, factors influencing use and their impact on decision-making and health care delivery. A central component of this work has been the development and testing of a broad range of evaluation techniques. This paper provides an overview of the results obtained from three stages of this evaluation and details the results derived from the final stage which sought to test two methods for assessing the integration of an online evidence system and its impact on decision making and patient care. The critical incident and journey mapping techniques were applied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 clinicians who were experienced users of the online evidence system. Clinicians were asked to described recent instances in which the information obtained using the online evidence system was especially helpful with their work. A grounded approach to data analysis was taken producing three categories of impact. The journey mapping technique was adapted as a method to describe and quantify clinicians' integration of CIAP into their practice and the impact of this on patient care. The analogy of a journey is used to capture the many stages in this integration process, from introduction to the system to full integration into everyday clinical practice with measurable outcomes. Transcribed interview accounts of system use were mapped against the journey stages and scored. Clinicians generated 85 critical incidents and one quarter of these provided specific examples of system use leading to improvements in patient care. The journey mapping technique proved to be a useful method for providing a quantification of the ways and extent to which clincians had integrated system use into practice, and insights into how information systems can influence organisational culture. Further work is required on this technique to assess its value as an evaluation method. The study demonstrates the strength of a triangulated evidence approach to assessing the use and impact of online clinical evidence systems.

Quantitative Research on the Relationship between Yield of Winter Wheat and Agroclimatological Resources—the Case Study from Yanzhou District, Shandong Province, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Maoling; Liu, Pingzeng; Zhang, Chao; Zheng, Yong; Wang, Xizhi; Zhang, Yan; Chen, Weijie; Zhao, Rui

2018-01-01

Agroclimatological resources provide material and energy for agricultural production. This study is aimed to analyze the impact of selected climate factors change on wheat yield over the different growth period applied quantitatively method, by comparing two different time division modules of wheat growth cycle- monthly empirical-statistical multiple regression models ( From October to June of next year ) and growth stage empirical-statistical multiple regression models (Including sowing stage, seedling stage, tillering stage, overwintering period, regreening period, jointing stage, heading stage, maturity stage) analysis of relationship between agrometeorological data and growth stage records and winter wheat production in Yanzhou, Shandong Province of China. Correlation analysis(CA)was done for 35 years (from 1981 to 2015) between crop yield and corresponding weather parameters including daily mean temperature, sunshine duration, and average daily precipitation selected from 18 different meteorological factors. The results shows that the greatest impact on the winter wheat yield is the precipitation overwintering period in this area, each 1mm increase in daily mean rainfall was associated with 201.64 kg/hm2 lowered output. Moreover, the temperature and sunshine duration in heading period and maturity stage also exert significant influence on the output, every 1°C increase in daily mean temperature was associated with 199.85kg/hm2 adding output, every 1h increase in mean sunshine duration was associated with 130.68kg/hm2 reduced output. Comparing with the results of experiment which using months as step sizes and using farming as step sizes was in better agreement with the fluctuation in meteorological yield, offered a better explanation on the growth mechanism of wheat. Eventually the results indicated that 3 factors affects the yield during different growing periods of wheat in different extent and provided more specific reference to guide the agricultural production management in this area.

The impact of PET/CT scanning on the size of target volumes, radiation exposure of organs at risk, TCP and NTCP, in the radiotherapy planning of non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Vojtíšek, Radovan; Mužík, Jan; Slampa, Pavel; Budíková, Marie; Hejsek, Jaroslav; Smolák, Petr; Ferda, Jiří; Fínek, Jindřich

2014-05-01

To compare radiotherapy plans made according to CT and PET/CT and to investigate the impact of changes in target volumes on tumour control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and the impact of PET/CT on the staging and treatment strategy. Contemporary studies have proven that PET/CT attains higher sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of lung cancer and also leads to higher accuracy than CT alone in the process of target volume delineation in NSCLC. Between October 2009 and March 2012, 31 patients with locally advanced NSCLC, who had been referred to radical radiotherapy were involved in our study. They all underwent planning PET/CT examination. Then we carried out two separate delineations of target volumes and two radiotherapy plans and we compared the following parameters of those plans: staging, treatment purpose, the size of GTV and PTV and the exposure of organs at risk (OAR). TCP and NTCP were also compared. PET/CT information led to a significant decrease in the sizes of target volumes, which had the impact on the radiation exposure of OARs. The reduction of target volume sizes was not reflected in the significant increase of the TCP value. We found that there is a very strong direct linear relationship between all evaluated dosimetric parameters and NTCP values of all evaluated OARs. Our study found that the use of planning PET/CT in the radiotherapy planning of NSCLC has a crucial impact on the precise determination of target volumes, more precise staging of the disease and thus also on possible changes of treatment strategy.

Sex-specific phenotypes of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in aged mice.

PubMed

Rakov, Helena; Engels, Kathrin; Hönes, Georg Sebastian; Brix, Klaudia; Köhrle, Josef; Moeller, Lars Christian; Zwanziger, Denise; Führer, Dagmar

2017-12-22

Sex and age play a role in the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction (TD), but their interrelationship for manifestation of hyper- and hypothyroidism is still not well understood. Using a murine model, we asked whether sex impacts the phenotypes of hyper- and hypothyroidism at two life stages. Hyper- and hypothyroidism were induced by i.p. T4 or MMI/ClO 4 -/LoI treatment over 7 weeks in 12- and 20-months-old female and male C57BL/6N mice. Control animals underwent PBS treatment (n = 7-11 animals/sex/treatment). Animals were investigated for impact of sex on body weight, food and water intake, body temperature, heart rate, behaviour (locomotor activity, motor coordination and strength) and serum thyroid hormone (TH) status. Distinct sex impact was found in eu- and hyperthyroid mice, while phenotypic traits of hypothyroidism were similar in male and female mice. No sex difference was found in TH status of euthyroid mice; however, T4 treatment resulted in twofold higher TT4, FT4 and FT3 serum concentrations in adult and old females compared to male animals. Hyperthyroid females consistently showed higher locomotor activity and better coordination but more impairment of muscle function by TH excess at adult age. Importantly and in contrast to male mice, adult and old hyperthyroid female mice showed increased body weight. Higher body temperature in female mice was confirmed in all age groups. No sex impact was found on heart rate irrespective of TH status in adult and old mice. By comparison of male and female mice with TD at two life stages, we found that sex modulates TH action in an organ- and function-specific manner. Sex differences were more pronounced under hyperthyroid conditions. Importantly, sex-specific differences in features of TD in adult and old mice were not conclusively explained by serum TH status in mice.

Enzymatic creatinine assays allow estimation of glomerular filtration rate in stages 1 and 2 chronic kidney disease using CKD-EPI equation.

PubMed

Kuster, Nils; Cristol, Jean-Paul; Cavalier, Etienne; Bargnoux, Anne-Sophie; Halimi, Jean-Michel; Froissart, Marc; Piéroni, Laurence; Delanaye, Pierre

2014-01-20

The National Kidney Disease Education Program group demonstrated that MDRD equation is sensitive to creatinine measurement error, particularly at higher glomerular filtration rates. Thus, MDRD-based eGFR above 60 mL/min/1.73 m² should not be reported numerically. However, little is known about the impact of analytical error on CKD-EPI-based estimates. This study aimed at assessing the impact of analytical characteristics (bias and imprecision) of 12 enzymatic and 4 compensated Jaffe previously characterized creatinine assays on MDRD and CKD-EPI eGFR. In a simulation study, the impact of analytical error was assessed on a hospital population of 24084 patients. Ability using each assay to correctly classify patients according to chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages was evaluated. For eGFR between 60 and 90 mL/min/1.73 m², both equations were sensitive to analytical error. Compensated Jaffe assays displayed high bias in this range and led to poorer sensitivity/specificity for classification according to CKD stages than enzymatic assays. As compared to MDRD equation, CKD-EPI equation decreases impact of analytical error in creatinine measurement above 90 mL/min/1.73 m². Compensated Jaffe creatinine assays lead to important errors in eGFR and should be avoided. Accurate enzymatic assays allow estimation of eGFR until 90 mL/min/1.73 m² with MDRD and 120 mL/min/1.73 m² with CKD-EPI equation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Life histories and conservation of long-lived reptiles, an illustration with the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Briggs-Gonzalez, Venetia; Bonefant, Christophe; Basille, Mathieu; Cherkiss, Michael S.; Beauchamp, Jeff; Mazzotti, Frank J.

2017-01-01

Successful species conservation is dependent on adequate estimates of population dynamics, but age-specific demographics are generally lacking for many long-lived iteroparous species such as large reptiles. Accurate demographic information allows estimation of population growth rate, as well as projection of future population sizes and quantitative analyses of fitness trade-offs involved in the evolution of life-history strategies.Here, a long-term capture–recapture study was conducted from 1978 to 2014 on the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in southern Florida. Over the study period, 7,427 hatchlings were marked and 380 individuals were recaptured for as many as 25 years. We estimated survival to be strongly age dependent with hatchlings having the lowest survival rates (16%) but increasing to nearly 90% at adulthood based on mark–recapture models. More than 5% of the female population were predicted to be reproductive by age 8 years; the age-specific proportion of reproductive females steadily increased until age 18 when more than 95% of females were predicted to be reproductive. Population growth rate, estimated from a Leslie–Lefkovitch stage-class model, showed a positive annual growth rate of 4% over the study period.Using a prospective sensitivity analysis, we revealed that the adult stage, as expected, was the most critical stage for population growth rate; however, the survival of younger crocodiles before they became reproductive also had a surprisingly high elasticity. We found that variation in age-specific fecundity has very limited impact on population growth rate in American crocodiles.We used a comparative approach to show that the original life-history strategy of American crocodiles is actually shared by other large, long-lived reptiles: while adult survival rates always have a large impact on population growth, this decreases with declining increasing growth rates, in favour of a higher elasticity of the juvenile stage.Crocodiles, as a long-lived and highly fecund species, deviate from the usual association of life histories of “slow” species. Current management practices are focused on nests and hatchling survival; however, protection efforts that extend to juvenile crocodiles would be most effective for conservation of the species, especially in an ever-developing landscape.

Distinct severity stages of obstructive sleep apnoea are correlated with unique dyslipidaemia: large-scale observational study

PubMed Central

Guan, Jian; Yi, Hongliang; Zou, Jianyin; Meng, Lili; Tang, Xulan; Zhu, Huaming; Yu, Dongzhen; Zhou, Huiqun; Su, Kaiming; Yang, Mingpo; Chen, Haoyan; Shi, Yongyong; Wang, Yue; Wang, Jian; Yin, Shankai

2016-01-01

Background Dyslipidaemia is an intermediary exacerbation factor for various diseases but the impact of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) on dyslipidaemia remains unclear. Methods A total of 3582 subjects with suspected OSA consecutively admitted to our hospital sleep centre were screened and 2983 (2422 with OSA) were included in the Shanghai Sleep Health Study. OSA severity was quantified using the apnoea–hypopnea index (AHI), the oxygen desaturation index and the arousal index. Biochemical indicators and anthropometric data were also collected. The relationship between OSA severity and the risk of dyslipidaemia was evaluated via ordinal logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis and multivariate linear regressions. Results The RCS mapped a nonlinear dose–effect relationship between the risk of dyslipidaemia and OSA severity, and yielded knots of the AHI (9.4, 28.2, 54.4 and 80.2). After integrating the clinical definition and RCS-selected knots, all subjects were regrouped into four AHI severity stages. Following segmented multivariate linear modelling of each stage, distinguishable sets of OSA risk factors were quantified: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein E and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); body mass index and/or waist to hip ratio; and HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides were specifically associated with stage I, stages II and III, and stages II–IV with different OSA indices. Conclusions Our study revealed the multistage and non-monotonic relationships between OSA and dyslipidaemia and quantified the relationships between OSA severity indexes and distinct risk factors for specific OSA severity stages. Our study suggests that a new interpretive and predictive strategy for dynamic assessment of the risk progression over the clinical course of OSA should be adopted. PMID:26883674

Gut microbiota-bone axis.

PubMed

Villa, Christopher R; Ward, Wendy E; Comelli, Elena M

2017-05-24

The gut microbiota (GM) is an important regulator of body homeostasis, including intestinal and extra-intestinal effects. This review focuses on the GM-bone axis, which we define as the effect of the gut-associated microbial community or the molecules they synthesize, on bone health. While research in this field is limited, findings from preclinical studies support that gut microbes positively impact bone mineral density and strength parameters. Moreover, administration of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in preclinical models has demonstrated higher bone mineralization and greater bone strength. The preferential bacterial genus that has shown these beneficial effects in bone is Lactobacillus and thus lactobacilli are among the best candidates for future clinical intervention trials. However, their effectiveness is dependent on stage of development, as early life constitutes an important time for impacting bone health, perhaps via modulation of the GM. In addition, sex-specific difference also impacts the efficacy of the probiotics. Although auspicious, many questions regarding the GM-bone axis require consideration of potential mechanisms; sex-specific efficacy; effective dose of probiotics; and timing and duration of treatment.

Illness, normality and identity: the experience of heart transplant as a young adult.

PubMed

Waldron, Rebecca; Malpus, Zoey; Shearing, Vanessa; Sanchez, Melissa; Murray, Craig D

2017-09-01

End stage heart failure and transplant present great opportunities and challenges for patients of all ages. However, young adulthood may present additional specific challenges associated with the development of identity, career and romantic relationships. Despite recognition of greater mortality rates in young adults, consideration of the experience of transplant during this life stage has been largely overlooked in the literature. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of heart transplant in young adults. Interviews were conducted with nine participants across three transplant services in the United Kingdom and the data subject to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Analysis identified three themes. "Separating from illness" and "working toward normality" involved limiting the influence of illness on identity, as well as reengaging with typical functioning in young adulthood. "Integrating transplant into identity" involved acknowledging the influence of living with a shortened life expectancy. The need for support that recognizes specific challenges of transplant as a young adult is discussed (e.g. the development of age specific end of life pathways, improved communication between transplant recipients, their families and teams), including consideration of the impact of societal discourses (e.g. gift of life) which provided additional challenges for patients. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Heart transplant presents specific challenges according to the recipient's life stage. The needs of young adult recipients should be considered. Transplant professionals should consider providing opportunities for peer support and addressing the identities and values of young adult transplant recipients during rehabilitation.

Deep Learning and Insomnia: Assisting Clinicians With Their Diagnosis.

PubMed

Shahin, Mostafa; Ahmed, Beena; Hamida, Sana Tmar-Ben; Mulaffer, Fathima Lamana; Glos, Martin; Penzel, Thomas

2017-11-01

Effective sleep analysis is hampered by the lack of automated tools catering to disordered sleep patterns and cumbersome monitoring hardware. In this paper, we apply deep learning on a set of 57 EEG features extracted from a maximum of two EEG channels to accurately differentiate between patients with insomnia or controls with no sleep complaints. We investigated two different approaches to achieve this. The first approach used EEG data from the whole sleep recording irrespective of the sleep stage (stage-independent classification), while the second used only EEG data from insomnia-impacted specific sleep stages (stage-dependent classification). We trained and tested our system using both healthy and disordered sleep collected from 41 controls and 42 primary insomnia patients. When compared with manual assessments, an NREM + REM based classifier had an overall discrimination accuracy of 92% and 86% between two groups using both two and one EEG channels, respectively. These results demonstrate that deep learning can be used to assist in the diagnosis of sleep disorders such as insomnia.

Runway Operations Planning: A Two-Stage Solution Methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anagnostakis, Ioannis; Clarke, John-Paul

2003-01-01

The airport runway is a scarce resource that must be shared by different runway operations (arrivals, departures and runway crossings). Given the possible sequences of runway events, careful Runway Operations Planning (ROP) is required if runway utilization is to be maximized. Thus, Runway Operations Planning (ROP) is a critical component of airport operations planning in general and surface operations planning in particular. From the perspective of departures, ROP solutions are aircraft departure schedules developed by optimally allocating runway time for departures given the time required for arrivals and crossings. In addition to the obvious objective of maximizing throughput, other objectives, such as guaranteeing fairness and minimizing environmental impact, may be incorporated into the ROP solution subject to constraints introduced by Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures. Generating optimal runway operations plans was approached in with a 'one-stage' optimization routine that considered all the desired objectives and constraints, and the characteristics of each aircraft (weight class, destination, Air Traffic Control (ATC) constraints) at the same time. Since, however, at any given point in time, there is less uncertainty in the predicted demand for departure resources in terms of weight class than in terms of specific aircraft, the ROP problem can be parsed into two stages. In the context of the Departure Planner (OP) research project, this paper introduces Runway Operations Planning (ROP) as part of the wider Surface Operations Optimization (SOO) and describes a proposed 'two stage' heuristic algorithm for solving the Runway Operations Planning (ROP) problem. Focus is specifically given on including runway crossings in the planning process of runway operations. In the first stage, sequences of departure class slots and runwy crossings slots are generated and ranked based on departure runway throughput under stochastic conditions. In the second stage, the departure class slots are populated with specific flights from the pool of available aircraft, by solving an integer program. Preliminary results from the algorithm implementation on real-world traffic data are included.

Climatic influences on the breeding biology of the agile frog ( Rana dalmatina)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Combes, Magali; Pinaud, David; Barbraud, Christophe; Trotignon, Jacques; Brischoux, François

2018-02-01

Severe population declines of amphibians have been shown to be attributed to climate change. Nevertheless, the various mechanisms through which climate can influence population dynamics of amphibians remain to be assessed, notably to disentangle the relative synergetic or antagonistic influences of temperature and precipitations on specific life history stages. We investigated the impact of rainfall and temperature on the egg-clutch abundance in a population of agile frog ( Rana dalmatina) during 29 years (1987-2016) on 14 breeding sites located in Brenne Natural Park, France. Specifically, we examined the influence of environmental conditions occurring during five temporal windows of the year cycle corresponding to specific life history stages. Overall, our results suggest that the year-to-year fluctuations of egg-clutch abundances in Brenne Natural Park were partly dependent on local climatic conditions (rainfall and temperature). Climate seemed to influence breeding frogs during the autumn-winter period preceding reproduction. Spring and summer conditions did not influence reproduction. Additionally, we failed to detect effects of climatic conditions on newly metamorphosed individuals. Other factors such as density dependence and inter-specific interactions with introduced predators are likely to play a significant role in reproduction dynamics of the studied frog populations.

Climatic influences on the breeding biology of the agile frog (Rana dalmatina).

PubMed

Combes, Magali; Pinaud, David; Barbraud, Christophe; Trotignon, Jacques; Brischoux, François

2017-12-19

Severe population declines of amphibians have been shown to be attributed to climate change. Nevertheless, the various mechanisms through which climate can influence population dynamics of amphibians remain to be assessed, notably to disentangle the relative synergetic or antagonistic influences of temperature and precipitations on specific life history stages. We investigated the impact of rainfall and temperature on the egg-clutch abundance in a population of agile frog (Rana dalmatina) during 29 years (1987-2016) on 14 breeding sites located in Brenne Natural Park, France. Specifically, we examined the influence of environmental conditions occurring during five temporal windows of the year cycle corresponding to specific life history stages. Overall, our results suggest that the year-to-year fluctuations of egg-clutch abundances in Brenne Natural Park were partly dependent on local climatic conditions (rainfall and temperature). Climate seemed to influence breeding frogs during the autumn-winter period preceding reproduction. Spring and summer conditions did not influence reproduction. Additionally, we failed to detect effects of climatic conditions on newly metamorphosed individuals. Other factors such as density dependence and inter-specific interactions with introduced predators are likely to play a significant role in reproduction dynamics of the studied frog populations.

RNA-sequencing analysis reveals abundant developmental stage-specific and immunity-related genes in the pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus.

PubMed

Vogel, H; Badapanda, C; Knorr, E; Vilcinskas, A

2014-02-01

The pollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus) is a major pest of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and other cruciferous crops in Europe. Pesticide-resistant pollen beetle populations are emerging, increasing the economic impact of this species. We isolated total RNA from the larval and adult stages, the latter either naïve or immunized by injection with bacteria and yeast. High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was carried out to establish a comprehensive transcriptome catalogue and to screen for developmental stage-specific and immunity-related transcripts. We assembled the transcriptome de novo by combining sequence tags from all developmental stages and treatments. Gene expression data based on normalized read counts revealed several functional gene categories that were differentially expressed between larvae and adults, particularly genes associated with digestion and detoxification that were induced in larvae, and genes associated with reproduction and environmental signalling that were induced in adults. We also identified many genes associated with microbe recognition, immunity-related signalling and defence effectors, such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and lysozymes. Digital gene expression analysis revealed significant differences in the profile of AMPs expressed in larvae, naïve adults and immune-challenged adults, providing insight into the steady-state differences between developmental stages and the complex transcriptional remodelling that occurs following the induction of immunity. Our data provide insight into the adaptive mechanisms used by phytophagous insects and could lead to the development of more effective control strategies for insect pests. © 2013 The Royal Entomological Society.

Development and initial validation of the Bristol Impact of Hypermobility questionnaire.

PubMed

Palmer, S; Cramp, F; Lewis, R; Gould, G; Clark, E M

2017-06-01

Stage 1 - to identify the impact of joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) on adults; Stage 2 - to develop a questionnaire to assess the impact of JHS; and Stage 3 - to undertake item reduction and establish the questionnaire's concurrent validity. A mixed methods study employing qualitative focus groups and interviews (Stage 1); a working group of patients, clinicians and researchers, and 'think aloud' interviews (Stage 2); and quantitative analysis of questionnaire responses (Stage 3). Stages 1 and 2 took place in one secondary care hospital in the UK. Members of a UK-wide patient organisation were recruited in Stage 3. In total, 15, four and 615 participants took part in Stages 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Inclusion criteria were: age ≥18 years; diagnosis of JHS; no other conditions affecting physical function; able to give informed consent; and able to understand and communicate in English. None. The development of a questionnaire to assess the impact of JHS. Stage 1 identified a wide range of impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions In Stage 2, a draft questionnaire was developed and refined following 'think aloud' analysis, leaving 94 scored items. In Stage 3, items were removed on the basis of low severity and/or high correlation with other items. The final Bristol Impact of Hypermobility (BIoH) questionnaire had 55 scored items, and correlated well with the physical component score of the Short Form 36 health questionnaire (r=-0.725). The BIoH questionnaire demonstrated good concurrent validity. Further psychometric properties need to be established. Copyright © 2016 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heath Monitoring of Thermal Protection Systems - Preliminary Measurements and Design Specifications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, D. A.; Price, D. C.

2007-01-01

The work reported here is the first stage of a project that aims to develop a health monitoring system for Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) that enables a vehicle to safely re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. The TPS health monitoring system is to be integrated into an existing acoustic emissions-based Concept Demonstrator, developed by CSIRO, which has been previously demonstrated for evaluating impact damage of aerospace systems.

Multiple HPV genotype infection impact on invasive cervical cancer presentation and survival

PubMed Central

Martins, Toni Ricardo; Mendoza Lopez, Rossana V.; Sadalla, José Carlos; de Carvalho, João Paulo Mancusi; Baracat, Edmund Chada

2017-01-01

Background Invasive cervical cancer (ICC) is the third most common malignant neoplasm affecting Brazilian women. Little is known about the impact of specific HPV genotypes in the prognosis of ICC. We hypothesized that HPV genotype would impact ICC clinical presentation and survival. Methods Women diagnosed with ICC at the Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP) between May 2008 and June 2012 were included in the study and were followed until December 2015. HPV genotype was detected from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue samples using Onclarity™ system (BD Viper™ LT automated system). Results 292 patients aged 50±14 years were analyzed. HPVDNA was detected in 84% of patients. The HPV genotypes studied were: HPV16 (64%), HPV18 (10%), HPV33-58 (7%), HPV45 (5%), HPV31 (4%) and other high-risk HPV genotypes (11%). HPV genotypes showed different distributions regarding histological type and clinical stage. Patients were followed for 35±21 months. The overall survival at 5 years after diagnosis of cervical cancer was 54%. Age, clinical staging, histological type and multiple HPV genotypes infection detected in the same tumor specimen were associated with poorer overall survival on multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis (p<0.05). No specific HPV genotype affected survival. Conclusion Multiple HPV genotype infection was associated with poorer ICC survival in our study, compared with single genotype infection. HPV genotyping from FFPE tumor tissue using an automated assay such as the Onclarity BD™ assay provides a simpler alternative for routine clinical use. Impact This is the largest study employing an automated HPV genotyping assay using FFPE of ICC. Multiple HPV genotype infection adversely influenced survival. PMID:28829791

Hydrological and thermal effects of hydropeaking on early life stages of salmonids: A modelling approach for implementing mitigation strategies.

PubMed

Casas-Mulet, Roser; Saltveit, Svein Jakob; Alfredsen, Knut Tore

2016-12-15

Alterations in hydrological and thermal regimes can potentially affect salmonid early life stages development and survival. The dewatering of salmon spawning redds due to hydropeaking can lead to mortality in early life stages, with higher impact on the alevins as they have lower tolerance to dewatering than the eggs. Flow-related mitigation measures can reduce early life stage mortality. We present a set of modelling tools to assess impacts and mitigation options to minimise the risk of mortality in early life stages in hydropeaking rivers. We successfully modelled long-term hydrological and thermal alterations and consequences for development rates. We estimated the risk of early life stages mortality and assessed the cost-effectiveness of implementing three release-related mitigation options (A,B,C). The economic cost of mitigation was low and ranged between 0.7% and 2.6% of the annual hydropower production. Options reducing the flow during spawning (B and C) in addition to only release minimum flows during development (A) were considered more effective for egg and alevin survival. Options B and C were however constraint by water availability in the system for certain years, and therefore only option A was always feasible. The set of modelling tools used in this study were satisfactory and their applications can be useful especially in systems where little field data is available. Targeted measures built on well-informed modelling tools can be tested on their effectiveness to mitigate dewatering effects vs. the hydropower system capacity to release or conserve water for power production. Environmental flow releases targeting specific ecological objectives can provide better cost-effective options than conventional operational rules complying with general legislation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of Life-Cycle Stage and Gender on the Ability to Balance Work and Family Responsibilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Christopher; And Others

1994-01-01

Examined impact of gender and life-cycle stage on three components of work-family conflict using sample of 3,616 respondents. For men, levels of work-family conflict were moderately lower in each successive life-cycle stage. For women, levels were similar in two early life-cycle stages but were significantly lower in later life-cycle stage.…

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma prognostic determination using pre-operative serum C-reactive protein levels.

PubMed

Lin, Zi-Ying; Liang, Zhen-Xing; Zhuang, Pei-Lin; Chen, Jie-Wei; Cao, Yun; Yan, Li-Xu; Yun, Jing-Ping; Xie, Dan; Cai, Mu-Yan

2016-10-12

Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute inflammatory response biomarker, has been recognized as an indicator of malignant disease progression. However, the prognostic significance of CRP levels collected before tumor removal in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma requires further investigation. We sampled the CRP levels in 140 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who underwent hepatectomies with regional lymphadenectomies between 2006 and 2013. A retrospective analysis of the clinicopathological data was performed. We focused on the impact of serum CRP on the patients' cancer-specific survival and recurrence-free survival rates. High levels of preoperative serum CRP were significantly associated with well-established clinicopathologic features, including gender, advanced tumor stage, and elevated carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis demonstrated a significant association between high levels of serum CRP and adverse cancer-specific survival (P = 0.001) and recurrence-free survival (P < 0.001). In patients with stage I/II intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, the serum CRP level was a prognostic indicator for cancer-specific survival. In patients with stage I/II or stage III/IV, the serum CRP level was a prognostic indicator for recurrence-free survival (P < 0.05). Additionally, multivariate analysis identified serum CRP level in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma as an independent prognostic factor (P < 0.05). We confirmed a significant association of elevated pre-operative CRP levels with poor clinical outcomes for the tested patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Our results indicate that the serum CRP level may represent a useful factor for patient stratification in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma management.

Dynamic impact force and association with structural damage to the knee joint: an ex-vivo study.

PubMed

Brill, Richard; Wohlgemuth, Walther A; Hempfling, Harald; Bohndorf, Klaus; Becker, Ursula; Welsch, Ulrich; Kamp, Alexander; Roemer, Frank W

2014-12-01

No systematic, histologically confirmed data are available concerning the association between magnitude of direct dynamic impact caused by vertical impact trauma and the resulting injury to cartilage and subchondral bone. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between dynamic impact and the resulting patterns of osteochondral injury in an ex-vivo model. A mechanical apparatus was employed to perform ex-vivo controlled dynamic vertical impact experiments in 110 pig knees with the femur positioned in a holding fixture. A falling body with a thrust plate and photo sensor was applied. The direct impact to the trochlear articular surface was registered and the resulting osteochondral injuries macroscopically and histologically correlated and categorized. The relationship between magnitude of direct impact and injury severity could be classified as stage I injuries (impact <7.3MPa): elastic deformation, no histological injury; stage II injuries (impact 7.3-9.6MPa): viscoelastic imprint of the cartilaginous surface, subchondral microfractures; stage III injuries (impact 9.6-12.7MPa): disrupted cartilage surface, chondral fissures and subchondral microfractures; stage IV injuries (impact >12.7MPa): osteochondral impression, histologically imprint and osteochondral macrofractures. The impact ranges and histologic injury stages determined from this vertical dynamic impact experiment allowed for a biomechanical classification of direct, acute osteochondral injury. In contrast to static load commonly applied in ex-vivo experiments, dynamic impact more realistically represents actual trauma to the knee joint.

Meteor Crater: Energy of formation - Implications of centrifuge scaling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, R. M.

1980-01-01

Recent work on explosive cratering has demonstrated the utility of performing subscale experiments on a geotechnic centrifuge to develop scaling rules for very large energy events. The present investigation is concerned with an extension of this technique to impact cratering. Experiments have been performed using a projectile gun mounted directly on the centrifuge rotor to launch projectiles into a suitable soil container undergoing centripetal accelerations in excess of 500 G. The pump tube of a two-stage light-gas gun was used to attain impact velocities of approximately 2 km/sec. The results of the experiments indicate that the energy of formation of any large impact crater depends upon the impact velocity. This dependence, shown for the case of Meteor Crater, is consistent with analogous results for the specific energy dependence of explosives and is expected to persist to impact velocities in excess of 25 km/sec.

Stator Indexing in Multistage Compressors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barankiewicz, Wendy S.

1997-01-01

The relative circumferential location of stator rows (stator indexing) is an aspect of multistage compressor design that has not yet been explored for its potential impact on compressor aerodynamic performance. Although the inlet stages of multistage compressors usually have differing stator blade counts, the aft stages of core compressors can often have stage blocks with equal stator blade counts in successive stages. The potential impact of stator indexing is likely greatest in these stages. To assess the performance impact of stator indexing, researchers at the NASA Lewis Research Center used the 4 ft diameter, four-stage NASA Low Speed Axial Compressor for detailed experiments. This compressor has geometrically identical stages that can circumferentially index stator rows relative to each other in a controlled manner; thus it is an ideal test rig for such investigations.

Long-Term Changes in the Distributions of Larval and Adult Fish in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem.

PubMed

Walsh, Harvey J; Richardson, David E; Marancik, Katrin E; Hare, Jonathan A

2015-01-01

Many studies have documented long-term changes in adult marine fish distributions and linked these changes to climate change and multi-decadal climate variability. Most marine fish, however, have complex life histories with morphologically distinct stages, which use different habitats. Shifts in distribution of one stage may affect the connectivity between life stages and thereby impact population processes including spawning and recruitment. Specifically, many marine fish species have a planktonic larval stage, which lasts from weeks to months. We compared the spatial distribution and seasonal occurrence of larval fish in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem to test whether spatial and temporal distributions changed between two decades. Two large-scale ichthyoplankton programs sampled using similar methods and spatial domain each decade. Adult distributions from a long-term bottom trawl survey over the same time period and spatial area were also analyzed using the same analytical framework to compare changes in larval and adult distributions between the two decades. Changes in spatial distribution of larvae occurred for 43% of taxa, with shifts predominately northward (i.e., along-shelf). Timing of larval occurrence shifted for 49% of the larval taxa, with shifts evenly split between occurring earlier and later in the season. Where both larvae and adults of the same species were analyzed, 48% exhibited different shifts between larval and adult stages. Overall, these results demonstrate that larval fish distributions are changing in the ecosystem. The spatial changes are largely consistent with expectations from a changing climate. The temporal changes are more complex, indicating we need a better understanding of reproductive timing of fishes in the ecosystem. These changes may impact population productivity through changes in life history connectivity and recruitment, and add to the accumulating evidence for changes in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem with potential to impact fisheries and other ecosystem services.

Long-Term Changes in the Distributions of Larval and Adult Fish in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Many studies have documented long-term changes in adult marine fish distributions and linked these changes to climate change and multi-decadal climate variability. Most marine fish, however, have complex life histories with morphologically distinct stages, which use different habitats. Shifts in distribution of one stage may affect the connectivity between life stages and thereby impact population processes including spawning and recruitment. Specifically, many marine fish species have a planktonic larval stage, which lasts from weeks to months. We compared the spatial distribution and seasonal occurrence of larval fish in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem to test whether spatial and temporal distributions changed between two decades. Two large-scale ichthyoplankton programs sampled using similar methods and spatial domain each decade. Adult distributions from a long-term bottom trawl survey over the same time period and spatial area were also analyzed using the same analytical framework to compare changes in larval and adult distributions between the two decades. Changes in spatial distribution of larvae occurred for 43% of taxa, with shifts predominately northward (i.e., along-shelf). Timing of larval occurrence shifted for 49% of the larval taxa, with shifts evenly split between occurring earlier and later in the season. Where both larvae and adults of the same species were analyzed, 48% exhibited different shifts between larval and adult stages. Overall, these results demonstrate that larval fish distributions are changing in the ecosystem. The spatial changes are largely consistent with expectations from a changing climate. The temporal changes are more complex, indicating we need a better understanding of reproductive timing of fishes in the ecosystem. These changes may impact population productivity through changes in life history connectivity and recruitment, and add to the accumulating evidence for changes in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem with potential to impact fisheries and other ecosystem services. PMID:26398900

Environmental impact of mushroom compost production.

PubMed

Leiva, Francisco; Saenz-Díez, Juan-Carlos; Martínez, Eduardo; Jiménez, Emilio; Blanco, Julio

2016-09-01

This research analyses the environmental impact of the creation of Agaricus bisporus compost packages. The composting process is the intermediate stage of the mushroom production process, subsequent to the mycelium cultivation stage and prior to the fruiting bodies cultivation stage. A full life cycle assessment model of the Agaricus bisporus composting process has been developed through the identification and analysis of the inputs-outputs and energy consumption of the activities involved in the production process. The study has been developed based on data collected from a plant during a 1 year campaign, thereby obtaining accurate information used to analyse the environmental impact of the process. A global analysis of the main stages of the process shows that the process that has the greatest impact in most categories is the compost batch preparation process. This is due to an increased consumption of energy resources by the machinery that mixes the raw materials to create the batch. At the composting process inside the tunnel stage, the activity that has the greatest impact in almost all categories studied is the initial stage of composting. This is due to higher energy consumption during the process compared to the other stages. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of a product-specific reference standard for the measurement of a PEGylated rFVIII activity: the Swiss Multicentre Field Study.

PubMed

Bulla, O; Poncet, A; Alberio, L; Asmis, L M; Gähler, A; Graf, L; Nagler, M; Studt, J-D; Tsakiris, D A; Fontana, P

2017-07-01

Measuring factor VIII (FVIII) activity can be challenging when it has been modified, such as when FVIII is pegylated to increase its circulating half-life. Use of a product-specific reference standard may help avoid this issue. Evaluate the impact of using a product-specific reference standard for measuring the FVIII activity of BAX 855 - a pegylated FVIII - in eight of Switzerland's main laboratories. Factor VIII-deficient plasma, spiked with five different concentrations of BAX 855, plus a control FVIII sample, was sent to the participating laboratories. They measured FVIII activity by using either with a one-stage (OSA) or the chromogenic assay (CA) against their local or a product-specific reference standard. When using a local reference standard, there was an overestimation of BAX 855 activity compared to the target concentrations, both with the OSA and CA. The use of a product-specific reference standard reduced this effect: mean recovery ranged from 127.7% to 213.5% using the OSA with local reference standards, compared to 110% to 183.8% with a product-specific reference standard, and from 146.3% to 182.4% using the CA with local reference standards compared to 72.7% to 103.7% with a product-specific reference standard. In this in vitro study, the type of reference standard had a major impact on the measurement of BAX 855 activity. Evaluation was more accurate and precise when using a product-specific reference standard. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis of endometrial carcinoma: Seeing the forest for the trees.

PubMed

Barlin, Joyce N; Zhou, Qin; St Clair, Caryn M; Iasonos, Alexia; Soslow, Robert A; Alektiar, Kaled M; Hensley, Martee L; Leitao, Mario M; Barakat, Richard R; Abu-Rustum, Nadeem R

2013-09-01

The objectives of the study are to evaluate which clinicopathologic factors influenced overall survival (OS) in endometrial carcinoma and to determine if the surgical effort to assess para-aortic (PA) lymph nodes (LNs) at initial staging surgery impacts OS. All patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer from 1/1993-12/2011 who had LNs excised were included. PALN assessment was defined by the identification of one or more PALNs on final pathology. A multivariate analysis was performed to assess the effect of PALNs on OS. A form of recursive partitioning called classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was implemented. Variables included: age, stage, tumor subtype, grade, myometrial invasion, total LNs removed, evaluation of PALNs, and adjuvant chemotherapy. The cohort included 1920 patients, with a median age of 62 years. The median number of LNs removed was 16 (range, 1-99). The removal of PALNs was not associated with OS (P=0.450). Using the CART hierarchically, stage I vs. stages II-IV and grades 1-2 vs. grade 3 emerged as predictors of OS. If the tree was allowed to grow, further branching was based on age and myometrial invasion. Total number of LNs removed and assessment of PALNs as defined in this study were not predictive of OS. This innovative CART analysis emphasized the importance of proper stage assignment and a binary grading system in impacting OS. Notably, the total number of LNs removed and specific evaluation of PALNs as defined in this study were not important predictors of OS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying the most appropriate age threshold for TNM stage grouping of well-differentiated thyroid cancer.

PubMed

Hendrickson-Rebizant, J; Sigvaldason, H; Nason, R W; Pathak, K A

2015-08-01

Age is integrated in most risk stratification systems for well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC). The most appropriate age threshold for stage grouping of WDTC is debatable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the best age threshold for stage grouping by comparing multivariable models designed to evaluate the independent impact of various prognostic factors, including age based stage grouping, on the disease specific survival (DSS) of our population-based cohort. Data from population-based thyroid cancer cohort of 2125 consecutive WDTC, diagnosed during 1970-2010, with a median follow-up of 11.5 years, was used to calculate DSS using the Kaplan Meier method. Multivariable analysis with Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess independent impact of different prognostic factors on DSS. The Akaike information criterion (AIC), a measure of statistical model fit, was used to identify the most appropriate age threshold model. Delta AIC, Akaike weight, and evidence ratios were calculated to compare the relative strength of different models. The mean age of the patients was 47.3 years. DSS of the cohort was 95.6% and 92.8% at 10 and 20 years respectively. A threshold of 55 years, with the lowest AIC, was identified as the best model. Akaike weight indicated an 85% chance that this age threshold is the best among the compared models, and is 16.8 times more likely to be the best model as compared to a threshold of 45 years. The age threshold of 55 years was found to be the best for TNM stage grouping. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of targeting insulin-like growth factor signaling in head and neck cancers.

PubMed

Limesand, Kirsten H; Chibly, Alejandro Martinez; Fribley, Andrew

2013-10-01

The IGF system has been shown to have either negative or negligible impact on clinical outcomes of tumor development depending on specific tumor sites or stages. This review focuses on the clinical impact of IGF signaling in head and neck cancer, the effects of IGF targeted therapies, and the multi-dimensional role of IRS 1/2 signaling as a potential mechanism in resistance to targeted therapies. Similar to other tumor sites, both negative and positive correlations between levels of IGF-1/IGF-1-R and clinical outcomes in head and neck cancer have been reported. In addition, utilization of IGF targeted therapies has not demonstrated significant clinical benefit; therefore the prognostic impact of the IGF system on head and neck cancer remains uncertain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Vivo and In Vitro Characterization of a Plasmodium Liver Stage-Specific Promoter

PubMed Central

Horstmann, Sebastian; Annoura, Takeshi; del Portillo, Hernando A.; Khan, Shahid M.; Heussler, Volker T.

2015-01-01

Little is known about stage-specific gene regulation in Plasmodium parasites, in particular the liver stage of development. We have previously described in the Plasmodium berghei rodent model, a liver stage-specific (lisp2) gene promoter region, in vitro. Using a dual luminescence system, we now confirm the stage specificity of this promoter region also in vivo. Furthermore, by substitution and deletion analyses we have extended our in vitro characterization of important elements within the promoter region. Importantly, the dual luminescence system allows analyzing promoter constructs avoiding mouse-consuming cloning procedures of transgenic parasites. This makes extensive mutation and deletion studies a reasonable approach also in the malaria mouse model. Stage-specific expression constructs and parasite lines are extremely valuable tools for research on Plasmodium liver stage biology. Such reporter lines offer a promising opportunity for assessment of liver stage drugs, characterization of genetically attenuated parasites and liver stage-specific vaccines both in vivo and in vitro, and may be key for the generation of inducible systems. PMID:25874388

Health insurance for the poor: impact on catastrophic and out-of-pocket health expenditures in Mexico

PubMed Central

Galárraga, Omar; Salinas-Rodríguez, Aarón; Sesma-Vázquez, Sergio

2009-01-01

The goal of Seguro Popular (SP) in Mexico was to improve the financial protection of the uninsured population against excessive health expenditures. This paper estimates the impact of SP on catastrophic health expenditures (CHE), as well as out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures, from two different sources. First, we use the SP Impact Evaluation Survey (2005–2006), and compare the instrumental variables (IV) results with the experimental benchmark. Then, we use the same IV methods with the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT 2006). We estimate naïve models, assuming exogeneity, and contrast them with IV models that take advantage of the specific SP implementation mechanisms for identification. The IV models estimated included two-stage least squares (2SLS), bivariate probit, and two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) models. Instrumental variables estimates resulted in comparable estimates against the “gold standard.” Instrumental variables estimates indicate a reduction of 54% in catastrophic expenditures at the national level. SP beneficiaries also had lower expenditures on outpatient and medicine expenditures. The selection-corrected protective effect is found not only in the limited experimental dataset, but also at the national level. PMID:19756796

Health insurance for the poor: impact on catastrophic and out-of-pocket health expenditures in Mexico.

PubMed

Galárraga, Omar; Sosa-Rubí, Sandra G; Salinas-Rodríguez, Aarón; Sesma-Vázquez, Sergio

2010-10-01

The goal of Seguro Popular (SP) in Mexico was to improve the financial protection of the uninsured population against excessive health expenditures. This paper estimates the impact of SP on catastrophic health expenditures (CHE), as well as out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures, from two different sources. First, we use the SP Impact Evaluation Survey (2005-2006), and compare the instrumental variables (IV) results with the experimental benchmark. Then, we use the same IV methods with the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT 2006). We estimate naïve models, assuming exogeneity, and contrast them with IV models that take advantage of the specific SP implementation mechanisms for identification. The IV models estimated included two-stage least squares (2SLS), bivariate probit, and two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) models. Instrumental variables estimates resulted in comparable estimates against the "gold standard." Instrumental variables estimates indicate a reduction of 54% in catastrophic expenditures at the national level. SP beneficiaries also had lower expenditures on outpatient and medicine expenditures. The selection-corrected protective effect is found not only in the limited experimental dataset, but also at the national level.

Esophageal luminal stenosis is an independent prognostic factor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Yang, Yu-Shang; Hu, Wei-Peng; Ni, Peng-Zhi; Wang, Wen-Ping; Yuan, Yong; Chen, Long-Qi

2017-06-27

Predictive value of preoperative endoscopic characteristic of esophageal tumor has not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of esophageal luminal stenosis on survival for patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The clinicopathologic characteristics of 623 ESCC patients who underwent curative resection as the primary treatment between January 2005 and April 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. The esophageal luminal stenosis measured by endoscopy was defined as a uniform measurement preoperatively. The impact of esophageal luminal stenosis on patients' overall survival (OS) and relation with other clinicopathological features were assessed. A Cox regression model was used to identify prognostic factors. The results showed that OS significantly decreased in patients with manifest stenotic tumor compared with patients without luminal obstruction (P<0.05). Considerable esophageal luminal stenosis was associated with a higher T stage, longer tumor length, and poorer differentiation (all P<0.05). In multivariate survival analysis, esophageal luminal stenosis remained as an independent prognostic factor for OS (P= 0.036). Esophageal luminal stenosis could have a significant impact on the OS in patients with resected ESCC and may provide additional prognostic value to the current staging system before any cancer-specific treatment.

Seismometer reading from impact made by Lunar Module ascent stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

The seismometer reading from the impact made by the Lunar Module ascent stage when it struck the lunar surface. The impact was registered by the Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP) which was deployed on the Moon by the Apollo 12 astronauts. The Lunar module's ascent stage was jettisoned and sent toward impact on the Moon after Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr. and Alan L. Bean returned to lunar orbit and rejoined Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., in the Command/Service Modules.

Research on Chinese life cycle-based wind power plant environmental influence prevention measures.

PubMed

Wang, Hanxi; Xu, Jianling; Liu, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Tian

2014-08-19

The environmental impact of wind power plants over their life cycle is divided into three stages: construction period, operation period and retired period. The impact is mainly reflected in ecological destruction, noise pollution, water pollution and the effect on bird migration. In response to these environmental effects, suggesting reasonable locations, reducing plant footprint, optimizing construction programs, shielding noise, preventing pollution of terrestrial ecosystems, implementing combined optical and acoustical early warning signals, making synthesized use of power generation equipment in the post-retired period and using other specific measures, including methods involving governance and protection efforts to reduce environmental pollution, can be performed to achieve sustainable development.

Sensitivity and specificity of the online version of ImPACT in high school and collegiate athletes.

PubMed

Schatz, Philip; Sandel, Natalie

2013-02-01

The utility of postconcussion neurocognitive testing versus symptom data has been debated. The sensitivity of the desktop version of the Immediate Post-concussion assessment and cognitive testing (ImPACT) tool has been documented, but psychometric properties of the recently released online version of ImPACT have yet to be fully established. To document the sensitivity of the online ImPACT version in samples of (1) symptomatic concussed (high school and collegiate) athletes, and (2) asymptomatic concussed (high school and collegiate) athletes suspected of hiding their concussions. Cohort study; level of evidence, 3. A total of 81 athletes observed to sustain a concussion by a certified athletic trainer or team physician, a finding that was confirmed with reported postconcussion symptoms, completed the ImPACT test within 3 days of injury. Data were compared with an independent sample of 81 athletes who completed preseason baseline cognitive assessments using ImPACT and who were matched (with concussed athletes) on the basis of sex, age, sport, concussion history, and absence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disability. An independent group of 37 athletes who were also observed to sustain a concussion completed ImPACT within 3 days of injury. These athletes reported no postconcussion symptoms but were noted for suspected invalid response patterns on ImPACT (impulse control index >30 and verbal memory index <69%). The subscale data from the assessments (excluding those contributing to the aforementioned indices) were compared with a matched sample of 37 athletes who completed preseason baseline cognitive assessments in ImPACT (using the same criteria described above). Data from the ImPACT online version yielded 91.4% sensitivity and 69.1% specificity. For asymptomatic athletes suspected of hiding their concussion, data from ImPACT yielded 94.6% sensitivity and 97.3% specificity. The online version of the ImPACT tool is a valid measure of neurocognitive performance at the acute stages of concussion, with high levels of sensitivity and specificity, even when athletes appear to be denying postconcussion symptoms.

Sexual dimorphism in immune function changes during the annual cycle in house sparrows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pap, Péter László; Czirják, Gábor Árpád; Vágási, Csongor István; Barta, Zoltán; Hasselquist, Dennis

2010-10-01

Difference between sexes in parasitism is a common phenomenon among birds, which may be related to differences between males and females in their investment into immune functions or as a consequence of differential exposure to parasites. Because life-history strategies change sex specifically during the annual cycle, immunological responses of the host aiming to reduce the impact of parasites may be sexually dimorphic. Despite the great complexity of the immune system, studies on immunoecology generally characterise the immune status through a few variables, often overlooking potentially important seasonal and gender effects. However, because of the differences in physiological and defence mechanisms among different arms of the immune system, we expect divergent responses of immune components to environmental seasonality. In male and female house sparrows ( Passer domesticus), we measured the major components of the immune system (innate, acquired, cellular and humoral) during four important life-history stages across the year: (1) mating, (2) breeding, (3) moulting and (4) during the winter capture and also following introduction to captivity in aviary. Different individuals were sampled from the same population during the four life cycle stages. We found that three out of eight immune variables showed a significant life cycle stage × sex interaction. The difference in immune response between the sexes was significant in five immune variables during the mating stage, when females had consistently stronger immune function than males, while variables varied generally non-significantly with sex during the remaining three life cycle stages. Our results show that the immune system is highly variable between life cycle stages and sexes, highlighting the potential fine tuning of the immune system to specific physiological states and environmental conditions.

High-throughput metataxonomic characterization of the raw milk microbiota identifies changes reflecting lactation stage and storage conditions.

PubMed

Doyle, Conor J; Gleeson, David; O'Toole, Paul W; Cotter, Paul D

2017-08-16

Low temperature is used to control the growth of bacteria in milk, both pre- and post-pasteurization. As the duration of refrigerated storage extends, psychrotrophs dominate the milk microbiota, that can produce heat stable lipases which negatively impact the organoleptic qualities of milk. Here we examine the influence that refrigeration temperature (2°C, 4°C and 6°C) and storage duration (96h) have on the microbiota composition (16S profiling) of raw bulk tank milk (BTM). To reflect a proposed change to current farming practices, raw milk was blended after each milking (8 milkings) and stored for five consecutive days in each temperature-specific tank. Here 16S rRNA-based microbiota compositional analysis was performed after milk was collected on day 1 and again after the final addition of milk at day 5. In addition to assessing the impact of the duration and temperature of storage, the influence of lactation stage, i.e. mid- versus late-lactation, on the microbiota of the blended BTM was also examined. Overall, both temperature and length of storage had surprisingly little influence on the raw milk microbiota, other than an increase in proportions of Gammaproteobacteria in the blended milk samples collected after pooling on day 5, and in samples stored at 6°C. However, lactation stage had a considerable influence on microbiota composition, with milk from mid-lactation containing higher proportions of Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Campylobacter and Rhodanobacter, and late-lactation milk containing higher proportions of Actinobacteria. Overall, the study demonstrates that current temperature and storage duration practises impact the microbiota of raw milk, but these impacts are modest relative to the more considerable differences between mid and late-lactation milk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Trajectories and Impacts of Land Use and Land Cover Change: A Global Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustard, J. F.; Fisher, T. R.; Prince, S. D.; Soja, A. J.; Elmore, A. J.

2001-12-01

We have summarized the trajectories of land cover and land use change (LCLUC) and the resulting impacts through a synthesis of results from studies encompassing a wide range of environments. While the specific changes and impacts are in some ways unique to each environment, we have nevertheless identified some general principles that seem to apply across all regions. The LCLUC trajectory of a particular landscape under influence by human actions begins with the transition from conditions dominated by natural vegetation to a frontier state. Land use activities in a frontier state are centered primarily around resource extraction and development of infrastructure such as roads or ports. Under the proper conditions (e.g. soils, climate), the frontier state gives way to an agricultural landscape by further conversion of natural vegetation to agriculture and management of cleared land for agriculture. The maximum extent of this conversion is a function of local biophysical and socio-economic factors. For example conversion of arid lands may be limited by water availability, access to capital for development of water resources and access to markets for the products. Given the appropriate conditions (e.g. economic and social policy, generation of wealth), LCLUC evolves as large settlements and industrialization develop in concert with high land prices and agricultural intensification. In some cases (e.g., New England, Appalachia), economic conditions (e.g., better land for agriculture elsewhere) may result in reversion of agriculture to natural vegetation. The last stage in LCLUC is conversion of agriculture to residential and suburban environments (e.g., Baltimore/Washington corridor). Examination of global land cover indicates that every stage is currently present, with areas like the Eastern United States and Western Europe as examples of regions having experienced all stages, while parts of the Amazon basin, Siberia, and Africa are moving through the frontier transition. Whether these frontier regions will evolve along the general LCLUC trajectory will depend on biophysical and socio-economic factors. Some regions like Siberia may never evolve to the agricultural stage and persist as a frontier landscape with its associated impacts. The impacts on biogeochemical and social systems are the most dramatic during transitions between states, with lesser impacts or even recovery during periods of stasis. However, displacement of natural vegetation by anthropogenic land uses currently results in enhanced water yields and higher fluxes of elements such as N and P, which encourage eutrophication of lakes and coastal waters without further land cover change. Social and economic policies are the primary drivers of LCLUC, and regulations are critical for controlling the impacts, especially in the later stages.

Effect of prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography on the decision-making of radiation oncologists.

PubMed

Shakespeare, Thomas P

2015-11-18

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is routinely used in many cancer types, although is not yet a standard modality for prostate carcinoma. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET is a promising new modality for staging prostate cancer, with recent studies showing potential advantages over traditional computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine bone scan imaging. However, the impact of PSMA PET on the decision-making of radiation oncologists and outcomes after radiotherapy is yet to be determined. Our aim was to determine the impact of PSMA PET on a radiation oncologist's clinical practice. Patients in a radiation oncology clinic who underwent PSMA PET were prospectively recorded in an electronic oncology record. Patient demographics, outcomes of imaging, and impact on decision-making were evaluated. Fifty-four patients underwent PSMA PET between January and May 2015. The major reasons for undergoing PET included staging before definitive (14.8%) or post-prostatectomy (33.3%) radiotherapy, and investigation of PSA failures following definitive (16.7%) or post-prostatectomy (33.3%) radiotherapy. In 46.3% of patients PSMA was positive after negative traditional imaging, in 9.3% PSMA was positive after equivocal imaging, and in 13.0% PSMA was negative after equivocal imaging. PSMA PET changed radiotherapy management in 46.3% of cases, and hormone therapy in 33.3% of patients, with an overall change in decision-making in 53.7% of patients. PSMA PET has the potential to significantly alter the decision-making of radiation oncologists, and may become a valuable imaging tool in the future.

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

Genda, H.; Kobayashi, H.; Kokubo, E., E-mail: genda@elsi.jp

In our solar system, Mars-sized protoplanets frequently collided with each other during the last stage of terrestrial planet formation, called the giant impact stage. Giant impacts eject a large amount of material from the colliding protoplanets into the terrestrial planet region, which may form debris disks with observable infrared excesses. Indeed, tens of warm debris disks around young solar-type stars have been observed. Here we quantitatively estimate the total mass of ejected materials during the giant impact stages. We found that ∼0.4 times the Earth’s mass is ejected in total throughout the giant impact stage. Ejected materials are ground down bymore » collisional cascade until micron-sized grains are blown out by radiation pressure. The depletion timescale of these ejected materials is determined primarily by the mass of the largest body among them. We conducted high-resolution simulations of giant impacts to accurately obtain the mass of the largest ejected body. We then calculated the evolution of the debris disks produced by a series of giant impacts and depleted by collisional cascades to obtain the infrared excess evolution of the debris disks. We found that the infrared excess is almost always higher than the stellar infrared flux throughout the giant impact stage (∼100 Myr) and is sometimes ∼10 times higher immediately after a giant impact. Therefore, giant impact stages would explain the infrared excess from most observed warm debris disks. The observed fraction of stars with warm debris disks indicates that the formation probability of our solar-system-like terrestrial planets is approximately 10%.« less

Active and inactive enhancers co-operate to exert localized and long-range control of gene regulation

PubMed Central

Proudhon, Charlotte; Snetkova, Valentina; Raviram, Ramya; Lobry, Camille; Badri, Sana; Jiang, Tingting; Hao, Bingtao; Trimarchi, Thomas; Kluger, Yuval; Aifantis, Iannis; Bonneau, Richard; Skok, Jane A

2016-01-01

V(D)J recombination relies on the presence of proximal enhancers that activate the antigen receptor (AgR) loci in a lineage and stage specific manner. Unexpectedly we find that both active and inactive AgR enhancers co-operate to disseminate their effects in a localized and long-range manner. Here we demonstrate the importance of short-range contacts between active enhancers that constitute an Igk super-enhancer in B cells. Deletion of one element reduces the interaction frequency between other enhancers in the hub, which compromises the transcriptional output of each component. We further establish that in T cells long-range contact and co-operation between the inactive Igk enhancer, MiEκ and the active Tcrb enhancer, Eβ, alters enrichment of CBFβ binding in a manner that impacts Tcrb recombination. These findings underline the complexities of enhancer regulation and point to a role for localized and long-range enhancer-sharing between active and inactive elements in lineage and stage specific control. PMID:27239026

The Activities of Current Antimalarial Drugs on the Life Cycle Stages of Plasmodium: A Comparative Study with Human and Rodent Parasites

PubMed Central

Delves, Michael; Plouffe, David; Scheurer, Christian; Meister, Stephan; Wittlin, Sergio; Winzeler, Elizabeth A.; Sinden, Robert E.; Leroy, Didier

2012-01-01

Background Malaria remains a disease of devastating global impact, killing more than 800,000 people every year—the vast majority being children under the age of 5. While effective therapies are available, if malaria is to be eradicated a broader range of small molecule therapeutics that are able to target the liver and the transmissible sexual stages are required. These new medicines are needed both to meet the challenge of malaria eradication and to circumvent resistance. Methods and Findings Little is known about the wider stage-specific activities of current antimalarials that were primarily designed to alleviate symptoms of malaria in the blood stage. To overcome this critical gap, we developed assays to measure activity of antimalarials against all life stages of malaria parasites, using a diverse set of human and nonhuman parasite species, including male gamete production (exflagellation) in Plasmodium falciparum, ookinete development in P. berghei, oocyst development in P. berghei and P. falciparum, and the liver stage of P. yoelii. We then compared 50 current and experimental antimalarials in these assays. We show that endoperoxides such as OZ439, a stable synthetic molecule currently in clinical phase IIa trials, are strong inhibitors of gametocyte maturation/gamete formation and impact sporogony; lumefantrine impairs development in the vector; and NPC-1161B, a new 8-aminoquinoline, inhibits sporogony. Conclusions These data enable objective comparisons of the strengths and weaknesses of each chemical class at targeting each stage of the lifecycle. Noting that the activities of many compounds lie within achievable blood concentrations, these results offer an invaluable guide to decisions regarding which drugs to combine in the next-generation of antimalarial drugs. This study might reveal the potential of life-cycle–wide analyses of drugs for other pathogens with complex life cycles. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:22363211

Effects of the Use of Non-Calcium Phosphate Binders in the Control and Outcome of Vascular Calcifications: A Review of Clinical Trials on CKD Patients

PubMed Central

Bolasco, Piergiorgio

2011-01-01

Vascular calcifications produce a high impact on morbidity and mortality rates in patients affected by chronic kidney disease and mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD). Effects are manifested from the more advanced stages of CKD (stages 3-4), particularly in patients undergoing dialysis (CKD5D). In recent years, a large number of therapeutic options have been successfully used in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), despite eliciting less marked effects on nonbone calcifications associated with CKD-MBD. In addition to the use of Vitamin D and analogues, more recently treatment with calcimimetic drugs has also been undertaken. The present paper aims to analyze comparative and efficacy studies undertaken to assess particularly the impact on morbidity and mortality rates of non-calcium phosphate binders. Moreover, the mechanism of action underlying the depositing of calcium and phosphate along blood vessel walls, irrespective of the specific contribution provided in reducing the typical phosphate levels observed in CKD largely at more advanced stages of the disease, will be investigated. The aim of this paper therefore is to evaluate which phosphate binders are characterised by the above action and the mechanisms through which these are manifested. PMID:21716706

Effects of the Use of Non-Calcium Phosphate Binders in the Control and Outcome of Vascular Calcifications: A Review of Clinical Trials on CKD Patients.

PubMed

Bolasco, Piergiorgio

2011-01-01

Vascular calcifications produce a high impact on morbidity and mortality rates in patients affected by chronic kidney disease and mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD). Effects are manifested from the more advanced stages of CKD (stages 3-4), particularly in patients undergoing dialysis (CKD5D). In recent years, a large number of therapeutic options have been successfully used in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), despite eliciting less marked effects on nonbone calcifications associated with CKD-MBD. In addition to the use of Vitamin D and analogues, more recently treatment with calcimimetic drugs has also been undertaken. The present paper aims to analyze comparative and efficacy studies undertaken to assess particularly the impact on morbidity and mortality rates of non-calcium phosphate binders. Moreover, the mechanism of action underlying the depositing of calcium and phosphate along blood vessel walls, irrespective of the specific contribution provided in reducing the typical phosphate levels observed in CKD largely at more advanced stages of the disease, will be investigated. The aim of this paper therefore is to evaluate which phosphate binders are characterised by the above action and the mechanisms through which these are manifested.

Insulation Cork Boards-Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material.

PubMed

Silvestre, José D; Pargana, Nuno; de Brito, Jorge; Pinheiro, Manuel D; Durão, Vera

2016-05-20

Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB) are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A "cradle-to-cradle" environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows ( i.e. , uptakes and emissions), including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage-the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation-the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date "cradle-to-cradle" environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards.

Kilauea volcano: the degassing of a hot spot

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

Gerlach, T.M.

1986-03-01

Hot spots such as Kilauea volcano can degas by a one-stage eruptive process or a two-stage process involving eruptive and noneruptive degassing. One stage degassing occurs during sustained summit eruptions and causes a direct environmental impact. Although generally less efficient than the one-stage degassing process, two stage degassing can cause 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater impact in just a few hours during flank eruptions. Hot spot volcanos with resupplied crustal magma chambers may be capable of maintaining an equivalent impact from CO/sub 2/ and S outgassing during both eruptive and noneruptive periods. On average, a hot spot volcanomore » such as Kilauea is a minor polluter compared to man.« less

Life cycle ecophysiology of small pelagic fish and climate-driven changes in populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peck, Myron A.; Reglero, Patricia; Takahashi, Motomitsu; Catalán, Ignacio A.

2013-09-01

Due to their population characteristics and trophodynamic role, small pelagic fishes are excellent bio-indicators of climate-driven changes in marine systems world-wide. We argue that making robust projections of future changes in the productivity and distribution of small pelagics will require a cause-and-effect understanding of historical changes based upon physiological principles. Here, we reviewed the ecophysiology of small pelagic (clupeiform) fishes including a matrix of abiotic and biotic extrinsic factors (e.g., temperature, salinity, light, and prey characteristics) and stage-specific vital rates: (1) adult spawning, (2) survival and development of eggs and yolk sac larvae, and (3) feeding and growth of larvae, post-larvae and juveniles. Emphasis was placed on species inhabiting Northwest Pacific and Northeast Atlantic (European) waters for which summary papers are particularly scarce compared to anchovy and sardine in upwelling systems. Our review revealed that thermal niches (optimal and sub-optimal ranges in temperatures) were species- and stage-specific but that temperature effects only partly explained observed changes in the distribution and/or productivity of populations in the Northwest Pacific and Northeast Atlantic; changes in temperature may be necessary but not sufficient to induce population-level shifts. Prey availability during the late larval and early juvenile period was a common, density-dependent mechanism linked to fluctuations in populations but recruitment mechanisms were system-specific suggesting that generalizations of climate drivers across systems should be avoided. We identified gaps in knowledge regarding basic elements of the growth physiology of each life stage that will require additional field and laboratory study. Avenues of research are recommended that will aid the development of models that provide more robust, physiological-based projections of the population dynamics of these and other small pelagic fish. In our opinion, the continued development of biophysical models that close the life cycle (depict all life stages) offers the best chance of revealing processes causing historical fluctuations on the productivity and distribution of small pelagic fishes and to project future climate-driven impacts. Correctly representing physiological-based mechanisms will increase confidence in the outcomes of models simulating the potential impacts of bottom-up processes, a first step towards evaluating the mixture of factors and processes (e.g. intra-guild dynamics, predation, fisheries exploitation) which interact with climate to affect populations of small pelagic fishes. Understand the impacts of reduced growth rates during the juvenile stage on the process of maturation and spawning condition of small pelagic fishes. Examine the effects of changes in prey quality on the duration and magnitude of spawning by small pelagic fishes to capture how climate-driven changes in zooplankton species composition might act as a “bottom-up” regulator of fish productivity. Identify the drivers for spawning location and timing to better understand how spawning dynamics may be influenced by climate change (e.g. changes in water salinity or turbidity resulting from changes in river discharges or wind-driven turbulence, respectively).

Dynamic Characteristics of Green Sandstone Subjected to Repetitive Impact Loading: Phenomena and Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S. H.; Zhu, W. C.; Niu, L. L.; Yu, M.; Chen, C. F.

2018-06-01

A split Hopkinson pressure bar apparatus driven by a pendulum hammer was used to perform uniaxial compression tests to examine the degradation process of green sandstone subjected to repetitive impact loading. The acoustic characteristics, dissipated energy, deformation characteristics, and microstructure evolution were investigated. The representative stress-strain curve can be broken into five stages that were characterized by changes in the axial strain response during impact loading. Both the ultrasonic wave velocity and cumulative dissipated energy exhibited obvious three-stage behavior with respect to the impact number. As the impact number increased, more than one peak was observed in the frequency spectra, and the relative weight of the peak frequency increased in the low-frequency range. According to the evolution of the ultrasonic wave velocity, the degradation process was divided into three stages. By comparing the intact stage I and early stage II microcrack development patterns, the initiation of new cracks and elongation of existing cracks were identified as the main degradation mechanisms. Furthermore, a slight increase in the number of cracks was observed, and microcrack lengths steadily increased. Moreover, due to the low level of microcrack damage, the deformation mechanism was mainly characterized by volume compression during impact loading. In late stage II, the main degradation mechanism was the elongation of existing cracks. Additionally, as microcracks accumulated in the rock samples, cracks were arranged parallel to the loading direction, which led to volume dilation. In stage III, microcracks continued to elongate nearly parallel to the loading direction and then linked to each other, which led to intense degradation in the rock samples. In this stage, rock sample deformation was mainly characterized by volume dilation during impact loading. Finally, rock samples were split into blocks with fractures oriented subparallel to the loading direction. These results can improve the understanding of the stability evaluations of rock structures subjected to repetitive impact loading.

Impact of prostate weight on probability of positive surgical margins in patients with low-risk prostate cancer after robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

PubMed

Marchetti, Pablo E; Shikanov, Sergey; Razmaria, Aria A; Zagaja, Gregory P; Shalhav, Arieh L

2011-03-01

To evaluate the impact of prostate weight (PW) on probability of positive surgical margin (PSM) in patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for low-risk prostate cancer. The cohort consisted of 690 men with low-risk prostate cancer (clinical stage T1c, prostate-specific antigen <10 ng/mL, biopsy Gleason score ≤6) who underwent RARP with bilateral nerve-sparing at our institution by 1 of 2 surgeons from 2003 to 2009. PW was obtained from the pathologic specimen. The association between probability of PSM and PW was assessed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. A PSM was identified in 105 patients (15.2%). Patients with PSM had significant higher prostate-specific antigen (P = .04), smaller prostates (P = .0001), higher Gleason score (P = .004), and higher pathologic stage (P < .0001). After logistic regression, we found a significant inverse relation between PSM and PW (OR 0.97%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96, 0.99; P = .0003) in univariate analysis. This remained significant in the multivariate model (OR 0.98%; 95% CI 0.96, 0.99; P = .006) adjusting for age, body mass index, surgeon experience, pathologic Gleason score, and pathologic stage. In this multivariate model, the predicted probability of PSM for 25-, 50-, 100-, and 150-g prostates were 22% (95% CI 16%, 30%), 13% (95% CI 11%, 16%), 5% (95% CI 1%, 8%), and 1% (95% CI 0%, 3%), respectively. Lower PW is independently associated with higher probability of PSM in low-risk patients undergoing RARP with bilateral nerve-sparing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Number of Lymph Nodes Removed and Survival after Gastric Cancer Resection: An Analysis from the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative.

PubMed

Gholami, Sepideh; Janson, Lucas; Worhunsky, David J; Tran, Thuy B; Squires, Malcolm Hart; Jin, Linda X; Spolverato, Gaya; Votanopoulos, Konstantinos I; Schmidt, Carl; Weber, Sharon M; Bloomston, Mark; Cho, Clifford S; Levine, Edward A; Fields, Ryan C; Pawlik, Timothy M; Maithel, Shishir K; Efron, Bradley; Norton, Jeffrey A; Poultsides, George A

2015-08-01

Examination of at least 16 lymph nodes (LNs) has been traditionally recommended during gastric adenocarcinoma resection to optimize staging, but the impact of this strategy on survival is uncertain. Because recent randomized trials have demonstrated a therapeutic benefit from extended lymphadenectomy, we sought to investigate the impact of the number of LNs removed on prognosis after gastric adenocarcinoma resection. We analyzed patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma from 2000 to 2012, at 7 US academic institutions. Patients with M1 disease or R2 resections were excluded. Disease-specific survival (DSS) was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using log-rank and Cox regression analyses. Of 742 patients, 257 (35%) had 7 to 15 LNs removed and 485 (65%) had ≥16 LNs removed. Disease-specific survival was not significantly longer after removal of ≥16 vs 7 to 15 LNs (10-year survival, 55% vs 47%, respectively; p = 0.53) for the entire cohort, but was significantly improved in the subset of patients with stage IA to IIIA (10-year survival, 74% vs 57%, respectively; p = 0.018) or N0-2 disease (72% vs 55%, respectively; p = 0.023). Similarly, for patients who were classified to more likely be "true N0-2," based on frequentist analysis incorporating both the number of positive and of total LNs removed, the hazard ratio for disease-related death (adjusted for T stage, R status, grade, receipt of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy, and institution) significantly decreased as the number of LNs removed increased. The number of LNs removed during gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma appears itself to have prognostic implications for long-term survival. Copyright © 2015 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural Sensitivity and Challenges in Management of the Transgender Patient With ESRD in Transplantation.

PubMed

Hoch, Deborah Ann; Bulman, Maya; McMahon, Dorn W

2016-03-01

Transgender patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) present with specific challenges during the transplant evaluation, perioperative management, and postoperative phase of care. Demographic information, health-care records, chosen name, and gender identity along with documentation of specific health-care needs can become a challenge when gender assigned at birth is incongruent with the patients gender identity. Medical care involves addressing the end-organ disease as well as addressing those aspects of care specific to the transgender patient. This review article provides information on defining transgender, the impact of ESRD, and transgender in the transplant process and considerations in the throughout phases of care. Current recommendations for management of this unique population are provided. © 2016, NATCO.

Runway Operations Planning: A Two-Stage Heuristic Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anagnostakis, Ioannis; Clarke, John-Paul

2003-01-01

The airport runway is a scarce resource that must be shared by different runway operations (arrivals, departures and runway crossings). Given the possible sequences of runway events, careful Runway Operations Planning (ROP) is required if runway utilization is to be maximized. From the perspective of departures, ROP solutions are aircraft departure schedules developed by optimally allocating runway time for departures given the time required for arrivals and crossings. In addition to the obvious objective of maximizing throughput, other objectives, such as guaranteeing fairness and minimizing environmental impact, can also be incorporated into the ROP solution subject to constraints introduced by Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures. This paper introduces a two stage heuristic algorithm for solving the Runway Operations Planning (ROP) problem. In the first stage, sequences of departure class slots and runway crossings slots are generated and ranked based on departure runway throughput under stochastic conditions. In the second stage, the departure class slots are populated with specific flights from the pool of available aircraft, by solving an integer program with a Branch & Bound algorithm implementation. Preliminary results from this implementation of the two-stage algorithm on real-world traffic data are presented.

Cancer-specific Relationship Awareness, Relationship Communication, and Intimacy Among Couples Coping with Early Stage Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Manne, Sharon L.; Siegel, Scott; Kashy, Deborah; Heckman, Carolyn J.

2013-01-01

If couples can maintain normalcy and quality in their relationship during the cancer experience, they may experience greater relational intimacy. Cancer-specific relationship awareness, which is an attitude defined as partners focusing on the relationship and thinking about how they might maintain normalcy and cope with cancer as a couple or “team”, is one factor that may help couples achieve this goal. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between cancer-specific relationship awareness, cancer-specific communication (i.e., talking about cancer’s impact on the relationship, disclosure, and responsiveness to partner disclosure), and relationship intimacy and evaluate whether relationship communication mediated the association between relationship awareness and intimacy. Two hundred fifty four women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and their partners completed measures of cancer-specific relationship awareness, relationship talk, self-and perceived partner disclosure, perceived partner responsiveness, and relationship intimacy. Results indicated that patients and spouses who were higher in cancer-specific relationship awareness engaged in more relationship talk, reported higher levels of self-disclosure, and perceived that their partner disclosed more. Their partners reported that they were more responsive to disclosures. Relationship talk and perceived partner responsiveness mediated the association between cancer–specific relationship awareness and intimacy. Helping couples consider ways they can maintain normalcy and quality during the cancer experience and framing coping with cancer as a “team” effort may facilitate better communication and ultimately enhance relationship intimacy. PMID:25242854

Capturing the true burden of dystonia on patients: the Cervical Dystonia Impact Profile (CDIP-58).

PubMed

Cano, S J; Warner, T T; Linacre, J M; Bhatia, K P; Thompson, A J; Fitzpatrick, R; Hobart, J C

2004-11-09

To develop a new rating scale for measuring the health impact of cervical dystonia (CD) that includes patients' perceptions and complements existing observer dependent clinician rating scales. Scale development was in three stages. In Stage 1, a large pool of items was generated from patient interviews (n = 25), expert opinion, and literature review. In Stage 2, these items were administered by postal survey to people with CD. The resulting data were analyzed using Rasch item analysis to construct, from the item pool, a rating scale that satisfied criteria for rigorous measurement. In Stage 3, the measurement properties of this rating scale were examined in an independent sample of people with CD. In Stage 1, 150 items concerning the health impact of CD were generated. In Stage 2, 556 people completed questionnaires (87% response rate) and a 58-item rating scale measuring the health impact of CD in eight areas was constructed (CD Impact Profile, CDIP-58). In Stage 3, CDIP-58 data from 391 people (87% response rate) were received. Analyses supported the measurement of eight unidimensional constructs (infit mean square range 0.62 to 1.50), item calibration (33.37 to 67.56), and patient separation statistics (2.59 to 3.38). Items demonstrated stable calibrations in subgroups of people with CD supporting the stability of the CDIP-58. The CDIP-58 is a reliable and valid patient-based rating scale measuring the health impact of CD in eight health dimensions.

Impact of different variables on the outcome of patients with clinically confined prostate carcinoma: prediction of pathologic stage and biochemical failure using an artificial neural network.

PubMed

Ziada, A M; Lisle, T C; Snow, P B; Levine, R F; Miller, G; Crawford, E D

2001-04-15

The advent of advanced computing techniques has provided the opportunity to analyze clinical data using artificial intelligence techniques. This study was designed to determine whether a neural network could be developed using preoperative prognostic indicators to predict the pathologic stage and time of biochemical failure for patients who undergo radical prostatectomy. The preoperative information included TNM stage, prostate size, prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, biopsy results (Gleason score and percentage of positive biopsy), as well as patient age. All 309 patients underwent radical prostatectomy at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. The data from all patients were used to train a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network. The failure rate was defined as a rise in the PSA level > 0.2 ng/mL. The biochemical failure rate in the data base used was 14.2%. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to validate the results. The neural network statistics for the validation set showed a sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 81%, respectively, for the prediction of pathologic stage with an overall accuracy of 80% compared with an overall accuracy of 67% using the multivariate regression analysis. The sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of failure were 67% and 85%, respectively, demonstrating a high confidence in predicting failure. The overall accuracy rates for the artificial neural network and the multivariate analysis were similar. Neural networks can offer a convenient vehicle for clinicians to assess the preoperative risk of disease progression for patients who are about to undergo radical prostatectomy. Continued investigation of this approach with larger data sets seems warranted. Copyright 2001 American Cancer Society.

Surgical impact and speech outcome at 2.5 years after one- or two-stage cleft palate closure.

PubMed

Randag, Anna C; Dreise, Marieke M; Ruettermann, Mike

2014-11-01

In the ongoing discussion about timing of palate closure, it is said that early closure is favorable for speech development, but can interfere with maxillary growth. On the other hand, beneficial results on both after one-stage palate closure have also been presented. The assumption that one-stage palate closure leads to less surgical impact on the child probably contributed to the choice for this procedure in most cleft centers. However, no previous research has verified this assumption. The aim of the present study is to compare surgical impact and speech outcome at 2.5 years of age between children who underwent either one- or early two-stage palate closure. Patients underwent either one-stage palate closure between 2007 and 2010 at a median age of 10.8 months (group 1, n=24) or early two-stage closure before 2007 at median ages of 10.4 and 18.2 months, respectively (group 2, n=24). Surgical impact was compared between the two groups by means of duration of surgery, length of hospital stay and number of post-operative complications. Speech outcome was compared by means of resonance problems, nasal air emission, articulation and intelligibility, all assessed at a median age of 2.5 years. The one-stage closure group showed significantly shorter duration of surgery and length of hospital stay (p<0.001 and p=0.001, respectively) and significantly better articulation (p=0.029) than the early two-stage closure group. One-stage palate closure is preferable over early two-stage palate closure with regard to surgical impact and speech development. More extensive, prospective studies, in which maxillary growth is taken into account, should be conducted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do stage-specific functional responses of consumers dampen the effects of subsidies on trophic cascades in streams?

PubMed

Sato, Takuya; Watanabe, Katsutoshi

2014-07-01

Resource subsidies often weaken trophic cascades in recipient communities via consumers' functional response to the subsidies. Consumer populations are commonly stage-structured and may respond to the subsidies differently among the stages yet less is known about how this might impact the subsidy effects on the strength of trophic cascades in recipient systems. We show here, using a large-scale field experiment, that the stage structure of a recipient consumer would dampen the effects of terrestrial invertebrate subsidies on the strength of trophic cascade in streams. When a high input rate of the terrestrial invertebrates was available, both large and small fish stages switched their diet to the terrestrial subsidy, which weakened the trophic cascade in streams. However, when the input rate of the terrestrial invertebrates was at a moderate level, the terrestrial subsidy did not weaken the trophic cascade. This discrepancy was likely due to small fish stages being competitively excluded from feeding on the subsidy by larger stages of fish and primarily foraging on benthic invertebrates under the moderate input level. Although previous studies using single fish stages have clearly demonstrated that the terrestrial invertebrate input equivalent to our moderate input rate weakened the trophic cascade in streams, this subsidy effect might be overestimated given small fish stage may not switch their diet to the subsidy under competition with large fish stage. Given the ubiquity of consumer stage structure and interaction among consumer stages, the effects we saw might be widespread in nature, requiring future studies that explicitly involve consumer's stage structure into community ecology. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

The impact of service-specific staffing, case scheduling, turnovers, and first-case starts on anesthesia group and operating room productivity: a tutorial using data from an Australian hospital.

PubMed

McIntosh, Catherine; Dexter, Franklin; Epstein, Richard H

2006-12-01

In this tutorial, we consider the impact of operating room (OR) management on anesthesia group and OR labor productivity and costs. Most of the tutorial focuses on the steps required for each facility to refine its OR allocations using its own data collected during patient care. Data from a hospital in Australia are used throughout to illustrate the methods. OR allocation is a two-stage process. During the initial tactical stage of allocating OR time, OR capacity ("block time") is adjusted. For operational decision-making on a shorter-term basis, the existing workload can be considered fixed. Staffing is matched to that workload based on maximizing the efficiency of use of OR time. Scheduling cases and making decisions on the day of surgery to increase OR efficiency are worthwhile interventions to increase anesthesia group productivity. However, by far, the most important step is the appropriate refinement of OR allocations (i.e., planning service-specific staffing) 2-3 mo before the day of surgery. Reducing surgical and/or turnover times and delays in first-case-of-the-day starts generally provides small reductions in OR labor costs. Results vary widely because they are highly sensitive both to the OR allocations (i.e., staffing) and to the appropriateness of those OR allocations.

Sleep and Neurodegeneration: A Critical Appraisal.

PubMed

Pillai, Jagan A; Leverenz, James B

2017-06-01

Sleep abnormalities are clearly recognized as a distinct clinical symptom of concern in neurodegenerative disorders. Appropriate management of sleep-related symptoms has a positive impact on quality of life in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. This review provides an overview of mechanisms that are currently being considered that tie sleep with neurodegeneration. It appraises the literature regarding specific sleep changes seen in common neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on Alzheimer disease and synucleinopathies (ie, Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy), that have been better studied. Sleep changes may also serve as markers to identify patients in the preclinical stage of some neurodegenerative disorders. A hypothetical model is postulated founded on the conjecture that specific sleep abnormalities, when noted to increase in severity beyond that expected for age, could be a surrogate marker reflecting pathophysiological processes related to neurodegenerative disorders. This provides a clinical strategy for screening patients in the preclinical stages of neurodegenerative disorders to enable therapeutic trials to establish the efficacy of neuroprotective agents to prevent or delay the development of symptoms and functional decline. It is unclear if sleep disturbance directly impacts neurodegenerative processes or is a secondary outcome of neurodegeneration; this is an active area of research. The clinical importance of recognizing and managing sleep changes in neurodegenerative disorders is beyond doubt. Copyright © 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PET imaging in adaptive radiotherapy of prostate tumors.

PubMed

Beuthien-Baumann, Bettina; Koerber, Stefan A

2018-06-04

The integration of data from positron-emission-tomography, combined with computed tomography as PET/CT or combined with magnet resonance imaging as PET/MRI, into radiation treatment planning of prostate cancer is gaining higher impact with the development of more sensitive and specific radioligands. The classic PET-tracer for prostate cancer imaging are [11C]choline and [11C]acetate, which are currently outperformed by ligands binding to the prostate-specific- membrane-antigen (PSMA). [68Ga]PSMA-11, which is the most frequently applied tracer, has shown to detect lymph node metastases, local recurrences, distant metastases and intraprostatic foci with high sensitivity, even at relatively low PSA levels. The results from PET-imaging may influence radiotherapeutic (RT) management at different stages of the disease i.e. during primary staging or biochemical recurrence, when the detection of distant metastases may alter the curative treatment concept into a palliative approach. On the other hand, the clinical target volume could be adapted by visualizing lymph node metastases at locations, which might not have been suspicious on morphologic imaging alone. The treatment plan might contain a boost to the dominant intraprostatic lesion, which could be delineated by a combination of PET-tracer uptake and multiparametric MRI. Therefore, PSMA-PET imaging is well suited for being integrated into prostate radiation planning. However, further prospective trials evaluating the impact on oncological outcome are indicated.

The stage-specific in vitro efficacy of a malaria antigen cocktail provides valuable insights into the development of effective multi-stage vaccines.

PubMed

Spiegel, Holger; Boes, Alexander; Kastilan, Robin; Kapelski, Stephanie; Edgue, Güven; Beiss, Veronique; Chubodova, Ivana; Scheuermayer, Matthias; Pradel, Gabriele; Schillberg, Stefan; Reimann, Andreas; Fischer, Rainer

2015-10-01

Multicomponent vaccines targeting different stages of Plasmodium falciparum represent a promising, holistic concept towards better malaria vaccines. Additionally, an effective vaccine candidate should demonstrate cross-strain specificity because many antigens are polymorphic, which can reduce vaccine efficacy. A cocktail of recombinant fusion proteins (VAMAX-Mix) featuring three diversity-covering variants of the blood-stage antigen PfAMA1, each combined with the conserved sexual-stage antigen Pfs25 and one of the pre-erythrocytic-stage antigens PfCSP_TSR or PfCelTOS, or the additional blood-stage antigen PfMSP1_19, was produced in Pichia pastoris and used to immunize rabbits. The immune sera and purified IgG were used to perform various assays determining antigen specific titers and in vitro efficacy against different parasite stages and strains. In functional in vitro assays we observed robust inhibition of blood-stage (up to 90%), and sexual-stage parasites (up to 100%) and biased inhibition of pre-erythrocytic parasites (0-40%). Cross-strain blood-stage efficacy was observed in erythrocyte invasion assays using four different P. falciparum strains. The quantification of antigen-specific IgGs allowed the determination of specific IC50 values. The significant difference in antigen-specific IC50 requirements, the direct correlation between antigen-specific IgG and the relative quantitative representation of antigens within the cocktail, provide valuable implementations for future multi-stage, multi-component vaccine designs. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impact of the mode of detection on outcome in breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving therapy.

PubMed

Kini, V R; Vicini, F A; Victor, S J; Dmuchowski, C F; Rebner, M; Martinez, A A

1999-10-01

The impact of the mode of detection on outcome in patients with early stage breast cancer treated with breast-conserving therapy (BCT) was reviewed. Between January 1980 and December 1987, 400 cases of stage I and II breast cancer were treated with BCT. All patients underwent an excisional biopsy, external beam irradiation (RT) to the whole breast (45-50 Gy), and a boost to 60 Gy to the tumor bed. One hundred twenty-four cases (31%) were mammographically detected, whereas 276 (69%) were clinically detected. Median follow-up was 9.2 years. Patients whose cancers were detected by mammography more frequently had smaller tumors (90% T1 vs. 62%, p < 0.0001), lower overall disease stage (78% stage I vs. 47%, p < 0.0001), were older at diagnosis (78% >50 years vs. 54%, p < 0.001), less frequently received chemotherapy (8% vs. 21%, p = 0.001), and had an improved disease-free survival (DFS) (80% vs. 70%, p = 0.014), overall survival (OS) (82% vs. 70%, p = 0.005), and cause-specific survival (CSS) (88% vs. 77%, p = 0.003) at 10 years. However, controlling for tumor size, nodal status, and age, no statistically significant differences in the 5- and 10-year actuarial rates of local recurrence (LR), DFS, CSS, or OS were seen based on the mode of detection. Initial mode of detection was the strongest predictor of outcome after a LR. The 3-year DFS rate after LR was significantly better in initially mammographically detected versus clinically detected cases (100% vs. 61%, p = 0.011). Patients with mammographically detected breast cancer generally have smaller tumors and lower overall disease stage at presentation. However, the mode of detection does not independently appear to affect the success of BCT in these patients.

Determination of the impact of melanoma surgical timing on survival using the National Cancer Database.

PubMed

Conic, Ruzica Z; Cabrera, Claudia I; Khorana, Alok A; Gastman, Brian R

2018-01-01

The ideal timing for melanoma treatment, predominantly surgery, remains undetermined. Patient concern for receiving immediate treatment often exceeds surgeon or hospital availability, requiring establishment of a safe window for melanoma surgery. To assess the impact of time to definitive melanoma surgery on overall survival. Patients with stage I to III cutaneous melanoma and with available time to definitive surgery and overall survival were identified by using the National Cancer Database (N = 153,218). The t test and chi-square test were used to compare variables. Cox regression was used for multivariate analysis. In a multivariate analysis of patients in all stages who were treated between 90 and 119 days after biopsy (hazard ratio [HR], 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.18) and more than 119 days (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02-1.22) had a higher risk for mortality compared with those treated within 30 days of biopsy. In a subgroup analysis of stage I, higher mortality risk was found in patients treated within 30 to 59 days (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.1), 60 to 89 days (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.07-1.25), 90 to 119 days (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.12-1.48), and more than 119 days after biopsy (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.21-1.65). Surgical timing did not affect survival in stages II and III. Melanoma-specific survival was not available. Expeditious treatment of stage I melanoma is associated with improved outcomes. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prognostic Impact of the 6th and 7th American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM Staging Systems on Esophageal Cancer Patients Treated With Chemoradiotherapy

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

Nomura, Motoo, E-mail: excell@hkg.odn.ne.jp; Department of Radiation Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital; Shitara, Kohei

2012-02-01

Purpose: The new 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system is based on pathologic data from esophageal cancers treated by surgery alone. There is no information available on evaluation of the new staging system with regard to prognosis of patients treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of the new staging system on esophageal cancer patients treated with CRT. Methods and Materials: A retrospective review was performed on 301 consecutive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with CRT. Comparisons were made of the prognostic impacts of themore » 6th and 7th staging systems and the prognostic impacts of stage and prognostic groups, which were newly defined in the 7th edition. Results: There were significant differences between Stages I and III (p < 0.01) according to both editions. However, the 7th edition poorly distinguishes the prognoses of Stages III and IV (p = 0.36 by multivariate analysis) in comparison to the 6th edition (p = 0.08 by multivariate analysis), although these differences were not significant. For all patients, T, M, and gender were independent prognostic factors by multivariate analysis (p < 0.05). For the Stage I and II prognostic groups, survival curves showed a stepwise decrease with increase in stage, except for Stage IIA. However, there were no significant differences seen between each prognostic stage. Conclusions: Our study indicates there are several problems with the 7th TNM staging system regarding prognostic factors in patients undergoing CRT.« less

Impact melt-bearing breccias of the Mistastin Lake impact structure: A unique planetary analogue for ground-truthing proximal ejecta emplacement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mader, M. M.; Osinski, G. R.

2013-12-01

Impact craters are the dominant geological landform on rocky planetary surfaces; however, relationships between specific craters and their ejecta are typically poorly constrained. With limited planetary samples, scientists look to terrestrial craters as analogues. Impact ejecta is defined here as any target material, regardless of its physical state, that is transported beyond the rim of the transient cavity [1]. The original transient cavity reaches its maximum size during the excavation stage of crater formation, before rim collapse begins in the modification stage [2]. In complex craters, during the modification stage, rocks around the periphery of the bowl-shaped transient crater collapse downward and inward to form a series of terraces along the outer margin of the crater structure [3]. Proximal impact ejecta, can therefore be found on the terraces of the modified rim of a complex crater, interior to the final crater rim [1]. Although typically poorly preserved on Earth due to post-impact erosional processes, impact ejecta have been identified in the terraced rim region of the Mistastin Lake impact structure, located in northern Labrador, Canada (55°53'N; 63°18'W) [4]. The Mistastin Lake impact structure is an intermediate-size, complex crater (28 km apparent crater diameter) formed by a meteorite impact ~36 Ma in crystalline target rocks. The original crater has been differentially eroded; however, a terraced rim and distinct central uplift are still observed [5]. The inner portion of the structure is covered by the Mistastin Lake and the surrounding area is locally covered by soil/glacial deposits and vegetation. Locally, allochthonous impactites overlying fractured target rocks are exposed along the lakeshore and along banks of radially cutting streams. They define a consistent stratigraphy, including, from bottom to top: monomict, lithic breccias, allochthonous polymict lithic breccias, and allochthonous impact melt rocks. Mistastin impact breccias range in matrix content, melt-fragment concentration, and contact relationships with adjacent impactites. Initial findings suggest differing origins for impact melt-bearing breccias from a single impact event. Three examples are highlighted: 1) Impact melt-bearing breccias, on an inner terrace, formed in boundary zones where hot impact melt flowed over cooler, ballistically emplaced polymict impact breccias. 2) Locally, a dyke of impact melt-bearing breccia suggests that this unit originated as hot lithic flow that moved laterally along the ground and then intruded as a fracture fill into target rocks. 3) A m-scale lens of melt-bearing breccia within the middle of a thick, 80m impact melt rock unit situated on an inner terrace, suggests that this lens may have originated from the crater floor and been incorporated into the melt pond during emplacement (i.e. movement of the melt from the crater floor to terrace shelf). In summary, the Mistastin Lake impact structure displays a multiple layered ejecta sequence that is consistent with, and requires, a multi-stage ejecta emplacement model as proposed by [1]. References: [1] Osinski et al. (2011) EPSL (310:167-181. [2] Melosh (1989) Oxford Univ. 245 pp. [3] French B. M. (1998) LPI Contribution 954,120pp. [4] Mader et al. (2011) 42nd LPSC, No.1608. [5] Mader et al. (2013) 43rd LPSC, No. 2517.

Methodology and preliminary results of a systematic literature review of ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis.

PubMed

Downs, Sara H; Parry, Jessica E; Upton, Paul A; Broughan, Jennifer M; Goodchild, Anthony V; Nuñez-Garcia, Javier; Greiner, Matthias; Abernethy, Darrell A; Cameron, Angus R; Cook, Alasdair J; de la Rua-Domenech, Ricardo; Gunn, Jane; Pritchard, Elizabeth; Rhodes, Shelley; Rolfe, Simon; Sharp, Michael; Vordermeier, H Martin; Watson, Eamon; Welsh, Michael; Whelan, Adam O; Woolliams, John A; More, Simon J; Clifton-Hadley, Richard S

2018-05-01

A systematic review was conducted to identify studies with data for statistical meta-analyses of sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. Members of a working group (WG) developed and tested search criteria and developed a standardised two-stage review process, to identify primary studies with numerator and denominator data for test performance and an agreed range of covariate data. No limits were applied to year, language, region or type of test in initial searches of electronic databases. In stage 1, titles and available abstracts were reviewed. References that complied with stage 1 selection criteria were reviewed in entirety and agreed data were extracted from references that complied with stage 2 selection criteria. At stage 1, 9782 references were reviewed and 261 (2.6%) passed through to stage 2 where 215 English language references were each randomly allocated to two of 18 WG reviewers and 46 references in other languages were allocated to native speakers. Agreement regarding eligibility between reviewers of the same reference at stage 2 was moderate (Kappa statistic = 0.51) and a resolution procedure was conducted. Only 119 references (published 1934-2009) were identified with eligible performance estimates for one or more of 14 different diagnostic test types; despite a comprehensive search strategy and the global impact of bTB. Searches of electronic databases for diagnostic test performance data were found to be nonspecific with regard to identifying references with diagnostic test Se or Sp data. Guidelines for the content of abstracts to research papers reporting diagnostic test performance are presented. The results of meta-analyses of the sensitivity and specificity of the tests, and of an evaluation of the methodological quality of the source references, are presented in accompanying papers (Nuñez-Garcia et al., 2017; Downs et al., 2017). Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Distinct severity stages of obstructive sleep apnoea are correlated with unique dyslipidaemia: large-scale observational study.

PubMed

Guan, Jian; Yi, Hongliang; Zou, Jianyin; Meng, Lili; Tang, Xulan; Zhu, Huaming; Yu, Dongzhen; Zhou, Huiqun; Su, Kaiming; Yang, Mingpo; Chen, Haoyan; Shi, Yongyong; Wang, Yue; Wang, Jian; Yin, Shankai

2016-04-01

Dyslipidaemia is an intermediary exacerbation factor for various diseases but the impact of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) on dyslipidaemia remains unclear. A total of 3582 subjects with suspected OSA consecutively admitted to our hospital sleep centre were screened and 2983 (2422 with OSA) were included in the Shanghai Sleep Health Study. OSA severity was quantified using the apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI), the oxygen desaturation index and the arousal index. Biochemical indicators and anthropometric data were also collected. The relationship between OSA severity and the risk of dyslipidaemia was evaluated via ordinal logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis and multivariate linear regressions. The RCS mapped a nonlinear dose-effect relationship between the risk of dyslipidaemia and OSA severity, and yielded knots of the AHI (9.4, 28.2, 54.4 and 80.2). After integrating the clinical definition and RCS-selected knots, all subjects were regrouped into four AHI severity stages. Following segmented multivariate linear modelling of each stage, distinguishable sets of OSA risk factors were quantified: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein E and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); body mass index and/or waist to hip ratio; and HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides were specifically associated with stage I, stages II and III, and stages II-IV with different OSA indices. Our study revealed the multistage and non-monotonic relationships between OSA and dyslipidaemia and quantified the relationships between OSA severity indexes and distinct risk factors for specific OSA severity stages. Our study suggests that a new interpretive and predictive strategy for dynamic assessment of the risk progression over the clinical course of OSA should be adopted. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

[Negative prognostic impact of female gender on oncological outcomes following radical cystectomy].

PubMed

Dabi, Y; Rouscoff, Y; Delongchamps, N B; Sibony, M; Saighi, D; Zerbib, M; Peyraumore, M; Xylinas, E

2016-02-01

To confirm gender specific differences in pathologic factors and survival rates of urothelial bladder cancer patients treated with radical cystectomy. We conducted a retrospective monocentric study on 701 patients treated with radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for muscle invasive bladder cancer. Impact of gender on recurrence rate, specific and non-specific mortality rate were evaluated using Cox regression models in univariate and multivariate analysis. We collected data on 553 males (78.9%) and 148 females (21.1%) between 1998 and 2011. Both groups were comparable at inclusion regarding age, pathologic stage, nodal status and lymphovascular invasion. Mean follow-up time was 45 months (interquartile 23-73) and by that time, 163 patients (23.3%) had recurrence of their tumor and 127 (18.1%) died from their disease. In multivariable Cox regression analyses, female gender was independently associated with disease recurrence (RR: 1.73; 95% CI 1.22-2.47; P=0.02) and cancer-specific mortality (RR=2.50, 95% CI=1.71-3.68; P<0.001). We confirmed female gender to be an independent negative prognosis factor for patients following a radical cystectomy and lymphadenectomy for an invasive muscle bladder cancer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Research on Chinese Life Cycle-Based Wind Power Plant Environmental Influence Prevention Measures

PubMed Central

Wang, Hanxi; Xu, Jianling; Liu, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Tian

2014-01-01

The environmental impact of wind power plants over their life cycle is divided into three stages: construction period, operation period and retired period. The impact is mainly reflected in ecological destruction, noise pollution, water pollution and the effect on bird migration. In response to these environmental effects, suggesting reasonable locations, reducing plant footprint, optimizing construction programs, shielding noise, preventing pollution of terrestrial ecosystems, implementing combined optical and acoustical early warning signals, making synthesized use of power generation equipment in the post-retired period and using other specific measures, including methods involving governance and protection efforts to reduce environmental pollution, can be performed to achieve sustainable development. PMID:25153474

Financing prevention: opportunities for economic analysis across the translational research cycle.

PubMed

Crowley, D Max; Jones, Damon

2016-03-01

Prevention advocates often make the case that preventive intervention not only improves public health and welfare but also can save public resources. Increasingly, evidence-based policy efforts considering prevention are focusing on how programs can save taxpayer resources from reduced burden on health, criminal justice, and social service systems. Evidence of prevention's return has begun to draw substantial investments from the public and private sector. Yet, translating prevention effectiveness into economic impact requires specific economic analyses to be employed across the stages of translational research. This work discusses the role of economic analysis in prevention science and presents key translational research opportunities to meet growing demand for estimates of prevention's economic and fiscal impact.

Impact of Primary Gleason Grade on Risk Stratification for Gleason Score 7 Prostate Cancers

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

Koontz, Bridget F., E-mail: bridget.koontz@duke.edu; Tsivian, Matvey; Mouraviev, Vladimir

Purpose: To evaluate the primary Gleason grade (GG) in Gleason score (GS) 7 prostate cancers for risk of non-organ-confined disease with the goal of optimizing radiotherapy treatment option counseling. Methods: One thousand three hundred thirty-three patients with pathologic GS7 were identified in the Duke Prostate Center research database. Clinical factors including age, race, clinical stage, prostate-specific antigen at diagnosis, and pathologic stage were obtained. Data were stratified by prostate-specific antigen and clinical stage at diagnosis into adapted D'Amico risk groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed evaluating for association of primary GG with pathologic outcome. Results: Nine hundred seventy-nine patientsmore » had primary GG3 and 354 had GG4. On univariate analyses, GG4 was associated with an increased risk of non-organ-confined disease. On multivariate analysis, GG4 was independently associated with seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) but not extracapsular extension. Patients with otherwise low-risk disease and primary GG3 had a very low risk of SVI (4%). Conclusions: Primary GG4 in GS7 cancers is associated with increased risk of SVI compared with primary GG3. Otherwise low-risk patients with GS 3+4 have a very low risk of SVI and may be candidates for prostate-only radiotherapy modalities.« less

Impact of primary Gleason grade on risk stratification for Gleason score 7 prostate cancers.

PubMed

Koontz, Bridget F; Tsivian, Matvey; Mouraviev, Vladimir; Sun, Leon; Vujaskovic, Zeljko; Moul, Judd; Lee, W Robert

2012-01-01

To evaluate the primary Gleason grade (GG) in Gleason score (GS) 7 prostate cancers for risk of non-organ-confined disease with the goal of optimizing radiotherapy treatment option counseling. One thousand three hundred thirty-three patients with pathologic GS7 were identified in the Duke Prostate Center research database. Clinical factors including age, race, clinical stage, prostate-specific antigen at diagnosis, and pathologic stage were obtained. Data were stratified by prostate-specific antigen and clinical stage at diagnosis into adapted D'Amico risk groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed evaluating for association of primary GG with pathologic outcome. Nine hundred seventy-nine patients had primary GG3 and 354 had GG4. On univariate analyses, GG4 was associated with an increased risk of non-organ-confined disease. On multivariate analysis, GG4 was independently associated with seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) but not extracapsular extension. Patients with otherwise low-risk disease and primary GG3 had a very low risk of SVI (4%). Primary GG4 in GS7 cancers is associated with increased risk of SVI compared with primary GG3. Otherwise low-risk patients with GS 3+4 have a very low risk of SVI and may be candidates for prostate-only radiotherapy modalities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Prophylaxis During Live Malaria Sporozoite Immunization Induces Long-Lived, Homologous, and Heterologous Protective Immunity Against Sporozoite Challenge.

PubMed

Hobbs, Charlotte V; Anderson, Charles; Neal, Jillian; Sahu, Tejram; Conteh, Solomon; Voza, Tatiana; Langhorne, Jean; Borkowsky, William; Duffy, Patrick E

2017-01-01

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is widely used in malaria-endemic areas in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children and HIV-uninfected, HIV-exposed children as opportunistic infection prophylaxis. Despite the known effects that TMP-SMX has in reducing clinical malaria, its impact on development of malaria-specific immunity in these children remains poorly understood. Using rodent malaria models, we previously showed that TMP-SMX, at prophylactic doses, can arrest liver stage development of malaria parasites and speculated that TMP-SMX prophylaxis during repeated malaria exposures would induce protective long-lived sterile immunity targeting pre-erythrocytic stage parasites in mice. Using the same models, we now demonstrate that repeated exposures to malaria parasites during TMP-SMX administration induces stage-specific and long-lived pre-erythrocytic protective anti-malarial immunity, mediated primarily by CD8 + T-cells. Given the HIV infection and malaria coepidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, clinical studies aimed at determining the optimum duration of TMP-SMX prophylaxis in HIV-infected or HIV-exposed children must account for the potential anti-infection immunity effect of TMP-SMX prophylaxis. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Fast accretion of the Earth with a late Moon-forming giant impact

PubMed Central

Yu, Gang; Jacobsen, Stein B.

2011-01-01

Constraints on the formation history of the Earth are critical for understanding of planet formation processes. 182Hf-182W chronometry of terrestrial rocks points to accretion of Earth in approximately 30 Myr after the formation of the solar system, immediately followed by the Moon-forming giant impact (MGI). Nevertheless, some N-body simulations and 182Hf-182W and 87Rb-87Sr chronology of some lunar rocks have been used to argue for a later formation of the Moon at 52 to > 100 Myr. This discrepancy is often explained by metal-silicate disequilibrium during giant impacts. Here we describe a model of the 182W isotopic evolution of the accreting Earth, including constraints from partitioning of refractory siderophile elements (Ni, Co, W, V, and Nb) during core formation, which can explain the discrepancy. Our modeling shows that the concentrations of the siderophile elements of the mantle are consistent with high-pressure metal-silicate equilibration in a terrestrial magma ocean. Our analysis shows that the timing of the MGI is inversely correlated with the time scale of the main accretion stage of the Earth. Specifically, the earliest time the MGI could have taken place right at approximately 30 Myr, corresponds to the end of main-stage accretion at approximately 30 Myr. A late MGI (> 52 Myr) requires the main stage of the Earth’s accretion to be completed rapidly in < 10.7 ± 2.5 Myr. These are the two end member solutions and a continuum of solutions exists in between these extremes. PMID:22006299

A Probabilistic Approach to Quantify the Impact of Uncertainty Propagation in Musculoskeletal Simulations

PubMed Central

Myers, Casey A.; Laz, Peter J.; Shelburne, Kevin B.; Davidson, Bradley S.

2015-01-01

Uncertainty that arises from measurement error and parameter estimation can significantly affect the interpretation of musculoskeletal simulations; however, these effects are rarely addressed. The objective of this study was to develop an open-source probabilistic musculoskeletal modeling framework to assess how measurement error and parameter uncertainty propagate through a gait simulation. A baseline gait simulation was performed for a male subject using OpenSim for three stages: inverse kinematics, inverse dynamics, and muscle force prediction. A series of Monte Carlo simulations were performed that considered intrarater variability in marker placement, movement artifacts in each phase of gait, variability in body segment parameters, and variability in muscle parameters calculated from cadaveric investigations. Propagation of uncertainty was performed by also using the output distributions from one stage as input distributions to subsequent stages. Confidence bounds (5–95%) and sensitivity of outputs to model input parameters were calculated throughout the gait cycle. The combined impact of uncertainty resulted in mean bounds that ranged from 2.7° to 6.4° in joint kinematics, 2.7 to 8.1 N m in joint moments, and 35.8 to 130.8 N in muscle forces. The impact of movement artifact was 1.8 times larger than any other propagated source. Sensitivity to specific body segment parameters and muscle parameters were linked to where in the gait cycle they were calculated. We anticipate that through the increased use of probabilistic tools, researchers will better understand the strengths and limitations of their musculoskeletal simulations and more effectively use simulations to evaluate hypotheses and inform clinical decisions. PMID:25404535

Fast accretion of the earth with a late moon-forming giant impact.

PubMed

Yu, Gang; Jacobsen, Stein B

2011-10-25

Constraints on the formation history of the Earth are critical for understanding of planet formation processes. (182)Hf-(182)W chronometry of terrestrial rocks points to accretion of Earth in approximately 30 Myr after the formation of the solar system, immediately followed by the Moon-forming giant impact (MGI). Nevertheless, some N-body simulations and (182)Hf-(182)W and (87)Rb-(87)Sr chronology of some lunar rocks have been used to argue for a later formation of the Moon at 52 to > 100 Myr. This discrepancy is often explained by metal-silicate disequilibrium during giant impacts. Here we describe a model of the (182)W isotopic evolution of the accreting Earth, including constraints from partitioning of refractory siderophile elements (Ni, Co, W, V, and Nb) during core formation, which can explain the discrepancy. Our modeling shows that the concentrations of the siderophile elements of the mantle are consistent with high-pressure metal-silicate equilibration in a terrestrial magma ocean. Our analysis shows that the timing of the MGI is inversely correlated with the time scale of the main accretion stage of the Earth. Specifically, the earliest time the MGI could have taken place right at approximately 30 Myr, corresponds to the end of main-stage accretion at approximately 30 Myr. A late MGI (> 52 Myr) requires the main stage of the Earth's accretion to be completed rapidly in < 10.7 ± 2.5 Myr. These are the two end member solutions and a continuum of solutions exists in between these extremes.

Prognostic markers for colorectal cancer: estimating ploidy and stroma

PubMed Central

Danielsen, H E; Hveem, T S; Domingo, E; Pradhan, M; Kleppe, A; Syvertsen, R A; Kostolomov, I; Nesheim, J A; Askautrud, H A; Nesbakken, A; Lothe, R A; Svindland, A; Shepherd, N; Novelli, M; Johnstone, E; Tomlinson, I; Kerr, R; Kerr, D J

2018-01-01

Abstract Background We report here the prognostic value of ploidy and digital tumour-stromal morphometric analyses using material from 2624 patients with early stage colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients and methods DNA content (ploidy) and stroma-tumour fraction were estimated using automated digital imaging systems and DNA was extracted from sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue for analysis of microsatellite instability. Samples were available from 1092 patients recruited to the QUASAR 2 trial and two large observational series (Gloucester, n = 954; Oslo University Hospital, n = 578). Resultant biomarkers were analysed for prognostic impact using 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) as the clinical end point. Results Ploidy and stroma-tumour fraction were significantly prognostic in a multivariate model adjusted for age, adjuvant treatment, and pathological T-stage in stage II patients, and the combination of ploidy and stroma-tumour fraction was found to stratify these patients into three clinically useful groups; 5-year CSS 90% versus 83% versus 73% [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.77 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.13–2.77) and HR = 2.95 (95% CI: 1.73–5.03), P < 0.001]. Conclusion A novel biomarker, combining estimates of ploidy and stroma-tumour fraction, sampled from FFPE tissue, identifies stage II CRC patients with low, intermediate or high risk of CRC disease specific death, and can reliably stratify clinically relevant patient sub-populations with differential risks of tumour recurrence and may support choice of adjuvant therapy for these individuals. PMID:29293881

miR-34a: Multiple Opposing Targets and One Destiny in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PubMed

Yacoub, Radwa Alaa; Fawzy, Injie Omar; Assal, Reem Amr; Hosny, Karim Adel; Zekri, Abdel-Rahman Nabawy; Esmat, Gamal; El Tayebi, Hend Mohamed; Abdelaziz, Ahmed Ihab

2016-12-28

Background and Aims: The role of miR-34a in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial and several unresolved issues remain, including its expression pattern and relevance to tumor etiology, tumor stage and prognosis, and finally, its impact on apoptosis. Methods: miR-34a expression was assessed in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced non-metastatic HCC tissues by RT-Q-PCR. Huh-7 cells were transfected with miR-34a mimics and the impact of miR-34a was examined on 84 pro-apoptotic/anti-apoptotic genes using PCR array; its net effect was tested on cell viability via MTT assay. Results: miR-34a expression was up-regulated in HCC tissues. Moreover, miR-34a induced a large set of pro-apoptotic/anti-apoptotic genes, with a net result of triggering apoptosis and repressing cell viability. Conclusions: HCC-related differential expression of miR-34a could be etiology-based or stage-specific, and low expression of miR-34a may predict poor prognosis. This study's findings also emphasize the role of miR-34a in apoptosis.

Bridging the Gap between Research and Clinical Practice in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

Downing, A M; Yaari, R; Ball, D E; Selzler, K J; Devous, M D

2016-01-01

Due to the growing global health impact of Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is a greater need for interventions that prevent or delay the onset of clinical symptoms of this debilitating disease. Clinical trials for disease-modifying compounds in AD have shifted towards earlier stages in the spectrum of illness, including the stage prior to cognitive symptoms. A population of specific interest for clinical research includes individuals with evidence of Alzheimer's disease pathology who are asymptomatic (ADPa). The challenges and barriers regarding medical treatment of ADPa must be identified and addressed prior to the completion of a positive clinical trial in order to accelerate the translation of research findings to clinical practice. This report applies an existing public health impact model from Spencer and colleagues (2013) to evaluate the readiness of the clinical practice environment to treat ADPa individuals if a disease-modifying agent achieves approval. We contrast the current clinical practice environment with a potential future state through investigating the effectiveness, reach, feasibility, sustainability, and transferability of the practice of treating ADPa individuals.

The prognostic impact of sex on surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer depends on clinicopathologic characteristics.

PubMed

Sterlacci, William; Tzankov, Alexandar; Veits, Lothar; Oberaigner, Wilhelm; Schmid, Thomas; Hilbe, Wolfgang; Fiegl, Michael

2011-04-01

The increasing incidence of lung cancer in women and their supposed survival advantage over men requires clarification of the significance of sex. Age, stage, histologic features, differentiation grade, and Ki-67 index were assessed in 405 surgically resected non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) using a standardized tissue microarray platform. Women were associated with well/moderate tumor differentiation, a Ki-67 index of 3% or less, and adenocarcinoma histologic features. Female sex predicted increased survival time only by univariate analysis. Stratified by sex, increased survival was noted for women older than 64 years, with a tumor at postsurgical International Union Against Cancer stage I, with adenocarcinoma histologic features, with well- or moderately differentiated tumors, or with a Ki-67 index of 3% or less. Sex is not an independent prognostic parameter for patients with surgically resected NSCLC. Sex-linked differences are associated with other factors, thus simulating a prognostic impact of sex. This study elucidates sex-specific interactions between patient and tumor characteristics, which are pivotal toward improving prognostic accuracy, individualized therapies, and screening efforts.

Engine-Out Capabilities Assessment of Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holladay, Jon; Baggett, Keithe; Thrasher, Chad; Bellamy, K. Scott; Feldman, Stuart

2012-01-01

Engine-out (EO) is a condition that might occur during flight due to the failure of one or more engines. Protection against this occurrence can be called engine-out capability (EOC) whereupon significantly improved loss of mission may occur, in addition to reduction in performance and increased cost. A standardized engine-out capability has not been studied exhaustively as it pertains to space launch systems. This work presents results for a specific vehicle design with specific engines, but also uniquely provides an approach to realizing the necessity of EOC for any launch vehicle system design. A derived top-level approach to engine-out philosophy for a heavy lift launch vehicle is given herein, based on an historical assessment of launch vehicle capabilities. The methodology itself is not intended to present a best path forward, but instead provides three parameters for assessment of a particular vehicle. Of the several parameters affected by this EOC, the three parameters of interest in this research are reliability (Loss of Mission (LOM) and Loss of Crew (LOC)), vehicle performance, and cost. The intent of this effort is to provide insight into the impacts of EO capability on these parameters. The effects of EOC on reliability, performance and cost are detailed, including how these important launch vehicle metrics can be combined to assess what could be considered overall launch vehicle affordability. In support of achieving the first critical milestone (Mission Concept Review) in the development of the Space Launch System (SLS), a team assessed two-stage, large-diameter vehicles that utilized liquid oxygen (LOX)-RP propellants in the First Stage and LOX/LH2 propellant in the Upper Stage. With multiple large thrust-class engines employed on the stages, engine-out capability could be a significant driver to mission success. It was determined that LOM results improve by a factor of five when assuming EOC for both Core Stage (CS) (first stage) and Upper Stage (US) EO, assuming a reference launch vehicle with 5 RP engines on the CS and 3 LOX/LH2 engines on the US. The benefit of adding both CS and US engine-out capability is significant. When adding EOC for either first or second stages, there is less than a 20% benefit. Performance analysis has shown that if the vehicle is not protected for EO during the first part of the flight and only protected in the later part of the flight, there is a diminishing performance penalty, as indicated by failures occurring in the first stage at different times. This work did not consider any options to abort. While adding an engine for EOC drives cost upward, the impact depends on the number of needed engines manufactured per year and the launch manifest. There is a significant cost savings if multiple flights occur within one year. Flying two flights per year would cost approximately $4,000 per pound less than the same configuration with one flight per year, assuming both CS and US EOC. The cost is within 15% of the cost of one flight per year with no engine-out capability for the same vehicle. This study can be extended to other launch vehicles. While the numbers given in this paper are specific to a certain vehicle configuration, the process requires only a high level of data to allow an analyst to draw conclusions. The weighting of each of the identified parameters will determine the optimization of each launch vehicle. The results of this engine-out assessment provide a means to understand this optimization while maintaining an unbiased perspective.

Esophageal luminal stenosis is an independent prognostic factor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

PubMed Central

Yang, Yu-Shang; Hu, Wei-Peng; Ni, Peng-Zhi; Wang, Wen-Ping; Yuan, Yong; Chen, Long-Qi

2017-01-01

Background Predictive value of preoperative endoscopic characteristic of esophageal tumor has not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of esophageal luminal stenosis on survival for patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods The clinicopathologic characteristics of 623 ESCC patients who underwent curative resection as the primary treatment between January 2005 and April 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. The esophageal luminal stenosis measured by endoscopy was defined as a uniform measurement preoperatively. The impact of esophageal luminal stenosis on patients’ overall survival (OS) and relation with other clinicopathological features were assessed. A Cox regression model was used to identify prognostic factors. Results The results showed that OS significantly decreased in patients with manifest stenotic tumor compared with patients without luminal obstruction (P<0.05). Considerable esophageal luminal stenosis was associated with a higher T stage, longer tumor length, and poorer differentiation (all P<0.05). In multivariate survival analysis, esophageal luminal stenosis remained as an independent prognostic factor for OS (P= 0.036). Conclusions Esophageal luminal stenosis could have a significant impact on the OS in patients with resected ESCC and may provide additional prognostic value to the current staging system before any cancer-specific treatment. PMID:28118615

Prognostic significance of pattern and burden of metastatic disease in patients with stage 4 neuroblastoma: A study from the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group database.

PubMed

Morgenstern, Daniel A; London, Wendy B; Stephens, Derek; Volchenboum, Samuel L; Simon, Thorsten; Nakagawara, Akira; Shimada, Hiroyuki; Schleiermacher, Gudrun; Matthay, Katherine K; Cohn, Susan L; Pearson, Andrew D J; Irwin, Meredith S

2016-09-01

Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer with remarkably divergent tumour behaviour and the presence of metastatic disease is a powerful predictor of adverse outcome. However, the importance of the involvement of specific metastatic sites or overall metastatic burden in determining outcome has not been fully explored. We analysed data from the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group database for 2250 patients with stage 4 disease treated from 1990 to 2002. Metastatic burden was assessed using a 'metastatic site index' (MSI), a score based on the number of metastatic systems involved. Overall, involvement of bone marrow, bone, lung, central nervous system, or other sites was associated with worse outcome. For patients aged ≥18 months, involvement of liver had the greatest impact on outcome and was associated with tumour MYCN amplification and adrenal primary and lung metastases. Increased MSI was associated with worse outcome and higher baseline ferritin/lactate dehydrogenase. We explored the impact of initial treatment approach on these associations. Limiting the analysis to patients allocated to protocols including stem cell transplant (SCT), there was no longer an association of outcome with metastatic involvement of any individual system or increasing MSI. Thus, treatment escalation with SCT (and the addition of differentiating agents to maintenance therapy) appears to have provided maximal benefit to patients with greatest metastatic disease burden. These findings underscore the importance of examining prognostic factors in the context of specific treatments since the addition of new therapies may change or even negate the predictive impact of a particular variable. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A radiographic study of the mandibular third molar root development in different ethnic groups.

PubMed

Liversidge, H M; Peariasamy, K; Folayan, M O; Adeniyi, A O; Ngom, P I; Mikami, Y; Shimada, Y; Kuroe, K; Tvete, I F; Kvaal, S I

2017-12-01

The nature of differences in the timing of tooth formation between ethnic groups is important when estimating age. To calculate age of transition of the mandibular third (M3) molar tooth stages from archived dental radiographs from sub-Saharan Africa, Malaysia, Japan and two groups from London UK (Whites and Bangladeshi). The number of radiographs was 4555 (2028 males, 2527 females) with an age range 10-25 years. The left M3 was staged into Moorrees stages. A probit model was fitted to calculate mean ages for transitions between stages for males and females and each ethnic group separately. The estimated age distributions given each M3 stage was calculated. To assess differences in timing of M3 between ethnic groups, three models were proposed: a separate model for each ethnic group, a joint model and a third model combining some aspects across groups. The best model fit was tested using Bayesian and Akaikes information criteria (BIC and AIC) and log likelihood ratio test. Differences in mean ages of M3 root stages were found between ethnic groups, however all groups showed large standard deviation values. The AIC and log likelihood ratio test indicated that a separate model for each ethnic group was best. Small differences were also noted between timing of M3 between males and females, with the exception of the Malaysian group. These findings suggests that features of a reference data set (wide age range and uniform age distribution) and a Bayesian statistical approach are more important than population specific convenience samples to estimate age of an individual using M3. Some group differences were evident in M3 timing, however, this has some impact on the confidence interval of estimated age in females and little impact in males because of the large variation in age.

The impact of the regimen of screening on lung cancer cure: a comparison of I-ELCAP and NLST.

PubMed

Yip, Rowena; Henschke, Claudia I; Yankelevitz, David F; Boffetta, Paolo; Smith, James P

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the regimen of screening on the frequency of early diagnosis and resection in two computed tomography screening programs. The stage and size distribution of all screen-diagnosed lung cancers was compared. A total of 775 patients in the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP) and 664 patients in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) were screen-diagnosed; that is, resulting from a positive result requiring further diagnostic workup. The frequency of stage I diagnoses, resections, tumor size, and lung cancer-specific survival were determined. Cox regression was used to identify the key determinants of lung cancer cure. The frequency of clinical stage I lung cancer in I-ELCAP was 82%, and in the NLST it was 67% (P<0.0001). The frequency of stage I (pathologic and clinical if not resected) was 78% in I-ELCAP and 62% in the NLST (P<0.0001). Surgical resection was performed in 86% (664/755) in I-ELCAP and 76% (492/644, P<0.0001) in the NLST. The average tumor size was 17 mm in I-ELCAP and 23 mm in the NLST (P<0.0001). The 5-year survival rate was 83% in I-ELCAP and 62% in the NLST (P<0.0001). Cox regression showed that I-ELCAP provided a 50% better survival benefit than the NLST and that stage I and resection were key determinants of survival, independent of age, smoking history, and tumor size. The higher frequency of stage I disease and resection and smaller tumor size resulted in a significantly higher survival rate in I-ELCAP than in the NLST. These differences strongly support the importance of a specified regimen of screening, as alternative explanations have been addressed.

Deviation from the Standard of Care for Early Breast Cancer in the Elderly: What are the Consequences?

PubMed

Sun, Susie X; Hollenbeak, Christopher S; Leung, Anna M

2015-08-01

For elderly patients with early-stage breast cancer, the standards of care often are not strictly followed due to either clinician biases or patient preferences. The authors hypothesized that forgoing radiation and lymph node (LN) staging for elderly patients with early-stage breast cancer would have a negative impact on survival. From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database, 53,619 women older than 55 years with stage 1 breast cancer who underwent breast conservation surgery were identified. Analyses were performed to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients who received the standards of care with LN sampling and radiation and those of patients who did not, with control used for confounders. To account for selection bias from covariate imbalance, propensity score matching was performed. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Older patients were less likely to receive radiation and LN sampling. These standards of care were associated with improved overall survival rates of 15.8 and 27.1 % after 10 years, respectively (p ≤ 0.0001). This survival advantage persisted after propensity score matching, with a 7.4 % higher survival rate for patients who received radiation and a 16.8 % higher survival rate for those who underwent LN staging (p < 0.0001). Lymph node sampling and radiation therapy also conferred a statistically significant improvement in breast cancer-specific survival, with 1.3 and 2.6 % lower mortality rates respectively in the radiated and LN biopsy groups (p < 0.0001). As patients age, they are less likely to receive the standard of care for stage 1 breast cancer. Even after controlling for other factors, the study showed that failure to adhere to the standards of LN sampling and radiation therapy may have a negative impact in survival.

Stage 4S neuroblastoma tumors show a characteristic DNA methylation portrait

PubMed Central

Decock, Anneleen; Ongenaert, Maté; De Wilde, Bram; Brichard, Bénédicte; Noguera, Rosa; Speleman, Frank; Vandesompele, Jo

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Stage 4S neuroblastoma (NB) is a special type of NB found in infants with metastases at diagnosis and is associated with an excellent outcome due to its remarkable capacity to undergo spontaneous regression. As genomics have not been able to explain this intriguing clinical presentation, we here aimed at profiling the DNA methylome of stage 4S NB to better understand this phenomenon. To this purpose, differential methylation analyses between International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) stage 4S, stage 4 and stage 1/2 were performed, using methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) sequencing data of 14 stage 4S, 14 stage 4, and 13 stage 1/2 primary NB tumors (all MYCN non-amplified in order not to confound results). Stage 4S-specific hyper- and hypomethylated promoters were determined and further characterized for genomic localization and function by cytogenetic band enrichment, gene set enrichment, transcription factor target enrichment and differential RNA expression analyses. We show that specific chromosomal locations are enriched for stage 4S differentially methylated promoters and that stage 4S tumors show characteristic hypermethylation of specific subtelomeric promoters. Furthermore, genes involved in important oncogenic pathways, in neural crest development and differentiation, and in epigenetic processes are differentially methylated and expressed in stage 4S tumors. Based on these findings, we describe new biological mechanisms possibly contributing to the stage 4S-specific tumor biology and spontaneous regression. In conclusion, this study is the first to describe the highly characteristic stage 4S DNA methylome. These findings will open new avenues to further unravel the NB pathology in general and stage 4S disease specifically. PMID:27599161

Integrating Growth Stage Deficit Irrigation into a Process Based Crop Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopez, Jose R.; Winter, Jonathan M.; Elliott, Joshua; Ruane, Alex C.; Porter, Cheryl; Hoogenboom, Gerrit

2017-01-01

Current rates of agricultural water use are unsustainable in many regions, creating an urgent need to identify improved irrigation strategies for water limited areas. Crop models can be used to quantify plant water requirements, predict the impact of water shortages on yield, and calculate water productivity (WP) to link water availability and crop yields for economic analyses. Many simulations of crop growth and development, especially in regional and global assessments, rely on automatic irrigation algorithms to estimate irrigation dates and amounts. However, these algorithms are not well suited for water limited regions because they have simplistic irrigation rules, such as a single soil-moisture based threshold, and assume unlimited water. To address this constraint, a new modeling framework to simulate agricultural production in water limited areas was developed. The framework consists of a new automatic irrigation algorithm for the simulation of growth stage based deficit irrigation under limited seasonal water availability; and optimization of growth stage specific parameters. The new automatic irrigation algorithm was used to simulate maize and soybean in Gainesville, Florida, and first used to evaluate the sensitivity of maize and soybean simulations to irrigation at different growth stages and then to test the hypothesis that water productivity calculated using simplistic irrigation rules underestimates WP. In the first experiment, the effect of irrigating at specific growth stages on yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) in maize and soybean was evaluated. In the reproductive stages, IWUE tended to be higher than in the vegetative stages (e.g. IWUE was 18% higher than the well watered treatment when irrigating only during R3 in soybean), and when rainfall events were less frequent. In the second experiment, water productivity (WP) was significantly greater with optimized irrigation schedules compared to non-optimized irrigation schedules in water restricted scenarios. For example, the mean WP across 38 years of maize production was 1.1 kg/cu m for non-optimized irrigation schedules with 50 mm of seasonal available water and 2.1 kg/cu m optimized ion schedules, a 91% improvement in WP with optimized irrigation schedules. The framework described in this work could be used to estimate WP for regional to global assessments, as well as derive location specific irrigation guidance.

Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacts on sea turtles could span the Atlantic.

PubMed

Putman, Nathan F; Abreu-Grobois, F Alberto; Iturbe-Darkistade, Iñaky; Putman, Emily M; Richards, Paul M; Verley, Philippe

2015-12-01

We investigated the extent that the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill potentially affected oceanic-stage sea turtles from populations across the Atlantic. Within an ocean-circulation model, particles were backtracked from the Gulf of Mexico spill site to determine the probability of young turtles arriving in this area from major nesting beaches. The abundance of turtles in the vicinity of the oil spill was derived by forward-tracking particles from focal beaches and integrating population size, oceanic-stage duration and stage-specific survival rates. Simulations indicated that 321 401 (66 199-397 864) green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) turtles were likely within the spill site. These predictions compared favourably with estimates from in-water observations recently made available to the public (though our initial predictions for Kemp's ridley were substantially lower than in-water estimates, better agreement was obtained with modifications to mimic behaviour of young Kemp's ridley turtles in the northern Gulf). Simulations predicted 75.2% (71.9-76.3%) of turtles came from Mexico, 14.8% (11-18%) from Costa Rica, 5.9% (4.8-7.9%) from countries in northern South America, 3.4% (2.4-3.5%) from the United States and 1.6% (0.6-2.0%) from West African countries. Thus, the spill's impacts may extend far beyond the current focus on the northern Gulf of Mexico. © 2015 The Authors.

Impact of Temperature on the Growth and Development of Athetis dissimilis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

PubMed

Guo, Ting-Ting; Li, Li-Li; Men, Xing-Yuan; Lu, Zeng-Bin; Chen, Hao; Wang, Zhen-Ying; Sun, Ting-Lin; Yu, Yi

2017-02-01

Athetis dissimilis (Hampson) has emerged as a serious pest on corn in recent years in China. Understanding the population response of A. dissimilis to temperature will be beneficial for adopting control strategies for this pest. The impact of five constant temperatures (17, 21, 25, 29, and 33 °C) on the life table of A. dissimilis was studied using age-stage, two-sex life table method in the laboratory. The results showed that the developmental time of egg, larva, pupa, and adult decreased when temperature increased from 17 °C to 33 °C. The TPOP (total preoviposition period) decreased with temperature increasing from 17 °C to 29 °C, while the longest APOP (adult preoviposition period) occurred at 21 °C (3.57 d) and the shortest at 33 °C (2.15 d). The fecundity increased from 407.52 to 763.94 eggs as temperatures were raised from 17 to 25 °C, but decreased at temperatures from 25 °C to 33 °C. The intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), and net reproductive rate (R0) increased as temperatures increased from 17 to 25 °C, then decreased when temperatures exceeded 25 °C. In contrast, the mean generation time (T) decreased as temperatures increased from 17 to 33 °C. Based on the estimated data, the highest female age-stage-specific fecundity (fx) and age-specific fecundity (mx) were 81.91 and 45.04 eggs, respectively, at 25 °C. The age-stage life expectancy (exj) of all stages decreased as the temperature increased. The reproductive value (vxj) increased gradually with age and stage. The developmental rates of A. dissimilis between 17 to 29 °C fit the linear equation y  = -0.01315 + 0.001303x, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9314. In conclusion, our finding clearly states that A. dissimilis has the greatest population increase at 25 °C, and this may help develop appropriate pest management strategies. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The impact of socioeconomic status on stage specific prostate cancer survival and mortality before and after introduction of PSA test in Finland.

PubMed

Seikkula, Heikki A; Kaipia, Antti J; Ryynänen, Heidi; Seppä, Karri; Pitkäniemi, Janne M; Malila, Nea K; Boström, Peter J

2018-03-01

Socioeconomic status (SES) has an impact on prostate cancer (PCa) outcomes. Men with high SES have higher incidence and lower mortality of PCa versus lower SES males. PCa cases diagnosed in Finland in 1985-2014 (N = 95,076) were identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry. Information on education level (EL) was obtained from Statistics Finland. EL was assessed with three-tiered scale: basic, upper secondary and higher education. PCa stage at diagnosis was defined as localized, metastatic or unknown. Years of diagnosis 1985-1994 were defined as pre-PSA period and thereafter as post-PSA period. We report PCa-specific survival (PCSS) and relative risks (RR) for PCa specific mortality (PCSM) among cancer cases in Finland, where healthcare is 100% publicly reimbursed and inequality in healthcare services low. Men with higher EL had markedly better 10-year PCSS: 68 versus 63% in 1985-1994 and 90 versus 85% in 1995-2004 compared to basic EL in localized PCa. The RR for PCSM among men with localized PCa and higher EL compared to basic EL was 0.76(95%confidence interval (CI) 0.66-0.88) in 1985-1994 and 0.61(95%CI 0.53-0.70) in 1995-2004. Variation in PCSS and PCSM between EL categories was evident in metastatic PCa, too. The difference in PCSM between EL categories was larger in the first 10-year post-PSA period than before that but decreased thereafter in localized PCa, suggesting PSA testing became earlier popular among men with high EL. In summary, higher SES/EL benefit PCa survival both in local and disseminated disease and the effect of EL was more pronounced in early post-PSA period. © 2017 UICC.

The Utility of PET/CT in the Planning of External Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Calais, Jeremie; Cao, Minsong; Nickols, Nicholas G

2018-04-01

Radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy are the definitive treatment options for patients with localized prostate cancer. A rising level of prostate-specific antigen after radical prostatectomy indicates prostate cancer recurrence, and these patients may still be cured with salvage radiotherapy. To maximize chance for cure, the irradiated volumes should completely encompass the extent of disease. Therefore, accurate estimation of the location of disease is critical for radiotherapy planning in both the definitive and the salvage settings. Current first-line imaging for prostate cancer has limited sensitivity for detection of disease both at initial staging and at biochemical recurrence. Integration of PET into routine evaluation of prostate cancer patients may improve both staging accuracy and radiotherapy planning. 18 F-FDG PET/CT is now routinely used in radiation planning for several cancer types. However, 18 F-FDG PET/CT has low sensitivity for prostate cancer. Additional PET probes evaluated in prostate cancer include 18 F-sodium fluoride, 11 C-acetate, 11 C- or 18 F-choline, 18 F-fluciclovine, and 68 Ga- or 18 F-labeled ligands that bind prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). PSMA ligands appear to be the most sensitive and specific but have not yet received Food and Drug Administration New Drug Application approval for use in the United States. Retrospective and prospective investigations suggest a potential major impact of PET/CT on prostate radiation treatment planning. Prospective trials randomizing patients to routine radiotherapy planning versus PET/CT-aided planning may show meaningful clinical outcomes. Prospective clinical trials evaluating the addition of 18 F-fluciclovine PET/CT for planning of salvage radiotherapy with clinical endpoints are under way. Prospective trials evaluating the clinical impact of PSMA PET/CT on prostate radiation planning are indicated. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Brominated and organophosphate flame retardants target different neurodevelopmental stages, characterized with embryonic neural stem cells and neuronotypic PC12 cells.

PubMed

Slotkin, Theodore A; Skavicus, Samantha; Stapleton, Heather M; Seidler, Frederic J

2017-09-01

In addition to their activity as endocrine disruptors, brominated and organophosphate flame retardants are suspected to be developmental neurotoxicants, although identifying their specific mechanisms for that activity has been elusive. In the current study, we evaluated the effects of several flame retardants on neurodifferentiation using two in vitro models that assess distinct "decision nodes" in neural cell development: embryonic rat neural stem cells (NSCs), which evaluate the origination of neurons and glia from precursors, and rat neuronotypic PC12 cells, which characterize a later stage where cells committed to a neuronal phenotype undergo neurite outgrowth and neurotransmitter specification. In NSCs, both brominated and organophosphate flame retardants diverted the phenotype in favor of glia and away from formation of neurons, leading to an increased glia/neuron ratio, a common hallmark of the in vivo effects of neurotoxicants. For this early decision node, the brominated flame retardants were far more potent than the organophosphates. In PC12 cells, the brominated flame retardants were far less effective, whereas tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate, an organophosphate, was more effective. Thus, the two classes of flame retardants differentially impact the two distinct vulnerable periods of neurodifferentiation. Furthermore, the effects on neurodifferentiation were separable from outright cytotoxicity, an important requirement in establishing a specific effect of these agents on neural cell development. These results reinforce the likelihood that flame retardants act as developmental neurotoxicants via direct effects on neural cell differentiation, over and above other activities that can impact nervous system development, such as endocrine disruption. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acid emissions monitoring needs in ceramic tile industry: challenges derived from new policy trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celades, Irina; Gomar, Salvador; Romero, Fernando; Chauhan, Amisha; Delpech, Bertrand; Jouhara, Hussam

2017-11-01

The emission of acid compounds during the manufacture of ceramic tiles is strongly related to the presence of precursors in the raw materials and/or fuels used, with some exceptions such as the production of thermal NOX. The stages with the potential to produce significant emissions of these compounds have been identified as the suspension spray drying and tile firing stages. The monitoring of emission levels of acid pollutants in these stages has turned in a great importance issue from a regulatory and industrial aspect. The DREAM project (https://www.spire2030.eu/dream) will tackle the regulation of acidic emissions focusing in the firing stage. The initial stages of the project have made it possible to identify the design requirements for the monitoring system. This will allow the control of acid pollutants emissions and other key parameters such as pressure, flow, temperature and humidity. One of the tasks developed has been the review and compilation of current emissions monitoring systems detailing technical specifications such as: position (in situ or extractive), measurement principle and frequency. The future policy trends in air pollution are encouraging the continuous monitoring across the European industry. The present document assesses the advantages regarding environmental impact control, highlighting the main challenges for the ceramic tile industry.

Breast cancer mortality in African-American and non-Hispanic white women by molecular subtype and stage at diagnosis: a population-based study

PubMed Central

Tao, Li; Gomez, Scarlett Lin; Keegan, Theresa HM; Kurian, Allison W.; Clarke, Christina A.

2015-01-01

Background Higher breast cancer mortality rates for African-American than non-Hispanic white women are well documented; however, it remains uncertain if this disparity occurs in disease subgroups defined by tumor molecular markers and stage at diagnosis. We examined racial differences in outcome according to subtype and stage in a diverse, population-based series of 103,498 patients. Methods We obtained data for all invasive breast cancers diagnosed 1/1/2005-12/31/2012 and followed through 12/31/2012 among 93,760 non-Hispanic white and 9,738 African-American women in California. Molecular subtypes were categorized according to tumor expression of hormone receptor (HR, based on estrogen and progesterone receptors) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for breast cancer-specific mortality. Results After adjustment for patient, tumor and treatment characteristics, outcomes were comparable by race for Stage I or IV cancer regardless of subtype, and HR+/HER2+ or HR-/HER2+ cancer regardless of stage. We found substantially higher hazards of breast cancer death among African-American women with Stage II/III HR+/HER2- (HR, 1.31, 95% CI, 1.03-1.65, and HR, 1.39, 95% CI, 1.10-1.75, respectively) and Stage III triple-negative cancers relative to whites. Conclusions There are substantial racial/ethnic disparities among patients with Stages II/III HR+/HER2- and Stage III triple-negative breast cancers but not for other subtype and stage. Impact These data provide insights to assess barriers to targeted treatment (e.g. trastuzumab or endocrine therapy) of particular subtypes of breast cancer among African-American patients. PMID:25969506

Age, stage and senescence in plants

PubMed Central

Caswell, Hal; Salguero-Gómez, Roberto

2013-01-01

1. Senescence (an increase in the mortality rate or force of mortality, or a decrease in fertility, with increasing age) is a widespread phenomenon. Theories about the evolution of senescence have long focused on the age trajectories of the selection gradients on mortality and fertility. In purely age-classified models, these selection gradients are non-increasing with age, implying that traits expressed early in life have a greater impact on fitness than traits expressed later in life. This pattern leads inevitably to the evolution of senescence if there are trade-offs between early and late performance. 2. It has long been suspected that the stage- or size-dependent demography typical of plants might change these conclusions. In this paper, we develop a model that includes both stage- and age-dependence and derive the age-dependent, stage-dependent and age×stage-dependent selection gradients on mortality and fertility. 3. We applied this model to stage-classified population projection matrices for 36 species of plants, from a wide variety of growth forms (from mosses to trees) and habitats. 4. We found that the age-specific selection gradients within a life cycle stage can exhibit increases with age (we call these contra-senescent selection gradients). In later stages, often large size classes in plant demography, the duration of these contra-senescent gradients can exceed the life expectancy by several fold. 5. Synthesis. The interaction of age- and stage-dependence in plants leads to selection pressures on senescence fundamentally different from those found in previous, age-classified theories. This result may explain the observation that large plants seem less subject to senescence than most kinds of animals. The methods presented here can lead to improved analysis of both age-dependent and stage-dependent demographic properties of plant populations. PMID:23741075

Active and Inactive Enhancers Cooperate to Exert Localized and Long-Range Control of Gene Regulation.

PubMed

Proudhon, Charlotte; Snetkova, Valentina; Raviram, Ramya; Lobry, Camille; Badri, Sana; Jiang, Tingting; Hao, Bingtao; Trimarchi, Thomas; Kluger, Yuval; Aifantis, Iannis; Bonneau, Richard; Skok, Jane A

2016-06-07

V(D)J recombination relies on the presence of proximal enhancers that activate the antigen receptor (AgR) loci in a lineage- and stage-specific manner. Unexpectedly, we find that both active and inactive AgR enhancers cooperate to disseminate their effects in a localized and long-range manner. Here, we demonstrate the importance of short-range contacts between active enhancers that constitute an Igk super-enhancer in B cells. Deletion of one element reduces the interaction frequency between other enhancers in the hub, which compromises the transcriptional output of each component. Furthermore, we establish that, in T cells, long-range contact and cooperation between the inactive Igk enhancer MiEκ and the active Tcrb enhancer Eβ alters enrichment of CBFβ binding in a manner that impacts Tcrb recombination. These findings underline the complexities of enhancer regulation and point to a role for localized and long-range enhancer-sharing between active and inactive elements in lineage- and stage-specific control. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer Studies of Parameters Specific to the IGCC-Requirements: Endwall Contouring, Leading Edge and Blade Tip Ejection under Rotating Turbine Conditions

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

Schobeiri, Meinhard; Han, Je-Chin

2014-09-30

This report deals with the specific aerodynamics and heat transfer problematic inherent to high pressure (HP) turbine sections of IGCC-gas turbines. Issues of primary relevance to a turbine stage operating in an IGCC-environment are: (1) decreasing the strength of the secondary flow vortices at the hub and tip regions to reduce (a), the secondary flow losses and (b), the potential for end wall deposition, erosion and corrosion due to secondary flow driven migration of gas flow particles to the hub and tip regions, (2) providing a robust film cooling technology at the hub and that sustains high cooling effectiveness lessmore » sensitive to deposition, (3) investigating the impact of blade tip geometry on film cooling effectiveness. The document includes numerical and experimental investigations of above issues. The experimental investigations were performed in the three-stage multi-purpose turbine research facility at the Turbomachinery Performance and Flow Research Laboratory (TPFL), Texas A&M University. For the numerical investigations a commercial Navier-Stokes solver was utilized.« less

Temporal Impact of Substrate Mechanics on Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Cardiomyocytes

PubMed Central

Hazeltine, Laurie B.; Badur, Mehmet G.; Lian, Xiaojun; Das, Amritava; Han, Wenqing; Palecek, Sean P.

2014-01-01

A significant clinical need exists to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into cardiomyocytes, enabling tissue modeling for in vitro discovery of new drugs or cell-based therapies for heart repair in vivo. Chemical and mechanical microenvironmental factors are known to impact efficiency of stem cell differentiation, but cardiac differentiation protocols in hPSCs are typically performed on rigid tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) surfaces which do not present a physiological mechanical setting. To investigate the temporal effects of mechanics on cardiac differentiation, we cultured human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their derivatives on polyacrylamide hydrogel substrates with a physiologically relevant range of stiffnesses. In directed differentiation and embryoid body culture systems, differentiation of hESCs to cardiac Troponin T-expressing (cTnT+) cardiomyocytes peaked on hydrogels of intermediate stiffness. Brachyury expression also peaked on intermediate stiffness hydrogels at day 1 of directed differentiation, suggesting that stiffness impacted the initial differentiation trajectory of hESCs to mesendoderm. To investigate the impact of substrate mechanics during cardiac specification of mesodermal progenitors, we initiated directed cardiomyocyte differentiation on TCPS and transferred cells to hydrogels at the Nkx2.5/Isl1+ cardiac progenitor cell stage. No differences in cardiomyocyte purity with stiffness were observed on day 15. These experiments indicate that differentiation of hESCs is sensitive to substrate mechanics at early stages of mesodermal induction, and proper application of substrate mechanics can increase the propensity of hESCs to differentiate to cardiomyocytes. PMID:24200714

Interprofessional communication supporting clinical handover in emergency departments: An observation study.

PubMed

Redley, Bernice; Botti, Mari; Wood, Beverley; Bucknall, Tracey

2017-08-01

Poor interprofessional communication poses a risk to patient safety at change-of-shift in emergency departments (EDs). The purpose of this study was to identify and describe patterns and processes of interprofessional communication impacting quality of ED change-of-shift handovers. Observation of 66 change-of-shift handovers at two acute hospital EDs in Victoria, Australia. Focus groups with 34 nurse participants complemented the observations. Qualitative data analysis involved content and thematic methods. Four structural components of ED handover processes emerged represented by (ABCD): (1) Antecedents; (2) Behaviours and interactions; (3) Content; and (4) Delegation of ongoing care. Infrequent and ad hoc interprofessional communication and discipline-specific handover content and processes emerged as specific risks to patient safety at change-of-shift handovers. Three themes related to risky and effective practices to support interprofessional communications across the four stages of ED handovers emerged: 1) standard processes and practices, 2) teamwork and interactions and 3) communication activities and practices. Unreliable interprofessional communication can impact the quality of change-of-shift handovers in EDs and poses risk to patient safety. Structured reflective analysis of existing practices can identify opportunities for standardisation, enhanced team practices and effective communication across four stages of the handover process to support clinicians to enhance local handover practices. Future research should test and refine models to support analysis of practice, and identify and test strategies to enhance ED interprofessional communication to support clinical handovers. Copyright © 2017 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the Impact and Implementation of Disaster Education: Programs for Children Through Theory-Based Evaluation.

PubMed

Johnson, Victoria A; Ronan, Kevin R; Johnston, David M; Peace, Robin

2016-11-01

A main weakness in the evaluation of disaster education programs for children is evaluators' propensity to judge program effectiveness based on changes in children's knowledge. Few studies have articulated an explicit program theory of how children's education would achieve desired outcomes and impacts related to disaster risk reduction in households and communities. This article describes the advantages of constructing program theory models for the purpose of evaluating disaster education programs for children. Following a review of some potential frameworks for program theory development, including the logic model, the program theory matrix, and the stage step model, the article provides working examples of these frameworks. The first example is the development of a program theory matrix used in an evaluation of ShakeOut, an earthquake drill practiced in two Washington State school districts. The model illustrates a theory of action; specifically, the effectiveness of school earthquake drills in preventing injuries and deaths during disasters. The second example is the development of a stage step model used for a process evaluation of What's the Plan Stan?, a voluntary teaching resource distributed to all New Zealand primary schools for curricular integration of disaster education. The model illustrates a theory of use; specifically, expanding the reach of disaster education for children through increased promotion of the resource. The process of developing the program theory models for the purpose of evaluation planning is discussed, as well as the advantages and shortcomings of the theory-based approaches. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Labor market effects of intrauterine exposure to nutritional deficiency: Evidence from administrative data on Muslim immigrants in Denmark.

PubMed

Schultz-Nielsen, Marie Louise; Tekin, Erdal; Greve, Jane

2016-05-01

This paper examines whether nutritional disruptions experienced during the stage of fetal development impair an individual's labor market productivity later in life. We consider intrauterine exposure to the month of Ramadan as a natural experiment that might cause shocks to the inflow of nutrients essential for fetal development. Specifically, we use administrative data from Denmark to investigate the impact of exposure to Ramadan in utero on labor market outcomes of adult Muslim males, including employment status, annual salary, hourly wage rate, and hours of work. Our findings indicate that potential exposure to nutritional disruptions during a critical stage of fetal development is likely to have scarring effects on the fetus expressed as poor labor market outcomes later in life. Specifically, exposure to Ramadan around the 7th month of gestation results in a lower likelihood of employment and, to a lesser extent, a lower salary, and reduced labor supply. For example, the 7th month intrauterine exposure to Ramadan is associated with a 2.6 percentage points reduction in the likelihood of employment among Muslim males. We do not find an impact on the wage rate. Finally, we also document suggestive evidence that these results may partially be driven by increased disability and to a lesser extent by poor educational attainment among those who were exposed to Ramadan during this particular period in utero. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of Urban Neighborhood Disadvantage on Late Stage Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Virginia.

PubMed

DeGuzman, Pam Baker; Cohn, Wendy F; Camacho, Fabian; Edwards, Brandy L; Sturz, Vanessa N; Schroen, Anneke T

2017-04-01

Research suggests that residents of inner-city urban neighborhoods have higher rates of late stage cancer diagnosis. Identifying urban neighborhoods with high rates of both concentrated disadvantage and late stage cancer diagnosis may assist health care providers to target screening interventions to reduce disparities. The purposes of this study were to (1) create an index to evaluate concentrated disadvantage (CD) using non-racial measures of poverty, (2) determine the impact of neighborhood CD on late stage breast cancer diagnosis in US cities, and (3) to understand the role of obesity on this relationship. We used census block group- (CBG) level poverty indicators from five Virginia cities to develop the index. Breast cancer cases of women aged 18-65 who lived in the five cities were identified from the 2000-2012 Virginia Cancer Registry. A logistic regression model with random intercept was used to evaluate the impact of disadvantage on late stage breast cancer diagnosis. CBG-level maps were developed to geographically identify neighborhoods with both high rates of CD and late breast cancer staging. Over 900 CBGs and 6000 breast cases were included. Global fit of the concentrated disadvantage model was acceptable. The effect of disadvantage on late stage was significant (OR = 1.0083, p = 0.032). Inner-city poverty impacts risk of late stage breast cancer diagnosis. Area-level obesity is highly correlated with neighborhood poverty (ρ = 0.74, p < 0.0001) but the mediating direct and indirect effects are non-significant. Intervening in these high poverty neighborhoods may help combat disparities in late stage diagnosis for urban poor and for minorities living in these underserved neighborhoods, but more study is needed to understanding the complex relationship between concentrated neighborhood poverty, obesity, and late stage diagnosis.

Racial disparities in stage-specific colorectal cancer mortality: 1960-2005.

PubMed

Soneji, Samir; Iyer, Shally Shalini; Armstrong, Katrina; Asch, David A

2010-10-01

We examined whether racial disparities in stage-specific colorectal cancer survival changed between 1960 and 2005. We used US Mortality Multiple-Cause-of-Death Data Files and intercensal estimates to calculate standardized mortality rates by gender and race from 1960 to 2005. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to estimate stage-specific colorectal cancer survival. To account for SEER sampling uncertainty, we used a bootstrap resampling procedure and fit a Cox proportional hazards model. Between 1960-2005, patterns of decline in mortality rate as a result of colorectal cancer differed greatly by gender and race: 54% reduction for White women, 14% reduction for Black women, 39% reduction for White men, and 28% increase for Black men. Blacks consistently experienced worse rates of stage-specific survival and life expectancy than did Whites for both genders, across all age groups, and for localized, regional, and distant stages of the disease. The rates of stage-specific colorectal cancer survival differed among Blacks when compared with Whites during the 4-decade study period. Differences in stage-specific life expectancy were the result of differences in access to care or quality of care. More attention should be given to racial disparities in colorectal cancer management.

Day and night heat stress trigger different transcriptomic responses in green and ripening grapevine (vitis vinifera) fruit.

PubMed

Rienth, Markus; Torregrosa, Laurent; Luchaire, Nathalie; Chatbanyong, Ratthaphon; Lecourieux, David; Kelly, Mary T; Romieu, Charles

2014-04-28

Global climate change will noticeably affect plant vegetative and reproductive development. The recent increase in temperatures has already impacted yields and composition of berries in many grapevine-growing regions. Physiological processes underlying temperature response and tolerance of the grapevine fruit have not been extensively investigated. To date, all studies investigating the molecular regulation of fleshly fruit response to abiotic stress were only conducted during the day, overlooking possible critical night-specific variations. The present study explores the night and day transcriptomic response of grapevine fruit to heat stress at several developmental stages. Short heat stresses (2 h) were applied at day and night to vines bearing clusters sequentially ordered according to the developmental stages along their vertical axes. The recently proposed microvine model (DRCF-Dwarf Rapid Cycling and Continuous Flowering) was grown in climatic chambers in order to circumvent common constraints and biases inevitable in field experiments with perennial macrovines. Post-véraison berry heterogeneity within clusters was avoided by constituting homogenous batches following organic acids and sugars measurements of individual berries. A whole genome transcriptomic approach was subsequently conducted using NimbleGen 090818 Vitis 12X (30 K) microarrays. Present work reveals significant differences in heat stress responsive pathways according to day or night treatment, in particular regarding genes associated with acidity and phenylpropanoid metabolism. Precise distinction of ripening stages led to stage-specific detection of malic acid and anthocyanin-related transcripts modulated by heat stress. Important changes in cell wall modification related processes as well as indications for heat-induced delay of ripening and sugar accumulation were observed at véraison, an effect that was reversed at later stages. This first day - night study on heat stress adaption of the grapevine berry shows that the transcriptome of fleshy fruits is differentially affected by abiotic stress at night. The present results emphasize the necessity of including different developmental stages and especially several daytime points in transcriptomic studies.

Seismometer reading from impact made by Lunar Module ascent stage

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-20

S69-59547 (20 Nov. 1969) --- The seismometer reading from the impact made by the Lunar Module ascent stage when it struck the lunar surface. The impact was registered by the Passive Seismic Experiment Package which was deployed on the moon by the Apollo 12 astronauts. PSEP, which is a component of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package, will detect surface tilt produced by tidal deformations, moonquakes, and meteorite impacts. The LM's ascent stage was jettisoned and sent journeying toward impact on the moon after astronauts Charles Conrad Jr. and Alan L. Bean returned to lunar orbit and rejoined astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr. in the Command and Service Modules. Information from the PSEP is transmitted to Earth through the ALSEP's central station and monitored by equipment at the Manned Spacecraft Center.

Whole blood FPR1 mRNA expression predicts both non‐small cell and small cell lung cancer

PubMed Central

Vachani, Anil; Pass, Harvey I.; Rom, William N.; Ryden, Kirk; Weiss, Glen J.; Hogarth, D. K.; Runger, George; Richards, Donald; Shelton, Troy; Mallery, David W.

2018-01-01

While long‐term survival rates for early‐stage lung cancer are high, most cases are diagnosed in later stages that can negatively impact survival rates. We aim to design a simple, single biomarker blood test for early‐stage lung cancer that is robust to preclinical variables and can be readily implemented in the clinic. Whole blood was collected in PAXgene tubes from a training set of 29 patients, and a validation set of 260 patients, of which samples from 58 patients were prospectively collected in a clinical trial specifically for our study. After RNA was extracted, the expressions of FPR1 and a reference gene were quantified by an automated one‐step Taqman RT‐PCR assay. Elevated levels of FPR1 mRNA in whole blood predicted lung cancer status with a sensitivity of 55% and a specificity of 87% on all validation specimens. The prospectively collected specimens had a significantly higher 68% sensitivity and 89% specificity. Results from patients with benign nodules were similar to healthy volunteers. No meaningful correlation was present between our test results and any clinical characteristic other than lung cancer diagnosis. FPR1 mRNA levels in whole blood can predict the presence of lung cancer. Using this as a reflex test for positive lung cancer screening computed tomography scans has the potential to increase the positive predictive value. This marker can be easily measured in an automated process utilizing off‐the‐shelf equipment and reagents. Further work is justified to explain the source of this biomarker. PMID:29313979

Petrography of impact glasses and melt breccias from the El'gygytgyn impact structure, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pittarello, Lidia; Koeberl, Christian

2013-07-01

The El'gygytgyn impact structure, 18 km in diameter and 3.6 Ma old, in Arctic Siberia, Russia, is the only impact structure on Earth mostly excavated in acidic volcanic rocks. The Late Cretaceous volcanic target includes lavas, tuffs, and ignimbrites of rhyolitic, dacitic, and andesitic composition, and local occurrence of basalt. Although the ejecta blanket around the crater is nearly completely eroded, bomb-shaped impact glasses, redeposited after the impact event, occur in lacustrine terraces within the crater. Here we present detailed petrographic descriptions of newly collected impact glass-bearing samples. The observed features contribute to constrain the formation of the melt and its cooling history within the framework of the impact process. The collected samples can be grouped into two types, characterized by specific features: (1) "pure" glasses, containing very few clasts or new crystals and which were likely formed during the early stages of cratering and (2) a second type, which represents composite samples with impact melt breccia lenses embedded in silicate glass. These mixed samples probably resulted from inclusion of unmelted impact debris during ejection and deposition. After deposition the glassy portions continued to deform, whereas the impact melt breccia inclusions that probably had already cooled down behaved as rigid bodies in the flow.

Physical activity in patients with advanced-stage cancer: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Albrecht, Tara A; Taylor, Ann Gill

2012-06-01

The importance of physical activity for chronic disease prevention and management has become generally well accepted. The number of research interventions and publications examining the benefits of physical activity for patients with cancer has been rising steadily. However, much of that research has focused on the impact of physical activity either prior to or early in the cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship process. Research focusing on the effects of physical activity, specifically for patients with advanced-stage cancer and poorer prognostic outcomes, has been addressed only recently. The purpose of this article is to examine the state of the science for physical activity in the advanced-stage disease subset of the cancer population. Exercise in a variety of intensities and forms, including yoga, walking, biking, and swimming, has many health benefits for people, including those diagnosed with cancer. Research has shown that, for people with cancer (including advanced-stage cancer), exercise can decrease anxiety, stress, and depression while improving levels of pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, constipation, and insomnia. People diagnosed with cancer should discuss with their oncologist safe, easy ways they can incorporate exercise into their daily lives.

Each life stage matters: the importance of assessing the response to climate change over the complete life cycle in butterflies.

PubMed

Radchuk, Viktoriia; Turlure, Camille; Schtickzelle, Nicolas

2013-01-01

As ectothermic organisms, butterflies have widely been used as models to explore the predicted impacts of climate change. However, most studies explore only one life stage; to our best knowledge, none have integrated the impact of temperature on the vital rates of all life stages for a species of conservation concern. Besides, most population viability analysis models for butterflies are based on yearly population growth rate, precluding the implementation and assessment of important climate change scenarios, where climate change occurs mainly, or differently, during some seasons. Here, we used a combination of laboratory and field experiments to quantify the impact of temperature on all life stages of a vulnerable glacial relict butterfly. Next, we integrated these impacts into an overall population response using a deterministic periodic matrix model and explored the impact of several climate change scenarios. Temperature positively affected egg, pre-diapause larva and pupal survival, and the number of eggs laid by a female; only the survival of overwintering larva was negatively affected by an increase in temperature. Despite the positive impact of warming on many life stages, population viability was reduced under all scenarios, with predictions of much shorter times to extinction than under the baseline (current temperature situation) scenario. Indeed, model predictions were the most sensitive to changes in survival of overwintering larva, the only stage negatively affected by warming. A proper consideration of every stage of the life cycle is important when designing conservation guidelines in the light of climate change. This is in line with the resource-based habitat view, which explicitly refers to the habitat as a collection of resources needed for all life stages of the species. We, therefore, encourage adopting a resource-based habitat view for population viability analysis and development of conservation guidelines for butterflies, and more generally, other organisms. Life stages that are cryptic or difficult to study should not be forsaken as they may be key determinants in the overall response to climate change, as we found with overwintering Boloria eunomia larvae. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2012 British Ecological Society.

Prognostic and diagnostic impact of fibrinogen, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio on thymic epithelial tumors outcome

PubMed Central

Janik, Stefan; Raunegger, Thomas; Hacker, Philipp; Ghanim, Bahil; Einwallner, Elisa; Müllauer, Leonhard; Schiefer, Ana-Iris; Moser, Julia; Klepetko, Walter; Ankersmit, Hendrik Jan; Moser, Bernhard

2018-01-01

Background Peripheral blood-derived inflammation-based markers, such as Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), and Fibrinogen have been identified as prognostic markers in various solid malignancies. Here we aimed to investigate the prognostic and diagnostic impact of NLR, PLR, and Fibrinogen in patients with thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). Results Pretreatment Fibrinogen serum concentrations, NLRs and PLRs were highest in patients with TCs and advanced tumor stages. High pretreatment Fibrinogen serum concentration (≥452.5 mg/dL) was significantly associated with worse cause specific survival (CSS; p = 0.001) and freedom from recurrence (FFR; p = 0.043), high NLR (≥4.0) with worse FFR (p = 0.008), and high PLR (≥136.5) with worse CSS (p = 0.032). Longitudinal analysis revealed that compared to patients without tumor recurrence, patients with tumor recurrence had significantly higher NLR (11.8 ± 4.0 vs. 4.70 ± 0.5; p = 0.001) and PLR (410.8 ± 149.1 vs. 228.3 ± 23.7; p = 0.031). Conclusion Overall, Fibrinogen serum concentrations, NLRs, and PLRs were associated with higher tumor stage, more aggressive tumor behavior, recurrence, and worse outcome. Prospective multicenter studies of the diagnostic and prognostic potential of Fibrinogen, NLR, and PLR are warranted. Methods This retrospective analysis included 122 patients with TETs who underwent surgical resection between 1999-2015. Fibrinogen serum concentrations, NLRs, and PLRs were measured in patients preoperatively, postoperatively, and later during follow-up. These markers were analyzed for association with several clinical variables, including tumor stage, tumor subtype, FFR, and CSS and to evaluate their prognostic and diagnostic impact for detecting tumor recurrence. PMID:29774108

Impact of low skeletal muscle mass on non-lung cancer mortality after stereotactic body radiotherapy for patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Matsuo, Yukinori; Mitsuyoshi, Takamasa; Shintani, Takashi; Iizuka, Yusuke; Mizowaki, Takashi

2018-05-17

The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate impact of pre-treatment skeletal muscle mass (SMM) on overall survival and non-lung cancer mortality after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One-hundred and eighty-six patients whose abdominal CT before the treatment was available were enrolled into this study. The patients were divided into two groups of SMM according to gender-specific thresholds for unilateral psoas area. Operability was judged by the treating physician or thoracic surgeon after discussion in a multi-disciplinary tumor board. Patients with low SMM tended to be elderly and underweight in body mass index compared with the high SMM. Overall survival in patients with the low SMM tended to be worse than that in the high SMM (41.1% and 55.9% at 5 years, P = 0.115). Cumulative incidence of non-lung cancer death was significantly worse in the low SMM (31.3% at 5 years compared with 9.7% in the high SMM, P = 0.006). Multivariate analysis identified SMM and operability as significant factors for non-lung cancer mortality. Impact of SMM on lung cancer death was not significant. No difference in rate of severe treatment-related toxicity was observed between the SMM groups. Low SMM is a significant risk factor for non-lung cancer death, which might lead to worse overall survival, after SBRT for stage I NSCLC. However, the low SMM does not increase lung cancer death or severe treatment-related toxicity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Explosively driven hypervelocity launcher: Second-stage augmentation techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baum, D. W.

1973-01-01

The results are described of a continuing study aimed at developing a two-stage explosively driven hypervelocity launcher capable of achieving projectile velocities between 15 and 20 km/sec. The testing and evaluation of a new cylindrical impact technique for collapsing the barrel of two-stage launcher are reported. Previous two-stage launchers have been limited in ultimate performance by incomplete barrel collapse behind the projectile. The cylindrical impact technique explosively collapses a steel tube concentric with and surrounding the barrel of the launcher. The impact of the tube on the barrel produces extremely high stresses which cause the barrel to collapse. The collapse rate can be adjusted by appropriate variation of the explosive charge and tubing parameters. Launcher experiments demonstrated that the technique did achieve complete barrel collapse and form a second-stage piston. However, jetting occurred in the barrel collapse process and was responsible for severe projectile damage.

The impact of childhood neighborhood disadvantage on adult joblessness and income.

PubMed

Alvarado, Steven Elías

2018-02-01

Research on residential inequality focuses heavily on adult economic outcomes as crucial components of the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Yet, empirical evidence on whether youth neighborhoods have a lasting impact on adult economic outcomes at the national level is scarce. Further, we know little about how youth neighborhood effects on adult economic outcomes manifest. This study uses 26 years (14 waves) of restricted panel data from the NLSY79 and the NLSY Children and Young Adults cohorts - data that have never been used to analyze long-term neighborhood effects - to examine whether youth neighborhood disadvantage impacts adult economic outcomes through sensitive years in childhood, teen socialization, duration effects, or cumulative effects. Sibling fixed effects models that net out unobserved effects of shared family characteristics suggest that youth neighborhood disadvantage increases joblessness and reduces income in adulthood. However, exposure across specific developmental stages of youth does not appear to act as a significant moderator while sustained exposure yields pernicious effects on adult economic outcomes. Moreover, these results are robust to alternative variable specifications and cousin fixed effects that net out potentially unobserved confounders, such as the inheritance of neighborhood disadvantage across three generations. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Impact of intravitreal pharmacotherapies including antivascular endothelial growth factor and corticosteroid agents on diabetic retinopathy.

PubMed

Wykoff, Charles C

2017-05-01

Diabetic retinopathy is common and increasing in prevalence. Pharmacologic management of diabetic macular edema (DME) has improved tremendously over the last decade with the use of two families of intravitreally administered medications: antivascular endothelial growth factor-specific agents and corticosteroids. Clinical evaluation of these pharmaceuticals has demonstrated that they can have a substantial impact on diabetic retinopathy severity levels and the underlying retinal vasculature itself. Phase 3 trials employing ranibizumab, aflibercept, and fluocinolone acetonide enrolling eyes with center-involving DME causing visual acuity loss have demonstrated impressive alteration of the natural history of progressive diabetic retinopathy worsening over time through blunted progression to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, improving diabetic retinopathy severity levels, and slowing progressive retinal nonperfusion, the underlying disease process central to diabetic retinopathy itself. Accumulating data indicate that the threshold to initiate ocular-specific pharmacologic treatment for diabetic retinopathy, previously predominately limited to eyes with visual loss because of center-involved DME or proliferative diabetic retinopathy, is being lowered to earlier stages of diabetic retinopathy. Ongoing clinical trials and secondary analyses continue to further explore the impact and durability of vascular endothelial growth factor blockade and corticosteroids on modification of diabetic retinopathy and the underlying retinal vasculature itself.

Impact of lunar and planetary missions on the space station: Preliminary STS logistics report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Space station requirements for lunar and planetary missions are discussed. Specific reference is made to projected Ceres and Kopff missions; Titan probes; Saturn and Mercury orbiters; and a Mars sample return mission. Such requirements as base design; station function; program definition; mission scenarios; uncertainties impact; launch manifest and mission schedule; and shuttle loads are considered. It is concluded that: (1) the impact of the planetary missions on the space station is not large when compared to the lunar base; (2) a quarantine module may be desirable for sample returns; (3) the Ceres and Kopff missions require the ability to stack and checkout two-stage OTVs; and (4) two to seven manweeks of on-orbit work are required of the station crew to launch a mission and, with the exception of the quarantine module, dedicated crew will not be required.

Evaluation of the Sensitivity and Specificity of the New Clinical Diagnostic and Classification Criteria for Kashin-Beck Disease, an Endemic Osteoarthritis, in China.

PubMed

Yu, Fang Fang; Ping, Zhi Guang; Yao, Chong; Wang, Zhi Wen; Wang, Fu Qi; Guo, Xiong

2017-02-01

This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the new clinical diagnostic and classification criteria for Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) using six clinical markers: flexion of the distal part of fingers, deformed fingers, enlarged finger joints, shortened fingers, squat down, and dwarfism. One-third of the total population in Linyou County was sampled by stratified random sampling. The survey included baseline characteristics and clinical diagnoses, and the sensitivity and specificity of the new criteria was evaluated. We identified 3,459 KBD patients, of which 69 had early stage KBD, 1,952 had stage I, 1,132 had stage II, and 306 had stage III. A screening test classified enlarged finger joints as stage I KBD, with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.978 and 0.045, respectively. Shortened fingers were classified as stage II KBD, with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.969 and 0.844, respectively, and dwarfism was classified as stage III KBD with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.951 and 0.992, respectively. Serial screening test revealed that the new clinical classification of KBD classified stages I, II, and III KBD with sensitivities of 0.949, 0.945, and 0.925 and specificities of 0.967, 0.970, and 0.993, respectively. The screening tests revealed that enlarged finger joints, shortened fingers, and dwarfism were appropriate markers for the clinical diagnosis and classification of KBD with high sensitivity and specificity. Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

Low-Velocity Impact Wear Behavior of Ball-to-Flat Contact Under Constant Kinetic Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhang; Cai, Zhen-bing; Chen, Zhi-qiang; Sun, Yang; Zhu, Min-hao

2017-11-01

The impact tests were conducted on metallic materials with different bulk hardness and Young's moduli. Analysis of the dynamics response during the tribological process showed that the tested materials had similar energy absorption, where the peak contact force increased as the tests continued. Moreover, wear volume decreased with the increase in Young's modulus of metals, except for Cr with a relatively low hardness. Wear rate was gradually reduced to a steady stage with increasing cycles, which was attributed to the decrease in contact stress and work-hardening effect. The main wear mechanism of impact was characterized by delamination, and the specific surface degradation mechanisms were depending on the mechanical properties of materials. The absorbed energy was used to the propagation of micro-cracks in the subsurface instead of plastic deformation, when resistance of friction wear and plastic behavior was improved. Hence, both the hardness and Young's modulus played important roles in the impact wear of metallic materials.

Registrar Staging Assistant (SEER*RSA) - SEER

Cancer.gov

Use this site for cases diagnosed 2018 and forward to code Extent of Disease 2018, Summary Stage 2018, Site-Specific Data Items, and Grade. Use it for 2016 and 2017 cases to determine UICC TNM 7th edition stage, Collaborative Stage v.02.05.50, and Site-Specific predictive and prognostic factors.

Parenchymal and Stromal Cells Contribute to Pro-Inflammatory Myocardial Environment at Early Stages of Diabetes: Protective Role of Resveratrol.

PubMed

Savi, Monia; Bocchi, Leonardo; Sala, Roberto; Frati, Caterina; Lagrasta, Costanza; Madeddu, Denise; Falco, Angela; Pollino, Serena; Bresciani, Letizia; Miragoli, Michele; Zaniboni, Massimiliano; Quaini, Federico; Del Rio, Daniele; Stilli, Donatella

2016-11-16

Background: Little information is currently available concerning the relative contribution of cardiac parenchymal and stromal cells in the activation of the pro-inflammatory signal cascade, at the initial stages of diabetes. Similarly, the effects of early resveratrol (RSV) treatment on the negative impact of diabetes on the different myocardial cell compartments remain to be defined. Methods: In vitro challenge of neonatal cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts to high glucose and in vivo/ex vivo experiments on a rat model of Streptozotocin-induced diabetes were used to specifically address these issues. Results: In vitro data indicated that, besides cardiomyocytes, neonatal fibroblasts contribute to generating initial changes in the myocardial environment, in terms of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. These findings were mostly confirmed at the myocardial tissue level in diabetic rats, after three weeks of hyperglycemia. Specifically, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and Fractalkine were up-regulated and initial abnormalities in cardiomyocyte contractility occurred. At later stages of diabetes, a selective enhancement of pro-inflammatory macrophage M1 phenotype and a parallel reduction of anti-inflammatory macrophage M2 phenotype were associated with a marked disorganization of cardiomyocyte ultrastructural properties. RSV treatment inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine production, leading to a recovery of cardiomyocyte contractile efficiency and a reduced inflammatory cell recruitment. Conclusion: Early RSV administration could inhibit the pro-inflammatory diabetic milieu sustained by different cardiac cell types.

Impact of age on the survival of patients with liver cancer: an analysis of 27,255 patients in the SEER database.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenjie; Sun, Beicheng

2015-01-20

The risk of liver cancer (LC) is regarded as age dependent. However, the influence of age on its prognosis is controversial. The aim of our study was to compare the long-term survival of younger versus older patients with LC. In this retrospective study, we searched Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-RESULTS (SEER) population-based data and identified 27,255 patients diagnosed with LC between 1988 and 2003. These patients were categorized into younger (45 years and under) and older age (over 45 years of age) groups. Five-year cancer specific survival data was obtained. Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariable Cox regression models were used to analyze long-term survival outcomes and risk factors. There were significant differences between groups with regards to pathologic grading, histologic type, stage, and tumor size (p < 0.001). The 5-year liver cancer specific survival (LCSS) rates in the younger and older age groups were 14.5% and 8.4%, respectively (p < 0.001 by univariate and multivariate analysis). A stratified analysis of age on cancer survival showed only localized and regional stages to be validated as independent predictors, but not for advanced stages. Compared to older patients, younger patients with LC have a higher LCSS after surgery, despite the poorer biological behavior of this carcinoma.

Challenges in nourishing the intrauterine growth-restricted foetus - Lessons learned from studies in the intrauterine growth-restricted foetal sheep.

PubMed

Hay, William W; Brown, Laura D; Rozance, Paul J; Wesolowski, Stephanie R; Limesand, Sean W

2016-08-01

Previous attempts to improve growth and development of the intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) foetus during pregnancy have not worked or caused harm. Our research identifies tissue-specific mechanisms underlying foetal growth restriction and then tests strategies to improve growth and ameliorate many of the metabolic problems before the infant is born. The goal of our studies is to reduce the impact of foetal growth restriction at critical stages of development on the lifelong complications of IUGR offspring. Defining specific mechanisms that cause growth restriction in the foetus might identify specific nutrients and hormones that could be given to the mother to improve foetal growth and reduce metabolic complications, using strategies first tested in our IUGR animal model. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Climate change, variability and extreme events : risk assessment and management strategies in a Peach cultivated area in Italy.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfieri, Silvia Maria; De Lorenzi, Francesca; Basile, Angelo; Bonfante, Antonello; Missere, Daniele; Menenti, Massimo

2014-05-01

Climate change in Mediterranean area is likely to reduce precipitation amounts and to increase temperature thus affecting the timing of development stages and the productivity of crops. Further, extreme weather events are expected to increase in the future leading to significant increase in agricultural risk. Some strategies for effectively managing risks and adapting to climate change involve adjustments to irrigation management and use of different varieties. We quantified the risk on Peach production in an irrigated area of "Emilia Romagna" region ( Italy) taking into account the impact on crop yield due to climate change and variability and to extreme weather events as well as the ability of the agricultural system to modulate this impact (adaptive capacity) through changes in water and crop management. We have focused on climatic events causing insufficient water supply to crops, while taking into account the effect of climate on the duration and timing of phenological stages. Further, extreme maximum and minimum temperature events causing significant reduction of crop yield have been considered using phase-specific critical temperatures. In our study risk was assessed as the product of the probability of a damaging event (hazard), such as drought or extreme temperatures, and the estimated impact of such an event (vulnerability). To estimate vulnerability we took into account the possible options to reduce risk, by combining estimates of the sensitivity of the system (negative impact on crop yield) and its adaptive capacity. The latter was evaluated as the relative improvement due to alternate management options: the use of alternate varieties or the changes in irrigation management. Vulnerability was quantified using cultivar-specific thermal and hydrologic requirements of a set of cultivars determined by experimental data and from scientific literature. Critical temperatures determining a certain reduction of crop yield have been estimated and used to assess thermal hazard and vulnerability in sensitive phenological stages. Cultivar-specific yield response functions to water availability were used to assess the reduction of yield for a determinate management option. Downscaled climate scenarios have been used to calculate indicators of soil water availability and thermal times and to evaluate the variability of crop phenology in combination with critical temperatures. Two climate scenarios were considered: reference (1961-90) and future (2021-2050) climate, the former from climatic statistics on observed variables, and the latter from statistical downscaling of general circulation models (AOGCM). Management options were defined by combinations of irrigation strategies (optimal, rainfed and deficit) with use of alternate varieties. As regards hydrologic conditions, risk assessment has been done at landscape scale in all soil units within each study area. The mechanistic model SWAP (Soil-Water-Atmosphere-Plant model) of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system was used to describe the hydrological conditions in response to climate and irrigation. Different farm management options were evaluated. In a moderate water shortage scenario, deficit irrigation was an effective strategy to cope with climate change risks. In a severe water shortage scenario, the study showed the potentiality of intra-specific biodiversity to reduce risk of yield losses, although costs should be evaluated against the benefits of each specific management option. The work was carried out within the Italian national project AGROSCENARI funded by the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forest Policies (MIPAAF, D.M. 8608/7303/2008)

Applications of nanomaterials as vaccine adjuvants

PubMed Central

Zhu, Motao; Wang, Rongfu; Nie, Guangjun

2014-01-01

Vaccine adjuvants are applied to amplify the recipient's specific immune responses against pathogen infection or malignancy. A new generation of adjuvants is being developed to meet the demands for more potent antigen-specific responses, specific types of immune responses, and a high margin of safety. Nanotechnology provides a multifunctional stage for the integration of desired adjuvant activities performed by the building blocks of tailor-designed nanoparticles. Using nanomaterials for antigen delivery can provide high bioavailability, sustained and controlled release profiles, and targeting and imaging properties resulting from manipulation of the nanomaterials’ physicochemical properties. Moreover, the inherent immune-regulating activity of particular nanomaterials can further promote and shape the cellular and humoral immune responses toward desired types. The combination of both the delivery function and immunomodulatory effect of nanomaterials as adjuvants is thought to largely benefit the immune outcomes of vaccination. In this review, we will address the current achievements of nanotechnology in the development of novel adjuvants. The potential mechanisms by which nanomaterials impact the immune responses to a vaccine and how physicochemical properties, including size, surface charge and surface modification, impact their resulting immunological outcomes will be discussed. This review aims to provide concentrated information to promote new insights for the development of novel vaccine adjuvants. PMID:25483497

Inhibition of biofilm formation by D-tyrosine: Effect of bacterial type and D-tyrosine concentration.

PubMed

Yu, Cong; Li, Xuening; Zhang, Nan; Wen, Donghui; Liu, Charles; Li, Qilin

2016-04-01

D-Tyrosine inhibits formation and triggers disassembly of bacterial biofilm and has been proposed for biofouling control applications. This study probes the impact of D-tyrosine in different biofilm formation stages in both G+ and G- bacteria, and reveals a non-monotonic correlation between D-tyrosine concentration and biofilm inhibition effect. In the attachment stage, cell adhesion was studied in a flow chamber, where D-tyrosine caused significant reduction in cell attachment. Biofilms formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis were characterized by confocal laser scanning microscopy as well as quantitative analysis of cellular biomass and extracellular polymeric substances. D-Tyrosine exhibited strong inhibitive effects on both biofilms with an effective concentration as low as 5 nM; the biofilms responded to D-tyrosine concentration change in a non-monotonic, bi-modal pattern. In addition, D-tyrosine showed notable and different impact on EPS production by G+ and G- bacteria. Extracellular protein was decreased in P. aeruginosa biofilms, but increased in those of B. subtilis. Exopolysaccharides production by P. aeruginosa was increased at low concentrations and reduced at high concentrations while no impact was found in B. subtilis. These results suggest that distinct mechanisms are at play at different D-tyrosine concentrations and they may be species specific. Dosage of D-tyrosine must be carefully controlled for biofouling control applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship of stage mensuration data to the performance of new and used cascade impactors.

PubMed

Roberts, Daryl L; Romay, Francisco J

2005-01-01

Cascade impaction is a standard test method for characterizing the quality of inhalable drug products. The sizes of the nozzles on each stage of the impactor are the critical dimensions for the performance of the impactor. Compendial reference methods call for periodic measurement of the size of the nozzles on each stage, a procedure known as stage mensuration. There is however currently no guidance on acceptable mensuration criteria. We aim to remedy this situation by providing a sound basis for understanding and using mensuration data, be it for acceptance criteria for new impactors or for the setting of mensuration tolerances for in-use impactors. We first show that multi-nozzle impactor stages behave as if all of the nozzles are equal in size to an effective diameter, , that is composed of the area-mean and areamedian diameters, W* and , calculated directly from the individual nozzle diameters for all nozzles on a given stage (equation 1): W= (W*)(2/3) x (W)(1/3) (1). Hence, the effective diameter provides an intuitive and technically sound basis for setting acceptance criteria for new and in-use impactors. We tabulate these criteria for the Mark II eight-stage Andersen cascade impactor and the Next Generation Pharmaceutical Impactor in a manner similar to the tables of critical impactor dimensions published in EP Supplement 5.1 and in USP 28. For two different impactors or for one impactor measured at two different times (e.g., at manufacture and in use), we find that the D50 values of a given stage are related to the effective diameters by D(50,2)/D(50,1)= (W(2)/W(1))(3/2) (2). Using the stage mensuration data for new, as-manufactured NGIs, we compare the D(50 )values of the first 125 as-manufactured NGIs with those of the archivally calibrated NGI. We further establish that the archivally calibrated NGI has D(50) values within 0.3% of an entirely perfect, hypothetical NGI with all nozzles equal to the nominal nozzle diameters. We also apply the equations to a specific mensurated impactor to show that a used impactor with some nozzles outside of the original manufacturing specifications can have the same aerodynamic performance as a new impactor.

Unsteady Flow in a Supersonic Turbine with Variable Specific Heats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorney, Daniel J.; Griffin, Lisa W.; Huber, Frank; Sondak, Douglas L.; Turner, James (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Modern high-work turbines can be compact, transonic, supersonic, counter-rotating, or use a dense drive gas. The vast majority of modern rocket turbine designs fall into these Categories. These turbines usually have large temperature variations across a given stage, and are characterized by large amounts of flow unsteadiness. The flow unsteadiness can have a major impact on the turbine performance and durability. For example, the Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) fuel turbine, a high work, transonic design, was found to have an unsteady inter-row shock which reduced efficiency by 2 points and increased dynamic loading by 24 percent. The Revolutionary Reusable Technology Turbopump (RRTT), which uses full flow oxygen for its drive gas, was found to shed vortices with such energy as to raise serious blade durability concerns. In both cases, the sources of the problems were uncovered (before turbopump testing) with the application of validated, unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to the designs. In the case of the RRTT and the Alternate Turbopump Development (ATD) turbines, the unsteady CFD codes have been used not just to identify problems, but to guide designs which mitigate problems due to unsteadiness. Using unsteady flow analyses as a part of the design process has led to turbine designs with higher performance (which affects temperature and mass flow rate) and fewer dynamics problems. One of the many assumptions made during the design and analysis of supersonic turbine stages is that the values of the specific heats are constant. In some analyses the value is based on an average of the expected upstream and downstream temperatures. In stages where the temperature can vary by 300 to 500 K, however, the assumption of constant fluid properties may lead to erroneous performance and durability predictions. In this study the suitability of assuming constant specific heats has been investigated by performing three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes simulations for a supersonic turbine stage.

The C. elegans tailless/Tlx homolog nhr-67 regulates a stage-specific program of linker cell migration in male gonadogenesis.

PubMed

Kato, Mihoko; Sternberg, Paul W

2009-12-01

Cell migration is a common event during organogenesis, yet little is known about how migration is temporally coordinated with organ development. We are investigating stage-specific programs of cell migration using the linker cell (LC), a migratory cell crucial for male gonadogenesis of C. elegans. During the L3 and L4 larval stages of wild-type males, the LC undergoes changes in its position along the migratory route, in transcriptional regulation of the unc-5 netrin receptor and zmp-1 zinc matrix metalloprotease, and in cell morphology. We have identified the tailless homolog nhr-67 as a cell-autonomous, stage-specific regulator of timing in LC migration programs. In nhr-67-deficient animals, each of the L3 and L4 stage changes is either severely delayed or never occurs, yet LC development before the early L3 stage or after the mid-L4 stage occurs with normal timing. We propose that there is a basal migration program utilized throughout LC migration that is modified by stage-specific regulators such as nhr-67.

The sensitivity and specificity of thermometry and plethysmography in the assessment of hand-arm vibration syndrome.

PubMed

Thompson, Aaron; House, Ron; Manno, Michael

2008-05-01

Finger plethysmography and thermometry are objective measures used to assess the vascular aspect of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Research to date shows poor correlation between these tests and Stockholm Workshop Scale (SWS) vascular stage. Clinicians, researchers and compensation boards require objective means to diagnose and quantify HAVS. To define the specificity and sensitivity of thermometry and plethysmography using the SWS as the reference criterion. A secondary goal was to consider cut points for the tests optimizing sensitivity and specificity. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on HAVS patients seen at an occupational medicine specialty clinic. Plethysmography and thermometry were analyzed using SWS vascular stage as the outcome variable. Logistic regression controlled for age, smoking and time since last vibration exposure and use of vasoactive medications. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined tests were calculated using varying cut points. A total of 139 patients consented to participate in the study. Plethysmography stage 1 or greater showed the highest sensitivity (sensitivity 94% and specificity 15%). Specificity was optimized combining plethysmography stage 3 and thermometry stage 3 (specificity 98% and sensitivity 23%). Maximal diagnostic accuracy was achieved by plethysmography alone setting the criteria for a positive test as being stage 1 or greater (70%). Neither plethysmography nor thermometry either alone or in combination demonstrated sufficient sensitivity and specificity to serve as an objective correlate for SWS vascular stage. All combinations of plethysmography and thermometry showed a lower specificity than sensitivity indicating that the SWS may be less sensitive in detecting vascular pathology than the objective tests.

Evaluation of the 8th AJCC staging system for pathologically versus clinically staged pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A time to revisit a dogma?

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2018-02-01

The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for pancreatic exocrine adenocarcinoma has been released. The current study seeks to assess the 7th and 8th editions among patients registered within the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) database. SEER database (2010-2013) has been accessed through SEER*Stat program and AJCC 8th edition stages were reconstructed utilizing the collaborative stage descriptions. Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival analyses (according to both 7th and 8th editions and according to whether pathological or clinical staging were conducted) has been performed. Multivariate analysis of factors affecting pancreatic cancer-specific survival was also conducted through a Cox proportional hazard model. A total of 18  948 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were identified in the period from 2010-2013. Pancreatic cancer-specific survival among pathologically staged patients and according to the 8th edition showed significant differences for all pair wise comparisons among different stages (P < 0.0001) except for the comparison between stage IA and stage IB (P = 0.307) and the comparison between stage IB and stage IIA (P = 0.116). Moreover, P value for stage IA vs IIA was 0.014; while pancreatic cancer-specific survival according to the 7th edition among pathologically staged patients showed significant differences for all pair wise comparisons among different stages (P < 0.0001) except for the comparison between IA and IB (P = 0.072), the comparison between stage IIA and stage IIB (P = 0.065), the comparison between stage IIA and stage III (P = 0.059) and the comparison between IIB and III (P = 0.595). Among clinically staged patients (i.e. those who did not undergo initial radical surgery), the prognostic performance of both 7th and 8th stages for both overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival was limited. There is clearly a need to have two staging systems for pancreatic adenocarcinoma: pathological and clinical staging systems. Copyright © 2018 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling screening, prevention, and delaying of Alzheimer's disease: an early-stage decision analytic model

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Alzheimer's Disease (AD) affects a growing proportion of the population each year. Novel therapies on the horizon may slow the progress of AD symptoms and avoid cases altogether. Initiating treatment for the underlying pathology of AD would ideally be based on biomarker screening tools identifying pre-symptomatic individuals. Early-stage modeling provides estimates of potential outcomes and informs policy development. Methods A time-to-event (TTE) simulation provided estimates of screening asymptomatic patients in the general population age ≥55 and treatment impact on the number of patients reaching AD. Patients were followed from AD screen until all-cause death. Baseline sensitivity and specificity were 0.87 and 0.78, with treatment on positive screen. Treatment slowed progression by 50%. Events were scheduled using literature-based age-dependent incidences of AD and death. Results The base case results indicated increased AD free years (AD-FYs) through delays in onset and a reduction of 20 AD cases per 1000 screened individuals. Patients completely avoiding AD accounted for 61% of the incremental AD-FYs gained. Total years of treatment per 1000 screened patients was 2,611. The number-needed-to-screen was 51 and the number-needed-to-treat was 12 to avoid one case of AD. One-way sensitivity analysis indicated that duration of screening sensitivity and rescreen interval impact AD-FYs the most. A two-way sensitivity analysis found that for a test with an extended duration of sensitivity (15 years) the number of AD cases avoided was 6,000-7,000 cases for a test with higher sensitivity and specificity (0.90,0.90). Conclusions This study yielded valuable parameter range estimates at an early stage in the study of screening for AD. Analysis identified duration of screening sensitivity as a key variable that may be unavailable from clinical trials. PMID:20433705

Modeling screening, prevention, and delaying of Alzheimer's disease: an early-stage decision analytic model.

PubMed

Furiak, Nicolas M; Klein, Robert W; Kahle-Wrobleski, Kristin; Siemers, Eric R; Sarpong, Eric; Klein, Timothy M

2010-04-30

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) affects a growing proportion of the population each year. Novel therapies on the horizon may slow the progress of AD symptoms and avoid cases altogether. Initiating treatment for the underlying pathology of AD would ideally be based on biomarker screening tools identifying pre-symptomatic individuals. Early-stage modeling provides estimates of potential outcomes and informs policy development. A time-to-event (TTE) simulation provided estimates of screening asymptomatic patients in the general population age > or =55 and treatment impact on the number of patients reaching AD. Patients were followed from AD screen until all-cause death. Baseline sensitivity and specificity were 0.87 and 0.78, with treatment on positive screen. Treatment slowed progression by 50%. Events were scheduled using literature-based age-dependent incidences of AD and death. The base case results indicated increased AD free years (AD-FYs) through delays in onset and a reduction of 20 AD cases per 1000 screened individuals. Patients completely avoiding AD accounted for 61% of the incremental AD-FYs gained. Total years of treatment per 1000 screened patients was 2,611. The number-needed-to-screen was 51 and the number-needed-to-treat was 12 to avoid one case of AD. One-way sensitivity analysis indicated that duration of screening sensitivity and rescreen interval impact AD-FYs the most. A two-way sensitivity analysis found that for a test with an extended duration of sensitivity (15 years) the number of AD cases avoided was 6,000-7,000 cases for a test with higher sensitivity and specificity (0.90,0.90). This study yielded valuable parameter range estimates at an early stage in the study of screening for AD. Analysis identified duration of screening sensitivity as a key variable that may be unavailable from clinical trials.

The impact of coexisting lung diseases on outcomes in patients with pathological Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Tao, Hiroyuki; Onoda, Hideko; Okabe, Kazunori; Matsumoto, Tsuneo

2018-06-01

Cigarette smoking is a well-known cause of interstitial lung disease (ILD), pulmonary emphysema and lung cancer. Coexisting pulmonary disease can affect prognosis in patients with lung cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of pulmonary disease on outcomes in patients with a smoking history who had undergone surgery for pathological Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer. Medical records of 257 patients with a smoking history who underwent surgery for pathological Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer between June 2009 and December 2014 were reviewed. Coexisting ILDs were evaluated using high-resolution computed tomography. The degree of pulmonary emphysema was determined using image analysis software according to the Goddard classification. The impact of clinicopathological factors on outcome was evaluated. Among the 257 patients, ILDs were detected via high-resolution computed tomography in 60 (23.3%) patients; of these, usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) patterns and non-UIP patterns were seen in 25 (9.7%) and 35 (13.6%) patients, respectively. The degree of pulmonary emphysema was classified as none, mild and moderate and included 50 (19.5%), 162 (63.0%) and 45 (17.5%) patients, respectively. The 5-year overall survival, cancer-specific survival and relapse-free survival were 80.7%, 88.0% and 74.9%, respectively, during a median follow-up period of 50.5 months. In multivariate analysis, the presence of a UIP pattern was shown to be an independent risk factor for poor outcome. The presence of a UIP-pattern ILD on high-resolution computed tomography images was shown to be a risk factor for poor outcome in patients with a smoking history who had undergone surgery for pathological Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer.

Improved survival time: what can survival cure models tell us about population-based survival improvements in late-stage colorectal, ovarian, and testicular cancer?

PubMed

Huang, Lan; Cronin, Kathleen A; Johnson, Karen A; Mariotto, Angela B; Feuer, Eric J

2008-05-15

The objective of the current study was to investigate the long-term impact of treatment advances on the survival of patients with late-stage ovarian, colorectal (American Joint Committee on Cancer stage III, men), and testicular cancers by estimating the increase in the percentage cured from their disease and the change in survival time of uncured patients. Cause-specific survival data from 1973 to 2000 were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Survival cure models were fit and were used to estimate the gain in life expectancy (GLE) attributed to an increase in the fraction of cured patients and to prolonged survival among noncured patients. Treatment improvement for ovarian cancer resulted in a total GLE of 2 years, and 80% of that GLE was because of an extension of survival time in uncured patients (from 0.9 years to 2.1 years) rather than an increased cure fraction (from 12% to 14%). In contrast, the cure rate rose from 29% to 47% for colorectal cancer, representing 82% of a 2.8-year GLE, and from 23% to 81% for testicular cancer, representing 100% of a 24-year GLE. The current results suggested that treatment benefits for testicular and colorectal cancer in men with late-stage disease primarily are the result of increases in cure fraction, whereas survival gains for ovarian cancer occur despite persisting disease. Cure models, in combination with population-level data, provide insight into how treatment advances are changing survival and ultimately impacting mortality. Survival patterns reflect the underlying biology of response to cancer treatment and suggest promising directions for future research.

Cold-air investigation of a 31/2-stage fan-drive turbine with a stage loading factor of 4 designed for an integral lift engine. 2: Performance of 2-, 3- and 3 1/2-stage configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitney, W. J.

1977-01-01

The stage work distribution among the three stages was very close to the design value. The specific work output-mass flow characteristics of the three stages were closely matched. The efficiency of the 3 1/2 stage turbine at design specific work output and design speed was within 0.008 of the estimated value, and this agreement was felt to demonstrate the adequacy of the prediction method in the high stage loading factor regime.

Stage 4S neuroblastoma tumors show a characteristic DNA methylation portrait.

PubMed

Decock, Anneleen; Ongenaert, Maté; De Wilde, Bram; Brichard, Bénédicte; Noguera, Rosa; Speleman, Frank; Vandesompele, Jo

2016-09-06

Stage 4S neuroblastoma (NB) is a special type of NB found in infants with metastases at diagnosis and is associated with an excellent outcome due to its remarkable capacity to undergo spontaneous regression. As genomics have not been able to explain this intriguing clinical presentation, we here aimed at profiling the DNA methylome of stage 4S NB to better understand this phenomenon. To this purpose, differential methylation analyses between International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) stage 4S, stage 4 and stage 1/2 were performed, using methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) sequencing data of 14 stage 4S, 14 stage 4, and 13 stage 1/2 primary NB tumors (all MYCN non-amplified in order not to confound results). Stage 4S-specific hyper- and hypo-methylated promoters were determined and further characterized for genomic localization and function by cytogenetic band enrichment, gene set enrichment, transcription factor target enrichment and differential RNA expression analyses. We show that specific chromosomal locations are enriched for stage 4S differentially methylated promoters and that stage 4S tumors show characteristic hypermethylation of subtelomeres. Furthermore, genes involved in important oncogenic pathways, in neural crest development and differentiation, and in epigenetic processes are differentially methylated and expressed in stage 4S tumors. Based on these findings, we describe new biological mechanisms possibly contributing to the stage 4S-specific tumor biology and spontaneous regression. In conclusion, this study is the first to describe the highly characteristic stage 4S DNA methylome. These findings will open new avenues to further unravel the NB pathology in general and stage 4S disease specifically.

Applying transpose matrix on advanced encryption standard (AES) for database content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manurung, E. B. P.; Sitompul, O. S.; Suherman

2018-03-01

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a specification for the encryption of electronic data established by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and has been adopted by the U.S. government and is now used worldwide. This paper reports the impact of transpose matrix integration to AES. Transpose matrix implementation on AES is aimed at first stage of chypertext modifications for text based database security so that the confidentiality improves. The matrix is also able to increase the avalanche effect of the cryptography algorithm 4% in average.

Association Between Race/Ethnicity and Survival of Melanoma Patients in the United States Over 3 Decades

PubMed Central

Ward-Peterson, Melissa; Acuña, Juan M.; Alkhalifah, Mohammed K.; Nasiri, Abdulrahman M.; Al-Akeel, Elharith S.; Alkhaldi, Talal M.; Dawari, Sakhr A.; Aldaham, Sami A.

2016-01-01

Abstract Melanoma is a treatable and preventable skin cancer. It is responsible for 75% of deaths among all skin cancers. Previous studies have found that race/ethnicity may play a role in survival among melanoma patients. However, there are no studies that cover 30 years and take race into account for the U.S. population. This study is a secondary analysis of the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) Program. Adults with primary cutaneous melanoma from 1982 to 2011 were included; the final sample size was 185,219. The outcome was survival; both cause-specific and all-cause mortality were examined. The main exposure was race/ethnicity. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to estimate overall survival. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs). A P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. More than 50% of patients in all races/ethnicities were diagnosed at the in situ or localized stage. Non-Hispanic White patients were more frequently diagnosed at the in situ stage. Overall, more men were diagnosed than women. The majority of cases among all races were men. Non-Hispanic Black females represented the smallest percentage of melanoma cases among all races. The smallest number of diagnoses across all races/ethnicities was made from 1982 to 1991. Median follow-up was 81 months and no collinearity was observed in the adjusted models. When examining cause-specific mortality and controlling for site and stage at diagnosis, gender, age and decade of diagnosis, the HR for non-Hispanic Black patients was lower than that for non-Hispanic White patients (HR 0.7; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6–0.8). However, when examining all-cause mortality, this difference disappeared (HR 1.1; 95% CI: 1.0–1.2). Stage at diagnosis impacted HR; patients diagnosed with distant metastases had significantly worse survival. When taking cause-specific mortality into consideration and after controlling for stage and site at diagnosis, gender, and age and decade of diagnosis, non-Hispanic Black patients had a lower HR compared to non-Hispanic White patients. However, this difference disappeared when examining all-cause mortality. Further research is needed to explore this finding and to determine what factors may be associated with late-stage melanoma diagnosis. PMID:27124020

An enhancer-like region regulates hrp3 promoter stage-specific gene expression in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

PubMed Central

López-Estraño, Carlos; Gopalakrishnan, Anusha M.; Semblat, Jean-Philippe; Fergus, M. Ross; Mazier, Dominique; Haldar, Kasturi

2008-01-01

The asexual blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum is comprised of morphologically distinct ring, trophozoite and schizont stages. Each of these developmental stages possesses a distinct pattern of gene expression. Regulation of P. falciparum gene expression is thought to occur, at least in part, at the promoter level. Previously, we have found that although the RNA of the P. falciparum hrp3 gene is only seen in ring-stage parasites, deletion of a specific sequensce in the 5’ end of the promoter region decreased ring-stage expression of hrp3 and enabled detection of its transcripts in trophozoite-stage parasites. In order to investigate this stage specific regulation of gene expression, we employed a series of nested deletions of the 1.7-kb hrp3 promoter. Firefly luciferase gene was used as a reporter to evaluate the role of promoter sequences in gene regulation. Using this approach, we identified a ring-stage specific regulatory region on the hrp3 promoter located between -1.7-kb and -1.1-kb from the ATG initiation codon. Small 100–150 bp truncations on this enhancer-like region failed to uncover discrete regulatory sequences, suggesting the multipartite nature of this element. The data presented in this study demonstrates that stage specific promoter activity of the hrp3 gene in P. falciparum blood stage parasites is supported, at least in-part, by a small promoter region that can function in the absence of a larger chromosomal context. PMID:17570541

Development and validation of the BRIGHTLIGHT Survey, a patient-reported experience measure for young people with cancer.

PubMed

Taylor, Rachel M; Fern, Lorna A; Solanki, Anita; Hooker, Louise; Carluccio, Anna; Pye, Julia; Jeans, David; Frere-Smith, Tom; Gibson, Faith; Barber, Julie; Raine, Rosalind; Stark, Dan; Feltbower, Richard; Pearce, Susie; Whelan, Jeremy S

2015-07-28

Patient experience is increasingly used as an indicator of high quality care in addition to more traditional clinical end-points. Surveys are generally accepted as appropriate methodology to capture patient experience. No validated patient experience surveys exist specifically for adolescents and young adults (AYA) aged 13-24 years at diagnosis with cancer. This paper describes early work undertaken to develop and validate a descriptive patient experience survey for AYA with cancer that encompasses both their cancer experience and age-related issues. We aimed to develop, with young people, an experience survey meaningful and relevant to AYA to be used in a longitudinal cohort study (BRIGHTLIGHT), ensuring high levels of acceptability to maximise study retention. A three-stage approach was employed: Stage 1 involved developing a conceptual framework, conducting literature/Internet searches and establishing content validity of the survey; Stage 2 confirmed the acceptability of methods of administration and consisted of four focus groups involving 11 young people (14-25 years), three parents and two siblings; and Stage 3 established survey comprehension through telephone-administered cognitive interviews with a convenience sample of 23 young people aged 14-24 years. Stage 1: Two-hundred and thirty eight questions were developed from qualitative reports of young people's cancer and treatment-related experience. Stage 2: The focus groups identified three core themes: (i) issues directly affecting young people, e.g. impact of treatment-related fatigue on ability to complete survey; (ii) issues relevant to the actual survey, e.g. ability to answer questions anonymously; (iii) administration issues, e.g. confusing format in some supporting documents. Stage 3: Cognitive interviews indicated high levels of comprehension requiring minor survey amendments. Collaborating with young people with cancer has enabled a survey of to be developed that is both meaningful to young people but also examines patient experience and outcomes associated with specialist cancer care. Engagement of young people throughout the survey development has ensured the content appropriately reflects their experience and is easily understood. The BRIGHTLIGHT survey was developed for a specific research project but has the potential to be used as a TYA cancer survey to assess patient experience and the care they receive.

Machine Learning Classification to Identify the Stage of Brain-Computer Interface Therapy for Stroke Rehabilitation Using Functional Connectivity.

PubMed

Mohanty, Rosaleena; Sinha, Anita M; Remsik, Alexander B; Dodd, Keith C; Young, Brittany M; Jacobson, Tyler; McMillan, Matthew; Thoma, Jaclyn; Advani, Hemali; Nair, Veena A; Kang, Theresa J; Caldera, Kristin; Edwards, Dorothy F; Williams, Justin C; Prabhakaran, Vivek

2018-01-01

Interventional therapy using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology has shown promise in facilitating motor recovery in stroke survivors; however, the impact of this form of intervention on functional networks outside of the motor network specifically is not well-understood. Here, we investigated resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) in stroke participants undergoing BCI therapy across stages, namely pre- and post-intervention, to identify discriminative functional changes using a machine learning classifier with the goal of categorizing participants into one of the two therapy stages. Twenty chronic stroke participants with persistent upper-extremity motor impairment received neuromodulatory training using a closed-loop neurofeedback BCI device, and rs-functional MRI (rs-fMRI) scans were collected at four time points: pre-, mid-, post-, and 1 month post-therapy. To evaluate the peak effects of this intervention, rs-FC was analyzed from two specific stages, namely pre- and post-therapy. In total, 236 seeds spanning both motor and non-motor regions of the brain were computed at each stage. A univariate feature selection was applied to reduce the number of features followed by a principal component-based data transformation used by a linear binary support vector machine (SVM) classifier to classify each participant into a therapy stage. The SVM classifier achieved a cross-validation accuracy of 92.5% using a leave-one-out method. Outside of the motor network, seeds from the fronto-parietal task control, default mode, subcortical, and visual networks emerged as important contributors to the classification. Furthermore, a higher number of functional changes were observed to be strengthening from the pre- to post-therapy stage than the ones weakening, both of which involved motor and non-motor regions of the brain. These findings may provide new evidence to support the potential clinical utility of BCI therapy as a form of stroke rehabilitation that not only benefits motor recovery but also facilitates recovery in other brain networks. Moreover, delineation of stronger and weaker changes may inform more optimal designs of BCI interventional therapy so as to facilitate strengthened and suppress weakened changes in the recovery process.

Breast cancer survival and stage at diagnosis in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK, 2000-2007: a population-based study

PubMed Central

Walters, S; Maringe, C; Butler, J; Rachet, B; Barrett-Lee, P; Bergh, J; Boyages, J; Christiansen, P; Lee, M; Wärnberg, F; Allemani, C; Engholm, G; Fornander, T; Gjerstorff, M L; Johannesen, T B; Lawrence, G; McGahan, C E; Middleton, R; Steward, J; Tracey, E; Turner, D; Richards, M A; Coleman, M P

2013-01-01

Background: We investigate whether differences in breast cancer survival in six high-income countries can be explained by differences in stage at diagnosis using routine data from population-based cancer registries. Methods: We analysed the data on 257 362 women diagnosed with breast cancer during 2000–7 and registered in 13 population-based cancer registries in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK. Flexible parametric hazard models were used to estimate net survival and the excess hazard of dying from breast cancer up to 3 years after diagnosis. Results: Age-standardised 3-year net survival was 87–89% in the UK and Denmark, and 91–94% in the other four countries. Stage at diagnosis was relatively advanced in Denmark: only 30% of women had Tumour, Nodes, Metastasis (TNM) stage I disease, compared with 42–45% elsewhere. Women in the UK had low survival for TNM stage III–IV disease compared with other countries. Conclusion: International differences in breast cancer survival are partly explained by differences in stage at diagnosis, and partly by differences in stage-specific survival. Low overall survival arises if the stage distribution is adverse (e.g. Denmark) but stage-specific survival is normal; or if the stage distribution is typical but stage-specific survival is low (e.g. UK). International differences in staging diagnostics and stage-specific cancer therapies should be investigated. PMID:23449362

Development of a high-specific-speed centrifugal compressor

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

Rodgers, C.

1997-07-01

This paper describes the development of a subscale single-stage centrifugal compressor with a dimensionless specific speed (Ns) of 1.8, originally designed for full-size application as a high volume flow, low pressure ratio, gas booster compressor. The specific stage is noteworthy in that it provides a benchmark representing the performance potential of very high-specific-speed compressors, of which limited information is found in the open literature. Stage and component test performance characteristics are presented together with traverse results at the impeller exit. Traverse test results were compared with recent CFD computational predictions for an exploratory analytical calibration of a very high-specific-speed impellermore » geometry. The tested subscale (0.583) compressor essentially satisfied design performance expectations with an overall stage efficiency of 74% including, excessive exit casing losses. It was estimated that stage efficiency could be increased to 81% with exit casing losses halved.« less

Performance assessment and microbial diversity of two pilot scale multi-stage sub-surface flow constructed wetland systems.

PubMed

Babatunde, A O; Miranda-CasoLuengo, Raul; Imtiaz, Mehreen; Zhao, Y Q; Meijer, Wim G

2016-08-01

This study assessed the performance and diversity of microbial communities in multi-stage sub-surface flow constructed wetland systems (CWs). Our aim was to assess the impact of configuration on treatment performance and microbial diversity in the systems. Results indicate that at loading rates up to 100gBOD5/(m(2)·day), similar treatment performances can be achieved using either a 3 or 4 stage configuration. In the case of phosphorus (P), the impact of configuration was less obvious and a minimum of 80% P removal can be expected for loadings up to 10gP/(m(2)·day) based on the performance results obtained within the first 16months of operation. Microbial analysis showed an increased bacterial diversity in stage four compared to the first stage. These results indicate that the design and configuration of multi-stage constructed wetland systems may have an impact on the treatment performance and the composition of the microbial community in the systems, and such knowledge can be used to improve their design and performance. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Influence of a cancer diagnosis on changes in fruit and vegetable consumption according to cancer site, stage at diagnosis, and socioeconomic factors: Results from the large E3N-EPIC study.

PubMed

Affret, Aurélie; His, Mathilde; Severi, Gianluca; Mancini, Francesca Romana; Arveux, Patrick; Clavel-Chapelon, Françoise; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Fagherazzi, Guy

2018-05-01

Many studies have demonstrated that lifestyle factors, including diet, may influence cancer survival. The number of cancer survivors is increasing worldwide and little is known about long-term diet changes in people who had cancer. We studied 53 981 women from the prospective E3N-EPIC cohort study with available dietary data in 1993 and 2005, among whom 4 619 had a cancer diagnosis inbetween (including n=2 699 breast cancers). We evaluated the potential impact of a cancer diagnosis (comparing women with cancer to women with no cancer) on changes in FV consumption using multivariable linear regression models considering cancer site, stage at diagnosis, and socioeconomic factors. Compared with women with no cancer, a statistically significant increase in FV consumption (β=+2.65%, [1.22-4.09]) was observed in women who had cancer, and this association appeared to be driven by breast cancer exclusively. The increase in FV consumption was larger in women who had an advanced stage of breast cancer (stages II-III-IV) (β=+7.23%, [3.92-10.5]) than in women with stages 0-I (β=+2.03%, [-0.20-4.26]). Women with no partner and no children were those having the highest increase in FV consumption (β=+18.71%, [6.51-30.91]). These changes were only observed in specific SE groups. When considering adherence to guidelines, the proportion of women who consumed less than 7.5 portions a day in 1993 and more in 2005 was greater in women with advanced breast cancer. More research is now needed to understand how the inequities we observed impact the long-term health after cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 UICC.

Impact of Endoscopic Ultrasonography on 18F-FDG-PET/CT Upfront Towards Patient Specific Esophageal Cancer Treatment.

PubMed

Hulshoff, J B; Mul, V E M; de Boer, H E M; Noordzij, W; Korteweg, T; van Dullemen, H M; Nagengast, W B; Oppedijk, V; Pierie, J P E N; Plukker, John Th M

2017-07-01

In patients with potentially resectable esophageal cancer (EC), the value of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) after fluorine-18 labeled fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG-PET/CT) is questionable. Retrospectively, we assessed the impact of EUS after PET/CT on the given treatment in EC patients. During the period 2009-2015, 318 EC patients were staged as T1-4aN0-3M0 with hybrid 18 F-FDG-PET/CT or 18 F-FDG-PET with CT and EUS if applicable in a nonspecific order. We determined the impact of EUS on the given treatment in 279 patients who also were staged with EUS. EUS had clinical consequences if it changed curability, extent of radiation fields or lymph node resection (AJCC stations 2-5), and when the performed fine-needle aspiration (FNA) provided conclusive information of suspicious lymph node. EUS had an impact in 80 (28.7%) patients; it changed the radiation field in 63 (22.6%), curability in 5 (1.8%), lymphadenectomy in 48 (17.2%), and FNA was additional in 21 (7.5%). In patients treated with nCRT (n = 194), EUS influenced treatment in 53 (27.3%) patients; in 38 (19.6%) the radiation field changed, in 3 (1.5%) the curability, in 35 (18.0%) the lymphadenectomy, and in 17 (8.8%) FNA was additional. EUS influenced both the extent of radiation field and nodal resection in 31 (16.0%) nCRT patients. EUS had an impact on the given treatment in approximately 29%. In most patients, the magnitude of EUS found expression in the extent of radiotherapy target volume delineation to upper/high mediastinal lymph nodes.

Survival after resection for lung cancer is the outcome that matters.

PubMed

Reed, Michael F; Molloy, Mark; Dalton, Erica L; Howington, John A

2004-11-01

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Stage-specific survival is well documented in national data sets; however, there remains limited recording of longitudinal survival in individual centers. The VistA Surgery Package was employed to list operations performed by the thoracic surgery service at one Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center. During a period of 107 months, 416 thoracic operations were performed, 211 of them for lung cancer. Stage distribution was 66% stage I, 18% stage II, 12% stage III, and 4% stage IV. During follow-up, 102 patients died, 57 of them from disease-specific causes. Median survival was 39 months for stage I. Disease-specific median survival was 83 months for stage I, and 5-year survival was 52% (72% for stage IA and 32% for stage IB). Pulmonary resection offers high disease-free survival for early-stage lung cancer. Decentralized hospital computer programming (DHCP) allows individual oncology programs to reliably measure survival. Use of this important outcome measure in quality improvement programs facilitates realistic counseling of patients and meaningful assessments of practice effectiveness.

Carbon footprint of forest and tree utilization technologies in life cycle approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polgár, András; Pécsinger, Judit

2017-04-01

In our research project a suitable method has been developed related the technological aspect of the environmental assessment of land use changes caused by climate change. We have prepared an eco-balance (environmental inventory) to the environmental effects classification in life-cycle approach in connection with the typical agricultural / forest and tree utilization technologies. The use of balances and environmental classification makes possible to compare land-use technologies and their environmental effects per common functional unit. In order to test our environmental analysis model, we carried out surveys in sample of forest stands. We set up an eco-balance of the working systems of intermediate cutting and final harvest in the stands of beech, oak, spruce, acacia, poplar and short rotation energy plantations (willow, poplar). We set up the life-cycle plan of the surveyed working systems by using the GaBi 6.0 Professional software and carried out midpoint and endpoint impact assessment. Out of the results, we applied the values of CML 2001 - Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 years) [kg CO2-Equiv.] and Eco-Indicator 99 - Human health, Climate Change [DALY]. On the basis of the values we set up a ranking of technology. By this, we received the environmental impact classification of the technologies based on carbon footprint. The working systems had the greatest impact on global warming (GWP 100 years) throughout their whole life cycle. This is explained by the amount of carbon dioxide releasing to the atmosphere resulting from the fuel of the technologies. Abiotic depletion (ADP foss) and marine aquatic ecotoxicity (MAETP) emerged also as significant impact categories. These impact categories can be explained by the share of input of fuel and lube. On the basis of the most significant environmental impact category (carbon footprint), we perform the relative life cycle contribution and ranking of each technologies. The technological life cycle stages examined in the stands are the followings: Stage 1. cleaning cutting Stage 2. selection thinning Stage 3. increment thinning Stage 4. final harvest In these priority impact categories, the life cycle contribution of technologies varied according to the life cycle stages. • The spruce stand showed the smallest contribution in the stages 1, 2, 3 alike. • After the large contribution of beech stand at the beginning (stage 1), it continues representing a moderate level in stage 2 and 3, and it shares the smallest rate in final harvest (stage 4). • The oak stand showed the largest contribution in the stages 2, 3, 4 alike. • In the case of acacia and poplar, we have got the same results as in the case of oak stands. • In the case of short rotation energy plantations (willow, poplar), we got the results typical on stage 4 of spruce stands. We can conclude, that in case of the stage of final harvest, which represents the most significant environmental impact, the ranking of working systems showes the increasing order of „energy plantations - beech - spruce - acacia - poplar - oak". The environmental assessment of technological aspects of land use and land use change represent an important added value to the climate research. Acknowledgement: This research has been supported by the Agroclimate.2 VKSZ_12-1- 2013-0034 project. Keywords: life-cycle assessment / forest utilization technology / carbon footprint / life-cycle thinking

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.

Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacts on sea turtles could span the Atlantic

PubMed Central

Putman, Nathan F.; Abreu-Grobois, F. Alberto; Iturbe-Darkistade, Iñaky; Putman, Emily M.; Richards, Paul M.; Verley, Philippe

2015-01-01

We investigated the extent that the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill potentially affected oceanic-stage sea turtles from populations across the Atlantic. Within an ocean-circulation model, particles were backtracked from the Gulf of Mexico spill site to determine the probability of young turtles arriving in this area from major nesting beaches. The abundance of turtles in the vicinity of the oil spill was derived by forward-tracking particles from focal beaches and integrating population size, oceanic-stage duration and stage-specific survival rates. Simulations indicated that 321 401 (66 199–397 864) green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) turtles were likely within the spill site. These predictions compared favourably with estimates from in-water observations recently made available to the public (though our initial predictions for Kemp's ridley were substantially lower than in-water estimates, better agreement was obtained with modifications to mimic behaviour of young Kemp's ridley turtles in the northern Gulf). Simulations predicted 75.2% (71.9–76.3%) of turtles came from Mexico, 14.8% (11–18%) from Costa Rica, 5.9% (4.8–7.9%) from countries in northern South America, 3.4% (2.4–3.5%) from the United States and 1.6% (0.6–2.0%) from West African countries. Thus, the spill's impacts may extend far beyond the current focus on the northern Gulf of Mexico. PMID:26701754

The Microvine, a plant model to study the effect of vine-shoot extract on the accumulation of glycosylated aroma precursors in grapes.

PubMed

Sánchez-Gómez, Rosario; Torregrosa, Laurent; Zalacain, Amaya; Ojeda, Hernán; Bouckenooghe, Virginie; Schneider, Rémi; Alonso, Gonzalo L; Salinas, María Rosario

2018-06-01

The Microvine plant model displays unique reproductive organ behavior and is suitable for grapevine fruit physiological studies, allowing one to undertake studies up to five times more rapidly than the current situation with grapevines. Recently, vine-shoot aqueous extracts, which have an interesting phenolic and aroma composition, have been proposed as viticultural biostimulants, since their post-veraison foliar application to grapevines impacts the wine aroma profile. Using Microvines, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of vine-shoot extract foliar application on 21 stages of grape development. The application was carried out from BBCH 53 (inflorescences clearly visible) to BBCH 85 (softening of berries) to reveal stage-specific responses of the accumulation of glycosylated aroma precursors at BBCH 89 (berries ripe for harvest), the phenological stage selected to study the treatment effect. Microvine use made it possible to carry out 15 sampling time points during 86 days of the experiment, which were established by the cumulative degree days (CDD) parameter. The results confirmed that vine-shoot extract treatment had a positive impact on total glycosylated compounds, especially aglycones such as alcohols, terpenes and C 13 -norisoprenoids, with a higher effect when the treatment was applied during ripening. Extrapolation of the results to grapevines suggests that vine-shoot extract treatment could modulate the synthesis of grape glycosylated aroma precursors. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

No sweat: managing menopausal symptoms at work.

PubMed

Hickey, Martha; Riach, Kathleen; Kachouie, Reza; Jack, Gavin

2017-09-01

Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, a time when women are likely to be in the paid workforce. Most women have menopausal symptoms and these may impact on daytime function and work performance. This study examines the relationship between reproductive stage, menopausal symptoms and work, and advises how employers can best support menopausal women. An online and paper-based survey was completed in 2015-16 by 1092 women (22% response rate) aged 40 years plus employed in three hospitals in metropolitan Australia. Survey questions examined demographics, health and lifestyle variables, menopausal symptom reporting, and work-related variables. Reproductive stage was determined using modified STRAW +10 principal and descriptive criteria. Reproductive stage was not significantly associated with work engagement, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, work limitations and perceived supervisor support. Postmenopausal women had lower intention to leave their organizations than pre- and peri-menopausal women. While sleep problems were the most commonly reported menopausal symptom by peri-menopausal women, for postmenopausal women it was joint and muscular discomfort. Only hot flushes and vaginal dryness were significantly more frequent in peri- and post, compared to pre-menopausal women. In general, women rated their work performance as high and did not feel that menopausal symptoms impaired their work ability. Most women would appreciate greater organizational support, specifically temperature control, flexible work hours and information about menopause for employees and managers. Most women did not believe that menopausal symptoms negatively impacted on their work. Organizational changes may reduce the burden of menopausal symptoms in the workplace.

Drop impact on liquid film: dynamics of interfacial gas layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xiaoyu; Saha, Abhishek; Law, Chung K.; Sun, Chao

2016-11-01

Drop impacting liquid film is commonly observed in many processes including inkjet printing and thermal sprays. Owing to the resistance from the interfacial gas layer trapped between the drop and film surface, impact may not always result in coalescence; and as such investigating the behavior of the interfacial gas layer is important to understand the transition between bouncing and merging outcomes. The gas layer is, however, not easily optically accessible due to its microscopic scale and curved interfaces. We report the measurement of this critical gas layer thickness between two liquid surfaces using high-speed color interferometry capable of measuring micron and submicron thicknesses. The complete gas layer dynamics for the bouncing cases can be divided into two stages: the approaching stage when the drop squeezes the gas layer at the beginning of the impact, and the rebounding stage when the drop retracts and rebounds from the liquid film. The approaching stage is found to be similar across wide range of conditions studied. However, for the rebounding stage, with increase of liquid film thickness, the evolution of gas layer changes dramatically, displaying a non-monotonic behavior. Such dynamics is analyzed in lights of various competing timescales.

Clocking of stators in one and half stage of axial steam turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Němec, Martin; Jelínek, Tomáš; Milčák, Petr

2018-06-01

An investigation of one and half axial turbine stage configuration was carried out in a closed-loop wind tunnel. The investigation was addressed to that impact how the previous stage outlet flow field influences the flow structures in the next stator in steam multistage turbines. The stage - stator interaction has been studied in this work. The detailed measurement with a pneumatic probes and fast response pressure probes behind the rotor and the second stator were performed to gain the useful data to analyze the impact. The detailed flow field measurement was carried out in the nominal stage regime (given by the stage isentropic Mach number 0.3 and velocity ratio u/c 0.68). The clocking effect of the stators is discussed and detailed unsteady flow analysis is shown.

(68)Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT: a new technique with high potential for the radiotherapeutic management of prostate cancer patients.

PubMed

Sterzing, Florian; Kratochwil, Clemens; Fiedler, Hannah; Katayama, Sonja; Habl, Gregor; Kopka, Klaus; Afshar-Oromieh, Ali; Debus, Jürgen; Haberkorn, Uwe; Giesel, Frederik L

2016-01-01

Radiotherapy is the main therapeutic approach besides surgery of localized prostate cancer. It relies on risk stratification and exact staging. This report analyses the potential of [(68)Ga]Glu-urea-Lys(Ahx)-HBED-CC ((68)Ga-PSMA-11), a new positron emission tomography (PET) tracer targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for prostate cancer staging and individualized radiotherapy planning. A cohort of 57 patients with prostate cancer scanned with (68)Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT for radiotherapy planning was retrospectively reviewed; 15 patients were at initial diagnosis and 42 patients at time of biochemical recurrence. Staging results of conventional imaging, including bone scintigraphy, CT or MRI, were compared with (68)Ga-PSMA ligand PET/CT results and the influence on radiotherapeutic management was quantified. (68)Ga-PSMA ligand PET/CT had a dramatic impact on radiotherapy application in the presented cohort. In 50.8 % of the cases therapy was changed. The presented imaging technique of (68)Ga-PSMA PET/CT could be a key technology for individualized radiotherapy management in prostate cancer.

Optimal control of M/M/1 two-phase queueing system with state-dependent arrival rate, server breakdowns, delayed repair, and N-policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, Hanumantha; Kumar, Vasanta; Srinivasa Rao, T.; Srinivasa Kumar, B.

2018-04-01

In this paper, we examine a two-stage queueing system where the arrivals are Poisson with rate depends on the condition of the server to be specific: vacation, pre-service, operational or breakdown state. The service station is liable to breakdowns and deferral in repair because of non-accessibility of the repair facility. The service is in two basic stages, the first being bulk service to every one of the customers holding up on the line and the second stage is individual to each of them. The server works under N-policy. The server needs preliminary time (startup time) to begin batch service after a vacation period. Startup times, uninterrupted service times, the length of each vacation period, delay times and service times follows an exponential distribution. The closed form of expressions for the mean system size at different conditions of the server is determined. Numerical investigations are directed to concentrate the impact of the system parameters on the ideal limit N and the minimum base expected unit cost.

The effects of reading comprehension and launch site on frequency-predictability interactions during paragraph reading.

PubMed

Whitford, Veronica; Titone, Debra

2014-01-01

We used eye movement measures of paragraph reading to examine whether word frequency and predictability interact during the earliest stages of lexical processing, with a specific focus on whether these effects are modulated by individual differences in reading comprehension or launch site (i.e., saccade length between the prior and currently fixated word--a proxy for the amount of parafoveal word processing). The joint impact of frequency and predictability on reading will elucidate whether these variables additively or multiplicatively affect the earliest stages of lexical access, which, in turn, has implications for computational models of eye movements during reading. Linear mixed effects models revealed additive effects during both early- and late-stage reading, where predictability effects were comparable for low- and high-frequency words. Moreover, less cautious readers (e.g., readers who engaged in skimming, scanning, mindless reading) demonstrated smaller frequency effects than more cautious readers. Taken together, our findings suggest that during extended reading, frequency and predictability exert additive influences on lexical and postlexical processing, and that individual differences in reading comprehension modulate sensitivity to the effects of word frequency.

Co-authorship networks (and other contextual factors) behind the growth of taxonomy of South American Ephemeroptera: a scientometric approach.

PubMed

Domínguez, Eduardo; Dos Santos, Daniel Andrés

2014-01-13

Science carried out in South America has experienced a major rise in the levels of productivity and impact during the last decade. The continuity of this process depends upon strong policy decisions of personnel training and of increasing investments. We study the effects of a new regional paradigm, specifically, an increasing international visibility through knowledge support, using the particular case of taxonomy of an ancient group of insects (Ephemeroptera) in South America. We tracked the number of new species described in scholarly papers along a period of two centuries. We have also mined patterns of connections from the respective co-authorship network. A quantitative framework to analyze historical sequences of scientific output is also proposed. Our results point out three stages of taxonomic development: (i) a pioneering stage (1800's-1970's) where foreign authors coming from Europe and North America account for almost the totality of described species, (ii) a transitional stage (1980's-1990's) where new species are described by both foreign and regional authors, and (iii) an autonomous stage (1999-present) where the bulk of scientific output is performed by regional authors. Remarkably, the transitional stage coincides with the advent of democracy in the region. We hypothesize that conjunction of funding and interactions between researchers act synergistically to foster an autochthonous taxonomy in South America.

Not So Rare Earth? New Developments in Understanding the Origin of the Earth and Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Righter, Kevin

2007-01-01

A widely accepted model for the origin of the Earth and Moon has been a somewhat specific giant impact scenario involving an impactor to proto-Earth mass ratio of 3:7, occurring 50-60 Ma after T(sub 0), when the Earth was only half accreted, with the majority of Earth's water then accreted after the main stage of growth, perhaps from comets. There have been many changes to this specific scenario, due to advances in isotopic and trace element geochemistry, more detailed, improved, and realistic giant impact and terrestrial planet accretion modeling, and consideration of terrestrial water sources other than high D/H comets. The current scenario is that the Earth accreted faster and differentiated quickly, the Moon-forming impact could have been mid to late in the accretion process, and water may have been present during accretion. These new developments have broadened the range of conditions required to make an Earth-Moon system, and suggests there may be many new fruitful avenues of research. There are also some classic and unresolved problems such as the significance of the identical O isotopic composition of the Earth and Moon, the depletion of volatiles on the lunar mantle relative to Earth's, the relative contribution of the impactor and proto-Earth to the Moon's mass, and the timing of Earth's possible atmospheric loss relative to the giant impact.

Temporal impact of substrate mechanics on differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to cardiomyocytes.

PubMed

Hazeltine, Laurie B; Badur, Mehmet G; Lian, Xiaojun; Das, Amritava; Han, Wenqing; Palecek, Sean P

2014-02-01

A significant clinical need exists to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into cardiomyocytes, enabling tissue modeling for in vitro discovery of new drugs or cell-based therapies for heart repair in vivo. Chemical and mechanical microenvironmental factors are known to impact the efficiency of stem cell differentiation, but cardiac differentiation protocols in hPSCs are typically performed on rigid tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) surfaces, which do not present a physiological mechanical setting. To investigate the temporal effects of mechanics on cardiac differentiation, we cultured human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their derivatives on polyacrylamide hydrogel substrates with a physiologically relevant range of stiffnesses. In directed differentiation and embryoid body culture systems, differentiation of hESCs to cardiac troponin T-expressing (cTnT+) cardiomyocytes peaked on hydrogels of intermediate stiffness. Brachyury expression also peaked on intermediate stiffness hydrogels at day 1 of directed differentiation, suggesting that stiffness impacted the initial differentiation trajectory of hESCs to mesendoderm. To investigate the impact of substrate mechanics during cardiac specification of mesodermal progenitors, we initiated directed cardiomyocyte differentiation on TCPS and transferred cells to hydrogels at the Nkx2.5/Isl1+ cardiac progenitor cell stage. No differences in cardiomyocyte purity with stiffness were observed on day 15. These experiments indicate that differentiation of hESCs is sensitive to substrate mechanics at early stages of mesodermal induction, and proper application of substrate mechanics can increase the propensity of hESCs to differentiate to cardiomyocytes. Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Liver cancer survival in the United States by race and stage (2001-2009): Findings from the CONCORD-2 study.

PubMed

Momin, Behnoosh R; Pinheiro, Paulo S; Carreira, Helena; Li, Chunyu; Weir, Hannah K

2017-12-15

Worldwide, liver cancer is a leading cause of death for both men and women. The number of Americans who are diagnosed with and die of liver cancer has been rising slowly each year. Using data from the CONCORD-2 study, this study examined population-based survival by state, race, and stage at diagnosis. Data from 37 statewide registries, which covered 81% of the US population, for patients diagnosed during 2001-2009 were analyzed. Survival up to 5 years was adjusted for background mortality (net survival) with state- and race-specific life tables, and it was age-standardized with the International Cancer Survival Standard weights. Liver cancer was diagnosed overall more often at the localized stage, with blacks being more often diagnosed at distant and regional stages than whites. 5-year net survival was 12.2% in 2001-2003 and 14.8% in 2004-2009. Whites had higher survival than blacks in both calendar periods (11.7% vs 9.1% and 14.3% vs 11.4%, respectively). During 2004-2009, 5-year survival was 25.7% for localized-stage disease, 9.5% for regional-stage disease, and 3.5% for distant-stage disease. Some progress has occurred in survival for patients with liver cancer, but 5-year survival remains low, even for those diagnosed at the localized stage. Efforts directed at controlling well-established risk factors such as hepatitis B may have the greatest impact on reducing the burden of liver cancer in the United States. Cancer 2017;123:5059-78. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Life cycle assessment of overhead and underground primary power distribution.

PubMed

Bumby, Sarah; Druzhinina, Ekaterina; Feraldi, Rebe; Werthmann, Danae; Geyer, Roland; Sahl, Jack

2010-07-15

Electrical power can be distributed in overhead or underground systems, both of which generate a variety of environmental impacts at all stages of their life cycles. While there is considerable literature discussing the trade-offs between both systems in terms of aesthetics, safety, cost, and reliability, environmental assessments are relatively rare and limited to power cable production and end-of-life management. This paper assesses environmental impacts from overhead and underground medium voltage power distribution systems as they are currently built and managed by Southern California Edison (SCE). It uses process-based life cycle assessment (LCA) according to ISO 14044 (2006) and SCE-specific primary data to the extent possible. Potential environmental impacts have been calculated using a wide range of midpoint indicators, and robustness of the results has been investigated through sensitivity analysis of the most uncertain and potentially significant parameters. The studied underground system has higher environmental impacts in all indicators and for all parameter values, mostly due to its higher material intensity. For both systems and all indicators the majority of impact occurs during cable production. Promising strategies for impact reduction are thus cable failure rate reduction for overhead and cable lifetime extension for underground systems.

Impacts of Exercise on Prognostic Biomarkers in Lung Cancer Patients

ClinicalTrials.gov

2016-02-18

Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer; Healthy, no Evidence of Disease; Limited Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer; Recurrent Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Recurrent Small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIIB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Evaluation of an Internet, Stage-Based Physical Activity Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hager, Ronald L.; Hardy, Aaron; Aldana, Steven G.; George, James D.

2002-01-01

Evaluated the impact of online, stage-based materials on exercise behavior and stage of readiness to change. College faculty participated in stage-based, action-message, or control groups. Occupational and leisure activity, 7-day physical activity, exercise self-efficacy, and stage of readiness to change were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks.…

Macondo crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disrupts specific developmental processes during zebrafish embryogenesis

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The Deepwater Horizon disaster was the largest marine oil spill in history, and total vertical exposure of oil to the water column suggests it could impact an enormous diversity of ecosystems. The most vulnerable organisms are those encountering these pollutants during their early life stages. Water-soluble components of crude oil and specific polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been shown to cause defects in cardiovascular and craniofacial development in a variety of teleost species, but the developmental origins of these defects have yet to be determined. We have adopted zebrafish, Danio rerio, as a model to test whether water accumulated fractions (WAF) of the Deepwater Horizon oil could impact specific embryonic developmental processes. While not a native species to the Gulf waters, the developmental biology of zebrafish has been well characterized and makes it a powerful model system to reveal the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind Macondo crude toxicity. Results WAF of Macondo crude oil sampled during the oil spill was used to treat zebrafish throughout embryonic and larval development. Our results indicate that the Macondo crude oil causes a variety of significant defects in zebrafish embryogenesis, but these defects have specific developmental origins. WAF treatments caused defects in craniofacial development and circulatory function similar to previous reports, but we extend these results to show they are likely derived from an earlier defect in neural crest cell development. Moreover, we demonstrate that exposure to WAFs causes a variety of novel deformations in specific developmental processes, including programmed cell death, locomotor behavior, sensory and motor axon pathfinding, somitogenesis and muscle patterning. Interestingly, the severity of cell death and muscle phenotypes decreased over several months of repeated analysis, which was correlated with a rapid drop-off in the aromatic and alkane hydrocarbon components of the oil. Conclusions Whether these teratogenic effects are unique to the oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill or generalizable for most crude oil types remains to be determined. This work establishes a model for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms behind crude oil mediated deformations. In addition, due to the high conservation of genetic and cellular processes between zebrafish and other vertebrates, our work also provides a platform for more focused assessment of the impact that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has had on the early life stages of native fish species in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. PMID:22559716

Implementing a framework for goal setting in community based stroke rehabilitation: a process evaluation.

PubMed

Scobbie, Lesley; McLean, Donald; Dixon, Diane; Duncan, Edward; Wyke, Sally

2013-05-24

Goal setting is considered 'best practice' in stroke rehabilitation; however, there is no consensus regarding the key components of goal setting interventions or how they should be optimally delivered in practice. We developed a theory-based goal setting and action planning framework (G-AP) to guide goal setting practice. G-AP has 4 stages: goal negotiation, goal setting, action planning & coping planning and appraisal & feedback. All stages are recorded in a patient-held record. In this study we examined the implementation, acceptability and perceived benefits of G-AP in one community rehabilitation team with people recovering from stroke. G-AP was implemented for 6 months with 23 stroke patients. In-depth interviews with 8 patients and 8 health professionals were analysed thematically to investigate views of its implementation, acceptability and perceived benefits. Case notes of interviewed patients were analysed descriptively to assess the fidelity of G-AP implementation. G-AP was mostly implemented according to protocol with deviations noted at the planning and appraisal and feedback stages. Each stage was felt to make a useful contribution to the overall process; however, in practice, goal negotiation and goal setting merged into one stage and the appraisal and feedback stage included an explicit decision making component. Only two issues were raised regarding G-APs acceptability: (i) health professionals were concerned about the impact of goal non-attainment on patient's well-being (patients did not share their concerns), and (ii) some patients and health professionals found the patient-held record unhelpful. G-AP was felt to have a positive impact on patient goal attainment and professional goal setting practice. Collaborative partnerships between health professionals and patients were apparent throughout the process. G-AP has been perceived as both beneficial and broadly acceptable in one community rehabilitation team; however, implementation of novel aspects of the framework was inconsistent. The regulatory function of goal non-attainment and the importance of creating flexible partnerships with patients have been highlighted. Further development of the G-AP framework, training package and patient held record is required to address the specific issues highlighted by this process evaluation. Further evaluation of G-AP is required across diverse community rehabilitation settings.

Impact of sex on prognostic host factors in surgical patients with lung cancer.

PubMed

Wainer, Zoe; Wright, Gavin M; Gough, Karla; Daniels, Marissa G; Choong, Peter; Conron, Matthew; Russell, Prudence A; Alam, Naveed Z; Ball, David; Solomon, Benjamin

2017-12-01

Lung cancer has markedly poorer survival in men. Recognized important prognostic factors are divided into host, tumour and environmental factors. Traditional staging systems that use only tumour factors to predict prognosis are of limited accuracy. By examining sex-based patterns of disease-specific survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients, we determined the effect of sex on the prognostic value of additional host factors. Two cohorts of patients treated surgically with curative intent between 2000 and 2009 were utilized. The primary cohort was from Melbourne, Australia, with an independent validation set from the American Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate analyses of validated host-related prognostic factors were performed in both cohorts to investigate the differences in survival between men and women. The Melbourne cohort had 605 patients (61% men) and SEER cohort comprised 55 681 patients (51% men). Disease-specific 5-year survival showed men had statistically significant poorer survival in both cohorts (P < 0.001); Melbourne men at 53.2% compared with women at 68.3%, and SEER 53.3% men and 62.0% women were alive at 5 years. Being male was independently prognostic for disease-specific mortality in the Melbourne cohort after adjustment for ethnicity, smoking history, performance status, age, pathological stage and histology (hazard ratio = 1.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-2.16, P = 0.012). Sex differences in non-small cell lung cancer are important irrespective of age, ethnicity, smoking, performance status and tumour, node and metastasis stage. Epidemiological findings such as these should be translated into research and clinical paradigms to determine the factors that influence the survival disadvantage experienced by men. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Surgery confounds biology: the predictive value of stage-, grade- and prostate-specific antigen for recurrence after radical prostatectomy as a function of surgeon experience.

PubMed

Vickers, Andrew J; Savage, Caroline J; Bianco, Fernando J; Klein, Eric A; Kattan, Michael W; Secin, Fernando P; Guilloneau, Bertrand D; Scardino, Peter T

2011-04-01

Statistical models predicting cancer recurrence after surgery are based on biologic variables. We have shown previously that prostate cancer recurrence is related to both tumor biology and to surgical technique. Here, we evaluate the association between several biological predictors and biochemical recurrence across varying surgical experience. The study included two separate cohorts: 6,091 patients treated by open radical prostatectomy and an independent replication set of 2,298 patients treated laparoscopically. We calculated the odds ratios for biological predictors of biochemical recurrence-stage, Gleason grade and prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-and also the predictive accuracy (area under the curve, AUC) of a multivariable model, for subgroups of patients defined by the experience of their surgeon. In the open cohort, the odds ratio for Gleason score 8+ and advanced pathologic stage, though not PSA or Gleason score 7, increased dramatically when patients treated by surgeons with lower levels of experience were excluded (Gleason 8+: odds ratios 5.6 overall vs. 13.0 for patients treated by surgeons with 1,000+ prior cases; locally advanced disease: odds ratios of 6.6 vs. 12.2, respectively). The AUC of the multivariable model was 0.750 for patients treated by surgeons with 50 or fewer cases compared to 0.849 for patients treated by surgeons with 500 or more. Although predictiveness was lower overall for the independent replication set cohort, the main findings were replicated. Surgery confounds biology. Although our findings have no direct clinical implications, studies investigating biological variables as predictors of outcome after curative resection of cancer should consider the impact of surgeon-specific factors. Copyright © 2010 UICC.

Mortality sensitivity in life-stage simulation analysis: A case study of southern sea otters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gerber, L.R.; Tinker, M.T.; Doak, D.F.; Estes, J.A.; Jessup, David A.

2004-01-01

Currently, there are no generally recognized approaches for linking detailed mortality and pathology data to population-level analyses of extinction risk. We used a combination of analytical and simulation-based analyses to examine 20 years of age- and sex-specific mortality data for southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris), and we applied results to project the efficacy of alternative conservation strategies. Population recovery of the southern sea otter has been slow (rate of population increase ?? = 1.05) compared to other recovering populations (?? = 1.17-1.20), and the population declined (?? = 0.975) between 1995 and 1999. Age-based Leslie matrices were developed to explore explanations for the slow recovery and recent decline in the southern sea other population. An elasticity analysis was performed to predict effects of proportional changes in stage-specific reproductive or survival rates on the rate of population increase. A life-stage simulation analysis (LSA) was developed to evaluate the impact of changing age- and cause-specific mortality rates on ??. The information used to develop these models was derived from death assemblage, pathology, and live population census data to examine the sensitivity of sea otter population growth to different sources of mortality (e.g., disease and starvation, direct human take [fisheries, gun shot, boat strike, oil pollution], mating trauma and intraspecific aggression, shark bites, and unknown). We used resampling simulations to generate random combinations of vital rates for a large number of matrix replicates and drew on these to estimate potential effects of mortality sources on population growth (??). Our analyses suggest management actions that are likely and unlikely to promote recovery of the southern sea otter and more broadly indicate a methodology to better utilize cause-of-death data in conservation decision-making.

Doublethink and scale mismatch polarize policies for an invasive tree

PubMed Central

Roberts, Caleb P.; Uden, Daniel R.; Allen, Craig R.; Twidwell, Dirac

2018-01-01

Mismatches between invasive species management policies and ecological knowledge can lead to profound societal consequences. For this reason, natural resource agencies have adopted the scientifically-based density-impact invasive species curve to guide invasive species management. We use the density-impact model to evaluate how well management policies for a native invader (Juniperus virginiana) match scientific guidelines. Juniperus virginiana invasion is causing a sub-continental regime shift from grasslands to woodlands in central North America, and its impacts span collapses in endemic diversity, heightened wildfire risk, and crashes in grazing land profitability. We (1) use land cover data to identify the stage of Juniperus virginiana invasion for three ecoregions within Nebraska, USA, (2) determine the range of invasion stages at individual land parcel extents within each ecoregion based on the density-impact model, and (3) determine policy alignment and mismatches relative to the density-impact model in order to assess their potential to meet sustainability targets and avoid societal impacts as Juniperus virginiana abundance increases. We found that nearly all policies evidenced doublethink and policy-ecology mismatches, for instance, promoting spread of Juniperus virginiana regardless of invasion stage while simultaneously managing it as a native invader in the same ecoregion. Like other invasive species, theory and literature for this native invader indicate that the consequences of invasion are unlikely to be prevented if policies fail to prioritize management at incipient invasion stages. Theory suggests a more realistic approach would be to align policy with the stage of invasion at local and ecoregion management scales. There is a need for scientists, policy makers, and ecosystem managers to move past ideologies governing native versus non-native invader classification and toward a framework that accounts for the uniqueness of native species invasions, their anthropogenic drivers, and their impacts on ecosystem services. PMID:29513675

The Impact of Menopause: Implications for Mental Health Counselors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldo, Tracy D.; Schneider, Mercedes K.; Slyter, Marty

2003-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present a brief, informative view of the impact of menopause along with implications for mental health counselors. Menopause and associated stages are defined; symptoms associated with these stages are discussed; the benefits, risks, and consequences of hormone replacement therapy are considered; and…

Vitamins and Microelement Bioavailability in Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease.

PubMed

Jankowska, Magdalena; Rutkowski, Bolesław; Dębska-Ślizień, Alicja

2017-03-15

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) predisposes one to either deficiency or toxic excess of different micronutrients. The knowledge on micronutrients-specifically water-soluble vitamins and trace elements-in CKD is very limited. Consequently, current guidelines and recommendations are mostly based on expert opinions or poor-quality evidence. Abnormalities of micronutrient resources in CKD develop for several reasons. Dietary restrictions and anorexia lead to an insufficient micronutrient intake, while diuretics use and renal replacement therapy lead to their excessive losses. Absorption is unpredictable, and metabolism impaired. Better understanding of the micronutrient needs of CKD patients could have an impact on many complications linked to vitamin and trace element disorders, including high mortality, increased risk of atherosclerosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, anemia, polyneuropathy, encephalopathy, weakness and fragility, muscle cramps, bone disease, depression, or insomnia. Here, we summarize the up-to-date knowledge on micronutrient resources in different stages of CKD, and share our experience with the assessment of micronutrient status.

Quality analysis of population-based information on cancer stage at diagnosis across Europe, with presentation of stage-specific cancer survival estimates: A EUROCARE-5 study.

PubMed

Minicozzi, Pamela; Innos, Kaire; Sánchez, Maria-José; Trama, Annalisa; Walsh, Paul M; Marcos-Gragera, Rafael; Dimitrova, Nadya; Botta, Laura; Visser, Otto; Rossi, Silvia; Tavilla, Andrea; Sant, Milena

2017-10-01

Cancer registries (CRs) are fundamental for estimating cancer burden, evaluating screening and monitoring health service performance. Stage at diagnosis-an essential information item collected by CRs-has been made available, for the first time, by CRs participating in EUROCARE-5. We analysed the quality of this information and estimated stage-specific survival across Europe for CRs with good data quality. Sixty-two CRs sent stage (as TNM, condensed TNM or extent of disease) for 15 cancers diagnosed in 2000-2007. We assessed the quality, partly by comparing stage according to the three systems. We also developed procedures to reconstruct stage (categories: local, regional, metastatic and unknown) using information from all three systems, thus minimising the amount of missing information. Moderate-to-excellent stage concordance was found for practically all 24 CRs, for which it was possible to compare at least two staging systems. However, since stage was often incorrectly assigned, and information on the presence/absence of metastases was often lacking, data on only 7/15 cancers from 34/62 CRs (15 countries) were of sufficient quality for further analysis. Cases diagnosed ≥70 years had more advanced (or lacking) stage- and worse stage-specific survival than those <70 years. Many European CRs collect and record reasonably accurate stage information. Others have difficulties. Both the completeness of primary data and the accuracy of stage coding need to be improved in order for CRs to fulfil their expanding roles in cancer control. We propose our stage reconstruction/checking procedures as a means of fully exploiting the stage information provided by EUROCARE CRs. More advanced (or lacking) stage at diagnosis plus poorer stage-specific survival in the elderly are worrying. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome dynamics of a susceptible wheat upon Fusarium head blight reveals that molecular responses to Fusarium graminearum infection fit over the grain development processes.

PubMed

Chetouhi, Cherif; Bonhomme, Ludovic; Lasserre-Zuber, Pauline; Cambon, Florence; Pelletier, Sandra; Renou, Jean-Pierre; Langin, Thierry

2016-03-01

In many plant/pathogen interactions, host susceptibility factors are key determinants of disease development promoting pathogen growth and spreading in plant tissues. In the Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease, the molecular basis of wheat susceptibility is still poorly understood while it could provide new insights into the understanding of the wheat/Fusarium graminearum (Fg) interaction and guide future breeding programs to produce cultivars with sustainable resistance. To identify the wheat grain candidate genes, a genome-wide gene expression profiling was performed in the French susceptible wheat cultivar, Recital. Gene-specific two-way ANOVA of about 40 K transcripts at five grain developmental stages identified 1309 differentially expressed genes. Out of these, 536 were impacted by the Fg effect alone. Most of these Fg-responsive genes belonged to biological and molecular functions related to biotic and abiotic stresses indicating the activation of common stress pathways during susceptibility response of wheat grain to FHB. This analysis revealed also 773 other genes displaying either specific Fg-responsive profiles along with grain development stages or synergistic adjustments with the grain development effect. These genes were involved in various molecular pathways including primary metabolism, cell death, and gene expression reprogramming. An increasingly complex host response was revealed, as was the impact of both Fg infection and grain ontogeny on the transcription of wheat genes. This analysis provides a wealth of candidate genes and pathways involved in susceptibility responses to FHB and depicts new clues to the understanding of the susceptibility determinism in plant/pathogen interactions.

EST resources and establishment and validation of a 16k cDNA microarray from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).

PubMed

Edvardsen, Rolf B; Malde, Ketil; Mittelholzer, Christian; Taranger, Geir Lasse; Nilsen, Frank

2011-03-01

The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is an important species both for traditional fishery and increasingly also in fish farming. The Atlantic cod is also under potential threat from various environmental changes such as pollution and climate change, but the biological impact of such changes are not well known, in particular when it comes to sublethal effects that can be difficult to assert. Modern molecular and genomic approaches have revolutionized biological research during the last decade, and offer new avenues to study biological functions and e.g. the impact of anthropogenic activities at different life-stages for a given organism. In order to develop genomic data and genomic tools for Atlantic cod we conducted a program were we constructed 20 cDNA libraries, and produced and analyzed 44006 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from these. Several tissues are represented in the multiple cDNA libraries, that differ in either sexual maturation or immulogical stimulation. This approach allowed us to identify genes that are expressed in particular tissues, life-stages or in response to specific stimuli, and also gives us information about potential functions of the transcripts. The ESTs were used to construct a 16k cDNA microarray to further investigate the cod transcriptome. Microarray analyses were preformed on pylorus, pituitary gland, spleen and testis of sexually maturing male cod. The four different tissues displayed tissue specific transcriptomes demonstrating that the cDNA array is working as expected and will prove to be a powerful tool in further experiments. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MAPK phosphotase 5 deficiency contributes to protection against blood-stage Plasmodium yoelii 17XL infection in mice.

PubMed

Cheng, Qianqian; Zhang, Qingfeng; Xu, Xindong; Yin, Lan; Sun, Lin; Lin, Xin; Dong, Chen; Pan, Weiqing

2014-04-15

Cell-mediated immunity plays a crucial role in the development of host resistance to asexual blood-stage malaria infection. However, little is known of the regulatory factors involved in this process. In this study, we investigated the impact of MAPK phosphotase 5 (MKP5) on protective immunity against a lethal Plasmodium yoelii 17XL blood-stage infection using MKP5 knockout C57BL/6 mice. Compared with wild-type control mice, MKP5 knockout mice developed significantly lower parasite burdens with prolonged survival times. We found that this phenomenon correlated with a rapid and strong IFN-γ-dependent cellular immune response during the acute phase of infection. Inactivation of IFN-γ by the administration of a neutralizing Ab significantly reduced the protective effects in MKP5 knockout mice. By analyzing IFN-γ production in innate and adaptive lymphocyte subsets, we observed that MKP5 deficiency specifically enhanced the IFN-γ response mediated by CD4+ T cells, which was attributable to the increased stimulatory capacity of splenic CD11c+ dendritic cells. Furthermore, following vaccination with whole blood-stage soluble plasmodial Ag, MKP5 knockout mice acquired strongly enhanced Ag-specific immune responses and a higher level of protection against subsequent P. yoelii 17XL challenge. Finally, we found the enhanced response mediated by MKP5 deficiency resulted in a lethal consequence in mice when infected with nonlethal P. yoelii 17XNL. Thus, our data indicate that MKP5 is a potential regulator of immune resistance against Plasmodium infection in mice, and that an understanding of the role of MKP5 in manipulating anti-malaria immunity may provide valuable information on the development of better control strategies for human malaria.

Sex determination mode does not affect body or genital development of the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps).

PubMed

Whiteley, Sarah L; Holleley, Clare E; Ruscoe, Wendy A; Castelli, Meghan; Whitehead, Darryl L; Lei, Juan; Georges, Arthur; Weisbecker, Vera

2017-01-01

The development of male- or female-specific phenotypes in squamates is typically controlled by either temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) or chromosome-based genetic sex determination (GSD). However, while sex determination is a major switch in individual phenotypic development, it is unknownhow evolutionary transitions between GSD and TSD might impact on the evolution of squamate phenotypes, particularly the fast-evolving and diverse genitalia. Here, we take the unique opportunity of studying the impact of both sex determination mechanisms on the embryological development of the central bearded dragon ( Pogona vitticeps ). This is possible because of the transitional sex determination system of this species, in which genetically male individuals reverse sex at high incubation temperatures. This can trigger the evolutionary transition of GSD to TSD in a single generation, making P. vitticeps an ideal model organism for comparing the effects of both sex determination processes in the same species. We conducted four incubation experiments on 265 P. vitticeps eggs, covering two temperature regimes ("normal" at 28 °C and "sex reversing" at 36 °C) and the two maternal sexual genotypes (concordant ZW females or sex-reversed ZZ females). From this, we provide the first detailed staging system for the species, with a focus on genital and limb development. This was augmented by a new sex chromosome identification methodology for P. vitticeps that is non-destructive to the embryo. We found a strong correlation between embryo age and embryo stage. Aside from faster growth in 36 °C treatments, body and external genital development was entirely unperturbed by temperature, sex reversal or maternal sexual genotype. Unexpectedly, all females developed hemipenes (the genital phenotype of adult male P. vitticeps ), which regress close to hatching. The tight correlation between embryo age and embryo stage allows the precise targeting of specific developmental periods in the emerging field of molecular research on P. vitticeps . The stability of genital development in all treatments suggests that the two sex-determining mechanisms have little impact on genital evolution, despite their known role in triggering genital development. Hemipenis retention in developing female P. vitticeps , together with frequent occurrences of hemipenis-like structures during development in other squamate species, raises the possibility of a bias towards hemipenis formation in the ancestral developmental programme for squamate genitalia.

Can extracapsular lymph node involvement be a tool to fine-tune pN1 for adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastro-oesophageal junction in the Union Internationale contre le Cancer (UICC) TNM 7th edition?†.

PubMed

Nafteux, Philippe; Lerut, Toni; De Hertogh, Gert; Moons, Johnny; Coosemans, Willy; Decker, Georges; Van Veer, Hans; De Leyn, Paul

2014-06-01

The current (7th) International Union Against Cancer (UICC) pN staging system is based on the number of positive lymph nodes but does not take into consideration the characteristics of the metastatic lymph nodes itself. In particular, it has been suggested that tumour penetration beyond the lymph node capsule in metastatic lymph nodes, which is also called extracapsular lymph node involvement, has a prognostic impact. The aim of the current study was to assess the prognostic value of extracapsular (EC) and intracapsular (IC) lymph node involvement (LNI) in adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) and to assess its potential impact on the 7th edition of the UICC TNM manual. From 2000 to 2010, all consecutive adenocarcinoma patients with primary R0-resection (n = 499) were prospectively included for analysis. The number of resected lymph nodes, number of positive lymph nodes and number of EC-LNI/IC-LNI were determined. Extracapsular spread was defined as infiltration of cancer cells beyond the capsule of the positive lymph node. Two hundred and eighteen (43%) patients had positive lymph nodes. Cancer-specific 5-year survival in lymph node-positive patients was significantly (P < 0.0001) worse compared with lymph node-negative patients, being 88.3 vs 28.7%, respectively. In 128 (58.7%) cases EC-LNI was detected. EC-LNI showed significantly worse cancer-specific 5-year survival compared with IC-LNI, 19.6 vs 44.0% (P < 0.0001). In the pN1 category (1 or 2 positive LN's-UICC stages IIB and IIIA), this was 30.4% vs 58%; (P = 0.029). In higher pN categories, this effect was no longer noticed. Integrating these findings into an adapted TNM classification resulted in improved homogeneity, monotonicity of gradients and discriminatory ability indicating an improved performance of the staging system. EC-LNI is associated with worse survival compared with IC-LNI. EC-LNI patients show survival rates that are more closely associated with the current TNM stage IIIB, while IC-LNI patients have a survival more similar to TNM stage IIB. Incorporating the EC-IC factor in the TNM classification results in an increased performance of the TNM model. Further confirmation from other centres is required within the context of future adaptations of the UICC/AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) staging system for oesophageal cancer. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Disadvantage of survival outcomes in widowed patients with colorectal neuroendocrine neoplasm: an analysis of surveillance, epidemiology and end results database.

PubMed

Li, Jing; Wang, Ying; Han, Fang; Wang, Zhu; Xu, Lichun; Tong, Jiandong

2016-12-13

Marital status correlates with health. Our goal was to examine the impact of marital status on the survival outcomes of patients with colorectal neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program was used to identify 1,289 eligible patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2010 with colorectal NENs. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-square, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox regression proportional hazards methods. Patients in the widowed group had the highest proportion of larger tumor (>2cm), and higher ratio of poor grade (Grade III and IV) and more tumors at advanced stage (P<0.05). The 5-year cause specific survival (CSS) was 76% in the married group, 51% in the widowed group, 73% in the single group, and 72% in the divorced/separated group, which manifest statistically significant difference in the univariate log-rank test and Cox regression model (P<0.05). Furthermore, marital status was an independent prognostic factor only in Distant stage (P<0.001). In conclusion, patients in widowed group were at greater risk of cancer specific mortality from colorectal NENs and social support may lead to improved outcomes for patients with NENs.

Region-specific disruption of the blood-brain barrier following repeated inflammatory dural stimulation in a rat model of chronic trigeminal allodynia

PubMed Central

Fried, Nathan T; Maxwell, Christina R; Elliott, Melanie B; Oshinsky, Michael L

2017-01-01

Background The blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been hypothesized to play a role in migraine since the late 1970s. Despite this, limited investigation of the BBB in migraine has been conducted. We used the inflammatory soup rat model of trigeminal allodynia, which closely mimics chronic migraine, to determine the impact of repeated dural inflammatory stimulation on BBB permeability. Methods The sodium fluorescein BBB permeability assay was used in multiple brain regions (trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC), periaqueductal grey, frontal cortex, sub-cortex, and cortex directly below the area of dural activation) during the episodic and chronic stages of repeated inflammatory dural stimulation. Glial activation was assessed in the TNC via GFAP and OX42 immunoreactivity. Minocycline was tested for its ability to prevent BBB disruption and trigeminal sensitivity. Results No astrocyte or microglial activation was found during the episodic stage, but BBB permeability and trigeminal sensitivity were increased. Astrocyte and microglial activation, BBB permeability, and trigeminal sensitivity were increased during the chronic stage. These changes were only found in the TNC. Minocycline treatment prevented BBB permeability modulation and trigeminal sensitivity during the episodic and chronic stages. Discussion Modulation of BBB permeability occurs centrally within the TNC following repeated dural inflammatory stimulation and may play a role in migraine. PMID:28457145

Peritumoral eosinophils predict recurrence in colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Harbaum, Lars; Pollheimer, Marion J; Kornprat, Peter; Lindtner, Richard A; Bokemeyer, Carsten; Langner, Cord

2015-03-01

In colorectal cancer, the presence and extent of eosinophil granulocyte infiltration may render important prognostic information. However, it remains unclear whether an increasing number of eosinophils might simply be linked to the overall inflammatory cell reaction or represent a self-contained, antitumoral mechanism that needs to be documented and promoted therapeutically. Peri- and intratumoral eosinophil counts were retrospectively assessed in 381 primary colorectal cancers from randomly selected patients. Tumors were diagnosed in American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)/Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC) stage I in 21%, stage II in 32%, stage III in 33%, and stage IV in 14%. Presence and extent of eosinophils was related to various histopathological parameters as well as patients' outcome. Overall, peri- and intratumoral eosinophils were observed in 86 and 75% cancer specimens. The peritumoral eosinophil count correlated strongly with the intratumoral eosinophil count (R=0.69; P<0.001) and with the intensity of the overall inflammatory cell reaction (R=0.318; P<0.001). Both increasing peri- and intratumoral eosinophil counts were significantly associated with lower T and N classification, better tumor differentiation, absence of vascular invasion, as well as improved progression-free and cancer-specific survival. However, only peritumoral eosinophils, but not intratumoral, were an independent prognosticator of favorable progression-free (hazard ratio 0.75; 95% confidence interval 0.58-0.98; P=0.04) and cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio 0.7; 95% confidence interval 0.52-0.93; P=0.01)-independent of the intensity of overall inflammatory cell reaction. This was also found for patients with AJCC/UICC stage II disease, wherein the presence of peritumoral eosinophils was significantly associated with favorable outcome. In conclusion, the number of peritumoral eosinophils had a significant favorable impact on prognosis of colorectal cancer patients independent of the overall tumor-associated inflammatory response. Evaluation of peritumoral eosinophils represents a promising readily assessable tool and should therefore routinely be commented on in the pathology report.

Lack of reduction in racial disparities in cancer-specific mortality over a 20-year period.

PubMed

Aizer, Ayal A; Wilhite, Tyler J; Chen, Ming-Hui; Graham, Powell L; Choueiri, Toni K; Hoffman, Karen E; Martin, Neil E; Trinh, Quoc-Dien; Hu, Jim C; Nguyen, Paul L

2014-05-15

To the authors' knowledge, it remains unknown whether race-based differences in cancer outcomes have changed with time. In the current study, the authors assessed whether racial disparities in cancer-specific mortality have improved over the last 20 years. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program was used to identify 2,713,474 patients diagnosed between 1988 and 2007 with either lung, breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer (the leading 3 causes of cancer-related mortality among each sex). After exclusions, 1,001,978 patients remained eligible for analysis. The impact of race on cancer-specific mortality was assessed using the regression model of Fine and Gray; an interaction model evaluated trends over time. African Americans presented with a more advanced stage of disease (P < .001) and underwent definitive therapy less often (P < .001) than whites. After adjustment for demographics and year of diagnosis, African Americans were found to have higher estimates of cancer-specific mortality than whites for all cancers combined (hazards ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-1.30 [P < .001]) and within each individual cancer (each P < .05). These differences did not change significantly between 1988 through 1997 and 1998 through 2007, except among patients with breast cancer, in whom survival disparities increased. These findings remained significant after adjustment for stage of disease at presentation and receipt of definitive therapy (hazards ratio for breast cancer mortality in African Americans vs whites: 1.37 from 1988-1997 and 1.53 from 1998-2007; P for interaction, < .001). The survival gap for African Americans has not closed over time. Race-based differences in outcome persist independent of stage of disease and treatment, suggesting that additional strategies beyond screening and improving access to care, such as further research into tumor biologies disproportionately affecting African Americans, are needed to improve survival for African American patients with cancer. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Initial Characterization of the Pf-Int Recombinase from the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum

PubMed Central

Ghorbal, Mehdi; Scheidig-Benatar, Christine; Bouizem, Salma; Thomas, Christophe; Paisley, Genevieve; Faltermeier, Claire; Liu, Melanie; Scherf, Artur; Lopez-Rubio, Jose-Juan; Gopaul, Deshmukh N.

2012-01-01

Background Genetic variation is an essential means of evolution and adaptation in many organisms in response to environmental change. Certain DNA alterations can be carried out by site-specific recombinases (SSRs) that fall into two families: the serine and the tyrosine recombinases. SSRs are seldom found in eukaryotes. A gene homologous to a tyrosine site-specific recombinase has been identified in the genome of Plasmodium falciparum. The sequence is highly conserved among five other members of Plasmodia. Methodology/Principal Findings The predicted open reading frame encodes for a ∼57 kDa protein containing a C-terminal domain including the putative tyrosine recombinase conserved active site residues R-H-R-(H/W)-Y. The N-terminus has the typical alpha-helical bundle and potentially a mixed alpha-beta domain resembling that of λ-Int. Pf-Int mRNA is expressed differentially during the P. falciparum erythrocytic life stages, peaking in the schizont stage. Recombinant Pf-Int and affinity chromatography of DNA from genomic or synthetic origin were used to identify potential DNA targets after sequencing or micro-array hybridization. Interestingly, the sequences captured also included highly variable subtelomeric genes such as var, rif, and stevor sequences. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with DNA were carried out to verify Pf-Int/DNA binding. Finally, Pf-Int knock-out parasites were created in order to investigate the biological role of Pf-Int. Conclusions/Significance Our data identify for the first time a malaria parasite gene with structural and functional features of recombinases. Pf-Int may bind to and alter DNA, either in a sequence specific or in a non-specific fashion, and may contribute to programmed or random DNA rearrangements. Pf-Int is the first molecular player identified with a potential role in genome plasticity in this pathogen. Finally, Pf-Int knock-out parasite is viable showing no detectable impact on blood stage development, which is compatible with such function. PMID:23056326

Exo-reversible staging of coolers in series and in parallel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maytal, Ben-Zion

2017-10-01

Serial and parallel staging of exo-reversible coolers are formulated, analyzed and compared. The parallel staging includes an extensive parameter which is the proportion of combined stages. This extensive free parameter affects the intensive factors of specific power and figure of merit. Serial staging reduces the 1st Law efficiency and parallel staging improves the 2nd Law efficiency. Comparison of a parallel with a serial staging under common cooling capacity and cooling range, shows that it is always possible to find a parallel arrangement of lower specific power and more compact. Some results are demonstrated on staging of Joule-Thomson cryocoolers (below and above the Joule-Thomson inversion temperature).

Palliative Care Intervention in Improving Symptom Control and Quality of Life in Patients With Stage II-IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Their Family Caregivers

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-10-16

Caregiver; Psychological Impact of Cancer and Its Treatment; Recurrent Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIIB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

The Physcomitrella patens gene atlas project: large-scale RNA-seq based expression data.

PubMed

Perroud, Pierre-François; Haas, Fabian B; Hiss, Manuel; Ullrich, Kristian K; Alboresi, Alessandro; Amirebrahimi, Mojgan; Barry, Kerrie; Bassi, Roberto; Bonhomme, Sandrine; Chen, Haodong; Coates, Juliet C; Fujita, Tomomichi; Guyon-Debast, Anouchka; Lang, Daniel; Lin, Junyan; Lipzen, Anna; Nogué, Fabien; Oliver, Melvin J; Ponce de León, Inés; Quatrano, Ralph S; Rameau, Catherine; Reiss, Bernd; Reski, Ralf; Ricca, Mariana; Saidi, Younousse; Sun, Ning; Szövényi, Péter; Sreedasyam, Avinash; Grimwood, Jane; Stacey, Gary; Schmutz, Jeremy; Rensing, Stefan A

2018-07-01

High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has recently become the method of choice to define and analyze transcriptomes. For the model moss Physcomitrella patens, although this method has been used to help analyze specific perturbations, no overall reference dataset has yet been established. In the framework of the Gene Atlas project, the Joint Genome Institute selected P. patens as a flagship genome, opening the way to generate the first comprehensive transcriptome dataset for this moss. The first round of sequencing described here is composed of 99 independent libraries spanning 34 different developmental stages and conditions. Upon dataset quality control and processing through read mapping, 28 509 of the 34 361 v3.3 gene models (83%) were detected to be expressed across the samples. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were calculated across the dataset to permit perturbation comparisons between conditions. The analysis of the three most distinct and abundant P. patens growth stages - protonema, gametophore and sporophyte - allowed us to define both general transcriptional patterns and stage-specific transcripts. As an example of variation of physico-chemical growth conditions, we detail here the impact of ammonium supplementation under standard growth conditions on the protonemal transcriptome. Finally, the cooperative nature of this project allowed us to analyze inter-laboratory variation, as 13 different laboratories around the world provided samples. We compare differences in the replication of experiments in a single laboratory and between different laboratories. © 2018 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Diagnostic validity of the intraoperative analysis in frozen section of the sentinel lymph node in the surgical management of breast cancer].

PubMed

Bañuelos-Andrío, Luis; Rodríguez-Caravaca, Gil; Argüelles-Pintos, Miguel; Mitjavilla-Casanovas, Mercedes

2014-01-01

The method for intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) evaluation has still not been established in breast cancer staging. This study has evaluated the diagnostic validity and impact of intraoperative analysis using the frozen section (FS) of SLN. We performed a descriptive study of the diagnostic validity of the FS of the SLN in patients with breast cancer and selective sentinel node biopsy (SSNB) from October-2006 to October-2012. The diagnostic validity indexes were evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and global value. Gold standard was considered as the final histopathological results of the biopsies. A total of 370 patients were studied. Sensitivity and specificity for detection of metastasis by FS in the SLN were 67% and 100%, respectively. Global diagnostic validity was 95%. There was a correlation between detection of metastasis and tumor size (p<0.05). Twelve of the 15 patients with SLN micro-metastases underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Metastatic lymph nodes were not found in any of them. Intraoperative FS examination of the SLN is a useful and reliable predictor of axillary lymph node staging in patients with initial stages of breast cancer. FS reduces the need for second interventions, at least for most patients who have breast cancer with identifiable positive SLN and unequivocal evidence of positive lymph node disease. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. and SEMNIM. All rights reserved.

Assessing Transformations of Algal Organic Matter in the Long-Term: Impacts of Humification-Like Processes

PubMed Central

Leloup, Maud; Pallier, Virginie; Nicolau, Rudy; Feuillade-Cathalifaud, Geneviève

2015-01-01

Algae and cyanobacteria are important contributors to the natural organic matter (NOM) of eutrophic water resources. The objective of this work is to increase knowledge on the modifications of algal organic matter (AOM) properties in the long term to anticipate blooms footprint in such aquatic environments. The production of AOM from an alga (Euglena gracilis) and a cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa) was followed up and characterized during the stationary phase and after one year and four months of cultivation, in batch experiments. Specific UV absorbance (SUVA) index, organic matter fractionation according to hydrophobicity and apparent molecular weight were combined to assess the evolution of AOM. A comparison between humic substances (HS) mainly derived from allochthonous origins and AOM characteristics was performed to hypothesize impacts of AOM transformation processes on the water quality of eutrophic water resources. Each AOM fraction underwent a specific evolution pattern, depending on its composition. Impacts of humification-like processes were predominant over release of biopolymers due to cells decay and led to an increase in the hydrophobic compounds part and molecular weights over time. However, the hydrophilic fraction remained the major fraction whatever the growth stage. Organic compounds generated by maturation of these precursors corresponded to large and aliphatic structures. PMID:26251898

A life cycle assessment of environmental performances of two combustion- and gasification-based waste-to-energy technologies.

PubMed

Arena, Umberto; Ardolino, Filomena; Di Gregorio, Fabrizio

2015-07-01

An attributional life cycle analysis (LCA) was developed to compare the environmental performances of two waste-to-energy (WtE) units, which utilize the predominant technologies among those available for combustion and gasification processes: a moving grate combustor and a vertical shaft gasifier coupled with direct melting. The two units were assumed to be fed with the same unsorted residual municipal waste, having a composition estimated as a European average. Data from several plants in operation were processed by means of mass and energy balances, and on the basis of the flows and stocks of materials and elements inside and throughout the two units, as provided by a specific substance flow analysis. The potential life cycle environmental impacts related to the operations of the two WtE units were estimated by means of the Impact 2002+ methodology. They indicate that both the technologies have sustainable environmental performances, but those of the moving grate combustion unit are better for most of the selected impact categories. The analysis of the contributions from all the stages of each specific technology suggests where improvements in technological solutions and management criteria should be focused to obtain further and remarkable environmental improvements. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geographical, temporal and racial disparities in late-stage prostate cancer incidence across Florida: A multiscale joinpoint regression analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Although prostate cancer-related incidence and mortality have declined recently, striking racial/ethnic differences persist in the United States. Visualizing and modelling temporal trends of prostate cancer late-stage incidence, and how they vary according to geographic locations and race, should help explaining such disparities. Joinpoint regression is increasingly used to identify the timing and extent of changes in time series of health outcomes. Yet, most analyses of temporal trends are aspatial and conducted at the national level or for a single cancer registry. Methods Time series (1981-2007) of annual proportions of prostate cancer late-stage cases were analyzed for non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks in each county of Florida. Noise in the data was first filtered by binomial kriging and results were modelled using joinpoint regression. A similar analysis was also conducted at the state level and for groups of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Significant racial differences were detected using tests of parallelism and coincidence of time trends. A new disparity statistic was introduced to measure spatial and temporal changes in the frequency of racial disparities. Results State-level percentage of late-stage diagnosis decreased 50% since 1981; a decline that accelerated in the 90's when Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening was introduced. Analysis at the metropolitan and non-metropolitan levels revealed that the frequency of late-stage diagnosis increased recently in urban areas, and this trend was significant for white males. The annual rate of decrease in late-stage diagnosis and the onset years for significant declines varied greatly among counties and racial groups. Most counties with non-significant average annual percent change (AAPC) were located in the Florida Panhandle for white males, whereas they clustered in South-eastern Florida for black males. The new disparity statistic indicated that the spatial extent of racial disparities reached a peak in 1990 because of an early decline in frequency of late-stage diagnosis observed for black males. Conclusions Analyzing temporal trends in cancer incidence and mortality rates outside a spatial framework is unsatisfactory, since it leads one to overlook significant geographical variation which can potentially generate new insights about the impact of various interventions. Differences observed among nested geographies in Florida show how the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) also impacts the analysis of temporal changes. PMID:22142274

Geographical, temporal and racial disparities in late-stage prostate cancer incidence across Florida: a multiscale joinpoint regression analysis.

PubMed

Goovaerts, Pierre; Xiao, Hong

2011-12-05

Although prostate cancer-related incidence and mortality have declined recently, striking racial/ethnic differences persist in the United States. Visualizing and modelling temporal trends of prostate cancer late-stage incidence, and how they vary according to geographic locations and race, should help explaining such disparities. Joinpoint regression is increasingly used to identify the timing and extent of changes in time series of health outcomes. Yet, most analyses of temporal trends are aspatial and conducted at the national level or for a single cancer registry. Time series (1981-2007) of annual proportions of prostate cancer late-stage cases were analyzed for non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks in each county of Florida. Noise in the data was first filtered by binomial kriging and results were modelled using joinpoint regression. A similar analysis was also conducted at the state level and for groups of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Significant racial differences were detected using tests of parallelism and coincidence of time trends. A new disparity statistic was introduced to measure spatial and temporal changes in the frequency of racial disparities. State-level percentage of late-stage diagnosis decreased 50% since 1981; a decline that accelerated in the 90's when Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening was introduced. Analysis at the metropolitan and non-metropolitan levels revealed that the frequency of late-stage diagnosis increased recently in urban areas, and this trend was significant for white males. The annual rate of decrease in late-stage diagnosis and the onset years for significant declines varied greatly among counties and racial groups. Most counties with non-significant average annual percent change (AAPC) were located in the Florida Panhandle for white males, whereas they clustered in South-eastern Florida for black males. The new disparity statistic indicated that the spatial extent of racial disparities reached a peak in 1990 because of an early decline in frequency of late-stage diagnosis observed for black males. Analyzing temporal trends in cancer incidence and mortality rates outside a spatial framework is unsatisfactory, since it leads one to overlook significant geographical variation which can potentially generate new insights about the impact of various interventions. Differences observed among nested geographies in Florida show how the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) also impacts the analysis of temporal changes.

The Gender-Differential Impact of Work Values on Prospects in Research Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hüttges, Annett; Fay, Doris

2015-01-01

Women are strongly underrepresented at top positions in research, with some research suggesting the postdoctoral career stage is a critical stage for female researchers. Drawing on role congruity theory and social cognitive career theory, we tested the gender-differential impact of work values (extrinsic rewards-oriented work values and work-life…

Modeling influence of tide stages on forecasts of the 2010 Chilean tsunami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uslu, B. U.; Chamberlin, C.; Walsh, D.; Eble, M. C.

2010-12-01

The impact of the 2010 Chilean tsunami is studied using the NOAA high-resolution tsunami forecast model augmented to include modeled tide heights in addition to deep-water tsunami propagation as boundary-condition input. The Chilean tsunami was observed at the Los Angeles tide station at mean low water, Hilo at low, Pago Pago at mid tide and Wake Island near high tide. Because the tsunami arrived at coastal communities at a representative variety of tide stages, 2010 Chile tsunami provides opportunity to study the tsunami impacts at different tide levels to different communities. The current forecast models are computed with a constant tidal stage, and this study evaluates techniques for adding an additional varying predicted tidal component in a forecasting context. Computed wave amplitudes, wave currents and flooding are compared at locations around the Pacific, and the difference in tsunami impact due to tidal stage is studied. This study focuses on how tsunami impacts vary with different tide levels, and helps us understand how the inclusion of tidal components can improve real-time forecast accuracy.

Stage specific effects of soluble copper and copper oxide nanoparticles during sea urchin embryo development and their relation to intracellular copper uptake.

PubMed

Torres-Duarte, Cristina; Ramos-Torres, Karla M; Rahimoff, René; Cherr, Gary N

2017-08-01

The effects of exposure to either soluble copper (copper sulfate) or copper oxide nanoparticles (nano-CuO) during specific early developmental stages of sea urchin embryos were analyzed. Soluble copper caused significant malformations in embryos (skeletal malformations, delayed development or gut malformations) when present at any given stage, while cleavage stage was the most sensitive to nano-CuO exposure causing skeletal malformations and decreased total antioxidant capacity. The stage specificity was linked to higher endocytic activity during the first hours of development that leads to higher accumulation of copper in specific cells critical for development. Results indicate that nano-CuO results in higher accumulation of copper inside of embryos and this intracellular copper is more persistent as compared to soluble copper. The possible implications later in development are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of transgenic wheat with wheat yellow mosaic virus resistance on microbial community diversity and enzyme activity in rhizosphere soil.

PubMed

Wu, Jirong; Yu, Mingzheng; Xu, Jianhong; Du, Juan; Ji, Fang; Dong, Fei; Li, Xinhai; Shi, Jianrong

2014-01-01

The transgenic wheat line N12-1 containing the WYMV-Nib8 gene was obtained previously through particle bombardment, and it can effectively control the wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV) disease transmitted by Polymyxa graminis at turngreen stage. Due to insertion of an exogenous gene, the transcriptome of wheat may be altered and affect root exudates. Thus, it is important to investigate the potential environmental risk of transgenic wheat before commercial release because of potential undesirable ecological side effects. Our 2-year study at two different experimental locations was performed to analyze the impact of transgenic wheat N12-1 on bacterial and fungal community diversity in rhizosphere soil using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) at four growth stages (seeding stage, turngreen stage, grain-filling stage, and maturing stage). We also explored the activities of urease, sucrase and dehydrogenase in rhizosphere soil. The results showed that there was little difference in bacterial and fungal community diversity in rhizosphere soil between N12-1 and its recipient Y158 by comparing Shannon's, Simpson's diversity index and evenness (except at one or two growth stages). Regarding enzyme activity, only one significant difference was found during the maturing stage at Xinxiang in 2011 for dehydrogenase. Significant growth stage variation was observed during 2 years at two experimental locations for both soil microbial community diversity and enzyme activity. Analysis of bands from the gel for fungal community diversity showed that the majority of fungi were uncultured. The results of this study suggested that virus-resistant transgenic wheat had no adverse impact on microbial community diversity and enzyme activity in rhizosphere soil during 2 continuous years at two different experimental locations. This study provides a theoretical basis for environmental impact monitoring of transgenic wheat when the introduced gene is derived from a virus.

The protection motivation theory within the stages of the transtheoretical model - stage-specific interplay of variables and prediction of exercise stage transitions.

PubMed

Lippke, Sonia; Plotnikoff, Ronald C

2009-05-01

Two different theories of health behaviour have been chosen with the aim of theory integration: a continuous theory (protection motivation theory, PMT) and a stage model (transtheoretical model, TTM). This is the first study to test whether the stages of the TTM moderate the interrelation of PMT-variables and the mediation of motivation, as well as PMT-variables' interactions in predicting stage transitions. Hypotheses were tested regarding (1) mean patterns, stage pair-comparisons and nonlinear trends using ANOVAs; (2) prediction-patterns for the different stage groups employing multi-group structural equation modelling (MSEM) and nested model analyses; and (3) stage transitions using binary logistic regression analyses. Adults (N=1,602) were assessed over a 6 month period on their physical activity stages, PMT-variables and subsequent behaviour. (1) Particular mean differences and nonlinear trends in all test variables were found. (2) The PMT adequately fitted the five stage groups. The MSEM revealed that covariances within threat appraisal and coping appraisal were invariant and all other constrains were stage-specific, i.e. stage was a moderator. Except for self-efficacy, motivation fully mediated the relationship between the social-cognitive variables and behaviour. (3) Predicting stage transitions with the PMT-variables underscored the importance of self-efficacy. Only when threat appraisal and coping appraisal were high, stage movement was more likely in the preparation stage. Results emphasize stage-specific differences of the PMT mechanisms, and hence, support the stage construct. The findings may guide further theory building and research integrating different theoretical approaches.

Envirotyping for deciphering environmental impacts on crop plants.

PubMed

Xu, Yunbi

2016-04-01

Global climate change imposes increasing impacts on our environments and crop production. To decipher environmental impacts on crop plants, the concept "envirotyping" is proposed, as a third "typing" technology, complementing with genotyping and phenotyping. Environmental factors can be collected through multiple environmental trials, geographic and soil information systems, measurement of soil and canopy properties, and evaluation of companion organisms. Envirotyping contributes to crop modeling and phenotype prediction through its functional components, including genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI), genes responsive to environmental signals, biotic and abiotic stresses, and integrative phenotyping. Envirotyping, driven by information and support systems, has a wide range of applications, including environmental characterization, GEI analysis, phenotype prediction, near-iso-environment construction, agronomic genomics, precision agriculture and breeding, and development of a four-dimensional profile of crop science involving genotype (G), phenotype (P), envirotype (E) and time (T) (developmental stage). In the future, envirotyping needs to zoom into specific experimental plots and individual plants, along with the development of high-throughput and precision envirotyping platforms, to integrate genotypic, phenotypic and envirotypic information for establishing a high-efficient precision breeding and sustainable crop production system based on deciphered environmental impacts.

Deep prosthetic joint infection: a qualitative study of the impact on patients and their experiences of revision surgery

PubMed Central

Blom, Ashley W; Whitehouse, Michael R; Gooberman-Hill, Rachael

2015-01-01

Objectives Around 1% of patients who have a hip replacement have deep prosthetic joint infection (PJI) afterwards. PJI is often treated with antibiotics plus a single revision operation (1-stage revision), or antibiotics plus a 2-stage revision process involving more than 1 operation. This study aimed to characterise the impact and experience of PJI and treatment on patients, including comparison of 1-stage with 2-stage revision treatment. Design Qualitative semistructured interviews with patients who had undergone surgical revision treatment for PJI. Patients were interviewed between 2 weeks and 12 months postdischarge. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymised and analysed using a thematic approach, with 20% of transcripts double-coded. Setting Patients from 5 National Health Service (NHS) orthopaedic departments treating PJI in England and Wales were interviewed in their homes (n=18) or at hospital (n=1). Participants 19 patients participated (12 men, 7 women, age range 56–88 years, mean age 73.2 years). Results Participants reported receiving between 1 and 15 revision operations after their primary joint replacement. Analysis indicated that participants made sense of their experience through reference to 3 key phases: the period of symptom onset, the treatment period and protracted recovery after treatment. By conceptualising their experience in this way, and through themes that emerged in these periods, they conveyed the ordeal that PJI represented. Finally, in light of the challenges of PJI, they described the need for support in all of these phases. 2-stage revision had greater impact on participants’ mobility, and further burdens associated with additional complications. Conclusions Deep PJI impacted on all aspects of patients’ lives. 2-stage revision had greater impact than 1-stage revision on participants’ well-being because the time in between revision procedures meant long periods of immobility and related psychological distress. Participants expressed a need for more psychological and rehabilitative support during treatment and long-term recovery. PMID:26644124

Behavioral Differences Between Late Preweanling and Adult Female Sprague-Dawley Rat Exploration of Animate and Inanimate Stimuli and Food

PubMed Central

Smith, Kiersten S.; Morrell, Joan I.

2010-01-01

The late preweanling rat has potential as a preclinical model for disorders initially manifested in early childhood that are characterized by dysfunctional interactions with specific stimuli (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism). No reports, however, of specific-stimulus exploration in the late preweanling rat are found in the literature. We examined the behavioral responses of normal late preweanling (PND 18-19) and adult rats when presented with exemplars of categorically-varied stimuli, including inanimate objects systematically varied in size and interactive properties, biological stimuli, and food. Preweanlings were faster to initiate specific stimulus exploration and were more interactive with most specific stimuli than adults; the magnitude of these preweanling-adult quantitative differences ranged from fairly small to very large depending upon the stimulus. In contrast, preweanlings were adult-like in their interaction with food and prey. Preweanling response to some stimuli, for example to live pups, was qualitatively different from that of adults; the preweanling behavioral repertoire was characterized by pup-seeking while the adult response was characterized by pup-avoidance. The specific stimulus interactions of preweanlings were less impacted than those of adults by the time of day of testing and placement of a stimulus in an anxiety-provoking location. The impact of novelty was stimulus dependent. The differences in interactions of preweanlings versus adults with specific stimuli suggests that CNS systems underlying these behavior patterns are at different stages of immaturity at PND 18 such that there may be an array of developmental trajectories for various categories of specific stimuli. These data provide a basis for the use of the preweanling as a preclinical model for understanding and medicating human disorders during development that are characterized by dysfunctional interactions with specific stimuli. PMID:21056059

Differential Impact of Anastomotic Leak in Patients With Stage IV Colonic or Rectal Cancer: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

PubMed

Nordholm-Carstensen, Andreas; Rolff, Hans Christian; Krarup, Peter-Martin

2017-05-01

Anastomotic leak has a negative impact on the prognosis of patients who undergo colorectal cancer resection. However, data on anastomotic leak are limited for stage IV colorectal cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of anastomotic leak on survival and the decision to administer chemotherapy and/or metastasectomy after elective surgery for stage IV colorectal cancer. This was a nationwide, retrospective cohort study. Data were obtained from the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group, the Danish Pathology Registry, and the National Patient Registry. Patients who were diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer between 2009 and 2013 and underwent elective resection of their primary tumors were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality depending on the occurrence of anastomotic leak. Secondary outcomes were the administration of and time to adjuvant chemotherapy, metastasectomy rate, and risk factors for leak. Of the 774 patients with stage IV colorectal cancer who were included, 71 (9.2%) developed anastomotic leaks. Anastomotic leak had a significant impact on the long-term survival of patients with colon cancer (p = 0.04) but not on those with rectal cancer (p = 0.91). Anastomotic leak was followed by the decreased administration of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with colon cancer (p = 0.007) but not in patients with rectal cancer (p = 0.47). Finally, anastomotic leak had a detrimental impact on metastasectomy rates after colon cancer but not on resection rates of rectal cancer. Retrospective data on the selection criteria for primary tumor resection and metastatic tumor load were unavailable. The impact of anastomotic leak on patients differed between stage IV colon and rectal cancers. Survival and eligibility to receive chemotherapy and metastasectomy differed between patients with colon and rectal cancers. When planning for primary tumor resection, these factors should be considered.

Patterns of lymph node sampling and the impact of lymph node density in favorable histology Wilms tumor: An analysis of the national cancer database.

PubMed

Saltzman, A F; Carrasco, A; Amini, A; Aldrink, J H; Dasgupta, R; Gow, K W; Glick, R D; Ehrlich, P F; Cost, N G

2018-04-01

There is controversy about the role of lymph node (LN) sampling or dissection in the management of favorable histology (FH) Wilms tumor (WT), specifically how it performed and how it may impact survival. The objective of this study was to analyze factors affecting LN sampling patterns and the impact of LN yield and density (number of positive LNs/LNs examined) on overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced-stage favorable histology Wilms tumor (FHWT). The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients with FHWT during 2004-2013. Demographic, clinical and OS data were abstracted for those who underwent surgical resection. Poisson regression was performed to analyze how factors influenced LN yield. Patients with positive LNs had LN density calculated and were further analyzed. A total of 2340 patients met criteria, with a median age at diagnosis of 3 years (range 0-78 years). The median number of LNs examined was three (range 0-87). Lymph node yield was affected by age, race, insurance, tumor size, laterality, advanced stage, LN positivity, and institutional volume. A total of 390 (16.6%) patients had LN-positive disease. Median LN density for these LN-positive patients was 0.38 (range 0.02-1) (Summary Figure). Estimated 5-year OS was significantly improved for those with LN density ≤0.38 vs. >0.38 (94% vs. 84.6%, P = 0.012). In this population, on multivariate analysis, age and LN density were significant predictors of OS. It is difficult to compile large numbers of cases in rare diseases like WT, and fortunately a large administrative database such as the NCDB can serve as a great resource. However, administrative data come with inherent limitations such as missing data and inability to account for a variety of factors that may influence LN yield and/or OS (specimen designation, pathologist experience, surgeon experience/volume, institutional Children's Oncology Group (COG) association, etc.). In this specific disease, the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging (captured by the NCDB) is different than the COG WT staging system that is used clinically, and the NCDB does not capture oncologic outcomes beyond OS. In a review of the NCDB, various factors associated with LN yield and observed LN density were identified to be significantly associated with OS in patients with LN-positive FHWT. This reinforces the need for adequate LN sampling at the time of WT surgery, to maximize surgical disease control. It was proposed that LN density as a metric may allow for improved risk-stratification, and possibly allow for therapeutic reduction in a sub-set of patients with low LN density. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Day and night heat stress trigger different transcriptomic responses in green and ripening grapevine (vitis vinifera) fruit

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Global climate change will noticeably affect plant vegetative and reproductive development. The recent increase in temperatures has already impacted yields and composition of berries in many grapevine-growing regions. Physiological processes underlying temperature response and tolerance of the grapevine fruit have not been extensively investigated. To date, all studies investigating the molecular regulation of fleshly fruit response to abiotic stress were only conducted during the day, overlooking possible critical night-specific variations. The present study explores the night and day transcriptomic response of grapevine fruit to heat stress at several developmental stages. Short heat stresses (2 h) were applied at day and night to vines bearing clusters sequentially ordered according to the developmental stages along their vertical axes. The recently proposed microvine model (DRCF-Dwarf Rapid Cycling and Continuous Flowering) was grown in climatic chambers in order to circumvent common constraints and biases inevitable in field experiments with perennial macrovines. Post-véraison berry heterogeneity within clusters was avoided by constituting homogenous batches following organic acids and sugars measurements of individual berries. A whole genome transcriptomic approach was subsequently conducted using NimbleGen 090818 Vitis 12X (30 K) microarrays. Results Present work reveals significant differences in heat stress responsive pathways according to day or night treatment, in particular regarding genes associated with acidity and phenylpropanoid metabolism. Precise distinction of ripening stages led to stage-specific detection of malic acid and anthocyanin-related transcripts modulated by heat stress. Important changes in cell wall modification related processes as well as indications for heat-induced delay of ripening and sugar accumulation were observed at véraison, an effect that was reversed at later stages. Conclusions This first day - night study on heat stress adaption of the grapevine berry shows that the transcriptome of fleshy fruits is differentially affected by abiotic stress at night. The present results emphasize the necessity of including different developmental stages and especially several daytime points in transcriptomic studies. PMID:24774299

Analysis of casing treatment’s impact on the axial compressor model stage characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tribunskaia, K.; Kozhukhov, Y. V.

2017-08-01

There are special requirements for the compressors of aircraft engines. They must ensure maximum efficiency in a maximally large stable work zone Due to a high pressure ratio these stages are more susceptible to the losses from radial clearance. One of the approaches to reduce such losses is the application of above-rotor devices. In the following study there is considered the impact of such treatments on the compressor stage performance. Despite the fact that there is a sufficient amount of research about this issue, their results are contradictory. The use of these devices can affect the characteristics of compressor stage performance both positively and negatively. This study was conducted using the methods of computational fluid dynamics and was based on the NASA Rotor-37 geometry model stage. Results were obtained through the comparison of the characteristics of stages with and without above-rotor devices.

Commentary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molenaar, Peter C. M.; van der Maas, Han L. J.

1994-01-01

Comments on Lewis's ideas about reconciling stage and specificity in neo-Piagetian theory in this issue. Focuses on whether general stages, domain specificity, and individual diversity are compatible from a nonlinear, dynamic perspective. Suggests that, by using catastrophe theory, intra- and interindividual diversity and domain specificity can be…

Cisplatin and Radiation Therapy With or Without Carboplatin and Paclitaxel in Patients With Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-08-23

Cervical Adenocarcinoma; Cervical Adenosquamous Carcinoma; Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Not Otherwise Specified; Chemotherapeutic Agent Toxicity; Cognitive Side Effects of Cancer Therapy; Psychological Impact of Cancer; Radiation Toxicity; Sexual Dysfunction and Infertility; Stage IB Cervical Cancer; Stage IIA Cervical Cancer; Stage IIB Cervical Cancer; Stage IIIB Cervical Cancer; Stage IVA Cervical Cancer

The Influence of Social Determinants on Late Stage Breast Cancer for Women in Mississippi.

PubMed

Fortune, Melody L

2017-02-01

Breast cancer is the most common diagnosed cancer in women exacting an emotional and economic hardship for them and their families. There are no known causes of breast cancer, but there are certain genetic, social, and environment risk factors that pre-dispose women to this disease. Also, diagnosis at later stages of disease has been shown to have adverse outcomes for many as compared to early stages. The social determinants researched to examine their influence on breast cancer outcomes were race, health insurance, and income. The results of this study confirmed that race and health insurance were the two major factors that negatively impacted stages of breast cancer diagnoses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence that social determinants have on stage of breast cancer diagnoses. This research focused on three social determinants that research demonstrated had an influence on stages of breast cancer diagnoses (race, income, and lack of health insurance). Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between race and income, race and health insurance, and race and stage of diagnosis. The findings confirmed what was suspected for Mississippians; more African Americans had lower incomes, had less health insurance coverage, and were diagnosed at later stages of breast cancer disease. Only race and health insurance directly affected late stage diagnosis in analyses for this study. The influence of income on stage of breast cancer diagnosis was not statistically significant. The results of these analyses demonstrated that African American women in Mississippi were disproportionately diagnosed at late stage breast cancer as opposed to early stage. An individual cannot alter the genetic factor of race, but some of the disparate health outcomes that appear to be associated with race may be behavioral or socio-economically based and can be addressed, which could impact health outcomes. Adequate health insurance could positively impact stage of breast cancer diagnoses, ultimately reducing health disparities and premature death.

Lymph node status as a prognostic factor after palliative resection of primary tumor for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Li, Qingguo; Wang, Changjian; Li, Yaqi; Li, Xinxiang; Xu, Ye; Cai, Guoxiang; Lian, Peng; Cai, Sanjun

2017-07-18

Lymph node (LN) status is one of the most important predictors for M0 colorectal cancer patients. However, its clinical impact on stage IV colorectal cancer remains unclear. The study aimed to explore the prognostic value of LN status after palliative resection of primary tumor for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We combined analyses of mCRC patients in Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC).A total of 17,553 patients with mCRC were identified in SEER database. X-tile program was adopted to identify 2 and 10 as optimal cutoff values for negative lymph node (NLN) count to divide patients into 3 subgroups of high, middle and low risk of cancer related death. N stage and NLN count were verified as independent prognostic factors in multivariate analyses of patients in whole cohort and in subgroup analyses of each N stage (P<0.05). Validation of FUSCC cohort of patients demonstrated that metastatic tumor burden (P = 0.042), NLN count (P = 0.039) and sequential chemotherapy (P = 0.040) were significant predictors of poorer CSS. Specifically, the prognosis of patients at stage N0 was significantly more favorable than that of patients at stage N2 (P = 0.038). In conclusion, primary tumor LN status was a strong predictor of CSS after palliative resection of metastatic colorectal cancer. Advanced N stage and small number of NLN were correlated with high risk of cancer related death after palliative resection of primary tumor.

CRYOGENIC UPPER STAGE SYSTEM SAFETY

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, R. Kenneth; French, James V.; LaRue, Peter F.; Taylor, James L.; Pollard, Kathy (Technical Monitor)

2005-01-01

NASA s Exploration Initiative will require development of many new systems or systems of systems. One specific example is that safe, affordable, and reliable upper stage systems to place cargo and crew in stable low earth orbit are urgently required. In this paper, we examine the failure history of previous upper stages with liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid hydrogen (LH2) propulsion systems. Launch data from 1964 until midyear 2005 are analyzed and presented. This data analysis covers upper stage systems from the Ariane, Centaur, H-IIA, Saturn, and Atlas in addition to other vehicles. Upper stage propulsion system elements have the highest impact on reliability. This paper discusses failure occurrence in all aspects of the operational phases (Le., initial burn, coast, restarts, and trends in failure rates over time). In an effort to understand the likelihood of future failures in flight, we present timelines of engine system failures relevant to initial flight histories. Some evidence suggests that propulsion system failures as a result of design problems occur shortly after initial development of the propulsion system; whereas failures because of manufacturing or assembly processing errors may occur during any phase of the system builds process, This paper also explores the detectability of historical failures. Observations from this review are used to ascertain the potential for increased upper stage reliability given investments in integrated system health management. Based on a clear understanding of the failure and success history of previous efforts by multiple space hardware development groups, the paper will investigate potential improvements that can be realized through application of system safety principles.

NMR Profiling of Metabolites in Larval and Juvenile Blue Mussels (Mytilus edulis) under Ambient and Low Salinity Conditions

PubMed Central

Bishop, Karl D.; Rawson, Paul D.

2017-01-01

Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are ecologically and economically important marine invertebrates whose populations are at risk from climate change-associated variation in their environment, such as decreased coastal salinity. Blue mussels are osmoconfomers and use components of the metabolome (free amino acids) to help maintain osmotic balance and cellular function during low salinity exposure. However, little is known about the capacity of blue mussels during the planktonic larval stages to regulate metabolites during osmotic stress. Metabolite studies in species such as blue mussels can help improve our understanding of the species’ physiology, as well as their capacity to respond to environmental stress. We used 1D 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and 2D total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY) experiments to describe baseline metabolite pools in larval (veliger and pediveliger stages) and juvenile blue mussels (gill, mantle, and adductor tissues) under ambient conditions and to quantify changes in the abundance of common osmolytes in these stages during low salinity exposure. We found evidence for stage- and tissue-specific differences in the baseline metabolic profiles of blue mussels, which reflect variation in the function and morphology of each larval stage or tissue type of juveniles. These differences impacted the utilization of osmolytes during low salinity exposure, likely stemming from innate physiological variation. This study highlights the importance of foundational metabolomic studies that include multiple tissue types and developmental stages to adequately evaluate organismal responses to stress and better place these findings in a broader physiological context. PMID:28684716

Effects of Late Stages of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)-Induced Ash Mortality on Forest Floor Invertebrate Communities

PubMed Central

Herms, Daniel A

2017-01-01

Abstract Emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) is an invasive wood-borer causing rapid, widespread ash tree mortality, formation of canopy gaps, and accumulation of coarse woody debris (CWD) in forest ecosystems. The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of canopy gaps and ash CWD on forest floor invertebrate communities during late stages of EAB-induced ash mortality, when the effects of gaps are predicted to be smallest and effects of CWD are predicted to be greatest, according to the model proposed by Perry and Herms 2016a. A 2-year study was conducted in forest stands that had experienced nearly 100% ash mortality in southeastern Michigan, USA, near where EAB first established in North America. In contrast to patterns documented during early stages of the EAB invasion, effects of gaps were minimal during late stages of ash mortality, but invertebrate communities were affected by accumulation and decomposition of CWD. Invertebrate activity-abundance, evenness, and diversity were highest near minimally decayed logs (decay class 1), but diverse taxon-specific responses to CWD affected community composition. Soil moisture class emerged as an important factor structuring invertebrate communities, often mediating the strength and direction of their responses to CWD and stages of decomposition. The results of this study were consistent with the predictions that the effects of CWD on invertebrate communities would be greater than those of canopy gaps during late stages of EAB-induced ash mortality. This research contributes to understanding of the cascading and long-term ecological impacts of invasive species on native forest ecosystems.

Prognostic model for survival in patients with early stage cervical cancer.

PubMed

Biewenga, Petra; van der Velden, Jacobus; Mol, Ben Willem J; Stalpers, Lukas J A; Schilthuis, Marten S; van der Steeg, Jan Willem; Burger, Matthé P M; Buist, Marrije R

2011-02-15

In the management of early stage cervical cancer, knowledge about the prognosis is critical. Although many factors have an impact on survival, their relative importance remains controversial. This study aims to develop a prognostic model for survival in early stage cervical cancer patients and to reconsider grounds for adjuvant treatment. A multivariate Cox regression model was used to identify the prognostic weight of clinical and histological factors for disease-specific survival (DSS) in 710 consecutive patients who had surgery for early stage cervical cancer (FIGO [International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics] stage IA2-IIA). Prognostic scores were derived by converting the regression coefficients for each prognostic marker and used in a score chart. The discriminative capacity was expressed as the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic. The 5-year DSS was 92%. Tumor diameter, histological type, lymph node metastasis, depth of stromal invasion, lymph vascular space invasion, and parametrial extension were independently associated with DSS and were included in a Cox regression model. This prognostic model, corrected for the 9% overfit shown by internal validation, showed a fair discriminative capacity (AUC, 0.73). The derived score chart predicting 5-year DSS showed a good discriminative capacity (AUC, 0.85). In patients with early stage cervical cancer, DSS can be predicted with a statistical model. Models, such as that presented here, should be used in clinical trials on the effects of adjuvant treatments in high-risk early cervical cancer patients, both to stratify and to include patients. Copyright © 2010 American Cancer Society.

The impact of geographic unit of analysis on socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival and distant summary stage - a population-based study.

PubMed

Tervonen, Hanna E; Morrell, Stephen; Aranda, Sanchia; Roder, David; You, Hui; Niyonsenga, Theo; Walton, Richard; Baker, Deborah; Currow, David

2016-12-13

When using area-level disadvantage measures, size of geographic unit can have major effects on recorded socioeconomic cancer disparities. This study examined the extent of changes in recorded socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival and distant stage when the measure of socioeconomic disadvantage was based on smaller Census Collection Districts (CDs) instead of Statistical Local Areas (SLAs). Population-based New South Wales Cancer Registry data were used to identify cases diagnosed with primary invasive cancer in 2000-2008 (n=264,236). Logistic regression and competing risk regression modelling were performed to examine socioeconomic differences in odds of distant stage and hazard of cancer death for all sites combined and separately for breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancers. For all sites collectively, associations between socioeconomic disadvantage and cancer survival and distant stage were stronger when the CD-based socioeconomic disadvantage measure was used compared with the SLA-based measure. The CD-based measure showed a more consistent socioeconomic gradient with a linear upward trend of risk of cancer death/distant stage with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage. Site-specific analyses provided similar findings for the risk of death but less consistent results for the likelihood of distant stage. The use of socioeconomic disadvantage measure based on the smallest available spatial unit should be encouraged in the future. Implications for Public Health: Disadvantage measures based on small spatial units can more accurately identify socioeconomic cancer disparities to inform priority settings in service planning. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

18F-FDG PET/CT has a high impact on patient management and provides powerful prognostic stratification in the primary staging of esophageal cancer: a prospective study with mature survival data.

PubMed

Barber, Thomas W; Duong, Cuong P; Leong, Trevor; Bressel, Mathias; Drummond, Elizabeth G; Hicks, Rodney J

2012-06-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the incremental staging information, management impact, and prognostic stratification of PET/CT in the primary staging of esophageal cancer in a cohort of patients with mature survival data. Between July 2002 and June 2005, 139 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed esophageal cancer underwent conventional staging investigations (CSI), followed by PET/CT. Disease stage was classified according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system (6th edition) and grouped as stage I-IIA, stage IIB-III, and stage IV reflecting broad groupings that determine therapeutic choice. Validation of results was performed when PET/CT and CSI stage groups were discordant and in those patients where PET/CT changed management. Management impact was determined by comparing prospectively recorded pre-PET/CT management plans with post-PET/CT management plans. Survival after follow-up of at least 5 y in patients was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier product limit method and the Cox proportional hazards regression model. PET/CT changed the stage group in 56 of 139 (40%) patients and changed management in 47 of 139 (34%) patients. In 22 patients, therapy was changed from curative to palliative and in 3 from palliative to curative; in 11, treatment modality was changed without a change in treatment intent, and in 11 the delivery of therapy or diagnostic procedure was changed. Of the 47 patients with management change, imaging results could be validated in 31 patients, and PET/CT correctly changed management in 26 (84%) of these. Of the remaining 5 patients, CSI stage was also incorrect in 4 and correct in 1. Median survival was 23 mo. PET/CT stages I-IIA, IIB-III, and IV had a 5-y survival of 40%, 38%, and 6%, respectively. Post-PET/CT stage group and treatment intent were both strongly associated with survival (P < 0.001). PET/CT provides incremental staging information compared with CSI, changes management in one third of patients, and has powerful prognostic stratification in the primary staging of esophageal cancer.

The impacts of fear and disgust on the perceived effectiveness of smoking warning labels: a study on Turkish university students.

PubMed

Tugrul, Tugba Orten

2015-03-01

This study investigated the perceived effectiveness of pictorial warning labels on cigarette packages on Turkish university students. In particular, the impacts of fear and disgust elicited by these labels were examined using the smoking decision process model. A survey was conducted with 344 undergraduate students at a private university in Izmir, the third largest city of Turkey. The findings showed differences in levels of fear and disgust evoked by pictorial warning labels for each stage in the smoking decision process, which in turn led to differences in the perceived effectiveness of the labels. Thus, this study underlines the importance of tailoring antismoking messages according to specific target groups and also suggests considering the smoking-decision-process model as segments and targeting groups in creating effective messages. © 2013 APJPH.

Pre- and post-test evaluation of a project to facilitate research development in practice in a hospital setting.

PubMed

Clifford, C; Murray, S

2001-12-01

This paper describes a project designed to facilitate the use of research in nursing practice in one acute hospital. A university team worked in collaboration with staff from the hospital to develop and evaluate the impact of development work designed to enhance knowledge and use of research in practice. A research utilization questionnaire was administered as a pre-test (stage 1); a development phase was implemented (stage 2) and a post-test survey (stage 3) was administered to evaluate the impact of the development work. In stage 1, the total population of nursing and midwifery staff in the hospital (n=473) were targeted and 235 returned the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 50%. Data from the pre-test and focus group discussions with staff were used to plan stage 2 of the project. The development stage involved an educational strand in which open learning research materials were made available to staff, who were also offered tutorial support in their learning. A second strand supported the development of clinical research projects and funds were identified for clinical staff to apply for project development awards to enable them to develop skills in research and development activity under the supervision of a research fellow. Stage 3 involved a post-test survey of staff who had completed the questionnaire in stage 1 (n=81). There were no significant differences in findings between the pre-test and post-test. Qualitative data from those involved in the clinical projects in stage 2 indicated factors impacting on the feasibility of undertaking research in practice.

Carbon footprint of shopping (grocery) bags in China, Hong Kong and India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muthu, Subramanian Senthilkannan; Li, Y.; Hu, J. Y.; Mok, P. Y.

2011-01-01

Carbon footprint has become a term often used by the media in recent days. The human carbon footprint is professed to be a very serious global threat and every nation is looking at the possible options to reduce it since its consequences are alarming. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact of human activities on earth and in particular on the environment; more specifically it relates to climate change and to the total amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide emitted. Effort of individuals in minimizing the carbon footprint is vital to save our planet. This article reports a study of the carbon footprint of various types of shopping bags (plastic, paper, non-woven and woven) using life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) technique in two stages. The first stage (baseline study), comprised the study of the impact of different types of shopping bags in the manufacturing phase, without considering their usage and disposal phases (cradle to gate stage). The LCIA was accomplished by the IPCC 2007 method, developed by the Inter Panel on Climate Change in SIMAPRO 7.2. The GWP (Global Warming Potential) values calculated by the IPCC 2007 method for 100 years were considered as a directive to compare the carbon footprint made by the different types of shopping bags under consideration. The next stage was the study of the carbon footprint of these bags including their usage and disposal phases (cradle to grave stage) and the results derived were compared with the results derived from the baseline study, which is the major focus of this research work. The values for usage and end-of-life phases were obtained from the survey questionnaire performed amongst different user groups of shopping bags in China, Hong Kong and India. The results show that the impact of different types of shopping bags in terms of their carbon footprint potential is very high if no usage and disposal options were provided. When the carbon footprint values from different disposal options were compared, the carbon footprint values were lower in the case where a higher percentage of reuse is preferred to recycling and disposing to landfill. The results indicate that a higher percentage of reuse could significantly scale down the carbon footprint. Once the shopping bags reached the point where they can no longer be reused, they must be forwarded to recycling options, rather than being disposed to landfill. At this juncture, consumer's perceptions and behaviours in connection with the respective government's policies in promoting & facilitating recycling systems could be critical in reducing the carbon footprint of various shopping bags.

Initial shunt type at the Norwood operation impacts myocardial function in hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

PubMed

Ruotsalainen, Hanna K; Pihkala, Jaana; Salminen, Jukka; Hornberger, Lisa K; Sairanen, Heikki; Ojala, Tiina

2017-08-01

We investigated the impact of initial shunt type, a Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt versus a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit (RV-PA) on myocardial function at different stages of surgical palliation in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). A population-based cohort of 63 Finnish children with HLHS (BT n  = 23, RV-PA n  = 40) born between 2003 and 2010 were studied retrospectively by echocardiography prior to Stages 1, 2 and 3 palliation and 0.5-3 years after Stage 3. For comparison of systolic myocardial function, we evaluated the RV fractional area change (FAC), strain, strain rate and mechanical synchrony from the apical 4-chamber view by velocity vector imaging. There were no intergroup differences in demographics during the study period. At baseline, no intergroup differences were detected in RV systolic myocardial function. Before Stage 2, RV FAC was higher ( P  = 0.03) in the RV-PA conduit group. At Stage 3, an increase in all systolic myocardial functional parameters was observed in the BT shunt group. After Stage 3, the BT shunt group had better RV systolic function. In multiple regression analysis, the shunt type and the stage of palliation had an impact on myocardial function. Although patients with HLHS initially palliated with a BT shunt demonstrate lower RV FAC after Stage I, RV FAC improves after Stage 2 with better systolic performance after Stage 3 compared with those initially palliated with an RV-PA conduit. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

The integrated simulation and assessment of the impacts of process change in biotherapeutic antibody production.

PubMed

Chhatre, Sunil; Jones, Carl; Francis, Richard; O'Donovan, Kieran; Titchener-Hooker, Nigel; Newcombe, Anthony; Keshavarz-Moore, Eli

2006-01-01

Growing commercial pressures in the pharmaceutical industry are establishing a need for robust computer simulations of whole bioprocesses to allow rapid prediction of the effects of changes made to manufacturing operations. This paper presents an integrated process simulation that models the cGMP manufacture of the FDA-approved biotherapeutic CroFab, an IgG fragment used to treat rattlesnake envenomation (Protherics U.K. Limited, Blaenwaun, Ffostrasol, Llandysul, Wales, U.K.). Initially, the product is isolated from ovine serum by precipitation and centrifugation, before enzymatic digestion of the IgG to produce FAB and FC fragments. These are purified by ion exchange and affinity chromatography to remove the FC and non-specific FAB fragments from the final venom-specific FAB product. The model was constructed in a discrete event simulation environment and used to determine the potential impact of a series of changes to the process, such as increasing the step efficiencies or volumes of chromatographic matrices, upon product yields and process times. The study indicated that the overall FAB yield was particularly sensitive to changes in the digestive and affinity chromatographic step efficiencies, which have a predicted 30% greater impact on process FAB yield than do the precipitation or centrifugation stages. The study showed that increasing the volume of affinity matrix has a negligible impact upon total process time. Although results such as these would require experimental verification within the physical constraints of the process and the facility, the model predictions are still useful in allowing rapid "what-if" scenario analysis of the likely impacts of process changes within such an integrated production process.

One Dimension Analytical Model of Normal Ballistic Impact on Ceramic/Metal Gradient Armor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lisheng; Zhang, Qingjie; Zhai, Pengcheng; Cao, Dongfeng

2008-02-01

An analytical model of normal ballistic impact on the ceramic/metal gradient armor, which is based on modified Alekseevskii-Tate equations, has been developed. The process of gradient armour impacted by the long rod can be divided into four stages in this model. First stage is projectile's mass erosion or flowing phase, mushrooming phase and rigid phase; second one is the formation of comminuted ceramic conoid; third one is the penetration of gradient layer and last one is the penetration of metal back-up plate. The equations of third stage have been advanced by assuming the behavior of gradient layer as rigid-plastic and considering the effect of strain rate on the dynamic yield strength.

One Dimension Analytical Model of Normal Ballistic Impact on Ceramic/Metal Gradient Armor

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

Liu Lisheng; Zhang Qingjie; Zhai Pengcheng

2008-02-15

An analytical model of normal ballistic impact on the ceramic/metal gradient armor, which is based on modified Alekseevskii-Tate equations, has been developed. The process of gradient armour impacted by the long rod can be divided into four stages in this model. First stage is projectile's mass erosion or flowing phase, mushrooming phase and rigid phase; second one is the formation of comminuted ceramic conoid; third one is the penetration of gradient layer and last one is the penetration of metal back-up plate. The equations of third stage have been advanced by assuming the behavior of gradient layer as rigid-plastic andmore » considering the effect of strain rate on the dynamic yield strength.« less

Mathematical model for carbon dioxide evolution from the thermophilic composting of synthetic food wastes made of dog food

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

Chang, J.I.; Tsai, J.J.; Wu, K.H.

2005-07-01

The impacts of the aeration and the agitation on the composting process of synthetic food wastes made of dog food were studied in a laboratory-scale reactor. Two major peaks of CO{sub 2} evolution rate were observed. Each peak represented an independent stage of composting associated with the activities of thermophilic bacteria. CO{sub 2} evolutions known to correlate well with microbial activities and reactor temperatures were fitted successfully to a modified Gompertz equation, which incorporated three biokinetic parameters, namely, CO{sub 2} evolution potential, specific CO{sub 2} evolution rate, and lag phase time. No parameters that describe the impact of operating variablesmore » are involved. The model is only valid for the specified experimental conditions and may look different with others. The effects of operating parameters such as aeration and agitation were studied statistically with multivariate regression technique. Contour plots were constructed using regression equations for the examination of the dependence of CO{sub 2} evolution potentials on aeration and agitation. In the first stage, a maximum CO{sub 2} evolution potential was found when the aeration rate and the agitation parameter were set at 1.75 l/kg solids-min and 0.35, respectively. In the second stage, a maximum existed when the aeration rate and the agitation parameter were set at 1.8 l/kg solids-min and 0.5, respectively. The methods presented here can also be applied for the optimization of large-scale composting facilities that are operated differently and take longer time.« less

Comparative Analyses between Skeletal Muscle miRNAomes from Large White and Min Pigs Revealed MicroRNAs Associated with Postnatal Muscle Hypertrophy.

PubMed

Sheng, Xihui; Wang, Ligang; Ni, Hemin; Wang, Lixian; Qi, Xiaolong; Xing, Shuhan; Guo, Yong

2016-01-01

The molecular mechanism regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs) that underlies postnatal hypertrophy of skeletal muscle is complex and remains unclear. Here, the miRNAomes of longissimus dorsi muscle collected at five postnatal stages (60, 120, 150, 180, and 210 days after birth) from Large White (commercial breed) and Min pigs (indigenous breed of China) were analyzed by Illumina sequencing. We identified 734 miRNAs comprising 308 annotated miRNAs and 426 novel miRNAs, of which 307 could be considered pig-specific. Comparative analysis between two breeds suggested that 60 and 120 days after birth were important stages for skeletal muscle hypertrophy and intramuscular fat accumulation. A total of 263 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between two breeds at one or more developmental stages. In addition, the differentially expressed miRNAs between every two adjacent developmental stages in each breed were determined. Notably, ssc-miR-204 was significantly more highly expressed in Min pig skeletal muscle at all postnatal stages compared with its expression in Large White pig skeletal muscle. Based on gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses of its predicted target genes, we concluded that ssc-miR-204 may exert an impact on postnatal hypertrophy of skeletal muscle by regulating myoblast proliferation. The results of this study will help in elucidating the mechanism underlying postnatal hypertrophy of skeletal muscle modulated by miRNAs, which could provide valuable information for improvement of pork quality and human myopathy.

An investigation of a flow field in one and half axial turbine stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Němec, Martin; Jelínek, Tomáš; Milčák, Petr

2017-09-01

An investigation of one and half axial turbine stage configuration was carried out in a closed-loop wind tunnel. The investigation was addressed to that impact how the previous stage outlet flow field influences a flow structures in the next stator in steam multistage turbines. The detailed measurement behind the rotor and the second stator was performed with a pneumatic probes to gain a useful data for an impact analysis. Various rotor shroud clearances were also tested to capture the shroud outlet flow field influences.

Developmental stages of cultivated strawberry flowers in relation to chilling sensitivity

PubMed Central

Ariza, Maria Teresa; Soria, Carmen; Martínez-Ferri, Elsa

2015-01-01

Environmental factors affecting flower development may limit the yields of fruiting crops worldwide. In temperate regions, chilling temperatures during flower development can compromise fruit production, but their negative effects vary depending on the differing susceptibilities of each developmental stage. The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria× ananassa Duch.) is widely grown worldwide but financial returns are influenced by sudden shifts to chilling temperatures occurring during the cropping cycle. Despite this important limitation, knowledge of F.× ananassa flower development is lacking, in contrast to the diploid wild-type strawberry (F. vesca). In this study we describe steps in floral development of cultivated strawberry and define their vulnerability to chilling temperatures. To achieve this, flower buds from strawberry plants of cv. ‘Camarosa’ were labelled and monitored from bud initiation until anthesis. Description of morphological and functional changes during flower development was based on histological sections and scanning electron microscopy. To determine the impact of low temperatures at different developmental stages, plants carrying buds of different sizes were chilled at 2 °C for 24 h. Several parameters related to male and female gametophyte development were later evaluated in flowers as they approached anthesis. Fragaria× ananassa flower development was divided into 16 stages according to landmark events. These stages were similar to those documented for F. vesca but three new additional intermediate stages were described. Timing of developmental processes was achieved by correlating developmental staging with specific bud sizes and days before anthesis. Time to reach anthesis from early bud stages was 17–18 days. During this period, we detected four critical periods vulnerable to low temperatures. These were mostly related to male gametophyte development but also to injury to female organs at late developmental stages. These results provide the essential groundwork on floral biology of cultivated strawberry that is a prerequisite for successful comparative studies of cold tolerance among genotypes during flower formation. PMID:25661200

Dynamic Organization of lncRNA and Circular RNA Regulators Collectively Controlled Cardiac Differentiation in Humans.

PubMed

Li, Yongsheng; Zhang, Jinwen; Huo, Caiqin; Ding, Na; Li, Junyi; Xiao, Jun; Lin, Xiaoyu; Cai, Benzhi; Zhang, Yunpeng; Xu, Juan

2017-10-01

Advances in developmental cardiology have increased our understanding of the early aspects of heart differentiation. However, understanding noncoding RNA (ncRNA) transcription and regulation during this process remains elusive. Here, we constructed transcriptomes for both long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in four important developmental stages ranging from early embryonic to cardiomyocyte based on high-throughput sequencing datasets, which indicate the high stage-specific expression patterns of two ncRNA types. Additionally, higher similarities of samples within each stage were found, highlighting the divergence of samples collected from distinct cardiac developmental stages. Next, we developed a method to identify numerous lncRNA and circRNA regulators whose expression was significantly stage-specific and shifted gradually and continuously during heart differentiation. We inferred that these ncRNAs are important for the stages of cardiac differentiation. Moreover, transcriptional regulation analysis revealed that the expression of stage-specific lncRNAs is controlled by known key stage-specific transcription factors (TFs). In addition, circRNAs exhibited dynamic expression patterns independent from their host genes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that lncRNAs and circRNAs play critical roles in pathways that are activated specifically during heart differentiation. We further identified candidate TF-ncRNA-gene network modules for each differentiation stage, suggesting the dynamic organization of lncRNAs and circRNAs collectively controlled cardiac differentiation, which may cause heart-related diseases when defective. Our study provides a foundation for understanding the dynamic regulation of ncRNA transcriptomes during heart differentiation and identifies the dynamic organization of novel key lncRNAs and circRNAs to collectively control cardiac differentiation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Insulation Cork Boards—Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material

PubMed Central

Silvestre, José D.; Pargana, Nuno; de Brito, Jorge; Pinheiro, Manuel D.; Durão, Vera

2016-01-01

Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB) are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A “cradle-to-cradle” environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows (i.e., uptakes and emissions), including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage—the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation—the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date “cradle-to-cradle” environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards. PMID:28773516

Parsing multiple processes of high temperature impacts on corn/soybean yield using a newly developed CLM-APSIM modeling framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, B.; Guan, K.; Chen, M.

2016-12-01

Future agricultural production faces a grand challenge of higher temperature under climate change. There are multiple physiological or metabolic processes of how high temperature affects crop yield. Specifically, we consider the following major processes: (1) direct temperature effects on photosynthesis and respiration; (2) speed-up growth rate and the shortening of growing season; (3) heat stress during reproductive stage (flowering and grain-filling); (4) high-temperature induced increase of atmospheric water demands. In this work, we use a newly developed modeling framework (CLM-APSIM) to simulate the corn and soybean growth and explicitly parse the above four processes. By combining the strength of CLM in modeling surface biophysical (e.g., hydrology and energy balance) and biogeochemical (e.g., photosynthesis and carbon-nitrogen interactions), as well as that of APSIM in modeling crop phenology and reproductive stress, the newly developed CLM-APSIM modeling framework enables us to diagnose the impacts of high temperature stress through different processes at various crop phenology stages. Ground measurements from the advanced SoyFACE facility at University of Illinois is used here to calibrate, validate, and improve the CLM-APSIM modeling framework at the site level. We finally use the CLM-APSIM modeling framework to project crop yield for the whole US Corn Belt under different climate scenarios.

Food Legumes and Rising Temperatures: Effects, Adaptive Functional Mechanisms Specific to Reproductive Growth Stage and Strategies to Improve Heat Tolerance

PubMed Central

Sita, Kumari; Sehgal, Akanksha; HanumanthaRao, Bindumadhava; Nair, Ramakrishnan M.; Vara Prasad, P. V.; Kumar, Shiv; Gaur, Pooran M.; Farooq, Muhammad; Siddique, Kadambot H. M.; Varshney, Rajeev K.; Nayyar, Harsh

2017-01-01

Ambient temperatures are predicted to rise in the future owing to several reasons associated with global climate changes. These temperature increases can result in heat stress- a severe threat to crop production in most countries. Legumes are well-known for their impact on agricultural sustainability as well as their nutritional and health benefits. Heat stress imposes challenges for legume crops and has deleterious effects on the morphology, physiology, and reproductive growth of plants. High-temperature stress at the time of the reproductive stage is becoming a severe limitation for production of grain legumes as their cultivation expands to warmer environments and temperature variability increases due to climate change. The reproductive period is vital in the life cycle of all plants and is susceptible to high-temperature stress as various metabolic processes are adversely impacted during this phase, which reduces crop yield. Food legumes exposed to high-temperature stress during reproduction show flower abortion, pollen and ovule infertility, impaired fertilization, and reduced seed filling, leading to smaller seeds and poor yields. Through various breeding techniques, heat tolerance in major legumes can be enhanced to improve performance in the field. Omics approaches unravel different mechanisms underlying thermotolerance, which is imperative to understand the processes of molecular responses toward high-temperature stress. PMID:29123532

Developing models to predict 8th grade students' achievement levels on timss science based on opportunity-to-learn variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitford, Melinda M.

Science educational reforms have placed major emphasis on improving science classroom instruction and it is therefore vital to study opportunity-to-learn (OTL) variables related to student science learning experiences and teacher teaching practices. This study will identify relationships between OTL and student science achievement and will identify OTL predictors of students' attainment at various distinct achievement levels (low/intermediate/high/advanced). Specifically, the study (a) address limitations of previous studies by examining a large number of independent and control variables that may impact students' science achievement and (b) it will test hypotheses of structural relations to how the identified predictors and mediating factors impact on student achievement levels. The study will follow a multi-stage and integrated bottom-up and top-down approach to identify predictors of students' achievement levels on standardized tests using TIMSS 2011 dataset. Data mining or pattern recognition, a bottom-up approach will identify the most prevalent association patterns between different student achievement levels and variables related to student science learning experiences, teacher teaching practices and home and school environments. The second stage is a top-down approach, testing structural equation models of relations between the significant predictors and students' achievement levels according.

Food Legumes and Rising Temperatures: Effects, Adaptive Functional Mechanisms Specific to Reproductive Growth Stage and Strategies to Improve Heat Tolerance.

PubMed

Sita, Kumari; Sehgal, Akanksha; HanumanthaRao, Bindumadhava; Nair, Ramakrishnan M; Vara Prasad, P V; Kumar, Shiv; Gaur, Pooran M; Farooq, Muhammad; Siddique, Kadambot H M; Varshney, Rajeev K; Nayyar, Harsh

2017-01-01

Ambient temperatures are predicted to rise in the future owing to several reasons associated with global climate changes. These temperature increases can result in heat stress- a severe threat to crop production in most countries. Legumes are well-known for their impact on agricultural sustainability as well as their nutritional and health benefits. Heat stress imposes challenges for legume crops and has deleterious effects on the morphology, physiology, and reproductive growth of plants. High-temperature stress at the time of the reproductive stage is becoming a severe limitation for production of grain legumes as their cultivation expands to warmer environments and temperature variability increases due to climate change. The reproductive period is vital in the life cycle of all plants and is susceptible to high-temperature stress as various metabolic processes are adversely impacted during this phase, which reduces crop yield. Food legumes exposed to high-temperature stress during reproduction show flower abortion, pollen and ovule infertility, impaired fertilization, and reduced seed filling, leading to smaller seeds and poor yields. Through various breeding techniques, heat tolerance in major legumes can be enhanced to improve performance in the field. Omics approaches unravel different mechanisms underlying thermotolerance, which is imperative to understand the processes of molecular responses toward high-temperature stress.

Combined impact of climate change, cultivar shift, and sowing date on spring wheat phenology in Northern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Dengpan; Tao, Fulu; Shen, Yanjun; Qi, Yongqing

2016-08-01

Distinct climate changes since the end of the 1980s have led to clear responses in crop phenology in many parts of the world. This study investigated the trends in the dates of spring wheat phenology in relation to mean temperature for different growth stages. It also analyzed the impacts of climate change, cultivar shift, and sowing date adjustments on phenological events/phases of spring wheat in northern China (NC). The results showed that significant changes have occurred in spring wheat phenology in NC due to climate warming in the past 30 years. Specifically, the dates of anthesis and maturity of spring wheat advanced on average by 1.8 and 1.7 day (10 yr)-1. Moreover, while the vegetative growth period (VGP) shortened at most stations, the reproductive growth period (RGP) prolonged slightly at half of the investigated stations. As a result, the whole growth period (WGP) of spring wheat shortened at most stations. The findings from the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM)-Wheat model simulated results for six representative stations further suggested that temperature rise generally shortened the spring wheat growth period in NC. Although the warming trend shortened the lengths of VGP, RGP, and WGP, the shift of new cultivars with high accumulated temperature requirements, to some extent, mitigated and adapted to the ongoing climate change. Furthermore, shifts in sowing date exerted significant impacts on the phenology of spring wheat. Generally, an advanced sowing date was able to lower the rise in mean temperature during the different growth stages (i.e., VGP, RGP, and WGP) of spring wheat. As a result, the lengths of the growth stages should be prolonged. Both measures (cultivar shift and sowing date adjustments) could be vital adaptation strategies of spring wheat to a warming climate, with potentially beneficial effects in terms of productivity.

Modulation of Aneuploidy in Leishmania donovani during Adaptation to Different In Vitro and In Vivo Environments and Its Impact on Gene Expression.

PubMed

Dumetz, F; Imamura, H; Sanders, M; Seblova, V; Myskova, J; Pescher, P; Vanaerschot, M; Meehan, C J; Cuypers, B; De Muylder, G; Späth, G F; Bussotti, G; Vermeesch, J R; Berriman, M; Cotton, J A; Volf, P; Dujardin, J C; Domagalska, M A

2017-05-23

Aneuploidy is usually deleterious in multicellular organisms but appears to be tolerated and potentially beneficial in unicellular organisms, including pathogens. Leishmania , a major protozoan parasite, is emerging as a new model for aneuploidy, since in vitro -cultivated strains are highly aneuploid, with interstrain diversity and intrastrain mosaicism. The alternation of two life stages in different environments (extracellular promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes) offers a unique opportunity to study the impact of environment on aneuploidy and gene expression. We sequenced the whole genomes and transcriptomes of Leishmania donovani strains throughout their adaptation to in vivo conditions mimicking natural vertebrate and invertebrate host environments. The nucleotide sequences were almost unchanged within a strain, in contrast to highly variable aneuploidy. Although high in promastigotes in vitro , aneuploidy dropped significantly in hamster amastigotes, in a progressive and strain-specific manner, accompanied by the emergence of new polysomies. After a passage through a sand fly, smaller yet consistent karyotype changes were detected. Changes in chromosome copy numbers were correlated with the corresponding transcript levels, but additional aneuploidy-independent regulation of gene expression was observed. This affected stage-specific gene expression, downregulation of the entire chromosome 31, and upregulation of gene arrays on chromosomes 5 and 8. Aneuploidy changes in Leishmania are probably adaptive and exploited to modulate the dosage and expression of specific genes; they are well tolerated, but additional mechanisms may exist to regulate the transcript levels of other genes located on aneuploid chromosomes. Our model should allow studies of the impact of aneuploidy on molecular adaptations and cellular fitness. IMPORTANCE Aneuploidy is usually detrimental in multicellular organisms, but in several microorganisms, it can be tolerated and even beneficial. Leishmania -a protozoan parasite that kills more than 30,000 people each year-is emerging as a new model for aneuploidy studies, as unexpectedly high levels of aneuploidy are found in clinical isolates. Leishmania lacks classical regulation of transcription at initiation through promoters, so aneuploidy could represent a major adaptive strategy of this parasite to modulate gene dosage in response to stressful environments. For the first time, we document the dynamics of aneuploidy throughout the life cycle of the parasite, in vitro and in vivo We show its adaptive impact on transcription and its interaction with regulation. Besides offering a new model for aneuploidy studies, we show that further genomic studies should be done directly in clinical samples without parasite isolation and that adequate methods should be developed for this. Copyright © 2017 Dumetz et al.

Molecular detection of native and invasive marine invertebrate larvae present in ballast and open water environmental samples collected in Puget Sound

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harvey, J.B.J.; Hoy, M.S.; Rodriguez, R.J.

2009-01-01

Non-native marine species have been and continue to be introduced into Puget Sound via several vectors including ship's ballast water. Some non-native species become invasive and negatively impact native species or near shore habitats. We present a new methodology for the development and testing of taxon specific PCR primers designed to assess environmental samples of ocean water for the presence of native and non-native bivalves, crustaceans and algae. The intergenic spacer regions (IGS; ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S) of the ribosomal DNA were sequenced for adult samples of each taxon studied. We used these data along with those available in Genbank to design taxon and group specific primers and tested their stringency against artificial populations of plasmid constructs containing the entire IGS region for each of the 25 taxa in our study, respectively. Taxon and group specific primer sets were then used to detect the presence or absence of native and non-native planktonic life-history stages (propagules) from environmental samples of ballast water and plankton tow net samples collected in Puget Sound. This methodology provides an inexpensive and efficient way to test the discriminatory ability of taxon specific oligonucleotides (PCR primers) before creating molecular probes or beacons for use in molecular ecological applications such as probe hybridizations or microarray analyses. This work addresses the current need to develop molecular tools capable of diagnosing the presence of planktonic life-history stages from non-native marine species (potential invaders) in ballast water and other environmental samples. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V.

Marital status and survival in patients with rectal cancer: A population-based STROBE cohort study.

PubMed

Li, Zhuyue; Wang, Kang; Zhang, Xuemei; Wen, Jin

2018-05-01

To examine the impact of marital status on overall survival (OS) and rectal cancer-specific survival (RCSS) for aged patients.We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database to identify aged patients (>65 years) with early stage rectal cancer (RC) (T1-T4, N0, M0) in the United States from 2004 to 2010. Propensity score matching was conducted to avoid potential confounding factors with ratio at 1:1. We used Kaplan-Meier to compare OS and RCSS between the married patients and the unmarried, respectively. We used cox proportion hazard regressions to obtain hazard rates for OS, and proportional subdistribution hazard model was performed to calculate hazard rates for RCSS.Totally, 5196 patients were included. The married (2598 [50%]) aged patients had better crude 5-year overall survival rate (64.2% vs 57.3%, P < .001) and higher crude 5-year cancer-specific survival rate (80% vs 75.9%, P < .001) than the unmarried (2598 (50%)), respectively. In multivariate analyses, married patients had significantly lower overall death than unmarried patients (HR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.71-0.83, P < .001), while aged married patients had no cancer-specific survival benefit versus the unmarried aged patients (HR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.81-1.04, P = .17).Among old population, married patients with early stage RC had better OS than the unmarried, while current evidence showed that marital status might have no protective effect on cancer-specific survival.

Possible pathways used to predict different stages of lung adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaodong; Duan, Qiongyu; Xuan, Ying; Sun, Yunan; Wu, Rong

2017-04-01

We aimed to find some specific pathways that can be used to predict the stage of lung adenocarcinoma.RNA-Seq expression profile data and clinical data of lung adenocarcinoma (stage I [37], stage II 161], stage III [75], and stage IV [45]) were obtained from the TCGA dataset. The differentially expressed genes were merged, correlation coefficient matrix between genes was constructed with correlation analysis, and unsupervised clustering was carried out with hierarchical clustering method. The specific coexpression network in every stage was constructed with cytoscape software. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis was performed with KOBAS database and Fisher exact test. Euclidean distance algorithm was used to calculate total deviation score. The diagnostic model was constructed with SVM algorithm.Eighteen specific genes were obtained by getting intersection of 4 group differentially expressed genes. Ten significantly enriched pathways were obtained. In the distribution map of 10 pathways score in different groups, degrees that sample groups deviated from the normal level were as follows: stage I < stage II < stage III < stage IV. The pathway score of 4 stages exhibited linear change in some pathways, and the score of 1 or 2 stages were significantly different from the rest stages in some pathways. There was significant difference between dead and alive for these pathways except thyroid hormone signaling pathway.Those 10 pathways are associated with the development of lung adenocarcinoma and may be able to predict different stages of it. Furthermore, these pathways except thyroid hormone signaling pathway may be able to predict the prognosis.

Compressed gas combined single- and two-stage light-gas gun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamberson, L. E.; Boettcher, P. A.

2018-02-01

With more than 1 trillion artificial objects smaller than 1 μm in low and geostationary Earth orbit, space assets are subject to the constant threat of space debris impact. These collisions occur at hypervelocity or speeds greater than 3 km/s. In order to characterize material behavior under this extreme event as well as study next-generation materials for space exploration, this paper presents a unique two-stage light-gas gun capable of replicating hypervelocity impacts. While a limited number of these types of facilities exist, they typically are extremely large and can be costly and dangerous to operate. The design presented in this paper is novel in two distinct ways. First, it does not use a form of combustion in the first stage. The projectile is accelerated from a pressure differential using air and inert gases (or purely inert gases), firing a projectile in a nominal range of 1-4 km/s. Second, the design is modular in that the first stage sits on a track sled and can be pulled back and used in itself to study lower speed impacts without any further modifications, with the first stage piston as the impactor. The modularity of the instrument allows the ability to investigate three orders of magnitude of impact velocities or between 101 and 103 m/s in a single, relatively small, cost effective instrument.

Compressed gas combined single- and two-stage light-gas gun.

PubMed

Lamberson, L E; Boettcher, P A

2018-02-01

With more than 1 trillion artificial objects smaller than 1 μm in low and geostationary Earth orbit, space assets are subject to the constant threat of space debris impact. These collisions occur at hypervelocity or speeds greater than 3 km/s. In order to characterize material behavior under this extreme event as well as study next-generation materials for space exploration, this paper presents a unique two-stage light-gas gun capable of replicating hypervelocity impacts. While a limited number of these types of facilities exist, they typically are extremely large and can be costly and dangerous to operate. The design presented in this paper is novel in two distinct ways. First, it does not use a form of combustion in the first stage. The projectile is accelerated from a pressure differential using air and inert gases (or purely inert gases), firing a projectile in a nominal range of 1-4 km/s. Second, the design is modular in that the first stage sits on a track sled and can be pulled back and used in itself to study lower speed impacts without any further modifications, with the first stage piston as the impactor. The modularity of the instrument allows the ability to investigate three orders of magnitude of impact velocities or between 10 1 and 10 3 m/s in a single, relatively small, cost effective instrument.

Expendable Second Stage Reusable Space Shuttle Booster. Volume 9; Preliminary System Specification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The specification for establishing the requirements for the system performance, design, development, and ground and flight operations of the expendable second stage on a reusable space shuttle booster system is presented. The basic specification is that the system shall be capable of placing payloads in excess of 100,000 pounds into earth orbit. In addition, the expendable second stage provides a multimission, economical, large capability system suitable for a variety of space missions in the 1980 time period.

[Impact of low temperature in young ear formation stage on rice seed setting.

PubMed

Ma, Shu Qing; Liu, Xiao Hang; Deng, Kui Cai; Quan, Hu Jie; Tong, Li Yuan; Xi, Zhu Xiang; Chai, Qing Rong; Yang, Jun

2018-01-01

A low temperature treatment in rice booting key period was executed on the north slope of Changbai Mountains to construct the impact model of low temperature on rice shell rate, and to reveal the effects of low temperature at different stages of rice young panicle on seed setting. The results showed that effects of low temperature in the young ear formation stage on rice shell rate generally followed the logarithmic function, the lower the temperature was, the greater the temperature influence coefficient was, and the longer the low temperature duration was, the higher rice shell rate was. The seed setting rate was most sensitive to low temperature in the middle time of booting stage (the period from formation to meiosis of the pollen mother cell), followed by the early and later stages. During the booting stage, with 1 ℃ decrease of daily temperature under 2-, 3- and 5-day low temperature treatments, the shell rate increased by 0.5, 1.7 and 4.3 percentage, respectively, and with 1 ℃ decrease of daily minimum temperature, the shell rate increased by 0.4,1.8 and 4.5 percentage, respectively. The impact of 2-day low temperature was smaller than that of 3 days or more. The impact of accumulative cold-temperature on the shell rate followed exponential function. In the range of harmful low temperature, rice shell rate increased about 8.5 percentage with the accumulative cold-temperature increasing 10 ℃·d. When the 3 days average temperature dropped to 21.6, 18.0 and 15.0 ℃, or the 5 days average temperature dropped to 22.0, 20.4 and 18.5 ℃, or the accumulative cold-temperature was more than 8, 19, 26 ℃·d, the light, moderate and severe booting stage chilling injury would occur, respectively. In Northeast China, low temperature within 2 d in rice booting stage might not cause moderate and severe chilling injury.

Doublethink and scale mismatch polarize policies for an invasive tree

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roberts, Caleb P.; Uden, Daniel R.; Allen, Craig R.; Twidwell, Dirac

2018-01-01

Mismatches between invasive species management policies and ecological knowledge can lead to profound societal consequences. For this reason, natural resource agencies have adopted the scientifically-based density-impact invasive species curve to guide invasive species management. We use the density-impact model to evaluate how well management policies for a native invader (Juniperus virginiana) match scientific guidelines. Juniperus virginiana invasion is causing a sub-continental regime shift from grasslands to woodlands in central North America, and its impacts span collapses in endemic diversity, heightened wildfire risk, and crashes in grazing land profitability. We (1) use land cover data to identify the stage of Juniperus virginiana invasion for three ecoregions within Nebraska, USA, (2) determine the range of invasion stages at individual land parcel extents within each ecoregion based on the density-impact model, and (3) determine policy alignment and mismatches relative to the density-impact model in order to assess their potential to meet sustainability targets and avoid societal impacts as Juniperus virginiana abundance increases. We found that nearly all policies evidenced doublethink and policy-ecology mismatches, for instance, promoting spread of Juniperus virginiana regardless of invasion stage while simultaneously managing it as a native invader in the same ecoregion. Like other invasive species, theory and literature for this native invader indicate that the consequences of invasion are unlikely to be prevented if policies fail to prioritize management at incipient invasion stages. Theory suggests a more realistic approach would be to align policy with the stage of invasion at local and ecoregion management scales. There is a need for scientists, policy makers, and ecosystem managers to move past ideologies governing native versus non-native invader classification and toward a framework that accounts for the uniqueness of native species invasions, their anthropogenic drivers, and their impacts on ecosystem services.

Recognition of early stage thigmotaxis in Morris water maze test with convolutional neural network.

PubMed

Higaki, Akinori; Mogi, Masaki; Iwanami, Jun; Min, Li-Juan; Bai, Hui-Yu; Shan, Bao-Shuai; Kan-No, Harumi; Ikeda, Shuntaro; Higaki, Jitsuo; Horiuchi, Masatsugu

2018-01-01

The Morris water maze test (MWM) is a useful tool to evaluate rodents' spatial learning and memory, but the outcome is susceptible to various experimental conditions. Thigmotaxis is a commonly observed behavioral pattern which is thought to be related to anxiety or fear. This behavior is associated with prolonged escape latency, but the impact of its frequency in the early stage on the final outcome is not clearly understood. We analyzed swim path trajectories in male C57BL/6 mice with or without bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) treatment. There was no significant difference in the frequencies of particular types of trajectories according to ischemic brain surgery. The mouse groups with thigmotaxis showed significantly prolonged escape latency and lower cognitive score on day 5 compared to those without thigmotaxis. As the next step, we made a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to recognize the swim path trajectories. Our model could distinguish thigmotaxis from other trajectories with 96% accuracy and specificity as high as 0.98. These results suggest that thigmotaxis in the early training stage is a predictive factor for impaired performance in MWM, and machine learning can detect such behavior easily and automatically.

Prognosis value of MGMT promoter methylation for patients with lung cancer: a meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Chen, Chao; Hua, Haiqing; Han, Chenglong; Cheng, Yuan; Cheng, Yin; Wang, Zhen; Bao, Jutao

2015-01-01

The role of MGMT promoter methylation in lung cancer (LC) remains controversial. To clarify the association of MGMT promoter methylation with survival in LC, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature with meta-analysis. Trials were selected for further analysis if they provided an independent assessment of MGMT promoter methylation in LC and reported the survival data in the context of MGMT promoter methylation status. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to the study characteristic. A total of 9 trials, which comprised 859 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. The combined hazard ratio (HR) of 1.27 [95% CI 0.88-1.82; test for heterogeneity P = 0.027] suggests that MGMT promoter methylation has none impact on patient survival. In Stage I-III or younger populations, a significant association was found for MGMT promoter methylation in the prognosis of LC. In addition, the heterogeneity disappeared when the analysis was restricted to Stage I-III LC. Our analysis indicates that MGMT promoter methylation in stage I-III or younger patients was significantly correlated with wore survival. Further study is needed to determine these specific subgroups of LC patients. PMID:26617891

Prognosis value of MGMT promoter methylation for patients with lung cancer: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Chao; Hua, Haiqing; Han, Chenglong; Cheng, Yuan; Cheng, Yin; Wang, Zhen; Bao, Jutao

2015-01-01

The role of MGMT promoter methylation in lung cancer (LC) remains controversial. To clarify the association of MGMT promoter methylation with survival in LC, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature with meta-analysis. Trials were selected for further analysis if they provided an independent assessment of MGMT promoter methylation in LC and reported the survival data in the context of MGMT promoter methylation status. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to the study characteristic. A total of 9 trials, which comprised 859 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. The combined hazard ratio (HR) of 1.27 [95% CI 0.88-1.82; test for heterogeneity P = 0.027] suggests that MGMT promoter methylation has none impact on patient survival. In Stage I-III or younger populations, a significant association was found for MGMT promoter methylation in the prognosis of LC. In addition, the heterogeneity disappeared when the analysis was restricted to Stage I-III LC. Our analysis indicates that MGMT promoter methylation in stage I-III or younger patients was significantly correlated with wore survival. Further study is needed to determine these specific subgroups of LC patients.

Multiple response optimization for higher dimensions in factors and responses

DOE PAGES

Lu, Lu; Chapman, Jessica L.; Anderson-Cook, Christine M.

2016-07-19

When optimizing a product or process with multiple responses, a two-stage Pareto front approach is a useful strategy to evaluate and balance trade-offs between different estimated responses to seek optimum input locations for achieving the best outcomes. After objectively eliminating non-contenders in the first stage by looking for a Pareto front of superior solutions, graphical tools can be used to identify a final solution in the second subjective stage to compare options and match with user priorities. Until now, there have been limitations on the number of response variables and input factors that could effectively be visualized with existing graphicalmore » summaries. We present novel graphical tools that can be more easily scaled to higher dimensions, in both the input and response spaces, to facilitate informed decision making when simultaneously optimizing multiple responses. A key aspect of these graphics is that the potential solutions can be flexibly sorted to investigate specific queries, and that multiple aspects of the solutions can be simultaneously considered. As a result, recommendations are made about how to evaluate the impact of the uncertainty associated with the estimated response surfaces on decision making with higher dimensions.« less

Cachexia: clinical features when inflammation drives malnutrition.

PubMed

Laviano, Alessandro; Koverech, Angela; Mari, Alessia

2015-11-01

Cachexia is a clinically relevant syndrome which impacts on quality of life, morbidity and mortality of patients suffering from acute and chronic diseases. The hallmark of cachexia is muscle loss, which is triggered by disease-associated inflammatory response. Cachexia is a continuum and therefore a staging system is needed. Initially, a three-stage system (i.e. pre-cachexia, cachexia and refractory cachexia) was proposed. More recent evidence supports the use of a five-stage classification system, based on patient's BMI and severity of weight loss, to better predict clinical outcome. Also, large clinical trials in cancer patients demonstrated that cachexia emerging during chemotherapy has greater influence on survival than weight loss at baseline. Therefore, becoming widely accepted is the importance of routinely monitoring patients' nutritional status to detect early changes and diagnose cachexia in its early phases. Although cachexia is associated with the presence of anabolic resistance, it has been shown that sustained yet physiological hyperaminoacidaemia, as well as the use of specific nutrients, is able to overcome impaired protein synthesis and revert catabolism. More importantly, clinical evidence demonstrates that preservation of nutritional status during chemotherapy or improvement of body weight after weight loss is associated with longer survival in cancer patients.

Structural and Immunological Characterization of Recombinant 6-Cysteine Domains of the Plasmodium falciparum Sexual Stage Protein Pfs230*

PubMed Central

MacDonald, Nicholas J.; Nguyen, Vu; Shimp, Richard; Reiter, Karine; Herrera, Raul; Burkhardt, Martin; Muratova, Olga; Kumar, Krishan; Aebig, Joan; Rausch, Kelly; Lambert, Lynn; Dawson, Nikiah; Sattabongkot, Jetsumon; Ambroggio, Xavier; Duffy, Patrick E.; Wu, Yimin; Narum, David L.

2016-01-01

Development of a Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) transmission blocking vaccine (TBV) has the potential to significantly impact malaria control. Antibodies elicited against sexual stage proteins in the human bloodstream are taken up with the blood meal of the mosquitoes and inactivate parasite development in the mosquito. In a phase 1 trial, a leading TBV identified as Pfs25-EPA/Alhydrogel® appeared safe and immunogenic, however, the level of Pfs25-specific antibodies were likely too low for an effective vaccine. Pfs230, a 230-kDa sexual stage protein expressed in gametocytes is an alternative vaccine candidate. A unique 6-cysteine-rich domain structure within Pfs230 have thwarted its recombinant expression and characterization for clinical evaluation for nearly a quarter of a century. Here, we report on the identification, biochemical, biophysical, and immunological characterization of recombinant Pfs230 domains. Rabbit antibodies generated against recombinant Pfs230 domains blocked mosquito transmission of a laboratory strain and two field isolates using an ex vivo assay. A planned clinical trial of the Pfs230 vaccine is a significant step toward the potential development of a transmission blocking vaccine to eliminate malaria. PMID:27432885

Design for life-cycle profit with simultaneous consideration of initial manufacturing and end-of-life remanufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwak, Minjung; Kim, Harrison

2015-01-01

Remanufacturing is emerging as a promising solution for achieving green, profitable businesses. This article considers a manufacturer that produces new products and also remanufactured versions of the new products that become available at the end of their life cycle. For such a manufacturer, design decisions at the initial design stage determine both the current profit from manufacturing and future profit from remanufacturing. To maximize the total profit, design decisions must carefully consider both ends of product life cycle, i.e. manufacturing and end-of-life stages. This article proposes a decision-support model for the life-cycle design using mixed-integer nonlinear programming. With an aim to maximize the total life-cycle profit, the proposed model searches for an (at least locally) optimal product design (i.e. design specifications and the selling price) for the new and remanufactured products. It optimizes both the initial design and design upgrades at the end-of-life stage and also provides corresponding production strategies, including production quantities and take-back rate. The model is extended to a multi-objective model that maximizes both economic profit and environmental-impact saving. To illustrate, the developed model is demonstrated with an example of a desktop computer.

Mlh1 is required for female fertility in Drosophila melanogaster: An outcome of effects on meiotic crossing over, ovarian follicles and egg activation.

PubMed

Vimal, Divya; Kumar, Saurabh; Pandey, Ashutosh; Sharma, Divya; Saini, Sanjay; Gupta, Snigdha; Ravi Ram, Kristipati; Chowdhuri, Debapratim Kar

2018-03-01

Mismatch repair (MMR) system, a conserved DNA repair pathway, plays crucial role in DNA recombination and is involved in gametogenesis. The impact of alterations in MMR family of proteins (bacterial MutS and MutL homologues) on mammalian fertility is well documented. However, an insight to the role of MMR in reproduction of non-mammalian organisms is limited. Hence, in the present study, we analysed the impact of mlh1 (a MutL homologue) on meiotic crossing over/recombination and fertility in a genetically tractable model, Drosophila melanogaster. Using mlh1 e00130 hypomorphic allele, we report female specific adverse reproductive outcome for reduced mlh1 in Drosophila: mlh1 e00130 homozygous females had severely reduced fertility while males were fertile. Further, mlh1 e00130 females contained small ovaries with large number of early stages as well as significantly reduced mature oocytes, and laid fewer eggs, indicating discrepancies in egg production and ovulation. These observations contrast the sex independent and/or male specific sterility and normal follicular development as well as ovulation reported so far for MMR family proteins in mammals. However, analogous to the role(s) of mlh1 in meiotic crossing over and DNA repair processes underlying mammalian fertility, ovarian follicles from mlh1 e00130 females contained significantly increased DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and reduced synaptonemal complex foci. In addition, large proportion of fertilized eggs display discrepancies in egg activation and fail to proceed beyond stage 5 of embryogenesis. Hence, reduction of the Mlh1 protein level leads to defective oocytes that fail to complete embryogenesis after fertilization thereby reducing female fertility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Prior cancer does not adversely affect survival in locally advanced lung cancer: A national SEER-medicare analysis.

PubMed

Laccetti, Andrew L; Pruitt, Sandi L; Xuan, Lei; Halm, Ethan A; Gerber, David E

2016-08-01

Management of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer is among the most highly contested areas in thoracic oncology. In this population, a history of prior cancer frequently results in exclusion from clinical trials and may influence therapeutic decisions. We therefore determined prevalence and prognostic impact of prior cancer among these patients. We identified patients>65years of age diagnosed 1992-2009 with locally advanced lung cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked dataset. We characterized prior cancer by prevalence, type, stage, and timing. We compared all-cause and lung cancer-specific survival between patients with and without prior cancer using propensity score-adjusted Cox regression. 51,542 locally advanced lung cancer patients were included; 15.8% had a history of prior cancer. Prostate (25%), gastrointestinal (17%), breast (16%), and other genitourinary (15%) were the most common types of prior cancer, and 76% percent of prior cancers were localized or in situ stage. Approximately half (54%) of prior cancers were diagnosed within 5 years of the index lung cancer date. Patients with prior cancer had similar (propensity-score adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99; P=0.005) and improved lung cancer-specific (HR 0.84; 95% CI, 0.81-0.86; P<0.001) survival compared to patients with no prior cancer. For patients with locally advanced lung cancer, prior cancer does not adversely impact clinical outcomes. Patients with locally advanced lung cancer and a history of prior cancer should not be excluded from clinical trials, and should be offered aggressive, potentially curative therapies if otherwise appropriate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Computational Model of the Rainbow Trout Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovary-Liver Axis

PubMed Central

Gillies, Kendall; Krone, Stephen M.; Nagler, James J.; Schultz, Irvin R.

2016-01-01

Reproduction in fishes and other vertebrates represents the timely coordination of many endocrine factors that culminate in the production of mature, viable gametes. In recent years there has been rapid growth in understanding fish reproductive biology, which has been motivated in part by recognition of the potential effects that climate change, habitat destruction and contaminant exposure can have on natural and cultured fish populations. New approaches to understanding the impacts of these stressors are being developed that require a systems biology approach with more biologically accurate and detailed mathematical models. We have developed a multi-scale mathematical model of the female rainbow trout hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary-liver axis to use as a tool to help understand the functioning of the system and for extrapolation of laboratory findings of stressor impacts on specific components of the axis. The model describes the essential endocrine components of the female rainbow trout reproductive axis. The model also describes the stage specific growth of maturing oocytes within the ovary and permits the presence of sub-populations of oocytes at different stages of development. Model formulation and parametrization was largely based on previously published in vivo and in vitro data in rainbow trout and new data on the synthesis of gonadotropins in the pituitary. Model predictions were validated against several previously published data sets for annual changes in gonadotropins and estradiol in rainbow trout. Estimates of select model parameters can be obtained from in vitro assays using either quantitative (direct estimation of rate constants) or qualitative (relative change from control values) approaches. This is an important aspect of mathematical models as in vitro, cell-based assays are expected to provide the bulk of experimental data for future risk assessments and will require quantitative physiological models to extrapolate across biological scales. PMID:27096735

A Computational Model of the Rainbow Trout Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovary-Liver Axis.

PubMed

Gillies, Kendall; Krone, Stephen M; Nagler, James J; Schultz, Irvin R

2016-04-01

Reproduction in fishes and other vertebrates represents the timely coordination of many endocrine factors that culminate in the production of mature, viable gametes. In recent years there has been rapid growth in understanding fish reproductive biology, which has been motivated in part by recognition of the potential effects that climate change, habitat destruction and contaminant exposure can have on natural and cultured fish populations. New approaches to understanding the impacts of these stressors are being developed that require a systems biology approach with more biologically accurate and detailed mathematical models. We have developed a multi-scale mathematical model of the female rainbow trout hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary-liver axis to use as a tool to help understand the functioning of the system and for extrapolation of laboratory findings of stressor impacts on specific components of the axis. The model describes the essential endocrine components of the female rainbow trout reproductive axis. The model also describes the stage specific growth of maturing oocytes within the ovary and permits the presence of sub-populations of oocytes at different stages of development. Model formulation and parametrization was largely based on previously published in vivo and in vitro data in rainbow trout and new data on the synthesis of gonadotropins in the pituitary. Model predictions were validated against several previously published data sets for annual changes in gonadotropins and estradiol in rainbow trout. Estimates of select model parameters can be obtained from in vitro assays using either quantitative (direct estimation of rate constants) or qualitative (relative change from control values) approaches. This is an important aspect of mathematical models as in vitro, cell-based assays are expected to provide the bulk of experimental data for future risk assessments and will require quantitative physiological models to extrapolate across biological scales.

Quality of life, lifestyle behavior and employment experience: a comparison between young and midlife survivors of gynecology early stage cancers.

PubMed

Bifulco, G; De Rosa, N; Tornesello, M L; Piccoli, R; Bertrando, A; Lavitola, G; Morra, I; Di Spiezio Sardo, A; Buonaguro, F M; Nappi, C

2012-03-01

To evaluate differences and changes in quality of life (QoL), lifestyle behavior and employment experience of young in comparison to midlife adults in response to early stage gynecologic cancer diagnoses. 263 patients, divided into two age groups (Group A: ≤ 45 and Group B: >45 years), were interviewed on their QoL, lifestyle behavior (dietary habits, tobacco and alcohol use, physical activity) and employment experience (employment status and working time) at diagnosis and within 4 years from the treatment. The QoL was evaluated by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (QLQ-C30) and its specific modules for each cancer type (in particular endometrium, cervix, ovarian and breast). Global health status was significantly different between the two groups. In the younger age group a more relevant cancer interference on family life and social activities and a greater impact on perception of health status have been observed. Young women were more affected by fatigue, constipation, gastrointestinal symptoms, lymphedema, poor body image and impaired sexuality. Cancer diagnosis had a major negative impact on employment of younger patients. Conversely, younger patients had overall better health behavior. They reported a higher daily intake of fruits and vegetables, along with lower alcohol consumption, furthermore they were a little more physically active than midlife adults. To enhance quality of life and to promote healthy lifestyle behavior of female cancer patients, particularly in younger age, it is essential to assure multidisciplinary approaches with specific medical intervention and psychosocial supports. Indeed, midlife adults seem to have a more rapid adaptive tendency to return towards levels of well-being, following cancer diagnosis and treatment, than younger patients. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinicopathologic Association and Prognostic Value of Microcystic, Elongated, and Fragmented (MELF) Pattern in Endometrial Endometrioid Carcinoma.

PubMed

Kihara, Atsushi; Yoshida, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Reiko; Takahashi, Kenta; Kato, Tomoyasu; Ino, Yoshinori; Kitagawa, Masanobu; Hiraoka, Nobuyoshi

2017-07-01

Microcystic, elongated, and fragmented (MELF) pattern is seen in the invasive front of some endometrial endometrioid carcinomas. Although MELF pattern can be expected as an indicator of patient outcomes, its prognostic significance remains unclear. This study was conducted to elucidate clinicopathologic features and the prognostic impact of MELF pattern in patients with endometrial endometrioid carcinoma. We retrospectively analyzed data of 479 consecutive patients with endometrial endometrioid carcinoma that had been surgically resected. In 45 of 427 patients (11%) with low-grade endometrioid carcinoma, MELF pattern was found, but it was found in none of the 52 patients with high-grade endometrioid carcinoma. Among the patients with low-grade endometrioid carcinoma, MELF pattern was associated significantly with larger tumor size, myometrial invasion of more than 50%, advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages, lymphovascular space invasion, lymph node metastasis, papillary architecture, and mucinous differentiation. However, survival analysis revealed that the patients with MELF pattern showed no significantly worse prognosis than those without MELF pattern either in disease-specific survival or in recurrence-free survival. MELF was not a significant prognosticator after adjustment for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (disease-specific survival [hazard ratio, 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.28-7.67; P=0.64], recurrence-free survival [hazard ratio, 0.98, 95% confidence interval, 0.32-2.99, P=0.98]). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that MELF pattern was positive for p16 and p21 and almost negative for Ki-67 labeling, which suggested that tumor cells in MELF pattern were involved in growth arrest or cellular senescence. We conclude that MELF pattern could have little impact on outcomes of patients with low-grade endometrial endometrioid carcinoma.

Differentially co-expressed interacting protein pairs discriminate samples under distinct stages of HIV type 1 infection.

PubMed

Yoon, Dukyong; Kim, Hyosil; Suh-Kim, Haeyoung; Park, Rae Woong; Lee, KiYoung

2011-01-01

Microarray analyses based on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) have been widely used to distinguish samples across different cellular conditions. However, studies based on DEGs have not been able to clearly determine significant differences between samples of pathophysiologically similar HIV-1 stages, e.g., between acute and chronic progressive (or AIDS) or between uninfected and clinically latent stages. We here suggest a novel approach to allow such discrimination based on stage-specific genetic features of HIV-1 infection. Our approach is based on co-expression changes of genes known to interact. The method can identify a genetic signature for a single sample as contrasted with existing protein-protein-based analyses with correlational designs. Our approach distinguishes each sample using differentially co-expressed interacting protein pairs (DEPs) based on co-expression scores of individual interacting pairs within a sample. The co-expression score has positive value if two genes in a sample are simultaneously up-regulated or down-regulated. And the score has higher absolute value if expression-changing ratios are similar between the two genes. We compared characteristics of DEPs with that of DEGs by evaluating their usefulness in separation of HIV-1 stage. And we identified DEP-based network-modules and their gene-ontology enrichment to find out the HIV-1 stage-specific gene signature. Based on the DEP approach, we observed clear separation among samples from distinct HIV-1 stages using clustering and principal component analyses. Moreover, the discrimination power of DEPs on the samples (70-100% accuracy) was much higher than that of DEGs (35-45%) using several well-known classifiers. DEP-based network analysis also revealed the HIV-1 stage-specific network modules; the main biological processes were related to "translation," "RNA splicing," "mRNA, RNA, and nucleic acid transport," and "DNA metabolism." Through the HIV-1 stage-related modules, changing stage-specific patterns of protein interactions could be observed. DEP-based method discriminated the HIV-1 infection stages clearly, and revealed a HIV-1 stage-specific gene signature. The proposed DEP-based method might complement existing DEG-based approaches in various microarray expression analyses.

GTI-2040, Oxaliplatin, and Capecitabine in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer or Other Solid Tumors

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-03-26

Recurrent Colon Cancer; Recurrent Rectal Cancer; Stage IIIC Colon Cancer; Stage IIIC Rectal Cancer; Stage IVA Colon Cancer; Stage IVA Rectal Cancer; Stage IVB Colon Cancer; Stage IVB Rectal Cancer; Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

Impact of dental caries on quality of life among preschool children: emphasis on the type of tooth and stages of progression.

PubMed

Ramos-Jorge, Joana; Alencar, Bruna Mota; Pordeus, Isabela Almeida; Soares, Maria Eliza da Consolação; Marques, Leandro Silva; Ramos-Jorge, Maria Letícia; Paiva, Saul Martins

2015-04-01

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the impact of dental caries on the quality of life of preschool children and their parents/caretakers, with an emphasis on the type of tooth and stage of progression. A randomly selected sample of preschool children, 3-5 yrs of age, underwent an oral examination for the assessment of dental caries using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System II (ICDAS II) criteria. Parents/caretakers answered two questionnaires, one on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of the child [the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS)], and the other on the socio-economic characteristics of the family. Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and Poisson regression. A total of 451 preschool children participated in the study. The majority of carious lesions exhibited severe decay (60.6%) and were found in both anterior (incisors/canines) and posterior (molars) teeth. The final Poisson model revealed negative impacts on quality of life from more advanced stages of dental caries, both in incisors/canines and molars. Child's age and household income were also associated with impact on quality of life. Carious lesions in more advanced stages of progression in anterior and posterior teeth were associated with a negative impact on the quality of life of preschool children. © 2014 Eur J Oral Sci.

Current use of impact models for agri-environment schemes and potential for improvements of policy design and assessment.

PubMed

Primdahl, Jørgen; Vesterager, Jens Peter; Finn, John A; Vlahos, George; Kristensen, Lone; Vejre, Henrik

2010-06-01

Agri-Environment Schemes (AES) to maintain or promote environmentally-friendly farming practices were implemented on about 25% of all agricultural land in the EU by 2002. This article analyses and discusses the actual and potential use of impact models in supporting the design, implementation and evaluation of AES. Impact models identify and establish the causal relationships between policy objectives and policy outcomes. We review and discuss the role of impact models at different stages in the AES policy process, and present results from a survey of impact models underlying 60 agri-environmental schemes in seven EU member states. We distinguished among three categories of impact models (quantitative, qualitative or common sense), depending on the degree of evidence in the formal scheme description, additional documents, or key person interviews. The categories of impact models used mainly depended on whether scheme objectives were related to natural resources, biodiversity or landscape. A higher proportion of schemes dealing with natural resources (primarily water) were based on quantitative impact models, compared to those concerned with biodiversity or landscape. Schemes explicitly targeted either on particular parts of individual farms or specific areas tended to be based more on quantitative impact models compared to whole-farm schemes and broad, horizontal schemes. We conclude that increased and better use of impact models has significant potential to improve efficiency and effectiveness of AES. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decitabine in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-02-06

Male Breast Cancer; Recurrent Bladder Cancer; Recurrent Breast Cancer; Recurrent Melanoma; Stage III Melanoma; Stage IV Bladder Cancer; Stage IV Breast Cancer; Stage IV Melanoma; Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

[LONI & Co: about the epistemic specificity of digital spaces of knowledge in cognitive neuroscience].

PubMed

Huber, Lara

2011-06-01

In the neurosciences digital databases more and more are becoming important tools of data rendering and distributing. This development is due to the growing impact of imaging based trial design in cognitive neuroscience, including morphological as much as functional imaging technologies. As the case of the 'Laboratory of Neuro Imaging' (LONI) is showing, databases are attributed a specific epistemological power: Since the 1990s databasing is seen to foster the integration of neuroscientific data, although local regimes of data production, -manipulation and--interpretation are also challenging this development. Databasing in the neurosciences goes along with the introduction of new structures of integrating local data, hence establishing digital spaces of knowledge (epistemic spaces): At this stage, inherent norms of digital databases are affecting regimes of imaging-based trial design, for example clinical research into Alzheimer's disease.

Welfare policies and very young children: experimental data on stage-environment fit.

PubMed

Hill, Heather D; Morris, Pamela

2008-11-01

The authors examined the effects of welfare programs that increased maternal employment and family income on the development of very young children using data from 5 random-assignment experiments. The children were 6 months to 3 years old when their mothers entered the programs; cognitive and behavioral outcomes were measured 2-5 years later. While there were no overall program impacts, positive or negative, on the development of children in this age group, there was a pair of domain- and age-specific effects: The programs decreased positive social behavior among 1-year-olds and increased school achievement among 2-year-olds. After exploring several explanations for these results, the authors suggest that the contextual changes engendered by the programs, including children's exposure to center-based child care, interacted differentially with specific developmental transitions.

The influence of HIV disease events/stages on smoking attitudes and behaviors: project STATE (Study of Tobacco Attitudes and Teachable Events).

PubMed

Vidrine, Damon J; Fletcher, Faith E; Buchberg, Meredith K; Li, Yisheng; Arduino, Roberto C; Gritz, Ellen R

2014-02-11

Given the increase in life expectancy among HIV-positive individuals attributable to antiretroviral therapies, cigarette smoking now represents one of the most salient health risks confronting the HIV-positive population. Despite this risk, very few efforts to date have been made to target persons living with HIV for smoking cessation treatment, and no efforts have been made to explore the role of cognitions and HIV disease events/stages on smoking outcomes. The purpose of the study, Project STATE (Study of Tobacco Attitudes and Teachable Events), is to prospectively examine the relationship between HIV events/stages, perceived impact of HIV disease, attitudes about cigarette smoking, and smoking behaviors. This study employs a prospective design. Patients are recruited at the time of their first physician visit at a large inner city HIV-clinic--Thomas Street Health Center (TSHC). Consenting participants then complete a baseline assessment. All participants are offered standard care smoking cessation treatment. Follow-up assessments are completed on four subsequent occasions: 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-baseline. These follow-up assessments are scheduled to coincide with routine clinic appointments with their TSHC physicians. In addition, each participant is given a prepaid cell phone at the time of enrollment and asked to complete brief phone assessments weekly for the first three months of the study period. By evaluating events/stages of HIV disease as potential teaching moments for smoking cessation, findings from this study could be used to develop treatments tailored to an individual's stage of HIV disease. This study design will enable us to carefully track changes in smoking behavior over time, and to link these changes to both the course of HIV disease and/or to the participant's' perceived impact of HIV. By identifying optimal time points for intervention, the findings from this study will have the potential to maximize the efficiency and efficacy of cessation treatments delivered in resource-limited settings. In addition, the findings will be instrumental in identifying specific constructs that should be targeted for intervention and will provide a strong foundation for the development of future cessation interventions targeting smokers living with HIV/AIDS.

Silver nanoparticles induce developmental stage-specific embryonic phenotypes in zebrafish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kerry J.; Browning, Lauren M.; Nallathamby, Prakash D.; Osgood, Christopher J.; Xu, Xiao-Hong Nancy

2013-11-01

Much is anticipated from the development and deployment of nanomaterials in biological organisms, but concerns remain regarding their biocompatibility and target specificity. Here we report our study of the transport, biocompatibility and toxicity of purified and stable silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, 13.1 +/- 2.5 nm in diameter) upon the specific developmental stages of zebrafish embryos using single NP plasmonic spectroscopy. We find that single Ag NPs passively diffuse into five different developmental stages of embryos (cleavage, early-gastrula, early-segmentation, late-segmentation, and hatching stages), showing stage-independent diffusion modes and diffusion coefficients. Notably, the Ag NPs induce distinctive stage and dose-dependent phenotypes and nanotoxicity, upon their acute exposure to the Ag NPs (0-0.7 nM) for only 2 h. The late-segmentation embryos are most sensitive to the NPs with the lowest critical concentration (CNP,c << 0.02 nM) and highest percentages of cardiac abnormalities, followed by early-segmentation embryos (CNP,c < 0.02 nM), suggesting that disruption of cell differentiation by the NPs causes the most toxic effects on embryonic development. The cleavage-stage embryos treated with the NPs develop into a wide variety of phenotypes (abnormal finfold, tail/spinal cord flexure, cardiac malformation/edema, yolk sac edema, and acephaly). These organ structures are not yet developed in cleavage-stage embryos, suggesting that the earliest determinative events to create these structures are ongoing, and disrupted by NPs, which leads to the downstream effects. In contrast, the hatching embryos are most resistant to the Ag NPs, and majority of embryos (94%) develop normally, and none of them develop abnormally. Interestingly, early-gastrula embryos are less sensitive to the NPs than cleavage and segmentation stage embryos, and do not develop abnormally. These important findings suggest that the Ag NPs are not simple poisons, and they can target specific pathways in development, and potentially enable target specific study and therapy for early embryonic development.Much is anticipated from the development and deployment of nanomaterials in biological organisms, but concerns remain regarding their biocompatibility and target specificity. Here we report our study of the transport, biocompatibility and toxicity of purified and stable silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, 13.1 +/- 2.5 nm in diameter) upon the specific developmental stages of zebrafish embryos using single NP plasmonic spectroscopy. We find that single Ag NPs passively diffuse into five different developmental stages of embryos (cleavage, early-gastrula, early-segmentation, late-segmentation, and hatching stages), showing stage-independent diffusion modes and diffusion coefficients. Notably, the Ag NPs induce distinctive stage and dose-dependent phenotypes and nanotoxicity, upon their acute exposure to the Ag NPs (0-0.7 nM) for only 2 h. The late-segmentation embryos are most sensitive to the NPs with the lowest critical concentration (CNP,c << 0.02 nM) and highest percentages of cardiac abnormalities, followed by early-segmentation embryos (CNP,c < 0.02 nM), suggesting that disruption of cell differentiation by the NPs causes the most toxic effects on embryonic development. The cleavage-stage embryos treated with the NPs develop into a wide variety of phenotypes (abnormal finfold, tail/spinal cord flexure, cardiac malformation/edema, yolk sac edema, and acephaly). These organ structures are not yet developed in cleavage-stage embryos, suggesting that the earliest determinative events to create these structures are ongoing, and disrupted by NPs, which leads to the downstream effects. In contrast, the hatching embryos are most resistant to the Ag NPs, and majority of embryos (94%) develop normally, and none of them develop abnormally. Interestingly, early-gastrula embryos are less sensitive to the NPs than cleavage and segmentation stage embryos, and do not develop abnormally. These important findings suggest that the Ag NPs are not simple poisons, and they can target specific pathways in development, and potentially enable target specific study and therapy for early embryonic development. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr03210h

Hydrogen test of a small, low specific speed centrifugal pump stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

A small, low specific speed centrifugal pump stage with a 2 inch tip diameter, .030 inch tip width shrouded impeller and volute collector was tested with liquid hydrogen as the pumped fluid. The hydrodynamic design of the pump stage is summarized and the noncavitating and cavitating performance results are presented. Test speeds were 60 and 80 percent of the 77,000 rpm design speed. Liquid hydrogen test results are compared with data from previous tests of the stage in water.

High Voltage TAL Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, David T.; Jankovsky, Robert S.; Rawlin, Vincent K.; Manzella, David H.

2001-01-01

The performance of a two-stage, anode layer Hall thruster was evaluated. Experiments were conducted in single and two-stage configurations. In single-stage configuration, the thruster was operated with discharge voltages ranging from 300 to 1700 V. Discharge specific impulses ranged from 1630 to 4140 sec. Thruster investigations were conducted with input power ranging from 1 to 8.7 kW, corresponding to power throttling of nearly 9: 1. An extensive two-stage performance map was generated. Data taken with total voltage (sum of discharge and accelerating voltage) constant revealed a decrease in thruster efficiency as the discharge voltage was increased. Anode specific impulse values were comparable in the single and two-stage configurations showing no strong advantage for two-stage operation.

IMPACT OF STAGE MIGRATION AND PRACTICE CHANGES ON HIGH RISK PROSTATE CANCER: RESULTS FROM PATIENTS TREATED WITH RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES

PubMed Central

Fossati, N.; Passoni, N. M.; Moschini, M.; Gandaglia, G.; Larcher, A.; Freschi, M.; Guazzoni, G.; Sjoberg, D. D.; Vickers, A. J.; Montorsi, F.; Briganti, A.

2016-01-01

Background Phenotype of prostate cancer at diagnosis has changed through the years. We aim to evaluate the impact of year of surgery on clinical, pathologic and oncologic outcomes of high-risk prostate cancer patients. Patients and methods We evaluated 1,033 clinically high-risk patients, defined as the presence of at least one of the following risk factors: pre-operative prostate specific antigen (PSA) level >20 ng/ml, and/or clinical stage ≥T3, and/or biopsy Gleason score ≥8. Patients were treated between 1990 and 2013 at a single Institution. Year-per-year trends of clinical and pathologic characteristics were examined. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to test the relationship between year of surgery and oncologic outcomes. Results We observed a decrease over time in the proportion of high-risk patients with a pre-operative PSA level >20 ng/ml or clinical stage cT3. An opposite trend was seen for biopsy Gleason score ≥8. We observed a considerable increase in the median number of lymph nodes removed that was associated with an increased rate of LNI. At multivariable Cox regression analysis, year of surgery was associated with a reduced risk of biochemical recurrence (HR per 5-year: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.84–0.96; p=0.01) and distant metastasis (HR per 5-year: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.83–0.99; p=0.039), after adjusting for age, pre-operative PSA, pathologic stage, lymph node invasion, surgical margin status, and pathological Gleason score. Conclusions In this single center study, an increased diagnosis of localized and less extensive high-grade prostate cancer was observed over the last two decades. High-risk patients selected for radical prostatectomy showed better cancer control over time. Better definitions of what constitutes high-risk prostate cancer among contemporary patients are needed. PMID:25787671

Extending the scope of eco-labelling in the food industry to drive change beyond sustainable agriculture practices.

PubMed

Miranda-Ackerman, Marco A; Azzaro-Pantel, Catherine

2017-12-15

New consumer awareness is shifting industry towards more sustainable practices, creating a virtuous cycle between producers and consumers enabled by eco-labelling. Eco-labelling informs consumers of specific characteristics of products and has been used to market greener products. Eco-labelling in the food industry has yet been mostly focused on promoting organic farming, limiting the scope to the agricultural stage of the supply chain, while carbon labelling informs on the carbon footprint throughout the life cycle of the product. These labelling strategies help value products in the eyes of the consumer. Because of this, decision makers are motivated to adopt more sustainable models. In the food industry, this has led to important environmental impact improvements at the agricultural stage, while most other stages in the Food Supply Chain (FSC) have continued to be designed inefficiently. The objective of this work is to define a framework showing how carbon labelling can be integrated into the design process of the FSC. For this purpose, the concept of Green Supply Chain Network Design (GSCND) focusing on the strategic decision making for location and allocation of resources and production capacity is developed considering operational, financial and environmental (CO 2 emissions) issues along key stages in the product life cycle. A multi-objective optimization strategy implemented by use of a genetic algorithm is applied to a case study on orange juice production. The results show that the consideration of CO 2 emission minimization as an objective function during the GSCND process together with techno-economic criteria produces improved FSC environmental performance compared to both organic and conventional orange juice production. Typical results thus highlight the importance that carbon emissions optimization and labelling may have to improve FSC beyond organic labelling. Finally, CO 2 emission-oriented labelling could be an important tool to improve the effects eco-labelling has on food product environmental impact going forward. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simplified HCC-ART score for highly sensitive detection of small-sized and early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma in the widely used Okuda, CLIP, and BCLC staging systems.

PubMed

Attallah, Abdelfattah M; Omran, Mohamed M; Attallah, Ahmed A; Abdelrazek, Mohamed A; Farid, Khaled; El-Dosoky, Ibrahim

2017-04-01

Small-sized HCC can be effectively cured by surgery with good clinical outcomes. A highly sensitive HCC α-fetoprotein routine test (HCC-ART) for HCC diagnosis as well as a simplied form of the HCC-ART were reported in the British Journal of Cancer. Here, we verified and studied the applicability of the HCC-ART to the detection of early-stage HCC. 341 cirrhotic patients and 318 HCC patients were included in this study. For each, the HCC-ART score was calculated, and then the sensitivity, specificity, and results of an ROC curve analysis were compared between the HCC-ART and AFP when these biomarkers were used to detect small-sized HCC. Different HCC-ART cutoffs were set for the detection of different tumor sizes. The HCC-ART (AUC = 0.871, 70% sensitivity, 97% specificity) and the simplified HCC-ART (AUC = 0.934, 82% sensitivity, 100% specificity) were found to have high predictive power when attempting to separate cirrhotic patients from those with small-sized HCC. The simplified HCC-ART score was superior to AFP for determining stages according to the early Okuda (0.950 AUC, 84% sensitivity, 99% specificity), CLIP (0.945 AUC, 84% sensitivity, 99% specificity), and BCLC (1.000 AUC, 100% sensitivity, 99% specificity) staging systems. The simplified HCC-ART score was more strongly correlated than AFP and other staging systems with HCC tumor size (P < 0.0001; r = 0.8). The HCC-ART is superior to AFP for diagnosing early-stage HCC. Due to its advantages of minimal variability and a wide continuous scale for assessing HCC severity, the simplified HCC-ART has the potential to be more widely used than the original HCC-ART.

Comparison of pelvic phased-array versus endorectal coil magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla for local staging of prostate cancer.

PubMed

Kim, Bum Soo; Kim, Tae-Hwan; Kwon, Tae Gyun; Yoo, Eun Sang

2012-05-01

Several studies have demonstrated the superiority of endorectal coil magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over pelvic phased-array coil MRI at 1.5 Tesla for local staging of prostate cancer. However, few have studied which evaluation is more accurate at 3 Tesla MRI. In this study, we compared the accuracy of local staging of prostate cancer using pelvic phased-array coil or endorectal coil MRI at 3 Tesla. Between January 2005 and May 2010, 151 patients underwent radical prostatectomy. All patients were evaluated with either pelvic phased-array coil or endorectal coil prostate MRI prior to surgery (63 endorectal coils and 88 pelvic phased-array coils). Tumor stage based on MRI was compared with pathologic stage. We calculated the specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of each group in the evaluation of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion. Both endorectal coil and pelvic phased-array coil MRI achieved high specificity, low sensitivity and moderate accuracy for the detection of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion. There were statistically no differences in specificity, sensitivity and accuracy between the two groups. Overall staging accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were not significantly different between endorectal coil and pelvic phased-array coil MRI.

Estimating stage-specific daily survival probabilities of nests when nest age is unknown

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanley, T.R.

2004-01-01

Estimation of daily survival probabilities of nests is common in studies of avian populations. Since the introduction of Mayfield's (1961, 1975) estimator, numerous models have been developed to relax Mayfield's assumptions and account for biologically important sources of variation. Stanley (2000) presented a model for estimating stage-specific (e.g. incubation stage, nestling stage) daily survival probabilities of nests that conditions on “nest type” and requires that nests be aged when they are found. Because aging nests typically requires handling the eggs, there may be situations where nests can not or should not be aged and the Stanley (2000) model will be inapplicable. Here, I present a model for estimating stage-specific daily survival probabilities that conditions on nest stage for active nests, thereby obviating the need to age nests when they are found. Specifically, I derive the maximum likelihood function for the model, evaluate the model's performance using Monte Carlo simulations, and provide software for estimating parameters (along with an example). For sample sizes as low as 50 nests, bias was small and confidence interval coverage was close to the nominal rate, especially when a reduced-parameter model was used for estimation.

Validity and clinical impact of glucose transporter 1 expression in colorectal cancer

PubMed Central

GabAllah, Ghada M. K.; El-din Habib, Mona Salah; Soliman, Shimaa El-Shafey; Kasemy, Zienab A.; Gohar, Suzy F.

2017-01-01

Background/Aim: There is no doubt that colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a major threat to public health worldwide, and despite improvement in managements, prognosis still remains an irritating question with no definite answer. Being a fundamental player in cancer metabolism, glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) could be utilized as a prognostic biomarker that could fuel development of new treatment strategies. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of GLUT1 expression as a prognostic biomarker and to elucidate to what extent it is immersed in poor clinical outcome among CRC patients. Patients and Methods: GLUT1 expression in peripheral blood specimens was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in 47 CRC patients and 20 healthy controls. Results: There was significantly elevated GLUT1 expression in peripheral blood of CRC patients than in controls (P < 0.001). The cutoff value of 0.605 provided 98% sensitivity and 100% specificity. There were significantly higher values of GLUT1 expression in patients under 50 years (P = 0.003), performance status 2 (P = 0.009), stage IV (P < 0.001), and presence of metastasis (P < 0.001). GLUT1 expression showed nonsignificant association with overall survival (P = 0.068), while tumor stage (P = 0.01) and metastasis (P = 0.009) were significantly associated with lower overall survival. Conclusion: GLUT1 is sensitive and specific marker for CRC. It is overexpressed in young age patients, poor performance status, and stage IV patients. Although this was not statistically significant, GLUT 1 showed higher expression level in patients with lesser survival. PMID:29205188

The positive impact of radiologic imaging on high-stage cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma management.

PubMed

Ruiz, Emily Stamell; Karia, Pritesh S; Morgan, Frederick C; Schmults, Chrysalyne D

2017-02-01

There is limited evidence on the utility of radiologic imaging for prognostic staging of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Review utilization of radiologic imaging of high-stage CSCCs to evaluate whether imaging impacted management and outcomes. Tumors classified as Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) tumor (T) stage T2B or T3 over a 13-year period were reviewed to identify whether imaging was performed and whether results affected treatment. Disease-related outcomes (DRO: local recurrence, nodal metastasis, death from disease) were compared between patients by type of imaging used. 108 high-stage CSCCs in 98 patients were included. Imaging (mostly computed tomography, 79%) was utilized in 45 (46%) patients and management was altered in 16 (33%) patients who underwent imaging. Patients that received no imaging were at higher risk of developing nodal metastases (nonimaging, 30%; imaging, 13%; P = .041) and any DRO (nonimaging, 42%; imaging, 20%; P = .028) compared to the imaging group. Imaging was associated with a lower risk for DRO (subhazard ratio, 0.5; 95% CI 0.2-0.9; P = .046) adjusted for BWH T stage, sex, and location. Single institution retrospective design and changes in technology overtime. Radiologic imaging of high-stage CSCC may influence management and appears to positively impact outcomes. Further prospective studies are needed to establish which patients benefit from imaging. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Calibration and evaluation of a real-time cascade impactor

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

Fairchild, C.I.; Wheat, L.D.

1984-04-01

A 10-stage cascade impactor made by California Measurement Inc., can determine aerodynamic size distributions of dilute aerosols in a few minutes. Collection of impacted particles on greased, vibrating piezoelectric crystals produces changes in vibrational frequency proportional to the collected mass. Based on frequency changes and sampling time, a data reduction module calculates the mass collected on each stage. Calibration of the assembled impactor was performed with monodisperse polystyrene latex (PSL) and Eosin-Y (E-Y) aerosols for the lower stages (4-10), and PSL and pollen particles (ragweed and mulberry) for the upper stages (1-3). The stage experimental effective cutoff aerodynamic diameters (ECAD)more » were up to 22 percent different from theoretical ECADs with the exception of Stages 1 and 2 which were respectively 30 and 35 percent different from theoretical ECADs. The overall loss of particles > 3- and < 0.3-..mu..m was severe. Also, considerable scatter of particles was observed on the collection crystals of Stages 1 and 2. Although a majority of particles were in the impaction area, a large fraction was scattered over the outer portions of these crystals.« less

Is low survival for cancer in Eastern Europe due principally to late stage at diagnosis?

PubMed

Minicozzi, Pamela; Walsh, Paul M; Sánchez, Maria-José; Trama, Annalisa; Innos, Kaire; Marcos-Gragera, Rafael; Dimitrova, Nadya; Botta, Laura; Johannesen, Tom B; Rossi, Silvia; Sant, Milena

2018-04-01

Cancer survival has persistently been shown to be worse for Eastern European and UK/Ireland patients than those of other European regions. This is often attributed to later stage at diagnosis. However, few stage-specific survival comparisons are available, so it is unclear whether poorer quality treatment or other factors also contribute. For the first time, European cancer registries have provided stage-at-diagnosis data to EUROCARE, enabling population-based stage-specific survival estimates across Europe. In this retrospective observational study, stage at diagnosis (as TNM, condensed TNM, or Extent of Disease) was analysed for patients (≥15 years) from 15 countries grouped into 4 regions (Northern Europe: Norway; Central Europe: Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands; Southern Europe: Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain; and Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia), diagnosed with 7 malignant cancers in 2000-2007, and followed to end of 2008. A new variable (reconstructed stage) was created which used all available stage information. Age-standardised 5-year relative survival (RS) by reconstructed stage was estimated and compared between regions. Excess risks of cancer death in the 5 years after diagnosis were also estimated, taking age, sex and stage into account. Low proportions of Eastern European patients were diagnosed with local stage cancers and high proportions with metastatic stage cancers. Stage-specific RS (especially for non-metastatic disease) was generally lower for Eastern European patients. After adjusting for age, sex, and stage, excess risks of death remained higher for Eastern European patients than for European patients in general. Late diagnosis alone does not explain worse cancer survival in Eastern Europe: greater risk of cancer death together with worse stage-specific survival suggest less effective care, probably in part because fewer resources are allocated to health care than in the rest of Europe. We recommend that Eastern European cancer registries and other involved bodies to draw attention to poor cancer survival, so as to stimulate research and inform policies to improve outcomes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Merits of full flow vs. conventional staged combustion cycles for reusable launch vehicle propulsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peery, Steven D.; Parsley, Randy C.

1996-03-01

This paper provides a comparison between full-flow and conventional staged combustion thermodynamic O2/H2 rocket engine cycles for Reusable Launch Vehicle, RLV, single-stage-to-orbit applications. The impact of the cycle thermodynamics, component configuration, and component operating parameters on engine performance and weight for the two approaches is presented. Both cycles were modeled with equivalent technology turbomachinery and chamber/nozzle RLV life requirements. The first order impact of cycle selection, pump exit pressure, and turbine temperature on the empty weight of an SSTO Reusable Launch Vehicle is presented.

Managing oral phosphate binder medication expenditures within the Medicare bundled end-stage renal disease prospective payment system: economic implications for large U.S. dialysis organizations.

PubMed

Park, Haesuk; Rascati, Karen L; Keith, Michael S

2015-06-01

From January 2016, payment for oral-only renal medications (including phosphate binders and cinacalcet) was expected to be included in the new Medicare bundled end-stage renal disease (ESRD) prospective payment system (PPS). The implementation of the ESRD PPS has generated concern within the nephrology community because of the potential for inadequate funding and the impact on patient quality of care. To estimate the potential economic impact of the new Medicare bundled ESRD PPS reimbursement from the perspective of a large dialysis organization in the United States. We developed an interactive budget impact model to evaluate the potential economic implications of Medicare payment changes to large dialysis organizations treating patients with ESRD who are receiving phosphate binders. In this analysis, we focused on the budget impact of the intended 2016 integration of oral renal drugs, specifically oral phosphate binders, into the PPS. We also utilized the model to explore the budgetary impact of a variety of potential shifts in phosphate binder market shares under the bundled PPS from 2013 to 2016. The base model predicts that phosphate binder costs will increase to $34.48 per dialysis session in 2016, with estimated U.S. total costs for phosphate binders of over $682 million. Based on these estimates, a projected Medicare PPS $33.44 reimbursement rate for coverage of all oral-only renal medications (i.e., phosphate binders and cinacalcet) would be insufficient to cover these costs. A potential renal drugs and services budget shortfall for large dialysis organizations of almost $346 million was projected. Our findings suggest that large dialysis organizations will be challenged to manage phosphate binder expenditures within the planned Medicare bundled rate structure. As a result, large dialysis organizations may have to make treatment choices in light of potential inadequate funding, which could have important implications for the quality of care for patients with ESRD.

Predicting invasiveness of species in trade: Climate match, trophic guild and fecundity influence establishment and impact of non-native freshwater fishes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howeth, Jennifer G.; Gantz, Crysta A.; Angermeier, Paul; Frimpong, Emmanuel A.; Hoff, Michael H.; Keller, Reuben P.; Mandrak, Nicholas E.; Marchetti, Michael P.; Olden, Julian D.; Romagosa, Christina M.; Lodge, David M.

2016-01-01

AimImpacts of non-native species have motivated development of risk assessment tools for identifying introduced species likely to become invasive. Here, we develop trait-based models for the establishment and impact stages of freshwater fish invasion, and use them to screen non-native species common in international trade. We also determine which species in the aquarium, biological supply, live bait, live food and water garden trades are likely to become invasive. Results are compared to historical patterns of non-native fish establishment to assess the relative importance over time of pathways in causing invasions.LocationLaurentian Great Lakes region.MethodsTrait-based classification trees for the establishment and impact stages of invasion were developed from data on freshwater fish species that established or failed to establish in the Great Lakes. Fishes in trade were determined from import data from Canadian and United States regulatory agencies, assigned to specific trades and screened through the developed models.ResultsClimate match between a species’ native range and the Great Lakes region predicted establishment success with 75–81% accuracy. Trophic guild and fecundity predicted potential harmful impacts of established non-native fishes with 75–83% accuracy. Screening outcomes suggest the water garden trade poses the greatest risk of introducing new invasive species, followed by the live food and aquarium trades. Analysis of historical patterns of introduction pathways demonstrates the increasing importance of these trades relative to other pathways. Comparisons among trades reveal that model predictions parallel historical patterns; all fishes previously introduced from the water garden trade have established. The live bait, biological supply, aquarium and live food trades have also contributed established non-native fishes.Main conclusionsOur models predict invasion risk of potential fish invaders to the Great Lakes region and could help managers prioritize efforts among species and pathways to minimize such risk. Similar approaches could be applied to other taxonomic groups and geographic regions.

Psychological impact of working with patients with cystic fibrosis at end-of-life, pre-transplant stage.

PubMed

Clisby, Nicola; Shaw, Samantha; Cormack, Maggie

2013-04-01

Multidisciplinary staff who work with end-of-life, pre-transplant patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) have to juggle two seemingly opposing care approaches; active care to maintain their patients' health and condition in anticipation of a transplant, and sensitive palliative care that takes their end-of-life wishes into consideration should they not receive a transplant. Little is known about the psychological impact on staff working within this care dichotomy. The aim of this study is to explore staff's experiences and understand more about the psychological impact of this work on them professionally and personally, and how this affects their ability to provide appropriate care for their patients. A qualitative explorative research design was used. Ten semistructured interviews with multidisciplinary staff working in cystic fibrosis centers and units across the United Kingdom were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Two superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: factors contributing to the "juggle" of active and palliative care, and extent of emotional impact on staff. The study indicates that there is an emotional impact on staff working with patients with CF at end-of-life, pre-transplant stages. Specifically, it reveals the extent of the unpredictability that staff work with, and the range of emotions that staff experience, including uncertainty about professional identity and anxiety about working practices. The depth and intimacy of professional-patient relationships is highlighted, particularly for staff in close contact with and similar in age to their patients. Additionally, the strength of staff's commitment and desire to care for patients within broader humanistic terms that mesh with their own personal values is brought to light. Despite the difficulties with their work, the majority of staff adopted numerous coping strategies to manage their emotions, many of which emphasized the link between their professional and personal values in undertaking their roles.

Impact of SciELO and MEDLINE indexing on submissions to Jornal de Pediatria.

PubMed

Blank, Danilo; Buchweitz, Claudia; Procianoy, Renato S

2005-01-01

To evaluate the impact of SciELO and MEDLINE indexing on the number of articles submitted to Jornal de Pediatria. Analysis of total article submission, submission of articles from foreign countries and acceptance figures in the following periods: stage I - pre-website (Jan 2000-Mar 2001); stage II - website (Apr 2001-Jul 2002); stage III - SciELO (Aug 2002-Aug 2003); stage IV - MEDLINE (Sep 2003-Dec 2004). There was a significant trend toward linear increase in the number of submissions along the study period (p = 0.009). The number of manuscripts submitted in stages I through IV was 184, 240, 297, and 482, respectively. The number of submissions was similar in stages I and II (p = 0.148), but statistically higher in Stage III (p < 0.001 vs. Stage I and p = 0.006 vs. Stage II) and Stage IV (p < 0.001 vs. stages I and II, and p < 0.05 vs. stage III). The rate of article acceptance decreased during the study period. The number of original articles published has been stable since the 2001 March/April issue (n = 10), when the journal reached a printed page limit, leading to stricter judgment criteria and a relative decrease in acceptance rate. The number of foreign submissions in stages I through IV was 1, 2, zero and 17, respectively, with p < 0.001 for the comparison of stage IV with previous stages. SciELO indexing was associated with an increase in Brazilian manuscript submissions to Jornal de Pediatria, whereas MEDLINE indexing led to an increase in both Brazilian and foreign submissions.

Implementing a framework for goal setting in community based stroke rehabilitation: a process evaluation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Goal setting is considered ‘best practice’ in stroke rehabilitation; however, there is no consensus regarding the key components of goal setting interventions or how they should be optimally delivered in practice. We developed a theory-based goal setting and action planning framework (G-AP) to guide goal setting practice. G-AP has 4 stages: goal negotiation, goal setting, action planning & coping planning and appraisal & feedback. All stages are recorded in a patient-held record. In this study we examined the implementation, acceptability and perceived benefits of G-AP in one community rehabilitation team with people recovering from stroke. Methods G-AP was implemented for 6 months with 23 stroke patients. In-depth interviews with 8 patients and 8 health professionals were analysed thematically to investigate views of its implementation, acceptability and perceived benefits. Case notes of interviewed patients were analysed descriptively to assess the fidelity of G-AP implementation. Results G-AP was mostly implemented according to protocol with deviations noted at the planning and appraisal and feedback stages. Each stage was felt to make a useful contribution to the overall process; however, in practice, goal negotiation and goal setting merged into one stage and the appraisal and feedback stage included an explicit decision making component. Only two issues were raised regarding G-APs acceptability: (i) health professionals were concerned about the impact of goal non-attainment on patient’s well-being (patients did not share their concerns), and (ii) some patients and health professionals found the patient-held record unhelpful. G-AP was felt to have a positive impact on patient goal attainment and professional goal setting practice. Collaborative partnerships between health professionals and patients were apparent throughout the process. Conclusions G-AP has been perceived as both beneficial and broadly acceptable in one community rehabilitation team; however, implementation of novel aspects of the framework was inconsistent. The regulatory function of goal non-attainment and the importance of creating flexible partnerships with patients have been highlighted. Further development of the G-AP framework, training package and patient held record is required to address the specific issues highlighted by this process evaluation. Further evaluation of G-AP is required across diverse community rehabilitation settings. PMID:23705824

Monitoring of Yeast Communities and Volatile Flavor Changes During Traditional Korean Soy Sauce Fermentation.

PubMed

Song, Young-Ran; Jeong, Do-Youn; Baik, Sang-Ho

2015-09-01

Flavor development in soy sauce is significantly related to the diversity of yeast species. Due to its unique fermentation with meju, the process of making Korean soy sauce gives rise to a specific yeast community and, therefore, flavor profile; however, no detailed analysis of the identifying these structure has been performed. Changes in yeast community structure during Korean soy sauce fermentation were examined using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods with simultaneous analysis of the changes in volatile compounds by GC-MS analysis. During fermentation, Candida, Pichia, and Rhodotorula sp. were the dominant species, whereas Debaryomyces, Torulaspora, and Zygosaccharomyces sp. were detected only at the early stage. In addition, Cryptococcus, Microbotryum, Tetrapisispora, and Wickerhamomyces were detected as minor strains. Among the 62 compounds identified in this study, alcohols, ketones, and pyrazines were present as the major groups during the initial stages, whereas the abundance of acids with aldehydes increased as the fermentation progressed. Finally, the impacts of 10 different yeast strains found to participate in fermentation on the formation of volatile compounds were evaluated under soy-based conditions. It was revealed that specific species produced different profiles of volatile compounds, some of which were significant flavor contributors, especially volatile alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and ketones. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Grapevine Plasticity in Response to an Altered Microclimate: Sauvignon Blanc Modulates Specific Metabolites in Response to Increased Berry Exposure

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

Young, Philip R.; Eyeghe-Bickong, Hans A.; du Plessis, Kari

In this paper, the metabolic and physiological impacts of an altered microclimate on quality-associated primary and secondary metabolites in grape (Vitis vinifera) ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ berries was determined in a high-altitude vineyard. The leaf and lateral shoot removal in the bunch zones altered the microclimate by increasing the exposure of the berries. The physical parameters (berry diameter and weight), primary metabolites (sugars and organic acids), as well as bunch temperature and leaf water potential were predominantly not affected by the treatment. The increased exposure led to higher levels of specific carotenoids and volatile terpenoids in the exposed berries, with earlier berrymore » stages reacting distinctly from the later developmental stages. Plastic/nonplastic metabolite responses could be further classified to identify metabolites that were developmentally controlled and/or responded to the treatment in a predictable fashion (assessed over two consecutive vintages). The study demonstrates that grapevine berries exhibit a degree of plasticity within their secondary metabolites and respond physiologically to the increased exposure by increasing metabolites with potential antioxidant activity. Finally, taken together, the data provide evidence that the underlying physiological responses relate to the maintenance of stress pathways by modulating antioxidant molecules in the berries.« less

Grapevine Plasticity in Response to an Altered Microclimate: Sauvignon Blanc Modulates Specific Metabolites in Response to Increased Berry Exposure

DOE PAGES

Young, Philip R.; Eyeghe-Bickong, Hans A.; du Plessis, Kari; ...

2015-12-01

In this paper, the metabolic and physiological impacts of an altered microclimate on quality-associated primary and secondary metabolites in grape (Vitis vinifera) ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ berries was determined in a high-altitude vineyard. The leaf and lateral shoot removal in the bunch zones altered the microclimate by increasing the exposure of the berries. The physical parameters (berry diameter and weight), primary metabolites (sugars and organic acids), as well as bunch temperature and leaf water potential were predominantly not affected by the treatment. The increased exposure led to higher levels of specific carotenoids and volatile terpenoids in the exposed berries, with earlier berrymore » stages reacting distinctly from the later developmental stages. Plastic/nonplastic metabolite responses could be further classified to identify metabolites that were developmentally controlled and/or responded to the treatment in a predictable fashion (assessed over two consecutive vintages). The study demonstrates that grapevine berries exhibit a degree of plasticity within their secondary metabolites and respond physiologically to the increased exposure by increasing metabolites with potential antioxidant activity. Finally, taken together, the data provide evidence that the underlying physiological responses relate to the maintenance of stress pathways by modulating antioxidant molecules in the berries.« less

Grapevine Plasticity in Response to an Altered Microclimate: Sauvignon Blanc Modulates Specific Metabolites in Response to Increased Berry Exposure.

PubMed

Young, Philip R; Eyeghe-Bickong, Hans A; du Plessis, Kari; Alexandersson, Erik; Jacobson, Dan A; Coetzee, Zelmari; Deloire, Alain; Vivier, Melané A

2016-03-01

In this study, the metabolic and physiological impacts of an altered microclimate on quality-associated primary and secondary metabolites in grape (Vitis vinifera) 'Sauvignon Blanc' berries was determined in a high-altitude vineyard. The leaf and lateral shoot removal in the bunch zones altered the microclimate by increasing the exposure of the berries. The physical parameters (berry diameter and weight), primary metabolites (sugars and organic acids), as well as bunch temperature and leaf water potential were predominantly not affected by the treatment. The increased exposure led to higher levels of specific carotenoids and volatile terpenoids in the exposed berries, with earlier berry stages reacting distinctly from the later developmental stages. Plastic/nonplastic metabolite responses could be further classified to identify metabolites that were developmentally controlled and/or responded to the treatment in a predictable fashion (assessed over two consecutive vintages). The study demonstrates that grapevine berries exhibit a degree of plasticity within their secondary metabolites and respond physiologically to the increased exposure by increasing metabolites with potential antioxidant activity. Taken together, the data provide evidence that the underlying physiological responses relate to the maintenance of stress pathways by modulating antioxidant molecules in the berries. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Grapevine Plasticity in Response to an Altered Microclimate: Sauvignon Blanc Modulates Specific Metabolites in Response to Increased Berry Exposure1

PubMed Central

du Plessis, Kari; Jacobson, Dan A.

2016-01-01

In this study, the metabolic and physiological impacts of an altered microclimate on quality-associated primary and secondary metabolites in grape (Vitis vinifera) ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ berries was determined in a high-altitude vineyard. The leaf and lateral shoot removal in the bunch zones altered the microclimate by increasing the exposure of the berries. The physical parameters (berry diameter and weight), primary metabolites (sugars and organic acids), as well as bunch temperature and leaf water potential were predominantly not affected by the treatment. The increased exposure led to higher levels of specific carotenoids and volatile terpenoids in the exposed berries, with earlier berry stages reacting distinctly from the later developmental stages. Plastic/nonplastic metabolite responses could be further classified to identify metabolites that were developmentally controlled and/or responded to the treatment in a predictable fashion (assessed over two consecutive vintages). The study demonstrates that grapevine berries exhibit a degree of plasticity within their secondary metabolites and respond physiologically to the increased exposure by increasing metabolites with potential antioxidant activity. Taken together, the data provide evidence that the underlying physiological responses relate to the maintenance of stress pathways by modulating antioxidant molecules in the berries. PMID:26628747

Stage selection and restricted oviposition period improves cryopreservation of dipteran embryos.

PubMed

Rajamohan, Arun; Rinehart, Joseph P; Leopold, Roger A

2015-04-01

Embryos of two dipteran species (Musca domestica and Lucilia sericata) were assessed for an effective sampling time that would result in the highest post-cryopreservation hatch rate, with a primary goal to define species-specific egg collection periods and the effects of manual stage selection on post cryopreservation yield. The effects of the time taken to collect eggs on, (a) the proportion of embryos reaching a specific developmental stage between 17 and 20 h of development, and (b) the post-cryopreservation hatch rate were assessed. Permeabilization treatment applied at any stage of embryonic development did not significantly reduce embryo viability. Eggs collected over longer durations significantly reduced the number of embryos available in a specific developmental stage amenable to cryopreservation. Hatch percentage after cryopreservation of the embryos of M. domestica collected over a 60 min period was 10.7 ± 8.7% compared to 31 ± 5% for the eggs collected for just 15 min. Similarly, percent hatch in L. sericata resulted in 17.0 ± 3.9 and <2% for 15 and 60 min samples, respectively. Significantly higher hatching rates were obtained for cryopreservation after manual selection of specific embryonic developmental stages from the dechorionated samples. Post-cryopreservation hatching rate for stage-selected M. domestica embryos was 86.5 ± 5.5% compared to 33.3 ± 4.5% for embryos staged only by an overall visual confirmation. In the case of L. sericata, the hatching percentage was 79.0 ± 11.1 for stage-selected embryos compared to 17.0 ± 3.9% without individual selection. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Duodenal localization is a negative predictor of survival after small bowel adenocarcinoma resection: A population-based, propensity score-matched analysis.

PubMed

Wilhelm, Alexander; Galata, Christian; Beutner, Ulrich; Schmied, Bruno M; Warschkow, Rene; Steffen, Thomas; Brunner, Walter; Post, Stefan; Marti, Lukas

2018-03-01

This study assessed the influence of tumor localization of small bowel adenocarcinoma on survival after surgical resection. Patients with resected small bowel adenocarcinoma, ACJJ stage I-III, were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2004 to 2013. The impact of tumor localization on overall and cancer-specific survival was assessed using Cox proportional hazard regression models with and without risk-adjustment and propensity score methods. Adenocarcinoma was localized to the duodenum in 549 of 1025 patients (53.6%). There was no time trend for duodenal localization (P = 0.514). The 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was 48.2% (95%CI: 43.3-53.7%) for patients with duodenal carcinoma and 66.6% (95%CI: 61.6-72.1%) for patients with cancer located in the jejunum or ileum. Duodenal localization was associated with worse overall and cancer-specific survival in univariable (HR = 1.73; HR = 1.81, respectively; both P < 0.001), multivariable (HR = 1.52; HR = 1.65; both P < 0.001), and propensity score-adjusted analyses (HR = 1.33, P = 0.012; HR = 1.50, P = 0.002). Furthermore, young age, retrieval of more than 12 regional lymph nodes, less advanced stage, and married matrimonial status were positive, independent prognostic factors. Duodenal localization is an independent risk factor for poor survival after resection of adenocarcinoma. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Attentional impairments in Huntington's disease: A specific deficit for the executive conflict.

PubMed

Maurage, Pierre; Heeren, Alexandre; Lahaye, Magali; Jeanjean, Anne; Guettat, Lamia; Verellen-Dumoulin, Christine; Halkin, Stéphane; Billieux, Joël; Constant, Eric

2017-05-01

Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by motor and cognitive impairments including memory, executive, and attentional functions. However, because earlier studies relied on multidetermined attentional tasks, uncertainty still abounds regarding the differential deficit across attentional subcomponents. Likewise, the evolution of these deficits during the successive stages of HD remains unclear. The present study simultaneously explored 3 distinct networks of attention (alerting, orienting, executive conflict) in preclinical and clinical HD. Thirty-eight HD patients (18 preclinical) and 38 matched healthy controls completed the attention network test, an integrated and theoretically grounded task assessing the integrity of 3 attentional networks. Preclinical HD was not characterized by any attentional deficit compared to controls. Conversely, clinical HD was associated with a differential deficit across the 3 attentional networks under investigation, showing preserved performance for alerting and orienting networks but massive and specific impairment for the executive conflict network. This indexes an impaired use of executive control to resolve the conflict between task-relevant stimuli and interfering task-irrelevant ones. Clinical HD does not lead to a global attentional deficit but rather to a specific impairment for the executive control of attention. Moreover, the absence of attentional deficits in preclinical HD suggests that these deficits are absent at the initial stages of the disease. In view of their impact on everyday life, attentional deficits should be considered in clinical contexts. Therapeutic programs improving the executive control of attention by neuropsychology and neuromodulation should be promoted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

A Monte Carlo Analysis for Collision Risk Assessment on Vega Launcher Payloads and LARES Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sindoni, G.; Ciufolini, I.; Battie, F.

2016-03-01

This work has been developed in the framework of the LARES mission of the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The LARES satellite has been built to test, with high accuracy, the frame-dragging effect predicted by the theory of General Relativity, specifically the Lense-Thirring drag of its node. LARES was the main payload in the qualification flight of the European Space Agency launcher VEGA. A concern arose about the possibility of an impact between the eight secondary payloads among themselves, with LARES and with the last stage of the launcher (AVUM). An impact would have caused failure on the payloads and the production of debris in violation of the space debris mitigation measures established internationally. As an additional contribution, this study allowed the effect of the payload release on the final manoeuvers of the AVUM to be understood.

Serum Magnesium after Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Garnier, Anne-Sophie; Duveau, Agnès; Planchais, Martin; Subra, Jean-François; Sayegh, Johnny; Augusto, Jean-François

2018-06-06

Magnesium (Mg) status has recently drawn close attention in chronic kidney disease and in kidney transplant recipients. This review aims to evaluate the body of evidence linking hypomagnesemia to clinical consequences in these specific populations. After a brief summary of the main mechanisms involved in Mg regulation and of Mg status in end-stage renal disease, the review focuses on the relationship between hypomagnesemia and cardiovascular risk in kidney transplant recipients. A body of evidence in recent studies points to a negative impact of hypomagnesemia on post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) and cardiovascular risk, which currently represent the main threat for morbidity and mortality in kidney transplantation. Deleterious biological mechanisms induced by hypomagnesemia are also discussed. While data analysis enables us to conclude that hypomagnesemia is linked to the development of PTDM, studies prospectively evaluating the impact of hypomagnesemia correction after kidney transplantation are still lacking and needed.

Barriers And Motivators for Smoking Cessation in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).

PubMed

Terrell, Deirdra R; Stewart, Lauren M; Tolma, Eleni L; McClain, Rebekah; Vesely, Sara K; James, Judith A

2015-11-01

Although studies have shown that smoking is detrimental to the health of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), studies regarding barriers and motivators for smoking cessation are lacking. The purpose of this study was to generate hypotheses regarding the barriers and motivators for smoking cessation in SLE patients. This study was based on the theoretical framework of the stages of change model. All participants met SLE classification criteria. Interviews were conducted with 16 current and 10 former smokers. Motivators included: medical reasons, readiness, and concern for others. Barriers included: enjoyment, coping mechanism, and an emotional connection. Participants were unsure of the impact of smoking on their medication and disease, and had mixed feelings regarding the impact on pain. The main motivator for cessation in this population was concern for one's health. Rheumatologists need to include disease specific harms and assess pain management strategies as part of cessation counseling.

Effect of blood pressure lowering on markers of kidney disease progression.

PubMed

Udani, Suneel M; Koyner, Jay L

2009-10-01

Hypertension remains a common comorbidity and cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). As the number of patients with CKD grows, so does the need to identify modifiable risk factors for CKD progression. Data on slowing progression of CKD or preventing end-stage renal disease with aggressive blood pressure control have not yielded definitive conclusions regarding ideal blood pressure targets. Shifting the focus of antihypertensive therapy to alternative markers of end-organ damage, specifically proteinuria, has yielded some promise in preventing the progression of CKD. Nevertheless, proteinuria and decline in estimated GFR may represent an irreversible degree of injury to the kidney that limits the impact of any therapy. The identification and use of novel markers of kidney injury to assess the impact of antihyper-tensive therapy may yield clearer direction with regard to optimal management of hypertension in the setting of CKD.

The impact of parental deployment to war on children: the crucial role of parenting.

PubMed

Gewirtz, Abigail H; Zamirt, Osnat

2014-01-01

It is estimated that approximately 2 million children have been affected by military deployment, yet much of what is known about the adjustment of children experiencing a parent's combat deployment has emerged only within the past 5-10 years. The extant literature on associations of parental deployment and children's adjustment is briefly reviewed by child's developmental stage. Applying a family stress model to the literature, we propose that the impact of parental deployment and reintegration on children's adjustment is largely mediated by parenting practices. Extensive developmental literature has demonstrated the importance of parenting for children's resilience in adverse contexts more generally, but not specifically in deployment contexts. We review the sparse literature on parenting in deployed families as well as emerging data on empirically supported parenting interventions for military families. An agenda for future research in this area is proffered.

[Youth Healthcare guideline 'Skin disorders'].

PubMed

Deurloo, Jacqueline A; van Gameren-Oosterom, Helma B M; Kamphuis, Mascha

2012-01-01

There is a high incidence of skin disorders; these are also frequently encountered within Youth Healthcare (YHC). Some skin disorders are caused by an underlying disease, syndrome or child abuse. Therefore, detection of these causes in an early stage is important. Skin disorders can have a huge psychosocial impact on both child and parents. This is one of the reasons why prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, referral, and uniform advice and guidance are of great importance. The YHC Guideline examines counselling and advice, criteria for referral to primary or secondary healthcare, and skincare in general. It also describes the disorders that should be actively detected. The Guideline also looks at specific aspects of dark skins and ethnic diversity, and the impact of skin disorders on general wellbeing. The accompanying web-based tool includes argumentation and opinions from experts on more than 75 skin disorders, including illustrations and decision trees, to aid the drawing up of a treatment plan.

Conditional survival estimates improve over time for patients with advanced melanoma: results from a population-based analysis.

PubMed

Xing, Yan; Chang, George J; Hu, Chung-Yuan; Askew, Robert L; Ross, Merrick I; Gershenwald, Jeffrey E; Lee, Jeffrey E; Mansfield, Paul F; Lucci, Anthony; Cormier, Janice N

2010-05-01

Conditional survival (CS) has emerged as a clinically relevant measure of prognosis for cancer survivors. The objective of this analysis was to provide melanoma-specific CS estimates to help clinicians promote more informed patient decision making. Patients with melanoma and at least 5 years of follow-up were identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results registry (1988-2000). By using the methods of Kaplan and Meier, stage-specific, 5-year CS estimates were independently calculated for survivors for each year after diagnosis. Stage-specific multivariate Cox regression models including baseline survivor functions were used to calculate adjusted melanoma-specific CS for different subgroups of patients further stratified by age, gender, race, marital status, anatomic tumor location, and tumor histology. Five-year CS estimates for patients with stage I disease remained constant at 97% annually, while for patients with stages II, III, and IV disease, 5-year CS estimates from time 0 (diagnosis) to 5 years improved from 72% to 86%, 51% to 87%, and 19% to 84%, respectively. Multivariate CS analysis revealed that differences in stages II through IV CS based on age, gender, and race decreased over time. Five-year melanoma-specific CS estimates improve dramatically over time for survivors with advanced stages of disease. These prognostic data are critical to patients for both treatment and nontreatment related life decisions. (c) 2010 American Cancer Society.

Spatial variations in mortality in pelagic early life stages of a marine fish (Gadus morhua)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langangen, Øystein; Stige, Leif C.; Yaragina, Natalia A.; Ottersen, Geir; Vikebø, Frode B.; Stenseth, Nils Chr.

2014-09-01

Mortality of pelagic eggs and larvae of marine fish is often assumed to be constant both in space and time due to lacking information. This may, however, be a gross oversimplification, as early life stages are likely to experience large variations in mortality both in time and space. In this paper we develop a method for estimating the spatial variability in mortality of eggs and larvae. The method relies on survey data and physical-biological particle-drift models to predict the drift of ichthyoplankton. Furthermore, the method was used to estimate the spatially resolved mortality field in the egg and larval stages of Barents Sea cod (Gadus morhua). We analyzed data from the Barents Sea for the period between 1959 and 1993 when there are two surveys available: a spring and a summer survey. An individual-based physical-biological particle-drift model, tailored to the egg and larval stages of Barents Sea cod, was used to predict the drift trajectories from the observed stage-specific distributions in spring to the time of observation in the summer, a drift time of approximately 45 days. We interpreted the spatial patterns in the differences between the predicted and observed abundance distributions in summer as reflecting the spatial patterns in mortality over the drift period. Using the estimated mortality fields, we show that the spatial variations in mortality might have a significant impact on survival to later life stages and we suggest that there may be trade-offs between increased early survival in off shore regions and reduced probability of ending up in the favorable nursing grounds in the Barents Sea. In addition, we show that accounting for the estimated mortality field, improves the correlation between a simulated recruitment index and observation-based indices of juvenile abundance.

Variation in the use of advanced imaging at the time of breast cancer diagnosis in a statewide registry.

PubMed

Henry, N Lynn; Braun, Thomas M; Breslin, Tara M; Gorski, David H; Silver, Samuel M; Griggs, Jennifer J

2017-08-01

Although national guidelines do not recommend extent of disease imaging for patients with newly diagnosed early stage breast cancer given that the harm outweighs the benefits, high rates of testing have been documented. The 2012 Choosing Wisely guidelines specifically addressed this issue. We examined the change over time in imaging use across a statewide collaborative, as well as the reasons for performing imaging and the impact on cost of care. Clinicopathologic data and use of advanced imaging tests (positron emission tomography, computed tomography, and bone scan) were abstracted from the medical records of patients treated at 25 participating sites in the Michigan Breast Oncology Quality Initiative (MiBOQI). For patients diagnosed in 2014 and 2015, reasons for testing were abstracted from the medical record. Of the 34,078 patients diagnosed with stage 0-II breast cancer between 2008 and 2015 in MiBOQI, 6853 (20.1%) underwent testing with at least 1 imaging modality in the 90 days after diagnosis. There was considerable variability in rates of testing across the 25 sites for all stages of disease. Between 2008 and 2015, testing decreased over time for patients with stage 0-IIA disease (all P < .001) and remained stable for stage IIB disease (P = .10). This decrease in testing over time resulted in a cost savings, especially for patients with stage I disease. Use of advanced imaging at the time of diagnosis decreased over time in a large statewide collaborative. Additional interventions are warranted to further reduce rates of unnecessary imaging to improve quality of care for patients with breast cancer. Cancer 2017;123:2975-83. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Vitamins and Microelement Bioavailability in Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

PubMed Central

Jankowska, Magdalena; Rutkowski, Bolesław; Dębska-Ślizień, Alicja

2017-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) predisposes one to either deficiency or toxic excess of different micronutrients. The knowledge on micronutrients—specifically water-soluble vitamins and trace elements—in CKD is very limited. Consequently, current guidelines and recommendations are mostly based on expert opinions or poor-quality evidence. Abnormalities of micronutrient resources in CKD develop for several reasons. Dietary restrictions and anorexia lead to an insufficient micronutrient intake, while diuretics use and renal replacement therapy lead to their excessive losses. Absorption is unpredictable, and metabolism impaired. Better understanding of the micronutrient needs of CKD patients could have an impact on many complications linked to vitamin and trace element disorders, including high mortality, increased risk of atherosclerosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, anemia, polyneuropathy, encephalopathy, weakness and fragility, muscle cramps, bone disease, depression, or insomnia. Here, we summarize the up-to-date knowledge on micronutrient resources in different stages of CKD, and share our experience with the assessment of micronutrient status. PMID:28294976

Impacts of frequent, acute pulses of corticosterone on condition and behavior of Gambel's white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii).

PubMed

Busch, D Shallin; Sperry, Todd S; Peterson, Eric; Do, Cam-Tu; Wingfield, John C; Boyd, Ellen H

2008-09-15

Little is known about how frequent, acute stressors affect wild animals. We present two experiments conducted on captive, Gambel's white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) that explore how frequent, acute doses of corticosterone (CORT) affect condition and behavior. CORT was administered either once or three times a day to birds in pre-breeding, early-breeding, or late-breeding life-history stages. Two additional groups were included to control for the CORT delivery vehicle, DMSO, and the treatment process. Our results indicate that CORT treatment decreases condition, but that its effects are dependent on frequency and life stage. Specifically, CORT-treated birds delayed the onset of molt and had reduced body mass, flight muscle, and food consumption. CORT treatment did not affect fat stores, bile retention in the gallbladder, or the expression of migratory restlessness behavior. These results increase our understanding of the effects of frequent, acute stressors and the development of chronic stress states.

Nondestructive Evaluation Methods for the Ares I Common Bulkhead

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, James

2010-01-01

A large scale bonding demonstration test article was fabricated to prove out manufacturing techniques for the current design of the NASA Ares I Upper Stage common bulkhead. The common bulkhead serves as the single interface between the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen portions of the Upper Stage propellant tank. The bulkhead consists of spin-formed aluminum domes friction stir welded to Y-rings and bonded to a perforated phenolic honeycomb core. Nondestructive evaluation methods are being developed for assessing core integrity and the core-to-dome bond line of the common bulkhead. Detection of manufacturing defects such as delaminations between the core and face sheets as well as service life defects such as crushed or sheared core resulting from impact loading are all of interest. The focus of this work will be on the application of thermographic, shearographic, and phased array ultrasonic methods to the bonding demonstration article as well as various smaller test panels featuring design specific defect types and geometric features.

Experimental Chagas disease-induced perturbations of the fecal microbiome and metabolome.

PubMed

McCall, Laura-Isobel; Tripathi, Anupriya; Vargas, Fernando; Knight, Rob; Dorrestein, Pieter C; Siqueira-Neto, Jair L

2018-03-01

Trypanosoma cruzi parasites are the causative agents of Chagas disease. These parasites infect cardiac and gastrointestinal tissues, leading to local inflammation and tissue damage. Digestive Chagas disease is associated with perturbations in food absorption, intestinal traffic and defecation. However, the impact of T. cruzi infection on the gut microbiota and metabolome have yet to be characterized. In this study, we applied mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and 16S rRNA sequencing to profile infection-associated alterations in fecal bacterial composition and fecal metabolome through the acute-stage and into the chronic stage of infection, in a murine model of Chagas disease. We observed joint microbial and chemical perturbations associated with T. cruzi infection. These included alterations in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) derivatives and in specific members of families Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae, as well as alterations in secondary bile acids and members of order Clostridiales. These results highlight the importance of multi-'omics' and poly-microbial studies in understanding parasitic diseases in general, and Chagas disease in particular.

A Multidisciplinary Sepsis Program Enabled by a Two-Stage Clinical Decision Support System: Factors That Influence Patient Outcomes.

PubMed

Amland, Robert C; Haley, James M; Lyons, Jason J

2016-11-01

Sepsis is an inflammatory response triggered by infection, with risk of in-hospital mortality fueled by disease progression. Early recognition and intervention by multidisciplinary sepsis programs may reverse the inflammatory response among at-risk patient populations, potentially improving outcomes. This retrospective study of a sepsis program enabled by a 2-stage sepsis Clinical Decision Support (CDS) system sought to evaluate the program's impact, identify early indicators that may influence outcomes, and uncover opportunities for quality improvement. Data encompassed 16 527 adult hospitalizations from 2014 and 2015. Of 2108 non-intensive care unit patients screened-in by sepsis CDS, 97% patients were stratified by 177 providers. Risk of adverse outcome improved 30% from baseline to year end, with gains materializing and stabilizing at month 7 after sepsis program go-live. Early indicators likely to influence outcomes include patient age, recent hospitalization, electrolyte abnormalities, hypovolemic shock, hypoxemia, patient location when sepsis CDS activated, and specific alert patterns. © The Author(s) 2015.

Dip in the gene pool: metagenomic survey of natural coccolithovirus communities.

PubMed

Pagarete, António; Kusonmano, Kanthida; Petersen, Kjell; Kimmance, Susan A; Martínez Martínez, Joaquín; Wilson, William H; Hehemann, Jan-Hendrik; Allen, Michael J; Sandaa, Ruth-Anne

2014-10-01

Despite the global oceanic distribution and recognised biogeochemical impact of coccolithoviruses (EhV), their diversity remains poorly understood. Here we employed a metagenomic approach to study the occurrence and progression of natural EhV community genomic variability. Analysis of EhV metagenomes from the early and late stages of an induced bloom led to three main discoveries. First, we observed resilient and specific genomic signatures in the EhV community associated with the Norwegian coast, which reinforce the existence of limitations to the capacity of dispersal and genomic exchange among EhV populations. Second, we identified a hyper-variable region (approximately 21kbp long) in the coccolithovirus genome. Third, we observed a clear trend for EhV relative amino-acid diversity to reduce from early to late stages of the bloom. This study validated two new methodological combinations, and proved very useful in the discovery of new genomic features associated with coccolithovirus natural communities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A review of risk management process in construction projects of developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahamid, R. A.; Doh, S. I.

2017-11-01

In the construction industry, risk management concept is a less popular technique. There are three main stages in the systematic approach to risk management in construction industry. These stages include: a) risk response; b) risk analysis and evaluation; and c) risk identification. The high risk related to construction business affects each of its participants; while operational analysis and management of construction related risks remain an enormous task to practitioners of the industry. This paper tends towards reviewing the existing literature on construction project risk managements in developing countries specifically on risk management process. The literature lacks ample risk management process approach capable of capturing risk impact on diverse project objectives. This literature review aims at discovering the frequently used techniques in risk identification and analysis. It also attempts to identify response to clarifying the different classifications of risk sources in the existing literature of developing countries, and to identify the future research directions on project risks in the area of construction in developing countries.

Clinical-Physiological Considerations in Patients Undergoing Staged Palliation for a Functionally Single Ventricle.

PubMed

Penny, Daniel J; Krishnamurthy, Rajesh

2016-08-01

The objectives of this review are to discuss the pathophysiology of the circulation with a functionally univentricular heart, with a focus on the unique physiologic characteristics, which provide the underpinnings for the management of these complex patients. MEDLINE and PubMed. The circulation of the patient with a functionally univentricular heart displays unique physiologic characteristics, which are quite different from those of the normal biventricular circulation. There are profound differences within the heart itself in terms of ventricular function, interventricular interactions, and myocardial architecture, which are likely to have significant implications for the efficiency of ventricular ejection and metabolism. The coupling between the systemic ventricle and the aorta also displays unique features. The 3D orientation of the Fontan anastomosis itself can profoundly impact cardiac output, although the "portal" pulmonary arterial bed is a crucial determinant of overall cardiovascular function. As a result, disease-specific approaches to improve cardiovascular function are required at all stages during the care of these complex patients.

Stress anisotropy and velocity anisotropy in low porosity shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuila, U.; Dewhurst, D. N.; Siggins, A. F.; Raven, M. D.

2011-04-01

Shales are known for often marked intrinsic anisotropy of many of their properties, including strength, permeability and velocity for example. In addition, it is well known that anisotropic stress fields can also have a significant impact on anisotropy of velocity, even in an isotropic medium. This paper sets out to investigate the ultrasonic velocity response of well-characterised low porosity shales from the Officer Basin in Western Australia to both isotropic and anisotropic stress fields and to evaluate the velocity response to the changing stress field. During consolidated undrained multi-stage triaxial tests on core plugs cut normal to bedding, V pv increases monotonically with increasing effective stress and V s1 behaves similarly although with some scatter. V ph and V sh remain constant initially but then decrease within each stage of the multi-stage test, although velocity from stage to stage at any given differential stress increases. This has the impact of decreasing both P-wave (ɛ) and S-wave anisotropy (γ) through application of differential stress within each loading stage. However, increasing the magnitude of an isotropic stress field has little effect on the velocity anisotropies. The intrinsic anisotropy of the shale remains reasonably high at the highest confining pressures. The results indicate the magnitude and orientation of the stress anisotropy with respect to the shale microfabric has a significant impact on the velocity response to changing stress fields.

Bridging Research and Environmental Regulatory Processes: The Role of Knowledge Brokers

PubMed Central

Pennell, Kelly G.; Thompson, Marcella; Rice, James W.; Senier, Laura; Brown, Phil; Suuberg, Eric

2013-01-01

Federal funding agencies increasingly require research investigators to ensure that federally-sponsored research demonstrates broader societal impact. Specifically, the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) requires research centers to include research translation and community engagement cores to achieve broader impacts, with special emphasis on improving environmental health policies through better scientific understanding. This paper draws on theoretical insights from the social sciences to show how incorporating knowledge brokers in research centers can facilitate translation of scientific expertise to influence regulatory processes and thus promote public health. Knowledge brokers connect academic researchers with decision-makers, to facilitate the translation of research findings into policies and programs. In this article, we describe the stages of the regulatory process and highlight the role of the knowledge broker and scientific expert at each stage. We illustrate the cooperation of knowledge brokers, scientific experts and policymakers using a case from the Brown University (Brown) SRP. We show how the Brown SRP incorporated knowledge brokers to engage scientific experts with regulatory officials around the emerging public health problem of vapor intrusion. In the Brown SRP, the knowledge broker brought regulatory officials into the research process, to help scientific experts understand the critical nature of this emerging public health threat, and helped scientific experts develop a research agenda that would inform the development of timely measures to protect public health. Our experience shows that knowledge brokers can enhance the impact of environmental research on public health by connecting policy decision-makers with scientific experts at critical points throughout the regulatory process. PMID:24083557

The Interplay Between Digital Media Use and Development.

PubMed

Gerwin, Roslyn L; Kaliebe, Kristopher; Daigle, Monica

2018-04-01

Today's youth develop immersed in a digital media world and the effects are specific to their developmental stage. Clinicians and caretakers should be mindful regarding digital media use patterns; however, this complex and reciprocal relationship defies simple linear descriptions. The impacts of digital media can be powerful. It is important to be cautious but not over-pathologize media use because digital media enables social connections, allows self-soothing in some children, and fills needs for stimulation and self-expression. Young children or those with psychiatric disorders or developmental delays should be considered vulnerable to harmful effects of media content and overuse. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy in Treating Younger Patients With Lung Metastases

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-09-23

Adult Rhabdomyosarcoma; Lung Metastases; Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Previously Treated Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma; Recurrent Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Recurrent Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma; Recurrent Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Wilms Tumor and Other Childhood Kidney Tumors; Stage IV Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage IV Wilms Tumor; Stage V Wilms Tumor; Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific; Unspecified Childhood Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

Prognostic impact of perineural invasion and lymphovascular invasion in advanced stage oral squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Jardim, J F; Francisco, A L N; Gondak, R; Damascena, A; Kowalski, L P

2015-01-01

Perineural invasion (PNI) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) have been associated with the risk of local recurrences and lymph node metastasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of PNI and LVI in patients with advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and floor of the mouth. One hundred and forty-two patients without previous treatment were selected. These patients underwent radical surgery with neck dissection and adjuvant treatment. Clinicopathological data were retrieved from the medical charts, including histopathology and surgery reports. Univariate analysis was performed to assess the impact of studied variables on survival. Overall survival was negatively influenced by six tumour-related factors: increasing T stage (P = 0.003), more than two clinically positive nodes (P = 0.002), extracapsular spread of lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), tumour thickness (P = 0.04), PNI (P < 0.001), and LVI (P = 0.012). Disease-free survival was influenced by PNI (P = 0.04), extracapsular spread of lymph node metastasis (P = 0.008), and N stage (P = 0.006). Multivariate analysis showed PNI to be an independent predictor for overall survival (P = 0.01) and disease-free survival (P = 0.03). Thus the presence of PNI in oral carcinoma surgical specimens has a significant impact on survival outcomes in patients with advanced stage tumours submitted to radical surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy/radiochemotherapy. Copyright © 2014 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of glenohumeral instability in rugby players.

PubMed

Funk, Lennard

2016-02-01

Rugby is a high-impact collision sport, with impact forces. Shoulder injuries are common and result in the longest time off sport for any joint injury in rugby. The most common injuries are to the glenohumeral joint with varying degrees of instability. The degree of instability can guide management. The three main types of instability presentations are: (1) frank dislocation, (2) subluxations and (3) subclinical instability with pain and clicking. Understanding the exact mechanism of injury can guide diagnosis with classical patterns of structural injuries. The standard clinical examination in a large, muscular athlete may be normal, so specific tests and techniques are needed to unearth signs of pathology. Taking these factors into consideration, along with the imaging, allows a treatment strategy. However, patient and sport factors need to be also considered, particularly the time of the season and stage of sporting career. Surgery to repair the structural damage should include all lesions found. In chronic, recurrent dislocations with major structural lesions, reconstruction procedures such as the Latarjet procedure yields better outcomes. Rehabilitation should be safe, goal-driven and athlete-specific. Return to sport is dependent on a number of factors, driven by the healing process, sport requirements and extrinsic pressures. Level of evidence V.

The impact of chronic kidney disease on medication choice and pharmacologic management in patients with heart failure.

PubMed

Shah, Syed Raza; Winchester, David E

2018-05-21

In the past few years, medical community, including doctors, have become increasingly aware of the fact that chronic kidney disease (CK) and heart failure (HF) have common risk factors which impacts one another in terms of choice of therapy. Areas covered: Management of these two diseases has been a challenge for physicians. The treatment goals for HF patients in CK are very important. They serve as the end-point in using a specific treatment for management and treatment of CK patients hence, decreasing mortality rates. In this review, we discuss the pharmacological approaches to managing patients with HF and CK, discussing current evidence based uptodate management strategies and guidelines in the general population with HF and CK. Expert Commentary: Newer novel drugs targeting specific signaling pathways are approaching the stages of clinical investigation including the direct renin inhibitors. They have been a highly attractive concept for the future in the management of these patients. However, while advances in technology elucidated many aspects of these diseases, many mysteries still remain. With continued research, we can expect more cost- effective and patient-friendly drug therapies to be developed in the near future.

Human disturbance alters endocrine and immune responses in the Galapagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

PubMed Central

French, Susannah S; DeNardo, Dale F.; Greives, Timothy J.; Strand, Christine R.; Demas, Gregory E.

2010-01-01

Anthropogenic disturbance is a relevant and widespread facilitator of environmental change and there is clear evidence that it impacts natural populations. While population-level responses to major anthropogenic changes have been well studied, individual physiological responses to mild disturbance can be equally critical to the long-term survival of a species, yet they remain largely unexamined. The current study investigated the impact of seemingly low-level anthropogenic disturbance (ecotourism) on stress responsiveness and specific fitness-related immune measures in different breeding stages of the marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Specifically, we found stress-induced elevations in plasma corticosterone among tourist-exposed populations relative to undisturbed populations. We also found changes in multiple immunological responses associated with stress-related effects of human disturbance, including bacterial killing ability, cutaneous wound healing, and hemolytic complement activity, and the responses varied according to reproductive state. By identifying health-related consequences of human disturbance, this study provides critical insight into the conservation of a well-known species that has a very distinct ecology. The study also broadens the foundation of knowledge needed to understand the global significance of various levels of human disturbance. PMID:20708010

Spade: An H Chondrite Impact-melt Breccia that Experienced Post-shock Annealing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan E.; Jones, Rhian H.

2006-01-01

The low modal abundances of relict chondrules (1.8 Vol%) and of coarse (i.e. >= 2200 micron-size) isolated mafic silicate grains (1.8 Vol%) in Spade relative to mean H6 chondrites (11.4 and 9.8 vol%, respectively) show Spade to be a rock that has experienced a significant degree of melting. Various petrographic features (e.g., chromite-plagioclase assemblages, chromite veinlets, silicate darkening) indicate that melting was caused by shock. Plagioclase was melted during the shock event and flowed so that it partially to completely surrounded nearby mafic silicate grains. During crystallization, plagioclase developed igneous zoning. Low-Ca pyroxene that crystallized from the melt (or equilibrated with the melt at high temperatures) acquired relatively high amounts of CaO. Metallic Fe-Ni cooled rapidly below the Fe-Ni solws and transformed into martensite. Subsequent reheating of the rock caused transformation of martensite into abundant duplex plessite. Ambiguities exist in the shock stage assignment of Spade. The extensive silicate darkening, the occurrence of chromite-plagioclase assemblages, and the impact-melted characteristics of Spade are consistent with shock stage S6. Low shock (stage S2) is indicated by the undulose extinction and lack of planar fractures in olivine. This suggests that Spade reached a maximum prior shock level equivalent to stage S6 and then experienced post-shock annealing (probably to stage Sl). These events were followed by a less intense impact that produced the undulose extinction in the olivine, characteristic of shock stage S2. Annealing could have occurred if Spade were emplaced near impact melts beneath the crater floor or deposited in close proximity to hot debris within an ejecta blanket. Spade firmly establishes the case for post-shock annealing. This may have been a common process on ordinary chondrites (OC) asteroids.

Silver nanoparticles induce developmental stage-specific embryonic phenotypes in zebrafish.

PubMed

Lee, Kerry J; Browning, Lauren M; Nallathamby, Prakash D; Osgood, Christopher J; Xu, Xiao-Hong Nancy

2013-12-07

Much is anticipated from the development and deployment of nanomaterials in biological organisms, but concerns remain regarding their biocompatibility and target specificity. Here we report our study of the transport, biocompatibility and toxicity of purified and stable silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, 13.1 ± 2.5 nm in diameter) upon the specific developmental stages of zebrafish embryos using single NP plasmonic spectroscopy. We find that single Ag NPs passively diffuse into five different developmental stages of embryos (cleavage, early-gastrula, early-segmentation, late-segmentation, and hatching stages), showing stage-independent diffusion modes and diffusion coefficients. Notably, the Ag NPs induce distinctive stage and dose-dependent phenotypes and nanotoxicity, upon their acute exposure to the Ag NPs (0-0.7 nM) for only 2 h. The late-segmentation embryos are most sensitive to the NPs with the lowest critical concentration (CNP,c < 0.02 nM) and highest percentages of cardiac abnormalities, followed by early-segmentation embryos (CNP,c < 0.02 nM), suggesting that disruption of cell differentiation by the NPs causes the most toxic effects on embryonic development. The cleavage-stage embryos treated with the NPs develop into a wide variety of phenotypes (abnormal finfold, tail/spinal cord flexure, cardiac malformation/edema, yolk sac edema, and acephaly). These organ structures are not yet developed in cleavage-stage embryos, suggesting that the earliest determinative events to create these structures are ongoing, and disrupted by NPs, which leads to the downstream effects. In contrast, the hatching embryos are most resistant to the Ag NPs, and majority of embryos (94%) develop normally, and none of them develop abnormally. Interestingly, early-gastrula embryos are less sensitive to the NPs than cleavage and segmentation stage embryos, and do not develop abnormally. These important findings suggest that the Ag NPs are not simple poisons, and they can target specific pathways in development, and potentially enable target specific study and therapy for early embryonic development.

Impact of tumor deposits on the prognosis and chemotherapy efficacy in stage III colorectal cancer patients with different lymph node status: a retrospective cohort study in China.

PubMed

Li, Xiao; An, Bang; Zhao, Qi; Qi, Jianni; Wang, Wenwen; Zhang, Di; Li, Zhen; Qin, Chengyong

2018-06-21

The goal was to determine whether tumor deposits (TDs) had effects on the overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), disease-free survival (DFS) and responses to chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with different lymph node (N) stages. The retrospective cohort study recruited 1,455 stage III CRC patients diagnosed at a single institution between January 2010 and July 2016. Patients were divided into TDs negative and positive groups. Based on whether they accepted chemotherapy, patients were further divided into chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy groups. Kaplan-Meier methods, univariate and multivariate analyses, and subset analyses based on the N stage were performed to compare the OS, CSS and DFS between different groups. Multivariate Cox analyses showed that TDs were independent prognostic markers for the OS (adjusted HR=1.929, 95% CI: 1.339-2.777), CSS (adjusted HR=1.789, 95% CI: 1.165-2.748) and DFS (adjusted HR=2.179, 95% CI: 1.612-2.944) in all N stages combined. In addition, subset analyses based on the N stage further demonstrated that TDs were independent risk factors for the OS (P=0.012), CSS (P=0.010) and DFS (P<0.001) in patients with the N1a, 1 b stages, and for the OS (P=0.023) and DFS (P<0.001) in patients with the N2a, 2 b stages. Furthermore, the OS, CSS and DFS in the TDs negative group could be extended significantly after the administration of chemotherapy, whereas patients with positive TDs lost the DFS benefit from chemotherapy. Stage III CRC patients with positive TDs had a poor prognosis, and they did not display a DFS benefit from chemotherapy. TDs had adverse effects on the OS and DFS in patients with the N1a, 1 b and N2a, 2 b stages, providing evidence for the feasibility of the new TNM category method. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

10 CFR 51.53 - Postconstruction environmental reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... impact statement; supplements to the final environmental impact statement, including supplements prepared at the license renewal stage; NRC staff-prepared final generic environmental impact statements; and... reflect new information in addition to that discussed in the final environmental impact statement prepared...

To evaluate disparity between clinical and pathological tumor-node-metastasis staging in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma patients and its impact on overall survival: An institutional study.

PubMed

Gupta, Karan; Panda, Naresh K; Bakshi, Jaimanti; Das, Ashim

2015-01-01

Accurate clinical staging is important for patient counseling, treatment planning, prognostication, and rational design of clinical trials. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, discrepancy between clinical and pathological staging has been reported. To evaluate any disparity between clinical and pathological tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) patients and any impact of the same on survival. Retrospective chart review from year 2007 to 2013, at a tertiary care center. All survival analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows version 15 (Chicago, IL, USA). Disease-free survival curves were generated using Kaplan-Meier algorithm. One hundred and twenty-seven patients with OCSCC were analyzed. Seventy-nine (62.2%) were males and 48 (37.8%) females with a mean age at presentation 43.6 years (29-79 years). The highest congruence between clinical and pathological T-staging seen for clinical stage T1 and T4 at 76.9% and 73.4% with pathological T-stage. Similarly, the highest congruence between clinical and pathological N-stage seen for clinical N0 and N3 at 86.4% and 91.7% with pathological N-stage. Of clinically early stage patients, 67.5% remained early stage, and 32.5% were upstaged to advanced stage following pathological analysis. Of the clinically advanced stage patients, 75% remained advanced, and 25% were pathologically downstaged. This staging discrepancy did not significantly alter the survival. Some disparity exists in clinical and pathological TNM staging of OCSCC, which could affect treatment planning and survival of patients. Hence, more unified and even system of staging for the disease is required for proper decision-making.

Imitation Learning Errors Are Affected by Visual Cues in Both Performance and Observation Phases.

PubMed

Mizuguchi, Takashi; Sugimura, Ryoko; Shimada, Hideaki; Hasegawa, Takehiro

2017-08-01

Mechanisms of action imitation were examined. Previous studies have suggested that success or failure of imitation is determined at the point of observing an action. In other words, cognitive processing after observation is not related to the success of imitation; 20 university students participated in each of three experiments in which they observed a series of object manipulations consisting of four elements (hands, tools, object, and end points) and then imitated the manipulations. In Experiment 1, a specific intially observed element was color coded, and the specific manipulated object at the imitation stage was identically color coded; participants accurately imitated the color coded element. In Experiment 2, a specific element was color coded at the observation but not at the imitation stage, and there were no effects of color coding on imitation. In Experiment 3, participants were verbally instructed to attend to a specific element at the imitation stage, but the verbal instructions had no effect. Thus, the success of imitation may not be determined at the stage of observing an action and color coding can provide a clue for imitation at the imitation stage.

Analysis of rice policy based on presidential instruction on household food security: simultaneous equation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembiring, S. A.

2018-02-01

The objective of this research is to analyze the impacts of rice policy on the household food security. The research used cross section data, were collected from 74 respondent as determined by purposive sampling in Sei Rejo villages, the Sub District of Sei Rampah, Serdang Bedagai District in the Province of North Sumatera. Rice policy model specification uses the simultaneous equations consisting of 6 structural equations and 6 identity equations which was estimated using Two Stages Least Squares (2SLS) method. The results show that the effectiveness of government purchase price of dried harvest paddy gave a positive impact on paddy planted area and lead to an increase paddy production and an increase of the rice production gave a positive impact on household rice availability and household rice surplus, and the increase of household rice surplus gave the quantity of Raskin decrease, whereas the increase of fertilizers gave a negative impact on paddy planted area and lead to decrease paddy production and to decrease in rice production was followed by an decrease in household rice availability and household rice surplus, and the decrease of household rice surplus gave the quantity of Raskin increase.

Fungal community dynamics during a marine dinoflagellate (Noctiluca scintillans) bloom.

PubMed

Sun, Jing-Yun; Song, Yu; Ma, Zhi-Ping; Zhang, Huai-Jing; Yang, Zhong-Duo; Cai, Zhong-Hua; Zhou, Jin

2017-10-01

Contamination and eutrophication have caused serious ecological events (such as algal bloom) in coastal area. During this ecological process, microbial community structure is critical for algal bloom succession. The diversity and composition of bacteria and archaea communities in algal blooms have been widely investigated; however, those of fungi are poorly understood. To fill this gap, we used pyrosequencing and correlation approaches to assess fungal patterns and associations during a dinoflagellate (Noctiluca scintillans) bloom. Phylum level fungal types were predominated by Ascomycota, Chytridiomycota, Mucoromycotina, and Basidiomycota. At the genus level drastic changes were observed with Hysteropatella, Malassezia and Saitoella dominating during the initial bloom stage, while Malassezia was most abundant (>50%) during onset and peak-bloom stages. Saitoella and Lipomyces gradually became more abundant and, in the decline stage, contributed almost 70% of sequences. In the terminal stage of the bloom, Rozella increased rapidly to a maximum of 50-60%. Fungal population structure was significantly influenced by temperature and substrate (N and P) availability (P < 0.05). Inter-specific network analyses demonstrated that Rozella and Saitoella fungi strongly impacted the ecological trajectory of N. scintillans. The functional prediction show that symbiotrophic fungi was dominated in the onset stage; saprotroph type was the primary member present during the exponential growth period; whereas pathogentroph type fungi enriched in decline phase. Overall, fungal communities and functions correlated significantly with N. scintillans processes, suggesting that they may regulate dinoflagellate bloom fates. Our results will facilitate deeper understanding of the ecological importance of marine fungi and their roles in algal bloom formation and collapse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early Brain Vulnerability in Wolfram Syndrome

PubMed Central

Hershey, Tamara; Lugar, Heather M.; Shimony, Joshua S.; Rutlin, Jerrel; Koller, Jonathan M.; Perantie, Dana C.; Paciorkowski, Alex R.; Eisenstein, Sarah A.; Permutt, M. Alan

2012-01-01

Wolfram Syndrome (WFS) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, optic nerve atrophy, diabetes insipidus, deafness, and neurological dysfunction leading to death in mid-adulthood. WFS is caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene, which lead to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated cell death. Case studies have found widespread brain atrophy in late stage WFS. However, it is not known when in the disease course these brain abnormalities arise, and whether there is differential vulnerability across brain regions and tissue classes. To address this limitation, we quantified regional brain abnormalities across multiple imaging modalities in a cohort of young patients in relatively early stages of WFS. Children and young adults with WFS were evaluated with neurological, cognitive and structural magnetic resonance imaging measures. Compared to normative data, the WFS group had intact cognition, significant anxiety and depression, and gait abnormalities. Compared to healthy and type 1 diabetic control groups, the WFS group had smaller intracranial volume and preferentially affected gray matter volume and white matter microstructural integrity in the brainstem, cerebellum and optic radiations. Abnormalities were detected in even the youngest patients with mildest symptoms, and some measures did not follow the typical age-dependent developmental trajectory. These results establish that WFS is associated with smaller intracranial volume with specific abnormalities in the brainstem and cerebellum, even at the earliest stage of clinical symptoms. This pattern of abnormalities suggests that WFS has a pronounced impact on early brain development in addition to later neurodegenerative effects, representing a significant new insight into the WFS disease process. Longitudinal studies will be critical for confirming and expanding our understanding of the impact of ER stress dysregulation on brain development. PMID:22792385

Interactions of sex and early life social experiences at two developmental stages shape nonapeptide receptor profiles.

PubMed

Hiura, Lisa C; Ophir, Alexander G

2018-05-31

Early life social experiences are critical to behavioral and cognitive development, and can have a tremendous influence on developing social phenotypes. Most work has focused on outcomes of experiences at a single stage of development (e.g., perinatal, or post-weaning). Few studies have assessed the impact of social experience at multiple developmental stages and across sex. Oxytocin and vasopressin are profoundly important for modulating social behavior and these nonapeptide systems are highly sensitive to developmental social experience, particularly in brain areas important for social behavior. We investigated whether oxytocin receptor (OTR) and vasopressin receptor (V1aR) distributions of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) change as a function of parental composition within the natal nest or social composition after weaning. We raised pups either in the presence or absence of their fathers. At weaning, offspring were housed either individually or with a same-sex sibling. We also examined whether changes in receptor distributions are sexually dimorphic because the impact of the developmental environment on the nonapeptide system could be sex-dependent. We found that differences in nonapeptide receptor expression were region-, sex-, and rearing condition-specific, indicating a high level of complexity in the ways that early life experiences shape the social brain. We found many more differences in V1aR density compared to OTR density, indicating that nonapeptide receptors demonstrate differential levels of neural plasticity and sensitivity to environmental and biological variables. Our data highlight that critical factors including biological sex and multiple experiences across the developmental continuum interact in complex ways to shape the social brain. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Anti-inflammatory use may not negatively impact oncologic outcomes following intravesical BCG for high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

PubMed

Singla, Nirmish; Haddad, Ahmed Q; Passoni, Niccolo M; Meissner, Matthew; Lotan, Yair

2017-01-01

To evaluate whether anti-inflammatory agents affect outcomes in patients receiving intravesical BCG therapy for high-grade (HG) non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). We reviewed the records of 203 patients in a prospective database of HG NMIBC from 2006 to 2012 at a single institution. Patients who had muscle-invasive disease (n = 32), low-grade pathology (n = 4), underwent early cystectomy within 3 months (n = 25), had <3 months of follow-up (n = 11), or did not receive an induction course of intravesical BCG (n = 32) were excluded. Clinicopathologic data were tabulated including demographics, comorbidities, pathologic stage and grades, intravesical therapy, and concomitant use of aspirin, NSAIDs, COX inhibitors, and statins. Multivariate Cox regression analysis explored predictive factors for recurrence, progression (stage progression or progression to cystectomy), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). Ninety-nine patients with HG NMIBC who received at least one induction course of intravesical BCG were identified, with median follow-up of 31.4 months. There were 20 (20.2 %) deaths, including 6 (6.1 %) patients with bladder cancer-related mortality. 13 % patients experienced tumor progression and 27 % underwent cystectomy following failure of intravesical therapy. Anti-inflammatory use included statins (65 %), aspirin (63 %), or non-aspirin NSAIDs/COX inhibitors (26 %). Anti-inflammatory use was not significantly predictive of recurrence, progression, or mortality outcomes on Cox regression. CIS stage was associated with higher progression, while age, BMI, and Charlson score were independent predictors of overall mortality. Despite speculation of inhibitory effects on BCG immunomodulation there was no evidence that anti-inflammatory agents impacted oncologic outcomes in patients receiving BCG for HG NMIBC.

Impact on Scientific Inquiry of a Backwards-Faded Scaffolding Approach to Inquiry-based Space Science for Non-Science Majoring Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyons, D. J.; Slater, S. J.; Slater, T. F.

2011-12-01

Exploring the impact of a novel inquiry-based earth and space science laboratory curriculum designed using the Backwards Faded Scaffolding inquiry teaching framework on non-science majoring undergraduate students' views of the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI), this study focused on two aspects of NOSI: The Distinction between Data and Evidence (DvE), and The Multiple Methods of Science (MMS). In the first stage, student participant views of NOSI were measured using the VOSI-4 research instrument before and after the intervention. In the second stage, the quantitative results were used to strategically design a qualitative investigation, in which the four lab instructors were interviewed about their observations of how the student participants interacted with the intervention curriculum as compared to traditional lab activities, as well as their suggestions as to how the curriculum may or may not have contributed to the results of the first stage. These interviews were summarized and analyzed for common themes as to how the intervention curriculum influenced the students' understandings of the two aspect of NOSI. According to the results of a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, there was a significant shift in the distributions of both samples toward a more informed understanding of DvE after the intervention curriculum was administered, while there was no significant change in either direction for understanding of MMS. The results of the instructor interview analysis suggested that the intervention curriculum provided multiple opportunities for students to evaluate and determine the relevance of data in the context of producing evidence-based conclusions directly related to specific research questions, thereby supporting the development of more informed views of DvE.

Number of Lymph Nodes Removed and Survival after Gastric Cancer Resection: An Analysis from the U.S. Gastric Cancer Collaborative

PubMed Central

Gholami, Sepideh; Janson, Lucas; Worhunsky, David J.; Tran, Thuy B.; Squires, Malcolm Hart; Jin, Linda X.; Spolverato, Gaya; Votanopoulos, Konstantinos I.; Schmidt, Carl; Weber, Sharon M.; Bloomston, Mark; Cho, Clifford S.; Levine, Edward A.; Fields, Ryan C.; Pawlik, Timothy M.; Maithel, Shishir K.; Efron, Bradley; Norton, Jeffrey A.; Poultsides, George A.

2015-01-01

Background Examination of at least 16 lymph nodes (LNs) has been traditionally recommended during gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) resection to optimize staging, but the impact of this strategy on survival is uncertain. As recent randomized trials have demonstrated a therapeutic benefit from extended lymphadenectomy, we sought to investigate the impact of the number of LNs removed on prognosis after GAC resection. Study Design Patients who underwent gastrectomy for GAC from 2000 to 2012 at seven US academic institutions were analyzed. Patients with M1 disease or R2 resections were excluded. Disease-specific survival (DSS) was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using log-rank and Cox regression analyses. Results Of 742 patients, 257 (35%) had 7–15 LNs removed and 485 (65%) had ≥16 LNs removed. DSS was not significantly longer after removal of ≥16 versus 7–15 LNs (10-year, 55% versus 47%; P = 0.53) for the entire cohort, but was significantly improved in the subset of patients with stage IA-IIIA (10-year, 74% versus 57%; P = 0.018) or N0-2 disease (72% versus 55%, P = 0.023). Similarly, for patients who were classified to more likely be “true N0-2”, based on frequentist analysis incorporating both the number of positive and of total LNs removed, the hazard ratio for disease-related death (adjusted for T stage, R status, grade, receipt of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy, as well as institution) significantly decreased as the number of LNs removed increased. Conclusions The number of lymph nodes removed during gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma appears itself to have prognostic implications on long-term survival. PMID:26206635

Human disturbance and stage-specific habitat requirements influence snowy plover site occupancy during the breeding season

PubMed Central

Webber, Alyson F; Heath, Julie A; Fischer, Richard A

2013-01-01

Habitat use has important consequences for avian reproductive success and survival. In coastal areas with recreational activity, human disturbance may limit use of otherwise suitable habitat. Snowy plovers Charadrius nivosus have a patchy breeding distribution along the coastal areas on the Florida Panhandle, USA. Our goal was to determine the relative effects of seasonal human disturbance and habitat requirements on snowy plover habitat use. We surveyed 303 sites for snowy plovers, human disturbance, and habitat features between January and July 2009 and 2010. We made multiple visits during three different sampling periods that corresponded to snowy plover breeding: pre-breeding, incubation, and brood-rearing and used multi-season occupancy models to examine whether human disturbance, habitat features, or both influenced site occupancy, colonization (probability of transition from an unoccupied site to an occupied site), and extinction (probability of transition from an occupied site to an unoccupied site). Snowy plover site occupancy and colonization was negatively associated with human disturbance and site extinction was positively associated with human disturbance. Interdune vegetation had a negative effect on occupancy and colonization, indicating that plovers were less likely to use areas with uniform, dense vegetation among dunes. Also, dune shape, beach debris, and access to low-energy foraging areas influenced site occupancy, colonization, and extinction. Plovers used habitat based on beach characteristics that provided stage-specific resource needs; however, human disturbance was the strongest predictor of site occupancy. In addition, vegetation plantings used to enhance dune rehabilitation may negatively impact plover site occupancy. Management actions that decrease human disturbance, such as symbolic fencing and signage, may increase the amount of breeding habitat available to snowy plovers on the Florida Panhandle and in other areas with high human activity. The specific areas that require this protection may vary across snowy plover life history stages. PMID:23610630

The impact of kitchen and food service preparation practices on the volatile aroma profile in ripe tomatoes: Effects of refrigeration and blanching

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Both refrigeration and blanching of red stage tomatoes are common practices in Japan home kitchens and in food service operations. However, little is reported on the impact of such practices on aroma profiles in tomato fruits. In this study, ‘FL 47’ tomatoes at red stage were dipped in 50 °C hot wat...

Histogram analysis of diffusion kurtosis imaging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Correlation between quantitative parameters and clinical stage.

PubMed

Xu, Xiao-Quan; Ma, Gao; Wang, Yan-Jun; Hu, Hao; Su, Guo-Yi; Shi, Hai-Bin; Wu, Fei-Yun

2017-07-18

To evaluate the correlation between histogram parameters derived from diffusion-kurtosis (DK) imaging and the clinical stage of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). High T-stage (T3/4) NPC showed significantly higher Kapp-mean (P = 0.018), Kapp-median (P = 0.029) and Kapp-90th (P = 0.003) than low T-stage (T1/2) NPC. High N-stage NPC (N2/3) showed significantly lower Dapp-mean (P = 0.002), Dapp-median (P = 0.002) and Dapp-10th (P < 0.001) than low N-stage NPC (N0/1). High AJCC-stage NPC (III/IV) showed significantly lower Dapp-10th (P = 0.038) than low AJCC-stage NPC (I/II). ROC analyses indicated that Kapp-90th was optimal for predicting high T-stage (AUC, 0.759; sensitivity, 0.842; specificity, 0.607), while Dapp-10th was best for predicting high N- and AJCC-stage (N-stage, AUC, 0.841; sensitivity, 0.875; specificity, 0.807; AJCC-stage, AUC, 0.671; sensitivity, 0.800; specificity, 0.588). DK imaging data of forty-seven consecutive NPC patients were retrospectively analyzed. Apparent diffusion for Gaussian distribution (Dapp) and apparent kurtosis coefficient (Kapp) were generated using diffusion-kurtosis model. Histogram parameters, including mean, median, 10th, 90th percentiles, skewness and kurtosis of Dapp and Kapp were calculated. Patients were divided into low and high T, N and clinical stage based on American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. Differences of histogram parameters between low and high T, N and AJCC stages were compared using t test. Multiple receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine and compare the value of significant parameters in predicting high T, N and AJCC stage, respectively. DK imaging-derived parameters correlated well with clinical stage of NPC, therefore could serve as an adjunctive imaging technique for evaluating NPC.

Novel use of a radiolabelled antibody against stage specific embryonic antigen for the detection of occult abscesses in mammals

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

Thakur, Madhukar L.

1990-01-01

The invention discloses improved reagents containing antibodies against stage specific embryonic antigen-1 antibodies and improved methods for detection of occult abscess and inflammation using the improved reagents.

Predictors of prostate cancer specific mortality after radical prostatectomy: 10 year oncologic outcomes from the Victorian Radical Prostatectomy Registry.

PubMed

Bolton, Damien M; Papa, Nathan; Ta, Anthony D; Millar, Jeremy; Davidson, Adee-Jonathan; Pedersen, John; Syme, Rodney; Patel, Manish I; Giles, Graham G

2015-10-01

To identify the ability of multiple variables to predict prostate cancer specific mortality (PCSM) in a whole of population series of all radical prostatectomies (RP) performed in Victoria, Australia. A total of 2154 open RPs were performed in Victoria between July 1995 and December 2000. Subjects without follow up data, Gleason grade, pathological stage were excluded as were those who had pT4 disease or received neoadjuvant treatment. 1967 cases (91.3% of total) met the inclusion criteria for this study. Tumour characteristics were collated via a central registry. We used competing hazards regression models to investigate associations. At median follow up of 10.3 years pT stage of RP (P < 0.001) and high Gleason score of the RP specimen (P < 0.001 for ≥8 [Subhazard ratio (SHR) 11.19] and 4 + 3 = 7 [SHR 7.10]) compared with Gleason score 6 disease were strong predictors of progression to PCSM. Gleason score 3 + 4 = 7 was not at this time a significant predictor of PCSM (P = 0.08, SHR 1.84). Predictors of PCSM, independent of stage and grade, included rural residency (P = 0.003), primary surgeon contributing less than 40 cases (low-volume) to the VRPR (P = 0.025) and the involvement of a trainee surgeon in the operation (P = 0.031). The significant prediction of PCSM by pT cancer stage, Gleason score and primary Gleason pattern at RP in this whole of population study suggests a need to avoid understaging/grading in the process of cancer diagnosis and active surveillance protocols. Multi-modality therapy is likely to have a greater impact on PCSM in higher stage and Gleason grade disease. Identification of increased PCSM with rural residency and with involvement of a trainee urologist, and reduction in PCSM with higher surgeon volume all suggest potential for improved PC outcomes to be achieved with changes to surgical training and service delivery. © 2015 The Authors BJU International © 2015 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Utility of two-dimensional echocardiography in pregnancy and post-partum period and impact on management in an inner city hospital.

PubMed

Dharmarajan, Lekshmi; Hale, Theodore M; Velastegui, Zoila; Castillo, Emerita; Kanna, Balavenkatesh

2009-01-01

Evaluate the practice and appropriateness of requesting echocardiograms in patients with suspected or documented cardiac disease during gestation and puerperium, using the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) appropriateness criteria, in conjunction with clinical picture. Retrospective observational study, to analyze echocardiograms performed during pregnancy and puerperium at a teaching hospital from 2001 to 2006 for appropriateness criteria and studying its impact on management. Sixty-seven patients pregnant or in the puerperal stage had an echocardiogram performed during that period; 58 met our criteria for inclusion. Based on clinical information and criteria of the ACCF, 51 of the 58 echocardiograms met the appropriateness criteria. Of the 51, results of 40 impacted on management; 14 of the 40 echocardiograms that had an impact were abnormal. Although the ACCF appropriateness criteria have not been specifically studied in pregnancy, our study demonstrates that the criteria are applicable if used appropriately in pregnancy. Most indications in our study correlated with the appropriateness criteria. Although most findings were normal, information from echocardiograms impacted on management in the majority of patients, contributing to therapeutic decision-making. The reliability of echocardiograms performed according to appropriate criteria to assist clinical decisions was excellent even in patients with physiologic cardiovascular changes.

Environmental impact of thermal insulations: How do natural insulation products differ from synthetic ones?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dovjak, M.; Košir, M.; Pajek, L.; Iglič, N.; Božiček, D.; Kunič, R.

2017-10-01

As the environmental awareness of the public is rising and at the same time contemporary buildings are becoming more and more energy efficient, the focus is shifting towards the usage of environmentally friendly building products. Human decisions are often driven by emotions and perceptions. Consequently, there exists a strong tendency towards preferring “natural” constructional products to the synthetic ones, especially in the case of thermal insulations. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has enabled an opportunity to widen the meaning of the word “environmentally friendly”, giving researchers and building designers an objective decision making tool to determine the environmental impact of building products, building components and buildings as a whole. The purpose of this study was to compare the environmental impact of various thermal insulations for the cradle to gate life cycle stages, based on a unified functional unit. Overall, 15 most commonly used thermal insulation products were analysed and classified into natural and synthetic groups. Based on the differentiation, we compared the impact in the selected environmental categories and identified the most influential environmental drivers. The results show that in some environmental categoriesnatural thermal insulations perform better (i.e. global warming potential), whilein others (i.e. eutrophication potential) they underperform. However, environmental impact trends can be identified, specifically for the natural and the synthetic materials.

Risk stratification and staging in prostate cancer with prostatic specific membrane antigen PET/CTObjective: A one-stop-shop.

PubMed

Gupta, Manoj; Choudhury, Partha Sarathi; Rawal, Sudhir; Goel, Harish Chandra; Singh, Amitabh; Talwar, Vineet; Sahoo, Saroj Kumar

2017-01-01

Current imaging modalities for prostate cancer (PC) had limitations for risk stratification and staging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) frequently underestimated lymphatic metastasis while bone scintigraphy often had diagnostic dilemmas. Prostatic specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) has been remarkable in diagnosing PC recurrence and staging. We hypothesized it can become one-stop-shop for initial risk stratification and staging. Ninety seven PSMA PET-CT studies were re analysed for tumor node metastases (TNM) staging and risk stratification of lymphatic and distant metastases proportion. The histopathology of 23/97 patients was available as gold standard. Chi-square test was used for proportion comparison. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), over-estimation, under-estimation and correct-estimation of T and N stages were calculated. Cohen's kappa coefficient (k) was derived for inter-rater agreement. Lymphic or distant metastases detection on PSMA PET/CT increased significantly with increase in risk category. PSMA PET/CT sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for extra prostatic extension (EPE), seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) and lymphatic metastases were 63.16%, 100%, 100%, 36.36% & 55%, 100%, 100%, 25% and 65.62%, 99.31%, 87.50%, 97.53%, respectively. Cohen's kappa coefficient showed substantial agreement between PSMA PET/CT and histopathological lymphic metastases (κ 0.734) however, it was just in fair agreement (κ 0.277) with T stage. PSMA PET/CT over-estimated, under-estimated and correct-estimated T and N stages in 8.71%, 39.13%, 52.17% and 8.71%, 4.35%, 86.96% cases, respectively. We found that PSMA PET/CT has potential for initial risk stratifications with reasonable correct estimation for N stage. However, it can underestimate T stage. Hence, we suggest that PSMA PET/CT should be used for staging and initial risk stratification of PC as one-stop-shop with regional MRI in surgically resectable cases.

Effects of Temperature on Development and Voltinism of Chaetodactylus krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae): Implications for Climate Change Impacts

DOE PAGES

Ahn, Jeong Joon; Son, Youngsoo; He, Yaqian; ...

2016-08-17

Temperature plays an important role in the growth and development of arthropods, and thus the current trend of climate change will alter their biology and species distribution. We used Chaetodactylus krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae), a cleptoparasitic mite associated with Osmia bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), as a model organism to investigate how temperature affects the development and voltinism of C. krombeini in the eastern United States. The effects of temperature on the stage-specific development of C. krombeini were determined at seven constant temperatures (16.1, 20.2, 24.1, 27.5, 30.0, 32.4 and 37.8°C). Parameters for stage-specific development, such as threshold temperatures and thermal constant, weremore » determined by using empirical models. Results of this study showed that C. krombeini eggs developed successfully to adult at all temperatures tested except 37.8°C. The nonlinear and linear empirical models were applied to describe quantitatively the relationship between temperature and development of each C. krombeini stage. The nonlinear Lactin model estimated optimal temperatures as 31.4, 32.9, 32.6 and 32.5°C for egg, larva, nymph, and egg to adult, respectively. In the linear model, the lower threshold temperatures were estimated to be 9.9, 14.7, 13.0 and 12.4°C for egg, larva, nymph, and egg to adult, respectively. The thermal constant for each stage completion were 61.5, 28.1, 64.8 and 171.1 degree days for egg, larva, nymph, and egg to adult, respectively. Under the future climate scenarios, the number of generations (i.e., voltinism) would increase more likely by 1.5 to 2.0 times by the year of 2100 according to simulation. Lastly, the findings herein firstly provided comprehensive data on thermal development of C. krombeini and implications for the management of C. krombeini populations under global warming were discussed.« less

Effects of Temperature on Development and Voltinism of Chaetodactylus krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae): Implications for Climate Change Impacts

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

Ahn, Jeong Joon; Son, Youngsoo; He, Yaqian

Temperature plays an important role in the growth and development of arthropods, and thus the current trend of climate change will alter their biology and species distribution. We used Chaetodactylus krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae), a cleptoparasitic mite associated with Osmia bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), as a model organism to investigate how temperature affects the development and voltinism of C. krombeini in the eastern United States. The effects of temperature on the stage-specific development of C. krombeini were determined at seven constant temperatures (16.1, 20.2, 24.1, 27.5, 30.0, 32.4 and 37.8°C). Parameters for stage-specific development, such as threshold temperatures and thermal constant, weremore » determined by using empirical models. Results of this study showed that C. krombeini eggs developed successfully to adult at all temperatures tested except 37.8°C. The nonlinear and linear empirical models were applied to describe quantitatively the relationship between temperature and development of each C. krombeini stage. The nonlinear Lactin model estimated optimal temperatures as 31.4, 32.9, 32.6 and 32.5°C for egg, larva, nymph, and egg to adult, respectively. In the linear model, the lower threshold temperatures were estimated to be 9.9, 14.7, 13.0 and 12.4°C for egg, larva, nymph, and egg to adult, respectively. The thermal constant for each stage completion were 61.5, 28.1, 64.8 and 171.1 degree days for egg, larva, nymph, and egg to adult, respectively. Under the future climate scenarios, the number of generations (i.e., voltinism) would increase more likely by 1.5 to 2.0 times by the year of 2100 according to simulation. Lastly, the findings herein firstly provided comprehensive data on thermal development of C. krombeini and implications for the management of C. krombeini populations under global warming were discussed.« less

The joint effects of person and situation factors on stress in spaceflight.

PubMed

Endler, Norman S

2004-07-01

Psychologists can play an important role in spaceflight and exploration. Indeed, their input at four specific stages in spaceflight can help to ensure successful missions. Psychologists have a role to play in: 1) Selection; 2) Training; 3) Real or Simulated Space Missions; and 4) Post-Flight Problems. During selection, psychologists can provide guidelines as to the appropriate coping styles for reacting to mission-related stressors. During training, psychologists can help astronauts to plan for, and cope with, problems (e.g., group conflict). Training in social sensitivity, or in specific coping styles (i.e., to be high in task-oriented coping), would be beneficial so that astronauts are able to deal with unforeseen problems. Task-oriented coping is related to control and efficiency, and reduces stress and anxiety. Emotion-oriented coping relates to anxiety for controllable situations, and task-oriented coping is most efficacious. A primary role for psychologists would be the investigation of what problems could arise from living with others in a limited space and for long periods of times. As such, investigations into group dynamics, physical and psychological stress caused by such an environment, and the lack of normal ways to deal with these problems should all be considered. It is also clear that the impact of spaceflight on an individual does not end with physical re-entry. On the contrary, the astronaut will also have to make a psychological post-flight "re-entry" readjustment to life on Earth. Psychologists have an important role to play during all four stages of the space program, especially in regards to person by situation interactions. That is, space is a novel environment for human beings, and we need to investigate how we can better improve the fit between astronauts and space situational stressors. Not only are person by situation interactions relevant for each of the four stages discussed above, but each of the stages interacts with one another bidirectionally and even multidirectionally.

Stomach Cancer Survival in the United States by Race and Stage (2001–2009): Findings From the CONCORD-2 Study

PubMed Central

Jim, Melissa A.; Pinheiro, Paulo S.; Carreira, Helena; Espey, David K.; Wiggins, Charles L.; Weir, Hannah K.

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND Stomach cancer was a leading cause of cancer-related deaths early in the 20th century and has steadily declined over the last century in the United States. Although incidence and death rates are now low, stomach cancer remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in black, Asian and Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. METHODS Data from the CONCORD-2 study were used to analyze stomach cancer survival among males and females aged 15 to 99 years who were diagnosed in 37 states covering 80% of the US population. Survival analyses were corrected for background mortality using state-specific and race-specific (white and black) life tables and age-standardized using the International Cancer Survival Standard weights. Net survival is presented up to 5 years after diagnosis by race (all, black, and white) for 2001 through 2003 and 2004 through 2009 to account for changes in collecting Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Summary Stage 2000 data from 2004. RESULTS Almost one-third of stomach cancers were diagnosed at a distant stage among both whites and blacks. Age-standardized 5-year net survival increased between 2001 to 2003 and 2004 to 2009 (26.1% and 29%, respectively), and no differences were observed by race. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival estimates were 53.1%, 33.8%, and 29%, respectively. Survival improved in most states. Survival by stage was 64% (local), 28.2% (regional), and 5.3% (distant). CONCLUSIONS The current results indicate high fatality for stomach cancer, especially soon after diagnosis. Although improvements in stomach cancer survival were observed, survival remained relatively low for both blacks and whites. Primary prevention through the control of well-established risk factors would be expected to have the greatest impact on further reducing deaths from stomach cancer. PMID:29205310

Effects of Temperature on Development and Voltinism of Chaetodactylus krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae): Implications for Climate Change Impacts

PubMed Central

Ahn, Jeong Joon; Son, Youngsoo; He, Yaqian; Lee, Eungul; Park, Yong-Lak

2016-01-01

Temperature plays an important role in the growth and development of arthropods, and thus the current trend of climate change will alter their biology and species distribution. We used Chaetodactylus krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae), a cleptoparasitic mite associated with Osmia bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), as a model organism to investigate how temperature affects the development and voltinism of C. krombeini in the eastern United States. The effects of temperature on the stage-specific development of C. krombeini were determined at seven constant temperatures (16.1, 20.2, 24.1, 27.5, 30.0, 32.4 and 37.8°C). Parameters for stage-specific development, such as threshold temperatures and thermal constant, were determined by using empirical models. Results of this study showed that C. krombeini eggs developed successfully to adult at all temperatures tested except 37.8°C. The nonlinear and linear empirical models were applied to describe quantitatively the relationship between temperature and development of each C. krombeini stage. The nonlinear Lactin model estimated optimal temperatures as 31.4, 32.9, 32.6 and 32.5°C for egg, larva, nymph, and egg to adult, respectively. In the linear model, the lower threshold temperatures were estimated to be 9.9, 14.7, 13.0 and 12.4°C for egg, larva, nymph, and egg to adult, respectively. The thermal constant for each stage completion were 61.5, 28.1, 64.8 and 171.1 degree days for egg, larva, nymph, and egg to adult, respectively. Under the future climate scenarios, the number of generations (i.e., voltinism) would increase more likely by 1.5 to 2.0 times by the year of 2100 according to simulation. The findings herein firstly provided comprehensive data on thermal development of C. krombeini and implications for the management of C. krombeini populations under global warming were discussed. *Scientific Article No. 3278 of the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Morgantown, West Virginia PMID:27532151

Drought Conditions Maximize the Impact of High-Frequency Flow Variations on Thermal Regimes and Biogeochemical Function in the Hyporheic Zone.

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

None, None

Anthropogenic activities, such as dam operations, often induce larger and more frequent stage fluctuations than those occurring in natural rivers. However, the long-term impact of such flow variations on thermal and biogeochemical dynamics of the associated hyporheic zone (HZ) is poorly understood. A heterogeneous, two-dimensional thermo-hydro-biogeochemical model revealed an important interaction between high-frequency flow variations and watershed-scale hydrology. High-frequency stage fluctuations had their strongest thermal and biogeochemical impacts when the mean river stage was low during fall and winter. An abnormally thin snowpack in 2015, however, created a low river stage during summer and early fall, whereby high frequency stagemore » fluctuations caused the HZ to be warmer than usual. This study provided the scientific basis to assess the potential ecological consequences of the high-frequency flow variations in a regulated river, as well as guidance on how to maximize the potential benefits—or minimize the drawbacks—of river regulation to river ecosystems.« less

Comparison of Pelvic Phased-Array versus Endorectal Coil Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3 Tesla for Local Staging of Prostate Cancer

PubMed Central

Kim, Bum Soo; Kim, Tae-Hwan; Kwon, Tae Gyun

2012-01-01

Purpose Several studies have demonstrated the superiority of endorectal coil magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over pelvic phased-array coil MRI at 1.5 Tesla for local staging of prostate cancer. However, few have studied which evaluation is more accurate at 3 Tesla MRI. In this study, we compared the accuracy of local staging of prostate cancer using pelvic phased-array coil or endorectal coil MRI at 3 Tesla. Materials and Methods Between January 2005 and May 2010, 151 patients underwent radical prostatectomy. All patients were evaluated with either pelvic phased-array coil or endorectal coil prostate MRI prior to surgery (63 endorectal coils and 88 pelvic phased-array coils). Tumor stage based on MRI was compared with pathologic stage. We calculated the specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of each group in the evaluation of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion. Results Both endorectal coil and pelvic phased-array coil MRI achieved high specificity, low sensitivity and moderate accuracy for the detection of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion. There were statistically no differences in specificity, sensitivity and accuracy between the two groups. Conclusion Overall staging accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were not significantly different between endorectal coil and pelvic phased-array coil MRI. PMID:22476999

Stage-dependent and locus-specific role of histone demethylase Jumonji D3 (JMJD3) in the embryonic stages of lung development.

PubMed

Li, Qingtian; Wang, Helen Y; Chepelev, Iouri; Zhu, Qingyuan; Wei, Gang; Zhao, Keji; Wang, Rong-Fu

2014-07-01

Histone demethylases have emerged as important players in developmental processes. Jumonji domain containing-3 (Jmjd3) has been identified as a key histone demethylase that plays a critical role in the regulation of gene expression; however, the in vivo function of Jmjd3 in embryonic development remains largely unknown. To this end, we generated Jmjd3 global and conditional knockout mice. Global deletion of Jmjd3 induces perinatal lethality associated with defective lung development. Tissue and stage-specific deletion revealed that Jmjd3 is dispensable in the later stage of embryonic lung development. Jmjd3 ablation downregulates the expression of genes critical for lung development and function, including AQP-5 and SP-B. Jmjd3-mediated alterations in gene expression are associated with locus-specific changes in the methylation status of H3K27 and H3K4. Furthermore, Jmjd3 is recruited to the SP-B promoter through interactions with the transcription factor Nkx2.1 and the epigenetic protein Brg1. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that Jmjd3 plays a stage-dependent and locus-specific role in the mouse lung development. Our study provides molecular insights into the mechanisms by which Jmjd3 regulates target gene expression in the embryonic stages of lung development.

Impact of sociodemographic factors on the radiotherapeutic management of lung cancer: Results of a Quality Research in Radiation Oncology survey.

PubMed

Rengan, Ramesh; Ho, Alex; Owen, Jean B; Komaki, R; Khalid, Najma; Wilson, J Frank; Movsas, Benjamin

2014-01-01

The objective of this study is to describe the impact of sociodemographic (SOC) factors on the management of lung cancer patients treated at radiation therapy facilities participating in the Quality Research in Radiation Oncology survey. A 2-stage stratified random sample of lung cancer patients treated in 2006 to 2007 at 45 facilities yielded 340 stage I-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 144 limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) cases. Five SOC variables based on data from the 2000 US Census were analyzed for association with the following clinical factors: patients living in urban versus rural settings (U/R); median household income (AHI); % below poverty level (PPV); % unemployed (PUE); and % with college education (PCE). The 340 NSCLC patients were stage I, 16%; stage II, 11%; stage III, 62%; stage unknown, 11%. Histologic subtypes were adenocarcinoma, 31.8%; squamous cell carcinoma, 35.3%; large cell carcinoma, 3.2%; and NSCLC NOS, 27.7%. The median age was 66 years. Median Karnofsky performance status (KPS) was 80. The 144 LS-SCLC had a median age of 63; 73 were male (50.7%). Median KPS was 80. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and modern imaging utilization was associated with treatment at facilities located in higher SOC regions. SBRT was employed in 46.8% stage I NSCLC patients treated in centers where %PUE was below median versus 14.8% in centers where %PUE was above median (P = .02). Four-dimensional computed tomography was utilized in 14.2% of patients treated in centers located in regions with %PPV below median versus 3.7% in centers located in regions with %PPV above median (P < .01). SCLC patients were more likely to receive all of their planned RT when treated at centers located in regions with lower PPV (95.0% vs 79.1%; P = .04). SOC factors may impact use of modern treatment planning and delivery and multidisciplinary management of NSCLC and SCLC. These results may suggest an impact of these SOC factors on access to health care. © 2014 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Society for Radiation Oncology.

Propranolol Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Solid Tumors That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-11-27

Male Breast Cancer; Recurrent Melanoma; Stage IV Breast Cancer; Stage IV Melanoma; Stage IV Ovarian Epithelial Cancer; Stage IV Ovarian Germ Cell Tumor; Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific; Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Sunitinib Malate and Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Kidney Cancer or Advanced Solid Malignancies

ClinicalTrials.gov

2014-04-01

Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma; Recurrent Renal Cell Cancer; Stage I Renal Cell Cancer; Stage II Renal Cell Cancer; Stage III Renal Cell Cancer; Stage IV Renal Cell Cancer; Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

Fusion positron emission/computed tomography underestimates the presence of hilar nodal metastases in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Carrillo, Sergio A; Daniel, Vincent C; Hall, Nathan; Hitchcock, Charles L; Ross, Patrick; Kassis, Edmund S

2012-05-01

The 5-year survival for patients with resected stage II (N1) non-small cell lung cancer ranges from 40% to 55%. No data exist addressing the benefit of neoadjuvant therapy for patients with stage II disease. This is largely in part due to the lack of a reliable, minimally invasive method to assess hilar nodes. This study is aimed at determining the ability of fusion positron emission/computed tomography (PET/CT) to identify hilar metastases in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer. A retrospective review of surgically resected patients with fusion PET/CT within 30 days of resection was performed. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for PET/CT in detecting hilar nodal metastases was calculated for a range of maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax). Hilar nodes from patients with falsely positive PET/CT scans were analyzed for the presence of histoplasmosis. Additionally, the impact of hilar node size greater than 1 centimeter on the calculated values was assessed. There were 119 patients evaluated. The number of lymph nodes resected ranged from 1 to 12 (X=2.98). There was decreased sensitivity and increased specificity with higher SUVmax cutoff values. At the standard SUVmax value of 2.5, the sensitivity and specificity were only 48.5% and 80.2%. The addition of size of hilar node by CT led to a modest improvement in sensitivity at all SUVmax cutoff values. Fusion PET/CT lacks sensitivity and specificity in identifying hilar nodal metastasis in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer. Further prospective studies assessing the utility of PET/CT versus alternative sampling techniques are warranted. Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Adverse Survival Implications of Bland Thrombus in Renal Cell Carcinoma With Venous Tumor Thrombus.

PubMed

Hutchinson, Ryan; Rew, Charles; Chen, Gong; Woldu, Solomon; Krabbe, Laura-Maria; Meissner, Matthew; Sheth, Kunj; Singla, Nirmish; Shakir, Nabeel; Master, Viraj A; Karam, Jose A; Matin, Surena F; Borregales, Leonardo D; Wood, Christopher; Masterson, Timothy; Thompson, R Houston; Boorjian, Stephen A; Leibovich, Bradley C; Abel, E Jason; Bagrodia, Aditya; Margulis, Vitaly

2018-05-01

To characterize the presence of bland (nontumor) thrombus in advanced renal cell carcinoma and assess the impact of this finding on cancer-specific survival. A multi-institutional database of patients treated with nephrectomy with caval thrombectomy for locally-advanced renal tumors was assembled from 5 tertiary care medical centers. Using clinicopathologic variables including patient age, body mass index, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, tumor stage, grade, nodal status and histology, and nearest-neighbor and multiple-matching propensity score matched cohorts of bland thrombus vs nonbland thrombus patients were assessed. Multivariable analysis for predictors of cancer-specific survival was performed. From an initial cohort of 579 patients, 446 met inclusion criteria (174 with bland thrombus, 272 without). At baseline, patients with bland thrombus had significantly worse performance status, higher tumor stage, higher prevalence of regional nodal metastases and higher nuclear grade (P < .01 for all). In both nearest-neighbor and multiple-matching propensity score matched cohorts, the presence of bland thrombus presence was associated with inferior median cancer-specific survival (28.1 months vs 156.8 months, and 28.1 months vs 76.7 months, P < .001 for both). The presence of bland thrombus remained independently associated with an increased risk of cancer-specific mortality on multivariable analysis (hazard ratio 4.33, 95% confidence interval 2.79-6.73, P < .001). Presence of bland thrombus is associated with adverse survival outcomes in patients treated surgically for renal tumors with venous tumor thrombus. These findings may have important implications in patient counseling, selection for surgery and inclusion in clinical trials. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel use of a radiolabelled antibody against stage specific embryonic antigen for the detection of occult abscesses in mammals

DOEpatents

Thakur, M.L.

1990-04-17

The invention discloses improved reagents containing antibodies against stage specific embryonic antigen-1 antibodies and improved methods for detection of occult abscess and inflammation using the improved reagents. No Drawings

The mental health impact of bed bug infestations: a scoping review.

PubMed

Ashcroft, Rachelle; Seko, Yukari; Chan, Lai Fong; Dere, Jessica; Kim, Jaemin; McKenzie, Kwame

2015-11-01

We conducted a scoping review to identify and summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the mental health effects associated with bed bugs. We employed a five-stage scoping review framework, to systematically identify and review eligible articles. Eligibility criteria included a focus on bed bug infestations and reference to mental health impacts. Descriptive information was then extracted from each article, including the specific mental health effects cited. An initial search yielded 920 unique articles on the topic of bed bugs. Of these, 261 underwent abstract review, and 167 underwent full-text review. Full-text review and subsequent review of reference lists yielded a final sample of 51 articles. Numerous mental health effects were linked to bed bug infestations, including severe psychiatric symptoms. However, the majority (n = 31) of the articles were commentary papers; only five original research articles were identified. Although significant mental health effects are often linked to bed bugs, such discussions remain largely anecdotal. Despite recognition that the impact of bed bugs constitutes an important public health concern, little empirical evidence currently exists on this topic.

Life cycle assessment of a printed circuit board manufacturing plant in Turkey.

PubMed

Ozkan, Elif; Elginoz, Nilay; Germirli Babuna, Fatos

2017-09-29

The objective of this study is to investigate the environmental impacts of a printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing plant through streamlined life cycle assessment approach. As a result, the most effective recommendations on minimizing the environmental impacts for the mentioned sector are revealed and first steps towards establishing a country specific database are taken. The whole PCB production consists of two consecutive stages: namely board fabrication followed by the manufacturing of PCB. Manufacturing of PCB contributes the highest shares to freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity potential (FAETP) and ozone layer depletion potential (ODP). Eighty-nine percent of FAETP is found to be generated from the manufacturing of PCB. Almost all of this contribution can be attributed to the disposal of copper containing wastewater treatment sludge from etching operations to incineration. On the other hand, PCB manufacturing has 73% share in total ODP. Within the manufacturing of PCB, as etching operations are found to be of importance for all the impact categories except eutrophication potential (EP), it is recommended to focus further studies on in-plant control of etching.

Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Galileo Mission (Tier 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) addresses the proposed action of completing the preparation and operation of the Galileo spacecraft, including its planned launch on the Space Transportation System (STS) Shuttle in October 1989, and the alternative of canceling further work on the mission. The Tier 1 (program level) EIS (NASA 1988a) considered the Titan IV launch vehicle as an alternative booster stage for launch in May 1991 or later. The May 1991 Venus launch opportunity is considered a planetary back-up for the Magellan (Venus Radar Mapper) mission, the Galileo mission, and the Ulysses mission. Plans were underway to enable the use of a Titan IV launch vehicle for the planetary back-up. However, in November 1988, the U.S. Air Force, which procures the Titan IV for NASA, notified NASA that it could not provide a Titan IV vehicle for the May 1991 launch opportunity due to high priority Department of Defense requirements. Consequently, NASA terminated all mission planning for the Titan IV planetary back-up. A minimum of 3 years is required to implement mission-specific modifications to the basic Titan IV launch configuration; therefore, insufficient time is available to use a Titan IV vehicle in May 1991. Thus, the Titan IV launch vehicle is no longer a feasible alternative to the STS/Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) for the May 1991 launch opportunity.

Adherence to treatment guidelines for primary sarcomas affects patient survival: a side study of the European CONnective TIssue CAncer NETwork (CONTICANET).

PubMed

Rossi, C R; Vecchiato, A; Mastrangelo, G; Montesco, M C; Russano, F; Mocellin, S; Pasquali, S; Scarzello, G; Basso, U; Frasson, A; Pilati, P; Nitti, D; Lurkin, A; Ray-Coquard, I

2013-06-01

The impact of adherence to clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for loco-regional treatment (i.e. surgery and radiotherapy) and chemotherapy on local disease control and survival in sarcoma patients was investigated in a European study conducted in an Italian region (Veneto). The completeness of the adherence to the Italian CPGs for sarcomas treatment was assessed by comparing the patient's charts and the CPGs. Propensity score-adjusted multivariate survival analysis was used to assess the impact of CPGs adherence on patient clinical outcomes. A total of 151 patients were included. Adherence to CPGs for loco-regional therapy and chemotherapy was observed in 106 out of 147 (70.2%) and 129 out of 139 (85.4%) patients, respectively. Non-adherence to CPGs for loco-regional treatment was independently associated with AJCC stage III disease [odds ratio (OR) 1.77, P = 0.011] and tumor-positive excision margin (OR 3.55, P = 0.003). Patients not treated according to the CPGs were at a higher risk of local recurrence [hazard ratio (HR) 5.4, P < 0.001] and had a shorter sarcoma-specific survival (HR 4.05, P < 0.001), independently of tumor stage. Incomplete adherence to CPGs for loco-regional treatment of sarcomas was associated with worse prognosis in patients with non-metastatic tumors.

Discrete epidemic models with arbitrary stage distributions and applications to disease control.

PubMed

Hernandez-Ceron, Nancy; Feng, Zhilan; Castillo-Chavez, Carlos

2013-10-01

W.O. Kermack and A.G. McKendrick introduced in their fundamental paper, A Contribution to the Mathematical Theory of Epidemics, published in 1927, a deterministic model that captured the qualitative dynamic behavior of single infectious disease outbreaks. A Kermack–McKendrick discrete-time general framework, motivated by the emergence of a multitude of models used to forecast the dynamics of epidemics, is introduced in this manuscript. Results that allow us to measure quantitatively the role of classical and general distributions on disease dynamics are presented. The case of the geometric distribution is used to evaluate the impact of waiting-time distributions on epidemiological processes or public health interventions. In short, the geometric distribution is used to set up the baseline or null epidemiological model used to test the relevance of realistic stage-period distribution on the dynamics of single epidemic outbreaks. A final size relationship involving the control reproduction number, a function of transmission parameters and the means of distributions used to model disease or intervention control measures, is computed. Model results and simulations highlight the inconsistencies in forecasting that emerge from the use of specific parametric distributions. Examples, using the geometric, Poisson and binomial distributions, are used to highlight the impact of the choices made in quantifying the risk posed by single outbreaks and the relative importance of various control measures.

Synergistic Exposure of Rice Seeds to Different Doses of γ-Ray and Salinity Stress Resulted in Increased Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Gene-Specific Modulation of TC-NER Pathway

PubMed Central

Macovei, Anca; Garg, Bharti; Raikwar, Shailendra; Carbonera, Daniela; Bremont, Juan Francisco Jiménez; Gill, Sarvajeet Singh; Tuteja, Narendra

2014-01-01

Recent reports have underlined the potential of gamma (γ)-rays as tools for seed priming, a process used in seed industry to increase seed vigor and to enhance plant tolerance to biotic/abiotic stresses. However, the impact of γ-rays on key aspects of plant metabolism still needs to be carefully evaluated. In the present study, rice seeds were challenged with different doses of γ-rays and grown in absence/presence of NaCl to assess the impact of these treatments on the early stages of plant life. Enhanced germination efficiency associated with increase in radicle and hypocotyl length was observed, while at later stages no increase in plant tolerance to salinity stress was evident. APX, CAT, and GR were enhanced at transcriptional level and in terms of enzyme activity, indicating the activation of antioxidant defence. The profiles of DNA damage accumulation were obtained using SCGE and the implication of TC-NER pathway in DNA damage sensing and repair mechanisms is discussed. OsXPB2, OsXPD, OsTFIIS, and OsTFIIS-like genes showed differential modulation in seedlings and plantlets in response to γ-irradiation and salinity stress. Altogether, the synergistic exposure to γ-rays and NaCl resulted in enhanced oxidative stress and proper activation of antioxidant mechanisms, thus being compatible with plant survival. PMID:24551849

Ares I-X Separation and Reentry Trajectory Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tartabini, Paul V.; Starr, Brett R.

2011-01-01

The Ares I-X Flight Test Vehicle was launched on October 28, 2009 and was the first and only test flight of NASA s two-stage Ares I launch vehicle design. The launch was successful and the flight test met all of its primary and secondary objectives. This paper discusses the stage separation and reentry trajectory analysis that was performed in support of the Ares I-X test flight. Pre-flight analyses were conducted to assess the risk of stage recontact during separation, to evaluate the first stage flight dynamics during reentry, and to define the range safety impact ellipses of both stages. The results of these pre-flight analyses were compared with available flight data. On-board video taken during flight showed that the flight test vehicle successfully separated without any recontact. Reconstructed trajectory data also showed that first stage flight dynamics were well characterized by pre-flight Monte Carlo results. In addition, comparisons with flight data indicated that the complex interference aerodynamic models employed in the reentry simulation were effective in capturing the flight dynamics during separation. Finally, the splash-down locations of both stages were well within predicted impact ellipses.

Polyandry and sex-specific gene expression

PubMed Central

Mank, Judith E.; Wedell, Nina; Hosken, David J.

2013-01-01

Polyandry is widespread in nature, and has important evolutionary consequences for the evolution of sexual dimorphism and sexual conflict. Although many of the phenotypic consequences of polyandry have been elucidated, our understanding of the impacts of polyandry and mating systems on the genome is in its infancy. Polyandry can intensify selection on sexual characters and generate more intense sexual conflict. This has consequences for sequence evolution, but also for sex-biased gene expression, which acts as a link between mating systems, sex-specific selection and the evolution of sexual dimorphism. We discuss this and the remarkable confluence of sexual-conflict theory and patterns of gene expression, while also making predictions about transcription patterns, mating systems and sexual conflict. Gene expression is a key link in the genotype–phenotype chain, and although in its early stages, understanding the sexual selection–transcription relationship will provide significant insights into this critical association. PMID:23339238

Validated methodology for quantifying infestation levels of dreissenid mussels in environmental DNA (eDNA) samples.

PubMed

Peñarrubia, Luis; Alcaraz, Carles; Vaate, Abraham Bij de; Sanz, Nuria; Pla, Carles; Vidal, Oriol; Viñas, Jordi

2016-12-14

The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas, 1771) and the quagga mussel (D. rostriformis Deshayes, 1838) are successful invasive bivalves with substantial ecological and economic impacts in freshwater systems once they become established. Since their eradication is extremely difficult, their detection at an early stage is crucial to prevent spread. In this study, we optimized and validated a qPCR detection method based on the histone H2B gene to quantify combined infestation levels of zebra and quagga mussels in environmental DNA samples. Our results show specific dreissenid DNA present in filtered water samples for which microscopic diagnostic identification for larvae failed. Monitoring a large number of locations for invasive dreissenid species based on a highly specific environmental DNA qPCR assay may prove to be an essential tool for management and control plans focused on prevention of establishment of dreissenid mussels in new locations.

Validated methodology for quantifying infestation levels of dreissenid mussels in environmental DNA (eDNA) samples

PubMed Central

Peñarrubia, Luis; Alcaraz, Carles; Vaate, Abraham bij de; Sanz, Nuria; Pla, Carles; Vidal, Oriol; Viñas, Jordi

2016-01-01

The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas, 1771) and the quagga mussel (D. rostriformis Deshayes, 1838) are successful invasive bivalves with substantial ecological and economic impacts in freshwater systems once they become established. Since their eradication is extremely difficult, their detection at an early stage is crucial to prevent spread. In this study, we optimized and validated a qPCR detection method based on the histone H2B gene to quantify combined infestation levels of zebra and quagga mussels in environmental DNA samples. Our results show specific dreissenid DNA present in filtered water samples for which microscopic diagnostic identification for larvae failed. Monitoring a large number of locations for invasive dreissenid species based on a highly specific environmental DNA qPCR assay may prove to be an essential tool for management and control plans focused on prevention of establishment of dreissenid mussels in new locations. PMID:27966602

KSC-05PD-0016

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., workers attach the third stage motor, connected to the Deep Impact spacecraft, to the spin table on the second stage of the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle below. Next the fairing will be installed around the spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth joint, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Scheduled for liftoff Jan. 12, Deep Impact will probe beneath the surface of Comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005, when the comet is 83 million miles from Earth. After releasing a 3- by 3-foot projectile to crash onto the surface, Deep Impacts flyby spacecraft will reveal the secrets of its interior by collecting pictures and data of how the crater forms, measuring the craters depth and diameter as well as the composition of the interior of the crater and any material thrown out, and determining the changes in natural outgassing produced by the impact. It will send the data back to Earth through the antennas of the Deep Space Network. Deep Impact is a NASA Discovery mission.

A holistic model for evaluating the impact of individual technology-enhanced learning resources.

PubMed

Pickering, James D; Joynes, Viktoria C T

2016-12-01

The use of technology within education has now crossed the Rubicon; student expectations, the increasing availability of both hardware and software and the push to fully blended learning environments mean that educational institutions cannot afford to turn their backs on technology-enhanced learning (TEL). The ability to meaningfully evaluate the impact of TEL resources nevertheless remains problematic. This paper aims to establish a robust means of evaluating individual resources and meaningfully measure their impact upon learning within the context of the program in which they are used. Based upon the experience of developing and evaluating a range of mobile and desktop based TEL resources, this paper outlines a new four-stage evaluation process, taking into account learner satisfaction, learner gain, and the impact of a resource on both the individual and the institution in which it has been adapted. A new multi-level model of TEL resource evaluation is proposed, which includes a preliminary evaluation of need, learner satisfaction and gain, learner impact and institutional impact. Each of these levels are discussed in detail, and in relation to existing TEL evaluation frameworks. This paper details a holistic, meaningful evaluation model for individual TEL resources within the specific context in which they are used. It is proposed that this model is adopted to ensure that TEL resources are evaluated in a more meaningful and robust manner than is currently undertaken.

Correlation of the cell surface antigens with stage and grade in cancer of the bladder.

PubMed

Emmott, R C; Javadpour, N; Bergman, S M; Soares, T

1979-01-01

We examined 76 bladder tumors of various stages and grades for the presence of the ABO (H) cell surface antigen, using the specific red cell adherence technique. Of the grade I lesions studied 70 per cent were positive for the cell surface antigen and none of the 26 grade III tumors retained the antigens. When correlated with clinical stage the tumors showed no antigens for those of stages B1 to D, while 12 of 16 stage A lesions were positive for the antigen. When stage A lesions were studied and the findings were correlated with recurrence and metastasis/invasion rates the cell surface antigen was present on the initial tumor in only 1 lesion that recurred at an invasive stage. The findings of this study show that the specific red cell adherence technique may be valuable for predicting malignant potential in low grade, low stage cancer of the bladder. If supported by further investigation this technique may offer the capability of selecting low grade, low stage bladder tumors that are destined to invade or metastasize while they are at curable stages.

Adult-specific insulin-producing neurons in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Ohhara, Yuya; Kobayashi, Satoru; Yamakawa-Kobayashi, Kimiko; Yamanaka, Naoki

2018-06-01

Holometabolous insects undergo metamorphosis to reorganize their behavioral and morphological features into adult-specific ones. In the central nervous system (CNS), some larval neurons undergo programmed cell death, whereas others go through remodeling of axonal and dendritic arbors to support functions of re-established adult organs. Although there are multiple neuropeptides that have stage-specific roles in holometabolous insects, the reorganization pattern of the entire neuropeptidergic system through metamorphosis still remains largely unclear. In this study, we conducted a mapping and lineage tracing of peptidergic neurons in the larval and adult CNS by using Drosophila genetic tools. We found that Diuretic hormone 44-producing median neurosecretory cells start expressing Insulin-like peptide 2 in the pharate adult stage. This neuronal cluster projects to the corpora cardiaca and dorsal vessel in both larval and adult stages, and also innervates an adult-specific structure in the digestive tract, the crop. We propose that the adult-specific insulin-producing cells may regulate functions of the digestive system in a stage-specific manner. Our study provides a neuroanatomical basis for understanding remodeling of the neuropeptidergic system during insect development and evolution. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

On the use of wave parameterizations and a storm impact scaling model in National Weather Service Coastal Flood and decision support operations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mignone, Anthony; Stockdon, H.; Willis, M.; Cannon, J.W.; Thompson, R.

2012-01-01

National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) are responsible for issuing coastal flood watches, warnings, advisories, and local statements to alert decision makers and the general public when rising water levels may lead to coastal impacts such as inundation, erosion, and wave battery. Both extratropical and tropical cyclones can generate the prerequisite rise in water level to set the stage for a coastal impact event. Forecasters use a variety of tools including computer model guidance and local studies to help predict the potential severity of coastal flooding. However, a key missing component has been the incorporation of the effects of waves in the prediction of total water level and the associated coastal impacts. Several recent studies have demonstrated the importance of incorporating wave action into the NWS coastal flood program. To follow up on these studies, this paper looks at the potential of applying recently developed empirical parameterizations of wave setup, swash, and runup to the NWS forecast process. Additionally, the wave parameterizations are incorporated into a storm impact scaling model that compares extreme water levels to beach elevation data to determine the mode of coastal change at predetermined “hotspots” of interest. Specifically, the storm impact model compares the approximate storm-induced still water level, which includes contributions from tides, storm surge, and wave setup, to dune crest elevation to determine inundation potential. The model also compares the combined effects of tides, storm surge, and the 2 % exceedance level for vertical wave runup (including both wave setup and swash) to dune toe and crest elevations to determine if erosion and/or ocean overwash may occur. The wave parameterizations and storm impact model are applied to two cases in 2009 that led to significant coastal impacts and unique forecast challenges in North Carolina: the extratropical “Nor'Ida” event during 11-14 November and the large swell event from distant Hurricane Bill on 22 August. The coastal impacts associated with Nor'Ida were due to the combined effects of surge, tide, and wave processes and led to an estimated 5.8 million dollars in damage. While the impacts from Hurricane Bill were not as severe as Nor'Ida, they were mainly associated with wave processes. Thus, this event exemplifies the importance of incorporating waves into the total water level and coastal impact prediction process. These examples set the stage for potential future applications including adaption to the more complex topography along the New England coast.

Computational annotation of genes differentially expressed along olive fruit development

PubMed Central

Galla, Giulio; Barcaccia, Gianni; Ramina, Angelo; Collani, Silvio; Alagna, Fiammetta; Baldoni, Luciana; Cultrera, Nicolò GM; Martinelli, Federico; Sebastiani, Luca; Tonutti, Pietro

2009-01-01

Background Olea europaea L. is a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean basin with a worldwide economical high impact. Differently from other fruit tree species, little is known about the physiological and molecular basis of the olive fruit development and a few sequences of genes and gene products are available for olive in public databases. This study deals with the identification of large sets of differentially expressed genes in developing olive fruits and the subsequent computational annotation by means of different software. Results mRNA from fruits of the cv. Leccino sampled at three different stages [i.e., initial fruit set (stage 1), completed pit hardening (stage 2) and veraison (stage 3)] was used for the identification of differentially expressed genes putatively involved in main processes along fruit development. Four subtractive hybridization libraries were constructed: forward and reverse between stage 1 and 2 (libraries A and B), and 2 and 3 (libraries C and D). All sequenced clones (1,132 in total) were analyzed through BlastX against non-redundant NCBI databases and about 60% of them showed similarity to known proteins. A total of 89 out of 642 differentially expressed unique sequences was further investigated by Real-Time PCR, showing a validation of the SSH results as high as 69%. Library-specific cDNA repertories were annotated according to the three main vocabularies of the gene ontology (GO): cellular component, biological process and molecular function. BlastX analysis, GO terms mapping and annotation analysis were performed using the Blast2GO software, a research tool designed with the main purpose of enabling GO based data mining on sequence sets for which no GO annotation is yet available. Bioinformatic analysis pointed out a significantly different distribution of the annotated sequences for each GO category, when comparing the three fruit developmental stages. The olive fruit-specific transcriptome dataset was used to query all known KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes) metabolic pathways for characterizing and positioning retrieved EST records. The integration of the olive sequence datasets within the MapMan platform for microarray analysis allowed the identification of specific biosynthetic pathways useful for the definition of key functional categories in time course analyses for gene groups. Conclusion The bioinformatic annotation of all gene sequences was useful to shed light on metabolic pathways and transcriptional aspects related to carbohydrates, fatty acids, secondary metabolites, transcription factors and hormones as well as response to biotic and abiotic stresses throughout olive drupe development. These results represent a first step toward both functional genomics and systems biology research for understanding the gene functions and regulatory networks in olive fruit growth and ripening. PMID:19852839

A Study into the Impact of the Reading Education Assistance Dogs Scheme on Reading Engagement and Motivation to Read among Early Years Foundation-Stage Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noble, Olivia; Holt, Nicole

2018-01-01

This research explores the impact of the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) scheme on reading engagement and motivation among Early Years Foundation-Stage children using a case study approach at a primary school in the English Midlands. There is a notable lack of UK-based research into the READ scheme, which offers a potential alternative…

Use of Drought Index and Crop Modelling for Drought Impacts Analysis on Maize (Zea mays L.) Yield Loss in Bandung District

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniasih, E.; Impron; Perdinan

2017-03-01

Drought impacts on crop yield loss depend on drought magnitude and duration and on plant genotype at every plant growth stages when droughts occur. This research aims to assess the difference calculation results of 2 drought index methods and to study the maize yield loss variability impacted by drought magnitude and duration during maize growth stages in Bandung district, province of West Java, Indonesia. Droughts were quantified by the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at 1- to 3-month lags for the January1986-December 2015 period data. Maize yield responses to droughts were simulated by AquaCrop for the January 1986-May 2016 period of growing season. The analysis showed that the SPI and SPEI methods provided similar results in quantifying drought event. Droughts during maize reproductive stages caused the highest maize yield loss.

Effects of specific surface area of metallic nickel particles on carbon deposition kinetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhi-yuan; Bian, Liu-zhen; Yu, Zi-you; Wang, Li-jun; Li, Fu-shen; Chou, Kuo-Chih

2018-02-01

Carbon deposition on nickel powders in methane involves three stages in different reaction temperature ranges. Temperature programing oxidation test and Raman spectrum results indicated the formation of complex and ordered carbon structures at high deposition temperatures. The values of I(D)/ I(G) of the deposited carbon reached 1.86, 1.30, and 1.22 in the first, second, and third stages, respectively. The structure of carbon in the second stage was similar to that in the third stage. Carbon deposited in the first stage rarely contained homogeneous pyrolytic deposit layers. A kinetic model was developed to analyze the carbon deposition behavior in the first stage. The rate-determining step of the first stage is supposed to be interfacial reaction. Based on the investigation of carbon deposition kinetics on nickel powders from different resources, carbon deposition rate is suggested to have a linear relation with the square of specific surface area of nickel particles.

Fast Track NTR Systems Assessment for NASA's First Lunar Outpost Scenario

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borowski, Stanley K.; Alexander, Stephen W.

1994-01-01

Integrated systems and mission study results are presented which quantify the rationale and benefits for developing and using nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) technology for returning humans to the moon in the early 2000's. At present, the Exploration Program Office (ExPO) is considering chemical propulsion for its 'First Lunar Outpost' (FLO) mission, and NTR propulsion for the more demanding Mars missions to follow. The use of an NTR-based lunar transfer stage, capable of evolving to Mars mission applications, could result in an accelerated schedule, reduced cost approach to moon/Mars exploration. Lunar mission applications would also provide valuable operational experience and serve as a 'proving ground' for NTR engine and stage technologies. In terms of performance benefits, studies indicate that an expendable NTR stage powered by two 50 klbf engines can deliver approximately 96 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI) conditions for an initial mass in low earth orbit (IMLEO) of approximately 199 t compared to 250 t for a cryogenic chemical TLI stage. The NTR stage liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank has a 10 m diameter, 14.8 m length, and 68 t LH2 capacity. The NTR utilizes a 'graphite' fuel form consisting of coated UC2 particles in a graphite substrate, and has a specific impulse capability of approximately 870 s, and an engine thrust-to-weight ratio of approximately 4.8. The NTR stage and its piloted FLO lander has a total length of approximately 38 m and can be launched by a single Saturn V-derived heavy lift launch vehicle (HLLV) in the 200 to 250 t-class range. The paper summarizes NASA's First Lunar Outpost scenario, describes characteristics for representative engine/stage configurations, and examines the impact on engine selection and vehicle design resulting from a consideration of alternative NTR fuel forms and lunar mission profiles.

Comparative field study: impact of laboratory assay variability on the assessment of recombinant factor IX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc) activity.

PubMed

Sommer, Jurg M; Buyue, Yang; Bardan, Sara; Peters, Robert T; Jiang, Haiyan; Kamphaus, George D; Gray, Elaine; Pierce, Glenn F

2014-11-01

Due to variability in the one-stage clotting assay, the performance of new factor IX (FIX) products should be assessed in this assay. The objective of this field study was to evaluate the accuracy of measuring recombinant FIX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc) activity in clinical haemostasis laboratories using the one-stage clotting assay. Human haemophilic donor plasma was spiked with rFIXFc or BeneFIX® at 0.80, 0.20, or 0.05 IU/ml based on label potency. Laboratories tested blinded samples using their routine one-stage assay and in-house FIX plasma standard. The mean spike recoveries for BeneFIX (n=30 laboratories) were 121 %, 144 %, and 168 % of expected at nominal 0.80, 0.20, and 0.05 IU/ml concentrations, respectively. Corresponding rFIXFc spike recoveries were 88 %, 107 %, and 132 % of expected, respectively. All BeneFIX concentrations were consistently overestimated by most laboratories. rFIXFc activity was reagent-dependent; ellagic acid and silica gave higher values than kaolin, which underestimated rFIXFc. BeneFIX demonstrated significantly reduced chromogenic assay activity relative to one-stage assay results and nominal activity, while rFIXFc activity was close to nominal activity at three concentrations with better dilution linearity than the typical one-stage assay. In conclusion, laboratory- and reagent-specific assay variabilities were revealed, with progressively higher variability at lower FIX concentrations. Non-parallelism against the FIX plasma standard was observed in all one-stage assays with rFIXFc and BeneFIX, leading to significant overestimation of FIX activity at lower levels and generally high inter-laboratory variability. Compared to the accuracy currently achieved in clinical laboratories when measuring other rFIX products, most laboratories measured rFIXFc activity with acceptable accuracy and reliability using routine one-stage assay methods and commercially available plasma standards.

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography with 18F-fluorocholine improve tumor staging and treatment allocation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Chalaye, Julia; Costentin, Charlotte E; Luciani, Alain; Amaddeo, Giuliana; Ganne-Carrié, Nathalie; Baranes, Laurence; Allaire, Manon; Calderaro, Julien; Azoulay, Daniel; Nahon, Pierre; Seror, Olivier; Mallat, Ariane; Soussan, Michael; Duvoux, Christophe; Itti, Emmanuel; Nault, Jean Charles

2018-03-06

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) staging according to the Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification is based on conventional imaging. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of dual-tracer 18F-fluorocholine and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) on tumor staging and treatment allocation. A total of 192 dual-tracer PET/CT scans (18F-fluorocholine and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT) were performed in 177 patients with HCC. BCLC staging and treatment proposal were retrospectively collected based on conventional imaging, along with any new lesions detected, and changes in BCLC classification or treatment allocation based on dual-tracer PET/CT. Patients were primarily men (87.5%) with cirrhosis (71%) due to alcohol ± non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (26%), viral infection (62%) or unknown causes (12%). Among 122 patients with PET/CT performed for staging, BCLC stage based on conventional imaging was 0/A in 61 patients (50%), B in 32 patients (26%) and C in 29 patients (24%). Dual-tracer PET/CT detected new lesions in 26 patients (21%), upgraded BCLC staging in 14 (11%) and modified treatment strategy in 17 (14%). In addition, dual-tracer PET/CT modified the final treatment in 4/9 (44%) patients with unexplained elevation of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), 10/25 patients (40%) with doubtful lesions on conventional imaging and 3/36 patients (8%) waiting for liver transplantation without active HCC after tumor response following bridging therapy. When used for HCC staging, dual-tracer PET/CT enabled BCLC upgrading and treatment modification in 11% and 14% of patients, respectively. Dual-tracer PET/CT might also be useful in specific situations (an unexplained rise in AFP, doubtful lesions or pre-transplant evaluation of patients without active HCC). Using a combination of tracers 18F-fluorocholine and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose when performing positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), often called a PET scan, helps to identify new tumor lesions in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. This technique enabled staging modification of patients' tumors and led to changes in treatment allocation in certain patients. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Monitoring Crop Phenology and Growth Stages from Space: Opportunities and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, F.; Anderson, M. C.; Mladenova, I. E.; Kustas, W. P.; Alfieri, J. G.

2014-12-01

Crop growth stages in concert with weather and soil moisture conditions can have a significant impact on crop yields. In the U.S., crop growth stages and conditions are reported by farmers at the county level. These reports are somewhat subjective and fluctuate between different reporters, locations and times. Remote sensing data provide an alternative approach to monitoring crop growth over large areas in a more consistent and quantitative way. In the recent years, remote sensing data have been used to detect vegetation phenology at 1-km spatial resolution globally. However, agricultural applications at field scale require finer spatial resolution remote sensing data. Landsat (30-m) data have been successfully used for agricultural applications. There are many medium resolution sensors available today or in near future. These include Landsat, SPOT, RapidEye, ASTER and future Sentinel-2 etc. Approaches have been developed in the past several years to integrate remote sensing data from different sensors which may have different sensor characteristics, and spatial and temporal resolutions. This allows us opportunities today to map crop growth stages and conditions using dense time-series remote sensing at field scales. However, remotely sensed phenology (or phenological metrics) is normally derived based on the mathematical functions of the time-series data. The phenological metrics are determined by either identifying inflection (curvature) points or some pre-defined thresholds in the remote sensing phenology algorithms. Furthermore, physiological crop growth stages may not be directly correlated to the remotely sensed phenology. The relationship between remotely sensed phenology and crop growth stages is likely to vary for specific crop types and varieties, growing stages, conditions and even locations. In this presentation, we will examine the relationship between remotely sensed phenology and crop growth stages using in-situ measurements from Fluxnet sites and crop progress reports from USDA NASS. We will present remote sensing approaches and focus on: 1) integrating multiple sources of remote sensing data; and 2) extracting crop phenology at field scales. An example in the U.S. Corn Belt area will be presented and analyzed. Future directions for mapping crop growth stages will be discussed.

Myogenic specification in somites: induction by axial structures.

PubMed

Buffinger, N; Stockdale, F E

1994-06-01

Specification of the myogenic phenotype in somites was examined in the early chick embryo using organotypic explant cultures stained with monoclonal antibodies to myosin heavy chain. It was found that myogenic specification (formation of muscle fibers in explants of somites or segmental plates cultured alone) does not occur until Hamburger and Hamilton stage 11 (12-14 somites). At this stage, only the somites in the rostral half of the embryo are myogenically specified. By Hamburger and Hamilton stage 12 (15-17 somites), the three most caudal somites were not specified to be myogenic while most or all of the more rostral somites are specified to myogenesis. Somites from older embryos (stage 13-15, 18-26 somites) showed the same pattern of myogenic specification--all but the three most caudal somites were specified. We investigated the effects of the axial structures, the notochord and neural tube, on myogenic specification. Both the notochord and neural tube were able to induce myogenesis in unspecified somites. In contrast, the neural tube, but not the notochord, was able to induce myogenesis in explants of segmental plate, a structure which is not myogenic when cultured alone. When explants of specified somites were stained with antibodies to slow or fast MyHC, it was found that myofiber diversity (fast and fast slow fibers) was established very early in development (as early as Hamburger and Hamilton stage 11). We also found fiber diversity in explants of unspecified somites (the three most caudal somites from stage 11 to 15) when they were recombined with notochord or neural tube. We conclude that myogenic specification in the embryo results in diverse fiber types and is an inductive process which is mediated by factors produced by the neural tube and notochord.

Stage Separation Failure: Model Based Diagnostics and Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luchinsky, Dmitry; Hafiychuk, Vasyl; Kulikov, Igor; Smelyanskiy, Vadim; Patterson-Hine, Ann; Hanson, John; Hill, Ashley

2010-01-01

Safety of the next-generation space flight vehicles requires development of an in-flight Failure Detection and Prognostic (FD&P) system. Development of such system is challenging task that involves analysis of many hard hitting engineering problems across the board. In this paper we report progress in the development of FD&P for the re-contact fault between upper stage nozzle and the inter-stage caused by the first stage and upper stage separation failure. A high-fidelity models and analytical estimations are applied to analyze the following sequence of events: (i) structural dynamics of the nozzle extension during the impact; (ii) structural stability of the deformed nozzle in the presence of the pressure and temperature loads induced by the hot gas flow during engine start up; and (iii) the fault induced thrust changes in the steady burning regime. The diagnostic is based on the measurements of the impact torque. The prognostic is based on the analysis of the correlation between the actuator signal and fault-induced changes in the nozzle structural stability and thrust.

Assessing Climate Vulnerability and Resilience of a Major Water Resource System - Inverting the Paradigm for Specific Risk Quantification at Decision Making Points of Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, K. W.; Ellis, A. W.; Skindlov, J. A.

2015-12-01

Water resource systems have provided vital support to transformative growth in the Southwest United States and the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area where the Salt River Project (SRP) currently satisfies 40% of the area's water demand from reservoir storage and groundwater. Large natural variability and expectations of climate changes have sensitized water management to risks posed by future periods of excess and drought. The conventional approach to impacts assessment has been downscaled climate model simulations translated through hydrologic models; but, scenario ranges enlarge as uncertainties propagate through sequential levels of modeling complexity. The research often does not reach the stage of specific impact assessments, rendering future projections frustratingly uncertain and unsuitable for complex decision-making. Alternatively, this study inverts the common approach by beginning with the threatened water system and proceeding backwards to the uncertain climate future. The methodology is built upon reservoir system response modeling to exhaustive time series of climate-driven net basin supply. A reservoir operations model, developed with SRP guidance, assesses cumulative response to inflow variability and change. Complete statistical analyses of long-term historical watershed climate and runoff data are employed for 10,000-year stochastic simulations, rendering the entire range of multi-year extremes with full probabilistic characterization. Sets of climate change projections are then translated by temperature sensitivity and precipitation elasticity into future inflow distributions that are comparatively assessed with the reservoir operations model. This approach provides specific risk assessments in pragmatic terms familiar to decision makers, interpretable within the context of long-range planning and revealing a clearer meaning of climate change projections for the region. As a transferable example achieving actionable findings, the approach can guide other communities confronting water resource planning challenges.

EMMPRIN is associated with S100A4 and predicts patient outcome in colorectal cancer

PubMed Central

Boye, K; Nesland, J M; Sandstad, B; Haugland Haugen, M; Mælandsmo, G M; Flatmark, K

2012-01-01

Background: Proteolytic enzymes and their regulators have important biological roles in colorectal cancer by stimulating invasion and metastasis, which makes these factors attractive as potential prognostic biomarkers. Methods: The expression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) was characterised using immunohistochemistry in primary tumours from a cohort of 277 prospectively recruited colorectal cancer patients, and associations with expression of S100A4, clinicopathological parameters and patient outcome were investigated. Results: One hundred and ninety-eight samples (72%) displayed positive membrane staining of the tumour cells, whereas 10 cases (4%) were borderline positive. EMMPRIN expression was associated with shorter metastasis-free, disease-specific and overall survival in both univariate and multivariate analyses. The prognostic impact was largely confined to TNM stage III, and EMMPRIN-negative stage III patients had an excellent prognosis. Furthermore, EMMPRIN was significantly associated with expression of S100A4, and the combined expression of these biomarkers conferred an even poorer prognosis. However, there was no evidence of direct regulation between the two proteins in the colorectal cancer cell lines HCT116 and SW620 in siRNA knockdown experiments. Conclusion: EMMPRIN is a promising prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer, and our findings suggest that it could be used in the selection of stage III patients for adjuvant therapy. PMID:22782346

Eco-Efficient Process Improvement at the Early Development Stage: Identifying Environmental and Economic Process Hotspots for Synergetic Improvement Potential.

PubMed

Piccinno, Fabiano; Hischier, Roland; Seeger, Stefan; Som, Claudia

2018-05-15

We present here a new eco-efficiency process-improvement method to highlight combined environmental and costs hotspots of the production process of new material at a very early development stage. Production-specific and scaled-up results for life cycle assessment (LCA) and production costs are combined in a new analysis to identify synergetic improvement potentials and trade-offs, setting goals for the eco-design of new processes. The identified hotspots and bottlenecks will help users to focus on the relevant steps for improvements from an eco-efficiency perspective and potentially reduce their associated environmental impacts and production costs. Our method is illustrated with a case study of nanocellulose. The results indicate that the production route should start with carrot pomace, use heat and solvent recovery, and deactivate the enzymes with bleach instead of heat. To further improve the process, the results show that focus should be laid on the carrier polymer, sodium alginate, and the production of the GripX coating. Overall, the method shows that the underlying LCA scale-up framework is valuable for purposes beyond conventional LCA studies and is applicable at a very early stage to provide researchers with a better understanding of their production process.

Assessing Environmental Impact: A Secondary School Learning Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nous, Albert P.

This packet contains information on teaching about environmental impact. Background information is included on the role of environmental impact on our society and environmental risk is also discussed. Environmental impacts are studied using Stages of Assessment. Learning activities and seven lesson plans include: (1) "The Community…

Prognostic factors and disease-specific survival among immigrants diagnosed with cutaneous malignant melanoma in Sweden.

PubMed

Simberg-Danell, Caroline; Lyth, Johan; Månsson-Brahme, Eva; Frohm-Nilsson, Margareta; Carstensen, John; Hansson, Johan; Eriksson, Hanna

2016-08-01

Little is known about cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) among immigrants in Europe. We aimed to investigate clinical characteristics and disease-specific survival among first- and second-generation immigrants in Sweden. This nationwide population-based study included 27,235 patients from the Swedish Melanoma Register diagnosed with primary invasive CMM, 1990-2007. Data were linked to nationwide, population-based registers followed up through 2013. Logistic regression and Cox regression models were used to determine the association between immigrant status, stage and CMM prognosis, respectively. After adjustments for confounders, first generation immigrants from Southern Europe were associated with significantly more advanced stages of disease compared to Swedish-born patients [Stage II vs. I: Odds ratio (OR) = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.61-3.50. Stage III-IV vs I: OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.08-5.37]. The ORs of stage II-IV versus stage I disease were increased among men (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.1-3.3; p = 0.020), and women (OR = 4.8; 95% CI = 2.6-9.1; p < 0.001) in a subgroup of immigrants from former Yugoslavia compared to Swedish-born patients. The CMM-specific survival was significantly decreased among women from former Yugoslavia versus Swedish-born women [hazard ratio (HR)=2.2; 95% CI = 1.1-4.2; p = 0.043]. After additional adjustments including stage, the survival difference was no longer significant. No survival difference between the second generation immigrant group and Swedish-born patients were observed. In conclusion, a worse CMM-specific survival in women from former Yugoslavia was associated with more advanced stages of CMM at diagnosis. Secondary prevention efforts focusing on specific groups may be needed to further improve the CMM prognosis. © 2016 UICC.

Life cycle assessment of TV sets in China: a case study of the impacts of CRT monitors.

PubMed

Song, Qingbin; Wang, Zhishi; Li, Jinhui; Zeng, Xianlai

2012-10-01

Along with the rapid increase in both production and use of TV sets in China, there is an increasing awareness of the environmental impacts related to the accelerating mass production, electricity use, and waste management of these sets. This paper aims to describe the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate the environmental performance of Chinese TV sets. An assessment of the TV set device (focusing on the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor) was carried out using a detailed modular LCA based on the international standards of the ISO 14040 series. The LCA was constructed using SimaPro software version 7.2 and expressed with the Eco-indicator' 99 life cycle impact assessment method. For a sensitivity analysis of the overall LCA results, the CML method was used in order to estimate the influence of the choice of the assessment method on the results. Life cycle inventory information was compiled by Ecoinvent 2.2 databases, combined with literature and field investigations on the current Chinese situation. The established LCA study shows that the use stage of such devices has the highest environmental impact, followed by the manufacturing stage. In the manufacturing stage, the CRT and the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) are those components contributing the most environmental impacts. During the use phase, the environmental impacts are due entirely to the methods of electricity generation used to run them, since no other aspects were taken into account for this phase. The final processing step-the end-of-life stage-can lead to a clear environmental benefit when the TV sets are processed through the formal dismantling enterprises in China. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life cycle assessment of TV sets in China: A case study of the impacts of CRT monitors

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

Song Qingbin; Wang Zhishi, E-mail: zswang@umac.mo; Li Jinhui

2012-10-15

Along with the rapid increase in both production and use of TV sets in China, there is an increasing awareness of the environmental impacts related to the accelerating mass production, electricity use, and waste management of these sets. This paper aims to describe the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate the environmental performance of Chinese TV sets. An assessment of the TV set device (focusing on the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor) was carried out using a detailed modular LCA based on the international standards of the ISO 14040 series. The LCA was constructed using SimaPro software versionmore » 7.2 and expressed with the Eco-indicator' 99 life cycle impact assessment method. For a sensitivity analysis of the overall LCA results, the CML method was used in order to estimate the influence of the choice of the assessment method on the results. Life cycle inventory information was compiled by Ecoinvent 2.2 databases, combined with literature and field investigations on the current Chinese situation. The established LCA study shows that the use stage of such devices has the highest environmental impact, followed by the manufacturing stage. In the manufacturing stage, the CRT and the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) are those components contributing the most environmental impacts. During the use phase, the environmental impacts are due entirely to the methods of electricity generation used to run them, since no other aspects were taken into account for this phase. The final processing step-the end-of-life stage-can lead to a clear environmental benefit when the TV sets are processed through the formal dismantling enterprises in China.« less

Gamma-Secretase/Notch Signalling Pathway Inhibitor RO4929097 and Temsirolimus in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

ClinicalTrials.gov

2014-05-29

Endometrial Papillary Serous Carcinoma; Recurrent Endometrial Carcinoma; Recurrent Renal Cell Cancer; Stage III Endometrial Carcinoma; Stage III Renal Cell Cancer; Stage IV Endometrial Carcinoma; Stage IV Renal Cell Cancer; Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

Geriatric Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery: Going the Extra Mile.

PubMed

Krishnan, Seethalakshmi

2017-12-01

To assess the quality of life in geriatric patients after reconstructive and obliterative vaginal surgery for advanced pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Prospective observational study was conducted between January 2009 and December 2014 at the department of Urogynaecology, Government Kasturbha Gandhi Hospital. A total of 424 women (between the age group of 60 and 94 years) with advanced pelvic organ prolapse underwent vaginal hysterectomy along with vaginal apical suspension procedures which were McCalls culdoplasty (35.02%), sacrospinous ligament suspension (8.3%), high uterosacral ligament suspension (26.2%), iliococcygeus fixation (4.6%) for stage 3-4 POP. Abdominal sacrocolpopexy (3.2%) was done for stage 3-4 vaginal vault prolapse. Patients with medical comorbidities underwent Leeforts partial colpocleisis (8.1%) and total colpocleisis (2%) for stage 3 and 4 POP. Site-specific repair (12.5%) was done for stage 3/4 cystocele and rectocele. The main outcomes measured were subjective cure (no prolapse), subjective improvements in pelvic floor symptoms as per the pelvic floor impact questionnaire, and objective cure (no prolapse of vaginal segment on maximum straining). Mean age of the patient was 64.29 years. The major complication rates were less than 1%. 85% were examined at 3 and 12 months. The subjective cure rate at 12 months is 92% and the objective cure rate is 94.5%. The geriatric patients who underwent either reconstructive or obliterative procedures were relieved of their preoperative symptoms and their quality of life had greatly improved.

Prognostic and Predictive Value of CpG Island Methylator Phenotype in Patients with Locally Advanced Nonmetastatic Sporadic Colorectal Cancer

PubMed Central

Long, Yadong; Xu, Ye; Guan, Zuqing; Lian, Peng; Peng, Junjie

2014-01-01

Purpose. In the present study, the prognostic significance of CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in stage II/III sporadic colorectal cancer was evaluated using a five-gene panel. Methods. Fifty stage II/III colorectal cancer patients who received radical resection were included in this study. Promoter methylation of p14ARF, hMLH1, p16INK4a, MGMT, and MINT1 was determined by methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). CIMP positive was defined as hypermethylation of three or more of the five genes. Impact factors on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method (log-rank test) and adjusted Cox proportional hazards model. Results. Twenty-four percent (12/50) of patients were characterized as CIMP positive. Univariate analysis showed stage III (P = 0.049) and CIMP positive (P = 0.014) patients who had significantly inferior DFS. In Cox regression analysis, CIMP positive epigenotype was independently related with poor DFS with HR = 2.935 and 95% CI: 1.193–7.220 (P = 0.019). In patients with CIMP positive tumor, those receiving adjuvant chemotherapy had a poor DFS than those without adjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.023). Conclusions. CIMP positive was significantly correlated with decreased DFS in stage II/III colorectal cancer. Patients with CIMP positive locally advanced sporadic colorectal cancers may not benefit from 5-fluorouracil based adjuvant chemotherapy. PMID:24822060